Review: The leaden 'Man of Steel' doesn't soar

It has been a black eye to Hollywood that throughout this, the unending and increasingly repetitive age of the superhero blockbuster, the comics' most iconic son has eluded its grasp like a bird or, if you will, a plane.

'This Is the End' is raunchy, self-deprecating fun

In "This Is the End," a horror comedy about the apocalypse, a slaphappy bunch of funky comedy stars, including James Franco, play themselves before and after Hollywood burns. It's a gross-out extravaganza, with comic heroes and antiheroes who are more like pathetic victims, effects that echo torture-streaked horror films as well as the Book of Revelations, and a generally debauched sensibility.

France threatens veto of EU-US trade deal

A cloud is hanging over the upcoming free-trade talks between the European Union and the United States after France said it won't back any deal that threatens the country's prestigious film, radio or TV industries.

'Man of Steel' reimagines Superman for a new generation

MIAMI - The Man of Steel had gotten rusty. While his DC Comics counterpart Batman was conquering the world via the Dark Knight trilogy, and the rivals over at Marvel Comics were raking in the cash with "The Avengers" and all its spin-off films, Superman had been put into mothballs.

Paul Walker never gets out of 'Vehicle 19'

The essence of a great car chase is editing, that combination of shots - points of view, inside and outside the car - that make the viewer share the sense of speed, danger and G-forces that the drivers must feel.

'A Hijacking' takes a sober look at Somali piracy and its victims

"A Hijacking" is every bit as straightforward as its title. This Danish drama depicts the seizure of a cargo ship by Somali pirates and the months-long negotiations for the release of ship and crew, and tells this story partly through the eyes of the crew that experiences it, and partly in the corporate offices where a CEO takes charge by playing hardball, capturing the pressures on both fronts to secure the release of the ship and the seven sailors on board.

'This Is the End': Seth Rogen brings about star-studded apocalypse

NEW ORLEANS - The music is blaring inside James Franco's house and there's booze - and drugs - everywhere. Actor Michael Cera is snorting lines of cocaine, while comedian Aziz Ansari is trying (and failing) to hook up with Rihanna. Dozens of scantily dressed women mill about in Franco's architecturally sleek crib, which is decorated with artwork made by the actor himself.