TODAY'S MOVIE REVIEWS: 'National Treasure' and 'Stander'


Film criticism by yours truly in this week's Oregonian. Click on the links to read full reviews.




"National Treasure" -- "Nicolas Cageologists will be sad to hear that he's entirely too normal in 'National Treasure' -- he's mildly funny but doesn't make any of the kooky dramatic choices (needless accents, ranting about the orifices of Greek gods) that made his other Bruckheimer performances so much fun to watch.... I mean, come on: You're walking around carrying the Declaration of Independence in a plastic tube. Couldn't you be just a little more unhinged?"





"Stander" -- "Writer Bima Stagg and director Bronwen Hughes initially want you to believe that [Andre Stander's South African bank-robbing spree] was an act of social protest by a guilt-racked cop.... But after he takes the stand at his trial -- self-righteously crying, 'I am tried for robbing banks, but I have killed unarmed people!' -- the movie more or less forgets about social commentary altogether, choosing instead to follow Thomas Jane around as he nihilistically robs banks in groovy '70s fashions."


Posted: Fri - November 19, 2004 at 07:50 AM        

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