Despite Some Quality Production Design And Amy Adam Acting, Big Eyes Is Less Than Stellar

I once ate at a Tex-Mex eatery that delivered the best quesadillas, they were just scrumptious and filled with chicken that had been grilled just right. They were a delight to chow down on and left me with a delightful aftertaste that constantly reminded my tastebuds of what a glorious meal we'd just consumed. Alas, a few hours later these quesadillas ended up giving me stomach trouble something fierce, I had difficulty even sleeping that night because of how upset my stomach was. Tim Burton's Big Eyes is kind of like those fateful quesadillas that betrayed my insides, pleasant to experience but it ends up making your stomach churn afterwards.

The Lead Character of Alita: Battle Angel Packs A Wallop, The Movie Overall, Less So

After more than two decades of production, Alita: Battle Angel has finally made its way to the big screen. A long-time passion project for James Cameron, the filmmaker behind Avatar has turned over the directorial reins of Alita: Battle Angel to Robert Rodriguez, though a number of fixtures of Cameron's 21st-century artistic passions can still be found in the film (after all, Cameron still wrote the script), primarily the use of a protagonist brought to life through motion-capture animation. Fusing together the sensibilities of the director of Titanic with the director of Machete turns out to result in a movie that's agreeable but not quite outstanding.

Downsizing Is Small On Narrative Ambitions Or Anything Really Remarkable To Speak Of

There's not much going on here in Downsizing. Despite labeling itself a "social satire", there's not much in the way of actual satire transpiring in Alexander Payne's latest motion picture. There isn't all that much comedy either and what does show up to generate yuks is just awkward and forced (the majority of the jokes received, from the audience at my screening, the kind of forced light chuckles a parent might use to laugh at a young child's incoherent knock-knock joke). So what is there in this movie, what exactly is going on in Downsizing? There's...a chance for Christoph Waltz to play someone that isn't a bad guy in an American movie? That's good! OK, that's one thing that happens in Downsizing...

Tulip Fever Never Blooms Into Something Really Interesting

And now to try to jot down the convoluted premise of Tulip Fever, a Herculean task if there was ever one. So, this lady by the name of Sophia (Alicia Vikander), living in the 17th century in Denmark, has been sold as a wife to Cornelis Sandvoort (Christoph Waltz). Cornelis is obsessed with bearing a son after he lost his wife and two children to differing tragic circumstances. One day, Cornelis calls upon the services of a painter to paint a portrait of himself and his wife. The artist is a young man named Jan Van Loos (Dane DeHaan) and after a few painting sessions, he and Sophia, unbeknownst to Cornelis, quickly fall in love.

The Legend Of Tarzan Review

At this point, I'm as tired as big-budget blockbusters this summer sucking as much as anything else in my life. Sizzling hot Texas weather always make this time of the year one that I wish could just speed right along, but with dismal movies like Warcraft, Alice Through The Looking Glass and Independence Day: Resurgence roaming around theaters, well, it's making my yearly endurance of summer all the more difficult to manage. The Legend Of Tarzan, despite the notable pedigrees of the cast (seriously, Samuel L. Jackson, Djimon Hounsou and Christoph Waltz are incredibly talented individuals) and crew it's working with, is yet another dismal motion picture that has me begging for Labor Day to get here sooner rather than later.

EXCLUSIVE! Read A Scene From The Next James Bond Film, The Hildebrand Rarity

SPOILERS FOR SPECTRE AHEAD 

What A Twist!: Spectre Spoiler Discussion

Welcome to a new recurring feature entitled What A Twist! Here, I'll briefly discuss spoilery aspects of certain movies as well as provide a place for our awesome Solute readers to discuss spoilers in the comments section.

Spectre Review

There's less of a plot going on during the 140+ minute running time of Spectre than there is just a stream of ideas concocted by various individuals once they realized that MGM had gotten the film rights back to the SPECTRE organization that had fought 007 in earlier films and novels. Yes, it's cool to see the dastardly corporation of Ian Fleming's novels return to the silver screen for the first time in 44 years, but it feels like the urge to put the well-known agency into the Daniel Craig Bond films was the only thing driving the storytelling on the 24th James Bond film, fittingly titled Spectre. Looking at the entire enterprise as a whole, it's remarkable how little there actually is to chew on in terms of both substance and spectacle.

First Spectre Trailer Brings The Christoph Waltz And Some Beautiful Imagery

Skyfall was such a damn good movie that I've been on the edge of my seat in anticipation for it's follow up, which is entitled Spectre. They may still be filming the entry (I think they've only got a week or so of shooting to go though), but MGM dropped a trailer last night for the next 007 adventure, Spectre! Check it out below!

Horrible Bosses 2 Review

A Horrible Waste Of A Trio

Comedy sequels have grown more popular in recent years, thanks to the success The Wolfpack had back in 2011 with their first successive adventure. It received dismal reviews, but managed to make more than enough money to make studios fall in love with the idea of making more sequels to entities like Dumb And Dumber and Horrible Bosses. The latter's sequel, Horrible Bosses 2, is the subject of this review, and from a quality perspective doesn't exactly make compelling case for more Bosses movies down the road.

The Next James Bond Movie Will Be Called...Spectre!

Oh man, did I love Skyfall. Now, frankly, James Bond was the one cinematic entity I didn't grow up surrounded by, and I freely admit many older James Bond films have escaped my viewing. But I know a good film when I see one, and Skyfall more than fit the bill. An excellent feature that more than whetted my appetite for my Bonds mayhem, which on the way for next November!

The Next Bond Movie Villain Will Be Played By Christoph Waltz!!

With Skyfall, the James Bond franchise just a double O boost, with critical, audience and financial reception at an all-time high. The next adventure for the super spy starts filming in December for a November 6, 2015 release date, and now casting is underway. While Dave Bautista had been previously cast in the film as a baddie, the newest Bond villain will be played by two time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz!

Amy Adams Is A Secret Painter In Trailer For Tim Burtons New Movie, Big Eyes

How awesome is Amy Adams? I mean, seriously, she never fails to astound me in the versatility of her roles. Whether it's Enchanted, American Hustle, Her, The Muppets, she always puts in top-notch work. Her next big film is Big Eyes, the newest film from Tim Burton that has her teaming up with Christoph Waltz. Check out the trailer for it, and my thoughts on it, below!

New Horrible Bosses 2 Trailer Is Surprisingly Funny And Star-Studded

I haven't seen the first Horrible Bosses (I'm saving it for when this sequel is closer to release) but I've heard nothing but good things about it. I'm glad to hear that actually considering I like all three of the guys in the lead roles. Now the sequel is only two-and-a-half months away, and if the trailers any indication, it should be an entertaining ride. Check it out below as well as my thoughts on it!

Classic Write-Up: Django Unchained Review

Movies always have a natural disconnect between the viewers and what's happening on screen. However, several movies have this selfish attitude in them where it seems like the filmmakers behind the endeavor are having tons of fun with the plot, but refuse to allow the viewer to connect or engage with what's happening onscreen. In Django Unchained, it's pretty freaking apparent Quentin Tarantino is having an absolute blast with the cinematic adventure he's concocted thanks to how great it is. Plus, he eagerly allows anyone and everyone to join him in having fun with the venture.