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Kenneth Turan Kenneth Turan is the film critic for the Los Angeles Times and NPR's Morning Edition, as well as the director of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes.
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Kenneth Turan

Review

Movies

'The Dark Knight': Through Shadows And Hype

The Dark Knight, the new Batman film with Christian Bale in the title role, may be the most hopeless, despairing comic-book movie in memory. It creates a world where being a superhero is at best a double-edged sword and any triumph is likely to be short-lived.

'The Dark Knight': Through Shadows And Hype

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Review

Movies

'Hellboy II,' Doing Justice To Comics (And Baddies)

The demon hero's latest adventure definitely packs the comic book's punch — but Guillermo del Toro's latest flick isn't just for fanboys. The filmmaker's prodigious gifts make it an actioner for all ages.

'Hellboy II,' Doing Justice To Comics (And Baddies)

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Movies

Up In The Air: It's 'Hancock,' Crashing And Burning

It has summer's most promising premise, but Will Smith's much-hyped superzero fable self-destructs after a plot twist so head-shakingly bizarre that even an indestructible crime-fighter can't shake it off.

Up In The Air: It's 'Hancock,' Crashing And Burning

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Movies

'Wall-E': A Robot Love Story with Heart to Spare

Robot love story and human cautionary tale, the film is daring and traditional, groundbreaking and familiar, apocalyptic and sentimental. It's a tonic in these times — and it proves Pixar still has its touch.

'Wall-E': A Robot Love Story with Heart to Spare

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Review

Culture

'Get Smart': Still Inept, But in All the Wrong Ways

TV's beloved secret-agent spoof gets a big-screen update — but like its bumbling hero, the film is constantly trying to be something it's not. The result: an unfunny comedy spliced with an unexciting spy caper.

'Get Smart': Still Inept, But in All the Wrong Ways

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Review

Movies

Marvel's 'Incredible Hulk' Beefy But Doesn't Satisfy

Critic Kenneth Turan says Marvel Entertainment's resurrection of The Incredible Hulk is solid and efficient, if not particularly adventurous. And it has a problem ending.

Marvel's 'Incredible Hulk' Beefy But Doesn't Satisfy

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Movies

'Caspian' Recaptures Galloping Magic of 'Narnia'

Morning Edition and Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan reviews The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the second installment of the fantasy series by C.S. Lewis to be adapted into a film.

'Caspian' Recaptures Galloping Magic of 'Narnia'

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Movies

Summer's Blockbuster Films Seem Promising

Los Angeles Times and Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan explains that he's actually looking forward to summer movies this year, including the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight.

Summer's Blockbuster Films Seem Promising

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Review

Culture

Elementally Flawed 'Iron Man' Not Striking Sparks

Brilliant arms-merchant playboy dons advanced battle armor to save the world from evil plot. Latest Marvel Comics adaptation wants to be this summer's first blockbuster, but it's too overloaded for takeoff.

Elementally Flawed 'Iron Man' Not Striking Sparks

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Review

Movies

'Forbidden Kingdom' Is a Doofy Union for Chan, Li

Jackie Chan and Jet Li, two well-known martial arts film stars, just finished their first collaboration. Morning Edition and Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan says their new movie, The Forbidden Kingdom, was not worth the wait.

'Forbidden Kingdom' Is a Doofy Union for Chan, Li

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Review

Movies

Elderly Rock Singers Put on a Good Show

Los Angeles Times and Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan reviews the film Young at Heart. It's a documentary about a choir made up of senior citizens who perform songs by rock, punk and soul music artists.

Elderly Rock Singers Put on a Good Show

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Review

Movies

Emotional Intensity Propels 'Stop-Loss'

The story of a young soldier home from the war in Iraq is the subject of the movie Stop-Loss. Los Angeles Times and Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan says the movie has a propulsive emotional intensity.

Emotional Intensity Propels 'Stop-Loss'

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Culture

A Thriller of a Documentary: 'The Unforseen'

A new documentary tracks a 30-year battle over land use in Austin, Texas. The Unforseen focuses on a real-estate development project threatening a spring-fed swimming area. Robert Redford and Terrence Malick are the film's executive producers.

A Thriller of a Documentary: 'The Unforseen'

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Review

Culture

Into the Past, and the Preposterous, in '10,000 B.C.'

Writer-director Roland Emmerich, who is responsible for Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, has taken audiences to a lot of strange places. Not one of them was as strange as his 10,000 B.C.

Into the Past, and the Preposterous, in '10,000 B.C.'

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Review

Movies

Color, Pageantry Can't Save 'Boleyn Girl'

Morning Edition's film critic reviews The Other Boleyn Girl. The movie is based on Philippa Gregory's best-selling novel, set in 16th-century England. At that time, Henry VIII was king — and Anne Boleyn was looking to replace his queen.

Color, Pageantry Can't Save 'Boleyn Girl'

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