by Mike Parnell | Jul 22, 2011 | Opinion
The ballet that is the Harry Potter franchise comes to its end with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” – one of the most satisfying codas in recent memory. This movie begins where Part 1 ended. Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) now owns one part of the...
by Mike Parnell | Jul 1, 2011 | Opinion
Pixar means magic. Its movies have touched popular culture and the human heart. John Lasseter – the film’s director as well as the chief creative officer for Pixar and Disney – and company make movies that are both critical and box office successes (22 Oscars...
by Mike Parnell | Jun 24, 2011 | Opinion
Can a movie take the mythology of a character and hit the right notes but still make a bad movie? Yes. Witness “Green Lantern.” Based on the D.C. comic book, “Green Lantern” features Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), hotshot test pilot and all-around...
by Mike Parnell | Jun 22, 2011 | Opinion
Steven Spielberg used to make movies with a gang of kids at their core. Believing they could do anything, these kids would be forced into trying circumstances but would manage to overcome by summoning up reserves of youthful determination. Spielberg’s...
by Mike Parnell | Jun 10, 2011 | Opinion
We enter this reboot of the X-Men franchise with a group of people being herded into a concentration camp. As they enter the gate, a mother and father are separated from their teenage son. The parents turn around and try to reach back for the boy as he stands...
