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STEVE PERSALL Movie Reviews

Steve Persall
442 reviews, averaging 65.8% positive

 

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Title
Publication
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Review
Date
Rating
Quote
1.
Battleship (2012)
Tampa Bay Times
05/18/12 Poor "...cacophonous enough to prevent nodding off during long stretches of character underdevelopment and gung-ho declarations."
2. 05/17/12 Moderate "...a handful of rom-com ideas that couldn't sustain a movie on their own, so director Kirk Jones shuffles them, prolonging their easy resolutions."
3.
The Dictator (2012)
Tampa Bay Times
05/16/12 Good "...jokes about rape, torture and genitals have a more polished edge... Watching actors portray alarm at Cohen's antics isn't as hilarious as civilians doing it for real."
4.
Dark Shadows (2012)
Tampa Bay Times
05/10/12 Moderate "Burton and screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith settle into the talky, pedestrian rhythms of the TV show, with subplots amounting to not much, no matter how archly they're presented."
5. 05/03/12 Excellent "...a constant amusement and a nice alternative... let us put in a word for Bill Nighy, one of the most underrated actors alive."
6.
Marvel's The Avengers
Tampa Bay Times
05/03/12 Excellent "...as brawny and lamebrainy as any comic book movie deserves to be, capped by a 40-minute assault pummeling senses as few action sequences ever have."
7.
Monsieur Lazhar
Tampa Bay Times
05/03/12 Outstanding "...uplifting in a subdued fashion that would escape most American filmmakers.... a deeply affecting film not for pathos but for the way sadness is conveyed so subtly."
8. 04/27/12 Moderate "Segel and Blunt are charming when allowed to be, and unconvincing when Tom and Violet are doing their best to mess up this relationship."
9. 04/26/12 Very Good "The 3-D format isn't necessary, except for animation buffs, to fully appreciate Aardman's extraordinary detail in making things move, one painstaking frame at a time."
10.
The Raven (2012)
Tampa Bay Times
04/26/12 Moderate "...isn't nearly as much fun as it should be. Much of the problem lies in casting John Cusack as Poe, appearing more robust than a deteriorating substance addict should."
11.
L!fe Happens (2012)
Tampa Bay Times
04/26/12 Moderate "...fitfully amusing... the kind of movie giving its hero an occupation like dog walker, then placing her in fashion and affairs that job couldn't support."
12.
Think Like a Man
Tampa Bay Times
04/21/12 Very Good "It's a movie running about 20 minutes longer than it should but the snappy script keeps you interested, and laughing more than expected."
13.
The Lucky One
Tampa Bay Times
04/19/12 Poor "Nothing to see in 'The Lucky One'... The movie isn't even in 3-D. How else do you expect real men to see two mushy hearts beating as one?"
14. 04/13/12 Very Good "...a more than reasonable facsimile of the comedy act that launched 1,000 emergency room visits. Who'd a thunk that a hammer to the noggin could hurt, when it looked so funny?"
15.
The Cabin in the Woods
Tampa Bay Times
04/12/12 Outstanding "Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the next cult phenom... a wickedly smart hybrid mutation, biting the severed hand feeding the genre."
16.
Bully (2012)
Tampa Bay Times
04/12/12 Very Good "...no more incisive than a Dateline NBC segment on the subject, although with a PG-13 rating it now can be a classroom tool for discussion."
17.
The Raid: Redemption
Tampa Bay Times
04/12/12 Excellent "People die messy and masterful... a movie so violently entertaining that it could slide by without a plot but attempts one anyway."
18. 04/05/12 Moderate "The movie's only constant pleasure -- heck, the whole franchise's -- is Eugene Levy... Leave it to the old man to show these kids how it's done."
19.
In Darkness (2011)
Tampa Bay Times
04/05/12 Good "...overlong, at times indecipherable... viewers should hope the projector is fitted with a new lamp, as dimly as the drama plays out in largely natural lighting."
20.
Wrath of the Titans
Tampa Bay Times
03/30/12 Good "The two-headed fire-breathing bat dragon was impressive, and the trio of cyclopses -- or is that cycli? -- looked good. But the minotaur fight was hectic and short..."

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