Christa Banister

• Good Intentions Can't Keep Old Fashioned from Feeling Out of Touch
  Operates from a different moral compass than standard rom-coms, but disappointingly offers little insight beyond well-worn platitudes.
  Thursday, February 12, 2015
• Black Sea's Thrilling, Twisty Ride Freshens Up the Heist Genre
  Has an almost-retro feeling and aesthetic quality evoking classics of the past, and Jude Law hasn't been this good in years.
  Thursday, January 22, 2015
• Taken 3 is a So-So Ending to a Ho-Hum Franchise
  As much as this franchise wanted to be the second coming of Jason Bourne, it never came close.
  Wednesday, January 7, 2015
• A Diversion Into the Woods Can be Dark but Delightful
  Meryl Streep, delightful music, and just enough weirdness keep things interesting here. The film is a lot of fun despite the darker tone.
  Tuesday, December 23, 2014
• Night at the Museum Franchise is Officially Ready for Mothballs
  Feels stale from the first frame. 97 minutes has never felt so long, and this from someone who enjoyed the first two installments.
  Friday, December 19, 2014
• Mixed Bag Hobbit Trilogy Concludes with a Convoluted Farewell
  Jackson broke a simple story into three larger parts, and now seems unsure how to fit the pieces together in this middling conclusion.
  Tuesday, December 16, 2014
• Creativity, Heart and One Huggable Protagonist Save the Day in Big Hero 6
  Best Animated Film winner of 2014 isn't so much The Avengers for the younger set; more like the fast-funny-footloose style of Guardians of the Galaxy, minus the innuendo.
  Thursday, November 6, 2014
• In Plain Sight is a Moving Call to Action on Sex Trafficking
  Both a frightening reminder and a story of hope about the thousands who are forced into the commercial sex trade each year in the U.S.
  Thursday, November 6, 2014
• Birdman: Overly Ambitious and Criminally Overrated
  What's the meaning of it all once the novelty of frenetic camera work has worn off and every Hollywood inside joke has been exhausted?
  Thursday, October 23, 2014
• Murray Excels as a Geezer with a Heart of Gold in St. Vincent
  Thanks to particularly inspired casting it's transformed from a standard indie movie, clichés and all, into something far more special.
  Friday, October 17, 2014
• The Best of Me is Easily the Worst of Sparks
  Owns the least plausible and laughably awful ending committed to film in recent memory; nothing but a poor knock-off of The Notebook.
  Friday, October 17, 2014
• Alexander's Bad Day is Your Family's Good Time
  There's something delightfully retro and very-early-Disney about this worthwhile adaptation of the popular children's book.
  Friday, October 10, 2014
• Phoniness is on Trial in Fincher's Dark, Disturbing Gone Girl
  The stuff of compelling post-movie banter; more than just a capable cautionary tale. But at times every part of me recoiled in disgust.
  Friday, October 3, 2014
• Eleanor Rigby Not a Feel-Good Film, but a Film That Makes Us Feel
  Jessica Chastain is absolutely dazzling but a lack of focus and seemingly endless sadness can't help wearing on the viewer after a while.
  Friday, September 26, 2014
• May Tombstones Mark the Death of the Liam Neeson Taken Clones
  Yes, Neeson is officially stuck in a rut. Now his "special set of skills" action persona is lost in a film that's forgettable and drab.
  Friday, September 19, 2014
• Dolphin Tale 2 Just Treads Water
  The pacing is sluggish, the storytelling predictable. Compared to the original, it's pretty inferior in the inspiration department, too.
  Thursday, September 11, 2014
• No Good Deed is Laughably Bad, Needlessly Violent
  The timing couldn’t be worse for a thriller full of violence against women. But it probably wouldn't have made much difference anyway.
  Thursday, September 11, 2014
• The Identical Surprisingly Un-Identical to Blander Inspirationals
  Rather than follow a predictable trajectory of rebellion during the dawn of rock, it takes a refreshing track of spiritual exploration.
  Thursday, September 4, 2014