CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show with Hannah B on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on January 27th, reviewing the new TV series “Shrinking,” featuring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford. Currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Karl Urban
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Shatters the Hammer, But Maintains the Mold
Submitted by JonHC on November 1, 2017 - 2:04pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Any blacksmith will tell you that their job is much more than the brute action of slamming a hammer onto steel. There is some finessing and an attention to detail that needs to take place in order to make something truly notable. With Taika Waititi manning the hammer, he takes the “Thor” franchise out from the Dark Ages and into the technicolor light.
‘Star Trek Beyond’ is a Blast of Starship Adventure
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 21, 2016 - 10:04pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In the equation of the Star Trek universe, what works best is the emotional connection to the iconic crew. Co-screenwriter Simon Pegg – also portraying Scotty – knew this, and saved the rebooted series from its bloated second film. A magnificent adventure awaits with ‘Star Trek Beyond.’
Even Kids Might Run from ‘Walking with Dinosaurs 3D’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 20, 2013 - 10:14am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Walking with Dinosaurs” depicts the magnificent titular creatures in stunning realism and 3D vision, and then proceeds to give them line readings with the equivalent sophistication of Archie comics. This adds up to an educational film with a long, dull journey ahead.
Visual Excess Dims ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 17, 2013 - 5:39pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The anticipation of experiencing the rebooted crew of the starship Enterprise now may overwhelm any creative team’s ability to deliver to that anticipation. “Star Trek Into Darkness” piles on the space war excess, while lessening the savory humanity and memorable characters.
‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Satisfies Fans with Entertaining Adventure
Submitted by BrianTT on May 16, 2013 - 10:14amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek Into Darkness” is like a really solid mid-season episode of a great TV series. Entertaining, for sure, but lacking the energy of a premiere or the stakes of a finale. It leaves fans wondering what’s next in the franchise, which will surely make Paramount happy, but doesn’t stand on its own like the truly great part twos (“The Dark Knight,” “The Empire Strikes Back”).
Bless Us Father, For We Bear Witness to ‘Priest’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 13, 2011 - 4:44pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The cure for the Recovering Catholic may be obtained in the new film “Priest.” Both symbolic and kick-ass, Priest has a parallel universe that includes the ubiquitous vampire, but with the bonus of their opponents being highly trained Catholic priests.
Talented Ensemble Wasted on Incredibly Dull ‘Red’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 15, 2010 - 9:51am Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – They say you can learn as much from a bad movie as you can from a good one. If that’s true, what’s the lesson to be taken from the extremely boring and misguided “Red”? Perhaps that moviemaking is not the sum of its parts and that you can’t just get together an amazing cast, shout action, and expect magic.
Pure Summer Entertainment Lives on in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 8, 2009 - 10:52am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It will be a stunning surprise if the summer of 2009 produces another slice of movie entertainment as satisfying and well-made as J.J. Abrams rollicking “Star Trek” reboot, a film that not only delivers on high expectations but shatters them by clicking on every single level.
