JamesG
01-25-2013, 06:09 PM
Movie Reviews: Parker
Time was when director Taylor Hackford’s name appeared above the title of a film, where it would attract as many moviegoers as the names of the stars.
His name still counts for a lot — he is, after all, the twice-elected president of the Directors Guild of America — but it does not appear above the title of his latest movie, Parker, starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez.
The often-praised director of Officer and a Gentleman and Ray is taking it on the chin from some critics.
Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal speaks of Hackford’s “brute-force direction” and concludes that the movie:
“sets a tin standard for crime thrillers.”
Elizabeth Weitzman writes in the New York Daily News:
“It seems clear that Hackford wanted to knock out a quick moneymaker, something that would not require much energy, but might allow everyone to pick up a nice tan.”
(Much of it is filmed in Miami Beach)
Lou Lumenick in the New York Post does allow that Hackford:
“handles the first half tough and taut, but lets things go ridiculous and slack.”
Adam Graham in the Detroit News remarks that Hackford:
“just spins his wheels.”
A.O. Scott in the New York Times writes a kind of tongue-in-cheek review of the movie, in which he remarks that Hackford brings “honor to the first syllable of his last name.”
He explains: “I mean that as a compliment; it takes one to know one. And sometimes — especially in the epically dreary cinematic month of January — the pleasures of craft can be more satisfying than the challenges of art.”
-IMDB News
Time was when director Taylor Hackford’s name appeared above the title of a film, where it would attract as many moviegoers as the names of the stars.
His name still counts for a lot — he is, after all, the twice-elected president of the Directors Guild of America — but it does not appear above the title of his latest movie, Parker, starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez.
The often-praised director of Officer and a Gentleman and Ray is taking it on the chin from some critics.
Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal speaks of Hackford’s “brute-force direction” and concludes that the movie:
“sets a tin standard for crime thrillers.”
Elizabeth Weitzman writes in the New York Daily News:
“It seems clear that Hackford wanted to knock out a quick moneymaker, something that would not require much energy, but might allow everyone to pick up a nice tan.”
(Much of it is filmed in Miami Beach)
Lou Lumenick in the New York Post does allow that Hackford:
“handles the first half tough and taut, but lets things go ridiculous and slack.”
Adam Graham in the Detroit News remarks that Hackford:
“just spins his wheels.”
A.O. Scott in the New York Times writes a kind of tongue-in-cheek review of the movie, in which he remarks that Hackford brings “honor to the first syllable of his last name.”
He explains: “I mean that as a compliment; it takes one to know one. And sometimes — especially in the epically dreary cinematic month of January — the pleasures of craft can be more satisfying than the challenges of art.”
-IMDB News