‘XXX’ review
“XXX” — I avoided “MIB II” and “Austin Powers 3,” but somehow got sucked in by the allure of Vin Diesel re-teaming with “Fast and the Furious” director Rob Cohen. But “XXX” pales next to […]
Action
‘Spider-Man’ reviews
John’s “Spider-Man” flashback review, May 18, 2019 “Spider-Man” — This is a colorful start to a new film franchise, but it has some nagging flaws: The Green Goblin, despite the best efforts of Willem Dafoe, […]
‘The Fast and the Furious’ reviews
John’s “The Fast and the Furious” flashback review, May 16, 2020 “The Fast and the Furious” — The latest in the recent spate of car movies is quite stupid, but surprisingly, it’s also quite entertaining. […]
‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’ reviews
John’s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” flashback review, March 19, 2018 “Tomb Raider” — Some really fun action sequences and eye-popping scenery (mansions, temples, ice caves) make up for the boring expositional parts of what’s sure […]
‘Planet of the Apes’ (2001) reviews
John’s “Planet of the Apes” (2001) flashback review, April 13, 2018 “Planet of the Apes” — Director Tim Burton and writer William Broyles’s re-imagining of the 1968 sci-fi classic isn’t exactly an intellectual exercise, but […]
‘Jurassic Park III’ reviews and commentary
John’s “Jurassic Park III” flashback review, johnvhansen.com, Jan. 29, 2015 “Jurassic Park III” — Director Joe Johnston cuts out the fat and gets right to the meat, giving ample screen time to up-and-coming stars Spinosaurus […]
‘Pearl Harbor’ review
“Pearl Harbor” — Saying that “Pearl Harbor” features horrific war scenes, strong acting from an all-star cast and a bit of a history lesson is stating the obvious. However, the obvious can be quite powerful […]
‘Vertical Limit’ review
NDSU Spectrum: Movie review ‘Vertical Limit’ will leave you gasping for air By JOHN HANSEN Dec. 15, 2000 Even before the first climber-falling-to-certain-doom scene in “Vertical Limit,” it’s tempting to make a mental note: never […]
‘The 6th Day’ review
NDSU Spectrum: Movie review ‘6th Day’ asks moral questions and blows stuff up By JOHN HANSEN Dec. 1, 2000 A filmgoer couldn’t be blamed if they experience déjà vu all over again during “The 6th […]
‘Red Planet’ review
NDSU Spectrum: Movie review ‘Red Planet’ is a beautiful journey to nowhere By JOHN HANSEN Dec. 1, 2000 Prior to this year, no one had really attempted a big budget blockbuster about Mars. Unfortunately for […]