CHICAGO – Seemingly ripped from the headlines, by way of “Dr. Strangelove,” the new Netflix TV series “Space Force” debuted on May 29th, 2020. Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com reviewed the series during the Eddie Volkman Show (Star 96.7 FM in Joliet, Illinois) on June 5th, 2020.
Simon Pegg
Tom Cruise Outruns Time in ‘Mission Impossible: Fallout'
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 27, 2018 - 7:16am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – By any reasonable account, Tom Cruise should be entering into a phase in the “Mission Impossible” series not unlike the latter James Bond films of Roger Moore… appearing in closeups and letting the stuntmen do the rest. However, Cruise continues to outrun the ravages of time, and his stunts only seem to get crazier in the sixth film, “Mission Impossible: Fallout.”
For Better or Worse, ‘Ready Player One’ is Nostalgia at its Purest
Submitted by JonHC on March 29, 2018 - 12:19pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Just in time for Easter, there’s a film filled with enough Easter eggs to drown a small country. “Ready Player One” is a “Where’s Waldo” of mostly 80’s pop culture references that are meant to trigger our (and especially filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s) sentimental, nostalgic cores by bombarding us with reminders of our childhood. These trips down memory lane are fun until they’re not.
‘Star Trek Beyond’ is a Blast of Starship Adventure
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 21, 2016 - 10:04pmRating: 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.’
‘Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens’ is the One We’ve Been Waiting For
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on December 16, 2015 - 3:01am- Adam Driver
- Adam Fendelman
- Andy Serkis
- Carrie Fisher
- Daisy Ridley
- Domhnall Gleeson
- George Lucas
- Gwendoline Christie
- Harrison Ford
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- J.J. Abrams
- John Boyega
- Lupita Nyong'o
- Mark Hamill
- Oscar Isaac
- Peter Mayhew
- Simon Pegg
- Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
 Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO (No Spoilers!) – I felt privileged on Tuesday morning. Not just to be a Chicago film critic, but to be a movie lover. Film critics and movie lovers alike wade through scores of yawners hoping for one or two masterpieces that remind us why we fell in love with the experience of watching a film in the company of people we like. Just in time to close out 2015, we’re met with the rare opportunity to take part in moviemaking magic once more.
‘Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation’ at Top of Its Game
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 31, 2015 - 7:50amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The sensational summer movie season of 2015 still has some pulse pounding tricks up its sleeve, and “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation” fulfills that sensation with a wham-bam bag of spy games. Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner are back, joined by femme kick-ass Rebecca Ferguson.
Animated ‘The Boxtrolls’ Has British Comic Tone
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 26, 2014 - 10:01pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Monty Python, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore, Peter Sellers, Mr. Bean, Alan Partridge – all are examples of British comedy, that off-kilter “are you in on the joke?” point of view. That comic tone has arrived in an animated film, within the stop motion world of “The Boxtrolls.’
Farcical Themes Bring Laughs to ‘The World’s End’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 23, 2013 - 8:22am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In the collaboration of actors Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and director Edgar Wright, the best in life come in threes. Following their sublime “Shaun of the Dead” and the wacky “Hot Fuzz,” comes ther third comic film rendering, “The World’s End.”
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”).
Steven Spielberg’s Disappointing ‘The Adventures of Tintin’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 20, 2011 - 4:57pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Being a huge Steven Spielberg fan and a pretty big aficionado of Peter Jackson (who produced) as well, I was pretty psyched to see what these two undeniable geniuses could do in the world of motion-capture animation with their collaboration on the adaptation of the hit Herge cartoon “The Adventures of Tintin.” That’s why it hurts me to say that, excepting a few stand-out action scenes, this is a shockingly dull affair, something that lulled me to sleep far more often than it inspired my imagination to life.
