I haven't watched any scifi on television since Farscape went off the air, so I missed out on Firefly (and, yes, Battlestar Galatica -- sorry!) But the trailers for this movie looked good, so we went. Loved it. Great characters, great tone, fantastic sense of humor, and just dark enough. Might have to go back and watch the series now!

Continue reading "Serenity"

Liked it. Pretty cool to see how they transformed Chicago into Gotham City. The only thing I had a problem with is that I wasn't crazy about the villains, and their M.O. was a little suspect. Overall, though, recommended.

Continue reading "Batman Begins"

A funny, crude movie with a soft, lovable center. It's the unapologetic gags that won me over, as well as the hilarious supporting characters. Probably not a movie to see with your parents: just a heads up.

Continue reading "The 40 Year Old Virgin"

I loved this movie. It is such a refreshing story that effortlessly avoids so many of the Hollywood cliches. Many of the characrers just exist, and we're glad to meet them even if they don't move "the story" along. Because this movie really is about people with their quirks and their struggles with understanding the purpose of their lives. Zach Braff is a very, very talented dude, and I'm really looking forward to following his career both as a director and an actor. Natilie Portman: love her, excellent in this role. Also, while the soundtrack is fantastic, it's the effective use of that soundtrack within the movie that was so impressive. I don't think I'll ever be able to hear "New Slang" by The Shins again without thinking of this movie.

Continue reading "Garden State"

I liked this movie, despite the frustratingly unrealistic "lone survivor" ending. I liked this movie because of the beautiful way it portrays Japan in the last days of the samurai. The cinematography is breathtaking, and I found myself engrossed in the culture presented: the single-minded pursuit of perfection in whatever they do. The rest of the movie is good enough: a decent sense of humor and some impressive battle scenes balance the story. Ken Watanabe is very, very good in his role.

Continue reading "The Last Samurai"

Most fans cite Episode V as their favorite Star Wars movie, and I have to agree. A fantastic piece of storytelling and surprisingly deep character development, this movie is everything a "movie #2 of 3" should be.

Continue reading "The Empire Strikes Back"

In preparation for the new movie, we thought we'd go back and watch all of the other Star Wars movies. ANH, as Jedi geeks like to refer to it, was a fun ride. I hadn't seen the new Lucasized version of the movie with the new cantina scenes and the Jabba scene, so that seemed a bit wierd, but it sure was great to watch the movie again, now fitting it into the larger context of the Star Wars universe that was created after it was originally released.

Continue reading "Star Wars"

As powerful as everyone says. Great storytelling and wonderful performances all the way around. Some of the supporting characters (Baby's family, for example) could have been a bit more nuanced, but they served their purpose. In my opinion, it deserved all the awards it received.

Continue reading "Million Dollar Baby"

An entertaining, disturbing movie, even if it was a bit sensationalistic for my taste. "He almost died eating McDonalds!", an often-heard declaration describing the movie, is overstating things a bit. Hey, I felt really bad for Morgan Spurlock, watching him eat all the food, but I wanted a little more clarity on the rules: how much was he overdoing it (ordering a double-quarter pounder with cheese when he had already had it a couple of times that month) simply to make the most dramatic change possible? Any how about something on why that Big Mac guy seemed so normal ... what was his blood pressure? Anyway, I'm really glad this movie was made and I wish most of America would watch it, just to make people *consider* their diet and take some responsibility for their health.

Continue reading "Super Size Me"

Exceedingly silly, frequently entertaining. There are a few very funny interactions between Stifler and The Rock, and Christopher Walken gets a good chance to play Christopher Walken.

Continue reading "The Rundown"

First off, it becomes crystal clear after watching this movie that Charlize Theron deserved the Best Actress Oscar for her performance here. She is posessed by this character ... a totally convincing and absolute transformation. One shouldn't overlook the fine job that Christina Ricci did, though: she held her own and then some.

Okay, so the performances were great, but how was the movie? It was a depressing, disturbing movie that leaves you with a helpless feeling about humanity. The lead character is such a tragic figure, and the movie is incredibly effective at illustrating the dispair of circumstance that surrounds her life. This excellent movie will stick with me for a while.

Continue reading "Monster"

Maybe a touch less satisfying than Matrix Reloaded, but it's still a helluva movie. If you were to evaluate strictly as an action movie, you have to give it high marks, but it's a bit more than that. In my opinion, the Wachowski brothers did a good job of resolving the storylines into an effective conclusion for the trilogy. I had managed my expectations for this film since I talked to a number of people that were disappointed by it, but overall I thought it was great.

Continue reading "The Matrix Revolutions"

A bit of a sadistic thriller, this movie kind of reminded me of an old Clancy book called Without Remorse -- <movie-trailer-voice>a man pushed over the edge</movie-trailer-voice>. I really enjoyed the relationship between Washington and the very talented Dakota Fanning, but the last act of this film was just a little too much to swallow. Three stars.

Continue reading "Man on Fire"

Christine and I were all set to finally watch "Matrix Revolutions" when we decied we needed a little refresher course on the Matrix universe. So we popped in the Reloaded DVD. It seemed a little slower than I remembered, but I picked up more of the subtle plot points the second time around. I still highly recommend it.

Continue reading "The Matrix Reloaded"

I wasn't really familiar with the persona of Howard Hughes, so this movie really opened my eyes. Martin Scorsese puts his mark on this biopic, Leonardo DiCaprio does an excellent job of portraying this complex character, and there are some great supporting performances. What a life this guy led! This is a fantastic, engrossing film that, sadly, was the only Best Picture nominee I saw this past year!

Continue reading "The Aviator"

I had higher hopes for this movie. Yes, it's funny, with a bunch of great improvised lines, but it was just too uneven. Sometimes, it was a long time between laughs. Steve Carell deserves special mention as the mentally challenged weatherman, and Fred Willard, as always, delivers.

Continue reading "Anchorman"

Classic American cinema: three broken men and a broken horse find acceptance and redemption in each other, then prove to the world all you need to succeed in this life is a lot of grit and determination. Rah rah! A great tale, with an awesome performance by Chris Cooper.

Continue reading "Seabiscuit"

It's more of everyone's favorite animated ogre, Shrek. If you liked the first one (and who didn't?), you'll like the second. It's not as fresh as the original (it's a sequel after all), but still packs plenty of laughs. Entertaining, just don't expect anything new.

Continue reading "Shrek 2"

This movie really had the feel of a modern-day Greek tragedy. All of the pieces are set on the board and the viewer is helpless to prevent the inevitable conclusion as each move is made. Very strong acting all around, with intense performances that jump right out of the screen and into your chest.

Continue reading "Mystic River"

It's one thing to think about sailing on the high seas and to romanticize the tactical battles between ships, but the reality, I imagine, would be quite a bit different. This movie conveys some of the brutal reality of what it must have been like to sail aboard a ship in the 1700s better than any movie I've seen. The best thing, though, is that it really does it almost in a matter-of-fact manner, as the crux of the story revolves around the relationship between the captain and the ship's doctor, played by Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany, playing off each other as well as they did in A Beautiful Mind. This is a very good movie.

Continue reading "Master and Commander"

There was a lot of buzz about this movie before it came out, and I'm happy to report that this movie delivers in every way. It has definitely displaced Toy Story as my favorite Pixar movie. A family of superheroes forced to live a normal life in the suburbs under a "Superhero Relocation" program? Brilliant premise. The animation was fantastic, the voice acting very good, and the storyline was engaging from beginning to end. I thought that Edna, the superhero costume designer (voiced by director Brad Bird), stole the show, but all of the eight-year olds in the audience were rolling on the floor with the final kidnap scene.

I think this is the first PG Pixar movie, but I personally think that it's okay for younger kids to watch. Yes, it's loud and there are guns and explosions and even killings, but there really aren't any of those frightening scenes that Disney sadistically likes to include in their movies (Woody discovers the mutant toys? The sharks in Finding Nemo?). And the killings are really closer to the A-Team "pan back to the exploding Jeep and see the evildoers thrown safely from the wreckage holding their heads and groaning" than anything else ... it's not like there's blood or even bodies.

So, interesting question. This movie begs for a sequel, but Pixar and Disney are splitting up before that's possible. How does a sequel get made if Disney owns the rights but Pixar's got the talent? I sure hope there's a sequel, and that it's got more Frozone. "Woman, where's my Super Suit!?!"

Continue reading "The Incredibles"

This was our Halloween pick for this year. A good old-fashioned campy gorefest. Silly, stupid, bloody, and fun.

Continue reading "Final Destination 2"

This is the Clooney/Soderbergh version from 2002. A very slow-paced film that somehow manages to be intense at the same time. For some reason, this was an instantly forgettable movie for me. I'm not sure what it is -- I mean, I liked it enough, and it held my attention, but nothing really stuck with me. Maybe that's what happens when you remake a 2:45 movie as a 1:45 movie, I don't know.

Continue reading "Solaris"

A by-the-book disaster flick with excellent special effects. Everything was going great until the movie turned stupid, at exactly 1:00:00 in. Oh, a basic climatological shift putting the entire human race in jeopardy wasn't "dramatic" enough for you? Let's throw in a storyline about a father seeking redemption by saving his son. Good grief. Well, if you can block out the annoying bits, you've actually got a pretty cool movie with an intriguing premise and fantastic special effects.

Continue reading "The Day After Tomorrow"

This movie about a growing up as an Indian girl near London is mostly good, but occasionally brilliant. I imagine that seeing this movie would be a very empowering experience for girls that happen to be both blessed and cursed with a family with a very strong, traditional culture that can often appear to be at odds with modern life. "Bend it Like Beckham" does a wonderful job contrasting these cultures and the very strong persistent tension that our hero Jess is caught in. I really enjoyed the soccer scenes and the friendship that develops between the female leads. True, the plot of this movie maps almost perfectly to the Karate Kid/Rocky gold standard of plot evolution and character development, but that doesn't really get in the way.

Continue reading "Bend It Like Beckham"

Hey, look! All of your favorite John Grisham characters are here for your courtroom drama: the big evil corporation, the idealistic young lawyer/citizen, and the Belief in the System. The plot is interesting enough to keep you engaged, but to tell you the truth, it really doesn't hang together all that well. I suspect that the many plot cul-de-sacs, useless characters, and convoluted situations are more an artifact of the movie than the book: Grisham may not be a stellar author, but he usually knows how to string his chapters together into a cohesive story. John Cusack gave the one good performance. Gene Hackman was okay, reprising his Lex Luthor role, while Dustin Hoffman was wasted. And what the heck was Jeremy Piven doing in this movie? Give the guy some lines to say! He deserves better.

Continue reading "Runaway Jury"

This was a fun movie ... almost as fun as Ocean's 11. It's a different kind of vibe: it's both lighter and a little more sinister, if that makes any sense. I loved the Seth Green character ("The Real Napster"), but really all of the actors did a great job. Mos Def is really stepping up, and Jason Statham plays his usual "wheelman" role with typical aplomb. Charlize was very easy on the eyes, and my wife assures me that she had no complaints watching Mark Wahlberg for an hour and a half. Ed Norton's performance seemed a little dialed in, which is too bad, but not enough to really detract from the film. Very entertaining.

Continue reading "The Italian Job"

Yep, that Charlie Kaufman is a weird, creative dude. This is another fascinating film that I thought was just one tiny notch below Adaptation., but still one of the best movies of 2003. It twists, it turns, it's inventive ... maybe just a touch too predictable. Most of the movie has the aura of one grasping at a dream, but there's a real love story in here as well. Fantastic performance by Jim Carrey.

Continue reading "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Yes, it's true. It's an amazing performance by Adrien Brody, worthy of the Academy award he received. You have to make sure you're in the right frame of mind to watch this movie, though ... it's tough. I can't even comprehend what it must have been like in Poland during the occupation. So even though Brody is fantastic, the movie's portrayal of the unfathomably cruel environment is what stays with me.

Continue reading "The Pianist"

I think this movie is a little bit better than The Bourne Identity, which means this is an awesome action/suspense flick. Bourne's a little edgier, a little angrier, and a little more comfortable with the persona he apparently inhabits. Lots of great locales with some really good chase sequences (not all car chases, mind you). Keep 'em coming!

Continue reading "The Bourne Supremacy"

A very good file from David Mamet that doesn't hit you over the head with its Mametness. Val Kilmer is a secret service/special ops guy responsible for rescuing the President's daughter, who's apparently been kidnapped. Elaborate schemes, plot twists, and snappy dialog abound. I really liked how you were just dropped into the story -- it took a while to figure out who the players were and what was going on. Even though I know it's a Mamet trademark, I thought the characters were a little too robotically single-dimensional. And although the plot as a whole took plenty of unanticipated turns, each atomic scene was too predictable. On the whole, though, a worthwhile movie.

Continue reading "Spartan"

A dumb dumb movie that's only worth watching for the Steve Irwin bits (which, admittedly, are quite entertaining). It's best when it plays up the camp, but you're still probably better off watching Animal Planet for an hour.

Continue reading "The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course"

Of course documentaries are told from a particular viewpoint, and it's no secret what Michael Moore's agenda is. Many people won't watch this movie because they don't like Moore's stunts and tactics. In this movie, however, Moore keeps his sometimes annoying confrontational tactics to a minimum and lets the administration's (and other's) own words speak for themselves. This is a disquieting movie which leaves one with an uneasy feeling about the last few years. Even if you dismiss Moore's consipratorial claims, I imagine most will come away with a despondent feeling over the effect that the war has had on America's sons and daughters, as well as America's place within the world's community. This is a good documentary, not a great one.

Continue reading "Fahrenheit 9/11"

When I first heard that this movie was coming out, I thought "Oh great, now Disney's creating movies from amusement park rides? What's next ... Space Mountain? Haunted Mansion? Swiss Family Robinson?" But then I heard from some people that "Pirates" was actually a good movie ... I foolishly allowed my hopes to rise. That was a mistake. They ONLY reason to see this movie is for Johnny Depp's "Keith Richards as drag queen" interpretation of his pirate role. That's it ... the only reason to see this movie. Well, and to see Keira Knightley ... okay, those are the ONLY two reasons to see this movie.

Continue reading "Pirates of the Caribbean"

Better than your average action flick. Jason Statham (you've probably seen him in one of those Guy Ritchie films) is a great choice to play a morally ambiguous "transporter". He'll transport anything, no questions asked, for the right price: as long as you stick to the rules. The problem comes when he breaks his own rule on a run ("Never open the package") and starts to get involved. The plot is irrelelvant -- what makes this movie worth watching the is likability of the character that Statham creates, some sweet driving, and some very creative and entertaining fight scenes. I'm looking forward to "The Transporter 2" -- maybe they'll put him in a better story next time.

Continue reading "The Transporter"

I was afraid that this would be one of those stupid comedies where all of the funny parts were in the trailer. Well, I was half-right: this is a stupid comedy, but it ended up being wall-to-wall funny. I probably laughed out loud every couple of minutes, with plenty of chuckling going on thorughout. Ben Stiller is over the top as the overcompensating used-to-be-fat dumb jerk who owns the Bally's-as-projected-on-tv gym ... a refreshing change from that other one character he plays (you know, the "There's something about meeting Polly's parents ... & Hutch" guy). Gary Cole provides hilarious commentary as a sports announcer for ESPN 8 ("The Ocho"), and even Rip Torn gets a good turn here. Vince Vaughn is what really holds this movie together, though ... probably his best comedic role to date (yes, including Swingers and Old School). Great first effort for director Rawson Marshall Thurber, whose only other work is that hilarious "Terry Tate, Office Linebacker" commercial from a couple of years ago. Go for the laughs, enjoy the fun, and stay all the way through the credits.

Continue reading "Dodgeball"

A freaky zombie movie where the zombies know how to sprint. Director did a good job of creating a creepy, threatening environment, where London has been emptied of almost everyone because of a "rage virus" that's extremely contagious. I thought the last act (er, I guess technically the next-to-last act) with the soldiers was a really strange direction to take the movie ... it might have been a more satisfying movie if they didn't take that turn. But it is what it is: a good survival horror flick that could have been better, but could have been a lot lot worse.

Continue reading "28 Days Later..."

I've read all of the books, so I'd consider myself a fan, and I think that this is by far the best of the Harry Potter movies -- in this movie, the characters actually seem alive rather than robots mechanically acting the scenes from the book. There's a real sense of humor and humanity with these familiar personalities, and the special effects create an appropriate backdrop instead of taking center stage. I'm anxious to see where they're going to take this franchise -- the actors playing the characters are getting pretty old now.

Continue reading "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

This is the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that stunned the world with their upset victories over the U.S.S.R. and other world-wide powerhouses. I saw the coach Herb Brooks and several other players from the 1980 team at a U.S. hockey game in the 2002 Olympics, so I had a special interest in seeing what direction they were going to take this movie. With such a naturally compelling underdog storyline, I'm pretty surprised that this movie hadn't been made previously. I like how they didn't deify the coach Herb Brooks, but instead portrayed him as a stubborn perfectionist that cared more about winning than being liked. Kurt Russell did a good job of owning the Brooks character, even if the Minnesotan accent wasn't quite as consistent as his overall performance. There's quite a bit of hockey in this movie, especially the last fifteen mintues, but you don't have to love hockey to like this movie. A decent movie appropriate for the whole family.

Continue reading "Miracle"

A good movie with some good performances (yes, even by Brendan Fraser), but a little too slow for my tastes. Sure, there's some interesting character development and a some deft handling of moral ambiguities, but I guess I just wanted more.

Continue reading "The Quiet American"

Stupid, indulgent, and infantile ... and I haven't laughed so hard in months. The sketches are a little hit-or-miss, and some are truly revolting, but some are so frickin funny I couldn't stand it. So, on the basis of that alone, it's worth a watch for those with strong stomachs.

Continue reading "Jackass: The Movie"

I enjoyed this film, which is classic Tim Burton: an engaging blend of fantasy and reality, where the boundary between the two is not all that clear. Great performance by Ewan McGregor, a fun story, and a touching ending. I wasn't blown away, but this movie is certainly worth watching for just about anyone.

Continue reading "Big Fish"

The first 20 minutes are terrible, but if you can get past that you'll find a decent Star Trek movie. Other than Captain Picard, it doesn't really delve too much into the characters (definitely not enough Worf), and the villain in this episode wasn't nearly as nuanced as the director would like us to believe. Only really worth watching if you are/were a fan of Star Trek TNG.

Continue reading "Star Trek: Nemesis"

Didn't work for me. Formulaic drama with one-dimensional characters. I have to agree with those that call this "Dead Poet's Society with girls", except that it's not nearly as good.

Continue reading "Mona Lisa Smile"

A really interesting Philip K. Dick premise that got blindsided by a stupid John Woo action film. Even Uma can't save this movie. All this movie did for me is make me want to see both Minority Report and Kill Bill again.

Paycheck (**)

This movie is about the last day of a drug dealer before he starts serving his 7-year sentence, and it does a good job of conveying the hopeless inevitability felt by the main character and his friends: he has run out of options. Edward Norton continues to be one of my favorite actors, and he gives another very strong performance in this Spike Lee Joint. Another standout performance is Brian Cox as the father. Spike Lee really lets the emotional component to the story take center stage in a way that quickens your breath sometimes -- complete with a Spike Lee Monologue (tm) that effectively captures the post-9/11 frustration and hate in the heart of this drug dealer that got greedy.

Continue reading "25th Hour"

This is a difficult movie to talk about. I suppose that's appropriate, since it was a difficult movie to watch. There are several scenes that have apparently been burned into my brain and keep popping into my consciousness at random points during the day. You're going to reflect on this movie whether you want to or not.

It's hard to separate the "movie" from the "experience". The movie was very well done, and it's really great that they kept the Aramaic and Latin, which created a much more immersive experience. Yes, the movie is extremely violent, and at first I thought it was gratuitously excessive. But after some reflection I've come to the conclusion that it was appropriate and needed, to break down the barriers many of us have built up to violence portrayed in movies. It's a very different kind of violence; Jay Leno (of all people) supposedly said (I haven't found the exact quote) that when Jesus was hit it felt like we were being hit as opposed to other violent movies were you feel like you are the one doing the hitting. That's a good description. Like I said, this was a hard movie to watch, but in the end I feel enriched having seen it.

Continue reading "The Passion of the Christ"

I'm kind of liking these modern musical movies. I liked Moulin Rogue more than this one, but this movie is still a great time. This adaptation oozes with sensuality -- you expect that from a Fosse Fosse Fosse production, and Rob Marshall's translation to the big screen doesn't disappoint. I wish the movie had a little less Renée Zellweger and little more Catherine Zeta-Jones, whom I thought was quite a bit more talented in the dancing and singing department.

Continue reading "Chicago"

How much Jack Black is too much Jack Black? We still don't know. This movie's all about Jack, and it's a good thing. He's got that John Belushi-like charm that, apparently, can carry a movie. Director Richard Linklater avoids getting mired in too much sentimentalism or back-story for the kids and keeps the performances skimming on the surface. This is not a deep movie, but one guaranteed to produce smiles from the audience.

Continue reading "The School of Rock"

Hey, this is a pretty good movie! I thought this movie would only appeal to aging boomers, but this GenX-er found it very entertaining -- almost entirely due to strength of Nicholson's performance. The role certainly isn't a stretch for him, but the truth is that Jack "coasting" is still way better than almost anyone. He's able to let his charm come all the way out in this movie, and it's formidable. Diane Keaton was really good, too, but her face distracts me: too much botox? It seems almost plastic.

Something's Gotta Give (***)

I have to say that this movie didn't live up to my expectations. Sure, it's an intense 81 minutes (it seems even shorter than that). Yes, it's pleasant to listen to Kiefer's velvety voice for most of that time. But this just didn't work for me. I wanted more, and the abrupt ending was unsatisfying.

Phone Booth (**1/2)

This is a warm-hearted comedy that is quite poignant at times. There were lots of memorable performances in this movie: Eve was really good (a natural talent) and Cedric the Entertainer almost stole the show. But I know what I'm going to remember most about this movie is the complete ensemble ... the barbershop itself becomes the main character here. Even though Ice Cube plays the lead character, it's actually a similar role to his part in Friday -- he's more of a detached observer (or, in the case of Friday, chronicler, pun intended) of an environment rich with vibrant personalities. Now that I know these characters, I'm looking forward to reuniting with them in Barbershop 2.

Continue reading "Barbershop"

This turned out to be a surprisingly effective comedy. Okay, sure, you can say that a movie that pokes fun at conjoined twins is in poor taste, but there's nothing malicious about it -- it feels, if you can believe it, genuine. You really get a sense of the tenderness and the bond that has developed between the two brothers. Of course, as you'd expect from the Farrelly brothers, it's laugh-out-loud funny. As you might not expect, there's not really any gross-out humor: it's more "Hal" than "Mary". If you can't tell, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie.

Continue reading "Stuck On You"

Definitely better than it could have been, but this is no Purple Rain. Eminem gives a passable performance, but the storyline is a little too fractured to be satisfying. This film does do an effective job of portraying the depressing circumstances of growing up in poverty near Detroit. Oh, the battle scenes were entertaining.

Continue reading "8 Mile"

After watching this movie, I looked at what a few critics had to say about it and I was shocked to see some of them refer to this movie as a "teen sex comedy". Wow, I didn't get that impression at all! Yes, the movie is infused with sex, and the two lead characters are horny teens, and there are quite a few comedic moments, but this is far from a teen sex comedy. It's treatment of the subject matter is real, for one thing, and backdrop of the Mexican countryside (and the director's detached observation's through third-person narration) bring some sobriety to the film. Be warned, though: there is a lot of sexual material, so not exactly a movie you're going to want to watch with the in-laws.

Continue reading "Y tu mamá también"