Crisp Criticism - "Hercules", "Sex Tape", "The Purge: Anarchy", "Persecuted"

by

Julien Faddoul

Hercules

1400 years ago, a tormented soul walked the earth that was neither man nor god.

A vehicle for its star that takes a gritty approach to the Hercules legend. It provides intermittent pleasures, but is mostly dull and unattractive.

d – Brett Ratner

w – Ryan Condal, Evan Spiliotopoulos   (Based on the Comic Book by Jack Kirby)

ph – Dante Spinotti

pd – Jean-Vincent Puzos

m – Fernando Valezpuez

ed – Mark Helfrich, Julia Wong

cos – Jany Temime

p – Sarah Aubrey, Beau Flynn, Barry Levine, Brett Ratner

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Rufus Sewell, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Reece Ritchie, Joseph Fiennes, Tobias Santelmann, Peter Mullan, Rebecca Ferguson

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014/US)

by

Julien Faddoul

* (1 star)

d – Matt Reeves

w – Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Mark Bomback   (Based on the Novel by Pierre Boulle)   

ph – Michael Seresin
pd – James Chinlund

m – Michael Giacchino
ed – William Hoy, Stan Salfas

cos – Melissa Bruning

p – Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Toby Kebbell, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, Nick Thurston, Judy Greer, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes takes place 10 years after the previous incarnation. In the wake of the enormous ape discharge from the Gen-Sys Labs and their rampage through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County, the infectious Simian Virus has now exterminated the majority of Earth’s human populace and left the rest desperate to survive in a dystopian world.

Crisp Criticism - "They Came Together", "Locke", "Calvary", "Deliver Us from Evil"

by

Julien Faddoul

They Came Together *

A small business owner is about to lose her shop to a major corporate development. An arch parody of romantic comedies that is only occasionally funny. More often than not, it’s merely insipid.

d – David Wain

w – Michael Showalter, David Wain

ph – Tom Houghton

pd – Mark White

m – Matt Novack, Craig Wedren

ed – Jamie Gross

cos – Dana Covarrubias

p – Michael Showalter

Cast: Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Cobie Smulders, Christopher Meloni, Max Greenfield, Bill Hader, Ellie Kemper, Jason Mantzoukas, Melanie Lynskey, Ed Helms, Michael Ian Black, Michael Murphy, Kenan Thompson, Jack McBrayer, Ken Marino