Transformers ***1/2
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Anthony Andersen, Jon Voight, John Turturro
Director: Michael Bay
Running Length: 2:15
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Sam Witwicky (LeBeouf) has graduated from school, and his dad decides to buy him a car. That car turns out to be a robot named Bumblebee, who is searching for Sam’s grandfather’s glasses. The glasses contain a clue to where the Allspark, the Transformers’ cube of power that allows the creation of life, is. Bumblebee is one of the good guys, and soon he is fighting off the evil Decepticons, who want to use this cube to take over the Earth. Led by Optimus Prime (Cullen), the Autobots must fight off the Decepticons and save the Earth with the help of Sam and his girlfriend (Fox).

“Transformers” is based on the 20 year old toy line. I loved Transformers as a kid, and the thought of a movie intrigued me. The thought of Michael Bay directing terrified me. But I was hopeful. Fortunately, “Transformers” turned out to be a pretty faithful adaptation of the toy line and cartoon from the 1980s. Michael Bay, a terrible director for the most part, is well suited for the shoot ‘em up, special effects heavy movie. This is easily his best film. “Transformers” delivers the action and effects, but most surprisingly, it is funny. It is absolutely great to hear the voice of Peter Cullen coming out of Optimus Prime. (He voiced him in the cartoon series). Shia LaBeouf continues his climb up the ladder of stardom by giving a good performance in a movie that executive producer Steven Speilberg says is just about “a boy and his car”. “Transformers” is one of the bigger surprises of the year, and is a film that can be enjoyed by all. If you are looking for a great summer popcorn flick, I highly recommend “Transformers”.

The 15 Best Movies I Saw in the First Half of 2007
1. The Queen **** (from 2006)
2. Babel **** (from 2006)
3. Zodiac ***1/2
4. Notes on a Scandal ***1/2 (from 2006)
5. 1408 ***1/2
6. 300 ***1/2
7. Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno) ***1/2 (from 2006)
8. The Last King of Scotland ***1/2 (from 2006)
9. Knocked Up ***1/2
10. Ocean's Thirteen ***1/2
11. Live Free or Die Hard ***1/2
12. Spider-Man 3 ***1/2
13. Ratatouille ***1/2
14. Grindhouse ***1/2
15. Vacancy ***1/2

Ratatouille ***1/2
Cast (voices): Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn, Peter O'Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo
Director: Brad Bird
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: G

Remy (Oswalt) is a rat who wants to be a chef. He has refined senses and refuses to eat the garbage that other rats eat. They use him as a “poison detector”, a job which he despises. One day, he meets Linguini (Romono), a janitor at Gusteau’s, a famous Paris restaurant. Hiding under his hat, Remi can manipulate Linguini into creating amazing dishes. Soon, everyone is talking about this new chef, but the chef whose position he has usurped (Holm) wants revenge. Renowned food critic Anton Ego (O’Toole) is also reviewing the restaurant, and Remi and Linguini may be in over their heads.

“Ratatouille” is the latest in the string of great movies from Pixar. It’s a notch below last year’s “Cars”, but still better than the majority of animated movies that have come out in the last decade. The humor works on two levels as has become Pixar’s standard. Kids and adults alike will enjoy this film. The voice talents are mostly lesser names, and that works fine; they all suit their characters. “Ratatouille” is a great film that young and old can enjoy together.

Live Free or Die Hard ***1/2
Cast: Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Long, Maggie Q, Kevin Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Director: Len Wiseman
Running Length: 2:10
MPAA Classification: PG-13

When cyberterrorist Thomas Gabriel (Olyphant) begins to take down America’s computer systems, John McClane (Willis) gets the call from his superiors to pick up programmer Matt Farrell (Long). Farrell has some idea of what Gabriel has done, and all of Farrell’s colleagues have been killed. Farrell is the last hope to stop Gabriel. Of course, McClane is not the only one out to find him. Gabriel’s goons are looking to finish him off before he can be of any help to the authorities. McClane foils their plans repeatedly, and as Farrell gets closer to shutting Gabriel down, Gabriel kidnaps McClane’s daughter Lucy (Winstead) to use as leverage. Of course, putting McClane’s family members in danger has never really worked well for terrorists before.

After twelve years, John McClane is back. He is a older and a bit more hardened, but it is good to see him again. I forgot how much I liked the “Die Hard” movies, and seeing McClane again was like seeing an old friend. Bruce Willis still seems at home playing him, and I have a feeling that this movie will breathe new life into the franchise. Olyphant is good as the bad guy, and Long gets the job done as the sidekick, although he may have a hard time living down those Mac commercials. The story is scary enough to make you worry it could happen, but over the top enough to just be a bit too ridiculous. All in all it is good fun though. Those worring about the PG-13 rating watering down this R-rated franchise should not worry. Nothing is lost. I highly recommend this film as one of the best action movies of the summer.

1408 ***1/2
Cast: John Cusack, Mary McCormack, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: Mikael Håfström
Running Length: 1:34
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Mike Enslin (Cusack) makes his living by writing about haunted houses. He is a skeptic, and his writings chronicle the lack of ghosts in these haunted places. Next on his agenda is room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel in New York. The room is a prime prospect for him. The hotel has been around for almost 100 years and 56 people have died in the room. The manager of the hotel (Jackson) strongly advises Enslin not to go into the room, but Enslin persists and soon finds himself in 1408 for the night. Soon, he finds that he may have made a mistake, but my then the room will not let him go.

“1408” is probably the best horror movie I have seen in a while. It is even proof that a good horror movie can be made with a PG-13 rating. This is all due to then fine acting provided by John Cusack, who must carry the movie all by himself for the majority of the film’s running time. Jackson is good in his small role as the hotel’s manager, but this is Cusack’s movie. Based on the short story by Stephen King, this film is easily one of the best based on King’s work. I highly recommend this film.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer ***
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chilkis, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Andre Braugher, Laurence Fishburne (voice), Doug Jones
Director: Tim Story
Running Length: 1:32
MPAA Classification: PG

Reed Richards (Gruffud) and Sue Storm (Alba) are getting married, or at least trying to. Extraterrestrial intervention, in the form of the Silver Surfer (Jones, voice of Fishburne), stops the wedding and threatens the very existence of the Earth. The Surfer’s arrival also awakens Dr. Doom (McMahon), and soon he is helping the Fantastic Four to stop the Surfer, although he has plans of his own. When the Surfer’s master, Galactus, arrives, the Fantastic Four must fight Doom, convince the Surfer that they deserve to live, and stop Galactus from eating the planet.

The Fantastic Four are a more light hearted superheroes than the X-Men or Batman, but that is not a bad thing. Like the first movie, this one is child friendly and entertaining in a lighter way. The gang from the first movie are all back for a second go at things, and they seem more comfortable in their roles. The Surfer is a cool looking character that is more than he seems, and the action is a little more impressive this time around. “Rise” does enough things right that the mistakes are easier to take. The exception might be the anti-climactic ending, but I don’t know how that could have been handled differently. All in all, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” is an entertaining addition to the Marvel movie world.

Ocean’s Thirteen ***1/2
Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin, Carl Reiner, Eddie Izzard, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Running Length: 2:02
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his gang are back, this time to get revenge against Willie Bank (Pacino). Bank has screwed over Reuben Tishkoff (Gould), and taken his land and money to build a new casino, causing Reuben to have a heart attack. The gang, led by Ocean, Rusty Ryan (Pitt), and Linus Caldwell (Damon), decide to put the new casino deep into the red and steal Bank’s diamonds.

“Ocean’s 13” is a vast improvement over “12” and on par with “11”, if not a little better. The cast know their characters so well by this point and have a great chemistry. You know that they had fun making this movie, and it shows. The action is minimum, but interest is sustained through following their plan as it comes to fruition. There are some twists, but nothing earth-shattering. Mostly, this is a chance to see good actors doing their thing. Fans of this series will not be disappointed, and although director Steven Soderbergh says this is the last one, I can’t help but hope that he changes his mind.

Knocked Up ***1/2
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Martin Starr
Director: Judd Apatow
Running Length: 2:08
MPAA Classification: R

Alison Scott (Heigl) is an up-and-comer who has just received a promotion at the E! Entertainment network, and will now be doing on-air interviews. Ben Stone (Rogan) is a slacker who watches movies for nude scenes so he can post the info on a Mr. Skin-type website he and his buddies are creating. He also likes to smoke pot and just hang out. Alison’s and Ben’s paths cross on the night of her promotion, and after a few drinks have a one night stand. Two months later, their misunderstanding they had about condom use, comes back to haunt them as Alison discovers she is pregnant. Ben and Alison decide to give it a shot and get to know each other, since either way, their lives are now entwined.

Director Judd Apatow’s follow up to “The 40-Year Old Virgin” shows that he is a gifter writer and director. “Knocked Up” has all the charm of his first film, and is excellent. Heigl and Rogan are a cute couple, and have great chemistry. Rogan is hilarious as usual, and this could very well be a breakout role for him. The rest of the cast is pulled from Apatow’s previous works “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared”. His wife and kids are even in the film, and it is obvious these people all enjoy working together. “Knocked Up” is a rare movie that will satisfy both men and women. I highly recommend this film. It is probably the funniest movie out there since “The 40-Year Old Virgin”, and well worth your time.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End **1/2
Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Chow Yun-Fat, Jack Davenport, Bill Nighy, Jonathan Pryce, Kevin R. McNally, Tom Hollander, Naomie Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Lee Arenberg, Mackenzie Crook
Director: Gore Verbinski
Running Length: 2:48
MPAA Classification: PG-13

At the end of “Dead Man’s Chest”, the pirates resolved to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) from Davy Jones’ Locker. Wih the help of Captain Sao Feng (Yun-Fat), Will Turner (Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Knightley), and the newly resurrected Captain Barbossa (Rush) travel to the Locker to retrieve Jack so they can attend a meeting of the Nine Lords of the Bretheren to come up with a plan to fight Davy Jones (Nighy) and Lord Cutler Beckett (Hollander), who control the seas.

“At World’s End” feels just like “Dead Man’s Chest” (makes sense since they were filmed together) which felt just like “Curse of the Black Pearl”. What was fresh and new isn’t anymore. The biggest difference between all these movies, is that “At World’s End” is the longest. In fact, it is way too long, and that hurts the film immensely. The charm of Jack Sparrow is beginning to wear thin, and a break from this franchise would probably help in the long run. Completists will want to see the third adventure of these pirates, but “At World’s End” is disappointing, and that is a shame for a series that started out as something new and fresh.

Shrek the Third **1/2
Cast (voices): Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Evert, Justin Timberlake, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Eric Idle
Directors: Chris Miller, Raman Hui
Running Length: 1:33
MPAA Classification: PG

King Harold (Cleese) is dying, and names Shrek (Myers) as his heir. Shrek wants none of that, and sets out to find Arthur (Timberlake). Aided by Donkey (Murphy) and Puss ‘n Boots (Banderas), he finds Arthur only to discover he is a bit of a loser. Meanwhile, back in Far Far Away, Prince Charming (Evert) stages a coup, imprisioning Fiona (Diaz), Queen Lillian (Andrews), Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and others. Shrek has his work cut out for him.

“Shrek the Third” is move of the same. There is nothing remotely new about this installment of the franchise. It exists only to make money, and will make a lot of it. But, the story feels tired this time around. Sure, it is good to see the familiar characters once again, but they give us nothing new. Adults may be bored, but children will probably love it (my nephew did). I really cannot recommend this film though.

Hot Fuzz ***1/2
Cast: Simon Pegg, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Nick Frost
Director: Edgar Wright
Running Length: 2:03
MPAA Classification: R

Nicholas Angel (Pegg) is a perfect cop. So go that he has been transferred from London to the town of Sandford. He is making them look bad, and they want him out of their hair. Upon arrival, he brings big city justice to the small town, until his superior, Inspector Frank Butterman (Broadbent) encourages him to relax a bit. Angel is partnered with the inspector’s son, Danny (Frost), an enthusiastic cop who isn’t really that good. He is fascinated with Angel and the stories he shares. A sudden rash of deaths in Sandford are put off by the inspector as accidents, but Angel fears something more is happening, and feels that Simon Skinner (Dalton), the local grocery store owner, is behind it. Angel must get to the bottom of what is going on in Sandford, and find out if Skinner really is the bad guy.

“Hot Fuzz” is an excellent and very funny movie. Pegg and Frost are hilarious together, playing off each other with ease. There is a long setup that pays off with a final 30 minutes packed with action. “Hot Fuzz” lampoons the action genre with great skill, and unlike most action movies, there is real character development that makes us care for the duo at the heart of the movie. Dalton, as the apparent bad guy, seems to be savoring every moment of his screen time. He is delightfully evil, and about as far from his James Bond days as he has ever been. The supporting cast is also excellent. The only drawback is that the movie runs a little too long. Still, those looking for a smart, funny action-comedy will not be disappointed with “Hot Fuzz”.

Spider-Man 3 ***1/2
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, James Cromwell
Director: Sam Raimi
Running Length: 2:20
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Things are great for Peter Parker (Maguire). Everybody loves Spider-Man and Mary Jane (Dunst) is starring in a Broadway musical. The only negative is Harry (Franco), who is still angry over the death of his father, and holds Peter responsible. He has found his father’s hidden supply of weapons and is ready to make Peter’s life hell. Meanwhile, Flint Marko (Church) has escaped prison, and while fleeing gets caught in an experiment that turns him into the Sandman. Finally, a parasitic creature from space has infected Spider-Man’s suit, giving him stronger powers and making him more aggressive. Spider-Man must fight enemies both external and internal to save New York and his beloved Mary Jane.

While better than the original “Spider-Man”, “3” is falls short of the greatness of “2”. That was somewhat expected, I think, as “2” did everything right and would be almost impossible to top. “3” has two main problems. The first is length. It is too long, but ironically with all the story crammed in there it almost feels rushed at times. Given what happens in the film, I don’t know what could have been trimmed. This rushed storytelling results in the poor development of Venom. Even unrushed, there are a number of coincidences that have to be accepted to allow for his development, but rushed they really feel forced and unnatural at times. The good news is that the action and resolution of continuing storylines makes the film quite enjoyable. The actors know their characters inside and out, and it is hard to imagine anyone else in these roles after all these years.

“3” isn’t the best of the lot, but it does allow the series to go out on a high note. Or at least it lets these actors go out well. There will certainly be more movies, regardless of Sam Raimi and the cast’s involvement, that is sure. “Spider-Man 3” is a great summer action film, and highly enjoyable despite its flaws. I recommend seeing this film.

Next **1/2
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, Thomas Kretschmann
Director: Lee Tamahori
Running Length: 1:36
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Cris Johnson (Cage) can see two minutes into his future. It helps him avoid things he wants to avoid, and excel in things he wants to excel in. His gift also lets him look more than two minutes ahead into the life of Liz (Biel), a woman he has never met. While he is searching her out, FBI agent Callie Ferris (Moore) is tracking him. She knows what he can do, and needs his help to stop a nuclear bomb from destroying Los Angeles.

“Next” could have been so much better. In fact, for the most part, it is better. The twist in the last ten minutes of the film and the abrupt ending thereafter works to undermine all the good stuff that has gone on before. In fact, without those last ten minutes, this probably would have been a 3 ½ star review. People generally like or hate Nicholas Cage, with little grey area. I fall into the former category, and appreciate his off the wall take on most characters he plays. He is good as Cris, a man haunted by what could happen. Jessica Biel is adequate as the love interest, and Julianne Moore gives her usual good performance. The problem with the movie is its attempt to be clever at the end. While not cheating, it establishes the character of Liz as a mere plot device and robs the audience of a satisfying colclusion. I recommend waiting for DVD to see “Next”.

The Invisible **
Cast: Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Marcia Gay Harden, Chris Marquette
Director: David S. Goyer
Running Length: 1:37
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Nick Powell (Chatwin) is a mopey rich kid. He is moderately popular, and probably less cool than he thinks he is. Still, he leads a pretty good life, even if he feels that he is not taken seriously. One day, he gets on the bad side of Annie Newton (Levieva), a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who is nothing but trouble. Nick gets beaten badly by her thugs, and finds himself invisible to the world, on the brink of death. He has to somehow find a way to have his body found so that he can be saved.

Forget anything you have seen in trailers for this film. They are outright misleading. He is not dead, and more importantly, there is no mystery. Instead, an idea that could have been handled better is badly handled. The film ends up as a depressing mess. The leads are unremarkable, which is a problem with the story in the direction it takes. I was very disappointed with this film, but give it two start because it did manage to do some things right. I think in a better director’s hands, this could have worked a lot better.

Vacancy ***1/2
Cast: Luke Wilson, Kate Beckinsale, Frank Whaley, Ethan Embry
Director: Nimrod Atal
Running Length: 1:22
MPAA Classification: R

While driving home, David Fox (Wilson) swerves to avoid a raccoon. The car is damaged, and he and his soon to be ex-wife Amy (Beckinsale) must stay at the only motel around to wait for the local garage to open the next day. The desk manager (Whaley) is Norman Bates-creepy, and the room leaves much to be desired. Putting a videotape into the VCR in the room, David and Amy are treated to home made snuff films that were made in their hotel room. Soon, masked men are banging on their door, and David and Amy are in for the night of their lives.

At 82 minutes, “Vacancy” is lean and mean. It a tense ride, that does not let up. Wilson and Beckinsale are great as the “any person” couple whose marriage is on the rocks. It is good to see bigger names in a horror movie, and they get the job done soundly. Whaley is excellent as one of the creepiest characters to ever inhabit a horror movie. I would definitely find another place to stay if he was working the front desk at a place I wanted to stay at. This is an above average horror movie that relies more on tension and creepiness than on blood and gore. I think that both fans of the genre and non-fans would enjoy this film. I highly recommend this film.

Fracture ***
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz, Billy Burke
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Running Length: 1:55
MPAA Classification: R

Ted Crawford (Hopkins) shoots his wife Jennifer (Davidtz) in the face. He loves her, but knows that she is having an affair, and cannot allow that to continue. She is in a coma, and he is arrested. But, Crawford has planned ahead, and what looks like an open and shut case – there is a confession and a weapon – is not. Assistant D. A. Willy Beachum (Gosling) is a hot shot who is not used to losing and is on the brink of a new job. He takes the case, and soon finds he may be in over his head as the case falls apart around him.

“Fracture” is an entertaining and engaging film. 95% of that is due to Hopkins and Gosling who both bring their A game. Hopkins’s Crawford is cold and calculating, Gosling’s Beachum is arrogant and cocky, and yet both characters are likeable in their own way. The plan to beat the charge is clever, and there is no real sense of how everything will turn out until the final few minutes. “Fracture” is an enjoyable thriller that succeeds due to the talent of the lead actors. I recommend it.

Disturbia ***
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, Aaron Yoo, Carrie-Anne Moss
Director: D. J. Caruso
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Kale (LaBeouf) is a troubled kid wo, a year after his father’s untimely death, is in court for punching his Spanish teacher. This is not his first bit of trouble, and the judge sentences him to three months under house arrest. He must wear an ankle bracelet that will alert authorities if he is farther away than 100 feet from the signal box. His mother (Moss) cancels his online subscriptions, and all Kale has to do is stare out of his bedroom window. He watches his neighbors’ lives unfold before him. The most interesting are Ashley (Roemer), the new neighbor girl and Mr. Turner (Morse), a man whose care looks like the one reported to have been involved in a kidnapping.

Sure, “Disturbia” is just “Rear Window” for teens. But, it is also a well made, tense thriller. It falters a little at the end when it veers away from the “Rear Window” storyline, but that is to be expected. Shia LaBeouf does a good job as leading man. Get used to seeing him, he will be leading the cast of “Transformers” and also star in “Indiana Jones 4”. David Morse is at his creepy best. Mr. Turner is a sleaze from his first appearance to his last, and as quite memorable. “Disturbia” succeeds as a modernizing of a classic. It is not up to the caliber of “Rear Window”, but it does not disappoint either. I recommend it.

TMNT ***
Cast (voices): Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mako, Patrick Stewart
Director: Kevin Munroe
Running Length: 1:27
MPAA Classification: PG

Leonardo is in South America learning to be a better leader. Raphael and the others are still in Manhattan, but he is distant from Donatello and Michelangelo. He is spending his nights as the Nightwatcher, a superhero who is protecting the city. Soon, strange things start happening, and April O’Neil, friend of the turtles, tries to get them back together to fight this new menace.

Using the live action movies from the 90’s as a vague history, this CGI film jumps right into the story and doesn’t let up until the end. This is my first turtles movie, but I have to think that CGI treats them better than the live action movies did. There are no limits to the fight scenes and camera angles as they bound across the city. “TMNT” was surprisingly good and entertaining. Kids and action fans will not be disappointed.

Grindhouse ***1/2
Cast: Planet Terror: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Bruce Willis, Michael Biehn, Naveen Andrews, Michael Parks; Death Proof: Kurt Rusell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Rose McGowan, Zoe Bell, Tracie Thoms, Kelley Robins
Directors: Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror, trailer: Machete); Quentin Tarantino (Death Proof); Eli Roth (trailer: Thanksgiving); Edgar Wright (trailer: Don't Scream); Rob Zombie (trailer: Werewolf Women of the S.S.)
Running Length: 3:10
MPAA Classification: R

“Grindhouse” is a double feature, paying homage to exploitation films of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Those movies were poorly made, but loved by many and a bit of a guilty pleasure.

“Planet Terror”, directed by Robert Rodriguez, is an end of the world-zombie movie. Cherry (McGowan) has her leg bitten off by zombies and ends up with a machine gun prosthetic. Aided by Wray (Rodriguez), Dakota (Shelton), and a ragtag group of others, they try to get out of town and hopefully to a safe place where there are no zombies.

“Death Proof”, directed by Quentin Tarantino, is a killer movie with Kurt Russell playing stuntman Mike. He likes to pick women up at bars and take them for the ride of their lives. One day, he picks the wrong women to go after, and is in for the surprise of his life.

“Grindhouse” works because it is an homage. If these movies were marked for today’s audiences, they would be destroyed by the critics. Knowing that the directors are in on the joke makes “Grindhouse” a unique and fun experience. Both movies have their strong points and weaknesses, so I have a hard time choosing a favorite. I would just suggest seeing them together, as some theaters have begun to show them separately. This is probably not the best film from either Tarantino or Rodriguez, but I think that it is easily the most fun.

Meet the Robinsons **1/2
Cast (voices): Daniel Hansen, Jordan Fry, Wesley Singerman, Angela Bassett, Stephen J. Anderson, Harland Williams, Adam West, Nicole Sullivan, Tom Selleck
Director: Stephen J. Anderson
Running Length: 1:32
MPAA Classification: G

Lewis is an orphan who enjoys inventing things. Some of them work, but most of them do not. For a science fair, he invents a device to pull memories out of the cerebral cortex and display them on a video screen. On the day of the science fair, the “Bowler Hat Guy” show up and steals it. Soon, Wilbur Anderson appears, claiming to be from the future. He grabs Lewis and takes him 25 years into the future. There, in the future, they must try to stop “Bowler Hat Guy” from destroying the future. Along the way, Lewis discovers what having a family, specifically the Robinsons, means.

“Meet the Robinsons” is an average Disney movie, although on the upper side of average. The animation is not up to Pixar standards, but it does get the job done. The voice talents are adequate, with no major names in the main roles. This serves the movie well for adults, as there is no disconnect between voice and character. Kids will probably enjoy it thoroughly with its bright colors and nice story about family. Adults may be a little bored as the film is geared more toward the younger audience. Or maybe Disney is not up to crafting stories like Pixar can. Either way, it is an entertaining diversion until Pixar takes up the reins again on computer animated films from Disney.

Blades of Glory **1/2
Cast: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Jenna Fischer, William Fichtner, Craig T. Nelson
Directors: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder) are professional ice skaters. They are exact opposites and bitter rivals. Chazz is the bad boy who does things on his own. Jimmy is graceful but without passion. When they tie for a gold medal, the resulting brawl ends up with them being banned for life from the men’s competition. Jimmy’s coach then gets an idea: put them together and enter them in the pairs competition. They would be able to do moves that a man and a woman together never could. They could be unstoppable. The only obstacle in their path is the team of Stranz (Arnett) and Fairchild (Poehler) Van Waldenberg, and they will do anything to remain on top of the pairs competition.

“Blades of Glory” does for figure skating what “Talladega Nights” did for NASCAR. Farrell and Heder have good comedy chemistry, and the skating scenes are the funniest parts of the movie. This is not Will Ferrell’s funniest movie, but does have enough laughs to make a viewing worthwhile, although I would recommend waiting for DVD. Fans of Will Ferrell will not be disappointed, but those expecting nonstop laughs will be.

Shooter ***
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena, Danny Glover, Elias Koteas, Kate Mara, Rhona Mitra, Ned Beatty, Rade Serbedzija
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

Bob Lee Swagger (Wahlberg) is an ex-special ops sharpshooter. Colonel Isaac Johnson (Glover) ventures into the middle of nowhere to find Swagger, and ask for his help. Apparently, someone is planning to assassinate the President soon, and they want Swagger to figure out how to stop the attack. He agrees, but then finds himself framed for the attempt. Soon, he is on the run, relying on help from Sarah (Mara), the girlfriend of his ex-Marine partner and FBI agent Nick Memphis (Pena), both of whom become targets as well.

Despite all the action, “Shooter” has quite a bit of substance, with twists and turns that are unexpected. The movie moves at a fast pace that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. Wahlberg is solid as the ordinary guy Swagger. Danny Glover is very good in his important supporting role as well. If you are looking for a good action movie with some brains, “Shooter” is the movie for you.

The Last Mimzy ***
Cast: Rhiannon Leigh Wryn, Chris O'Neil, Timothy Hutton, Joely Richardson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rainn Wilson, Kathryn Hahn
Director: Bob Shaye
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG

Ten-year old Noah (O’Neil) and his sister Emma (Wryn) discover a black box on the beach when on vacation. The box contains strange items including a stuffed rabbit named Mimzy that speaks to Emma telepathically. They hide the items, and the longer they are exposed to them, the smarter they become. Their parents do not notice, but Noah’s science teacher, Larry White (Wilson), does. Meanwhile, Mimzy is dying and only the kids can save her.

“The Last Mimzy” is an interesting and entertaining family-science fiction film. It is character driven, and does not go over the top on effects. O’Neil and Wryn, the two kids, are excellent in parts that need capable actors. I don’t know that they have been in many movies before this one, but they are solid here. The supporting cast does an adequate job, although Michael Clarke Duncan’s role seems unnecessary. I recommend this film.

Wild Hogs **1/2
Cast: Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, Ray Liotta, Marisa Tomei, Stephen Tobolowsky
Director: Walt Becker
Running Length: 1:39
MPAA Classification: PG-13

The Wild Hogs is a motorcycle gang made up of four middle-aged men. Doug (Allen) is a dentist. Woody (Travolta) is unemployed. Bobby (Lawrence) is a sewage engineer. Dudley (Macy) is a computer engineer. They embark on a road trip to put some excitement into their lives. Along the way, they run into the Del Fuegos, a real motorcycle gang, and barely manage to survive the encounter. They seek refuge in Madrid, where Dudley meets Maggie (Tomei) and takes a liking to her. Meanwhile, the Del Fuegos find out where the Hogs are, and come looking for them.

“Wild Hogs” is an uneven movie that has some good moments, but they are balanced out by some unfunny ones. Most of the major laughs can be seen in the previews, and that is never a good sign. The four leads have a camaraderie that is believeable, and that is perhaps what saves the movie in the end. This is by no means the best movie for any of them, but there is enough here that many will enjoy it. I recommend waiting for the DVD.

300 ***1/2
Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro
Director: Zack Snyder
Running Length: 1:57
MPAA Classification: R

In 480 B.C., 300 Spartan soldiers led by Kin Leonidas (Butler) defended Sparta from a much larger Persian force led by King Xerxes (Santoro). The story is mostly clouded in legend, and although the Spartans did not win the battle, they dealt Xerxes and his army a blow that would eventually be their downfall. This was the Battle of Thermopylae.

“300” is like nothing before it. If you thought “Sin City” has neat to look at and a great example of comics come to life, “300” will blow you away. This movie has style. It is beautiful to look at and is worth seeing for the visuals alone. The cast of relative unknowns does a good job in bringing life to the characters. None are well known enough to overshadow the story, and that is a plus. “300” is a non-stop action movie that I highly recommend. And even if it is not grounded completely in reality, I think the Spartans would still be proud of it.

Music and Lyrics ***
Cast: Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Haley Bennett, Campbell Scott
Director: Marc Lawrence
Running Length: 1:43
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Alex Fletcher (Grant) was a big name back in the 1980’s as a member of the band Pop! At least, he was with teenage girls. 20 years later he is a has-been who works state fairs. Miraculously, his agent Chris (Garrett) hooks him up to with a chance to record a duet with Cora (Bennett), the latest big name pop star. The only condition is that he needs to write a duet in less than a week. Not having written anything new in a long time, this seems like quite the challenge until Sophie (Barrymore), the woman who waters his plants, shows some lyrical skill. She is reluctant to help him, but eventually caves in and soon they are writing a song and falling in love.

Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore are no strangers to the romantic comedy, and for the most part, they bring their A game. The video of Grant from his 80’s heyday is almost worth the price of admission itself. The two have good chemistry, and there are some genuine laughs to be had. “Music and Lyrics” is an enjoyable romantic comedy.

Zodiac ***1/2
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Chloë Sevigny, Brian Cox, Dermot Mulroney, John Carroll Lynch
Director: David Fincher
Running Length: 2:43
MPAA Classification: R

In the late 1960’s, the Zodiac killer terrorized Northern California. Investigating the murders were detectives Dave Roschi (Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Edwards). Reporting on the murders in the press were Paul Avery (Downey) and cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal). In fact, the movie is based on Graysmith’s book and the obsession he developd in trying to find the Zodiac’s identity. As such, the “solution” provided has not been proven, but is the belief of Graysmith.

“Zodiac” is an interesting and well made movie. Fincher’s direction is not a showy as his previous efforts, but keeps the tension high when necessary and interjects small moments of humor to lighten the mood when necessary. Gyllenhaal, Ruffalo, Downey, and Edwards are all very good in their roles, and Lynch is suitably creepy for most of his screen time. “Zodiac” may move too slowly for some in its last half, but those that want a peek into the hunt for a serial killer will not be disappointed. I highly recommend “Zodiac”.

The Number 23 **
Cast: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Logan Lerman, Danny Huston, Rhona Mitra
Director: Joel Schumacher
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: R

Walter Sparrow (Carrey) is living a normal life, with a wife and son. One day, his wife Agatha (Madsen) buys him a copy of a book called “The Number 23”. The book details the obsession of a detective named Fingerling with the number 23, and its appearance in everything around him. Walter feels a connection to Fingerling and becomes obsessed with the book, feeling someone wrote it about him. He begins to see the number 23 everywhere, leading him to spiral into madness.

In “The Number 23”, Jim Carrey once again tries “serious mode”, and is somewhat successful given the constraints of the film. It is nothing outstanding, but it gets the job done. The story itself is a bit of a disappointment though, having less to do with the number 23 than you would hope. Seeing 23 in daily life is the most interesting part of the movie, and for that not to have a larger part in the ending is a shame. The film has some interesting visuals when it comes to the reading of the book, but overall, “The Number 23” falls flat.

Ghost Rider **1/2
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Peter Fonda, Wes Bentley, Donal Logue, Sam Elliott
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In his youth, Johnny Blaze (Cage) made a deal with the Devil (Fonda) . He gave up his sould to the to save his father’s life. Years later, as the world’s top stuntman, nothing can stop him from the most crazy of stunts. The Devil won’t let him die. When Blackheart (Bentley) comes to Earth to take it over, the Devil makes Johnny into Ghost Rider – a flaming skeleton on a bike – and tasks him to defeat Blackheart and his minions.

“Ghost Rider” is clearly on the B-list of Marvel superheroes, and that is evident in the film. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as the movie is enjoyable in its own way. Surprisingly, despite its subject matter, “Ghost Rider” does provide a number of lighter moments that contribute to its enjoyment. The actors are all adequate, none a standout. The effects are nicely done. Hollywood has come a long way in animating digital flames. In the end, “Ghost Rider” is an entertaining, but forgettable, superhero movie.

Hannibal Rising *1/2
Cast: Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li, Rhys Ifans, Dominic West, Kevin McKidd, Richard Brake
Director: Peter Webber
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

In 1944, Hannibal Lecter (Ulliel) sees his parents die in a battle outside the family cabin. He and his sister are captured by some locals, and in the bleak winter eat Hannibal’s sister to survive. Eight years later, Hannibal seeks out his uncle’s widow, Lady Murasaki (Li), and moves in with her. Hannibal’s goal is to locate the guys who ate his sister and kill them. Hot on his trail is a French police inspector (West), who knows what Hannibal is up to but cannot prove anything.

“Hannibal Rising” may as well be titled “Hannibal: Death of a Franchise”. It is completely unnecessary and makes a joke of everything that has gone before. Ulliel is greatly miscast and does not even come close to filling the shoes of Anthony Hopkins (who wisely has steered away from this film). This has to be one of the bigger disappointments in recent years. Stick with “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Red Dragon”, and forget about “Hannibal Rising”.

Notes on a Scandal ***1/2

Cast: Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Andrew Simpson, Bill Nighy

Running Length: 1:33
MPAA Classification: R

Barbara Covett (dench) is a long-time teacher at a British school. She lives with a cat for companionship, and is a somewhat bitter woman. When Sheba Hart (Blanchett) takes a job at the school, she and Barbara become friends. One night, after a Christmas play at the school, Barbara sees Sheba and 15-year old Steven (Simpson) in a compromising situation, and decides to see how she can use this to her advantage.

“Notes on a Scandal” is a great pshychological thriller. The story is, for the most part, unpredictable. Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett give top notch performances, and the scenes with the two of them together are the best parts of the movie. Dench’s manipulative Barbara is particularly excellent. Although the subject matter of “Notes on a Scandal” may put some people off, I found it to be a pleasant surprise, and I highly recommend it.

List of 2007 Academy Award winners

Picture
The Departed

Director
Martin Scorsese, The Departed

Actor
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Actress
Helen Mirren, The Queen

Film editing
The Departed

Original song
I Need to Wake Up, An Inconvenient Truth

Original screenplay
Little Miss Sunshine

Original score
Babel

Documentary feature
An Inconvenient Truth

Documentary short subject
The Blood of Yingzhou District

Supporting actress
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Foreign film
The Lives of Others

Visual effects
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Cinematography
Pan's Labyrinth

Costume design
Marie Antoinette

Adapted screenplay
The Departed

Animated film
Happy Feet

Supporting actor
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine

Sound mixing
Dreamgirls

Sound editing
Letters from Iwo Jima

Animated short film
The Danish Poet

Live action short film
West Bank Story

Make-up
Pan's Labyrinth

Art direction
Pan's Labyrinth

The Last King of Scotland ***1/2

Cast: James McAvoy, Forest Whitaker, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (McAvoy) leaves Scotland after his graduation to get away from his father. He goes to Uganda around the time that a military coup puts General Idi Amin (Whitaker) in charge of the country. When Amin is injured in a car accident, Nicholas treats him. Amin likes Nicholas and offers him a position as personal physician to the President. He accepts, and soon finds that although Amin is personable and charismatic, he is also paranoid and brutal. This is further complicated by Nicholas having an affair with Amin’s third wife (Washington). With each passing day, Amin becomes more unstable, and Nicholas finds that he cannot escape.

“The Last King of Scotland” is an excellent film. The two leads, Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy deliver standout performances. They hype for Whitaker in this movie is well deserved. It is a shame that McAvoy has not garnered similar praise. This film offers a look into how the charismatic Amin became one of Africa’s most vicious dictators. I highly recommend this film.

The Queen ****
Cast: Helen Mirren, James Cromwell, Michael Sheen, Alex Jennings, Helen McCrory, Sylvia Syms, Roger Allam, Tim McMullan
Director: Stephen Frears
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In the first week of September 1997, between the death of Princess Diana and her funeral, Queen Elizabeth (Mirren) was in a situation that she had no preparation for. She did not feel anything should be done for the princess by the monarchy, as she has divorced from Prince Charles (Jennings), but the people of England were looking to her to show some compassion. Newly elected Prim Minister Tony Blair (Sheen) attempts to offer advice to the Queen, but he mostly rebuffed. Adding to the tension is the fact that Blair’s popularity skyrockets in this time of national mourning.

“The Queen” is a fascinating look into the world of the British Monarchy. I know very little about it, and the film held my interest throughout. Mirren is excellent as a queen who is struggling to maintain the only lifestyle she has ever known in the face of changing times and a popular ex-monarch’s death. Sheen is also good as Tony Blair. All in all, “The Queen” is an extremely engaging film that is worth seeing.

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Best Picture:
Babel
The Departed -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- the best of the five that are nominated
Letters From Iwo Jima -- DID NOT SEE
Little Miss Sunshine -- could be the surprise winner
The Queen

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond -- DID NOT SEE
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson -- DID NOT SEE
Peter O'Toole, Venus -- DID NOT SEE
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness -- no chance
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- powerful performance in a role the Academy likes to reward

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Actress:
Penelope Cruz, Volver -- DID NOT SEE
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal -- always excellent and could be a surprise
Helen Mirren, The Queen -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- as close to a lock as you can get, and well deserving of a win
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada -- great performance, wrong year
Kate Winslet, Little Children -- DID NOT SEE

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine -- WILL WIN -- I think he will be honored for his career
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children -- DID NOT SEE
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond -- DID NOT SEE
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls -- DID NOT SEE
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Supporting Actress:
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls -- DID NOT SEE -- WILL WIN
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel -- SHOULD WIN -- haunting performance in the movie's most involving storyline

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Directing:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel
Martin Scorsese, The Departed -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- never won and has made a great film, time to reward him
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima -- DID NOT SEE
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Paul Greengrass, United 93 -- could surprise everyone

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Foreign Language Film:
After the Wedding, Denmark; Days of Glory (Indigenes), Algeria -- DID NOT SEE
The Lives of Others, Germany -- DID NOT SEE
Pan's Labyrinth, Mexico -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- excellent film
Water, Canada -- DID NOT SEE

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Adapted Screenplay:
Sacha Baron Cohen and Anthony Hines and Peter Baynham and Dan Mazer and Todd Phillips, Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- funniest movie of the year
Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, Children of Men -- DID NOT SEE
William Monahan, The Departed
Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, Little Children -- DID NOT SEE
Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Original Screenplay:
Guillermo Arriaga, Babel -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- 4 storylines meshed seamlessly together
Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis, Letters From Iwo Jima -- DID NOT SEE
Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine
Guillermo del Toro, Pan's Labyrinth -- could be a contender
Peter Morgan, The Queen

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Animated Feature Film:
Cars -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- Pixar can do no wrong.
Happy Feet -- this could be the surprise winner, but it is vastly inferior to the other two nominees
Monster House -- a valiant effort, but not quite good enough to win

Babel ****
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adriana Barraza, Gael García Bernal, Rinko Kikuchi, Kôji Yakusho
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Running Length: 2:22
MPAA Classification: R

Two children in Morocco test the range of a new rifle that their father just purchased. Americans Susan (Blanchett) and Richard (Pitt) are on vacation when Susan is shot and badly injured, setting off an international incident. Richard and Susan’s children in America are being watched by their nanny, an illegal immigrant named Amelia (Barraza). She brings the children across the border into Mexico to attend her son’s wedding, and problems arise when they attempt to re-enter America. In Japan, deaf-mute Chieko (Kikuchi) is trying to connect with someone, anyone. All the stories are related, and all come together smoothly in this tale of small mistakes and lapses in judgment, and the consequences that they cause.

Like “21 Grams” before it, in “Babel” director Alejandro González Iñárritu masterfully entwines multiple stories into a compelling film. Packed with solid performances all around. Bernal and Kikuchi in particular are standouts, and their Academy Award nominations are fully warranted. This is not a fun movie, but it is thought provoking and solid. It says a lot about the world we live in and the amount of misunderstanding in it. I highly recommend this film.

El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) ***1/2
Cast: Ariadna Gil, Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones, Alex Angulo
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Running Length: 1:52
MPAA Classification: R

In the civil war Spain of the 1940’s, Ofelia (Baquero) has lost her father, a casualty of the war. Her mother (Gil) has been forced to marry Captain Vidal (Lopez), an evil man who fights the rebels around his home with a singleminded viciousness. Her mom is pregnant, and the pregnancy is killing her. On the grounds of Vidal’s estate is a labyrinth, and upon entering it, Ofelia meets many creatures including fairies and fauns. She learns that she is the long-lost princess and daughter of the King of the Underworld. To show herself worthy of this title, the faun Pan (Jones) lays out three tasks for her to perform. Completion before the next full moon will mean she can enter the kingdom and escape the war torn world around her.

“Pan’s Labyrinth” is a movie like no other. Director Guillermo del Toro has crafted a modern fairy tale. The two stories entertwine perfectly and complement each other. The special effects are hi quality, and the direction is excellent. Young Adriana Gil is excellent as poor Ofelia, a girl fleeing the horrors of the world around her. “Pan’s Labyrinth” is an excellent movie that is just different enough to make it fresh. I highly recommend this adult fairy tale. NOTE: This is a foreign film with subtitles.

79th annual Academy Award nominations
Complete list of the 79th Annual Academy Award nominations announced Tuesday at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif.:

Best Picture:
Babel
The Departed
Letters From Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen

Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Actress:
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet, Little Children

Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin, L ittle Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

Supporting Actress:
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel

Directing:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Paul Greengrass, United 93

Foreign Language Film:
After the Wedding, Denmark
Days of Glory (Indigenes), Algeria
The Lives of Others, Germany
Pan's Labyrinth, Mexico
Water, Canada

Adapted Screenplay:
Sacha Baron Cohen and Anthony Hines and Peter Baynham and Dan Mazer and Todd Phillips, Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, Children of Men
William Monahan, The Departed
Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, Little Children
Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal

Original Screenplay:
Guillermo Arriaga, Babel
Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis, Letters From Iwo Jima
Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine
Guillermo del Toro, Pan's Labyrinth
Peter Morgan, The Queen

Animated Feature Film:
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

Art Direction:
Dreamgirls
The Good Shepherd
Pan's Labyrinth
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The Prestige

Cinematography:
The Black Dahlia
Children of Men
The Illusionist
Pan's Labyrinth
The Prestige

Sound Mixing:
Apocalypto
Blood Diamond
Dreamgirls
Flags of Our Fathers
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Sound Editing:
Apocalypto
Blood Diamond
Flags of Our Fathers
Letters From Iwo Jima
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Original Score:
Babel, Gustavo Santaolalla
The Good German, Thomas Newman
Notes on a Scandal, Philip Glass
Pan's Labyrinth, Javier Navarrete
The Queen, Alexandre Desplat

Original Song:
I Need to Wake Up from An Inconvenient Truth, Melissa Etheridge
Listen from Dreamgirls, Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler and Anne Preven
Love You I Do from Dreamgirls, Henry Krieger and Siedah Garrett
Our Town from Cars, Randy Newman
Patience from Dreamgirls, Henry Krieger and Willie Reale

Costume:
Curse of the Golden Flower
The Devil Wears Prada
Dreamgirls
Marie Antoinette
The Queen

Documentary Feature:
Deliver Us From Evil
An Inconvenient Truth
Iraq in Fragments
Jesus Camp
My Country, My Country

Documentary (short subject):
The Blood of Yingzhou District
Recycled Life
Rehearsing a Dream
Two Hands

Film Editing:
Babel
Blood Diamond
Children of Men
The Departed
United 93

Makeup:
Apocalypto
Click
Pan's Labyrinth

Animated Short Film:
The Danish Poet
Lifted
The Little Matchgirl
Maestro
No Time for Nuts

Live Action Short Film:
Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)
Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)
Helmer & Son
The Saviour
West Bank Story

Visual Effects:
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Poseidon
Superman Returns

Academy Award winners previously announced this year:

Honorary award (Oscar statuette): Ennio Morricone

Jean Hersholt humanitarian award: Sherry Lansing

Golden Globe winners

Drama
Babel

Actor, drama
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Actress, drama
Helen Mirren, The Queen

Musical/comedy
Dreamgirls

Actor, musical/comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat

Director
The Departed, Martin Scorsese

Soundtrack
The Painted Veil, Alexandre Desplat

Foreign language
Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima

Screenplay
Peter Morgan, The Queen

Supporting actor
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls

Actress in a comedy or musical
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada

Supporting actress
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Original song
The Song of the Heart, Happy Feet, Prince

Animated film
Cars

Cecil B. De Mille Award
Warren Beatty

The 12 Best Movies I Saw in 2006:
1. United 93 ****
2. The Departed ****
3. Capote **** (from 2005)
4. Casino Royale ***1/2
5. The Prestige ***1/2
6. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan ***1/2
7. Little Miss Sunshine ***1/2
8. X-Men: The Last Stand ***1/2
9. Mission: Impossible III ***1/2
10. Cars ***1/2
11. World Trade Center ***1/2
12. Monster House ***1/2

The Pursuit of Happyness **1/2
Cast: Will Smith, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, Thandie Newton, Brian Howe, James Karen, Dan Castellaneta
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Running Length: 1:57
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Down on his luck Chris Gardner (Smith) sells bone density scanners to local hospitals and doctors in 1981 in San Francisco. His wife Linda (Newton) is unpleasant and demanding. His son, Christopher, is a happy kid, but is effected by his parents’ disharmony. Soon, Linda leaves him and he is evicted from his home. He has little money, and his hopes lie with an internship program at Dean Witter. He is the least likely of the bunch to succeed in the class until he amazes the program head by solving his Rubik’s Cube. He enters the program and struggles to do that as well as sell his scanners and raise his kid.

This is your standard rags to riches story. With an emphasis on the rags part. “The Pursuit of Happyness” is pretty much a downer for 90 minutes as Chris must deal with everything that is thrown at him. Will Smith does a good job making Chris feel like a real person. He is not perfect, but he tries really hard, and that makes him easy to like. His real life son Jayden is also good as Christopher. This is an OK movie with a good performance by Smith that may benefit him come Oscar time. If you are looking for an inspiring movie, this may fill that need.

Night at the Museum **
Cast: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs, Jake Cherry, Ricky Gervais, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson
Director: Shawn Levy
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG

Larry Daley (Stiller) needs a job badly, so he takes the position of night watchman at the New York Museum of Natural History. The job will allow him to pay the rent and be able to see his son, Nick (Cherry). His three predecessors (Van Dyke, Rooney, Cobbs) provide him with instructions and the warning not to let anyone into the museum or out. On his first night, exhibits come to life, and Larry finds that he has his hands full.

“Night at the Museum” is an average movie. It has some good special effects, but the story is lacking. There just isn’t much to it. The cast does its best to make it work, but that only goes so far. Kids will find it entertaining, but adults may just find it a little lacking. I recommend waiting for the DVD.

Eragon **
Cast: Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, John Malkovich, Garrett Hedlund, Djimon Hounsou
Director: Stefan Fangmeier
Running Length: 1:40
MPAA Classification: PG

17-year old Eragon (Spleers) lives a fairly peaceful life with his uncle. One day he comes across what he believes to be an odd looking stone. Soon, he discovers it is a dragon egg, and once that egg hatches, he seeks out the village bum/storyteller Brom (Irons). He seems to know a lot about dragons, and begins to teach Eragon the ways of Dragon Riders. Meanwhile, the evil King Galbatoris (Malkovich) sends his minion Durza (Carlyle) to find the dragon and destroy it.

“Eragon” is sub-par on almost all levels. The worst aspect is that the story parallels “Star Wars” almost exactly. I cannot help but wonder if George Lucas is getting a paycheck for this ripoff of a story. To be fair, I am told that the film differs quite a bit from the book. Spleers is adequate as Eragon. Malkovich is fun to watch as always, but he gets very little screen time. The saving grace in the acting department is Irons, who seems to be having fun despite the film he is in. If you must see this, wait until it comes out on DVD.

The Nativity Story **1/2
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Issac, Hiam Abbass, Shaul Toub, Alexander Siddig, Shohreh Agdashloo, Ciaran Hinds
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: PG

When teenaged Mary (Castle-Hughes) finds out that she has been betrothed to Joseph (Isaac), she is not happy. A visit from the Archangel Gabriel (Siddig) informs her that she will be impregnated by the Holy Spirit and will give birth to Jesus. Upon returning from visiting her cousin Elizabeth (Agdashloo), she is in the midst of a scandal. She is pregnant, but not with Joseph’s child. Gabriel visits Joseph, and he claims the child as his own. Meanwhile, King Herod (Hinds) calls for a census, forcing Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem. The king also fears the prophecies telling of the birth of the King of the Jews, and that will only make things more difficult for Mary and Joseph.

You know the story…there is nothing new here. It is, in many ways, like watching the local Christmas pageant in church. The production is not as good as it could have been, and that is what just makes this an OK movie. The acting is allright as well, with no real standouts. I suppose that the wise men are pretty interesting, but they mostly provide comic relief. “The Nativity Story” is a harmless film, that will probably do better on DVD. My suggestion is to wait until that time to see it.

2007 Golden Globes nominees

Here are the Golden Globe movie nominees:

Picture, Drama: Babel,Bobby,The Departed,Little Children,The Queen

Actress, Drama: Penelope Cruz, Volver ; Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal ; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby ; Helen Mirren, The Queen ; Kate Winslet, Little Children

Actor, Drama: Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond ; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed ; Peter O'Toole, Venus ; Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness ; Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Picture, Musical or Comedy: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,The Devil Wears Prada,Dreamgirls,Little Miss Sunshine,Thank You for Smoking

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Annette Bening, Running With Scissors ; Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine ; Beyonce Knowles, Dreamgirls ; Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada ; Renee Zellweger, Miss Potter

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan ; Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ; Aaron Eckhart, Thank You for Smoking ; Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kinky Boots ; Will Ferrell, Stranger than Fiction

Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, Babel ; Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal ; Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada ; Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls ; Rinko Kikuchi, Babel

Supporting Actor: Ben Affleck, Hollywoodland ; Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls ; Jack Nicholson, The Departed ; Brad Pitt, Babel ; Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

Director: Clint Eastwood, Flags of Our Fathers ; Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima ; Steven Frears, The Queen ; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel ; Martin Scorsese, The Departed

Screenplay: Guillermo Arriaga, Babel ; Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, Little Children ; Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal ; William Monahan, The Departed ; Peter Morgan, The Queen

Foreign Language: Apocalypto, USA; Letters from Iwo Jima, USA/Japan; The Lives of Others, Germany; Pan's Labyrinth, Mexico; Volver Spain

Animated Film: Cars,Happy Feet,Monster House

Original Score: Alexandre Desplat, The Painted Veil ; Clint Mansell, The Fountain ; Gustavo Santaolalla, Babel ; Carlo Siliotto, Nomad ; Hans Zimmer, The Da Vinci Code

Original Song: A Father's Way from The Pursuit of Happyness ; Listen from Dreamgirls ; Never Gonna Break My Faith from Bobby ; The Song of the Heart from Happy Feet ; Try Not to Remember from Home of the Brave

Déjà Vu ***
Cast: Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, Val Kilmer, James Caviezel, Adam Goldberg, Bruce Greenwood
Director: Tony Scott
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: PG-13

On Fat Tuesday in New Orleans, a ferry explodes offshore. Over 500 people are dead, most of them military. ATF agent Doug Carlin (Washington) is called in to investigate this act of terrorism. FBI agent Pryzwarra (Kilmer) is running the investigation and is immediately impressed with Carlin. Soon Carlin finds himself on the inside of an elite agency that has the capability to look exactly four days and six hours into the past. Carlin does not believe Pryzwarra’s explanation of the system, and is determined to find out exactly how it works.

Tony Scott, master of ADD filmmaking manages to reel things in a bit with “Déjà Vu”. Best described as a time travelling action mystery, “Déjà Vu” is highly entertaining. Denzel Washington brings a typical Denzel Washington performance to the film, and that is just fine. He is not stretching here, but the performance is familiar, and it gets the job done. The story is interesting and not too confusing as time traveling stories can sometimes be. There are some action sequences, but they are not as prevalent as one might expect from a Tony Scott film. Overall, “Déjà Vu” delivers the entertaining diversion that it sets out to provide, and I recommend it.

The Fountain ***
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Mark Margolis, Cliff Curtis, Sean Patrick Thomas, Donna Murphy, Ethan Suplee
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Running Length: 1:36
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In the 1500s, Queen Isabel (Weisz) of Spain sends a Conquistador (Jackman) to find the Fountain of Youth in New Spain. In the 26th century, a man (Jackman) is on a trip through the stars with a tree. In the present, Tommy Creo (Jackman), a drug developer, is trying to cure his wife Izzy (Weisz), who has an inoperable brain tumor.

While this is a vague description, to tell more would be to give away too much. All the story lines are related in some way, and director Darren Aronofsky does a good job bouncing back and forth between the three. Jackman and Weisz are the emotional core of the movie, and both do very good jobs in their multiple roles. At its heart, “The Fountain” is a love story, albeit not a love story for everyone. It is worth a view if you are looking for something a little different.

Happy Feet **
Cast (voices): Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, Brittany Murphy, Hugo Weaving
Director: George Miller
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG

Upon returning home from a fishing expedition, Norma Jean (Kidman, an Emperor penguin, meets her baby boy Mumble (Wood). He is a little strange. While all Emperor penguins like to sing, Mumble likes to dance. He also sings really, really badly. Feeling like an outcast, he leaves his group of penguins and becomes friends with Ramon (Williams), a penguin of a different species who does not mind Mumble’s “Happy Feet”. With the help of his new friends, he sets out to figure out why the fish supply has decreased, a problem that threatens all the life on Antarctica.

“Happy Feet” could have been a really good movie. Lots of singing, cute penguins, and a nice story about how being different is not bad. But, in the last third of the movie, it all falls apart. A conservationalist message is handled with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the head. The way it is handled feels out of place in a kids’ movie, and has a different and darker tone from the rest of the film. Also, a dues ex machina to save the day for Mumbles feels like a big old cheat. The last third of the movie actually made me dislike this film a lot, and I cannot recommend it to anyone.

Casino Royale ***1/2

Cast: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino
Director: Martin Campbell
Running Length: 2:24
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Two kills, and James Bond (Craig) has been elevated to double-O level. M (Dench) feels that he is not ready, sends him on his first mission anyway. His job is to find Le Chiffre (Mikkelsen), a supplier of terrorist money, and shut him down. When Le Chiffre enters an exclusive poker tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro, Bond enters as well to prevent him from winning. Even with the help of Vesper Lynd (Green), a treasury agent, Bond may have his hands full, as Le Chiffre sets his eyes on removing Bond from the picture permanently.

“Casino Royale” is a successful reboot of the James Bond franchise. As different as night and day from “Die Another Day”, “Casino Royale” does almost everything right. Daniel Craig is perfect as Bond, maybe even the best ever. He is a rough around the edges “blunt instrument” that has a ways to go before he is the James Bond we know. Grounded in reality, “Casino Royale” also does away with most of the gadgets one would expect from a Bond movie. The supporting cast all do a good job in a movie that is all Daniel Craig. This is not your father’s Bond…this is better.

Stranger Than Fiction ***
Cast: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah
Director: Marc Forster
Running Length: 1:53
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Harold Crick (Ferrell) is an IRS agent who sees numbers everywhere in his daily life. He leads a boring life, and is somewhat content with it. Then, one day, he begins to hear a voice narrating his life. The voice does not belong to God, but to author Kay Eiffel (Thompson). She does not write books that end well for the protagonist, and one day Harold’s voice tells him that he is going to die soon. He seeks out help from a literary professor (Hoffman), who does not entirely believe him. Meanwhile, Harold is auditing Ana Pascal (Gyllenhaal), an banker who he quickly falls for. Now, he has something to live for, and solving the problem of the voice and its prediction becomes extra important.

Will Ferrell is great as Harold. He is a likeable everyman. His humor is never over the top, and he handles the drama quite well. He is the glue that holds this movie together, and deserves recognition for the role. The supporting cast is good, never taking away from the focus of the film. The story itself is an interesting idea, but perhaps the ending was a bit of a cop-out. It did not feel right to me, but that is a small quibble for an otherwise enjoyable film.

Flushed Away ***
Cast (voices): Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellan, Andy Serkis, Bill Nighy, Jean Reno, Shane Richie
Directors: David Bowers, Sam Fell
Running Length: 1:25
MPAA Classification: PG

Roddy (Jackman) is a pet rat who slips out of his cage when his family goes on vacation. He is enjoying himself until Sid (Richie) arrives. Sid is a sewer rat who just wants to watch the World Cup undisturbed, so he flushes Roddy down the toilet. On the other side, Roddy finds himself in a town of sewer rats. After meeting Rita (Winslet), he makes a deal with her to get himself home. The one thing in their way is Boss Toad (McKellan), who is out to stop them and destroy the sewer rat’s world.

For “Flushed Away”, Aardman Studios have gone the route of computer animation instead of their usual stop-motion processes that work so well in “Wallace and Gromit”. This was to compensate for the high amount of water involved, an element that is difficult for stop-motion photography. Fortunately, they kept the look of their clay characters, and the resulting product is almost indistinguishable from the look that they are used to. The voice talent is top notch all around as well. The humor is there, for both children and adults. While not reaching the quality of this year’s “Cars” and “Monster House”, “Flushed Away” is an enjoyable film that is for the whole family. It is definitely worth checking out.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan ***1/2
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Pamela Anderson
Director: Larry Charles
Running Length: 1:22
MPAA Classification: R

Borat Sagdiyev (Cohen) is a TV reporter from Kazakhstan who embarks on a journey to America to make a documentary of the United States for his home country with the hope that they can learn from us. His producet Azamat (Davitian) accompanies him on his journey. Soon, in New York City, Borat discovers and falls in love with Pamela Anderson after watching “Baywatch”. He decides that he will not only film in New York, but all across the country, ending up in California where he hopes to meet the “virginal” Pamela Anderson. Along the way, he learns how to drive, adopts a bear, gets humor lessons, sings at a rodeo, and wrestle with Azamat.

This is easily the funniest movie I have seen this year. Sacha Baron Cohen has created an idiot character that exposes the prejudices of the unsuspecting people he interacts with. Most of what he says is cringeworthy, as he has the ability to say the exact wrong thing to the various people he runs into. This movie is not for everyone, in fact there is surely something in this movie to offend everyone, but there is more to it than you might initially think. I highly recommend this film.

Saw III ***
Cast: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfayden, Bahar SoomekhMpho Koaho, Dina Meyer
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Running Length: 1:47
MPAA Classification: R

Jigsaw (Bell) is back, although still dying from cancer. With the help of his assistant Amanda (Smith), they enlist the “help” of Dr. Lynn Benton (Soomekh). They connect her to a devise around her neck that will blow her head off if Jigsaw’s heart stops. Properly motivated, she begins to try to help him. Meanwhile, Jeff (Macfayden) is going through a series of tests in which he faces the people responsible for his son’s death and must forgive them. After all, Jigsaw just wants people to appreciate life.

It’s Halloween, so there must be a new “Saw” movie out, right? In fact, “Saw IV” is already scheduled for 2007. “Saw III” lives up to its predecessors, and even manages to tie up some loose ends. Flashing back to points in the first two films, the makers of this movie are able to make things fit a little more tightly. Tobin Bell is good as the mastermind Jigsaw, and the rest of the cast is good enough as his pawns. The death devices are still fairly clever this third time out, and there are enough twists to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat. If you enjoyed the first two “Saw” films, there is no reason not to check this one out.

Flags of Our Fathers ***
Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, Jamie Bell, Barry Pepper, Tom Verica, Paul Walker, Robert Patrick, Neal McDonough, Joseph Cross, Melanie Lynskey
Director: Clint Eastwood
Running Length: 2:15
MPAA Classification: R

The photograph of the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima is one of the most famous pictures of World War II. It was so moving that three of the surviving soldiers, John Bradley (Phillippe), Rene Gagno (Bradford), and Ira Hayes (Beach), were sent back to America to promote war bonds and raise the American flag at rallies. Of course, they only raised the replacement flag, but that was kept from the public, lest it detract from what they were trying to accomplish. “Flags of Our Fathers” jumps between these survivors making appearances to raise money, the war itself, and the interviewing of veterans by James Bradley in the present day.

“Flags” is an interesting look at WWII and the heroes from that war. It provides an interesting look at what exactly a hero is, and many will be surprised by the true story behind the actual flag raising. Adam Beach is the standout amongst the cast as the Native American Ira Hayes. He gives a performance that deserves to be recognized come Oscar time. The rest of the cast is adequate, but not standout. Eastwood’s direction gets the job done, but I cannot help but think he is a little over his head with all the special effects used to create the battle scenes. Eastwood is used to movies that are less “big”, and it shows. Overall, “Flags of Our Fathers” is definitely worth seeing, and will provide a vision of the war that is not widely known by the American public.

The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D ***
Cast (voices): Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Ed Ivory
Director: Henry Selick
Running Length: 1:15
MPAA Classification: PG

In Halloween Town, October 31 is the biggest night of the year. Jack Skellington (Sarandon & Elfman), organizer of the festivities has got the blues. He wants something different in his life, and while wandering in the forest, he finds a door to Christmas Town. In Christmas Town, things are bright and cheerful. It captures his interest, and when he returns to Halloween Town, he announces that this year, they will celebrate Christmas. In fact, Jack will even replace “Sandy Claws” on Christmas to help spread the cheer. He has it all planned out, but Salle (O’Hara) has a premonition that things will go terribly wrong.

“Nightmare” has developed a following since it’s initial release in 1993. The stop-motion animation as well as the melding of Halloween and Christmas has captivated many, and Disney’s decision to release it in 3-D is a welcome event for those people. I think even a regular re-release would drum up some excitement. The animation is top notch, and the story idea is an interesting one, but for me the execution of the story falls a little flat. That being said, “Nightmare” is still worth seeing, especially in 3-D.

The Prestige ***1/2
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Piper Perabo, David Bowie
Director: Christopher Nolan
Running Length: 2:13
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Rupert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale), along with Rupert’s wife, Julia (Perabo), are assistants to a magician at the turn of the twentieth century. Alfred causes a trick to go wrong, and Julia dies. Rupert blames Alfred, and the friends become enemies. They not only attempt to out-do each other on stage, but also attempt to actively sabotage and hurt each other. Soon, Rupert is off to Colorado Springs to meet with Nikola Tesla (Bowie). Tesla has created an integral part of Alfred’s show, and Rupert is determined to get a similar device and top Alfred once again.

The story is told with three storylines, alternating between the three. Parts of one storyline that make no sense at first become clear as the other storylines progress. Even the murder at the very beginning is not what it seems. Christopher Nolan has once again constructed a fascinating tale, this time of obsession and the price that people pay for their obsessions. The cast is solid all around. Bale and Jackman, as the leads, own their roles and breathe life into their respective characters. Michael Caine, as their assistant, steals just about every scene he is in. Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall as the love interests both do credible jobs. And finally, David Bowie makes Tesla into a memorable character. This is a great, entertaining movie. Christopher Nolan has quickly proved himself to be a great director. “The Prestige” helps to solidify that. I highly recommend this film.

The Grudge 2 *1/2
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Amber Tamblyn, Edison Chen, Arielle Kebbel, Jennifer Beals
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Aubrey *Tamblyn) travels to Japan to bring her sister Karen (Gellar) home after the events of the previous film. While there, she gets drawn into the mystery of the house and, along with a reporter (Chen), goes on a quest to find out the truth behind the ghost Kayoko’s anger. Also in Japan, three girls enter the house on a dare, and bring a bit of the grudge out with them. Finally, in America, a distraught girl returns home to an apartment complex, and strange things begin to happen.

All of these stories are related, and come together somewhat unsatisfyingly in this unnecessary sequel to 2004’s “The Grudge”. The story is weak, and the acting is nothing impressive. The ending almost certainly guarantees another sequel, this time more close to home. Anything creepy from the previews in tame when seen in context, and that means that “The Grudge 2” fails as a horror film. Stay away from this stinker.

The Departed ****
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin
Director: Martin Scorsese
Running Length: 2:29
MPAA Classification: R

Frank Costello (Nicholson) rules the streets of the Irish American community in Boston. Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Damon) both start out on those streets, but their paths diverge. Both enroll in the police academy, but while Costigan wants to be a state trooper, Sullivan is Costello’s right-hand man, and just wants to be help out the man who helped him while growing up. Costigan’s plans are changed when Captain Queenan (Sheen) and Sgt. Dignam (Wahlberg) hand pick him for a job getting into Costello’s gang. He succeeds, and soon is passing information to the police, but Sullivan knows that there is a leak, and soon both sides are looking for the rat.

“The Departed” is a great movie, and will definitely be in the running for best picture come Oscar time. The cast is great all around, with everyone bringing their best performances to the table. DiCaprio and Damon are the core of the movie, and they prove up to the challenge. Nicholson is excellent as always, especially when he is allowed to just be Jack. The story is great, and is an example of how a remake does not need to be bad. Scorsese makes is all flow smoothly, and the movie does not feel as long as it is. This is easily one of the best movies of the year, I highly recommend seeing it.

Gridiron Gang ***
Cast: The Rock, Xzibit, L. Scott Caldwell, Leon Rippy
Director: Phil Joanou
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: PG-13

“Gridiron Gang” is the true story of Sean Porter (The Rock), a detention camp officer who tries to make something out of the kids in the camp at which he works. He attempts to instill discipline, honor, teamwork, and pride through football. He feels that this will help to keep them from going back to their old lifestyle once released. He wants to help them break the cycle of violence. Initially met with some resistance, he manages to schedule a season and help the kids make something of themselves.

While being a typical “feel good” sports movie, “Gridiron Gang” feels less clichéd than the majority of these kinds of films. The acting is good all around, and The Rock is well suited for the role of Porter. It is truly remarkable what the real Sean Porter accomplished. I liked this film more than I anticipated, and recommend it.

The Black Dahlia **
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, Mia Kirshner, Mike Starr, Fiona Shaw
Director: Brian DePalma
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

LAPD detectives Bucky Bleichert (Hartnett) and Lee Blanchard (Eckhart) are partners. They are working a child rape case when their path intersects with the murder of Elizabeth Shore (Kirshner). Lee becomes obsessed with that case, and drags Bucky along for the ride. The investigation leads Bucky to Madeline Linscott (Swank), and soon he is in a relationship he shouldn’t be with a possible witness. At the same time, sparks are flying with Lee’s girlfriend, Kay (Johansson), but going down that path would be disastrous for his relationship with his partner. As Bucky and Lee get closer to the truth, things get dangerous, and neither of them might have long left to live.

“The Black Dahlia” is based on the novel by James Ellroy, and not the real-life unsolved mystery. This gives the movie free reign to actually solve the case, but perhaps their treatment of the solution was better left unknown. “The Black Dahlia” is a bit of a confusing mess. Add to that poor acting, for the most part all around, and this is a film that does not live up to expectations. Sure, it looks great, but that only goes so far. I cannot recommend this film.

Huo Yuan Jia (Jet Li’s Fearless) ***
Cast: Jet Li, Shido Nakamura, Betty Sun, Yong Dong
Director: Ronny Yu
Running Length: 1:43
MPAA Classification: PG-13

“Fearless” is the story of martial art master Huo Yuanjia (Li), from early childhood to his death. His father was a great fighter who did not want his son to follow in his footsteps, so Yuanjia was forced to teach himself. When his father refuses to deliver a fatal blow to end a match, Yuanjia is taunted to the point where he must defend his family’s name. He is defeated, but swears never to lose again. Over the years, he becomes known as one of the greatest fighters in China. Unlike his father, he becomes ruthless, and will have to pay the price for his actions.

“Fearless” is an entertaining and interesting movie. In what is supposed to be his final martial arts movie, Jet Li gives a good performance as this Chinese hero. The fight scenes are top notch, and there are plenty of them. The biggest drawback to this movie for most will be the subtitles, but if that does not bother you, “Fearless” is worth checking out.

The Covenant *1/2
Cast: Steven Strait, Laura Ramsey, Sebastian Stan, Taylor Kitsch, Chace Crawford, Toby Hemingway, Jessica Lucas
Director: Renny Harlin
Running Length: 1:37
MPAA Classification: PG-13

The descendants of the founding families of Ipswich, Massachusetts, Caleb (Strait), Reid (Hemingway), Sims (Crawford), and Pogue (Kitsch), are kids who have it all. Including witch-like powers inherited from their ancestors. At the age of 18, which Caleb will hit first, they will “ascend” into their mature powers. The catch is that every time they use their powers, it ages them. On the eve of Caleb’s ascension, the group finds that someone else is using their powers to cause trouble. Now, they must find out who it is and put a stop to it before people start getting hurt.

“The Covenant” is a disappointing movie. And to be fair, I was not expecting much. I suppose it is a horror movie, but it is never really scary. The acting is weak, and the action is less than impressive. Director Renny Harlin is far from his glory days of directing “Die Hard 2”, and one cannot help but wonder if it is time to retire from directing. He is clearly on a downward spiral that didn’t start too high to begin with. The only way I can recommend this movie, is to wait for its inevitable cable tv showing on the SciFi channel. And then only for laughs.

The Illusionist ***
Cast: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewel
Director: Neil Burger
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Eisenheim the Illusionist (Norton) is taking Vienna by storm. The year is 1900, and Eisen heim is so talented that his tricks are so good that his audience believes him to be supernatural. In fact, they may not be wrong. Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell) is a doubter though, and he gives Chief Inspector Uhl (Giamatti) the task of proving him a fraud. At a performance, Leopold sends his fiancée Princess Sophie (Biel) to the stage as a volunteer. Little does he know that Sophie and Eisenheim were in love as children, and this reunion will rekindle their romance. This only intensifies Leopold’s determination to end Eisenheim’s act for good.

Edward Norton is perfect as Eisenheim. He makes the character likeable and even a little mysterious. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Rufus Sewell makes Leopold a character that is easy to hate. Biel and Giamatti deliver solid supporting performances as well. The story is great, keeping the audience guessing about Eisenheim’s gifts until the final minutes. I recommend finding a theater near you that is playing “The Illusionist”, and check it out.