Christa Banister

• Spirit Fighter is Serviceable Storytelling
  Reading Jerel Law’s recent novel Spirit Fighter was like a blast to my Frank Peretti-reading past (minus all the nightmares, thankfully).
  Monday, November 18, 2013
• The Laughs are on Life Support in Last Vegas
  Gives the audience no reason to care, creating yet another movie where a slew of A-list talent can't save it from being a stinker.
  Friday, November 1, 2013
• The Counselor a Colossal Waste of A-List Talent
  Ultimately a frustrating, cautionary tale on how drug trafficking doesn't pay. Does anyone really need to watch a movie to learn that?
  Friday, October 25, 2013
• Controversy is Surprisingly Boring in The Fifth Estate
  Who knew that such a gripping, ripped-from-the-pages plotline could be reduced to something hardly worthy of the big screen?
  Friday, October 18, 2013
• Miley Cyrus’s Boundary-Pushing is Utterly Predictable on Bangerz
  Wednesday, October 16, 2013
• Grace Unplugged Hits a Few of the Right Notes
  A heartwarming message and strong production values are bogged down by an unnecessary dichotomy between faith and using our talents.
  Friday, October 4, 2013
• Formulaic Runner Runner Isn’t Worth Betting On
  A year out from Argo, a Ben Affleck film is coasting by with sloppy editing, poor cinematography and basic disregard for good dialogue.
  Friday, October 4, 2013
• Clash Between Faith, Fame Reaches Fever Pitch in Grace Unplugged
  More than just the chronicling of a young woman's misplaced ambition, new film Grace Unplugged shares connection with the Prodigal Son.
  Tuesday, October 1, 2013
• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 is a Feast for the Eyes
  Probably won't be considered an animated classic, but it’s sure a lot of fun as it embraces the spirit of Judi Barrett’s original work.
  Friday, September 27, 2013
• Snapshot of J.D. Salinger as Fascinating, Flawed as He Was
  As much as we learn about J.D. Salinger from those who were part of his life, what's curiously glossed over is Salinger's writing itself.
  Friday, September 20, 2013
• One Direction: This is Us is Safe, Sincere, Staged
  In capturing a worldwide phenomenon, Morgan Spurlock clearly highlights the songs and what makes One Direction tick as people.
  Friday, August 30, 2013
• The Butler Serves a Moving Slice of Dramatic History
  Quite the opposite of feel-good cinema, but director Lee Daniels is mostly successful in satisfying his multi-faceted objectives.
  Friday, August 16, 2013
• Ain't Them Bodies Saints is Beautiful but Exhausting
  A truly beautiful film about an outlaw, but one can’t shake the feeling that it's the exhaustive visual equivalent of a sad country song.
  Friday, August 16, 2013
• Wiig Successfully Plays Against Type in Girl Most Likely
  A compelling coming-of-age tale where an unexpected reconnection with family helps shape the protagonist's future journey.
  Monday, July 22, 2013
• Cute Turbo Coulda Used More Torque
  An impossibly cute but decidedly conventional story about striving for the seemingly impossible dream.
  Wednesday, July 17, 2013
• Pacific Rim Looks Solid but Rings Hollow
  Had promise, considering del Toro, of being the rare big-budget film to fire on all cylinders, but alas, it's dumb, loud and predictable.
  Thursday, July 11, 2013
• The Lone Ranger is a Wild, Wild Mess
  The last half-hour is exactly what we want a summer movie to be, but we have to sit through two hours of utter tedium to get there.
  Wednesday, July 3, 2013
• The Heat's Rap Sheet: Funny but Endlessly Profane
  Laughs are consistent and abundant in this all-female take on the cop buddy genre. So are the f-bombs and misuses of God's name.
  Friday, June 28, 2013