Vantage Point **
Cast: Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Eduardo Noriega, Edgar Ramirez, Said Taghmaoui, Ayelet Zurer, Sigourney Weaver
Director: Pete Travis
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG-13

At an anti-terrorism summit in Spain, an assassination attempt is made on President Ashton (Hurt). After the president is shot, chaos reigns. During the pandemonium, there is a distant explosion followed by one in the arena. Secret service agent Thomas Barnes (Quaid) must find the assassin before its too late.

The movie’s hook is that is shows the events from multiple points of view. First, through the eyes of a news broadcast, then through Barnes’ eyes. Next is a police officer’s (Noriega) point of view, a tourist’s (Whitaker), and then the President’s. There is backtracking to show perspectives from the same starting point, and each point of view takes the story a little further into the future.

“Vantage Point” has two large drawbacks. First, the very nature of the film reduces all the roles to extended cameos. None of the characters feel like the focus of the film, and none have any real development. Quaid and Hurt do what they can, but they aren’t given much to work with. The other problem is that for a movie built around the novelty of seeing the characters’ point of view, they abandon that approach in the last 30 minutes, reverting back to a “normal” movie. What does work is the level of intensity that is maintained through much of the film. There is enough action to make one forget about some of the absurdities of the plot as well. Overall, this was a movie that could have been better with some tweaking.

Jumper **1/2
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane, Michael Rooker, AnnaSophia Robb, Max Thieriot
Director: Doug Liman
Running Length: 1:28
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Nerdy high schooler David Rice (Thieriot) really likes Millie (Robb). One day, when trying to give her a gift, the local bully intervenes and tosses the gift into a frozen river. When attempting to recover the gift, David falls through and is trapped. At least, he is until he teleports into the middle of the Ann Arbor library. Everyone believes him to be dead, and he sees it as a chance to start over. He hones his skills as well. To get some money, he robs a bank, and that is when NSA agent Roland (Jackson) notices him. Roland doesn’t like “jumpers.” As an adult, David (Christensen) lives a good life. He returns home to see Millie (Bilson), and she notices that something is different about him. He also finds out he is not alone. There are other “jumpers” that are being hunted by “paladins” whose only desire is to kill them. When Roland finds David, David is in for the fight of his life, because Roland is out for blood.

“Jumper” is an interesting idea that is poorly executed. Christensen has proven himself to be a wooden actor, and this is no exception. He is a poor choice for David. The action and the effects are top notch. The origin story is well told, and I’m not a fan of origin stories. The powers and the war between jumpers and paladins is left vague enough to make you want more. The biggest problem with the movie (aside from Christensen’s acting) is the fact that the movie doesn’t end so much as it just stops. The last five minutes leave a nasty taste in your mouth as David confronts one of the bad guys and is given a head start. He decides to take a leisurely direction even though he is still the hunted. Clearly, “Jumper” is set up for a sequel, but when that sequel is not a given, a movie needs to provide some closure. This is one to wait for on DVD.

Complete list of 80th annual Academy Award winners:

Best Picture:
No Country for Old Men

Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Actress:
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Supporting Actress:
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Director:
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

Foreign Film:
The Counterfeiters, Austria

Adapted Screenplay:
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

Original Screenplay:
Diablo Cody, Juno

Animated Feature Film:
Ratatouille

Art Direction:
Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Cinematography:
There Will Be Blood

Sound Mixing:
The Bourne Ultimatum

Sound Editing:
The Bourne Ultimatum

Original Score:
Atonement, Dario Marianelli

Original Song:
Falling Slowly from Once, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

Costume:
Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Documentary Feature:
Taxi to the Dark Side

Documentary (short subject):
Freeheld

Film Editing:
The Bourne Ultimatum

Makeup:
La Vie en Rose

Animated Short Film:
Peter & the Wolf

Live Action Short Film:
Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)

Visual Effects:
The Golden Compass

The Spiderwick Chronicles ***1/2
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary-Louise Parker, David Strathairn, Joan Plowright, Nick Nolte, Martin Short (voice), Seth Rogen (voice)
Director: Mark Waters
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG

Helen Grace (Parker) and her kids Mallory (Bolger) and twins Jared and Simon (both Highmore) are starting fresh after Helen’s separation from the kids’ father. They are moving into the Spiderwick Estate, a mansion that Helen inherited from her Aunt Lucinda (Plowwright). The estate has an interesting history though. 80 years ago, Arthur Spiderwick (Strathairn) wrote a “field guide” to the world around him. This guide includes all kinds of fantastical creatyres. By writing it, he unleashed some terrible forces and now an army of goblins is amassing. Led by the ogre Mulgrath (Nolte), they seek to take the book away from the protection of the house. The kids are all that stands between Mulgrath and world domination.

“The Spiderwick Chronicles” is a surprisingly well done movie. For a movie that covers five books, there isn’t a feeling that much was lost in the translation. There is a lot of action that keeps the moving quickly. The child actors do a good job in the roles, especially Highmore in dual roles. The story is not complex, but is not simple either. Plus, it deals with serious issues like divorce, a topic that many kids will relate to. “The Spiderwick Chronicles” is an excellent move for kids from about 6-7 on up to adults. I highly recommend this film.

Definitely, Maybe ***
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Derek Luke, Kevin Kline
Director: Adam Brooks
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Will Hayes (Reynolds) is almost divorced. After picking up his daughter, Maya (Breslin), they head to his house where she asks him to tell her the story of how he and her mother met. Her hope is that his memories will deter him from signing the divorce paperwork. He agrees, but decides to change the names of those in the story so that Maya will have to guess who her mom is. The three main choices are Emily (Banks), Summer (Weisz), and April (Fisher). Emily is Will’s college sweetheart, Summer is Emily’s ex-lover, and April is a co-worker at the Clinton campaign.

“Definitely, Maybe” is a surprisingly good romantic comedy. The reason it really works though, is because of the uncertainty of who Will will end up with. It isn’t your typical romantic comedy. Even if you pick out who Maya’s mom is, you may not predict the ending. The trio of actresses are all good in there roles, and manage to help Reynolds along. Kevin Kline even turns up for a scene stealing role as Summer’s professor/lover. “Definitely, Maybe” is a solid date movie that will be enjoyed by both men and women. I recommend it.

There Will Be Blood ****
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Dillon Freasier, Ciarán Hinds, Kevin J. O'Connor
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Running Length: 2:38
MPAA Classification: R

In 1898, Daniel Plainview (Lewis) is digging in the ground, searching for a gold. Instead, he finds oil. Years later, he has a team working for him to pump the oil. When one of that team is killed in an accident, Daniel takes the man’s son as his own. By 1912, Daniel is a well-known oil man. He follows up a lead in California, only to find himself at odds with the evangelist preacher Eli Sunday (Dano). Sunday wants $10,000 for the church before he sells the land. After a contract is signed, Daniel reneges on the deal, and the church is left without the money. An enemy is formed. As Daniel continues his rise in the oil industry, the more corrupt he becomes.

“There Will Be Blood” is a fascinating character study. Daniel is many things: friendly, ruthless, kind, violent, manipulative, and charismatic. He knows how to get what he wants, and rises from nothing into a wealthy businessman. Daniel Day Lewis is excellent in this part and is the film’s biggest selling point. He makes a long movie pass quickly. The film itself is fascinating, showing the rise and fall of an oil tycoon. The ending may turn some off, but I find it appropriate given what has gone before it. I highly recomment “There Will Be Blood”. It is easy to see why this is an Oscar favorite.

Fool’s Gold **
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Alexis Dziena, Ewan Bremmer, Ray Winstone, Kevin Hart
Director: Andy Tennant
Running Length: 1:52
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Finn (McConaughey) is looking for a lost Spanish Galleon in the Caribbean. He believes he has found the location, and has it marked by his own sunk ship. He enlists the help of his ex-wife, Tess (Hudson), who is intrigued until she finds he has no real proof of the Spanish ship’s location. Fate puts them together again on the boat of multi-millionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Sutherland) and his daughter, Gemma (Dziena). He is fascinated by Finn’s stories, and wants to help him find the treasure. Also looking to find the treasure are Moe (Winstone), Finn’s old mentor and gangster rapper Bigg Bunny (Hart), who Finn owes money to.

“Fool’s Gold” is a moderately entertaining film. McConaughey and Hudson are trying to recapture the chemistry from “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days” with moderate success. Sutherland is sporting a poor English accent. Dziena stands out because her character is so incredibly stupid. She seems to steal the scenes she is in. The action is pretty good, especially in the last half hour. Overall, “Fool’s Gold” is forgettable though. Check this out on DVD if you must.

Untraceable **1/2
Cast: Diane Lane, Billy Burke, Colin Hanks, Joseph Cross
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Running Length: 1:40
MPAA Classification: R

When the website Killwithme starts up and shows the cruel killing of a kitten, FBI agents Jennifer Marsh (Lane) and Griffin Dowd (Hanks) are on the case. They work for the cybercrime division of the FBI, and are skilled at tracking down criminals over the internet. One week later, the site is back up, this time with a human being tortured. To make matters worse, the more traffic the site gets, the quicker the victim dies. The killer has somehow made the site untraceable, and the FBI can’t stop it and as the public finds out about it, it gets more and more visitors. Soon, the killer’s game becomes personal, and if Marsh cannot stop him, she might be the next victim.

“Untraceable” is an average thriller with moments of greatness. It starts out well, but spirals downward as it progresses. That’s not to say it is bad though, just that it could have been better. Clearly the movie is criticizing the type of material available for viewing on the internet. That being said, the director has no problem showing the audience exactly what he seems to be rallying against. Sometimes less is more, and this would have been a good opportunity to leave things to the imagination rather than providing torture scenes worth of a “Saw” movie. Again, this is not a bad movie, just one that is flawed and could have been better. Wait for the DVD.

Cloverfield ***
Cast: Michael Stahl-David, Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan, T.J. Miller, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman
Director: Matt Reeves
Running Length: 1:18
MPAA Classification: PG-13

All is well at the going away party for Rob (Stahl-David). The next day he is heading to Japan, but tonight he is having fun with his friends. Those closest to him are his brother Jason (Vogel), Lily (Lucas), Marlena (Caplan), and Hud (Miller). Hud is videotaping the events when all hell breaks loose outside in downtown New York. Buildings fall down, others explode, and the Statue of Liberty’s head comes rolling down the street. Hud keeps the camera rolling because “people will want to know what happened.” Soon it becomes apparent that the source of the commotion is a giant monster that is scared and apparently immune to anything the army uses against it. Rob and his gang must rescue Rob’s crush Beth (Yustman) and get out of town before the army takes extreme action.

“Cloverfield” is “Godzilla” meets “The Blair Witch Project”. The hand-held camera approach brings a fresh experience to the monster in a big city story. Some may dislike the jittery camerawork, but it adds an immediacy to the story and makes you feel like you are in it. The movie doesn’t cheat either with shots of the monster. It is shown in all its ugly glory a number of times from a distance and very close up. It is like no movie monster previously, and it is a scared creature making its way through a strange world. And that only makes him more dangerous. “Cloverfield” is a fresh take on an old story, and I recommend checking it out.