by Mike Parnell | Jun 4, 2010 | Opinion
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer took a theme-park ride, “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and turned it into a blockbuster movie franchise. With “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” he attempts to make a franchise from a video game. Based on the video game of the same name,...
by Mike Parnell | May 28, 2010 | Opinion
“Always leave ’em wanting more.” That is one of the first rules of show business. That doesn’t happen in the age of sequels. Successful movies are like cows: Milk them ’til they’re dry. Take “Shrek Forever After,” the...
by Mike Parnell | May 21, 2010 | Opinion
So many have taken on the story of Robin Hood and turned it into a movie. We have Errol Flynn flying in on a vine to welcome us to Sherwood Forest. Sean Connery comes back as an older Robin Hood after fighting in two crusades. Mel Brooks made fun of the legend...
by Mike Parnell | May 14, 2010 | Opinion
Returning to open the summer movie season of 2010 is Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire playboy/superhero Tony Stark. Stark runs a company that was founded by his father, and he uses reason and creativity – not superpowers – to fight off evil. Sound familiar? The...
by Mike Parnell | Apr 16, 2010 | Opinion
The most common storytelling paradigm for movies now has to be the “fish out of water” theme. You know, a character is thrown into a situation counter to his or her normal way of being, and the audience sees what develops. “Date Night”...
