Johnny Depp

CHICAGO – Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” is one of the most inconsistent and frustrating major films in a long time. There are elements here and there that work but Burton and writer Seth Grahame-Smith seem incapable of figuring out how to wrangle them into a coherent, successful film.

CHICAGO – Johnny Depp and Tim Burton are teaming yet again for next month’s sure-to-be-hit “Dark Shadows,” a reboot/remake/whatever of the cult soap opera hit from the ’60s. People are insanely loyal to the legend of Barnabas Collins and the occassion of the Hollywood attempt to inject life into again has brought a number of DVD releases to the market, including a MASSIVE collection of all of the episodes of “Dark Shadows” ever produced (at, wait for it, 27,420 minutes).

CHICAGO – There are various opinions about TV-to-movie remakes, mostly negative. That is why “21 Jump Street,” based on a 1980s TV show, manages some grudging respect. Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Rob Riggle, Nick Offerman and Ellie Kemper create some goofy laughs in this farce.

CHICAGO – Combining comedy and action is always a delicate balance, and Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum do it right in the upcoming movie remake of “21 Jump Street.” Goofing on the concept of two police officers undercover in high school, the story has fun with its two back-to-school characters.

CHICAGO – A first look at the new movie “The Lone Ranger” has been released, showing Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer in the leading roles of Tonto and John Reid (The Lone Ranger). Producer Jerry Bruckheimer leaked the image on Twitter this morning showing the masked Hammer and Depp in full Tonto costume.

CHICAGO – No one will ever accuse Adam Sandler of not knowing his audience and the reason they keep coming back to his “Happy Madison” genre of films – he delivers the oddball characters, lots of bodily fluids/sounds, physical beatings and the know-it-all straight man. Add the gooey sentiment and out spews the latest, “Jack and Jill.”

CHICAGO – Apparently, Hollywood does not know how to quit Ricky Gervais, even when he gives them every reason to kick him out the door. Rumors have hit the web this morning that Ricky Gervais, creator of “The Office” (UK) and “Extras,” has been asked to return a third consecutive year as the host of the Golden Globe Awards.

CHICAGO – Johnny Depp has a Hunter S. Thompson obsession, that is career apparent. After playing the journalist’s alter-ego Raoul Duke in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” Depp gives a turn as Hunter’s younger self in a film based on Thompson’s 1998 novel, “The Rum Diary.”

CHICAGO – In our latest adventure/drama edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 35 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of “The Rum Diary” starring Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi and Aaron Eckhart!

CHICAGO – When I heard that Johnny Depp had been sucked back into the cash cow that was the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise so shortly after everyone agreed that the series had run its course with the original trilogy, I was more than a little sad. Depp is still one of our most interesting actors and I’m not alone in wishing he would show a bit more of his range in recent years instead of taking easy roles (and, yes, Jack Sparrow is fun but this is not challenging work for the movie star). And the mediocre reviews caused a bit of dread when the Blu-ray showed up on my desk. So, consider it faint praise when I tell you that “On Stranger Tides” is, well, okay.