CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Jack Black
Blu-ray Review: Remarkably Talented Ensemble Gets Small in ‘The Big Year’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 10, 2012 - 5:12pmCHICAGO – Given the wacky nature of Owen Wilson, Jack Black, and Steve Martin in their family comedies and the tendency of all three talented actors to over-act, people will probably be surprised at how generally-subdued their collaboration on “The Big Year” ended up. In fact, while the movie is genial and good-natured, it’s also surprisingly dull. The characters never resonate beyond their descriptions - rookie, veteran, and the jerk in between. So, while the filmmakers deserve credit for not injecting the proceedings with gross-out humor, they needed to inject it with something to bring it to life.
Film Review: ‘The Muppets’ is Hilarious, Joyful Entertainment
Submitted by BrianTT on November 22, 2011 - 11:21amCHICAGO – The Muppets stand on such a pedestal for an entire generation that there was an understandable amount of trepidation when it was announced that Jason Segel and Disney were moving forward with a reboot. How could it possibly live up to our expectations?
Film Review: Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, Jack Black Flock Up in ‘The Big Year’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 15, 2011 - 2:06amCHICAGO – “The Big Year” is advertised as a comedy. The subject is bird watching, or as the new film likes to express the proper term, “birding.” It stars comic legend Steve Martin, and funnymen Jack Black and Owen Wilson. It is both not funny and is ACTUALLY, seriously about birding. Time to fly away.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 40 Pairs of Chicago Passes to ‘The Big Year’ With Jack Black, Steve Martin
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 4, 2011 - 1:15amCHICAGO – In our latest comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of “The Big Year” with Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson from “The Devil Wears Prada” director!
Film Review: More or Less Same Formula in ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 26, 2011 - 8:25amCHICAGO – Good and evil, chase and fight. Those are the two basic formulas that dominate “Kung Fu Panda 2,” the sequel to the very popular first film. That redundancy is helped by the spirituality of an animated panda and some spectacular 3D rendering.
Blu-Ray Review: Jack Black Hams it Up in Exhausting ‘Gulliver’s Travels’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 2, 2011 - 11:37amCHICAGO – It’s not uncommon to see truly talented people sucked into awful family fare. I think some actors, perhaps after doing a few too many “dark” roles in films aimed at adults, jump at the opportunity to do something light-hearted, fun, and for the little ones. How else to explain people as talented as Emily Blunt and Jason Segel getting sucked into the disappointing comedy “Gulliver’s Travels,” another piece of evidence in the mounting case against Jack Black?
Film Review: Jack Black, Emily Blunt Think Big in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 24, 2010 - 11:07amCHICAGO – Call it too much holiday eggnog, but the re-imagining of the immortal classic “Gulliver’s Travels,’ starring Jack Black, Emily Blunt and Jason Segal, has a little Yuletide fun and hurts no one. If you like Jack Black, you’ll enjoy the film. If you don’t, find another way to spend 93 minutes this tinsel time weekend.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: One ‘Brütal Legend’ PlayStation 3 Video Game With Jack Black
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 18, 2009 - 10:06pmCHICAGO – In our latest extra-special edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Video Games, we have one PlayStation 3 video game up for grabs to the new video game “Brutal Legend” with Jack Black! This video game retails for $60!
Video Game Review: ‘Brutal Legend’ Rocks, But Misses a Few Chords
Submitted by BrianTT on October 16, 2009 - 12:49amVideo Game Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Can a game be clever and beautiful to look at but not be fun? EA’s highly anticipated “Brutal Legend” tests this theory with some amazing design, a unique concept, and very funny storytelling, but with actual gameplay that can be remarkably frustrating. To paraphrase something a friend recently said about something else that seems appropriate here, I liked everything about “Brutal Legend” except actually playing it.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Year One’ Fails to Deliver a Single Laugh
Submitted by BrianTT on October 7, 2009 - 3:22pmCHICAGO – Here’s a thoroughly detestable comedy from some of the most appealing people in Hollywood. It could easily be mistaken for one of the fake movies advertised before “Tropic Thunder,” which cleverly spoofed the creative bankruptcy that befalls so many mainstream studio products.