No Way Out (1987)
Flyboys (2005)
King Kong (2005)
The Mummy Returns (2001)
State Fair (1945)
Stalag 17 (1953) ///
Tread Softly Stranger (1958) Atmospheric city and industry background provide gritty substance to noir-infused drama as impatient Diana Dors leads brothers George Baker and Terence Morgan to their murderous doom. Sense of impoverished desperation hangs heavy, though thriller aspects remain unpersuasive.
No Way Out (1987) Finely tooled, highly diverting thriller sees Secretary Of Defense Gene Hackman cover up mistress Sean Young's death with arrogant Navy Lieutenant Kevin Costner investigating and incriminating himself. Contrivances and final twist can't diminish mounting tension and sharp pacing.
Flyboys (2005) Handsomely mounted World War I heroics undermined by unconvincing characters and strained narrative framework unraveling in strangely sterile atmosphere. Swaggering James Franco is among American volunteers joining emerging French airforce. Misses romantic sweep and emotional investment despite soaring flights.
King Kong (2005) Meticulous, burnished detail of Depression-era New York sends fast-talking film maker Jack Black to gorgeously realized landscapes and monsters of Skull Island. A cracking Naomi Watts is the tap-dancing beauty who brings down the beast. Numbing overlength and bludgeoning style dissipates involvement.
The Mummy Returns (2001) Overblown sequel lacks charm, anchoring adventurous Rachel Weisz and reluctant Brendan Fraser with family dynamics and unending VFX bombardment. Frantic story developments replay resurrected ancient threat with little actual humor and much visual excess.
State Fair (1945) Slight narrative strands link lightly attractive characters whose time at the annual Iowa gathering of the title spans the trivial and romantic. Colorful design and effortless staging combine with enduring Rodgers and Hammerstein songs for energetic entertainment.
Stalag 17 (1953) Enclosed tale of American POWs revolves on obsession with escape and hunt for barracks mole, with immediate suspect the hustling William Holden. Straddling broad laughs, German caricatures, cynical humor and tense drama, skillful cast and filmmakers maintain precarious balance.
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