The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ***

Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Miranda Otto, Bernard Hill, Andy Serkis, John Noble, Liv Tyler
Director: Peter Jackson

The trilogy based on the classic novels by J. R. R. Tolkien finally comes to an end as the forces of good and evil have the mother of all battles at the city of Minas Tirith. Bigger than than even the battle of Helm's Deep from LOTR 2, this is an impressive sight to behold. And while this battle rages on, Frodo and Sam, accompanied by Gollum approach Mordor and Mount Doom, determined to destroy the One Ring once and for all. ROTK is a well made and entertaining film, that is on par with the first to films. And while I do not consider these films the best ever made (like some people), it is well worth seeing. Now we just have to sit back and hope that Peter Jackson is able to get the rights to The Hobbit so that he can complete the whole story.

Something's Gotta Give **1/2

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Amanda Peet, Keanu Reeves, Frances McDormand, Jon Favreau
Director: Nancy Meyers

Harry, an older gentleman with a tendency toward the younger woman, is dating much younger Marin. Their getaway at a vacation home is interrupted by Marin's mom Erica and aunt Zoe. When Harry suffers a minor heart attack, he is left in Erica's care while the others return to their normal lives. And so it happens that Harry and Erica begin a relationship despite each of their intentions. This is a love story for the older generation, and that is part of the reason that I really did not connect with it. Nichlson and Keaton give solid performances as two people finding love in a place that they never looked before.

Brother Bear **1/2

Brother Bear **1/2
Cast (voices): Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Jason Raize, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, D.B. Sweeney, Michael Clarke Duncan
Directors: Aaron Blaise, Bob Walker

The latest Disney animated movie introduces us to Sitka, Denahi, and Kenai, three brothers in an olden time. When Sitka is killed by a bear, Kenai avenges his death by killing the bear. After this killing, Kenai is transformed by an ancient spell into a bear himself. Denahi mistakenly thinks that Kenai is the bear that killed Sitka, and the hunt begins. Kenai, while searching for the spirits that can turn him back, befriends young Koda, another bear who is at times annoying. In the end, this movie is meant to teach us of brotherhood and acceptance. The animation is middle of the road, not the best nor the worst Disney has to offer,but may be the last of its kind from Disney for a while , as they look toward more computer animated routes. All in all, this is a movie that kids will probably like, but may be a little thin for adults.

The Last Samurai ****

Cast: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Tony Goldwyn, Timothy Spall, Koyuki, Hiroyuki Sanada, Billy Connolly, Shichinosuke Nakamura
Director: Edward Zwick

Civil War veteran Nathan Algren is hired by a Japanese delegation the teach modern warefare to the Emperor's army. It seems that a rebel samurai by the name of Katsumoto is causing some trouble for the Emperor, and they believe that Algren can help out. While training the troops in Japan, they are forced to prematurely face Katsumoto and his men, and they are overwhelmed. Algren is taken as a prisoner so that Katsumoto can "learn from his enemy". As the winter passes, Algren finds himself learning of the samurai way of life, and becoming friends with his captor. When winter ends, Algren finds himself considered an equal, and not an enemy. Now he must determine the path he will choose, as another confrontation is inevitable. Cruise and Watanabe are excellent as one time enemies that become allies. The ways of samurai life are very interesting, and the epic scope of the movie makes it highly entertaining.

Timeline ***

Cast: Paul Walker, Frances O'Connor, Gerard Butler, Billy Connolly, Ethan Embry, Anna Friel, Rossif Sutherland, David Thewlis, Matt Craven, Neal McDonough
Director: Richard Donner

A group of archaeologists must travel back in time to Castlegard, France in 1357 to save a colleague before a battle in the Hundred Years War. Based in Michael Crichton's best selling novel, this movie places less emphasis on how that is done, and more on these archaeologists immersing themselves in the culture, saving their friend, fighting, and racing to get back to the future. All in all, this is an entertaining action movie that won't strain any brain cells. One negative, however, is Paul Walker's lack of acting ability. It is almost painful, but fortunately this is an ensemble movie that doesn't rely solely on him.

The Haunted Mansion ***

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Nathaniel Parker, Marsha Thomason, Jennifer Tilly, Wallace Shawn, Dina Waters, Marc John Jefferies, Aree Davis
Director: Rob Minkoff

This latest theme park turned into a movie from Disney finds married realtors Jim and Sara Evers and family stopping by a potential client's mansion on the way to a family vacation. All is not as it seems, and they quickly find out the place is haunted. Also, their selection as realtors may or may not be something more than just coincidence. Like Pirates of the Caribbean earlier this year, Disney manages to infuse life into a movie based on a ride. Although nowhere near as good as Pirates, The Haunted Mansion is an enjoyable family film. Terence Stamp, as Ramsley the butler, steals every scene he is in, and Eddie Murphy seems destined to star in family friendly movies for the rest of his career.

The Cat in the Hat **

Cast: Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Amy Hill, Sean Hayes
Director: Bo Welch

Dr. Seuss' feline creating comes to life in the form of a heavily made-up Mike Myers in this live action version of the children's classic. Unfortunately, it is difficult to stretch a small children's book with little real plot into a 80 minute movie. This movie was bound to happen with the success of The Grinch, but was it necessary? Mike Myers does what he can, but he only has so many impersonations he can do before he starts repeating himself. Plus, it is disturbing to see the Cat talking like Fat Bastard from Austin Powers. On the plus side, I did laugh a number of times and the movie looks great. Dr. Seuss' world is brought brilliantly into reality just like in the Grinch. Unfortunately, this is sometimes disturbing (Thing 1 and Thing 2). I am sure that this will do well in theaters, and that will probably mean another Dr. Seuss movie a few years down the road, but I don't think it is necessary.

The Missing ***

Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood, Jenna Boyd, Aaron Eckhart, Val Kilmer, Eric Schweig, Jay Tavare
Director: Ron Howard

This western is set in the late 19th century in New Mexico. Maggie Gilkeson, a frontier doctor, lives with her children and lover. Her like is turned upside down when her lover is murdered and her oldest daughter Lily is kidnapped by a group of military deserters and Indians led by an Indian mystic named Chidin. Maggie must enlist the help of her estranged father, Samuel Jones (who had left her to live with Indians), to save her daughter. Along the way they begin to reconcile their old differences. The Missing is a good western from director Ron Howard that has just a few flaws. The main flaw being its running time. This movie could have been cut 15-30 minutes in order to flow a little more quickly. Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett give excellent performances as an estranged father and daughter struggling to put things right with their family.

Gothika **1/2

Cast: Halle Berry, Robert Downey Jr, Charles S. Dutton, John Carroll Lynch, Bernard Hill, Penelope Cruz
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz

Dr. Miranda Grey is a psychologist at a dark and dreary mental asylum. After an accident, she wakes to find that she is now one of the patients there. She has committed a crime that she does not remember and is now haunted by a young blonde girl. Gothika provides some creepy moments, but not enough. The three big name leads of the movie do as much as they can with what they have to work with, but the story doesn't always make the most sense. A little fine tuning of the script could have gone a long way.

The Human Stain ***

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Gary Sinese, Wentworth Miller, Jacinda Barrett
Director: Robert Benton

Coleman Silk is a college professor that has just been fired for supposedly making a racial slur about two of his students. Faunia Farely is a woman who lives in fear of her ex-husband. When they meet, they find something in the other that will heal each other's pain, but it won't be easy, especially since both have big secrets in their pasts that they have kept hidden for a long time. Coleman's is the bigger of the two, and is handled excellently as we learn his backstory. Excellent acting all around, and a good story about the secrets we keep and the way love can redeem tortured souls.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World ***1/2

Cast: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy, Lee Ingleby, David Threlfall, Max Pirkis
Director: Peter Weir

Russell Crowe is Jack Aubrey, captain of the HMS Surprise in this adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's British Navy novels. Specifically based on the 10th and 1st books in the series, Master and Commander takes great pains (so I have read) to be historically accurate, and the result is a entertaining and interesting naval adventure. In 1805, during the Napoleonic Wars, the HMS Surprise is stationed off the coast of South America and is given the mission of stopping the French ship Acheron. The movie is a chase that is bookended by two battle scenes. Along the way, glimpses are given of life on naval ships of the time, including some interesting medical procedures. The good captain and his doctor have a relationship reminiscent of Star Trek's Kirk-McCoy relationship, and their interactions help to liven up some of the slower moments in the movie. Definitely a contender for Picture of the Year come Oscar time.

Love Actually ***

Cast: Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Laura Linney, Martine McCutcheon, Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Rowan Atkinson
Director: Richard Curtis

Love Actually weaves together a series of love stories like a Robert Altman film, and its individual stories work more often than not. This movie tells of many different kinds of love -- romantic, friend, and parent/child -- with some of the "loves" working out, and others having no chance. It doesn't strive to give every story a happy ending, a fact which I appreciate, and comes off as feeling true for the most part. Some of the stories seem a bit sappy for my tastes, but with this movie you get a variety, so a viewer will find one that meets their liking. This movie runs a little long, mostly due to the amount of characters present, but if you are looking for a enjoyable romantic comedy this time of year, give Love Actually a chance and you might be surprised.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie trailer is online!

CHECK IT OUT!

Best Stephen King Books (in no particular order)

1. The Dark Tower (The Gunslinger [Revised and Expanded]/The Drawing of the Three/The Waste Lands/Wizard and Glass/Wolves of the Calla/Song of Susannah/The Dark Tower) by Stephen King
2. The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
3. The Talisman by Stephen King, Peter Straub
4. Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King
5. Bag of Bones by Stephen King
6. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
7. Gerald's Game by Stephen King
8. The Stand: Complete and Uncut by Stephen King
9. It by Stephen King
10. The Shining by Stephen King

The Matrix Revolutions ***

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Ann Moss, Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett Smith, Monica Bellucci, Lambert Wilson, Harold Perrineau Jr., Harry J. Lennix, Mary Alice
Directors: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski

The third and final(?) movie in the Matrix series finds the machines gathering for an attack, Neo and Trinity heading toward the surface, and Mr. Smith being a real pain in the ass for everyone. Picking up where Reloaded left off, Revolutions makes an attempt to tie up the story of the One. It succeeds at this to some degree, but does leave many questions unanswered. Revolutions is better than Reloaded, but still not as good as the original. If you have seen the first two, go ahead and finish out the trilogy, but if you haven't seen #2, you need to make a trip to the video store first.

Some cool new movie posters:

Spider-Man 2

Spider-Man 2 (Dr. Octopus)

Alien vs. Predator (Alien)

Alien vs. Predator (Predator)

Home on the Range

Elf ***

Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Edward Asner, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen, Daniel Tay
Director: Jon Favreau

Buddy the elf finds out that he isn't really an elf. He was just raised by them at the North Pole after Santa mistakenly brought him back from the adoption home one Christmas Eve. Now, Buddy is determined to meet his real father, a grumpy children's book publisher who barely has time for his wife and other son. Of course this movie has a lot of "fish out of water" moments as Buddy gets acclimated to the real world, but Will Ferrell gives him the heart and innocence that makes you want to root for him. While watching this movie, I found myself thinking about how this will be one of those Christmas movies that you actually want to pull out and watch this time every year.

Just trying something new here people. We will see if I keep this up!