Alicia Vikander

“Tomb Raider”: a Worthy Swashbuckling Tale of a Strong Hero

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Though a Tomb Raider reboot wasn’t something that I would have pegged as a likely success, this little action-adventure film starring Alicia Vikander does far more right than it does wrong. Trailers would suggest that this is your generic, action-packed, thrill-a-minute blockbuster, but it is actually far more subtle and considerate than that. The primary … Read more

The Empty Store Problem: The Familiar Story of “Jason Bourne”

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Add another “L” to the campaign of sadness that is The Year of Movies: 2016 Edition.  Once again, a film has been released in an attempt o revive and further a long-dormant franchise, and like every cheap cash-in of this year, Jason Bourne fails to elicit any emotion beyond longing for the original property.  This isn’t to say that there are not stirring sequences or solid performances in the film, but there is not a single aspect of this film that was not accomplished better by a previous Bourne film.  Paul Greengrass and company certainly do not need to re-invent the wheel, but they should at least drive the car somewhere new.

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Don’t Lose Guy Ritchie’s “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” in the Spy Thriller Shuffle

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The films of Guy Ritchie succeed best when they blend comedic elements with a strong circuitous narrative set on the fringes of society. Usually, that fringe is some underground criminal element, but with The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Ritchie puts his inimitable aesthetic to work on the period spy thriller. Though the plot can feel fairly derivative at times, the stars ably carry the film forward and offer some surprisingly funny moments amid the tradecraft and action set pieces.

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A Game of Musical Chairs Set Off by Alicia Vikander’s Casting in “Bourne 5”

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This whole week has been a whirlwind of casting news, kicked off by the announcement of the new Spiderman. Again, castings that were supposedly set in stone (and reported upon in the movie news) have proven less solid by the time the ink finally dried. In this case, Alicia Vikander has officially been named the … Read more

Alicia Vikander is Exploding – And That’s a Great Thing

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Go check out Alicia Vikander’s IMDB page. You’d be forgiven for not recognizing Vikander or much of her work at this point in time, but very soon that will no longer be the case. This young actress has established herself in smaller indie and foreign titles, and casting directors are starting to take notice. I’d … Read more