Christa Banister

• Good and Evil Collide in Deathly Hallows 2
  What goes down in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 won’t likely sway anyone who’s been on the fence.
  Thursday, July 14, 2011
• Black Comedy Goes Bawdy in Horrible Bosses
  Despite its many comedic achievements, bawdy Horrible Bosses will probably still offend more than entertain.
  Friday, July 8, 2011
• Wish Fulfillment Falls Flat in Monte Carlo
  Starring Selena Gomez, this slice of teen wish fulfillment ultimately falls prey to a slew of storytelling contrivances.
  Friday, July 1, 2011
• Storytelling Stays Light in Transformers 3
  Transformers: Dark of the Moon is yet another instance where storytelling has been kicked to the curb by action scenes.
  Wednesday, June 29, 2011
• Cars 2 Kicks the Action into Overdrive
  With a second installment that outshines the original, perhaps Pixar is hoping to prove that Cars wasn’t a bad idea.
  Friday, June 24, 2011
• Mr. Popper’s Penguins Almost Worth Flipping For
  For moviegoing families who’ve already seen Kung Fu Panda 2 and Judy Moody’s NOT Bummer Summer, Mr. Popper’s Penguins is another option worth considering.
  Friday, June 17, 2011
• New X-Men is First Class Entertainment
  Beyond the inspired direction, X-Men: First Class’ genius lies in the casting, particularly of James McAvoy as Professor X.
  Friday, June 3, 2011
• Tree of Life a Mixed Bag of Beauty, Boredom
  While The Tree of Life claimed the biggest prize at the Cannes Film Festival, it still received a decidedly mixed reaction—cheers and boos—from the screening audience.
  Friday, May 27, 2011
• Plenty of Kick Found in Kung Fu Panda 2
  Sticking with the bear necessities, a few lessons worth learning, and plenty of action to boot, Kung Fu Panda 2 is the rare sequel that’s as much fun as its predecessor.
  Thursday, May 26, 2011
• Pirates 4 Could've Used Even Stranger Tides
  Pirates 4 should’ve leaned a little more heavily on the "strange." After all, it’s sad seeing Jack basically having nothing to do after the opening scene.
  Friday, May 20, 2011
• Here Come the Brash Bridesmaids
  Bridesmaids has already been labeled everything from the female answer to The Hangover to Judd Apatow’s debut of the wo-mance.
  Friday, May 13, 2011
• Wobbly Compass Navigates Something Borrowed
  In Something Borrowed, you can’t help feeling relieved that what’s happening to these characters isn’t happening to you.
  Friday, May 6, 2011
• The Beaver Movingly Portrays Mental Illness
  “People love a train wreck unless it’s happening to them.” Perhaps that line from The Beaver really connected with Mel Gibson.
  Friday, May 6, 2011
• Mullen Makes a Joyful Noise on Captivated
  On what’s her first official worship album, Nicole C. Mullen effectively heeds the words of Psalm 96 to "sing unto the Lord a new song" in her trademark funky style.
  Thursday, May 5, 2011
• Madea’s Welcome Worn Out in Big Happy Family
  It seems Madea’s run out of new material for her repertoire as many of the punch lines are recycled from previous efforts.
  Monday, April 25, 2011
• Water for Elephants Has Old-Fashioned Charm
  Water for Elephants not only has an old-fashioned feel, but also shows Robert Pattinson can play a character who’s not dead and brooding.
  Friday, April 22, 2011
• Story Expands Repertoire with Blessings
  Title track “Blessings” is probably the least accessible track for the masses on Laura Story’s Blessings, but is easily the most memorable.
  Tuesday, April 19, 2011
• Add Arthur to the List of Needless Remakes
  This time around the titular role is played by none other than Russell Brand, who’s really more of an acquired taste than the lovable everyman that Dudley Moore ever was.
  Friday, April 8, 2011