Indiana Jones is back!,

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)

If you're expecting Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to be a fourth in the series, you'll be disappointed. The original three were set in the 1930s, looking for buried treasure in a Treasure of the Sierra Madre style. The new film is set in the 1950s, and that changes everything.

Frankly, it should be viewed as a new series. It certainly overlaps with the previous films, however most of that seems to affect the new film trivially. I actually think it's a little unfair to present this new type of film under the great Indiana Jones reputation, and however smart marketably I believe this, and the lack of understanding and inaccurate expectations on the audience's behalf will ultimately lead to the film's demise.

The film itself is well written, and well made with only a few exceptions. As long as you don't expect another Raiders of the Lost Ark, you'll probably be pleased with the film as it is, with the exception of one sequence which doesn't quite seem to fit. Beyond that, the plot, characters and acting all fit with this new kind of Indy film.

The cinematography is not the 80s style we'd probably all like, but it's not bad. The camera is certainly held much more stable than many of today's films, and the action is very clear and easy to follow, as is the stunt work great. There is a lot of computer animation--most of it looks believable, but some of it does not--but that which was done well fits superbly.

The acting was also very good. I was very impressed by Cate Blanchett, and to my surprise very pleased with Shia LeBeouf's character and acting.

All-in-all, I really appreciated the film as a whole, although some of the animation and action sequences seemed somewhat unfinished, or at least too difficult to believe (even for an Indy film). Still, it is an excellent 1950s serial, and I really hope we'll see at least one other Indy film set in this new era.

More Info

Cam'
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Movie Trailer

Doom Will Satisfy Your Blood Lust.,

Doom (2005)

Doom was quite an entertaining video-game turned movie. It promised violence and it definitely delivered. While you did not have to think too much about what was going on, it did have a plot with some great twists. I expected a straight forward "shooter" movie, very similar to the game and, frankly, I expected it to be boring. I was anything but. The video game style of the movie was limited pretty much to one scene. One awesome scene that, if you felt the movie lacked in violence in any way, should fulfill your blood lust.

Sarge (The Rock) is the leader of an elite USMC team which is sent to a space station on Mars to investigate a problem of disappearing scientists. Upon discovering most of the scientists dead, they soon realized they were not going to stay that way. I do not want to give away much more than that but there is more to this movie.

Sarge's team consists of Destroyer (Deobia Oparei), the religious Goat (Ben Daniels), Duke (Raz Adoti), Portman (Richard Brake), The Kid (Al Weaver), Mac (Yao Chin) and John Grimm (Karl Urban), who happens to be the twin brother of one of the scientists, Samantha Grimm (Rosamund Pike).

Doom started off pretty slow, but once the ball got rolling, it resembled the game more and more and kept the excitement up as well. All of these actors pulled off their parts to great avail. Really, how could they go wrong? I went into this movie with extremely low expectation. Especially after reading some of the reviews so I was very pleasantly surprised. I can recommend this movie to those who love a good, bloody action movie. Basically, if you can relate to Sin City, then Doom is also the movie for you. 9/10

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian - A rousing fantasy adventure.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian - 2008

Director Andrew Adamson, who helmed the first installment in the series, after making his career primarily in animation (including the original "Shrek") seems decidedly more comfortable in his role as a live action director this time around, and he handles the scope and the pacing of this epic adventure with a polished skill that is a very pleasant surprise. In addition, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell, returning as the Pevensie children, have matured, not only physically, but in their acting ability. There is a deftness and self assuredness this time around that surpasses the original, and makes for an extremely entertaining film.

The story begins with Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), nephew of Miraz (Sergio Castellito), the leader of the "Telmarines," the human population that is now the dominant race in Narnia, fleeing for his life when Miraz's wife gives birth to a son. Miraz usurped the throne from the rightful King, Caspian's father, and now that he has an heir of his own, he wants Caspian out of the way for good.

Meanwhile, back in London, Peter and his siblings are trying to adjust to life in the real world. Peter is getting into fights because he can't bear people "treating him like a kid," after growing to adulthood before leaving Narnia, only to return at the exact age he was when he first stepped through the wardrobe. But in less time than it takes to board the London underground, the Pevensie's are once again transported back to the magical kingdom - only it is not the place they left. Over a thousand years have passed, and the castle of Cair Paravel lies in ruins.

As the children struggle to find out what has happened, they stumble upon a Dwarf named Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage), who is being taken prisoner by abusive Telmarine soldiers. Susan, who doesn't seem to have had much opportunity to show off her finely honed archery skills at home in Finchley, eagerly takes the opportunity to rescue Trumpkin from his captors, and the surly old dwarf (whom Lucy and Edmund nickname "The D.L.F.", or "Dear Little Friend,") explains that all is not well in Narnia. It seems that not long after the High King Peter and his siblings left Narnia, the land was plunged into a dark age, and the Telmarines have ruled for hundreds of years with an iron fist. The days of the many creatures, including talking beasts, living in harmony together, have long since passed, and no one has seen or heard of Aslan the Lion in centuries. And what's more, the trees are no longer friends to the Narnians - they are just normal, everyday trees.

It doesn't take long before the children meet up with Caspain, who is hiding out in the forest with a misfit band of followers, and soon the young would be heroes join forces in a plot to reclaim Narnia for the Narnians, and place Caspian, the rightful heir, on the throne.

The film moves along at a steady, exciting pace, with skillfully staged action and suspense that will have audience members on the edge of their seats, and while in general it stays very faithful to the source material, there is quite a bit of added embellishment to make for a grander and more spectacular epic, with added battle and chase sequences that are deftly handled and add to the story and the level of excitement, where in less skilled hands they could have easily overtaken it. The level of action, and violence, is really quite a bit stronger than in the first film, and the film has a darker, grittier tone, which makes it something of a surprise that the filmmakers got away with a PG rating for what is clearly a PG-13 film.

As mentioned before, the actors really step up to the plate this time, in particularly Keynes and Moseley as Peter and Edmund. But the most delightful performances come from the great Peter Dinklage (known for his brilliantly subtle turn in "The Station Agent," and perhaps best remembered as the diminutive author of children's books in "Elf") and Reepicheep, a bold and chivalrous mouse (voice of Eddie Izzard), who really steals the show. The effects are absolutely top notch, and in the final third the movie reaches such a fever pitch of excitement that it recalls Peter Jackson's "The Two Towers," arguably the most exciting installment of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

So, in the end, "Prince Caspian" may not be the profound allegorical tale that "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" was, or reach the same level of magical wonder, but it more than succeeds at what it sets out to do, and strongly indicates that there is a future in the Narnia franchise.

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

Tremendous thrills!

Cloverfield (2008)

Some people have derisively compared this film to The Blair Witch Project because it was all told from the point of view of someone's shaking camera. Unless you have motion sickness, I don't think that's a bad thing. What matters is who's in front of the camera. While The Blair Witch Project featured annoying people screaming at each other, this movie actually made me care about the characters. In fact if it had continued with the romantic drama tone established during the first half hour, I STILL think it would have been worth watching and that's the biggest compliment I can give it.

Of course people will be watching this movie for the visceral pleasure and Colverfield delivers. Many thrilling visual and sound effects wowed me (there were a few times I yelled out in shock at a sudden scare). Any horror film will also benefit from a sense of entrapment and this movie pulls off the seemingly impossible feat of making New York City seem claustrophobic because there was seemingly nowhere to hide from the monster.

What is the monster? Whatever it is clearly is meant to be an allegory for the carnage 9/11 inflicted on New York, much the same way Godzilla was meant to be an allegory for the damage inflicted on Japan by the atom bomb. There are moments seemingly recreating the documentary footage from 9/11, and they give the film verisimilitude. Touching upon real life horror, plus creating characters that we can relate to and care about, and assaulting our senses with incredible sights and sounds leads to entertainment worth watching many times over. Perhaps the 80 minute run time will bother some people, but on the other hand I think that's better than a film wearing out its welcome. Great job J.J. Abrams and company!

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

Rambo is simply great!!!,

Rambo (2008)

Rambo is a great action movie and reminds me on how the action movies were made in 80's. The plot is developing very fast and the pacing is very good. Sly is doing all his stunts and doesn't speak much. Mercenaries were good in my opinion and without them the movie would be to unbelievable and unrealistic.

Rambo displays the war like I've never seen it before and believe me I've watched many war movies. Camera is beautiful, music is perfect and fits to the action scenes. Bryan Tyler's take on Goldsmith "Home coming" theme is in the beginning and in the end of the movies (ending is great).

I have 3 objections: 1. - the acting of Julie Benz was too unbelievable to me. 2. - maybe more drama and less action (not necessarily). 3. -camera work in some places is to "shaky" for my taste, but on the other hand it gives a lot of tension to the action.

Everything else is great.

My expectations were high and now I am pleasantly surprised. I had my doubts about the movie (especially after some negative critic reviews), but now all I have to say thank you Sly for giving us Rambo IV.

I must say the movie may not be for everyone because of violence, but I think every Rambo fan and fans of the action movies of the 80's will be happy with this movie. My theater was filled .

I hope it does well at the US box-office because Sly deserves it. I have no doubt that the movie will be success in other parts of the world also.

Rambo is definitely back!!!

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

Semi-Pro is only semi-funny, but Will Ferrell is still at the top of his game

Semi-pro (2008)

Semi-Pro takes place in the 1970s and is all about a small time basketball team named the Flint Michigan Tropics. The head coach, owner, and promoter is Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) and he and his team dream of expanding to be part of the big time NBA. However Jackie is told that in order to actually have a chance at getting into the NBA, the Tropics have to get at least 2000 fans in their stadium by deadlines. The problem is that the Tropics do a little more dancing, fighting, and flailing around the court than actually playing the game. So Jackie hires a new team player named Monix (Woody Harrelson) who actually used to play for the NBA. From there on in it's up to Jackie, Monix, and the whole team to fire up some wild and crazy events for the crowd and actually learn to play the sport properly for once in order to reach their dreams.

Will Ferrell has made a bunch of funny movies already. Whether it be Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory, and Old School. I haven't seen all of them but I heard they were all funny, mostly because of Will Ferrell's comedic brilliance. Semi-Pro is a funny film but it's really only semi-funny, whereas the rest of Ferrell's movies were hilarious romps. Semi-Pro seems undercooked in the hilarious gag department offering a few very funny moments, but the rest of the movie only has little jokes that usually only offer giggles. My favorite moment in Semi-Pro is when Jackie Moon gets called on a foul by the ref (Also the church priest), and Jackie yells in his face an obscenity and "I'll kill your family!" Another scene that will end up a Will Ferrell classic is when he wrestles a bear, and it ends up attacking him and then getting loose in the stadium.

The music in Semi-Pro is awesome with its funky 70s soundtrack. There's also a song played through the movie sung by Jackie Moon called "Love Me Sexy", and it is as funny a song as Will Ferrell can bring. The rest of the cast includes Outkast's talented Andre Benjamin, Maura Tierney, and Will Arnett and Andrew Daly as two hilarious TV show hosts and broadcasters for the Tropics. Woody Harrelson does a fine job in Semi-Pro but he's never funny, all because the script makes his character Monix serious instead of funny. Maura Tierney really just sits around without much to really do, and even Andre Benjamin's character is made too serious to give us any laughs. I just don't understand why so many of the characters in Semi-Pro were so serious. This is a Will Ferrell comedy, everyone should have some funny moments. This problem is what makes Semi-Pro a mixed bag because only half the movie is really very funny, the rest of the movie is pulled down by far too much seriousness.

Will Ferrell and the musical soundtrack are what elevate Semi-Pro to the point where I can recommend it. Will Ferrell is still a very funny guy and I'm sure he has a lot more hilarious comedies on the way in the mere future. But Semi-Pro pretty much gives Ferrell all the funny moments, when his other movies like Anchorman gave the other characters classic moments as well. I give Semi-Pro a 2.5 out of 4, and a recommendation. It has its moments but is dragged down by far too many unfunny characters.

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

"Doomsday" - The end is nigh!

Doomsday (2008)

My expectations were low when I went into this movie. In spite of her decent performance in David Gale, I had not filed Ms Mitra under "competent actress", but rather under "hot babe". I had not been very convinced by her performance in Shooter, but as it turns out, she managed to carry Doomsday rather nicely. Granted, it was not a great dramatic role, but it was also not a simple emotionless-heroine-with-snappy-one-liner bit, either. She does get some pretty cool one-liners, though, and delivers them nicely. But she also gets to do some nice comedy, and a little bit of drama.

Which gets us to the main thing about this movie---the unique combination of action/gore and comedy. The movie does not take itself too seriously, and occasionally even seems to be its own parody. While it takes the action itself seriously in the technical sense, and executes it very competently, at times spectacularly so, it is also seasoned with often hilarious references, reflective jokes, and even plain-ole slapstick. The plot itself may not sound terribly novel---think Escape from New York (but with a beautiful woman instead of Kurt Russel!), 28 Days Later, Mad Max, Omega Man etc. What is unique about this flick is the melange of utter gore and hilarious comedy. Imagine the bad guys re-enacting a Blues Brothers concert (including dancing to a signature song; on stage!), while roasting a good guy alive. That sort of thing. It may sound crazy, or disgusting, or just incongruous, but it is effectively combined with interesting, and unique, effect.

The supporting cast delivers great performances all around. Lester's talents remain a little underused---hope to see him again soon in Hustle, although this seems unlikely. Conway is simply in his own league at being over-the-top crazy, Liebenberg creates a very memorable mixture of beauty and evil, McDowell naturally focuses more on the evil bits but does a darn fine job on those, as well. O'Hara performance also stays with you, although his character being more of the quiet-sinister type, it can hardly stand out in a movie like this. Similar comments apply to the fine but less remarkable deliveries of Hoskins and Siddig.

The visuals in this movie are varied and stunning. Beautiful countryside, destitute post-apocalyptic inner city, gory action, Mad Max-like road fights (but in Scotland, so the road actually has bends and stuff), battlefields, dungeons, medieval castles, etc. Designing and shooting this movie must have been a blast, and so is watching it. In addition to filming a wide variety of interesting settings, the director has the good sense of training the camera frequently on Mitra, who ranks high among the many great visuals in this film.

Entertaining action flick with a good sense of humor. Worth watching if not taken too seriously.

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

What Happens in Vegas... - Predictable but enjoyable

What Happens in Vegas... (2008)

This romantic comedy starts with a good premise: two strangers meet in Las Vegas and after an evening of wildness and many drinks they get married and win a prize of 3,000,000 dollars on a slot machine. They agree to divorce and split the money, but the Judge doesn't concede it to them, and force them to live together for 6 months, in order to make them try to succeed their marriage. It's the beginning of a living hell to them, because they can't stand each other…

In the beginning the movie has a bit of originality and fits perfectly in the "it's so stupid that it turns out funny" comedy type but then, step by step, it turns into an average and "normal" romantic comedy. It has great number of comic scenes and some of them are really funny, but if we exclude the beginning the plot really lacks originality and significance. We can see it especially at the ending, because it has the expected, conventional, and boring Hollywood ending we are all used to watch in this sort of comedies.

I liked the performances of the main actors though. I think Ashton Kutcher is funny, in his own and particular way, like he was before on previous comedies; and Cameron Diaz still has that smile that I used to appreciate so much in my teenage years…

Of course it's not an excellent comedy, it's even a bit ridiculous and flawed at parts, but it's funny and entertaining, and for a "typical average Hollywood comedy" it's not bad…

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

A good comedy!

My Mom's New Boyfriend (2008)

This movie is absolutely worth watching. All people in it seemed to really have a good time. And so did we, enjoying their efforts. There was enough chemistry between Banderas and Ryan to give their dialogs that little extra. The characters in this comedy get a fine treatment by all actors.

No need for in depth analysis of hidden layers in the story. Well, we can see intentions that are supposed to be found in a comedy. And lots of irony, the way standard situations get an absurd twist. This movie will not disappoint Banderas or Ryan fans. Their talent for comedy is being used well.

Movie

Movie Trailer

I AM IRON MAN...tara tarara tararara tara rara...,

Iron Man (2008)"cam"

I'm a casual reader of comic books so definitely I'm not the biggest fan of the Marvel world and I don't know all the details of every Marvel story. Anyway, I do like a lot superheroes and of course their enemies (sometimes even more) but definitely Iron Man is not my favourite, probably is Spider-Man. But since I knew that they were making this film I was kind of exciting, of course for the cast too, about it and for me it was really quick it's release. The fact that it doesn't have the big publicity of films like "Spider-Man 3" or the upcoming "The Dark Knight" (even "Speed Racer" in those days has a bigger publicity with all kind of products), was also good but even with less publicity they just make a good damn thing for their business making it's release today, the day of the children in Mexico and also selling the fact that in the US it doesn't opens until the next Friday. So here I'm writing about it just after returning from the theater after enjoyed a lot this great picture.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is just a genius of technology but also a bastard. He is the ultimate designer of weapons and his company is really powerful but dealing with this kind of clients will be always dangerous. Suddenly he reborn, finally opening his eyes and waking up from a dream full of parties, women and power to realize that he was providing amazing technology to the wrong persons. He is IRON MAN. That story about the present situation with the war is really good having in Stark the kind of businessman who never cares about anything but his company's interests. Definitely this background is not important for a child but of course there is great action and great visuals. And there are many funny things especially for a really cool Downey Jr. and his character's attitude before his experiences with the terrorists. Talking about the cast, I think Downey Jr. is really good for the main role as Stark and as Iron Man, well anybody could look really cool with a suit like that. The Dude, Jeff Bridges, is also a good villain and the beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow is just perfect in all the ways.

Conclusion: "Iron Man" is a great pre-summer film, for me much better than the recent Marvel adaptations. I loved the trailer for Black Sabbath's Iron Man and here the closing titles are just terrific (Back in Black is also great but some other music in the film is not) but damn I didn't wait until the very end (but definitely I could watch it again) and now I know that Samuel L. Jackson is also here. F*ck right now I hate him mostly because his story with Troma but that's another story. Anyway I really enjoyed this film and of course I'm ready for the next chapter, maybe the second of 15. It's only the decision of the studio because Downey Jr. is more than ready!

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

21 - Stylish and satisfying

21 (2008)

"21" follows the rise (and ultimate fall, and what happens afterward) of a college math wiz recruited by his professor to outwit the blackjack tables at Las Vegas and make a ton of money. It's a well made movie with lots of class and style, and if you aren't turned off by the notion of filthy lucre, then you are bound to enjoy this.

The movie works well because of its cast. Jim Sturgess, the young male lead, is outstanding. He does a great job of transitioning from initial uncertainty to eventual acceptance and ultimately relishing his new "career." He's eminently likable and you can't help pulling for him all the way.

Kate Bosworth is lovely as his love interest, always impeccably polished. She looks a bit old for the part of a college student, and especially her style of clothing in the casinos (while ravishing) is not quite right for a 21-year old. I wish more buildup had been devoted to her relationship with Sturgess, but the movie is all told from his angle. Best of all, Kevin Spacey is dead-on as the ringleader. He is cool, efficient, very sharp with every line. As always, he always manages to steal every scene he is in.

There is also a nice subplot about these aging casino security agents, who are being phased out in favor of software recognition systems. It gives the movie more depth and interest, and ultimately you can't help realizing that these guys, while "villains" in one sense, are also "heroes" in another.

The look of the film is fabulous, well worth consideration for art direction. It's all about Vegas, but not over the top, somehow. You never blame the character for falling into the trap, because it is all so addictive: the cash, the clothes, the fabulous rooms (it's almost worth seeing the movie just to see those penthouse suites!). The editing and camera work are awesome. They did an especially good job zooming way in on the cards, to where they almost become characters in the story. But it never gets technical, it never dwells on splitting 8's or hitting a soft 17 or anything like that. Even if you know nothing about the game (and I know very little), it won't impair your enjoyment of the movie.

It's not a very deep movie, but it does have insight into human character and motivation. It's mainly just a lot of fun to watch. I give it a solid 8 /10

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

Dear diary...the dead are back

Diary Of The Dead (2008)

I gotta say first off that I am a bit of a fan of zombie movies in general so my opinion is probably a bit more biased than some others but if you've seen any of Romero's other films and thought they were great, you will probably like this.

A few of my friends criticised this film greatly because of the not-so-brilliant standard of acting and the fleeting realism of a couple of scenes, such as a cameraman's nonchalant reaction to his friend being pursued by a flesh eating zombie, and a drunken incredibly stereotypical Englishman, suddenly being transformed into John Rambo when given a bow and arrow.

That aside, I feel as far as zombie movies go this is definitely one of the better ones. JJ Abrams and the rest of the team from Cloverfield should really take notes on how to do hand held camera work because whereas I felt nauseous and was fed up of staring at the various floor and street surfaces on offer in Cloverfield, Diary Of The Dead communicated the same intended intimacy and immediacy, without you feeling like you've been sitting in a washing machine for 90 minutes.

I felt some of the characters and methods of dealing with zombies were truly inspired, with particular reference to the mute Amish man who was hilarious. Where some people feel shooting, stabbing or beating zombies is sufficient, this man uses volatile explosives to clear his front lawn of the undead. Classic.

I felt the story was fair and realistic, and lead to some interesting scenarios without becoming too implausible and providing a good few jumps along the way with plenty of suspense. Also a more than welcome return to good ol' slow zombies which I find much more threatening and spooky than the fast zombies.

All in all, can feel a little cheesy in some places but proved a fun zombie film nonetheless, kudos Mr. Romero another great horror.

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

A good one for the whole family... Very creative!

Nims Island (2008)

I went and saw this movie at the world premiere. I will start out by saying this... It is a very good for the whole family to enjoy.

Storyline: A girl and her father are on a remote island. They are the only ones who live their. The father is a research scientist who is interested in microscopic creatures. Nim, the daughter, is very much in touch with nature and enjoys reading the tales of Alex Rover, an adventurer. The author, Alexandra Rover, is agoraphobic and hasn't left her apartment in a very long time. Dad goes to sea, storm makes him stranded. Nim is stuck alone on the island and is contacted by Alexandra Rover, and calls for her help. Well, you will have to watch the rest to find out...

Pros: A great family movie. It has the perfect recipe of drama, comedy, suspense and a touch of romance. The acting is great. The scenery is beautiful. The special effects are magnificent. The story of a father and daughter living on a remote island is very creative and lends itself to a really great story, which is what this movie is.

Cons: Being a family movie, it is predictable. There are also plot elements which go no-where. One being there is a huge talk about Nim's mother at the beginning, but then it really doesn't go anywhere after that.

Summary: If you have kids, of any age, this is a good movie to go and see with them. If you don't have kids, but are looking for something different from the usual movies, this is still one to consider. All in all, a good story, well told and with great characters.

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

Speed Racer - Loyal to the anime. A blast!

Speed Racer (2008)

I must admit that I know, or knew rather, very little about the story or history of Speed Racer- and his TV series - and maybe that is why I enjoyed this movie so much. Although, this is still a different type of situation where one who was a big fan of the shows might be seriously critical of every little detail of the turned movie. I don't believe anyone who considers themselves truly knowledgeable about Tatsuo Yoshida's work can say that this was not represented well on the big screen. I'm now intrigued to go back and check out some episodes of Speed Racer.

That aside, as far as it being a movie and a work of art, I would give this movie high marks in both categories. For it being a movie, it was nice to see something so different as far as the approach to making it go. Also, having such an incredible cast makes it all the more intriguing. I don't see anyone else having portrayed any of these characters any better than the cast that was hired to do so.

On an artistic level, it is extremely hard to think of any other movie that comes close to being in the same league. I did not see The Matrix, but I would say that anyone who liked Sin City for its cinematography and graphic elements, would love Speed Racer. The use of bright photography that's added behind a green screen makes for a far more dramatic effect.

Take the artistic elements of this movie, and put it together with the amazing cast (both looks and talent) and throw it together with a very different but coherent plot, and you've got yourself an extremely enjoyable movie that is definitely worth seeing. And seeing at the theater no less! My hats off to The Wachowski Brothers, and the rest of the cast and crew for putting together something different for a change.

GO...

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

Prince Caspian - Official Trailer

War as Parable - IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH

In the Valley of Elah (2007)

There have been many films about the aftermath of war, but never have I seen such a brutally honest and shocking depiction of the de-humanization of soldiers back from war. This is the underlying premise of the new crime thriller from academy award winning writer/director Paul Haggis (Crash).

Hank Deerfield (played by Tommy Lee Jones) is a retired veteran and military police officer searching for his son who has gone AWOL. A detective Emily Sanders (played by Charlize Theron) becomes interested in the case and starts helping Hank outside of her job. When Hank's son's body is found, the search suddenly turns into a search for the murderer.

One of the many aspects I appreciated was that director Haggis did not turn this into a typical Hollywood crime thriller and also not turn it into a political propaganda piece against the war and President Bush. Instead he mixes the two plots together seamless and subtle, letting you decide for your self.

Tommy Lee Jones gives the best performance of his long career as he plays a quiet, emotionless war vet, but still shows tremendous amount of emotion. Just watching his face as he sits in a diner and listens to one of his retired friends tell him about plans to go visit his grandchildren is heartbreaking. We can almost see the internal emotional struggle as he realizes he will never be able to do that. Charlize Theron does a wonderful job as the detective, and despite her small screen time Susan Surandon plays the grieving wife of Jones to perfection.

This film is such a moving masterpiece on so many levels it is simply wonderful to watch. The quiet pacing of the film building up to the climax is captivatingly intense in its own way. I am sure this will be a popular film at the Oscars this year, and if they gave out awards for best scene this would be sure to garner a nomination for a simple, poignant, yet profoundly moving scene when Frank tells the story of David and Goliath (which took place in the Valley of Elah) to the little son of detective Sanders.

More Info

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Movie Trailer

Romantic Comedy That's Actually Funny

Over Her Dead Body (2008)

1) Paul Rudd - The guy is always funny, even when the script is lacking and this movie is no exception. His dialogue was witty, it's just a shame the story could've been a whole lot better, but on such a poor premise I don't know how much more the writers could've done anyways.

2) Lake Bell - I had never heard of her before this, since she was mostly a TV actress in the US, but her character was extremely likable, attractive and funny. She showed she can make a good romantic comedy love interest, as she is not only good looking but can actually live up to the comedy part of a "rom-com", unlike most female leads who are just there to look good and can't act at all. I will be checking out her prior and future work to see if she has any dramatic merit as well, but it looks as though she could become pretty big in Hollywood if she develops better taste in the movies she picks.

Also, Eva Longoria Parker was pretty horrible in this, but she had a thankless task with the character she was given. I don't think too many actresses could have done much more with the role, it was just badly written and completely unsympathetic.

The acting basically saved what was a terrible script, premise and movie in general. Lake Bell and Paul Rudd had good chemistry and the movie had a good heart and was really funny in plenty of places, but most of those scenes involved Jason Biggs, Paul Rudd and Lake Bell playing off of one another. Longoria was the odd one out and most scenes involving her were the worst ones of the movie.

I gave this movie a 7 for the acting and the strong lead performances of Bell and Rudd who, had this script focused more on instead of the dead girlfriend, could've made it even better. Maybe it should've been made as a comedy/drama and focused on how Rudd gets over Longoria's death and Bell's journey to help him do it, but as it is, it's not bad by any means and should make a good date movie or rental.



More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

The Dark Knight Trailer

Trailer

Chumscrubber-What a Pleasant Surprise

The Chumscrubber (2005)

What a coincidence - I ran across this movie entirely by accident and in a very ironic way. My teens had friends over this week and had rented some DVDs. They usually go for horror flicks (nothing above R!) and Chumscrubber was amongst the titles they'd rented. I was immediately put off by that title, assuming that it was another stupid horror movie since the synopsis wasn't on the case.

Then this morning I was perusing the movie channels and came to this thoroughly interesting, quirky, darkly comedic movie about parents and teens in suburbia. I couldn't help but continue watching...then I thought to check the title. Chumscrubber! What?

I was actually flooded with emotion the more I watched the movie. Was I, too oblivious because I made assumptions about a movie due to its title, a movie my TEENS rented? One that had WAY more substance than I thought? They're actually interested in quirky, intelligent movies with substance? Did my kids see their world like that? Which of the adults would I be? The whole thing is just so incredibly ironic considering the situation, and the place we are in our lives at the moment.

I also have a somewhat dark sense of humor and the movie made me laugh as well. The young actors were superb and of course that goes without saying for the adults - all accomplished and excellent. They did not at all overshadow their characters. It IS very hard to describe this particular movie - one would just have to see it.

Since I came upon it on the movie channel after it had started, I'm now going to get the DVD my kids rented and watch it again (despite the title)!

More Info

Movie

Movie Trailer

A great fantasy epic!

10,000 BC

I just saw 10,000 B.C. with friends of mine today. It was really good. It had great cinematography, special effects, and action sequences. The story was good, not Oscar material, but still pretty good. The acting was fairly good too. Some of the dialogue was very clichéd, and characters make some weird and dumb decisions (like freeing a saber tooth tiger, and hoping it doesn't eat you afterwords).

But overall it was a fun action movie that I recommend. But if a science teacher tells you to write a report about life 10,000 years ago do not base your facts on what this movie says. This movie is not historically accurate. For instance a man pretending to be God has Wooly Mammoths work in the desert to create the pyramids. That is not realistic at all.

But I like the fact that its not accurate. It makes the film more fun and less boring. This actually is more of a fantasy than a historical film, because of all of the far fetched ideas.

So I say this movie is worth your ticket. I actually think you should see it in theaters, because its neat to see some of the shots on a big screen. This would be so cool on IMAX.

More info

Movie

Movie Trailer