Matthew R. Reis: Film and TV Critic

Don't go looking for things you don't want to know the answer to... 3 1/2 stars Blog Exclusive! I didn't get to writing a full review of Prometheus, but maybe I will post one later this month. It's been out for a little while now and I definitely would describe it as a must see picture. It sits nicely with the other Alien flicks, despite being more of a stand-alone picture than a true prequel. I'd rank it 3rd behind Alien and Aliens as the best in the franchise. One issue people may have with the flick is that each character other than Shaw played by Noomi Rapace and David the Android (Michael Fassbender) are more filler then substance. You don't really relate to anyone and you don't learn there names (or I could have just forgotten them...). Of course being that it's a Ridley Scott flick the visuals are top-notch and the mood is very somber, very noir. While the individual elements don't stick out as much as they should the movie is memorable ...

Apetastic? Nope. (Now on DVD) 2 Stars Blog Exclusive! Charlton Heston's performance as Colonel George Taylor in 1968s "Planet of the Apes" was iconic. In 2001 Mark Wahlberg's turn as Captain Leo Davidson in the "Planet of the Apes" remake was ghastly. Now actor, director and Yale student James Franco has to deal with an ape infestation of his own in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." So how does all this monkey business translate to the big screen this time around? Not well. Not well at all. As a prequel a lot of people already know how “Rise” will end before the projector even warms up. Due to the film's lack of quality content "Rise" offers nothing worthwhile and fails to justify why a prequel was needed in the first place. Both diehard franchise fans and virgins of the series will be disappointed. Besides above average acting and terrific visual effects this film is trash. The biggest problem stems from Rupert Wyatt's ...