Category: Our Critics

Thirteen dwarves, a wizard and a hobbit set out on an adventure.

“In a hundred years, maybe the vote.” That was the extent of black Americans’ wildest ambitions during the Civil War, looking forward past abolition to the seemingly unthinkable possibility of black military officers, so it is fitting that Spielberg’s semi-biopic of Lincoln and chronicle of the Thirteenth Amendment opens as the presidency of Barack Obama has been confirmed for a second term.

James Bond has died — and survived — before, in the opening scenes to 1967’s You Only Live Twice. In Skyfall, he is back to triumphantly do it again. But it isn’t a ruse: with 007 atop a moving train fighting for possession of a hard drive containing classified personnel data, MI6 head M (Judi Dench) orders field agent Eve (Naomie Harris) to take a difficult shot, and it is Bond who falls.

Exotic ancient China; powerful, feuding warriors; a devious brothel proprietress. A generous helping of magic-realism à la wuxia tradition (think Crouching Tiger or Hero). Top-tier Hollywood talent. The cinematic debut of a well-known creative voice, Wu-Tang Clan frontman RZA.