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Spectre an Overstuffed Finish For Daniel Craig’s James Bond
So much of Spectre, the latest action-adventure featuring British superspy James Bond, hearkens back the character’s earliest appearances on the big screen. SPECTRE was the super-villainous organization with which he tangled starting with Dr. No and continuing throughout the series during the 1960s and 1970s. The head of SPECTRE, Ernst Blofeld, was the model for Mike Myer’s Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers parodies. Blofeld is easy to spoof, given his preference for dressing in North Korean chic fashion and his devotion both to his fluffy white cat and secret lairs housing armies of minions.
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Despite a Big Finale, The Walk Has Its Head in the Clouds
This visually impressive biopic of French wire-walker Philippe Petit emphasizes spectacle while failing to get inside the head of its subject.
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As Chess Movies Go, Pawn Sacrifice Is Kind of a Rook
Underneath the surface, this mix of biopic and historical docudrama concerns how the Cold War political climate at the time fueled a circus-like atmosphere surrounding the match, raising the game’s international profile and turning its competitors into intellectual prize fighters.
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John Green’s Paper Towns Shoots For the Stars But Misses
The latest adaptation of a novel by John Green deals with lingering memories of a first crush and the bittersweet transition of senior year, all from a perspective filled with middle-class teenage angst.
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Wacky Wilde/Earnest Is Wild, Not So Earnest
A promising concept—a hip update to the Oscar Wilde classic—doesn't fully translate, and the play becomes an odd jumble of good ideas left to roll around on their own.
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Can Cinderella Cash In On Princess Popularity Before It’s Too Late?
This visually ambitious if narratively straightforward adaptation might appeal to young girls who can add another slender big-screen princess to their toy collection.
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WaterTower’s Sexy Laundry Bogged Down By Clichés
The comedic production relies too much on predictable stereotypes, but does find moments of raw honesty.
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In Theatre Three’s Tru, Even the Charming Capote Wears Out His Welcome
Lots of name-dropping, very little dish in Jay Presson Allen's play.