Eric Tiansay

‘Doctor Strange’ Conjures Mind-Bending Effects, Action The Sorcerer Supreme movie will leave moviegoers spellbound with its fantastical story and adventure, but the film is also a bit darker and violent than most of the Marvel films, as well as steeped with Eastern mysticism. Eric Tiansay  The doctor is in, and his practice is mind-boggling and, …

‘Doctor Strange’ Conjures Mind-Bending Effects, Action Read More »

The Bible says a house divided cannot stand. Jesus’ declaration from Mark 3:25 even applies for the superhero family known as the Avengers. That’s the start-to-finish thread that runs through Captain America: Civil War. Featuring the tag line “United we stand. Divided we fall,” the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) pits hero against hero, and friend against friend as Captain …

‘Civil War’ Draws Battle Lines And Moviegoers With Marvelous Epic Clash Read More »

The thought of remaking The Jungle Book was probably enough to cause fans of the Disney’s famous animated film to cry, “Panthers and tigers and bears, oh my …” Fortunately, those who love the classic children’s movie won’t be disappointed with  the studio’s live-action/CG hybrid of The Jungle Book. Except for some scary moments, which could spook smaller …

‘Jungle Book’: A Wild Adventure Worthy of The Children’s Classic Read More »

Big things come in small packages. That’s certainly the case for Ant-Man, the 12th film in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which appears to have another hit with the $130 million production. The film deftly mixes humor with action, including a jaw-dropping and goofy toy train set piece featuring Thomas the Tank Engine. On …

‘Ant-Man’ Supersizes Humor, Action With a Giant Heart of a Storyline Read More »

Animated movies have featured talking toys, monsters, animals and robots, but they rarely allow filmgoers to hear the voices in their head—until now. “Inside Out” is Pixar’s latest feature, which invites the audience to literally and hilariously experience the mind from the inside out. “Inside Out” has garnered an unheard of nearly 100 percent fresh …

Emotions Run Wild As ‘Inside Out’ Stands Out As A Major Emotion Picture Read More »

There’s no place like home, as the saying goes. But there are plenty of movies like Home, the latest release from DreamWorks Animation. Borrowing elements, plotlines and cutesy characters from the likes of ET, Men in Black and Despicable Me, Home is far from original. However, the animated comedy is adorable, colorful and better than …

Heart Is Where the ‘Home’ Is in Charming Animated Comedy Read More »

History amusingly repeats itself in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, the third and supposed final installment of the wax-statues-comes-to-life movie franchise. Despite not endearing themselves to highbrow critics, Night at the Museum (2006) and Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) made $987 million worldwide. Loosely adapted from Croatian author Milan Trenc’s 1993 children’s book, …

‘Night at the Museum’ Comes to Life in Fun Final Installment Read More »

When it comes to movie sequels, bigger is usually better, right? In the case of the animated How to Train Your Dragon 2, the answer is yes and no. This time around there are more dragons, characters, explosions, action and at stake, as well as dark scenes. It’s been five years since Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and …

‘Dragon 2’ Ramps Up Action, Plus Dark And Mature Elements Read More »

If you come across a tasty dish, chances are you will go back for seconds. The creators of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs had the same idea in mind with their sequel to the 2009 surprise hit animated film. That movie—based on Judi Barrett’s 1978 children’s book of the same title—focused on a town where food, “manna …

‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2’ Serves Up Healthy, Fun Life Lessons Read More »

Turbo goes the extra mile by offering positive life lessons about passions and dreams, friendship, family and responsibility.   Forget about the little engine, this is about the little snail that could.     Forget about reality also, as Turbo tells the impossible-to-believe tale of an everyday garden snail who wants to achieve his biggest dream—win the …

‘Turbo’ Drives Home Positive Life Lessons With High-Octane Underdog Tale Read More »

An unexpected animated hit in 2010, Despicable Me grossed more than $540 million and becoming the 10th-biggest toon film in history. So it was a no-brainer for Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment to come up with a sequel for the worldwide blockbuster this summer, touting it as “more minion madness.”   Charming, unique and family friendly, Despicable Me saw would-be …

‘Despicable Me 2’ Is Endearing and Likable, Like Its Predecessor Read More »

The animated movie is family friendly, for the most part, but creepy gargoyle villains and bats could be very scary for small children   It’s been said that you don’t judge a book by its cover. In the case of Epic, the 20th Century Fox’s 3D toon flick from Fox Animation Studios and Blue Sky Studios, …

‘Epic’ is No Epic, Though a Fun CG Action-Adventure Comedy Read More »

This won’t be a popular opinion, but parents should exercise extreme caution in letting youngsters watch this very intense blockbuster superhero flick.   The third time’s a harm, not charm, for Iron Man 3 in terms of kid-friendliness, with its super-intense, violent elements.    The third installment of Marvel’s metal man has been well received by critics …

Gritty Violence Short-Circuits Dazzling ‘Iron Man 3’ Read More »