I Am Legend ***
Cast: Will Smith
Director: Francis Lawrence
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

The year is 2012, and Dr. Robert Neville (Smith) may be the last man on Earth. He is partially responsible for a cancer cure that mutated and turned humans into beings that cannot stand sunlight and crave blood. Neville is lonely, and only has his dog Sam for a friend. During the day, he searches for food and supplies, and works on trying to cure this awful disease. At night, he locks himself away in his house and hides from the horrors that wander the streets. One day, he gets sloppy, and his world becomes worse.

Will Smith carries this movie full on his back. Acting alone or with only a dog, he is the reason to see this movie. Like Tom Hanks in “Castaway” or John Cusack in “1408”, he gives a solid performance all on his own. Visually, “I Am Legend” is mostly excellent. A desolate New York City is well rendered and eerie. The monsters, on the other hand, mostly look like the work of CGI. That’s a shame because CGI wasn’t really needed for them. The story does differ from the classic novel by Richard Matheson, and while the ending isn’t a total cop-out, it is a bit disappointing. On its own merits, “I Am Legend” works pretty well and is worth checking out.

The Golden Compass ***
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Ben Walker, Ian McKellan (voice), Eva Green, Jim Carter, Sam Elliott, Freddie Highmore (voice)
Director: Chris Weitz
Running Length: 1:53
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Lyra Belacqua (Richards) is an orphan. Her only living relative is Lord Asriel (Craig), a powerful and respected man. She lives at a college, and one day Ms. Coulter (Kidman) is there attending a meeting. Ms. Coulter picks Lyra to take a trip with her up north. Although excited to see the ice bears, she is reluctant to leave when her best friend Rober (Walker) is taken away by the Gobblers, a mysterious group of people stealing children. Before she leaves, the Master of Jordan College gives her an alethiometer. She is told it will reveal the truth of things to her, but she must not tell Ms. Coulter about it. When life with Ms. Coulter turns out to not be not what she expected, she runs away to look for her friend Roger. Lyra though, may be the child of the witches’ prophecy, and destined for greater things.

There is more to “The Golden Compass” than this, and it all moves pretty fast. In fact, the film could have used an extra 15-20 minutes of running time to feel less rushed. Religious undertones from the novel have all been removed, and it will be interesting to see how they continue to pull this off if the final two films in the trilogy get made. Richards is good as Lyra, bringing her sassiness and enthusiasm from page to screen successfully. Kidman is perfect as the evil Ms. Coulter. Craig has limited screen time but gets the job done as well. Aside from the running time, the other problem is the lack of an ending. The end was chopped off to give it a happier ending, and presumably the footage will show up in the next film if it gets made. Without it though, the film feels a bit incomplete. “The Golden Compass” is not a movie for everyone, and fans of the book may find themselves disappointed. Still, it is worth seeing.

August Rush **1/2
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Robin Williams, Terrence Howard, Leon G. Thomas III, Jamia Simone Nash, William Sadler
Director: Kirsten Sheridan
Running Length: 1:54
MPAA Classification: PG

Cellist Lyla Novacek (Russell) and rock singer Louis Connelly (Meyers) share a magical night together after just meeting, but circumstances prevent them from meeting the next day. Their paths diverge, but nine months later, Lyla gives birth to a boy. Lyla’s father (Sadler) tells Lyla the child died in childbirth and gives the child up for adoption. Twelve years later, that boy, who will go by the name August Rush (Highmore), is in an orphanage. He runs away to New York, where he discovers he has musical talent. He believes that if he can make his parents hear his music, they will find him.

“August Rush” is hokey, but harmless. It is a nice movie that will be enjoyed by many, but there is not much substance to it. If you can accept that music and fate bind these characters together, your enjoyment level will be higher. In fact, musicians will be more likely to appreciate the film and its love of music. Non-musicians may find it cheesy.

No Country For Old Men ****Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper
Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen
Running Length: 2:02
MPAA Classification: R

Anton Chigurh (Bardem) is a serial killer, wandering Texas and killing indiscriminately. The only thing likely to help one win an encounter with him is winning a coin toss. He is cold blooded and merciless. Moss (Brolin), a welder on a hunting trip, stumbles upon a bunch of dead bodies, a truck full of “Mexican brown” and a suitcase full of money – all that remains of a drug deal gone bad. He takes the cash and runs, but somebody else wants the money. Sheriff Bell (Jones) is the sheriff in the county where Chigurh escapes and where the drug deal went down. They are all on a collision course, and not all of them will be left standing when all is said and done.

“No Country For Old Men” is non-stop relentlessness from beginning to end. The story is great, full of twists that are not at all predictable. The acting is top notch, especially Bardem, whose Chigurh is a terrifying, remorseless killer. He is not someone you would ever want to run into. The direction by the Coen Brothers is some of the best of their careers. This film is a definite Oscar contender on many fronts, and I highly recommend it.

Enchanted ***1/2
Cast: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Susan Sarandon, Idina Menzel, Rachel Covey
Director: Kevin Lima
Running Length: 1:47
MPAA Classification: PG

In the animated world of Andalasia, Giselle (Adams) dreams of falling in love with a prince. Fortunately, Prince Edward (Marsden) falls in love with her the moment he sees her. Of course, Edward’s evil step-mother, Queen Narissa (Sarandon) is not happy with the match, and banishes her to New York City – the real world. With the help of Nathaniel (Spall) and a talking chipmunk, Edward goes on a quest to return Giselle to their world. In the real world, Giselle is a fish-out-of-water who is rescued from wandering the streets by Robert (Dempsey), a single parent who doesn’t believe her story but is too nice to just leave her. If Edward is able to find her, she may have to decide who really is her true prince.

“Enchanted” is a great movie, capturing the spirit of Disney’s princess movies. Amy Adams is adorable as Giselle. She clearly has done her homework, and has the mannerisms down pat. She looks and acts like she just stepped out of a Disney cartoon. She is the reason that this movie is as good as it is. The rest of the cast fill their roles nicely. Marsden is good as the dopey prince, and Sarandon gets to have some fun as the evil Queen. “Enchanted” is an enjoyable film, and I highly recommend it.

The Mist ***1/2Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Toby Jones, Laurie Holden, Frances Sternhagen, Andre Braugher, Nathan Gamble, William Sadler, Alexa Davalos
Director: Frank Darabont
Running Length: 2:05
MPAA Classification: R

After a bad storm that puts a tree through his studio window, David Drayton (Jane), his son Billy (Gamble), and neighbor Brent (Braugher) head into town to get some supplies from the supermarket. Once there, the mist that they saw rolling across the lake has made it into town and engulfs the store. The terror level is upped when a man runs into the store with blood on his face, screaming that there is something out there. Indeed, there is, and soon those trapped in the store see what it is. To make matters worse, a religious fanatic by the name of Mrs. Carmody (Harden) is stirring up some of the customers with her talk of the end of the world. David finds himself looked to for guidance, and when things seem to be as bad as they can be, things get worse.

Director Frank Darabont takes another stab at a Stephen King story, this time a horror story, and succeeds quite well. Like “The Shawshank Redemprion” and “The Green Mile”, “The Mist” is a faithful adaptation of the source material, with an added on ending that may or may not work for viewers. I, for one, enjoy endings of this nature, but am not sure that it was the right ending to tack on the end of this particular story. The acting is solid all around, especially Marcia Gay Harden as the disturbing Mrs. Carmody. The film has its share of monsters, but the scariest ones are inside the store, not outside it. “The Mist” works because it is a smart thriller, directed by an excellent director. I recommend this film.