The numbers tell a story. “American Sniper,� Clint Eastwood’s film about U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his 160 confirmed “kills� across his four tours of duty in Iraq, stands as the most profitable war movie ever made. Its merits and drawbacks have been debated since 2014, when its massive popularity tapped into a desire millions plainly felt for deadly American marksmanship, honored in old-school, patriotic Hollywood fashion, albeit at a price.
That biopic acknowledged just enough of Kyle’s emotional and psychological fallout to tell some truth, at least, in addressing his post-traumatic stress disorder on the home front, prior to his 2013 murder at the hands of a broken ex-Marine he had agreed to help. But “American Sniper� ventured only go so far into the real anguish without sacrificing its commercial prospects. While audiences appreciate an authentic dramatization of the horrors of combat, to many that word “authenticity� means more blood, in the digital splurch style, not more honesty.
This is a light and breezy affair with a few unexpected twists, some social commentary that doesn’t entirely land, and it might not have enough staying power for it to be truly memorable. -- Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service Read moreMovie Review: 'Clown in a Cornfield' a light, breezy slasher
This flick isn’t a masterpiece, not even a vulgar one, but it’s cheeky and entertaining enough in its giddy hyper-violence, thanks almost entirely to the star turn of Josh Hartnett, who has proven in his recent renaissance that he’s especially great in bozo mode. -- Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service Read moreMovie Review: Josh Hartnett saves 'Fight or Flight' from crash landing
Perhaps we don’t need the reminder that our personal relationships with animals are some of the most special and rewarding ones that we can enjoy as human beings, but “The Penguin Lessons� also underscores that our relationships with people are even more important, and that sometimes animals are the best stewards for this particular journey.-- Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service Read moreMovie Review: A teacher's pet warms the heart in 'Penguin Lessons'
