MOVIE REVIEW: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

For some reason, serial killer movies (Se7en and Zodiac) seem to be an old reliable specialty for Fincher. While this film will never top the poignant suspense of Se7en, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a wonderfully engaging and endlessly interesting mystery. Though the movie runs nearly three hours, the deeper the investigation goes, the deeper the movie grabs your interest. Unlike the unsolved Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo offers a great many payoffs, twists, and surprises on its way to sequel-begging finish.

MOVIE REVIEW: Young Adult

Director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno, and Up in the Air) has put together another quirky movie that balances drama and comedy, but Young Adult falls short of being truly compelling like his previous works.

"2011 Holiday Movies", "2011", "3 STARS", "Movie Review", "Young Adult"Don ShanahanDecember 20, 2011Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Hugo

Hugo deserves its place as one of the best films of 2011 on that level of craftsmanship alone. Its story is warm and stirring, but not as captivating from beginning to end as it should be.

"2011 Holiday Movies", "2011", "4 STARS", "Hugo", "Movie Review"Don ShanahanDecember 20, 2011 Comments

MOVIE REVIEW: Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol

There are some things Tom Cruise does absolutely right. Playing Mission: Impossible's Ethan Hunt is one of them.

"2011 Holiday Movies", "2011", "4 STARS", "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol", "Movie Review"Don ShanahanDecember 19, 2011Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Descendants

There are a few magical times in movie history when a great actor goes against what he is known for or does best and gives a performance of a completely different range and capability than previously thought of them. I'm not talking about movie stars that get dirtied up or ugly to play odd parts. That's all window-dressing. I mean showing a completely different level of emotion and character than previously seen.

"2011 Holiday Movies", "2011", "5 STARS", "Movie Review", "The Descendants"Don ShanahanDecember 10, 2011Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Muppets

The fact that The Muppets stays true to the low-tech that made it great while delivering an engaging story of fun and heart is its best quality, by far.

"2011 Holiday Movies", "2011", "4 STARS", "Movie Review", "The Muppets"Don ShanahanNovember 27, 2011Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Melancholia

Melancholia is not your your typical science-fiction drama or even a typical family drama. With Lars Von Trier and his track record (Europa, Dogville, Antichrist), we shouldn't be surprised. It's essentially a wedding movie about two very different, yet equally damaged sisters, but it has a lot more going on. What's going on exactly? Well, it's a little foggy and full of issues.

2011, 2 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 15, 2011Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: In Time

That's a lot of air quotes for one movie review. High-concept science-fiction movies that reinvent everything about real life will do that. Air quotes overload or not, In Time works. It's interesting, cool, fast-paced, and sharply made. Where some movies try a bold sci-fi idea only half-heartedly by just teasing a cool idea superficially, In Time immerses the audiences in all the details and doesn't waver.

"2011 Fall Movies", "2011", "4 STARS", "In Time", "Movie Review"Don ShanahanOctober 31, 2011 Comments

MOVIE REVIEW: 50/50

50/50 will have you packing your tissue box to wipe away both tears of sorrow and tears of laughter. It's more than a numbers game, though, in balancing humor with drama. It's not about adding up equal parts. It's about timing your jokes to fall in dramatic places when you need them and in funny places where they work like magic.

2011, 5 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanOctober 31, 2011Comment

EDITORIAL: Best Non-Horror Halloween Movie Scenes

While horror movies, especially the eponymous Halloween series, prominently use Halloween as a staging point, there are a great many non-horror movies that have fun and unique Halloween set pieces as well. For a short and sweet editorial, here are some non-horror cinematic scenes of Halloween and a few clips.

2011, Column, Editorial, LIST, Social MediaDon ShanahanOctober 24, 2011Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Courageous

The scores and buzz are not a mirage. Courageous is simply that good, regardless of who or what you believe in. Yes, it's "preachy" if you want to say that. Yes, it's full of and unashamed of its southern Baptist values, but the film doesn't require a "buyer beware" warning label. That's because it is a compelling journey of the self-improvement and integrity of fatherhood accountability and responsibility that a man of any faith or doctrine can relate to and be moved by.

"2011 Fall Movies", "2011", "4 STARS", "Courageous", "Movie Review"Don ShanahanOctober 16, 2011Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Ides of March

The Ides of March astutely sets you on a course of constantly waiting for the other shoe to fall and questioning whether that shoe will multiply into a thunderstorm of explosive Crocs and Uggs.

"2011 Fall Movies", "2011", "4 STARS", "Movie Review", "The Ides of March"Don ShanahanOctober 9, 2011Comment