Isaac's Film Reviews

Aardman Animation tackles swashbuckling, swordplay and sea monsters.  Full review by Isaac Handelman Ever since 2001’s Chicken Run , Aardman Animation has been treating us to feature-length claymation films with insurmountable heart to match their visual vibrancy. Having just released Arthur Christmas last November, it’s surprising to see the studio releasing another film so soon. Have the folks over at Aardman managed to craft another unquestionable winner? Well, sort of. The Pirates! Band of Misfits marks a slight step back for the studio in terms of creative splendor and emotional poignancy, but it’ll still provide a mighty good time for the whole family while it lasts. As its title suggests, The Pirates!  follows the escapades of a ship full of, you guessed it, misfit pirates, led by the amusingly named Pirate Captain. The central narrative revolves around the Captain and his crew striving to collect enough booty to be named Pirate of the Year by the local buccane...

A breath of fresh air for the buddy-cop comedy. Full review by Isaac Handelman 21 Jump Street can effectively be summed up by one word: unusual. The contemporary re-imagining of an eighties cop drama series (starring a then-unknown Johnny Depp, no less), this raunchy R-rated comedy isn’t exactly what you’d call a run-of-the-mill adaptation.  The film pairs mismatched stars Jonah Hill (pudgy, up-and-coming comic) and Channing Tatum (Hollywood hunk and occasional action superstar). Surprisingly, the duo works well, as the two turn out to posses an amusing comedic chemistry. Hill rambles about the screen as that lovable misfit, while Tatum traverses the full spectrum between ultra-popular jock and geeky chemistry nerd with impressive grace. The two never truly break free from the traditional buddy cop cliches, but this misstep can be mostly forgotten due to their fledgling careers, a rarity of the genre. The newly friended Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) are promptly s...