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ReelViews 2: The Ultimate Guide to the Best Modern Movies on DVD and Video Paperback – September 16, 2005

• Print length 648 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Justin, Charles & Co.
• Publication date September 16, 2005
• Dimensions 7.36 x 1.11 x 9 inches
• ISBN-10 1932112405
• ISBN-13 978-1932112405
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Justin, Charles & Co.; 2005th edition (September 16, 2005)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 648 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1932112405
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1932112405
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.2 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.36 x 1.11 x 9 inches
• #3,348 in Movie Guides & Reviews
• #15,717 in Deals in Books
• #69,619 in Performing Arts (Books)

About the author

James berardinelli.

James Berardinelli began writing movie reviews on the Internet in 1992 - at a time when few people knew what the "Internet" was. Being educated as an electrical engineer gave him an inside track when it came to the concept of being "online." In the early days of 1996, he founded the site that would become known as reelviews.net. That has been his primary home for nearly two decades. Now, more than 3000 reviews later, he continues to go strong, having added radio and newspaper jobs to his resume. He has written for the Burlington County Times, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Playboy magazine. He was once cited by Roger Ebert as the "best online film critic." He has published two volumes of review compilations ("ReelViews" and "ReelViews 2") and was the longtime host of the movie club "Talk Cinema" in Voorhees, NJ. Today, he can be heard weekly on WNPV and is a regular contributor to Sohaib Awan's Fictional Frontiers on WNJC. He is syndicated to about 20 web and print outlets worldwide through Westworld Media. His first fiction novel, "The Last Whisper of the Gods" (the first volume of an epic fantasy trilogy), will be published in e-book form on November 2, 2015, with the sequels to follow in January 2016 and March 2016.

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ReelViews: Movie Reviews and Criticism by James Berardinelli

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• https://scout.wisc.edu/report/1996/1129
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Metacritic reviews

The blind side.

• 75 Washington Post Ann Hornaday Washington Post Ann Hornaday Grounded in the direct, disarming truth of their experience, the movie has a straightforward lack of cheap sentiment that saves it from being either too maudlin or saccharine-sweet.
• 75 ReelViews James Berardinelli ReelViews James Berardinelli In a head-to-head comparison, one would be hard-pressed not to declare that "Precious" is the better film - it makes fewer compromises and doesn't shy from showing the true ugliness only hinted at in this movie, but The Blind Side is more accessible. It's easier to digest. In the end, both films tell stories of triumph over adversity - a category of drama that uplifts while offering a dollop of social commentary.
• 70 The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen Bullock is an irrepressible hoot in writer-director John Lee Hancock's otherwise thoroughly conventional take on Michael Lewis' fact-based book "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game."
• 70 Variety Joe Leydon Variety Joe Leydon Uplifting and entertaining feel-good, fact-based sports drama.
• 70 Chicago Reader J.R. Jones Chicago Reader J.R. Jones The story is inspiring and involves sports, but to call it an inspirational sports story would be wrong; its real center is Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock in a fine performance), the strong-willed woman whose love and generosity helped turn a mute, hopeless boy with no social or academic skills into a functioning young man with a promising future.
• 67 Austin Chronicle Kimberley Jones Austin Chronicle Kimberley Jones It’s not an altogether convincing portrait, but it is an entertaining, even moving one, and the forcefulness of Bullock's presence goes a long way in pulling the film back from the brink of cuddliness.
• 63 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Joe Williams St. Louis Post-Dispatch Joe Williams Michael as a character is defined almost solely by his helplessness and gratitude. He's as lovable as a lost puppy, but a more perceptive movie than The Blind Side would have let us see him from another angle.
• 50 Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman A feel-good movie that never stops feeling good. The film is based on a true story (it was adapted from a nonfiction best-seller by Michael Lewis), but you never feel that Hancock has honestly captured what's true about it.
• 20 Time Out David Fear Time Out David Fear It’s just blinkered middle-class pandering at its most shameless.
• 0 Village Voice Melissa Anderson Village Voice Melissa Anderson Blind Side the movie peddles the most insidious kind of racism, one in which whiteys are virtuous saviors, coming to the rescue of African-Americans who become superfluous in narratives that are supposed to be about them.
• See all 29 reviews on Metacritic.com
• See all external reviews for The Blind Side

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New Movie Reviews

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Action/Thriller Run Time: 1:45       MPAA Rating: "PG-13" Taylor Lautner, action hero. Need I say more?

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Drama Run Time: 2:13       MPAA Rating: "PG-13" The film softens the book's sabermetrics and statistics in favor of a character-driven narrative.

Thriller/Action Run Time: 1:55       MPAA Rating: "R" A strong supporting cast can't elevate this above the level of a standard-order Jason Statham action movie.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Drama Run Time: 1:31       MPAA Rating: "PG-13" One of Gus Van Sant's more mainstream efforts - a quirky romantic tragedy salted with macabre humor.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Thriller Run Time: 1:50       MPAA Rating: "R" A solid, if ultimately unmemorable, remake of the Sam Peckinpah cult classic.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Drama/Comedy Run Time: 1:30       MPAA Rating: "PG-13" A moderately entertaining "dramedy" is hurt by a miscast lead and a sloppy ending.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Action/Thriller Run Time: 1:40       MPAA Rating: "R" An action/thriller that cares as much about the characters as the fights, shoot-outs, and chases.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Science Fiction Run Time: 1:45       MPAA Rating: "PG-13" Autopsy of an epidemic. The disease, not the humans, is the main character.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Horror Run Time: 1:33       MPAA Rating: "R" Terror Has Teeth! That's the tagline; need I say more?

Comedy/Action Run Time: 1:23       MPAA Rating: "R"

Action/Adventure Run Time: 2:05       MPAA Rating: "PG-13"

Comedy Run Time: 1:51       MPAA Rating: "R"

Fantasy/Action Run Time: 1:52       MPAA Rating: "R"

Thriller Run Time: 1:54       MPAA Rating: "R"

Horror Run Time: 1:39       MPAA Rating: "R"

Horror Run Time: 1:46       MPAA Rating: "R"

Fantasy Run Time: 2:10       MPAA Rating: "PG-13"

Comedy Run Time: 1:38       MPAA Rating: "R"

Comedy Run Time: 1:25       MPAA Rating: "R"

Science Fiction Run Time: 1:50       MPAA Rating: "PG-13"

Documentary Run Time: 1:27       MPAA Rating: "R"

Drama Run Time: 1:45       MPAA Rating: "R"

Science Fiction/Action Run Time: 2:37       MPAA Rating: "PG-13"

Drama Run Time: 2:15       MPAA Rating: "PG-13"

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1998, Sci-fi, 1h 33m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Clumsily exploitative and sloppily assembled, Species II fails to clear the rather low bar set by its less-than-stellar predecessor. Read critic reviews

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Species ii videos, species ii   photos.

Having just returned from a mission to Mars, Commander Ross (Justin Lazard) isn't exactly himself. He's slowly becoming a terrifying alien entity with one goal -- to procreate with human women! When countless women suffer gruesome deaths after bearing half-alien offspring, scientist Laura Baker (Marg Helgenberger) and hired assassin Press Lennox (Michael Madsen) use Eve (Natasha Henstridge), a more tempered alien clone, to find Ross and his brood. Before long Eve escapes to mate with Ross.

Rating: R (Sci-Fi Gore|Language|Sci-Fi Violence|Strong Sexuality)

Genre: Sci-fi

Original Language: English

Director: Peter Medak

Producer: Frank Mancuso Jr.

Writer: Dennis Feldman , Chris Brancato

Release Date (Theaters): Apr 10, 1998  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Mar 26, 2017

Box Office (Gross USA): $19.2M

Runtime: 1h 33m

Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer, FGM Entertainment

Sound Mix: Surround, DTS

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Michael Madsen

Press Lenox

Natasha Henstridge

Marg Helgenberger

Dr. Laura Baker

Mykelti Williamson

Dennis Gamble

George Dzundza

Colonel Carter Burgess Jr.

James Cromwell

Senator Judson Ross

Justin Lazard

Patrick Ross

Anne Sampas

Sarah Wynter

Baxter Harris

Dr. Orinsky

Scott Morgan

Harry Sampas

Peter Boyle

Dr. Herman Cromwell

Richard Belzer

U. S. President

Peter Medak

Dennis Feldman

Chris Brancato

Executive Producer

Frank Mancuso Jr.

Vikki Williams

Line Producer

Original Song

Ed Shearmur

Original Music

Matthew F. Leonetti

Cinematographer

Richard Nord

Film Editing

Amanda Mackey

Cathy Sandrich

Miljen Kreka Kljakovic

Production Design

Mark Zuelzke

Art Director

Suzette Sheets

Set Decoration

Richard Bruno

Costume Design

Perry Husman

Production Manager

Key Hair Stylist

Perri Sorel

Key Makeup Artist

Critic Reviews for Species II

Audience reviews for species ii.

What's better than alien conquest? Alien conquest through sex, through rape no less ("They came from millions of miles of space ta git muh boo-tay!"). It sounds like a bit much, and yet it's the basis of this sequel ("So good they come back fer seconds!"), which is little more than sexploitation for nerds. And there is a third, too, so this one made some money.

I watched this on cause Mykelti Williamson is in it, I haven't drrn the other Species filns, and I must say I enjoyed this one more then I thought I would. Pleanty of good action, one nasty look allien. I give it 4 stars, 5-29-13

Improving on the original, Species II delivers a smart and terrifying new tale of horror. An astronaut crew on a mission to Mars brings back an alien infection that creates hybrids that could ravage the human population. Michael Madsen, Natasha Henstridge, and Marg Helgenberger return, and are joined by James Cromwell and Sarah Wynter. Aside from the improved cast, the story is also better told and more coherent than in the first film. The creature effects are also more gruesome and more horrific. Gratuitous and exploitative, Species II is still a B-horror film but it delivers a solid adventure and some good scares.

Decent sequel to Species, Species II is pure popcorn Sci Fi horror that will most likely appeal to fans of the first, or any monster film fan looking for a good gore fest. Though not as fun as the firs, Species II proves to be a lot better than the third and fourth films in this series. This is an impressive sequel that though is far from perfect, has enough momentum to entertain the viewer. This film has enough gore elements to overshadow the paper thin plot, and works. The film is pure popcorn sci fi horror, and though not memorable by any means, this film, this film is nonetheless a worthy film to watch compared to the final two sequels that would follow this film. The acting here is decent at best, nothing ever great, or remarkable. The plot is so-so, and doesn't do anything to blow you away. However what this sequel does is deliver good gore content, and it does it very well. The film plays out like a mindless sci fi horror action film, and it doesn't possess anything truly remarkable about it. Overall this is a fun film that should appeal to fans of alien, monster films. If you can excuse the paper thin plot, you'll most likely enjoy the film. Fans of the first film will most likely enjoy this one as much as the first. Though lacking in content, the film delivers and in the end, that's what matters.

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Marvels, The (United States, 2023)

The Marvels is so poorly conceived and ineptly executed that it not only makes this a front-runner for the dubious honor of worst movie of the MCU but a contender for the worst superhero movie of all time (although I’d argue that Catwoman retains the crown). The Marvels does so little right that it’s almost shocking to see it make it into theaters in this state and even more shocking to see the “Marvel Studios” label up front.

To understand these proceedings, is it necessary to have seen the three Disney+ series that have connections to The Marvels (those would be “Wandavision,” “Ms. Marvel,” and “Secret Wars”)? Not really, although they may help a little. The movie is incomprehensible in its own right and no amount of homework is going to change that. Still, Marvel is getting to the point where viewers are not only expected to have watched all the previous movies but to have supplemented them with Disney+ content. There’s no such thing as a stand-alone MCU film. The interconnections have robbed the productions of even the illusion of self-containment. While some might argue that’s a good thing, the diminishing general audience interest (as measured at the box office) says the opposite. Maybe it’s not just superhero fatigue but a growing annoyance with the superstructure of these movies.

The Marvels brings back a trio of previously introduced characters – Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), from Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame ; Monica Rambeau (Toyonah Parris), from Captain Marvel and “Wandavision;” and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), from “Ms. Marvel” – and applies an age-old superhero trope called the “team up.” In order to get them together, director Nia Costa (the Candyman remake) and her co-writers, Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik, employ a contrivance whereby any time one of these three uses her powers, she is physically transposed with one of the others. The glue that holds them together is Avengers veteran Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who really doesn’t have a whole lot to do except scowl (although his line of “Keep praying!” is priceless). These three are pitted against the Would Be God(dess) of the Month, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), who is justifiably pissed at Captain Marvel for her near-genocide of the Kree people. Granted, Captain Marvel didn’t mean to imperil the existence of an entire intelligent species but the intentions don’t matter as much as the results.

In the past couple of years, the MCU has been spinning its wheels with each new entry (excepting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ) as creative failure after creative failure has intensified the tailspin. Sadly, The Marvels is the worst of these offenders, elevating the third Ant-Man movie to masterpiece level by comparison. Instead of offering engaging storytelling, it give us flashes, bangs, bad dialogue, and a mountain of fakery (a reminder that things that work in comic books don’t always translate to the silver screen). It’s sound and fury signifying nothing except to expose another chink in the once-impervious armor of the MCU.

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