Star Trek Into Darkness is what a summer movie should be. It's fun, exciting, emotional, and really just a fun ride from beginning to end. There is one element that's the potential poison to the film succeeding as a story, one that could determine the overall experience of the sequel. But more on that later. Directed by J. J. Abrams,...

When The Fast and the Furious first premiered in 2001, it introduced mainstream audiences to the world of underground street-racing, as well as detail the intricate parts required to understand the cars and the people involved. Subsequent sequels tried their best to keep people interested, but the franchise was losing steam as later films played around with characters and their...

HANJUN CHUNG High-concept science-fiction films are tricky to pull off successfully these days. Lately, everything seems to be retreading on the groundwork made by classics such as Ridley Scott's Alien or Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Director Joseph Kosinski's Oblivion pulls off the marvelous achievement in creating a realistic world that's unique in its look and design, delivering a...

HANAJUN CHUNG *Review based on April 3, 2013 performance. Keeping with the spirit of the characters, Kelly Ford’s adaptation of HAIR was free-spirited and mostly a fun time for everyone present that night. Based on the book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, it follows the American counter-culture youth of the Vietnam-Era 1960’s called “The Tribe,” focusing on...

HANAJUN CHUNGWhen a motion picture is delayed from its original release date, it usually stems from something troubling. Originally slated for a 2012 summer release, G. I. Joe: Retaliation finds itself finally being released in March 2013. It’s definitely better than the first, but it’s still quite mediocre. Based on the famous action figures by Hasbro, Retaliation picks up right...

HANAJUN CHUNG For many films, MGM's classic The Wizard of Oz is a tough act to follow. It's so timeless that no one's really dared to make big-budget remake of this beloved picture (unless you count The Wiz). Luckily for Oz the Great and the Powerful, it doesn't necessarily follow the MGM classic, but rather tells the story of the...

HNAJUN CHUNG "When them Hong Kong movies came out, every nigga in the world had to have a forty-five. And they don't want one, they want two, cause all them niggas want to be 'The Killer.' Now what they don't know, and them flicks don't tell you is that a .45 has a serious fuckin' jammin' problem. I always try...

HANAJUN CHUNG "You know, I've often wondered why it is we have children... and the conclusion I've come to is: we want someone to get it right this time. But not me. Personally speaking, I can't wait to watch life tear you apart." - Evelyn Stoker This is one sick and crazy film, and I mean that purely as a...

It's sad to see -- especially if you're single and lonely -- a destined romance prove insignificant. Especially on Valentine's Day. The film adaptation of the young-adult novel Beautiful Creatures is oddly serviceable and admirable for the event, but only if one doesn't really pay attention to the smaller details. Directed by Richard LaGravenese, Beautiful Creatures is set in a...

HNAJUN CHUNG Bullet to the Head proudly checks off a long list of old, tired action cliche's. It's predictable, and hardly original. However, with the experienced Stallone in the lead, it ultimately distracts from an overtly convoluted plot. The buddy cop genre -- especially the ones in the 80's and 90's -- have found many interesting ways to experiment with...