007 Rankings

Having now seen Quantum of Solace for the second time I finally feel comfortable unveiling my revised James Bond film rankings:

1. Casino Royale (2006)
2. Goldeneye (1995)
3. Goldfinger (1964)
4. From Russia With Love (1963)
5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
6. Dr. No (1962)
7. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
8. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
9. Thunderball (1965)
10. Quantum of Solace (2008)
11. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
12. The Living Daylights (1987)
13. Live and Let Die (1973)
14. You Only Live Twice (1967)
15. Never Say Never Again (1983)
16. The World is Not Enough (1999)
17. Die Another Day (2002)
18. Licence to Kill (1989)
19. Diamonds are Forever (1971)
20. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
21. Moonraker (1979)
22. Casino Royale (Climax!) (1954)
23. Octopussy (1983)
24. A View to a Kill (1985)
25. Casino Royale (1967)

Best Bond:
1. Sean Connery
2. Daniel Craig
3. Pierce Brosnan
4. George Lazenby
5. Timothy Dalton
6. Roger Moore
7. Barry Nelson
8. David Niven (et al from '67 Casino Royale)

Academy Award Predictions

I know, I know, it's been forever since I've posted and I'll return with a review binge soon. For now here are my personal rankings of the nominees in each category and my prediction for who will win each. NB: Films I've yet to see are not ranked, just arranged alphabetically...

Best Picture

Ranking:
1. Frost/Nixon
2. Milk
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Slumdog Millionaire
5. The Reader
Prediction:
Slumdog Millionaire
Should've been a contender:
The Wrestler; Wall-E; Rachel Getting Married

Best Actor

Ranking:
1. Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
2. Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
3. Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
4. Sean Penn, Milk
5. Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Prediction:
Mickey Rourke
Should've been a contender:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road/Body of Lies; Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man; Colin Farrell, In Bruges; Daniel Craig, Defiance; Don Cheadle, Traitor

Best Actress

Ranking:
1. Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
2. Kate Winslet, The Reader
3. Angelina Jolie, Changeling
4. Meryl Streep, Doubt
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Prediction:
Kate Winslet
Should've been a contender:
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road; Rebecca Hall, Vicky Christina Barcelona; Diane Lane, Untraceable; Jennifer Aniston, Marley and Me

Best Supporting Actor

Ranking:
1. Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
2. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
3. Josh Brolin, Milk
4. Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
5. Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Prediction:
Heath Ledger
Should've been a contender:
James Franco, Pineapple Express/Milk; Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading; Michael Sheen, Frost/Nison; Bill Iwin, Rachel Getting Married; Brendon Gleeson, In Bruges; Jamie Bell, Defiance; Viggo Mortensen, Appaloosa; Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire; Said Taghmaoui, Traitor; Doug Jones, Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Best Supporting Actress

Ranking:
1. Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
2. Amy Adams, Doubt
3. Viola Davis, Doubt
4. Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona
5. Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Prediction:
Penelope Cruz
Should've been a contender:
Hiam Abbass, The Visitor; Rosemarie Dewitt, Rachel Getting Married; Clemence Poesy, In Bruges; Isla Fisher, Definitely, Maybe; Debra Winger, Rachel Getting Married

Best Director

Ranking:
1. David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
3. Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
4. Gus Van Sant, Milk
5. Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Prediction:
Danny Boyle
Should've been a contender:
Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married; Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler; Andrew Stanton, Wall-E

Best Original Screenplay

Ranking:
1. Martin McDonough, In Bruges
2. Andrew Stanton, Wall-E
3. Dustin Lance Black, Milk
4. Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
UR. Courtney Hunt, Frozen River (NB: Still need to see Frozen River)
Prediction:
Dustin Lance Black
Should've been a contender:
Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married; Robert Siegel, The Wrestler; Tom McCarthy, The Visitor; Joel Coen/Ethan Coen, Burn After Reading; John Kamps/David Koepp, Ghost Town

Best Adapted Screenplay

Ranking:
1. Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
2. Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
4. John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
5. David Hare, The Reader
Prediction:
Simon Beaufoy
Should've been a contender:
Clayton Frohman/Edward Zwick, Defiance; Justine Haythe, Revolutionary Road; William Monaghan, Body of Lies

Best Editing

Ranking:
1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. Frost/Nixon
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Milk
5. The Dark Knight
Prediction:
Slumdog Millionaire
Should've been a contender:
Defiance; Rachel Getting Married

Best Cinematography

Ranking:
1. Claudio Miranda, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight
3. Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire
4. Tom Stern, Changeling
5. Chris Menges/Roger Deakins, The Reader
Prediction:
Anthony Dod Mantle
Should've been a contender:
Colin Watkinson, The Fall; Guillermo Navarro, Hellboy II: The Golden Army; Eduardo Serra, Defiance; Roger Deakins, Revolutionary Road; Mandy Walker, Australia

Best Art Direction

Ranking:
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. The Dark Knight
3. Revolutionary Road
4. Changeling
5. The Duchess
Prediction:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Should've been a contender:
Hellboy II: The Golden Army; The Fall; Defiance; Australia

Best Foreign Language Film

Nominees:
1. The Class (France)
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
Departures (Japan)
Revanche (Austria)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
Prediction:
Waltz with Bashir
Should've been a contender:
Gomorrah; Let the Right One In

Best Documentary

Nominees:
1. Man on Wire
2. Encounters at the End of the World
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
The Garden
Trouble the Water
Prediction:
Man on Wire
Should've been a contender:
Standard Operating Procedure; Bigger, Stronger, Faster*

Best Animated Film

Ranking:
1. Wall-E
2. Kung Fu Panda
3. Bolt
Prediction:
Wall-E
Should've been a contender:
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Best Song

Ranking:
1. Down to Earth by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Wall-E
2. Jaiho, Slumdog Millionaire
3. O Saya, Slumdog Millionaire
Prediction:
Down to Earth
Should've been a contender:
The Wrestler by Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler

Best Score

Ranking:
1. James Newton Howard, Defiance
2. Thomas Newman, Wall-E
3. Alexandre Desplat, Benjamin Button
4. Danny Elfman, Milk
5. A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Prediction:
A.R. Rahman
Should've been a contender:
James Newton Howard/Hans Zimmer, The Dark Knight; Danny Elfman, Hellboy II: The Golden Army; David Arnold, Quantum of Solace; Clint Mansell, The Wrestler; Geoff Zanelli, Ghost Town

Best Visual Effects

Ranking:
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Iron Man
3. The Dark Knight
Prediction:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Should've been a contender:
Hellboy II: The Golden Army; Quantum of Solace

Best Makeup

Ranking:
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
3. The Dark Knight
Prediction:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Should've been a contender:
The Fall

Best Costume Design

Ranking:
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Revolutionary Road
3. Australia
4. The Duchess
5. Milk
Prediction:
The Duchess
Should've been a contender:
The Fall; Hellboy II: The Golden Army; The Other Boleyn Girl; Changeling; Defiance

Best Sound Mixing

Ranking:
1. Wall-E
2. The Dark Knight
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Wanted
5. Slumdog Millionaire
Prediction:
The Dark Knight
Should've been a contender:
Hellboy II: The Golden Army; Defiance; Quantum of Solace

Best Sound Editing

Ranking:
1. Wall-E
2. Iron Man
3. The Dark Knight
4. Wanted
5. Slumdog Millionaire
Prediction:
The Dark Knight
Should've been a contender:
Hellboy II: The Golden Army; The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Best Animated Short
Nominees:
1. Presto
La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory - Lovestory
Oktapodi
This Way Up
Prediction:
This Way Up

Best Live Action Short
Nominees:
Auf der Strecke
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Prediction:
New Boy

Best Documentary Short
Nominees:
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306
Prediction:
The Conscience of Nhem En

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder Review

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder returns the series to its action/war roots (after a diversion into horror in the first sequel) as Casper Van Dien returns as Johnny Rico back to kill more bugs. Jolene Blalock also stars.

Pros:
- It sure is nice to have Casper Van Dien back as Johnny Rico and I like that they've (somewhat) logically aged the character since the first movie's events. Van Dien is easily the best part of the movie.
- The story itself is silly but it's better to have the war against the bugs than the awful horror story of #2.

Cons:
- It's really a backhanded compliment to say that Casper Van Dien is the best thing about this movie...it's never a good thing if Casper Van Dien is the best thing about your movie.
- Jolene Blalock and all the supporting actors for that matter are simply terrible.
- Subtlety is not something one would often accuse Starship Troopers 1 director Paul Verhoeven of being good at, but Edward Neumeier (who wrote and directed this one) makes Verhoeven seem to have a master's touch. The film's politics are so blatant, and out of place, that it's hard to be anything but disappointed. The Federal Network 'news segments' intercut during the original film are the best parts of the movie, here they're nearly intolerable as Neumeier beats you over the head with his agenda.

Verdict:
- The original Starship Troopers is one of my all time favorite guilty pleasure movies (and I really don't think it's anywhere near as bad as its reputation) so I'm really disappointed at how this one turned out. The first sequel turned its back on the first film's formula, embracing a silly horror movie-esque scenario, and it turned out terribly. I was sadly disappointed that this 'return to form' failed to recapture really any of the magic of the first film. I can't really recommend this at all.

Overall Score: 3/10

Journey to the Center of the Earth Review

Journey to the Center of the Earth is the newest adaptation of the famed Jules Verne novel, this time in 3D. It stars Brendan Fraser as a man searching for his brother, Josh Hutcherson as Fraser's nephew and Anita Briem as their tour guide.

Pros:
- The movie has a great and enjoyable sense of energy and wonder. It's really a theme park ride expanded to full feature length.
- Special effect guru Eric Brevig's touch at director allows the movie to embrace silly VFX to a surprisingly enjoyable effect.
- Fraser, perpetually exuberant and youthful, is the perfect lead for a somewhat absurd story like this.
- This movie has given me faith that 3D is viable. The Real3D system (which uses 3D glasses that aren't uncomfortable to wear) is far more effective than the mediocre displays of the past. The 3D here, though gimmicky, makes the whole experience so much more fun. Dinosaurs, mutant venus fly traps, rocks that float on air and lava explosions are all more fun in 3D.

Cons:
- While it's nice to see someone try to come up with a 'new' take on Journey to the Center of the Earth, the notion of Vernians (yes, people who follow the writings of Jules Verne as true) is pretty silly.
- The screenplay is mediocre and the supporting performances are nothing to write home about.
- I can't imagine this would have been half as enjoyable in 2D.

Verdict:
- It's not a 'good' movie, but I found Journey to the Center of the Earth perfectly enjoyable. It's also a nice showcase for the future of 3D.

Overall Score: 6/10

Hellboy II: The Golden Army Review

Hellboy II tells the continued adventure of Hellboy (Ron Perlman), Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and Liz Sherman (Selma Blair). Director Guillermo del Toro returns to the helm as Hellboy and friends are now tasked with preventing the angry supernatural Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) from exacting vengeance on humanity (by awakening the titular Golden Army) for our breach of an old human-fantasy creature treaty with our disregard for the environment.

For my money Guillermo del Toro is as brilliant a fantasy director as there is today and I saw with certainty that this film (and its underrated predecessor) would have been nothing short of disastrous in the hands of a lesser auteur. Del Toro opens the film during the Second World War on Christmas Eve as Hellboy is told the bedtime story of the Golden Army by his "father" (John Hurt reprising his role from the first film), a story of course which will inevitably come into play later in the film. In the hands of a lesser director this scene, there is something quite absurd about a juvenile red demon at a small World War II base hearing a bedtime story, the film could have fallen apart in the first few minutes. Del Toro has a wonderful touch, however, with his actors and in the wonderful way he integrates fantasy and reality (not just in this series but in other films like Pan's Labyrinth, one of the best films of the decade, The Devil's Backbone and the underrated Blade II) which makes the whole thing tenable.

The actors, in costume or not, are all magnificently cast and play their roles with just the right mix of humor and gravity. As far as I'm concerned Ron Perlman was born to play this role, his red demon with a love for kittens and Baby Ruth bars is as human and empathetic as any on screen this past summer. There's something deeply sympathetic, and believable in the way Perlman and del Toro present it, about Hellboy downing a beer in the shower after a fight with his girlfriend. I think particular note should be given to Anna Walton and Doug Jones. Doug Jones is an incredible physical actor who previously had been limited to acting only behind a creature suit. With great success Jones played most of the creatures in del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth Walton, but other actors did the voice work. Likewise in the first Hellboy and Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer Jones did great physical work only to be voice dubbed over (by David Hyde Pierce and Laurence Fishburne respectively). Here Jones finally gets to voice his own character and, no disrespect to Pierce who did fine voice work in the first film, he does a phenomenal job. Beyond that Jones brings an unbelievable otherworldly quality to his movements that make Abe Sapien seem both strangely alien but also compelling organic. Walton plays the sister of Luke Goss' Prince Nuada, Princess Nuala who becomes a love interest for Jones' Abe. Together they have such sweet chemistry... I have to say I'm rather stunned that my two favorite love stories this year involve the relationships of two robots (Wall-E) and of a fish-man and a golden princess.

Throughout the film del Toro crates masterful scenes for his characters. In an incredibly well designed homage to the cantina scene in Star Wars: A New Hope, our heroes visit a fantastical marketplace (located, of all places, under the Brooklyn Bridge). The entire segment is a feast for the eyes and a tribute to the unbelievable costume, CGI and make-up work on display in the film. Another great scene, which I can't imagine anyone but del Toro pulling off, has Perlman and Jones drunkenly singing about the trials of love. Del Toro, and his DP Guillermo Navarro, have an absolute gift for crafting incredible imagery which is on display at no moment more than when Hellboy and crew walk through the shimmering aftermath of Hellby's battle with a plant monster. Breathtaking stuff!

I found the film to have two weak aspects of note. The first is the performance of Luke Goss. Compared to Perlman, Jones and Walton, Goss really fails to bring the same sort of emotion and believability to his role as the other actors buried in costume. The other weak aspect is actually the film's climax. Much like in the first film's climax, del Toro seems to lose his characters a bit as the action really picks up. Considering what a masterful job del Toro has done throughout the rest of the film it is surprising to see the film's penultimate moment devolve into a bombastic mix of stunts and CGI. All this is not to say the climax is poorly done, just that it's a step down from the greatness of the rest of the film.

Overall Score: 8/10

Futurama: Beast with a Billion Backs Review

Futurama: Beast with a Billion Backs is the second of four post-series Futurama movies, following last year's Bender's Big Score. It tells, among others, the story of an alien monster that comes to Earth and tries to capture all of humanity in its euphoric grasp.

Pros:
- Despite a number of relatively aimless subplots (like Bender's time in the League of Robots), this Futurama film tells a better cohesive story than the first.
- Small beloved characters get nice little roles, but the focus thankfully remains on the principle players.
- Put simply it's nice to have more Futurama, one of the wittiest shows of the last two decades.

Cons:
- As the first film also suggested, Futurama is likely best suited in 22 minute blocks instead of the roughly four episodes smushed into a movie here.
- As already mentioned the story isn't exactly cohesive and satisfying (which is a function of the fact that the movie will eventually be split into episodes for rebroadcast).

Verdict:
- While it isn't the perfect Futurama movie, it's always nice to have more of it. Ideally this set of four movies (the next two will be released in November '08 and early '09) will sell well enough to merit a full resurrection for the show on a major network.
- Futurama fans will love this, but neophytes can definitely get a taste of what made the show so great from this movie.

Overall Score: 7/10

The Love Guru Review

The movie tells the story of a love guru (Mike Myers) who comes to America to fix the relationship problems of an NHL player (Romany Malco) at the behest of the team's owner (Jessica Alba).

Pros:
- Stephen Colbert is absolutely hilarious in a far too small role as a Toronto Maple Leafs commentator. His scenes were the only thing that dragged me through.
- It's less than 90 minutes counting the credits.

Cons:
- Having watched this movie it's very difficult to believe I ever though Mike Myers was funny. He spends the bulk of the movie mugging for the camera almost as though he's begging for laughs.
- The supporting actors often seem somewhat embarrassed to be in this project. There are numerous scenes where Jessica Alba looks visibly uncomfortable to be on screen with Myers. Romany Malco and Justin Timberlake are both very talented individuals and deserve so much better.
- The material is crude and sophomoric in a tremendously unfunny way. How many dumb fart and dick jokes can you possibly tell in 90 minutes? I'd rather die than watch Love Guru again, but if you feel motivated you can watch and count to get an idea.

Verdict:
- This movie was absolutely terrible and should signify the death knell of Mike Myers' non-Shrek career as a leading man. I can't possibly imagine the upcoming Austin Powers 4 will be any good. Colbert is hilarious, unfortunately he is on screen for maybe five of the film's 90 mintues and it sure isn't worth sitting through for that. Don't see this movie.

Overall Score: 2/10

Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control Review

Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control is a spin-off of this summer's Get Smart following two CONTROL techies played by Masi Oka (Heroes) and Nate Torrence (Studio 60).

Pros:
- The direct-to-DVD venue gives an appealing actor like Masi Oka an opportunity to play the leading man and he does a pretty solid job.
- Jayma Mays and Masi Oka, as on Heroes and despite her far too small role on the show, make for a delightful couple. The two have wonderful chemistry together and their scenes are genuinely amusing.
- Anne Hathaway's cameo is hilarious, she's funnier here in one small scene than in all of Get Smart.

Cons:
- Nate Torrence is not as appealing nor as charismatic as Masi Oka which leads to his primary scenes feeling rather bland.
- Like most straight to video releases, the direction, music and general production values are quite poor.
- The film's plot is nonsense and the relevance of the characters would probably lack clarity without having seen Get Smart.

Verdict:
- It's a pretty awful movie but Out of Control has a few laughs and a cute lead couple in Masi Oka and Jayma Mays. Definitely worth seeing if you enjoyed Carell's big screen Get Smart or if you enjoy Masi Oka's work on Heroes, otherwise I'd probably skip it.

Overall Score: 4/10

Finding Amanda Review

Finding Amanda is the story of an alcoholic gambling addict (Matthew Broderick) who goes to Las Vegas to convince his prostitute niece (Brittany Snow) to go to rehab in order to save his marriage (his wife is played by Maura Tierney).

Pros:
- Brittany Snow has become a really great actress, even in junk like Prom Night (in Prom Night she was actually so good that it made the films many flaws that much more noticeable). Here Snow is strong as perky prostitute who isn't quite as happy as she lets on, even though her character is quite unbelievable.
- Matthew Broderick, playing way against type, does a good job with his scummy character. The problem is that he's just an unlikeable louse that it's difficult to care about what happens to him after the millionth time he lies to those that care about him.
- Maura Tierney does a good job in a smaller role as Broderick's wife.

Cons:
- While Peter Tolan (co-creator of Rescue Me) has a knack for witty dialogue, he seems incapable of juggling the humor and dark drama found here. I definitely think, however, that Tolan will have a long directing career.
- The characters are really quite revolting, to Nip/Tuck sorts of levels, which makes it difficult to care how their story turns out. If the film itself were made more compelling then the appeal of the characters would be irrelevant, but here it's just so difficult to care.
- The characters are also remarkably stupid and make decisions at such a poor level that it's hard to believe either could achieve much success at anything, even at prostitution (let alone as a TV producer, like Broderick's character).

Verdict:
- Finding Amanda isn't a bad movie and it has some strong acting and witty dialogue but it isn't enough to overcome the wild fluctuations in tone and unlikeable characters.

Overall Score: 5/10

Superhero Movie Review

Superhero Movie is a spoof of the recent comic book movies, especially Spider-Man.

Pros:
- Though it's far from good Superhero Movie at least shows there is still hope for the spoof genre despite the best efforts of Jason Friedberg and Adam Seltzer (Epic Movie/Meet the Spartans etc) to forever ruin the genre.
- Drake Bell and Sara Paxton (who was the highlight of last year's middling Sydney White) make for a likable lead pair.
- Some of the jokes hit home quite well. Jeffrey Tambor and Brent Spiner have nice smaller roles.

Cons:
- A pretty high percentage of the humor falls flat, but even when it fails it's not as offensively stupid as the Friedberg/Seltzer disgraces.
- Leslie Nielson and Christopher McDonald are really not good here, though, in fairness, both are given a lot of terrible stupid scenes to play.
- It's simply not a good movie.

Verdict:
- Superhero Movie is junk. It does, at least, have a few laughs though and shows that there is still hope for a funny spoof movie in the future.

Overall Score: 3/10

Batman: Gotham Knight Review

Batman: Gotham Knight is a direct-to-video collection of six short stories set between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

Pros:
- The disparate talent involved in the project leads to a variety of creative and original takes on Gotham's Dark Knight.
- The collection's strongest, and most tied integrally tied to the Nolan Batuniverse mythology, short is In Darkness Dwells, from David Goyer the writer of Batman Begins. Bringing back the Scarecrow and adding Batvillain Killer Croc the story most closely resembles the 'feel' of the Nolan films and tels the most compelling, if underdeveloped, story.
- Most of the stories have, at least, a few moments of interest.

Cons:
- The animation is not of particularly high quality.
- The quality of the stories varies RADICALLY from story to story.
- Have I Got a Story For You, the film's first short, is so awful that it almost made me quit on the rest of them.

Verdict:
- Like all of these types of animated collections (The Animatrix comes to mind) the quality of the individual short films is all over the place. It's definitely worth seeing for hardcore Batman fans, but only a few of the stories are otherwise worthy. I really feel like this compilation should have turned out better.

Overall Score: 5/10

Hancock Review

Hancock is about a disgruntled superhero (Will Smith) who gets an image makeover from a publicist (Jason Bateman) and his wife (Charlize Theron).

Pros:
- Will Smith gives yet another strong performance. His Hancock is believably lonely, surly and flawed. He really does the best possible considering the material.
- Jason Bateman is great in support, he's one of the finest character actors in the business.
- The film's first half, despite some deep flaws, is pretty damn compelling.
- The film's underlying premise, of an anti-social superhero who needs an image makeover, is a good one.

Cons:
- About half through the film there is a giant plot twist that is so poorly executed (and obviously telegraphed) that it ruined the entire rest of the film for me.
- The film's climax and denouement are inept at best.
- What the hell happened to Peter Berg? His Friday Night Lights is my favorite football movie, The Kingdom was at least competent if utterly unspectacular, but Hancock is ineptly directed. Berg positions the camera so close to the actors' faces that it's often difficult to tell exactly what the hell is going on. Peter, move the damn camera out.
- Some of the humor is both foul and inept, such as when Hancock inserts the head of one prisoner up another's ass.
- Charlize Theron often seems confused though I hesitate to blame her because her character is so ineptly written.

Verdict:
- Hancock has an underlying premise that's pretty damn good and a strong cast, it's too bad the idea is poorly executed.

Overall Score: 4/10

Step Up 2 the Streets Review

Step Up 2 the Streets tells the story of a girl who is forced to leave the streets to join an artistic school and brings her own brand of dance with her.

Pros:
- Some of the dance scenes are surprisingly exciting.
- Though I wouldn't call them good actors leads Briana Evigan and Robert Hoffman have good chemistry and seem to at least be trying.

Cons:
- The story is as cliche and by the numbers as any I've ever seen following all the typical traits of an American romantic comedy and a sports movie perfectly.
- It's sad when the Channing Tatum cameo is one of the most compelling scenes in a movie.
- The non-lead actors are almost entirely terrible.

Verdict:
- It was much better than I expected but it's still a pretty poor movie. You can certainly find a better way to spend 98 minutes of your life.

Overall Score: 4/10

Rumor has it that the next outing for this insanely profitable series will be in 3D.

Wanted Review

Wanted tells the story of a young man drawn out of his pathetic life into a mysterious world of bullet-bending assassins.

Pros:
- Incredibly well designed, creative and exciting action scenes. Director Timor Bekmanbetov is incredibly creative in the direction of these scenes.
- James McAvoy, a tremendous young actor especially in Atonement, gives a fun and believable performance as he transitions from a nobody loser to a bad ass assassin.
- Angelina Jolie gives an enjoyable if typical performance.
- It's nice to see Morgan Freeman play a bit differently than his typical role.
- Unlike seemingly every recent event movie, it doesn't set itself up for a necessary sequel.

Cons:
- It's not a 'good' movie by any stretch of the imagination.
- Did you know the 'fates' send instructions on who deserves to be assassinated through giant factory sized looms? I didn't either. The plot in Wanted is, shall we say, a bit stupid.
- Why does the character in the beginning action scene have superpowers far beyond those of any other character we see?

Verdict:
- It's not an objectively great movie but Wanted was some of the most fun I've had a theater all year.

Overall Score: 8/10

Wall-E Review

Wall-E tells the story of the last robot left behind on Earth after humanity abandons the desecrated planet.

Pros:
- Wall-E himself is the single cutest and most well-designed animated character I've ever seen. Just the sight of him makes me happy.
- The first 45 minutes of Wall-E, almost dialogue free, are some of the best I've seen in any film...ever. Anyone not moved by Wall-E's near melancholic longing for company, and his pursuit of his I-Pod inspired love interest, Eve, has a heart of stone. I would have been content, no...content is the wrong word, overjoyed is more like it, just watching Wall-E and Eve wander around Earth for three straight hours.
- The film's animation is absolutely gorgeous. The stellar quality of the animation is perhaps best on display in the incredible outer space 'dance' Wall-E and Eve have outside of the humans' spaceship colony.
- Pixar is the most consistently great studio around, even their weakest film, in my opinion, Cars, compares favorably with the best work of most other animation studios. Wall-E is a proud addition to the studios heritage and stands tall in the upper echelon of Pixar's work: Toy Story 1 and 2, The Incredibles and Finding Nemo.

Cons:
- The film's second half, and the introduction of the humans, seems to sag a little bit. However, I'm quite certain that it feels weaker less because of any real flaws but more because of just how unbelievably good the first half is.

Verdict:
- Wall-E is one of the best animated movies of all time and a shoo-in for my top 10 at the end of the year. Wall-E, himself, is the best designed character I've ever seen and his love story is one of the most touching. I can't recommend this highly enough.

Overall Score: 9/10

Pathology Review

Pathology tells the story of a medical student (Milo Ventimiglia) drawn into a dark game of students killing people as in manners as untraceable as possible.

Pros:
- Ventimiglia gives a decent enough performance in the lead role.
- The story, surprisingly, manages to keep Ventimiglia's lead character as a much grayer and less heroic character than might have been expected. Generally a movie like this would see the lead as a hero fighting the evil around him, here Ventimiglia's character is far darker and, perhaps, more compelling than the material deserves.

Cons:
- Nearly every member of the supporting cast, especially lead villain Michael Weston, give performances that are amateurish at best.
- The premise, in and of itself, is really quite stupid.
- There are plot holes you could fly a 747 through.
- Despite Ventimiglia's interesting performance, the film's structure and plotting is so poorly thought out that the film is a labor to get through.
- The direction, editing and general production values are poor.

Verdict:
- Ventimiglia tries (and gives me hope for his career after Heroes) but the material is simply not very good.

Overall Score: 3/10

The Strangers Review

The Strangers, starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, tells the tale of a young couple terrorized by the strangers outside their house

Pros:
- The acting from both Tyler and Speedman is really quite remarkable. Speedman's difficulty in emotionally deal with Tyler's rejection of his marriage proposal is very believable. Tyler is believably terrified throughout, but she doesn't have as much emotional material to work with.
- Director Bryan Bertino masterfully frames his shots throughout. Bertino also does a tremendous job of ratcheting up the tension to an almost unbearable level by the end of the film. Bertino also wrote the film and his screenplay is not half bad.
- Assuming it is the film's goal, The Strangers did a remarkable job of making me feel uneasy.

Cons:
- The biggest problem with the film is that it didn't feel scary at all, just mortifying. In the torture porn movies (Saw, Hostel, etc) there is a moment of queasiness just before each disgusting thing happens, The Strangers is like having that feeling stretched out for 90 straight minutes.
- The ending is a letdown.

Verdict:
- The Strangers is surprisingly well made and incredibly tense, but it all just amounts to an exercise in sadism.

Overall Score: 6/10

The Eye Review

Jessica Alba plays a blind woman who begins to see scary things after an eye transplant in this Asian horror remake.
Pros:
- Jessica Alba actually isn't terrible here (which isn't meant to say she's good).
- It's better than One Missed Call.
- It has some pretty interesting images and a moderately exciting climax.
- Alessandro Nivola is decent in support.

Cons:
- Horrifyingly stupid explanation.
- Why are mediocre Asian horror movies remade into poor American horror movies so frequently?
- Parker Posey gives one of the worst performances of an otherwise strong career (but is still better than Alba).
- Rade Serbidzija embarrasses himself, though the material does him no favors.

Verdict:
- Certainly not the worst you'll see in the genre, The Eye is almost competently acted and directed, though its silly plot and dumb explanations make for a pretty middling movie.

Overall Score: 4/10

The Happening Review

M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening concerns a mysterious ailment afflicting humanity wherein people across the country mysteriously begin committing suicide.
Pros:
- There some beautiful and haunting images here especially in the early segments.
- John Leguizamo gives an alright performance in support.
- At least it's more tolerable than Lady in the Water, perhaps because of the copious unintentional comedy. I couldn't stop laughing when the zoo employee feeds himself to his lions.

Cons:
- The story (and explanation) is TREMENDOUSLY stupid
- Mark Wahlberg gives easily the worst performance of his career, his pronunciation of words is unnervingly incompetent.
- Zooey Deschannel is terrible here.
- I hate M. Night Shyamalan's writing an unbelievable amount.
- To say that there are a plotholes is an understatement akin to saying a handful of people died in World War II.

Verdict:
- I really can't stand Night nor his films. He is a pretentious ass in interviews and his work has been on a steady decline throughout his career. I think it's fair at this point to say that Sixth Sense was an aberration and Lady in the Water, The Village and The Happening are the sort of work we should expect in Night's future.

Overall Score: 3/10

The Incredible Hulk Review

Pros:
- It's much better than Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk mess.
- Edward Norton makes a nice replacement for Eric Bana, he's one of the finest actors working today and does good work here.
- Tim Roth is a big time change of pace from the usual comic book villain and I think his Abomination really works.
- The film has a nice sense of humor and a suitable (but not slavish) devotion and appreciation for the source material.
- I love the Tony Stark cameo and the continued efforts (started with the Nick Fury cameo in Iron Man) to integrate the whole Marvel universe and build towards The Avengers in 2011. I also appreciate, like in Iron Man, subtle hints were dropped to open the way for a sequel.

Cons:
- Liv Tyler's Betty Ross is a really vanilla character.
- Poor William Hurt hasn't given a particularly good performance in a long time, this is no exception.
- I hate CGI, there's WAY too much of it here.
- The movie feels kind of cheaply made and it's disturbing that it has a bigger budget than significantly more impressive event movies like Iron Man or Transformers.

Verdict:
- While it's no Iron Man, Incredible Hulk is a solid but unspectacular comic book movie that has at least managed to restore my faith that the big green fella CAN make for an effective film.
- I'm EXTREMELY curious to see the less commercial more introspective cut that Norton had wanted and the hour longer director's cut that will appear on the DVD/Blu-Rays. Marvel had mandated they release this present, more commercial, version.

Overall Score: 7/10