Category Archives: Film

Film, Interviews

Interview: Hiddleston, Olsen ponder Loki, Scarlet Witch ‘Civil War’

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Disney Marvel

By Tim Lammers

Just because the Loki isn’t in the latest Marvel superhero movie chapter “Captain America: Civil War,” it doesn’t mean that Tom Hiddleston can’t have a little fun contemplating a one-on-one battle between the God of Mischief and say, someone like Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) at some point in the movie saga.

Hiddleston and Olsen, who recently co-starred in the Hank Williams biopic “I Saw the Light,” appeared to like the suggestion offered in recent interviews with the actors.

“It would be interesting because both have magic powers,” Hiddleston told me, laughing. “I’d love to play Loki’s freak-of-nature arrogance in the company of Scarlet Witch. I think Loki would be incredibly patronizing towards her, and probably would be wrong-footed a couple times by her deftness and subtlety. It’d genuinely be fun.”

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Olsen said there would be no hesitation on her part for such a big-screen matchup.

“I honestly had such a great time working with Tom in ‘I Saw the Light’ that I wouldn’t mind working with him whenever possible,” she enthused.

Scarlett Witch is at the center of the incident that kicks off the narrative of “Captain America: Civil War,” now playing in theaters nationwide.

Hiddleston, meanwhile, will reprise Loki for “Thor: Ragnarok,” set for a Nov. 3, 2017, release.

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Film, Movie Reviews

Movie review: Captain America: Civil War’

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Disney Marvel

By Tim Lammers

“Captain America: Civil War” (PG-13) 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)

Marvel’s “Avengers” series takes a new and exciting turn with “Captain America: Civil War,” a brilliant mix of action, emotion and effective storytelling that’s not undermined by the film’s thrilling visual effects. It’s the third film (and best) in the “Captain America” movie arc, and arguably one of the best in the entire “Avengers” saga.

Expertly directed by brother Joe and Anthony Russo, “Civil War” is grounded in real-world storytelling that infuses contemporary issues. Following the fallout over collateral damage by the superheroes during a mission in South Africa, the story finds Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) at odds over an international accord that would impose government oversight on the Avengers’ actions. Cap doesn’t think the team needs policing, while Iron Man signs the accord after a personal encounter with the mother of a victim of the Sokovia tragedy (in “Age of Ultron) that rocks his fragile psyche.

Tim Burton Book 2
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“Civil War” features the return of virtually every character from “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (sans Thor and the Hulk), and introduces Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who are both terrific in their Disney Marvel debuts (Spidey is on loan from Sony). Those going into the film with a fear it will be overstuffed with superheroes will be happy to know that all the members of Team Cap and Team Iron Man only occupy the screen together for about a half-hour, but in an epic battle royale that easily ranks among the best scenes in film series.

Completely different in tone, “Civil War” is far and away better than “Batman v Superman,” showing off a sense of humor in the midst of the madness that the DC “Justice League” intro film sorely needed. It’s an invigorating shot of adrenaline the superhero genre sorely needed following the lukewarm reception to Marvel rival’s answer to the “Avengers” series.

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Film, Movie Reviews

Movie reviews: ‘Keanu,’ ‘Green Room’

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Warner Bros.

By Tim Lammers

“Keanu” (R) 1 star (out of four)

Former Comedy Central sketch comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (who were unfortunately tasked with following the brilliant Dave Chappelle) make a weak transition to the big screen with “Keanu,” a painfully unfunny buddy comedy about a pair of suburban nerds who pose as fearsome drug dealers in order to get Peele’s stolen kitten back from a street gang.

The kitten – named Keanu – is no doubt cute, but the rest of the film is a flagrant barrage of F-bombs and N-words wrapped up in a juvenile premise that’s somehow supposed to be a parody of actor Keanu Reeves’ hit revenge thriller “John Wick.” Reeves, naturally, makes a cameo as the voice of the kitten when one of the characters slips into a drug-induced haze. Apart from an inspired cameo from actress Anna Faris (playing herself), “Keanu” is a total dud.


Reviews on KQRS-FM, beginning 12 minutes in.

Tim Burton Book 2
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“Green Room” (R) 3 stars (out of four)

“Star Trek” and “X-Men” star Patrick Stewart takes a brilliant career detour to the dark side in “Green Room,” a brutal crime thriller about a down-and-out punk rock band whose members are forced to fend for their lives after they stumble onto a murder scene in the green room at a backwoods Oregon club.

Stewart plays Darcy, the club owner and neo-Nazi leader who orders the hit on the musicians, while Anton Yelchin stars as band’s leader who tries to devise an escape plan. “Green Room” isn’t perfect – the violence is too excessive and there are some silly bits of ill-timed comic relief – but overall, it’s a solid nail-biter.

Film, Movie Reviews

Movie review: ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’

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Universal Pictures

By Tim Lammers

“The Huntsman: Winter’s War” (PG-13) 3 stars (out of four)

The stars of “Snow White and the Huntsman” are back – sans Kristen Stewart – in “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” a solid prequel/sequel to the 2012 original that adds Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain to the cast.  Stewart was creatively omitted from the follow-up, which first looks at the origins of Eric the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) and the fellow warrior, Sara (Chastain), he grew up with; then skips forward over the events of “Snow White and the Huntsman” as it heads to an epic showdown between Eric & Sara, the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) and her sister, the Ice Queen Freya (Blunt), over the all-powerful magic mirror.

While “The Huntsman’s” premise – a mishmash of fairy tale characters from “Frozen,” “Brave” and, of course, “Snow White” – is hardly original, a talented cast (including the hilarious Nick Frost as one of the Huntsman’s dwarf warriors), makes up for the film’s shortcomings. “The Huntsman” is far from perfect, but a crowd-pleasing film nonetheless.