Fools Gold

Fools Gold (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 1 hr 53 mins

Cast:

Matthew McConaughey
Kate Hudson
Donald Sutherland
Alexis Dziena

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

*1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

** out of *****

The premise: A new clue to the whereabouts of a lost treasure rekindles a married couple's sense of adventure -- and their estranged romance.

My review: Look, I just needed to watch a movie by the end of the month (June) so I can say I've seen 50 new 2008 films after 6 months. So I turned on my Cox On Demand, and just chose Fool's Gold, knowing full well it wasn't going to be a good movie. I'll keep this review short. Fool's Gold is a pretty weak movie with no enganging characters. It almost works as a treasure hunting movie, except this bland love story is sewn in between the seems of the treasure story, which makes it fall flat. Were we supposed to be more concerned about these two people or the treasure? I may never know. The treasure story was a little bit interesting however, which is why this movie got 2 stars from me instead of 1. Some pretty nifty action scenes, some cool explosions, an intersting death scene or two, but overall, just a weak, standard movie. Screenplay was cheesy McGee, and the directing was nothing to marvel over. Matthew McConaughey is getting on my nerves, I'm tired of this persona he keeps playing...which I think is real self. I don't know. I do however love Kate Hudson, she was the only true good thing about this movie. She was funny, and just solid as usual. But she ultimately couldn't salvage (no pun intended) this foolish movie.

In Bruges

In Bruges (Rated R) (excessive foul language and violence)

Running time: 1 hr 47 mins

Cast: Colin Farrell
Brendan Gleeson

Ralph Fiennes

Critical consensus (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/):

****1/2 out of *****

***1/2 out of *****

The premise:

My review: I won't lie, originally, when I saw the preview for this film many months ago, I didn't want to see it. About a month or so ago, I had seen that the film actually received good reviews, and then a feHoled up in Bruges, Belgium after a difficult job, two hit men begin to differ on their views of life and death as they become used to local customs.

w days ago, my dad saw it and loved it and told me I should see it. So I did. Boy was I wrong. This is a friggen great independent flick!

The story and the characters are so off the way and weird, it just makes for a dang good time in this movie. The underlining story of the film is serious and kind of dark, but on the surface it's played out almost comical. Yes, this can be a pretty funny movie. So what we get, is one of my ever so favorite genres: the Dramedy. A dramatic story with dramactic characters with comedic undertones.

The story is basically two hit-men are hiding out in a small town in Belgium called Bruges (pronounced brooge), after a hit went horrifically bad for one of them, and now they are awaiting instructions from their boss. So now both of them are trying to adapt to the life of a person living in Bruges. Brendan Gleesons (Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, Lake Placid) characters loves the small little medieval town. He wants to visit all the old buildings and take part in seeing some drops of Jesus Christs actual blood. Just see it, you will understand. Colin Farrell (Phone Booth, Minority Report) hates the town and tries anything to leave. Until he meets a beautiful Belgium actress and dwarf filming a movie, and then lets just say his interest is peaked...a tad. See now thats the funny part.

You then have the real story, of Colin Farrells hit gone wrong, and it's eating him alive and he's trying to figure out how he can go on living knowing what he did. He has some truly brilliant moments in this film, this is without a doubt his finest performance. He should stick to that irish accent of his in all his roles, because it makes him more real of an actor. But he's funny when need be, and serious at other times, a performance you have to see. Brendal Gleeson is great here too, he's a very good actor, but sadly, still quite unknown. Ralph Fiennes who doesn't appear on screen until the final act is also really great!

Wall-E

Wall-E (Rated G)

Running time: 1 hr 47 mins

Voice Cast:

Ben Burt as Wall-E
Elissa Knight as Eve
Jeff Garlin as The Captain
Sigourney Weaver as Ships Computer

with Fred Willard as the BnL CEO

Critical Consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

****1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

***** out of *****

The premise: The year is 2700. WALL*E, a robot, spends every day doing what he was made for. But soon, he will discover what he was meant for.

My review: Was anyone truly expecting Wall-E to be anywhere near a bad film? On the contrary, Wall-E may very well be one of the best films Pixar has released to this date, and may also very well be one of the best animated films ever made. In a world where the Shrek series has won over the hearts of children, teenagers and adults alike for being a borderline vulgar comedy series which teeters on the line of teenager and adult humor; we have Wall-E, which is a fresh and original film the entire family can enjoy without having to laugh at an Ogor farting in a swamp.

This film almost quite literally has no dialogue. Well it does, mainly by the human characters, but it's very scarce, and really doesn't mean anything to the overall story. The first fourty or so minutes however, there IS no dialogue with the exception of the robotic saying of the names "Wall-E" and "Eve-a". The first fourty minutes of this film is absolutely incredible, it's filmaking genious. It had signs of what "I Am Legend" could have been. We have a robot cleaning up Earths garbage all by himself (well he does bond with the first cockroach in history to be really adorable) throughout the day, and then spends his nights in a large metal box filled with junk he collected he thought was valuable. He also spends his nights watching Hello Dolly a musical from way back when, dreaming of the day when he can hold hands with a beautiful lady.

The story and screenplay here are what could be one of the years best. I have never seen such a sweet, touching, heartwarming story featured in an animated film. This isn't just about a robot who finds a plant that can eventually bring humans back to Earth. This is about a lonely robot trying to find out what he's really meant for, and to find true love. Yes, the idea is borderline creepy, espeically since it involved robots, but Wall-E is one of the cutest film characters ever, and you really, really fall in love with the guy. You find yourself rooting for this robot to hold hands with Eve, and to have her fall in love with him. It is so ridiculously sweet. Wall-E is easily the best and most sincere and realistic romantic film of the year, and I'm not kidding. The developing romance between the two robots is almost subtle, but you know it's the point of the movie. It's done rather tastefully, and at that point, you can't take your eyes and hearts off Wall-E and his quest to get the girl. Truly beautiful!

But with the other story in play, the ones involving the obese humans in space, we have an sorta typical Pixar film story, but it works so friggen well with the story of Wall-E and Eve. Wall-E finds plantlife on the once thought doomed planet Earth, and now the the Captain of the ship gets to be the hero and save man kind and bring them all back to Earth. However, some of the evil little robots want to stop that from happening. Basically we have an absolutely brilliant story here, and a phenomenal screenplay that blends to make one of the sweetest and most lovable love stories in recent memory.

Get Smart

Get Smart (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 1 hr 50 mins

Cast:

Steve Carell
Anne Hathaway
Dwayne Johnson
Alan Arkin

Critical consensus (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/):

**1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

**** out of *****

The premise: Maxwell Smart, Agent 86 for CONTROL, battles the forces of KAOS with the more-competent Agent 99 at his side.

My review: I have never seen the original television program to which this movie is based off of. I have however seen the types of movies (James Bond namely) to which the show, and the movie are meant to be mocking. Well, a light mocking actually, not full on spoof by any means. So going into this movie I have no bias towards it seeing as how I have never seen an episode. It's like going into a movie based off a popular book. If you've read the book you have some bias about the movie. If you haven't read the book, then you are just seeing a standalone film. So that is how I shall review the movie.

Now with that in mind, I very much enjoyed this action-comedy. The action-comedy I feel is a rare thing these days. At least good ones. Ones that tell a "serious" action type story, but blend humor throughout (i.e. Rush Hour). I have never been a real fan of the James Bond films, at least the ones I've seen, and since we don't have a Bond film this summer, Get Smart is our fill of spy-action summer film. I prefer the latter. Get Smart is by no means, a smart comedy. It goes for all the slapstick jokes, and the witty little humor mixed in with the action scenes. But the film itself is never a joke. The characters are aware when someone is being an idiot or doing something dumb, and not just ignoring someones catastrophic mistakes and brushing it off as something...funny. The story was standard action-comedy that we've all grown to love, nothing original here. But that's not the overall point of the movie.

I wasn't expecting this movie to look the way it did. For an action comedy, it really did take time to focus on a lot of the action and visual effects and stunts and not make them secondary to the comedy. I'm not going to lie, the fight scenes, the chase scenes, and the scenes where things blew up truly looked like a legitamate action movie. I was very impressed by that. While there were the jokes placed delicately throughout each intense moment, the scene still did remain serious and the characters were actually in peril. The special effects were great.

With the cast, I couldn't have asked for any better. Starting with the lessers, I liked Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock. He was very standable when he's playing an almost regular human being and non-scorpion king. He was funny, which was surprising to me. Oscar winner Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) was really good here, and delivered one of the films funniest lines. Anne Hathaway I think has established herself as an above average actress, especially with a film like The Devil Wears Prada. She may not have been the core funny lady in this one, but she proved she's capable, and I liked her. Steve Carell (40 Year-Old Virgin, The Office) was perfect here. It was a little bizzare though. I was expecting him to be a little like his Michael Scott persona, but he wasn't. Maxwell Smart is not an idiot, he's actually quite an intelligent human being. He actually is good at his job. But he is a little slow at grasping onto some situations, making him slightly careless and clueless but still damn good fun! He was hilarious, I don't care what anyone says, I really enjoyed him in this movie. Not as much as Michael Scott...but still really good.

The film is getting slightly mixed reviews, which I can totally understand. Even my movie review partner in crime Matt (the Siskel to my Ebert; http://theprezzies.blogspot.com/), didn't truly love this movie like I did. I swear, we should do our own "two thumbs up" blog. But my point is, I think people who have familiarity with the TV show may have a different opinion on the film. Which is totally cool. So you have my perspective from a non-watcher of the show, and now you should read Matt's review to get the other sides opinion. So now no matter what kind of Get Smart fan you are...you have our opinions!

Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu Panda (Rated PG)

Running time: 1 hr 32 mins

Voice Cast:

Jack Black
Dustin Hoffman
Angelina Jolie
Ian McShane
Jackie Chan
Seth Rogen
Lucy Liu
David Cross

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

***1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

****1/2 out of *****

The premise: Po the Panda is one of the laziest animals in all of the Valley of Peace, but unwittingly becomes the chosen one when enemies threaten their way of life.

My review: I had my own personal and silly reservations about seeing this movie. Namely, it was those tiresome and ridiculous "silence your cell phone" ads featuring the Panda, I had to deal with for every movie I saw. Plus it was the actual preview of the film I saw way to many times. Also, I've never been a Jack Black fan, and don't typically flock to his films. However, I have got nothing but good feedback about the movie from my good friend Matt (http://theprezzies.blogspot.com/) and a film buff co-worker of mine, so I caved in and saw the movie.

I'll tell you what, I love being wrong about movies. It is in the opinion of this reviewer that Dreamworks Animation (Shrek series) finally has a brought us a film to be considered a classic for their "vault" and for my own liking. Pixar has their classic (Toy Story), and while Panda doesn't quite reach the nostalgic brilliance of the Toy Story films, it still leaves its mark. We have here a great film that can certainly entertain the whole family. The story was cute and almost "inspiring", which I use the term loosely of course, for this is an animated kids film. But it's a story that can resonate in my and audiences hearts as being classic and heartwarming.

The voice-over cast is really brilliant here. As I mentioned before, I have never been a followe of Jack Black's career. I've always found his on screen personality, with his stupid faces and weird manerisms, to be almost attention seeking. Let's be honest, he can be a little over the top in his attempts to amuse us. Its never truly worked for me. Earlier this year he was more subdued in the film Be Kind Rewind, and I appreciated his performance in that. Even better now, he's not actually on-screen in Panda. When you put an animated Panda over Jack Blacks persona, he can be really funny, as he was in the film. I wasn't distracted by those dumb faces and manerisms, but very amused by his perfect delivery. He made the Panda character one of the most loveable animated characters in recent film history. The rest of the cast, listed above is very good. Dustin Hoffman is great as the master, and very funny.

So I have to say, I really urge you all to see this movie, if you haven't already. Whatever reservations you may have for it, whether it being Jack Black or the fact that Dreamworks Animation never has truly wowed you; please see this film, you won't be dissapointed.

The Happening

The Happening (Rated R)

Running time: 1 hr 31 mins

Cast:

Mark Wahlberg
Zooey Deschanel
John Leguizamo

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

** out of *****

My consensus:

*1/2 out of *****




The premise: A paranoid thriller about a family on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity.

My review: I have always been an avid fan of M. Night Shymalan. His first three films (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs) are fantastic and original films that surprised the film watching nation. He had become a refreshing addition to the movie industry. Then he made The Village was critically bombed, The Lady in the Water which received mixed reviews, and now we have The Happening. Early screenings and reviews were looking as if The Happening would be the worst reviewed motion picture in the past few years. Things have recently been looking up for the film though, as more reviews trickle out.

I am part of the crowd that hated this film. Which disappoints me, because M. Night is going down hill at a rapid pace. I want to start with the good, because it exists in this film. The camera work is beautiful, and the landscape scenes are wonderful.The premise we have is very, very cool and I think, really original. The fact that we as humans are destroying the Earth and now the Earth is retaliating (according to this movie). Plants let off these defensive chemicals to kill their prey, are now releasing them in grand effect to kill humans off (perhaps now their greatest enemy). These things they release enter our bodies, and turn our brains to mush, and we go nuts and kill ourselves in some pretty awful ways (death by lawnmower anyone?) Personally, I think this idea for a supernatural thriller is a really good one. It just doesn't work for a couple reasons.

The screenplay is way off kilter. The dialog these characters are forced to say is so cheesy you would think a class of fifth graders wrote this movie. The writing works vaguely with this great premise but doesn't pull out all the stops, its just weak. The acting is some of the worst of the year. Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg (The Departed) speaks all his lines with this high pitched tone where almost every thing he says sounds like a question. He sounded like a child yelling at his parents as to why he's in trouble...if that explains it all. It was weird, he's usually pretty good. Zooey Deschanel is so, so, SO awful here. I don't even know if she was acting. I honestly felt like she was on drugs while filming this movie. She was bad...REAL bad. John Leguizamo was the only bright spot here, but of course, his performance was short lived. Pun intended. The creepy old lady in the end was just random and well...creepy. No other words to really describe it.

I just felt like not much really happened in this movie by the end of it. It was pretty boring and not much of a "thriller". Also I'd like to point out that M. Night Shymalan has had some form of physical role in all his movies (more prominently in Lady in the Water where he was a central character), but for some reason, according to the credits, he played the role of Joey...a man we never seen, and only here one or two words from him over a cell phone. Maybe he knew this movie was going to be bad and didn't want to put himself in it to be scrutinized even more. I don't know...I may never know.

The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 1 hr 54 mins

Cast:

Edward Norton
Liv Tyler
William Hurt
Tim Roth

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

*** out of *****

My consensus:

**** out of *****




The premise: Fugitive Dr. Bruce Banner must utilize the genetic accident that transforms him into a giant, rampaging hulk to stop a former soldier that purposely becomes an even more dangerous version.

My review: The Incredible Hulk is not a sequel to 2003's The Hulk with Eric Bana. For that film was regarded as an awful film by critics and fans alike. It is in the opinion of this reviewer that The Hulk was one of the worst superhero movies ever made, and probably one of my personal worst 25 films I've ever seen. I was very iffy about seeing this new version due to my feelings towards the other film. However, I'm extremely glad I did see this movie.

The Incredible Hulk is a wonderful action movie. It ranks in my personal favorites of superhero films. The action scenes are cool and slick as hell. They are loud, explosive and damn good fun. Edward Norton is a much needed improvement over Eric Bana's Hulk persona. He delivers his Bruce Banner persona as if he really is him, which I loved. Liv Tyler and William Hurt also do a great job this time over the original Jennifer Connelly and Sam Elliot versions. The look and feel of this movie is...well...incredible. Stunning special effects. The screenplay is very good, the direction is a hell of an improvement over Ang Lee's attempt.

At first, I had an issue with the lack of back story of The Hulk incorporated into this movie. They are trying to tell us that the first movie never happened. Yet, it's almost as if you have to see the first one to know this characters back story. We do get glimpses of it in the opening credits, and snippets are told to us by William Hurts character. At first, it bothered me. Then I had a conversation with a friend who simply said, "Why can't the Hulk just simply be there?" Which is very true. I guess we don't really need an elaboration on his past to know why he became this green monster. Therefore, it made the movie that much better for me.

I also loved how the did away with the purple shorts. They even made a joke about it in the movie. That was just weird in the first one. The Hulk himself looks so much grittier and real in this film. He looks less animated and more like an actual green beast. Just another improvement over the original. If you are a fan of these superhero movies, disregard the original Hulk film and see this one, you won't be disappointed.

The Strangers

The Strangers (Rated R)

Running time: 1 hr 30 mins

Cast:

Liv Tyler
Scott Speedman

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com)

**1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

**** out of *****





The premise: A young couple staying in an isolated vacation home are terrorized by three unknown assailants.


My review: My buddy Matt (http://www.theprezzies.blogspot.com/) got this right. This is the first horror/thriller in years to be a genuine horror movie. Virtually every thing that happens in this film is realistic and I could sadly see happening in our real lives. The film opens with a chilling narrative saying how the movie we are about to see is based off true events. I don't know what specific events it refers to, if any, but what I DO know, is that what happens in this movie happens in real life all the time. The creepy thing about the Strangers is how real and dark it feels. We hear all the time about how some family or some couple was killed in their home and the killers were never found. That's ultimately what this movie is. There is no intricate back story to these killers, or really even the victims.

And that is how truly terrifying this movie is. Yes, it actually scared me. The first movie to keep consistenly nervous and tense the entire time, in a long time. It was quiet, ominous, and very unsettling. There were numerous scenes were I almost couldn't bare to keep watching, from pure fear. This happens in real life all the time, almost every day it seems. Thats the sickening realism of this movie. It is not a torture film, the gore is kept to a very bare minimum. This is more of a psychological mind game than anything. It will make you think twice about opening your door and just tossing your keys on the counter and going straight to bed. A random event like this can happen to anyone. It does happen.

We don't ever see the real identity of these psychos. We don't know their names. They only utter one or two lines. We don't know their motives. One of the creepiest lines in the movies which answered the question, "Why are you doing this to us?" was "...because you were home." A simple response that can send a chill down your spine. Thats how effective this movie is. Mysterious people enter a house. Stalk the owners and terrify the audience. A simple horror movie, with minimal story, low on gore, and I think is one of the best and scariest horror films to be realeased in this current decade. Sad thing is, it won't get any attention, because as my buddy Matt says, it's not a hip horror film about sadistic torture or a teeny bopper slasher. We have to be smarter than those films people. Movies like The Strangers and even Funny Games, is what a real thriller/horror is all about.

Sex & The City: The Movie

Sex and the City: The Movie (Rated R)

Running time: 2 hrs 28 mins

Cast:

Sarah Jessica Parker
Kim Catrall
Kristin Davis
Cynthia Nixon

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

**1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

*1/2 out of *****



The premise: A New York writer on sex and love is finally getting married to her Mr. Big. But her three best girlfriends must console her after one of them inadvertently leads Mr. Big to jilt her.

My review: Yes ladies, those four supposedly stunning bombshells that once inhabited HBO, are now on the silver screen, bigger, and older than ever! Theres something familiar about this movie, what was it again, oh yes, it's the 'I've Seen This Movie 1000 times already' factor. While "Sex and the City" may have worked well on cable television (I will never really know, I haven't seen more than 15 minutes of the comedy), it sadly is nothing more than a cliched chick flick we've seen over, and over again every year.

Let's be honest here girls, if the show never existed, and this was a stand alone movie, would you REALLY have enjoyed it? Probably. Women eat this crap up. This false perception of love and marriage. That everyday, a man and women set to marry, man gets cold feet and runs away, women hates man, man apologizes daily, 6 or 7 months later, they realize they truly are meant for each other and end up getting married. Sorry, did I ruin the storyline for all you Sex and the City fans? Yeah, Carrie and Mr. Big (played boringly by Chris Noth) get married in the end. But how can you HONESTLY be surprised by that?

I know Sex and the City has been called an original and risque look on women and love in New York, but the film shows none of that originality, if it really did exist on the show. I can't harp on it to much though, this is a genre of film where I knew what I was getting into. I knew I could predict every "twist" and "turn" of this film, so it's partially my fault for walking into the theater in the first place. I have made it known that the 'Chick Flick' genre is one I generally detest, this film has not altered my look on the genre.

Moving on, I love how women (not ALL women, but a lot) in todays world sometimes critisize men for liking films that feature grotesque and raunchy humor, constant sex jokes, full frontal female nudity and plethora of bowel movement jabs. I find it funny because, the Sex and the City Movie contains ALL of this which the women in my theater were laughing hysterically over. Raunchy sex jokes mainly from Kim Catrall (the one true bright spot of the 4 women), a disgusting scene where a women literally goes number two in her pants, a few scenes showing frontal bareness of women, etc. Don't be hypocrites here ladies, you know some of you have pointed your disgusted finger at guys for liking those stupid 'Guy Movies', but here some of you are holding your stomaches in laughter at the same stuff in this movie. Come on now.

But who am I to judge, I enjoy films that other people don't like. That's the way it works with people. That's the fun of being a true movie fan, is the butting of heads over certain movies. So no, I didn't like this movie. At all. It was by no means a movie I will say is the worst of 2008, but is by no means a movie I will say is in the top 25 of 2008. The four women: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Catrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis, it pains me to say, were relatively entertaining, especially the witty and sharp Catrall. The rest of the supporting characters I felt were mere cameos and didn't have much impact on the film (other than Chris Noth's Mr. Big), but when it comes down to it, it is about these four friends, usually thinking only of themselves. Performance wise, they were pretty good, character wise, they wouldn't be people I'd respect in real life. But that's just me.

Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 2 hrs 4 mins

Cast:

Harrison Ford
Cate Blanchett
Shia LeBeouf
Karen Allen

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com)

***1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

**1/2 out of *****



The premise: He's Back!! Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

My review: It's been some time since an Indiana Jones film has been released. 1989 to be exact. I was 4. Shia LeBeouf was 3. Harrison Ford...was 47. Today he is 66. And the funny thing is, he hasn't lost it. He is still that same wise ass Indiana Jones we all grow to love in the earlier films. Granted, he probably, and hopefully isn't doing his own stunts this time around, but that doesn't take away from his charisma of previous films.

I'm afraid thats kind of where the fun stopped for me on this film. Crystal Skull had glimpses of the original trilogy in certain aspects, but I sort of felt this movie was made almost for purposes of a reunion. For Spielberg, Lucas and Ford and some other supporting cast. I thought it was overly cheesy in story. Don't get me wrong, it was fun and for the most part, enjoyable, but it lacked the "magic" so to speak of the first 3 films.

The first 3/4 of the movie was filled with great action scenes, a standable plot, good humor, fun and witty performances, and then the climax happened. And let me just say, I'm all about crazy story lines, weird plot twists, etc. But the direction this movie took was way to out there even for me. You do partially know the direction they were going, but when you see it in the final act, I personally was really let down. It did NOT feel like an Indy movie anymore. It felt so far off from an Indy movie. Leave it to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg to throw this..."out of this world" plot into what used to be a great adventure series of lost treasures, etc. Yes the Indy films have always had a level of "out-there-ness", but I think it went a little TOO far this time.

The characters were pretty good. Harrison Ford was great per usual. Cate Blanchett was truly remarkable I thought. There were moments when you didn't know it was her, she really made herself a character this time. Shia LeBeouf was good here. Typical, but good. Please dear God, do not make more Indiana Jones movies with him though. PLEASE! It'd done. This movie wasn't all bad. I loved the look of the film. It looked incredibly vintage. They did a great job at bringing the 1950's to 2008 filmaking. The special effects were borderline corny, but worked really well for an Indy movie. The sound effects were straight from a 1980's action movie. John Williams score was once again, never failing. It looked very much like a Indiana Jones we all great up loving. But in story and excitement, it lacked the original charisma and spark. It was good, but at the same time, rather disappointing.

How to Rob A Bank

How to Rob a Bank (Rated R)

Running time: 1 hr 21 mins

Cast:

Nick Stahl
Erika Christensen
Gavin Rossdale
Terry Crews

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

*1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

**** out of *****



The premise: Caught in the middle of a bank robbery, a slacker and a bank employee become the ones who arbitrate the intense situation.

My review: . This should have been a wide release, big hit. It's clever, sleek, and sophisticated crime thriller/comedy. Yes , comedy. The premise is great. It starts with Nick Stahl locked in a vault with Erika Christianson. The bank they are in is being robbed. Christianson is part of the robbery, Stahl is just a regular Joe, pissed off about a service charge he got at the ATM. When the robbery began, Stahl ran to the vault, with locked by itself as the alarms went off, so now he's trapped with one of the robbers. Or is she? Whose side is she on? Is she a pawn, is she the head honcho? I won't say. But what follows is a great and what I think, is an original bank robbery storyline. You have the cops/SWAT outside, the robbers with guns in the branch, and the two characters I mentioned above locked in the vault. All three have their own agendas. The humor within, is witty and smart. And all of it is played rather wonderfully by the cast. Nick Stahl is great here. Who surprised me was Erika Christianson. Normally I find her to be an awful, dreadful actress, but in this movie, she was really engaging and you really get in to her character. David Carradine has a cool role in this movie too, I won't say what, but it's good fun. This movie is really fun and extremely entertaining from start to finish.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Rated PG)

Running time: 2 hrs 27 mins

Cast:

William Moseley
Ben Barnes
Anna Popplewell
Skandar Keynes
Georgie Henley

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

*** out of *****

My consensus:

***** out of *****


The premise: The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia, where they are enlisted to once again help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the land's throne, Prince Caspian.

My review: The Chronicles of Narnia films have truly made their mark in the world of fantasy films. The first film was fantastic, and this one, somehow, even better. Everything seemed to be an improvement over the first. The battle scenes were truly epic and some of the best battle sequences in years. The direction was phenomenal. The scoring was haunting and beautiful and really got you into the movie. The set designs and art production were ones to marvel at. This is an incredibly good looking film. And the story is just as engaging as the first. Mind you, I've never read the books, so I'm seeing these films from an outside view and therefore I'm unbiased. As a fan of film, I truly appreciate everything about this movie. The fantasy genre is one of the most fantastic genres of film, it allows us to immense ourselves in these completely unrealistic worlds and simply entertain us, which is the ultimate goal of film. I love the talking animals, the fighting trees, the bizzare creatures, etc. This is one of the best films of 2008, hands down.

The Air I Breathe

The Air I Breathe (Rated R)

Running time: 1 hr 35 mins

Cast:

Forest Whitaker
Brendan Fraser
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Andy Garcia
Kevin Bacon

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

*1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

**** out of *****




The premise: A drama based on an ancient Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional cornerstones: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. A businessman bets his life on a horse race; a gangster sees the future; a pop star (Gellar) falls prey to a crime boss; a doctor must save the love of his life.

My review: I'm a little surprised this film was not accepted by the national critics. I thought it was a beautiful take on the four cornerstones mentioned above (happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love). Its about these characters who to actually feel something in their lives, and not feel like just another person. They want to experience emotions they have yet to be accustomed to. And I think we can all relate to that, and this film does a great job relaying that message. The filmaking style here is similar to movies such as Magnolia and Crash, wherein its a film about separate characters whose lives interweave in their stories. Now The Air I Breathe doesn't quite reach the level of greatness as said films, but certainly makes it's mark. The direction and screenplay are beautiful and the performances are stunning by some unlikely actors. Brendan Fraser and Sarah Michelle Gellar who haven't really alway been known for their great acting abilities really shine here. And vets like Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon and Andy Garcia just add to a list of breathtaking performances for this film. This is one you should all see!

Speed Racer

Speed Racer (Rated PG)

Running time: 2 hrs 15 mins

Cast:

Emile Hirsch
Christina Ricci
Matthew Fox
John Goodman
Susan Sarandon

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com)

**1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

** out of *****


The premise: Based off the hit animated show set in the future, Speed Racer follows a young man in his quest to become the ultimate race car driver.

My review: Speed Racer is a little too flashy, a little to fast, and a little to colorful for my liking. I felt like this films central character was the special effects, since the entire movie seems to be one giant effect. I think I was way to distracted by all the fast moving cars and colors to pay much attention to the story and characters. I got the jist of it, but the film was just deluded with technical stuff that I didn't care anymore. I never really watched the show, so I wasn't jumping for joy for this movie. It has a good cast, and the effects are pretty decent I just wish they were more subdued. If this in fact geared towards families and children, they should have considered the running time. At 2 hours and 15 minutes, it runs 40 minutes longer than a kid flick should be. Poor editing I guess? I don't know. I didn't care for it.

Son of Rambow

Son of Rambow (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 1 hr 36 mins

Cast:

Bill Milner
Will Poulter

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

***1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

**1/2 out of *****










The premise: Set on a long English summer in the early 80's, Son Of Rambow is a comedy about friendship, faith and the weird business of growing up.

My review: Son of Rambow had all the potential in the world to be a really cute family film. Instead it lacks in charm and heart. I like the overall message of the film, that friendship is one of the most important aspects of a persons life. Yet they didn't convey that message to the degree they should have. The story and characters (which were primarily all children) were very weak. The movie is supposed to be geared for the younger audiences, yet I think children would be bored to tears by this movie. There's no adorable humor, in fact, I don't think I laughed once. The last act of the film was sweet and touching and what the film should have been the whole time. But much like The Bucket List earlier this year, its a buddy comedy that is all over the place in emotions. Blah.

Baby Mama

Baby Mama (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 1 hr 39 mins

Cast:

Tina Fey
Amy Poehler
Greg Kinnear
Dax Shepard

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

*** out of *****

My consensus:

** out of *****








The premise: A successful, single businesswoman who dreams of having a baby discovers she is infertile and hires a working class woman to be her unlikely surrogate.

My review: There isn't a whole lot to be said about Baby Mama. The movie shows brief moments of charm, but ultimately falls flat and forgettable. I wish Tina Fey would have actually wrote the film, she's a great, witty writer (Mean Girls, Saturday Night Live), but instead Michael McCullers screenplays becomes another clichéd and predictable baby comedy. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely moments where I genuinely laughed, due part to Tina Fey’s great delivery, and Amy Poehlers off the wall character. But sadly, that's really all the movie had going for it. I expected more, but was disappointed in the long run.

Paranoid Park

Paranoid Park (Rated R)

Running time: 1 hr 25 mins

Cast:

Gabe Nevins
Daniel Liu

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

***1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

**** out of *****









The premise: A teenage skateboarder's life begins to fray after he is involved in the accidental death of a security guard.

My review: Paranoid Park is a very little known independent film directed by Gus Van Sant whom some may recall as the director of Elephant. Paranoid Park is similar to Elephant in the way that it's about teenagers who are exposed to shocking events that alter their lives. The film is even similar to another independent drama, Mean Creek. It's played out a little differently here however. The film is almost trying to come off as a documentary about a teenage skateboarder. The performances all have a very real and authentic feel about them as if no one is actually acting, but just talking in front of a camera. A risky movie I think, but ultimately in my eyes, it pays off. I enjoyed young actor Gabe Nevins performance in this movie, I thought he was very composed and did in fact deliver an incredibly authentic performance. The story is a good one but pretty morose. Van Sant's adapted screenplay is very subdued and relies more on action and description to relay the story as opposed to dialog. His filmaking is great as usual but there are a few parts that threw me. There were random slow motion cuts, or scenes where we would be looking at these characters and the scene is overshadowed by random rock music. You have to see it to understand. Other than that, this is a very solid movie.

Iron Man

Iron Man (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 2 hrs 6 mins

Cast:

Robert Downey Jr.
Jeff Bridges
Gwyneth Paltrow
Terrence Howard

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

**** out of *****

My consensus:

***** out of *****








The premise: When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil.


My review: Iron Man is hands down one of the best superhero movies to date. I may even rank it on my own personal chart as being the best one I've ever seen. The character of Iron Man intrigues me. He isn't a superhero created by some other worldly force, he created himself. I don't read comics, so I don't know the mythology of all these current and future film superheroes but as of now I'm more interested in learning about Iron Man. The story in this film is great! He creates this superhero persona to fight off the evil that his 'human' persona created. Simple and brilliant! The action scenes are top notch, they are incredibly entertaining! This movie never lets down, I was into it from opening credits to end credits. It really grabs you and it was just so much fun. Robert Downey Jr. is really resurrecting his career as of late. With films such as Zodiac and Charlie Bartlett, he has delivered some of the finest yet underrated performances of the past few years. Jeff Bridges does well as the super-villain, he is creepy and borderline sadistic, especially with that beard. If you are one of the few people in this country who hasn't seen this film, get off your butt and see it!

88 Minutes

88 Minutes (Rated R)

Running time: 1 hr 48 mins (??)

Cast:

Al Pacino
Alicia Witt
LeeLee Sobieski
William Forsythe

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com)

* out of *****

My consensus:

0 out of *****







The premise: A thriller about a college professor who, while moonlighting as a forensic psychiatrist for the FBI, receives a death threat telling him that he has only 88 minutes to live. In narrowing down possible suspects, he frantically seeks to communicate with a problem student, an ex-girlfriend, and a serial killer on death row.

My review: By years end, 88 Minutes may very well be the worst film of 2008. But I don't want to jump the gun, because there's a lot of garbage films coming out. But that's exactly what this film is, garbage. Everything about it is a disgusting disgrace to film; it's a slap in the face. The films production value is at a bare minimal. It looks and feels like a really cheaply made straight to DVD release film that you find buried on some Blockbuster shelf. The music is corny, the camera work is atrocious; the filmaking is at the lowest of lows. The story is really stupid an almost nonsensical. The film is advertised as a real time film, meaning it literally takes place in 88 minutes of true time (such as films like Nick of Time or TV shows like 24) , which if done right, is a really neat filmaking technique. However, 88 Minutes is 108 minutes in length. The 88 mins doesn't begin until maybe 10 or 15 minutes into the film. But there are so many cuts, and this character is all over the place in time frames that are just so unbelievable (and I NEVER question the believability factor of a film, this is rare for me). The cast is one of the worst in recent years led by Oscar winner Al Pacino (Scent of a Woman). He better pick up is game, because he shames his illustrious career with this role. This is a terrible, awful, horrible film.

Street Kings

Street Kings (Rated R)

Running time: 1 hr 49 mins

Cast:

Keanu Reeves
Forrest Whitaker
Hugh Laurie

Critical consensus (www.rottentomatoes.com):

**1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

*** out of *****




The premise: Tom Ludlow is a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate after the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him.


My review: Call me crazy, but Street Kings shocked me in the sense that it wasn't an awful movie. It has all the workings: Keanu Reeves (Speed, Point Break), a standard cop drama story, the the L.A. setting, an eccentric and weird police chief played by Oscar winner Forrest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland). But strangely, all those things blended well together to make a pretty decent movie. The story is a little bland and unoriginal, but at least the director turns it into some pretty cool entertainment. There are some cool action moments in this film, some good gun fights. The final act could have been predictable to some, but I sort of didn't see it coming. Am I losing my "who-dunnit movie ending radar"?? Yikes. The cast is a little weak here, but Forrest Whitaker plays his character very charismatically that it makes him great! Some people may be turned away from his oddball performance, but I personally loved it. Hugh Laurie (from TV's House) was also a nice little spark in the cast; he has won awards for his TV persona. Keanu Reeves was predictably boring in this one, but at least he wasn't awful. This movie is good for some reason in my eyes.

The Ruins

The Ruins (Rated R)

Running time: 1 hr 31 mins

Cast:

Jonathon Tucker
Jena Malone
Laura Ramsey
Shawn Ashmore
Joe Anderson

Critical consensus (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/):

** out of *****

My consensus:

**** out of *****

The premise: A group of friends whose leisurely Mexican holiday takes a turn for the worse when they, along with a fellow tourist embark on a remote archaeological dig in the jungle, where something evil lives among the ruins.

My review: I was very shocked by this film. Not by the material, but was shocked on how much I really enjoyed the movie. This is what a horror film should be. The premise was original, and the "villian" wasn't actually a person but a plant. Sounds weird, but it works so well. It takes away from the stupid horror movie villian who walks slowly through a forest picking off his victims one by one with a machete and dawning a mask of some sort. It allowed us to actually focus AND care about the characters. Which is something we are so rarely allowed to do in these movies: care about the people involved. We get to know them, and eventually get nervous for them when peril strikes. I loved that! It helps that these young actors handled their roles well too, there were some pretty good performances. This will probably be one of the top five horror films of the year.

Smart People

Smart People (Rated R)

Running time: 1 hr 35 mins

Cast:

Dennis Quaid
Sarah Jessica Parker
Ellen Page
Thomas Hayden Church

Critical consensus (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/)

**1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

**** out of *****

The premise: Into the life of a widowed professor comes a new love and an unexpected visit from his adopted brother.

My review: Smart People is one of the top dramatic films of 2008 to date. I found all the characters to be uniquely interesting, and their story was sad and depressing, but true to life. I appreciate the writers, whose screenplay here is pretty good, didn't glorify or 'hollywood' up this story of human flaws. The story worked a lot due to the fine acting of all the major players in the cast. Dennis Quaid was a perfect casting choice. Sarah Jessica Parker who I don't care for, and still don't care for, was actually very good and quite standable here. Thomas Hayden Church has always been a good actor when he plays these nutso characters. Ellen Page was solid as well, except I have a concern that she is going to be type cast with this "Juno" smart-ass rebelious teenager/twenty something. She's very good at it, but I hope she doesn't make a Will Ferrell/Anchorman career out of it if you know what I mean.

My advice: See it!

Prom Night

Prom Night (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 1 hr 28 mins

Cast:

Brittany Snow
Scott Porter
Dana Davis

Critical consensus (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/):

* out of *****

My consensus:

0 out of *****




The premise: Donna's senior prom is supposed to be the best night of her life, though a sadistic killer from her past has different plans for her and her friends.

My review: Was anyone honestly expecting this film to be even remotely good or entertaining? Be honest now. This movie was as painfully bad as anyone should have anticipated. So does that mean it was not dissapointing? Yes! This movie did not dissapoint at being a dreadful film. It is one of the worst movies of 2008 and I would wish it on no one. At least "One Missed Call" was funny enough to entertain, this movie was so bad it wasn't even amusing. The cast was horrible, and I personally didn't care when any of them got killed. Did anyone care? Did the characters in the film even truly care? I don't think so.

Leatherheads

Leatherheads (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 1 hr 54 mins

Cast:

George Clooney
Rene Zelwegger
John Krasinski

Critical consensus (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/):

*** out of *****

My consensus:

*** out of *****

The premise: A romantic comedy set in the world of 1920s football, where the owner of a professional team drafts a strait-laced college sensation, only to watch his new coach fall for his fiancée.

My review: This year seems to have it's share of great, but forgettable dramatic films. This is one of them. It's a great movie. It's advertised as a comedy, but I believe it to be way more of a drama. As a dramatic film, set in the 1920's, it works. Better than it would have as a funny movie. The movie has all the right indredients: beautiful set pieces, wonderful costuming, the look and feel of the 1920's. I love period dramas. The cast is brilliant here, even Rene Zellwegger whom I've never been a major fan of. But she's standable here. Finally. John Krasinski proved that he can act in a film. I really enjoyed him here. I like him more as Jim on "The Office" of course, but he has successfully shown that he has some acting chops beyond NBC Thursday night comedy. It's just, this movie also leaves no lasting impact afterwards. When you walk out of the theater, you kind of forget what the movie was about.

My advice: A one time See it!

21

21 (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 2 hrs 3 mins

Cast:

Jim Sturgess
Kate Bosworth
Kevin Spacey

Critical consensus (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/):

**1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

* out of *****

The premise: "21" is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.

My review: Pretty much, I sincerely disliked this movie. From what I've seen and read, it's not even accurate to the "true story" it claims to be based off of. But that's not what threw me. The story was so weakly played out and just bored me to death. This technique of counting cards seems like a neat idea, but they didn't put much effort into "dumbing" it down for the audience to understand. They did explain the process, but I really didn't fully grasp onto the concept. My bad I guess. And counting cards doesn't exactly make for a fast paced, entertaining casino based movie. It's a cool story, just not for a major film. The writing and direction was mainly to blame for that, but the acting was no walk in the park either. Sturgess and Spacey deliver some of the worst performances of the year in one of the most awful films of the year.

My advice: Skip it!

Run Fatboy Run

Run Fatboy Run (Rated PG-13)

Running time: 1 hr 40 mins

Cast:

Simon Pegg
Thandie Newton
Hank Azaria

Critical consensus (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/):

**1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

** out of *****

The premise: Five years after jilting his pregnant fiancée on their wedding day, out-of-shape Dennis decides to run a marathon to win her back.

My review: I guess I was half expecting some ridiculous movie like "Shaun of the Dead" or "Hot Fuzz". And I mean ridiculous in a good way, at least when it comes to "Shaun of the Dead". I enjoyed that film, it was good times! But what I mean is, I was anticipating the same humor featured in those films, to be a big part of Run Fatboy Run. I was dissapointed to find out, that this was your standard run of the mill comedy. No slapstick, no off the wall jokes, no poking fun at other movies. This was almost a family comedy. So I was let down by it in the end. Don't get me wrong, the story here isn't bad, its kind of cute actually. But you kind of have to take this movie seriously by the end of the story, I don't know I just didn't get it. A shame.

My advice: A marginal, Skip it!