TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

Something bothered me right before I watched Denis Villeneuve's new film  Arrival : the trailer to the upcoming sci-fi flick Passengers . It's a film I've been anticipating for quite some time, and perhaps I'm going in with blind admiration for it's two leads, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, the current gods of movies. The trailer hooked me; these two in a spaceship already promised my butt in the seat. But then it kept going, revealing more and more about the plot that I would have gladly wanted to find out when I was seeing it for the first time. Hollywood trailers revealing too much gets enough publicity though...the ones that don't need more press for the ones that do to not succeed. The marketing for Arrival was perfect: it revealed the most sensational, attention-grabbing aspect of its product (an alien invasion) but gave you no more, and no less. So when you see Arrival , don't come expecting Independence Day 3 , expect a quiet, somber exercise in ...

Even though this admits my guilt to my mind wandering a little, I realized that while watching Civil War this was the Marvel Cinematic Universe's thirteenth film. Besides Bond and probably those awful Transformers movies because audiences keep feeding Michael Bay's ego, how many franchises can say that? Additionally, how many can say that just about all of the films in their franchise have been well received? Most people cite the second Iron Man film as the worst, (and personally I think Iron Man 3 was a poorly executed film), but there isn't really a stinker in there. They're all fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, they all made obscene amounts of money...it's pretty impressive. Some have noted how the Marvel films are all fairly similar, at least in tone and the formula that follows a TV episode of thwarting the bad guy at the end of it. That's why they bring in directors to genre bend. Sometimes it works, when the Russo brothers (who directed this edition) make a 70s...

Some films are simply critic proof. That is, no matter the reviews, some films audiences will just see because of the blockbuster urge, the completist sense of "Oh, I've seen these three movies in the franchise, gotta catch this sure to be classic fourth installment," or simply just a loyalty to the franchise (how else would you explain Die Hard 5 making a single cent?) can get these monster movies with uh, poor reviews to say the least, some solid cash. This seems to be the formula for the Transformers films, frequently cheap horror flicks, and, until Fantastic Four erupted into headlines as one of this year's biggest flops, the superhero genre.  That exception aside, some films just seem destined for big bucks, bad reviews or not. Franchises and event movies have eclipsed the modern movie star: except for Tom Cruise. Headlines of controversial behavior have damaged careers of Mel Gibson, Lindsay Lohan, etc. With Cruise's, um, unique religious beliefs and err...

The Golden Globe, SAG Awards and Critics Choice Awards have all gone nuts over a little David O. Russell picture called "American Hustle." Exceppt for Jeremy Renner, there isn't a cast member among those Big 3 that hasn't been up for something, probably taking into account that Renner's character, Carmine Polito, is the most upright/righteous among this stellar cast of rather deceptive con folk. So here's my job, to deliver to you good people: is "American Hustle" worth the hype, and the rivalry status it has against "12 Years a Slave" for the Best Picture race this January? In a word, no. "American Hustle" is the more entertaining of the two, obviously, but it's nowhere near as accessible as director David O. Russell's proceeding, realistically charming romantic dramedy "Silver Linings Playbook." Its setting is the polyester, toupee, plunging neckline world of the 1970s. If "Hustle" and Russell did o...

Suffice it to say Mr. Jeremy Renner is having a moment.  After 2 Oscar nominations for work in action films, Hollywood clearly knew where to put him.  In a matter of recent months Renner has established himself as Hawkeye, the successor to Tom Cruise if he ever leaves the "Mission: Impossible" series (which he probably won't, now that he's got some free time on him) and now the successor to Matt Damon in the Bourne movies I've been watching in this last month to prepare myself for "The Bourne Legacy." These spy-action movies are one of the best franchises put to film, and the hard work shows if you ever look at a Bourne behind-the-scenes extra, they actually go to these places Bourne goes: Paris, Tangier, Madrid.  It's hard work, especially for Damon, who was probably tired of playing his never-smiling (seriously, look it up, he doesn't smile at all for the last two movies) rogue agent who just wants to find out who he is.  America obviously wi...