Chuck Koplinski

Beware the sharp-dressed man To say that Max (Jamie Foxx) is having a bad night is like saying that the Titanic ran into a little trouble at sea. It’s bad enough that the LA cab driver has let a beautiful woman slip through his fingers; now he’s got a fare he can’t shake, a sharp-dressed […]

Stripped of myth, this Arthur seems more heroic King Arthur departs from tales of swords in stones, mad wizards, and crazy love. Instead, relying on recently discovered archaeological evidence, director Antoine Fuqua gives us “historical Arthur”: A beleaguered Roman commander is forced to engage hordes of advancing Saxons as the empire loosens its grip on […]

What makes a hero? A spider with heart Devoting your life to spinning webs any size and catching thieves just like flies can be a major drag. You end up falling behind on your studies and losing your job because you always show up late, and the chance of having a meaningful relationship is remote. […]

It only seems like 80 days Halfway through Around the World in 80 Days, a poor man, locked up for a petty crime, cries out, “Please, let me go! I’m bored!” That’s pretty much what I was thinking as I sat in the theater, wondering, “Are we there yet?” This Disneyfied version of Jules Verne’s […]

Newest Potter film sets the standard for the series Told at a breakneck pace and sporting a stylistically somber look lifted directly from film noir, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban proves the most satisfying entry yet in the series of film adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s immensely popular books. Fans of the novels often […]

Shrek sequel isn’t equal to orginal Witty and innovative, Shrek put the DreamWorks animation division on the map in 2001. The film’s breezy pace, lively voice characterizations by A-list movie stars, and clever script spelled box-office success. Producing a sequel was a no-brainer. Shrek 2 has a tough act to follow, and — no surprise […]

Homer lite: How Troy was lost in less than three hours You don’t need to brush up on your Homer to get through Troy: Director Wolfgang Petersen and screenwriter David Benioff set the stage quickly in the film’s first half hour. For those who dozed off during history class, Agamemnon (Brian Cox) has united all […]

Monstrous monster movie deserver an angry mob Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) wants to hatch his unborn progeny. He thinks that Wolfman’s blood and Frankenstein’s constitution are key to his plan. Enter Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman), a secret agent for the Vatican and emissary charged with killing evildoers. Along with his trusty sidekick, Carl (David Wenham), […]

The mating call of lawyers in love Laws of Attraction proves a totally disarming and charming comedy, thanks in large part to genuine chemistry between its two stars, aging sex symbol Pierce Brosnan and classic beauty Julianne Moore. Playing the roles of two successful New York divorce lawyers, Brosnan and Moore provide the sparks necessary […]

13 imitates Big but comes up short The body-switch premise was done to perfection in Penny Marshall’s Big when young David Moscow turned into Tom Hanks. Even in an adult’s body, the character of Josh looked at the world with a 13-year-old’s sense of wonderment and innocence. Hanks’ performance and Marshall’s deft direction turned this […]

Familiar love story features drag queens, hit men, and show tunes So what do you do for an encore after you’ve written and starred in the second most successful independent film ever made? Why, you shamelessly remake a Hollywood classic and hope no one notices! That’s what Nia Vardolas appears to be doing with Connie […]