A.J. Hakari

11 Dec 2008

‘Punisher’ provides audience with unnecessary gore

Revenge films tend to follow one of two routes: the stories are either deadly serious or stylized tomes you have to admire for their sheer visual gusto.  “Punisher: War Zone” falls somewhere in between, and that’s precisely why it’s not […]

04 Dec 2008

‘Australia’ evokes disagreement amongst reviewers

It’s never a good sign when the projectionist tells you to pack a lunch before watching a movie. This happened to me when I went to go see “Australia,” a big slice of epic pie from “Moulin Rouge!” director Baz […]

20 Nov 2008

‘Quantam of Solace’ leaves out notorious ‘Bond’ action

Some will watch “Quantum of Solace” and proclaim that the James Bond the world grew up with is dead. He of the glib one-liners and infinite martinis (shaken, not stirred) has been replaced by a being resembling a British version […]

13 Nov 2008

‘Role Models’ has humorous moments, corny finale

“Role Models” is what you’d call half of an awesome movie. As cynical a soul as I am, I was relieved by the fresh start the flick got off to, impressed by its smarmy charm and unconventional attitude. But like […]

06 Nov 2008

Filmmaker delivers crass humor with 'Zack and Miri'

In recent years, Judd Apatow has made a killing churning out crass comedies with a hefty dose of heart. But lest we forget that it wasn’t so long ago that cult filmmaker Kevin Smith introduced viewers to such a style. […]

30 Oct 2008

‘High School Musical 3’ same old song and dance

It took me a good three hours before I could even think of how to start talking about “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” Having already reviewed the first two entries in Disney’s mystifyingly successful franchise, I knew even before […]

23 Oct 2008

Reviewers disagree on movie’s George W. Bush portrayal

The mystery behind Oliver Stone’s “W.” is of a kind usually reserved for Bigfoot and PT Anderson films. Lionsgate has remained curiously tight-lipped about the movie in the months leading to its release, its scant few trailers only fueling the […]

16 Oct 2008

‘Quarantine’ reflects Hollywood’s laziness, lack of creativity

Just when you thought American versions of foreign horror films were winding down to a close, along comes “Quarantine” to give this dead horse one last beating.

09 Oct 2008

‘How to Lose Friends and Alienate People’ lacks comedic focus

Budding journalists are taught that while true objectivity is a myth, their reporting should still be as slant-free as possible. As a result, movies have conjured up countless characters who abide by this creed, delicately dancing around ethical red tape […]

02 Oct 2008

'Eagle Eye' fails to live up to expectations

  The 1970s were rife with paranoid thrillers. Stuff like “The Conversation” and “The Parallax View” were all about the proliferation of technology in society and how maybe — just maybe — someone was using it to spy on you […]