#tim robey

“Then there's Amy Adams. As Johnny's heftily pregnant wife, Ashley, she creates such a startlingly adorable portrait of guileless chatterbox naivety that you almost worry that she won't be able to sustain it - that it's going to tip over into scrunchy-faced ingratiation, or holy-innocent caricature. But if there's a note of either in this surely career-making performance, I missed it, twice. The movie loves Ashley dearly: it keeps her looked after, in an unironic shell of total, intelligent kindness, and it invites every viewer to join its protective circle.”

★★★⅔☆

3.65 stars for Tim Robey’s 378‑word review of “Ender’s Game” on Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10402473/Enders-Game-review.html

The beginning of Tim Robey’s “Ender’s Game, review” will have you salivating in anticipation of a rich banquet of retrospective analysis and vivid imagery. What you’ll end up getting instead is a mouth full of empty calories.

Robey weaves his words with the grace of a poet, to the point that it suggests he’s more interested in showing off his verbal dexterity than enlightening the reader. More tragically, he fails to elaborate on the subject at hand. Approximately 20% of his diatribe, maybe less, is devoted to the movie he is reviewing. And 80% of that is soaked with redundancy.

The better 20% is an elaboration on the story’s author and his personal politics. This has no bearing on the story, and thus one wonders why it was even mentioned at all—other than to distract the reader from the lack of content in his review. After reading this drivel, you’ll be no more knowledgeable about the movie than you would be after seeing a trailer. Indeed, if it weren’t for the stars, one wouldn’t be able to discern his disapproval of the film.

One can only hope other readers have avoided his review in favor of a better one, and more importantly, were not distracted by his words—lest they spend their hard-earned cash on a movie he was presumably attempting to dissuade them from seeing.

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★★⅞☆☆

2.88 stars for Tim Robey’s 338‑word review of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” on Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10401919/Cloudy-with-a-Chance-of-Meatballs-2-review.html

Tim Robey doesn’t reinvent the wheel in “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, review,” in fact, he doesn’t even use wheels, or legs, or engines, or wings, the review is decidedly stationary. It’s a very short piece of criticism, loaded with strangely unnecessary asides, that tries to be cute and maintain a certain amount of credibility in the analysis department. It doesn’t really succeed in either objectives.

Chance of Meatballs 2, review gets off to a very strong start with an entertaining exploration of alternate titles. It’s a promising beginning to what the observant reader, judging by the visibly low word count and the intruding “Related Articles” block interrupting distractingly, will suspect is a doomed effort. The pessimists are unfortunately correct this time around as the piece peaks in its first sentence.

Robey stuffs a bit too many comparisons into the slight work, which keeps it firmly anchored on the ground. The mash-up with Jurassic Park while bringing a fresh flavor to the much-employed comparison is followed much too closely by the inevitable comparison to the first film in the franchise. Both attempts are underdeveloped, the first finishing before it can even begin, the second failing to convince.

There’s a very palpable sense of distraction in Robey’s work. It’s as if he filled a notebook of thoughts while watching the movie and is trying to squeeze them all before time runs out. What’s left is a glimpse into a clever mind that can’t communicate itself properly.

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★★★⅞☆

3.88 stars for Tim Robey’s 627‑word review of “Thor: The Dark World” on Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10396241/Thor-The-Dark-World-review.html

Tin Robey’s latest work, “Thor: The Dark World, review,” is a pleasant experience that many will find useful. The critic looks beyond the basics to make the review unique, and not just a clichéd mess. One will be grateful for the care and respect put into the crafting.

Thor: The opens up with a steady pace that slowly hooks the reader with intrigue and humor. Robey succeeds by making several clear arguments, and informs the reader of flaws. Never does the critic bore with paragraphs of questionable plot summary, but is able to make the work unique and thrill the audience with stylized writing.

Robey breaks down the characters in Thor: The with ease, and doesn’t seem to do so as if working off a checklist. The critic wants to supply a fantastic product for his consumers, and it is laced with brilliant insight. Robey doesn’t whine about displeasures, and makes sure to offer a fair review.

By the conclusion, one will feel a connection to the review, and nod along as the critic’s words are read. One can walk away from Thor: The with a feeling of satisfaction, and prepare for their viewing experience without being stressed by another average review. Robey looks after his readers, and the feeling is glorious.

Thor: The will wine you, dine you and send you home safely.

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★★★★½

4.55 stars for Tim Robey’s 325‑word review of “Escape Plan” on Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10385343/Escape-Plan-review.html

Tim Robey makes swift and intelligent work of “Escape Plan, review,” a lovely bit of storytelling that’s got touches of all the right stuff.

Escape Plan Review finds Robey at his very best: keen criticism, a well-developed sense of humor, and sharp awareness (he’s among the only reviewers to refer to the Bentham-esque “panopticon”) are on full display in this tight-as-a-drum work from the very first couple of sentences.

His piece advances deliberately. Escape Plan Review is expert plot reduction in both what it reveals and what it refuses to, selecting details and cleverly positioning them as metonyms. A “big cheese” struggles with pronunciation and an aging brute “doesn’t look like he has much else of a life” besides breaking out of prisons professionally.

It’s tongue-in-cheek at its very cheekiest, as if to say to the reader “you know what you’re getting into.”

When Escape Plan Review laments the lack of plausibility and the frustration of craftless (or feckless) art, the move never comes across as indignant or churlish. Everything about the piece is delivered in fun and good nature—readers will wish it didn’t have to end.

Yet by the time it reaches 325 words it does, and audiences will be forced to wait for Robey’s next installment. One hopes it will be as fresh and discerning as this winning work.

Escape Plan Review is entertainment of a very high order.

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★★★¾☆

3.78 stars for Tim Robey’s 584‑word review of “Romeo and Juliet” on Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10370355/Romeo-and-Juliet-review.html

Tim Robey has moments of greatness in “Romeo and Juliet, review,” but the audience will perhaps desire a better-looking and more substantial review.

Juliet, review opens with up a strange joke that has little relevance to the work as a whole, and certainly won’t capture the attention of the reader. It’s a classic throwaway line.

The visuals of Juliet, review are rather plain other than a glorious header image which will surely please many of Robey’s fans.

Once Robey moves past the attempts at humor, Juliet, review becomes a pleasant surprise. The critic makes clear statements about the flaws of the film, and offers several examples as evidence. Robey states that “revisionism’s fine,” however a few of his observations may comes across as a bit nit-picky. Many readers will certainly be pleased, or at least impressed, with the attention to detail.

Juliet, review is successful in conveying what is wrong with the mood of the film, however there is little analysis about the individual performances. Robey quickly glides over the supporting cast, and Paul Giamatti is left out completely.

Tim Robey proves to be a great chemistry mind in Juliet, review, but fails to offer any useful insight on the acting of the lead characters.

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