Isaac's Film Reviews

The past breathes new life into J and K. Full review by Isaac Handelman Men in Black 3 is not your average three-quel. It takes the troubled franchise in brand new bold directions that many wouldn’t have dreamed to ever see included in the Men in Black brand. While this doesn’t necessarily make MIB 3 the series’ finest (and it’s definitely not a complete return to the pristine form of the original), it is a rock solid, wholly enjoyable romp that anyone with the slightest bit of affection for Men in Black will wholeheartedly embrace.  As I’ve already touched on, MIB 3 doesn’t play it nearly as safe as would be expected. It tries hard to bring its aging brand to new places, and it mostly succeeds. The narrative follows the pursuits of Agent J (Will Smith, in his first film since 2008’s Seven Pounds ) as he travels back to 1969 in an attempt to reverse the effects of an otherworldly serial killer traveling back to seek vengeance on Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). Once in th...

The summer movie season blasts off, all thrusters engaged. Full review by Isaac Handelman At this point, The Avengers living up to the insurmountable hype surrounding it seems like an inconceivable notion. After four years of hints and easter eggs, beginning with Nick Fury’s appearance after the credits of the first Iron Man , and culminating in an epic teaser trailer following the credits of Captain America: The First Avenger , the cinema event so many have been eagerly anticipating has arrived. The question is, can it possibly achieve the heights hoped for by so many? Yes. Yes it can. Fear not, for Joss Whedon has crafted a cinematic experience unlike anything that has preceded it. Watching The Avengers gives the viewer a feeling akin to that of watching Darth Vader duke it out with Indiana Jones. Though the properties contained within the film are, obviously, more easily paired (having all come from Marvel lore), the fact that each of the main characters has rece...