The Island **
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Honusou, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan, Ethan Phillips
Director: Michael Bay
Running Length: 2:18
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Lincoln Six Echo (McGregor) and Jordan Two Delta (Johansson) are workers in a recovering society. They mindlessly go about their tasks for the greater good. All this is necessary because they have been told that they are all that remains from an event that contaminated the Earth. They are two of a few thousand that live in the compound. All have a dream of winning a daily lottery that would give them a trip to The Island, "nature's last remaining pathogen-free zone."
Lincoln begins to think that The Island is not what it seems, and when his best friend Delta wins the lottery, he wisks her away to find out the secret. Aided by a technician named McCord (Buscemi), they soon find themselves on the run from a mercenary named Laurent (Hounsou) who was hired by Merrick (Bean),the doctor that runs the compound.

"The Island" takes an interesting idea, and executes it poorly. Directed by Jerry Bruckheimer's long-time lackey, Michael Bay, this feels like a Bruckheimer production despite him having nothing to do with the film. Bay has Bruckheimer's style down pat, and the less movies made in this fashion, the better. An interesting idea is lost amongst the action and special effects. Sure the effects are good, especially a later scene in the movie where McGregor gets to act against himself, but effects alone do not make a movie. Bay brings the mindless moviemaking that he is known for, and that is what makes the movie less than it could be.

Bay has gone on record saying that perhaps the fault of the movie's dismal opening is due to the lack of star power in McGregor and Johansson, but they are solid actors doing the best they can with what they were given. Buscemi is his usual quirky self as McCord, providing some chuckles. Bean and Hounsou fill the roles of bad guys adequately.

Another large problem with the movie is that what should be a main plot twist is given away in most of the previews. I'm sure that this is meant to make the movie seem more interesting, but when seeing the movie, this revelation lacks any punch. The previews for "The Island" are prime examples of what not to do when promoting a movie.

In the end, fans of Bruckheimer-style movies will probably be satisfied. Those looking for a little more than an interesting idea that is dumbed down for the sake of action and effects will be disappointed.

March of the Penguins (La Marche de l'empereur) ***1/2
Narrator: Morgan Freeman
Director: Luc Jacquet
Running Length: 1:20
MPAA Classification: G

"March of the Penguins" spends a year in the life of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica. It begins in March, as winter nears, and the penguins emerge from the ocean to begin their 70 mile journey across the ice to the mating grounds. Once there, they pair up and will be faithful to each other for the duration of the season. The female lays the egg, the male keeps it warm. Then the females return to the water to get food. Upon their return, the eggs have hatched, and it is the males turn to go get food. The couple continue on this path until the chicks are developed enough to be left on their own. By then, nine months have passed, and the penguins will return to the sea to enjoy themselves for three months before starting all over again.

"March of the Penguins" is an entertaining and interesting documentary. Narrated by Morgan Freeman (who could narrate movies for a living), "Penguins" is a tale of love and adventure that is both at times funny and sad. The camerawork is impressive, inserting the viewer right into the lives of these penguins. You cannot get much closer to these birds than this movie takes you. If you are looking for something a little different, check out this film. And parents, take your kids...they will love it.

Wedding Crashers ***
Cast: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Christopher Walken, Jane Seymour, Bradley Cooper
Director: David Dobkin
Running Length: 1:56
MPAA Classification: R

John Beckwith (Wilson) and Jeremy Klein (Vaughn) are wedding crashers. At the beginning of "wedding season", they map out plans to hit all the big weddings. They go the the weddings, pretending to be distant relatives of the bride or groom, and soon are partying away at the reception. Of course the ultimate goal is to hook up with a woman, and they do. Over and over again.

After the season is over, they are presented with a bonus round. The oldest daughter of William Cleary (Walken), Secretary of the Treasury is getting married. They are successful, and soon John finds himself falling for the bride's sister Claire (McAdams). On the down side, Jeremy finds himself stalked by the other sister, Gloria (Fisher). When the secretary takes a liking to the boys, he invites them to a private party for the weekend. John is excited, Jeremy is not, and soon both meet Claire's fiancee Sack (Cooper).

"Wedding Crashers" is a funny movie. Wilson and Vaughn have the buddy vibe going, and their interactions all seem genuine. They both have their moments to shine, but Vince Vaughn really cranks it up a notch as he tries to avoid Gloria and the gay brother. This movie is similar in tone to the "American Pie" movies as well as comedies from the 1980's. It is a good end of the summer diversion, and will not disappoint fans of the genre. I recommend.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory **1/2
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Johnny Depp, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor, Deep Roy, Christopher Lee, Annasophia Robb, Julia Winter, Jordon Fry, Philip Wiegratz
Director: Tim Burton
Running Length: 1:55
MPAA Classification: PG

Willy Wonka (Depp) has been in seclusion for years. One day, it is announced that Wonka has hidden five golden tickets in the wrappers of five million candy bars to be sold around the world. Those who find the tickets will get a tour of the Wonka candy factory. One by one, the tickets are found, and the winners are announced...Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, Mike Teavee, and finally, Charlie Bucket. The first four are gluttonous, spoiled, an overachiever, and a TV addict respectively. Charlie, on the other hand, is just poor. When the group arrives at the factory, they are all introduced into the the strange world of Willy Wonka. Willy also tells the kids that one of them will get a special surprise.

Johnny Depp plays Willy Wonka with a creepy intensity. To say that he is odd would be an understatement, and most of the time he is acting unexpectedly. The movie itself is a treat for the eyes, as most movies by Tim Burton are. The chocolate factory is filled with wonders, and run by the Oompa Loompas, all played by actor Deep Roy. They steal all the scenes that they are in, providing songs about the childrens' misguided actions.

I have read that Roald Dahl's family is endorsing it, and can't help but think that most people will like it, especially if they liked the original. Unfortunately for me, I found the movie only slightly less annoying than the original. So, while I can say that it is an improvement, I can't say that it did much for me.

Dark Water ***
Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Ariel Gade, John C. Reilly, Pete Postlethwaite, Tim Roth, Dougray Scott, Camryn Manheim
Director: Walter Salles
Running Length: 1:49
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Dahlia (Connelly) and her daughter Ceci (Grade) have just moved into a ninth-floor apartment on Roosevelt Island. Dahlia is in the midst of a custody battle, and the apartment is very close to one of the best schools in the New York City area. It is also very affordable, and that is not surprising given how gloomy the place looks. Kyle (Scott), her ex, wants sole custody since he believes Dahlia is an unfit mother.

The only problem with the apartment is a leak in the ceiling dripping black water. The handyman won't fix it and Dalhia wonders why. At the same time Ceci makes an imaginary friend who may not be as imaginary as she seems. And the water keeps dripping...

"Dark Water" is more of a thriller than a horror movie, despite what the previews may want you to believe. If you go into it expecting horror, you will probably be disappointed, and that would be a shame. "Dark Water" is a smart movie whose twists and turns make sense and follow from what has gone before. Jennifer Connelly is solid as the mom who just wants what is best for her daughter, but has issues of her own to deal with. The supporting cast of John C. Reilly and Pete Postlethwaite as the apartment manager and handyman respectively deliver excellent smaller performances. "Dark Water" is a good thriller and is worth checking out.

Fantastic Four ***
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington
Director: Tim Story
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Reed Richards (Gruffudd), Sue Storm (Alba), Ben Grimm (Chiklis), Johnny Storm (Evans), and Victor Von Doom (McMahon) embark upon a mission to Von Doom's space station to study the effects of cosmic rays on living material. Reed's motives are the good of humanity, Victor's are profit, and he already has squeezed out 75% of the proceeds for himself. They are supposed to be protected by the space station, but when things goe wrong, they are all exposed to the radiation. Their DNA is significantly altered, and they soon find themselves with super powers.

Reed, Mr. Fantastic, becomes elastic. Sue, the Invisible Woman, can turn invisible and manipulate force fields. Ben, the Thing, becomes rock-like with immense strength. Johnny, the Human Torch, can ignite himself at will and even fly. Victor, Dr. Doom, goes to the dark side with his ability to manipulate electricity and his development of a metal skin. They must all deal with this adjustment, contemplate changing themselves back, and facing off against each other four vs. one.

The greatest weakness of "FF" is that it is an origin story. Most viewers will want to see some action right away. Die hard fans of the comic will be dismayed at the alteration of Dr. Doom's origins. In fact, the origin IS the story, culminating in the big battle to end the film.
While no where as good as "Batman Begins" or "Spider-Man 2", "FF" carves out its own niche in the superhero movie world. True to the comics, the story is mostly lighter in tone with the inter-character humor that fans will expect. It is an enjoyable popcorn film that does not strive to be more than it is.

Acting wise, the cast is pretty good. Michael Chiklis steals every scene as Ben, weather he is human looking or rocky looking. He also provides the most moving of stories. After all, his world is turned upside down by his transformation, and not in a good way. Ioan Gruffudd is capable as the somewhat boring Reed Richards. And Chris Evans is perfect as the wisecracking Johnny Storm. The interaction between Ben and Johnny is priceless at times, and is very true to the source material.

"FF" is a thoroughly entertaining movie that can be seen by the whole family, and can be enjoyed by all. That is more than can be said for most of the other movies out there right now, and that works greatly in its favor. Hopefully, with this origin story out of the way, any sequels can dive right into the action that many viewers crave. Give it a chance, and I think you will be pleased.

War of the Worlds ***
Cast: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Tim Robbins Miranda Otto
Director: Steven Spielberg
Running Length: 1:57
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Average guy Ray Ferrier (Cruise) is just getting by. His blue collar job is enough to give him a very modest house in an OK neighborhood. After work one day, his ex-wife drops off the kids, Rachel (Fanning) and Robbie (Chatwin), for a weekend visit. He is a poor parent, and it is quickly evident.

When strange lightning strikes awaken long buried alien tripods, the world turns to chaos, and Ray and his family must run for their lives before they are vaporized with the rest of the city. The aliens are unstoppable, bringing destruction to every area the encounter, and things seem grim for humanity.

Speilberg set out to create the "event movie" of the summer, and is somewhat successful. Speilberg has yet to make a bad movie, and this one falls somewhere in the upper-middle of his resume. "War of the Worlds" provides almost non-stop action and amazing special effects. The story has been brought to modern times, but stays faithful otherwise to the source material. Told almost exclusively from Ray's point of view, we see what the average person would see in this situation. Of course, Ray gets up close and personal with some of the aliens, so there is plenty of action. The weakest point of the movie is the ending, but to be fair, it is true to the novel.

"War of the Worlds" pretty much delivers everything you would expect going in, and is a very entertaining summer movie. It is a hard PG-13 though, just missing an R rating for the violence. If you are looking for an entertaining popcorn movie, this is a good bet.

THE 13 BEST MOVIES I SAW IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2005
1. Crash ****
2. Batman Begins ****
3. Million Dollar Baby **** (from 2004)
4. Hotel Rwanda **** (from 2004)
5. Sin City ***1/2
6. Cinderella Man ***1/2
7. The Aviator ***1/2 (from 2004)
8. Mr. and Mrs. Smith ***1/2
9. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ***1/2
10. High Tension (Haute tension) ***1/2
11. Robots ***1/2
12. The Jacket ***
13. The Interpreter ***