Dark Knight (2008)

MY RATING: A

RUN TIME: 152 min

MPAA RATING: PG-13

MY REVIEW:  Dark Knight is the unforgettable, frightening thriller of the year.  Dark, complex and unnerving, this latest Batman movie will make you realize that all those that came before it were just attempts to capture the real essence of darkness that Dark Knight nailed.  

The late Heath Ledger gave a chillingly creepy and brilliant performance.  Ledger gave us that truly demented Joker that Nicholson failed to give us in the 1989 Batman.  Ledger's Joker took over the movie and almost overshadowed Bale's Batman.  I found the suggestion of a bond between the evil criminal and the outcasted hero very complex and thought provoking. I smell Academy Award.  Dark Knight is an unstoppable crime thrilling masterpiece that is sure to become the best of its genre.

I am a big fan of Heath Ledger.  Although this was one of his greatest preformances, its heartbreaking that he's not here to give us more.  

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Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

MY RATING: B

RUN TIME: 110 min

MPAA RATING: PG-13

MY REVIEW:  If you liked Hellboy you'll enjoy Hellboy II.  For me, Ron Perlman's sarcasm is what makes this movie stand out.  His ability to pull off those sarcastic remarks while also giving us his enthusiastic fight scenes makes him the perfect Hellboy. 

Director Guillermo Del Toro is able to bring his audience into his own world.  The graphics are amazingly detailed making every scene stunningly vivid.  Del Toro pulled off a visual masterpiece with Hellboy II.  Well rounded characters are well developed and a variety of bizarre creatures keep popping up throughout the film.  Hellboy II is action packed yet still full of endearing moments.

This only problem I had was the overly simplistic "Golden Army" which was a little distracting.  

It's not everyday that a movie has you rooting for the red, horned, "goat-footed," beast from hell.  As long as Del Toro is onboard, bring on Hellboy III.

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Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

MY RATING: F

RUN TIME: 89 min

MPAA RATING: PG

MY REVIEW:  I told you so!  All of you who saw the trailer for this movie and thought this looks pretty silly, and not silly in a good way, you were absolutely right.  A story line worthy of a 30 second commercial was stretched into this flop of a feature film.  Silly antics and blah-ish dialouge left me dumbfounded.  

There were was some very artistic graphics and clearly there was some great creativity in their graphics department.  Brendan Fraser is always a goof and its usually fun to watch, however not in this film. 

"Journey to the Center of the Earth" would do much better as a little kids amusment ride at Disney Land.

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Wall-E (2008)

MY RATING: A+

RUN TIME: 97 min

MPAA RATING: G

MY REVIEW:  I had to pee throughout this movie, but I still enjoyed it.  That's saying a lot.  Wall-E was one of the cutest movies EVER!  It's funny how this love story was more moving to me than almost any other, including non-animated films.  Great graphics and I would argue even better sound affects made Wall-E one of my new favorite animated films.  

For me the ending was a little more drawn out than it needed to be.  The interaction with the friggin' humans was a bit distracting from the real story of the movie and, in my opinion, should have been downplayed.  That's being really picky.

Overall, Wall-E was a touching movie and the best film of 2008 so far.  I hope everyone gets a chance to experience this wonderful story about the transformational power of love.

Hancock (2008)

MY RATING: C+

RUN TIME: 92 min

MPAA RATING: PG-13

MY REVIEW:  Will Smith is such a badass!  He was about the only thing that saved Hancock from going down into my list of "shitty-ass" movies.  The whole cast of Hancock gave stellar performances.  Its a shame the poorly written story poopooed what could have been an awesome film.

I will say the first half of the movie was quite well done.  Smith added real depth to Hancock and made the interaction between him and the world around very thought provoking.  I thought the superhero theme would be a bit corny, but this movie took it to a whole new level; a superhero with a drinking problem, that's good stuff.  Superb specials effects made it possible for Hancock's humor to be very effective.

The second half is a completely different story.  It was as if someone completely different wrote the second half and wasn't really sure how it was supposed to end.  I'm not even sure how it was supposed to end.  I'm unsure if they were trying to us up for a sequel (BTW, I HATE when movies are just setups for the next installment!), but the ending was really messy and ruined the whole experience.  Yuck!

All in all, good acting, back writing and I wish I was a superhero!

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Wanted (2008)

MY RATING: B+

RUN TIME: 110 min

MPAA RATING: R

MY REVIEW:  I'll start with the good.  It's every nerdy boys dream come true.  Wesley (James McAvoy) goes from obscure looser to ultra-cool assassin.  Compilations of action packed sequences made this movie a blast.  If it's an action movie you're looking for, Wanted delivers that and more.  Fans of profanity will be delighted at the 45,000th use of the word "fuck."  Excellent use of humor turned predictable scenes into something original.  It was refreshing for an action movie to acknowledge the actual silliness of its story and be able to use that to add some comedy to a blood-filled killing fest.

Now the not so good.  Although there were some great action sequences, the camera angles switches so quickly and so abruptly in some area that I lost my place and was left disoriented for a few minutes.  Personally, the blood was a little much, however, if you're one of those video gaming freaks that love to take your anger our by blowing someone's head off and watching their brains splatter all over, then this movie will tickle your pickle indeed.

Overall an action packed film with lots of blood, and oh! Morgan Freeman. 

The Happening (2008)

MY RATING: F

RUN TIME:  91 min

MPAA RATING: R

MY REVIEW:  I'll keep this extra short!  M. Night Shyamalan's career is over.  I thought he would redeem himself with this movie, but I was sorely wrong.  They sold the movie as Shyamalan's first R-rated film, but for what?  Yes, there was some graphic violence and disturbing scenes, but the movie was filled with scene of almost comical "junkness."  Scenes that were meant to be bone-chilling scary instead made you want to laugh at the stupidity of the dialogue and shitidity of the acting.  

Overall, a big, big disappointment!

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

MY RATING: B+

RUN TIME: 92 min

MPAA RATING: PG

MY REVIEW:  Move over Pixar and take Nemo with you because DreamWorks has just put out the next great masterpiece of digital animation.  The artwork in Kung Fu Panda was even better than my dream of being in China with Mulan.  From start to finish the detail and richness of the animation was incredible.  Truly a visual delight.  At one point you can see leaves shimmering in the sunlight and the work that must have went into small details like that is hard to imagine.  The last time I fell in love with graphics like this was Shrek, however, Kung Fu Panda takes animation to whole new level.  Pixar has a lot of work to do if it wants to catch up.

The movies biggest surprise was Jack Black, the panda named Po.  (There's something about that name.)  Jack black actually was not annoying.  He was able to wash off his characteristic crude and creepy demeanor and offer a performance with real craft.  It was a controlled, almost reserved Black that I found refreshing and enjoyable.  Angelina Jolie, who plays Tigress, on the other hand gave a bland performance that fell short.  

Just because you're making a family film doesn't mean you need to write the same, predictable story that you expect from a charming Kung Fu movie.  With that said, this was a great family film with good laughs and creative fight scenes with minimal violence.  With "sucked" as the only real naughty word I could pick out, this movie is great for the little ones.

I've been waiting for this year's first animated film (and No! Speed Racer doesn't count) and I was very pleased with Kung Fu Panda.  With an A-class cast and mind-blowing animation this movie will definitely become a classic.  

You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)

MY RATING: C

RUN TIME: 113 min

MPAA RATING: PG-13

MY REVIEW:  After watching the preview for this movie, I was left thinking this was going to be a mess of stereotypes and offensive, crude humor.  Oh Boy!  Was I right or what?!  I'm not saying there is anything wrong with any of that, but Adam Sandler took it all to a new low.

There were funny parts.  To open your movie while panning out from the crotch of a man wearing what looked to be his 12-year-old daughter's clothes had me giggling and the slap across the face with a well controlled foot made me grin.  However, a lot of the humor turned major real world issues into street corner laughs.  You could tell everyone that was laughing was wondering if they were being judged by everyone sitting around them.

The constant celebrity cameos (most notably Mariah Carey) couldn't offset the political incorrectness of the movie.  There was nothing really sinister or mean-spirited about the humor, it was just too overdone, too . . . Adam Sandler.  

Overall, "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" drew some good laughs, but I was left more ashamed of the intolerance it showed and the poorly written jokes showcasing our ever present sterotypes.  Indeed, we have seen Adam Sandler in much, much better roles.  

Baby Mama (2008)

MY RATING: D

MPAA RATING: PG-13

RUN TIME: 99 min

MY REVIEW:  I love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.  I think they are both comedic geniuses and although Fey is no longer with SNL, both have been favorites of mine among the SNL cast.  Knowing their great comedic skills I felt Baby Mama fell short of all of my expectations.  It had its funny moments and indeed I did giggle aloud in a few parts, but my undies were still dry by the end of the movie.  The story made sense, but so did Britney Spears' divorce and no one made a movie out of that.  (Wait I may have spoken too soon.)  I wouldn't blame the cast, but rather the writers.  I give Fey and Poehler props for pushing the poorly written comedy of Baby Mama to laughable levels, but I've come to expect much better from the comedic duo.  The 99 minute movie seemed to drag on and on.  I didn't even realize the movie was so short until I wrote this review.  

Overall, I left the theater disappointed and wanting my money back.  Not just the 8 bucks I dished out for admission, but the gas money it cost me to drive there.  It is not a movie I would see again. 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

MY RATING:  A-

RUN TIME: 124 min

MPAA RATING: PG-13

DISCLAIMER:  Before reading my review please understand that I did not watch the preceding trilogy of Indiana Jones nor did I review background information on Indiana Jones or his adventures.  With that in mind, try to refrain from screaming at your computer screen when I write something that would have made sense had I watched the trilogy.

MY REVIEW:  I don't want to give too much away because Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a superb film.  A-class acting coupled with mind-blowing special effects made for a experience that took me back to the theater to watch this movie a second time.  Non-stop excitement kept me peeled to the screen as a riveting story line played out.  I'm not a fan of most action movies, due mainly to extended fight scenes that leave me checking the time on my phone, but Indiana Jones was able to strike a good balance between fight scenes and actual substance.  

Beside the miraculous survival of Indiana Jones time and time again (I'm assuming that's part of the Indy "brand"),  the only drawback I felt was that you never really felt Indiana Jones was in danger.  Yes, there was plenty of guns and high cliffs, but you knew no one was going to die, or if they did it would have been a big surprise (Yes this may also be part of the Indy "brand").  Without the threat of real danger, the movie did go smoothly, but I was never clinching my seat in anxiety.

Overall, this movie was well crafted and well worth the price of admission.  As for watching it again, I already did.  Now a third time will take some thought.  Excellent acting and great special effects.  So for the best movie I've seen this year.

SPEED RACER (2008)

MY RATING:  C+

RUN TIME:  135 min

MPAA RATING:  PG

MY REVIEW:  I'm currently on Kauai, an island with very limited movie venues.  Following the shutdown of the cinema in Kapaa, HI, I believe the Kukui Grove Cinema in Lihue, HI is the only theater remaining (I could be wrong).  This three auditorium cinema left me with one movie I had not yet seen, Speed Racer.  As the movie started I was horrified at the graphics.  I felt as though I was drowning in a neon-lit clown house.  Despite the nightmare that was the first five minutes of the movie, the movie progressed with a decent plot at a good pace.

THE GOOD:  I had the impression that the movie was going to be a hardcore racing film aimed mainly at the 10-year-old boy who brought his miniature racing car with him to the theater.  However, there was an excellent balance of racing and actual acting.  The film brought up real world problems to which I could relate.  These problems, corruption at the forefront, made the plot very interesting.  Don't get me wrong, there were some great racing scenes with some interesting special effects.  An all-star cast including John Goodman, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, and Susan Sarandon gave great performances.  Even Speed's (Emile Hirsch) younger brother, Young Speed (Nicholas Elia) and his trusty sidekick, a chimp, not only added some great comic relief, but gave outstanding performances. 

THE BAD:  As I mentioned before the introduction was graphically hideous.  The blending of reality and comic book graphics gave the movie an unique feel, but also made it seem like you were watching a screwed up version of Blue Clues with a splash of 80's decor.  The adult plot made it bearable, but the graphics made it hard to take seriously.  The graphics were great for little toddlers, but the plot was too complicated for their comprehension.

OVERALL:  Excellent acting and some good lessons.  The plot was pretty decent but the graphics threw me a little.  I was pleasantly surprised with the movie and the story it told, however, I wasn't expecting anything more than the screeching of tires and the crashing of cars.  Speed Racer is not a movie I would watch again.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN (2008)

MY RATING: B+

RUN TIME: 144 min

MPAA RATING: PG


REVIEW: I should start off by saying that I have not read the book version of The Chronicles of Narnia of which this movie is based. I did watch the first movie, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," which preceded this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the first movie and was looking foreword to this the second installment of the collection.


I find there is a delicate balance in producing a movie such as this, where you need to give the audience a movie with some closure and finality, but still leave it open enough to where the next movie can pick up without having to start all over. I believe this movie achieved that and though I was left with some concerns by the end I was able to leave the theatre with a "closed book." The story had been resolved and you weren't left with the story unfinished (such as the ridiculous ending of the "The Golden Compass").


THE GOOD:
Prince Caspian was my favorite throughout, not only because of his dangerously good looks, but there was some excellent acting on his part and he did an excellent job at characterizing his role. The remaining characters were also quiet convincing and you know your villain did a good job when you have that gut-wrenching hate for him, which I had throughout this movie. I wouldn't call the graphics out of this world, but they were good and convincing enough for me.


THE BAD:
Some parts of the movie were a bit too corny for me. Though I wasn't as flabbergasted as the obnoxious girls behind me who would let out grunts and laughs anytime there was some chivalry in the movie, I thought some of the saluting and grovelling was a bit much. As for the plot, I enjoyed most of it but it seemed *POSSIBLE SPOILER*(Skip to the next paragraph to avoid any potential spoiler) they had complicated the story so much, that it would be interesting to see how they would resolve it. But then they used the easy way out and let magic swoop in and save the day. A let down for me.


OVERALL:
A good-looking-- I mean, a good movie with some good acting and graphics. A little more creativity in the plot would've improved my view of the movie. However, I would watch it again.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS (2008)

"What Happens in Vegas" was not a movie that I was itching to see for a long time.  Preview wise, I didn't find it very appealing.  It takes a lot to make me laugh however, and the scene in the trailer where Cameron Diaz's character slides across the bar, falls off the end, then after a silent moment by spectators pops back up with a cheerful scream did give me a chuckle.  I went into the theatre prepared for a predictable chick-flick with not-quiet-laugh-out-loud comedy.

However, I was pleasantly surprised with the movie's simplicity and candor.  There isn't a million settings or characters of which to keep track.  A plot that I thought was too simple for a movie was developed into something with actual substance.  Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz both have an energy which brightens the movie.  There are moments of rawness that, although makes the movie seem like it was shot in a single shoot, did make their characters really come alive.  You felt like you were really watching two people in their everyday life.  

Overall a good movie.  Not a movie I would watch twice, but I had not regrets after watching it once.  So-so comedy, I felt the more dramatic elements of the movie were much more entertaining than the comedy.  Good lessons and some fair acting.

MY RATING:  C+