Written by Christopher & Jonathan Nolan
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Micheal Caine & Morgan Freeman

OK. The wait is over, and I need to get this out of the way right now…The Dark Knight is not perfect. Oh, oops, sorry, actually it is. All those with seemingly unsatisfiable expectations, you needn’t worry. I, like many, have been waiting for this sequel for over three years, but it wasn’t until the movie started that I realized I didn’t truly know what I was waiting for. The Heath Ledger (I’ll get to him later) hype had occupied my mind more than anything else, and it kept me from completely understanding what I was expecting. I did know that I expected an improvement on Batman Begins, an excellent movie to begin with, but The Dark Knight surpasses it’s predecessor in every aspect by prodigious margins.

Batman (Christian Bale) has been on The Joker’s (Heath Ledger) tail for a while and with the help of good friend Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) as well as the newly appointed D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), they hope to take the insane criminal mastermind down. Dent may be the only man, not wearing a bat costume, that’s brave enough to take down crime at any cost, to protect Gotham city. Things are not so simple however as The Joker threatens to kill more and more unless The Batman reveals his true identity. How Batman/Bruce Wayne, as well as those close to him, will react to this disastrous situation is fascinating. To make matters worse, every time a step in the right direction is taken towards putting a stop to the Joker’s madness, it is revealed that those steps are apart of the Joker’s grand plan. I do not want to spoil anything, so I will not go into specific details, but the events unravel in tragic, devastating ways.

Christopher Nolan has crafted the perfect Batman story. This is the best single tale in the extensive Batman mythos. I have trouble imagining a better movie or comic book ever coming to be (never say never). Needlessly to say this is the best shot movie of the year and then some. Nolan appropriately highlights the explosions and various action. More importantly he magnifies the small character moments, getting us so emotionally involved we forget we are watching a movie. Surprisingly, he creates his most suspenseful film and in the most dire of scenes, we actually lose our nerves (in a good way). He does what great directors aspire to do, but it’s a rare happenstance, Nolan grabs his audience early on and never lets go. He commands us, we bend to his will. This is the epitome of masterful film making. The screenplay is full of surprises and daring decisions. The story unfolds in an epic fashion, a crime-drama of the highest quality. Important events are scattered through the beginning, middle and end, always at just the right time. The script has it’s humour, but less so than Begins. Knight is relentlessly dark and bleak, it contains the strongest of moral complexities. Yes, Batman is forced to make tough decisions, but so do many key characters, as well as all the citizens of Gotham. How would you react? At one point The Joker puts a televised hit out on a character. He threatens to blow up a hospital if that character is not dead in 60 minutes. There are no easy answers to the dilemmas contained herein and the consequential soul-searching is not always pleasant. Overall, the dialog is a lot tighter, another factor in making The Dark Knight so believable we find ourselves lost within it.

Of course the acting is tremendous. The supporting cast is flawless, providing one of the deeper casts of characters in recent memory. Leading the way is Aaron Eckhart, who plays his character perfectly, with just the right amount of emotion and complexity. Harvey Dent is one of my favourite characters from the comic books, and it is very pleasing to see him get a proper treatment. Also of note, Maggie Gyllenhaal replaces Katie Holmes (one of very few downsides to Batman Begins) as Rachel Dawes, and is much better and therefore much less distracting than Holme’s
sub-par, boring, unlikeable performance. Two wonderful actors, Micheal Caine and Morgan Freeman, get much less screen time this go-around. This is most appropriate because it is hard not to smile when they are in frame, and The Dark Knight ain’t meant to be too smiley. Gary Oldman continues his brilliant job as the endearing, admirable Lt. Jim Gordon. Oldman brings a kindness as well as a respectable matureness to the role and it is a terrific effort.

Christian Bale brings the true Batman of the comic books to life. He embodies The Dark Knight like none before him, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else ever taking the part. Bale is fierce, confident, conflicted, and powerful as Batman. His “bat rasp” is put to even better use, he strikes fear in his enemies as well as the audience. As Bruce Wayne, Bale is arrogant and incontrovertibly intelligent. He gives his character such an intricate level of substance that it’s difficult not to think Oscar. I truly think Christian Bale is one of the better actors working today. He could play anything. He could take the most serious award-contending roles, which he sometimes does do, but here he takes a character that has been degraded in the past and manages to turn it into a most serious award-contending role. This is surprising to some, but for an avid reader of the source material, it is nothing short of necessary to make the movies as great as they should be.

Now for what I assume everyone is curious about, Heath Ledger’s invention of The Joker. The late Ledger was already an accomplished actor with such brilliant turns in, among others, Monster’s Ball, Brokeback Mountain and I’m Not There. But here is his master work. His performance is nothing short of awe-inspiring, to put it in perspective, it is of Daniel Day-Lewis quality. Ledger’s Joker is menacing, horrifying, thunderous and darkest of dark. Some scenes, and you can certainly credit the writing and directing for this, are unexpectedly terrifying. I really want to get the point across that this is the most frightening, haunting and harrowing picture of the year, and that Heath Ledger deserves infinite praise for making it so. He absolutely disappears into the character, like few in the trade can, there is no trace of him in the film. The unforgettable, hostilely convoluted performance is, in my mind, a no-brainer to win the Supporting Actor Oscar. I would be very disappointed otherwise. Though it is hard to escape the movie without being disappointed. We have lost an immensely talented actor, who would have had a long, magnificent career.

The Dark Knight is not comic-booky at all. It is ironic that the actual comic books the movie is based on are not “comic-booky” either. It is unfortunate that such a limitless medium is seen in such a specific way by those who have not discovered it’s possibilities. The movie is assuredly not as simple as good versus evil, but rather an examination of what good and evil really are and if they even exist. An elaborate meditation on right and wrong. A piece of extraordinary depth. This is why we go to the movies: To be moved, challenged, surprised and entertained. The Dark Knight is a crime-drama on par with the greatest works in the genre (Scorsese, Mann, Coppola). It is also, quite easily in fact, the greatest superhero film of all-time. Most importantly, it is one of the better motion pictures to ever grace the sacred silver screen.

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10 Movies I recently watched, and didn’t feel compelled to write full reviews for, either because I didn’t finish the movie and couldn’t write a full and fair review or because the movie was older and didn’t necessarily need a review, especially in a few cases where I watched them as “catch up” for the pending sequels this summer.

None of these are full reviews, and in the case of the 4 movies listed that I didn’t even finish, it was because they didn’t hold my attention after an extended period of time. I must clarify, that as a film lover, a writer and graphic artist, I usually give films at least 30 minutes to grab me (I call it “the 30 minute rule“), and I try to finish every movie I take the time to start watching, but in some cases the film just is either too boring or just that bad and I don’t feel compelled to finish them. As they’re based on incomplete viewings, the grade suggested is obviously not 100% educated on the entire film.

1. “Batman Begins” (2005)

The highly praised and highly successful relaunch of the once dead Batman film franchise by Director Christopher Nolan, and featuring an all-star cast, including; Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Katie Holmes. By far the most faithful screen adaptation of the often dark and dreary comic books, and setting the stage for what should be an even better sequel. Grade: A+

2. “Hellboy” (2004)

The first film in the often fun Hellboy franchise doesn’t quite have the visual style or weight of the just released sequel, and much of that blame goes to the studio for not giving visonary Director Guillermo Del Toro more creative control and forcing the insertion of the most blatant studio character in all of comic book movie-dom, the Agent Myers character. That aside, the film is still highly enjoyable, even if it does get bogged down with several heavy subplots from time to time. Grade: B-

3. “Ressurecting the Champ” (2007)

A film about an ambitious sports beat writer (Josh Hartnett) who finds a washed up boxer (Samuel L. Jackson) living on the streets and allows himself to believe a fantastic lie, publishes it and must face the consequences of those actions. Love Josh Hartnett. Love Sam Jackson. Didn’t like this movie too much. Very predictable writing and not alot of “oomph” to the drama. Grade: C-

4. “The Muppet Movie” (1979)

I picked up the 50th anniversary DVD for cheap recently out of a sense of nostalgia and watched this for the first time since I was kid and loved every second of it. Great characters, great fun and great songs. Grade: B+

5. “Reservation Road: (2007)

After accidently hitting and killing Joquain Phoenix’s young son in his SUV, Benjamin Bratt wrestles with the guilt and torment over what he’s done and the paranoia that he may be caught. Great performance by Jennifer Connely as the grief-striken mother, but aside from that the film was boring, slow and predicatable. Grade: D

6. “Cassandra’s Dream” (2007)

Dreadfully slow, dreadfully bad and dreadful altogether. Easily one of Woody Allen’s worst movies (and he has made a few stinkers in his time), focusing on two brothers (Ewan McGregor and Collin Farell) who agree to kill a key witness for there uncle (Tom Wilkinson) in exchange for much needed cash, and then are torn apart with guilt over what they’ve done. Great ensemble cast. Horrible film. Grade: D-

(the remaining four films were movies that I disliked so much I couldn’t even finish the film…)

7. “The Ruins” (2008)

So…a group of sexy young hollywood actors play a group of really stupid, naive teens who go on vacation in cancoon and then decide to explore the ruins of forbidden myian pyramids and then they are suddenly in over there head and start a series of cliche horror scenes in which they panic, cry and scream at the camera a lot, even though nothing scary is really happening…yeah, I think I’ve seen this type of movie before. A few times, maybe. (Made it about 1 hour and 5 minutes into the film) Grade: Is there a grade lower than “F”?

8. “Charlie Bartlett” (2007)

Self-assured young teen, Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) is forced to attend public high school after being kicked out of private school. He begins to council kids on there problems and even help supply them with medications. Got bored with this one quickly, even though I love Robert Downey, Jr. (made it about 33 minutes into the film). Grade: F

9. “The Tracey Fragments” (2007)

Juno’s Ellen Paige stars in the title role of Tracey, a warped and self involved teen who lives in a entricate fantasy world within her own mind. She is on the run and looking for her younger brother, whom she supposedly hypnotized into believing he is a dog and who has run away from home. The film is painfully edited into a series of multi-view, multi-screen, disjointed fragments that get old after the first few scenes of the film, yet keep on going as the film progresses. Love Ellen Paige, but couldn’t watch this movie after awhile, nothing redeeming about it all and had no desire to finish it (made it about 45 minutes into the film). Grade: F

10. “The Omega Man” (1971)

After seeing and loving every second of 2007’s I am Legend, I was persuaded to check out a previous film version, starring Charlton Heston in the Will Smith role. Same basic plot exists, only the older film goes in some wierd directions and Heston is hunting the sick people down on purpose in this one. Didn’t hold my attention very long, which I take the blame for, and I couldn’t get into the cheesy make-up effects and really bad ’70s score. I can recognize what they were trying to do, at the time, and Heston is still Heston, but it wasn’t for me (made it about 45 minutes into the film). Grade: D-

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Another painfully annoying Martin Lawrence movie or finally a refreshing Martin Lawrence comedy? Actually, it’s a combination of the two.

Chief of Police James Porter (Martin Lawrence) is a father devoted to spending every lasting moment with his little daughter Melanie (Raven-Symoné). He starts to worry, and the movie begins in earnest, when Melanie plans on going across the country to find the perfect college. James’s plan is to get her to go to the closest college possible, exactly 28 minutes away from her home. However, his plan isn’t as easy as he thought it would be.

Yep, it does have a couple lame jokes, a few annoying characters, and some unnecessary sing-alongs, all of which make up some of the worst moments in the film. Fortunately, we have twice as many laugh-out-loud moments, a few heartwarming incidents, and that adorable pig Albert, which combine to make more than a few bright spots in this G-rated film. It’s a hit-and-miss family comedy.

It’s predictable, yet fluffy and clean family entertainment. It’s perfect for the family in the fact that nothing is vile and it still manages to make adults laugh, or, at the very least, smile. Much of those laughs or smiles come thanks to the comedic duo that is Albert the Pig and Martin Lawrence. The two managed to make me crack up quite a few times. And all the laughs are true, never forced.

As for the supporting cast, they didn’t bring the comedy as much as they brought some headache-inducing duets and solos. If you can get past those moments, you will have a good time. Director Roger Kumble (Cruel Intentions, Cruel Intentions 2, Just Friends) doesn’t top any of his previous films, but he shows moments of good comedic capabilities here and there. It is easy to say that without Donny Osmond and Molly Ephraim (who play another dad-daughter pair out looking at colleges), the overload of overly sentimental moments, and the horrendous singing, this would almost be a highly recommended film.

Clearly this is Disney Channel material with higher production values and a big Hollywood star filling the lead role. It is a film I can recommend for a family with children under the age of 8; the kids will probably find the parts that annoy adults pretty funny. On the other hand, if you’re a critical person and are looking at all aspects of the film, you can’t help but see much of the lame humor that takes place on this College Road Trip. Overall however, there are enough laugh-out-loud moments (which I wasn’t expecting from a G-rated comedy) to make it palatable for a family. Everyone else would be just fine avoiding this one. 2.5/5 stars

The DVD’s special features include the usual gag reel, deleted scenes, alternate opening and endings, and audio commentary tracks.

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Andie (Briana Evigan) belongs to the 410 crew. They’re composed of the greatest dancers on the street who frolic around disturbing the peace with their talents. After disputes with the crew leave Andie on her own, she gathers up the school’s most talented misfits to create an impressive dance crew to gain respect.

If you’re familiar with the formula, then you know the outcome. It is nothing new, nor does it try to be. But with the talented cast of stylish dancers, this film exceeds expectations and looks good while doing so. If only the film was all dance moves that tell a story, rather than mixing it with slang terms and preaching right and wrong in the end. All of this is unnecessary and could have been filled in with more dancing.

Energetic, explosive and enthralling dance moves are what entices the viewers and basically makes them forget how predictable and cliched the storyline is. One character in particular really stood out with impeccable dance skills, Moose (Adam G. Sevani), who blew me away in the final dance scene. It is clear that this is all style and no substance. But you know what, I didn’t care and neither should you. The cast is young and good-looking, the characters are gratifying, and the dance scenes are dazzling. It is everything a movie like this needs in order for the viewers to forget all the blemishes.

The acting isn’t always good, but these unknowns look comfortable in front of a camera which lines them up for much broader roles in the future. It’s very predictable and widely cliched, but what else is there to add to such overused material? You will be overwhelmed by the well-choreographed flips, spins and rhythm of each movement.

Everything in between the smooth movements and free-styling galore plays out like another insipid melodrama, complete with romance and violent stir-ups. Director Jon Chu does what he can and makes it work. I highly recommend it for some great set pieces, magnificent tactics in the dancing portions, and an attractive cast that elevate it beyond its overly familiar plot.

The Dance-Off Edition DVD special features that include deleted scenes, music videos, outtakes, Lead Actor Robert Hoffman Video Prank, Outlaws of Hip Hop, and The Making of Step Up 2. 3.5/5 stars

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Join Jerry and Mike (Jack Black and Mos Def) in Be Kind Rewind as they “swede” some of the most iconic movies of all time to raise the appropriate amount of money and save their aged video store from being torn down.

What is sweding, one might ask? Sweding is when you remake a film from scratch using whatever you can get your hands on. In this case, Jerry accidentally erases every video tape from the store and Mike comes up with the simple idea of remaking the VHS tapes using themselves as actors. The two end up becoming stars and people from around the country start to seek the sweded work of Jerry and Mike.

The idea is unique and the characters are charming. Jerry is an over-the-top character with sensitive feelings and believes that he is perfect for every role and Mike is a very simple-minded, soft-spoken character who just doesn’t want to disappoint the store owner and father figure Elroy Fletcher, passively played by Danny Glover.

Although the tone of the film is much different from that of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there is still a lot of thought put into this picture. And this takes of a whole lot effort from Jack Black and Mos Def if you consider the many different roles they had to cover in the time span of 102 minutes. Let’s not forget about Danny Glover, who has a distinctive slur to his voice and gives an unobtrusive performance that brings some dignity to his character. There are a few funny moments to be found, but the film seemed more interested in capturing the hearts of its viewers, rather piling on the laughs.

A definitive style and imagination is a requirement for a solid concept like this. Michel Gondry proved that he has everything needed to direct films with such an offbeat pitch to it when he put his signature style on films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. This one’s a true crowd pleaser.

Unlike Son of Rambow (a film that was also trying to grasp the essence of film and failed on multiple levels), this film has a tender spot for movie lovers and pleases without being disorganized and erratically uneven. A solid script, great cast, and an amusing premise guide this homage to movies, friendship, and the power of numbers to its warm finale. Be sure to take the time to cherish each clever scene and the outer limits of Michel Gondry’s imagination. The ending will either be a touching, heartfelt one or an insipid, whimsical one (depending on one’s perspective). For me, it was entirely endearing.  4/5 stars

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Writer/director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, A Scanner Darkly) takes the audience on a psychedelic mind-trip into the world of dreaming. A man wanders around in his own dream meeting various people who preach the meaning and purpose of life and has multiple false awakenings in the process. He begins to question what is real and what is fictional and soon wonders if this is the result of death. The cast includes Wiley Wiggins, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg, Steven Soderbergh, and Richard Linklater himself.

It all comes down to what Linklater was trying to accomplish. Whether it’s due to an abundant flow of ideas and theories or just proof that he handled every drug known to man during his college days, Linklater has a way of drawing his audience into his dream world of distorting illusion and conventional conversations pertaining to evolution, the media, and isolation. The majority of these conversations are contrived and just don’t make much sense. But when the occasional well thought out theory is explained thoroughly, one can’t help but dwell on these perspectives and immediately become enmeshed in Linklater’s world of hypothetical analysis.

The animation is trippy. Objects move when they should be stationary and the characters change shape and colors, even becoming transparent at times. It’s an ambitious work of art with an imaginative glance into the world of surrealism, an hypnotic way of explaining one’s perception of dreams and reality. It’s a film for the thinking crowd, the type of movie that will test your knowledge and proclaim its existence into your memory.

It’s absurd in the fact that the entire film is unpredictable and that random thoughts become rationed out though different perspectives. However, this absurdity is what keeps the film interesting. There’s quite a bit to look at here (a gift to the eyes) and enough to intrigue and bring out inner thoughts about life (a treat to the ears and mind). I can’t say that the film will be completely engaging, but I found most of these principles associated with life to be utterly fascinating.

Linklater has many thoughts crowding his head and this seems like the best way of displaying his loopy mindset and ultimately activating the gears in the viewer’s brain. What Richard Linklater does here is provide a way of dealing with dreams; he put a new brand of animation on the map in the process. In the end, Linklater does justice to the mind and brings something distinctive and new to the table. A standing ovation is required.  4/5 stars

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I managed to get a exclusive look at the upcoming film The Mutant Chronicles, blasting its way into theaters some time in 2008. The exact release date is unknown as of this writing, but it’s certain that it will be some time this year. The big question is whether or not it is worth the time and price of admission.

During the 23rd century, a soldier by the name of Mitch Hunter (Thomas Jane) guides an army of fierce fighters to battle underground mutants after opening a seal to an ancient creation. This creation is a machine known to turn humans into blade-slinging mutants determined to wipe out mankind. It is up to Mitch and his fierce army to save the world. Quite possibly the first ever pen-and-paper-role-playing-game-turned-movie, The Mutant Chronicles is surprisingly satisfying.

Loud, exciting, very funny, and brutally entertaining, it just might be the action film of the year — a movie full of great fight scenes, excitement around every corner, and visually arresting set designs that will hold even the most cynical viewer’s interest. Truthfully, it is the most fun I’ve had at the movies in a long time.

Sporting an A-list action cast that includes Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Thomas Jane (The Punisher), it is sure to please a certain targeted audience that has a lust for action and a strong appetite for gore. The thrills, the shocks, and the sheer enjoyment of going to the movies is all there and in full, ass-kicking form.

But don’t get me wrong, readers, this isn’t a masterpiece. It does have its glitches like underdeveloped characters, loads of commentary, and Ron Perlman’s acting (which is nearly laughable). Not to mention the small cameo appearance from John Malkovich was unnecessary and could’ve saved the filmmakers a few bucks by casting an unknown actor for this role. Things like that are giving the movie a bad rep after its premier at the Cannes Film Festival. However, there are enough adrenaline-charged moments to flush out these glitches and make for pure entertainment.

In the final act, we get to see Hellboy and The  Punisher go head-to-head in a battle to the death. It’s an exhilarating moment added to the tons of violence beforehand and a great finish to a spectacular fusion of sci-fi, action, horror, and comedy. The Mutant Chronicles is an authentic film and certainly worth the admission price, popcorn and all. 4.5/5 stars

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12-year-old Mauro is left alone after his parents get taken away by the military during the regime of 1970’s Brazil. Mauro’s parents told him they were going “on vacation” to keep Mauro from worrying and claim to be back before the World Cup of soccer. Now, Mauro must wait patiently for his parents return from vacation in hope that they will arrive before Pele leads his country to victory.

Like most foreign films, it’s is beautifully shot. Unfortunately, it suffers from leaving viewers who aren’t familiar with the game of soccer isolated and distant from what’s going on. This builds up frustration for those who know there is a good movie to be found here. Foreign film buffs will most likely be pleased and scope out the masterpiece within. However, if you are the casual movie goer, it ends up being nothing spectacular and overlooking the film will save you some precious viewing time.

The first half of the movie is dull and doesn’t show much of a breakthrough until the third act, where we see a glimpse of a great movie. It does have moments of humor wedged in that up the entertainment level, but the bottom line is that even a great ending can’t subdue the mild frustration beforehand.

Vacation is strong in most aspects of film including direction, acting, and cinematography. Cao Hamburger does well at avoiding clichés and directs the film with style, Michel Joelsas gave a true performance as a distraught child, and the cinematography was remarkable. This is what makes it a well made Foreign film and helped gathered up praise from both critics and audiences.

I acknowledge all of the films major accomplishes, but I can’t quite say that it held my interest. The dilatory pace and timid approach nearly put me to sleep and while most of the performances are authentic, the characters are underwritten. This is a film that I can’t recommend, but do see the talent and reasons for its acclaim. A film that isn’t completely original, but still has a refreshing feel to it. Something that isn’t my cup of tea, but deserves attention. 2.5/5 stars

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This 2005 flick, written and directed by Adam Rapp, is mostly unentertaining and slightly annoying.  While the film immediately works to portray a melancholy, alternative-lifestyle-feel, it merely comes off as trying to be artsy, rather than actually containing any elements that would actually make it an art film.

 Zooey Deschanel who gave stellar performances in films such as The Good Girl (2002), Eulogy (2004) and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), stars in Winter Passing (2005), but falls far from the cinematic tree she earlier climbed so high in.  Deschanel plays Reese Holden, the daughter of Don Holden (Ed Harris), a famous, yet reclusive writer who has hidden some manuscripts very desired by the literary world.  After the death of her mother and an emotional separtion with her father, Reese is offered a large sum of money to obtain and release the manuscripts.  As a struggling actor, Reese accepts and ventures home only to find that everything she knew about ‘home’ has changed.

So many elements of this film fail to work.  The character psychology is lacking and the performances are just blatantly unbelievable.  As a usual fan of Ed Harris, I found myself very befuddled and equally dissapointed with his strange bearded character; it merely seemed like a facade to hide his very flat, unfaceted acting.  Will Ferrell even makes an appearance as Corbit, Don Holden’s live-in (friend?).  As he was clearly enlisted as comic relief, he does this in his usual confused, unattached way, but even this doesn’t work for me, it simply falls flat.  We learn almost nothing about Corbit throughout the film and his believability is on par with Maggie Smith in a Sci-Fi flick, it is just so unlikely.   As the film slowly moves to transform Reese and give her a new perspective on the world, you just don’t care by the middle of the film what happens to her and by the end, can you even imagine?

The film just goes nowhere.  Reese Holden is full of angst and confusion, but it just does not pull you in like its meant to.  I lost interest throughout the course of the film and found myself looking at my watch, a tell-tale sign of a bad movie.  I do wish I could get that time back and at the same time ask Adam Rapp why it was so necessary to invest in Winter Passing.  Maybe there is some emotional attachment, or some real-life experience projected in this film by Rapp.  But if this is the case, what a boring experience it must have been, and to be honest, I’m surprised he even remembers, because Winter Passing is truly forgettable.

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After stumbling upon a book in the basement on their new home, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, become pulled into a world of faeries and goblins. This book, known as The Spiderwick Field Guide, was written by a man named Arthur Spiderwick, who was abducted by faeries. It tells them everything they need to know about how to kill goblins and call upon mythical birds for help. Now they must protect the book from these creatures and find Arthur Spiderwick to put an end to the mayhem.

There really isn’t much good to say about this noisy and frantic fantasy that lacks all but a single good actor. Lazy CGI effects bombard the screen, along with screaming faeries that are about as annoying as nails on a chalk board. It is as if they took the cheapest computer technology available, enhanced it ever so slightly, then decided to add some impaired voices into the mix. Nick Nolte, Martin Short, and Seth Rogen are some of the loud, unfamiliar voices that crowd the screen. It really irks me that these characters are so pesky, yet they are voiced by some rather talented people.

It’s an irritating fantasy that seems rushed and deserved a release to the rental shelves rather than to the silver screen with such poor CGI work. Freddy Highmore plays dual roles comfortably, but the supporting cast of live actors (including Mary-Louise Parker who has shown some serious acting skills in the Showtime series Weeds) were unconvincing and the CGI beasties are about as irritating as an itch you can’t reach.

It starts off with dark, atmospheric set pieces that look really good and quickly turns into a ridiculous story gorged with silly moments. The film’s intentions were to take the audience into a world of fantasy (where ridiculous is acceptable to some extent). Instead, the film goes beyond preposterous and ends up being completely far-fetched.

So we have one good actor, several sub-par actors, an overuse of undernourished CGI effects, and a line of uninteresting characters. It’s a putrid mess, a film that doesn’t have a clue as to what defines entertainment and ends up being obnoxious. It is sad that none of this is quality entertainment and all of it is a nuisance to eyes and ears.

The entire film was a waste of time I could’ve spent watching some sort of solid entertainment, and a waste of money the filmmakers could’ve spent making a better film. The bottom line is it was nothing more than a noisy monstrosity and a eulogy to poorly executed family flicks. 1.5/5 stars

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I love romantic comedies; I hate to admit they are my guilty pleasure.  So, I knew I had to watch “Definitely, Maybe” starring the sexy Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, and Isla Fisher.  It was directed and written by Adam Brooks who has much experience in the romantic comedy genre.

Ryan Reynolds plays Will Hayes a Manhattan professional getting a divorce while sharing custody with his 11 year old daughter Maya Hayes (Abigail Breslin).  Maya wants to know the story, from her father, of how her parents met.  He is reluctant to tell the story but decides to make her daughter guess which one of his 3 previous girlfriends is her mother. Will tells her of his college girlfriend Emily (Elizabeth Banks) from Wisconsin who he must leave behind to follow his political dreams and work for the Clinton campaign in New York.  Then comes Summer (Rachel Weisz) the beautiful writer who could get just about any man she wanted.  The third girl is his long time friend and confidant April (Isla Fisher).  Maya soon starts to put all the pieces together and as she uncovers who her mother is she also finds that relationships are complicated.

Writer/Director Adam Brooks adds a bit of spice by letting the audience peek into the Clinton campaign while taking you through the relationships of the main character, which I believe adds more depth to the story.  Although I enjoyed the film I had trouble with the ending but I can’t exactly put my finger on the reason why, I just felt un-emotional and as if it something was missing, other than that just an ok movie.

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Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman

The Premise: Unlawfully sent to prison so the Judge (Rickman) can get his hands on his wife, Sweeney Todd (Depp) returns to discover his wife is dead and the Judge is keeping his daughter captive. He seeks revenge in the most delightfully blood-thirsty way, aided by the bonkers Mrs Lovett (Carter).

The Good: It’s long-since been established that Depp can play just about any character brilliantly. This film is no exception. He sings and slices his way through a dazzlingly dark performance, giving Sweeney a personality that’s both sinister and charismatic. But he’s upstaged every step of the way by Helena Bonham Carter’s portrayal of Mrs Lovett. She’s only supposed to be his sidekick—his enabler, if you will—but she steals the spotlight whenever she’s on screen. It would be an injustice to say she’s comic relief, but my god will she make you laugh. She makes you feel as if chopping up dead bodies and serving them in pies is the most hilarious thing in the world. As if to sugar-coat an already scrumptious main cast, there are some delightful supporting characters. Keep an eye out for Anthony Stewart Head’s cameo, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s performance is pure genius (naturally).

The Bad: The love story involving Depp’s daughter feels a bit rushed and forced—it could have done with a bit more non-singing screen time—and there are a few moments that are heavy on the cheese (try not to cringe when Sweeney sings his heart out about getting his blades back in his possession—it’s not the best number in the film).

Overall Verdict: Laden with Burton’s trademark gothic cinematography and bursting with talent from its illustrious cast, this film aims high and succeeds. Not to be missed!

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Mark Wahlburg and Zooey Deschanel star in this movie.  It is rated R for some self-inflicted violence and runs one hour and thirty-one minutes.

 Another movie by M. Night this movie tries to follow in the footsteps of his other movies, creating suspense and keeping the viewer wondering what will happen.  A young couple whose marriage has been on the rocks find themselves in the middle of a countrywide crisis.  They, along with a friend and his daughter, run to fins a safe haven.  Yet, there seems to be no escape as the mysterious ailment that causes people to kill themselves follows wherever they go.  Finally the couple (Wahlburg and Deschanel) find a place they think is safe and attempt to hide there, with a strange woman and a creepy doll.  The mysterious ailment follows them even there, and no human is safe from this “happening”.  In the end they take a chance and hope that when they go outside things don’t go too bad and maybe they can survive whatever is causing humans to kill themselves.

I have seen many mixed reviews of this movie, and it reminded me of the reviews of his past movies, which were of both versions, loved it and hated it.  While the landscape of this movie is nice and at times beautiful, the movie in itself is not really that good.  I feel like I wasted my money on it and want to ask M. Night to stop trying to live up to the fame of The Sixth Sense.  The actors were dry and seemed to be cardboard cutouts of themselves (as my friend said after we watched the movie).  The dialogue was dull and I found myself laughing through most of the movie because of how bored I was.  I needed to do something to keep myself awake.

As for the plot of the movie, it was so obvious that this was a movie about global warming and the problems that it could be causing.  I felt that watching this movie was like someone was constantly hitting me over the head with an organic environmentally safe hammer trying to give me a green concussion.  It couldn’t have been more obvious or more tree driven if it had been a movie of just a tree for an hour and a half.  In fact I might have liked that movie a lot more because then I would have known going in what I would be getting.  The actors could have been used so much better than they were, especially when you look at some of the other movies that Mark Wahlburg and Zooey Deschanel have done you know that their talents are not being used in this film, and they can do so much better.  The special effects were overdone, and the plot, well it left a lot to be deserved. 

If you want to watch a movie about going green and pollution and global warming go watch An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore.  It was much more entertaining and less full of itself than this movie felt.  Skip it.  If you want something scary go get gas, the price you pay would be a lot scarier than this movie ends up being.

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In this fun goofy comedy Ryan Reynold’s character Van Wilder is the big man on campus who is putting off graduating college after being there for seven years. Wilder’s dad decides that he’s no longer going to pay for his son’s tuition. The school’s newspaper decides to write a human interest piece on Wilder when he realizes that he needs to graduate and start the next chapter in his life after a party goes aerie. This film is 90 minutes of fun jokes and crazy hijinks, it’s not the kind of movie that makes you think, but the kind that lets you escape from life if only for a little bit or to remind you of the crazy time that is college.

I enjoyed this movie and it definitely launched the career of Ryan Reynold’s the film also stars Tara Reid as a newspaper writer, Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle) as the assistant, and Teck Holmes(Real World) and Wilder’s roommate/ best friend.

The best part about this film is that the view sees that Wilder isn’t your typical parting big man on campus, but that he feels that everyone no matter what they look like or where they came from should have a good time and one of the best lines from the movie is “You shouldn’t take life too seriously” this is a true statement that our society has forgotten.

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American Meth is a documentary from director Justin Hunt that shows the trials and tribulation families in America can and do face due to the usage of the drug Meth. The movie is narrated in parts by actor Val Kilmar, who has starred in a movie involving meth before called The Salton Sea. The Salton Sea is a pretty cool flick if you haven’t seen it, rent that, instead of this.

American Meth goes from an interesting and potentially educational premise to being a very, very boring and fairly off subject reality show following a more or less uneventful family consisting of two supposed meth addicted parents. The kids are adorable and make for some cute moments overall, which doubles as tugs on the ole heart strings when you look at their overall living situation. However, having spent a great deal of time visiting the ghettos of Missouri and living in at least one trailer park I could have picked out a way more tragic or interesting person or people to follow. More shock value was needed in this production to sober up the minds of casual drugs users and to grasp the attention of those not fully aware of how strong and powerful meth is spreading across our country.  True, the goal of the flick was to possibly show how meth infiltrates every day life and the lives of everyday average people, but ultimately it was with every day average results. Mainly what I witnessed in American Meth was a trailer park couple arguing a whole bunch about crap that didn’t interest me. Hell, that happens all the time without meth.

There are many documentaries starting to surface over the usage of meth and I’ve got to think there are more compelling and overall worthy ones to watch than American Meth.

In fact check Wikipedia for a more revealing look even on the history of meth and what it does, then go walking around your own town and ask some kids where you can score some, and interview people if you want to grasp the reality of it all.

From Wikipedia:
“Methamphetamine enters the brain and triggers a cascading release of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. To a lesser extent methamphetamine acts as a dopaminergic and adrenergic reuptake inhibitor and in high concentrations as a monamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). Since it stimulates the mesolimbic reward pathway, causing euphoria and excitement, it is prone to abuse and addiction. Users may become obsessed or perform repetitive tasks such as cleaning, hand-washing, or assembling and disassembling objects. Withdrawal is characterized by excessive sleeping, eating, and depression-like symptoms, often accompanied by anxiety and drug-craving. Users of methamphetamine sometimes take sedatives such as benzodiazepines as a means of easing their “come down”.

Common nicknames for methamphetamine include “meth”, “ice”, “crystal”, “tina”, “p”, “bitch” and “glass”. Methamphetamine is sometimes referred to as “speed”, but this term is usually used for regular amphetamine or dextroamphetamine.”

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Control follows the true life story of punk rock singer Ian Curtis of Joy Division, covering his troubles with love, music, drugs, and epilepsy that led to his untimely death in May of 1980. It’s based on his wife Deborah Curtis’ autobiography Touching from a Distance to make sure everything is accurately displayed on screen.

Shot in beautiful black and white with magnificent clarity and carefully edited, this slick portrait of a musician’s unfortunate life might be masterful for those who are vaguely familiar with the band Joy Division, but everyone else will probably find it ambitiously clichéd in its character insight. It becomes just like every other musician’s rise and fall from fame. Become famous, get addicted to drugs, and die at an early age. It’s nothing we haven’t seen seven or eight times before and becomes dull quickly.

I’m not claiming this is a bad film. Amongst all the boredom (and there is quite a bit of it), there is a low-energized masterpiece in disguise. It just never takes off that disguise to make itself known. Sam Riley puts his heart into this role and is absolutely phenomenal and Samantha Morton does exceptionally well. The direction is sharp and the acting is great, so why does it feel so boring at times?

I don’t want to disgruntle the fanbase of Joy Division and want to make it clear that I have no desire to put down this remarkable legend. I just feel that the film would’ve been much better with a more interesting take on Ian Curtis’ lifestyle that draws in those who don’t even know the guy. This is where director Anton Corbijn and screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh stepped into a rut.

This gloominess has some serious hang-time and the film in general doesn’t seem to have anything genuinely important to say; it’s an unpleasant and dark film devoid of joy.

This punk rock music isn’t my cup of tea either, which doesn’t help at all. Joy Division’s songs all start off great, but then become flat and gives off a depressing vibe. This is a movie that drains all blithe thoughts from its viewers and leaves them isolated under a muggy rain cloud of sorrow. You can skip this film and still live a perfectly happy life. 2/5 stars

Written by Derek Fleek at www.popcornmonsters.com

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