Isaac's Film Reviews

Out of the darkness comes light. Full, spoiler-free review by Isaac Handelman With J.J. Abrams officially chosen as the helmer of Disney’s forthcoming Star Wars: Episode VII, Star Trek Into Darkness has some sky-high expectations to live up to. Not only must it prove to be a worthy follow-up to the stellar 2009 franchise reboot, but the film now has the hefty task of proving to legions of fans that Abrams was indeed the right choice to hold the reins to the two biggest science-fiction franchises in existence. Rarely do I get the pleasure of confirming that a film lives up to the hype, but Star Trek Into Darkness does . It is a grand, endlessly creative sequel that opens many exciting new doors for the rebooted franchise while paying serious homage to its source material. And it didn’t take me long to deduce the film’s high quality. Darkness opens with an awe-inspiring action sequence that I won’t spoil here. Suffice to say, it’s a sensational start to a galaxy-span...

Does Marvel's Phase Two kickoff stand up to the studio's high pedigree? Review by Isaac Handelman *Note: Contains some very minor spoilers unless otherwise noted. There comes a point in Iron Man 3 when Guy Pearce, in character as maniacal scientist Aldrich Killian, tells Tony Stark, “ Ever since that dude with the hammer fell out of the sky, subtlety’s kind of had its day.” Well, it would seem that, with the arrival of the third Iron Man film, subtlety has indeed had its day. I decided that around the time Killian, in a mad rage, began breathing fire at Don Cheadle’s ever-endearing Colonel Rhoades. And, if any doubt still existed in my mind as to the validity of my hypothesis, it was erased when Killian took off his shirt to reveal two huge dragon tattoos adorning his chest. “But Marvel movies have never been subtle; why is this suddenly an issue?” you ask. Subtlety may not be easily attainable when a film’s protagonist is a superhero, but a fine line exists between b...