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Get Smart - June 28, 2008

The outright slapstick of the series has been toned down, and Max's incompetence is less striking. That being said, the familiar catch cries are all used and there are obviously moments in which Carell gets the chance to play the fool.
http://hoopla.nu/films/getsmart/getsmart.html

Mongol - June 28, 2008

It's a stunning film to witness. The cinematography is fantastic, the locations are breathtaking, and the costumes are exquisite. The film crackles with a reality that's sorely missing from most big budget, grandiose features of a similar ilk.
http://hoopla.nu/films/mongol/mongol.html

Happy-Go-Lucky - June 26, 2008

The decision to linger during many scenes means that what may have been constructed as exquisite discomfort for the audience rapidly becomes only irritating. It is hard to imagine so many successive scenes can all be so uncomfortable, and yet Leigh manages to usurp one sequence with another causing similar distress.
http://hoopla.nu/films/happy-go-lucky/happy-go-lucky.html

Kung Fu Panda (Stuart Wilson) - June 25, 2008

Much of Kung Fu Panda is lacking in substance. It may have a lazy kind of instant appeal, but doesn't really have a story worth telling. Po's underdog antics are amusing, but the story doesn't really have a point other than the typical 'you can achieve whatever you set your mind toAmerican dream' type shtick.
http://hoopla.nu/films/kungfupanda/kungfupanda.html#stuart

Kung Fu Panda (Mark Lavercombe) - June 22, 2008

The story is archetypal, but never pretends to be otherwise, and in many ways this works for the film instead of being a weakness. Watching Kung Fu Panda is a comfortable experience that allows the audience to just sit back and enjoy its indefinable alchemy of animation, voice and plot.
http://hoopla.nu/films/kungfupanda/kungfupanda.html

The Tracey Fragments - June 22, 2008

Page shows glimpses of the power she has to arrest the attention of an audience, although she is never allowed to be as magnetic as in her Hard Candy tour de force. The film is entirely hers, however, with other characters only seen through the Tracey prism.
http://hoopla.nu/films/traceyfragments/traceyfragments.html

Speed Racer - June 17, 2008

It is, however, kind of long. Waaay too long. They don't even have an excuse - this isn't one of the score of films being made based on fantasy epics. It simply does not need to be two hours and fifteen minutes.
http://hoopla.nu/films/speedracer/speedracer.html

The Happening - June 16, 2008

Shyamalan's visual style is still present, though not as apparent as usual. There are a several long tracking shots that comprise some of the film's best moments, proving that you can scare people without resorting to hyperactive editing.
http://hoopla.nu/films/happening/happening.html

The Incredible Hulk - June 13, 2008

Of course, the big green man is the worst part of this movie. Once more we're subjected to a huge, shiny CGI dud, but at least this time he's a little scarier; a little veinier. They even address the issue of stretchy pants (sort of).
http://hoopla.nu/films/incrediblehulk/incrediblehulk.html

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Stuart Wilson) - June 8, 2008

Without getting into the broader picture here, there's something wrong with a character that can only teach through guilt. The amount of time this lion spends making characters feel guilty throughout both films is almost sickening. There are other ways to edify, though C. S. Lewis didn't seem to touch upon them in these books.
http://hoopla.nu/films/chronicles_princecaspian/princecaspian.html