HANAJUN CHUNG Sam Raimi's 1981 original Evil Dead is considered a horror classic by fans, a film that inspired countless future films and filmmakers in the genre. Even in today's climate of remakes and reboots, Raimi's original is one that's still effective today, that the thought of remaking it almost seems blasphemous. Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead doesn't do anything wrong,...

The hook for 2010's Red was the casting of mostly incredibly talented, senior thespians to fill out a roster of characters that are ex-spies labeled "Retired, Extremely Dangerous." Whereas the first film took that concept for attempts at mixing action and comedy with some depth, Red 2 doesn't really care so much for ageism as opposed to ideas such as...

Originality is difficult to find in recent cinema. There are a few, but rarely done on the budget of a summer blockbuster. Inception is a recent example of an original idea and story by a visionary filmmaker that resonated deeply with both audiences and critics. Elements found in Pacific Rim are fairly recognizable, but the hybridization of all those bits...

The buddy cop genre is something many are familiar with: mismatched pair with wildly different personalities put aside their differences and work together. Hilarity ensues. Directed by Paul Feig's (Bridesmaids) film The Heat works better as a pure comedy, but doesn't add anything to it's other procedural half. As a result, the film teases potential while delivering smaller laughs than...

HANAJUN CHUNG "Phase 2" of Marvel's release stratagem has begun with the third installment of the Iron Man franchise. The first film was a massive success, while the sequel did fine (but not as well), with The Avengers solidifying the fact that fans want more of the Marvel Universe and their characters. Iron Man 3 not only continues the story...

HANAJUN CHUNG White House Down is film that contains an overabundance of action movie cliche´s. It hardly attempts to reinvent the genre in any way, and sticks to delivering the cues and moments that fans are used to seeing in similar films. But Roland Emmerich's direction actually relishes those exact moments, since many of these familiarities essentially derive with this...

HANAJUN CHUNG Pixar's great, and many will agree. While their canon might not all be Oscar-winning films, their massive popularity in pop culture is indicative of their care and quality put forth in the stories and the characters. For Pixar, some worlds are just too big to be left without a sequel or some spinoff. The Monster's Inc. universe is...

Superman is one of those international icons that people understand without having to know the many details regarding his origin. Whether it's his Clark Kent persona or his weakness to kryptonite, the hero's incredible popularity has made the character accessible in many regions, markets, and mediums. Yet knowing all that, 2006's Superman Returns (dir. Bryan Singer) didn't quite hit the...

HANAJUN CHUNG A plot about bank-robbing magicians should sound ridiculous, but once that's accepted, it has the potential to be quite fun. Now You See Me really wins when it reveals the "tricks" behind the illusion involving the heists, really making one feel the exhilaration after each little reveal. Simply put, when director Louis Leterrier and his cast are having...

HANAJUN CHUNG "Danger is real. Fear is a Choice." - Cypher Raige Really, After Earth? Because you only delve into the first, non-compelling half of that quote. But that problem pretty much sums the experience altogether. Let me explain. Will Smith and M. Night Shyamalan have made a film that's simply not that good. It's inconsistent in many different ways,...