Reviews

I went into "The Sum of All Fears" expecting to be disappointed by Ben Affleck. I'm not really a fan of much of his dramatic work ("Changing Lanes" is an exception). I have not seen the other Jack Ryan movies, but I still didn't really think Affleck would make a credible CIA agent. So I was pleasantly surprised by his performance. It certainly isn't Oscar material, but he is very credible, which was more than I was expecting. The supporting cast is also quite good, especially the always impressive Morgan Freeman as Affleck's mentor and Ciaran Hinds as the Russian president.

Speaking of the Russian president, I was impressed by the way the film portrayed him. Usually, foreign leaders in films are very one-dimensional. President Nemerov, however, is very well developed, with clear motivations for his actions. He is not the evil madman Hollywood commonly makes foreigners (especially Russians) out to be. In fact, he is arguably a better person than the film's American president. So I commend the writers for that.

However, despite the acting and the good characters I did not really enjoy this film. Why? Because it's supposed to be suspenseful, and it's not. I know that Jack Ryan is trying to avert a major world crisis, but having him run around with a cell phone and type on computers does not generate much suspense. This is what a lot of the film, including the "climax" basically comes down to. The film is not deep enough to be a serious drama, so it needs the suspense and the action to deliver. Unfortunately, this does not happen. Although "The Sum of All Fears" does have some good qualities, it ultimately fails to deliver the basic needs of the genre, so I can't really recommend it. You could definitely do worse, but you could also do a lot better.

Rating: 5/10

Maybe I'm just impatient, but I found the first half of "The Man Who Wasn't There," pretty boring to sit through. Admittedly, sometimes there are things you don't notice until you've seen a film multiple times, so maybe I missed some of those the first time through, but it seemed like the first half could have been shortened considerably. The second half of the film makes up for the first. There are quite a few surprise plot twists and director Joel Coen builds a lot of tension and creates a sense of dread.

Billy Bob Thornton is great as the main character. He says so much even when he seems to be doing nothing at all. The rest of the cast is also impressive, especially McDormand and Shalhoub. Also impressive is the cinematography. Roger Deakins does so much with black and white that one could easily mistake it for one of the older film noir pictures that obviously influenced the Coens.

What I'm less than thrilled with is the script. In addition to the first half of the movie dragging, there are a couple other problems. I'm not sure what Scarlett Johansson's character was in the movie. Don't get me wrong, she did a good job, but I don't see the importance of the character. Again, perhaps I'm missing something. Also, a lot of the dialogue seems to be self-consciously trying to be "noir," that it becomes cliche and annoying. Lines like "Me, I just cut the hair," would be funny if the delivery wasn't so serious.

Overall, "The Man Who Wasn't There," is an enjoyable half-a-movie. The first half drags, but the second half is very good film noir drama. It's well acted despite the flaws in the script. It's worth a look if you like this kind of thing.

Rating: 6.5/10

"Behind Enemy Lines" is a fun movie to watch. It's not a gritty, realistic movie that will show you the horror of war, but the action is entertaining enough to distract you for a couple hours. Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman are fine actors, and they manage to make their characters fairly interesting even if the script doesn't. But the real reason to see this movie is the action. Director John Moore keeps everything moving quickly and does a good job keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. His directing is very MTV-style, really flashy with lots of quick cuts. Sometimes this is effective, and sometimes it's just kind of annoying, but overall, not a bad job by Mr. Moore. The plot is a little far-fetched at times, but with the amount of action in the movie, it won't bother you if you don't think about it too much. The script goes a little James Bond-ish at the end; a hundred foreigners firing machine guns and hitting everything BUT Owen Wilson, but who cares, it's still fun. Despite some gaps in it's logic, "Behind Enemy Lines" is not a bad movie. You'll be entertained, even if you're not blown away.

Rating: 7/10

"Bandits" is a very funny movie, well acted all around, and very well plotted. Bruce Willis is very good as the suave criminal, as is Cate Blanchett as the woman he (and Billy Bob Thornton) falls for. But the real star of the film is Thornton. He is simply hilarious as Willis' eternally worried partner. The great thing about all 3 of these actors is that they're not known as comedic actors, but they do a stellar job. It's great to see this kind of range, especially from Blanchett and Thornton, who have previously done almost all dramatic work.

The story of the film is great as well. It's hard to find comedies that have good plot twists in them, but "Bandits" has a few of them. The beginning and ending of the movie were especially great. The ending is funny and thrilling at the same time. My only complaint is that, in the middle, it could have been a little bit shorter. It's not going to make you fall asleep or anything, and there are no specific scenes that strike me as totally unnecessary, but perhaps the could have shortened a few scenes by a couple minutes. As it is, it's not horrible, and the end will make you forgive this minor flaw. See "Bandits." There are very few flaws in it, and the acting and the story are more than enough to make you overlook those few little problems.

Rating: 9/10

"Red Planet" uses just about every cliche in the book. However, it is possible to use cliches in a good way. After all, they wouldn't be cliches if they hadn't worked before. Because there's really nothing new here, it's not a great film by any means, but it's not bad either. The plot is fairly generic. But even though you have a pretty good idea how it's going to end, it's still interesting to watch. "Red Planet" still has some genuinely suspenseful moments despite it's predictability.

The characters are probably not as developed as they should be, but they are more developed than a standard summer action movie. There were a few times when characters were talking that I felt like the audience should have learned more from the scene that they did. That makes those scenes go by a little slowly. There is some character development that works a little better though. And when there is action, it's well done. Also, all of the actors do a pretty good job. Carrie-Anne Moss falters a bit near the end, but that's my only complaint about the acting.

Technically speaking, "Red Planet" is extremely well done. The Martian landscapes are incredibly well done. I don't consider myself shallow, but even if everything else about the movie had been absolutely horrible, the effects would still have made it worthwhile. Luckily, everything else is at least decently done. "Red Planet" is a good guilty pleasure film... especially if you like sci-fi. It's not really original at all, but it's still a good time overall.

Rating: 7.5/10

"Training Day" is a film which features great acting by the two leads, and a story that's very good, until it slips a bit at the end. Denzel Washington plays a corrupt, veteran narcotics cop who's training Ethan Hawke, a young cop hoping for a spot on the unit. Both of the leads, especially Washington, are great. Washington's portrayal of Alonzo Harris will, I think, end up being one of the best, if not THE best, performance of the year. Definitely Oscar-quality material. And Ethan Hawke more than holds his own. Washington has been getting more praise, probably deservedly so, but Hawke does a great job playing Jake Hoyt, totally the opposite of Alonzo, thus making Denzel's performance stand out even more. Aside from those two, there really aren't any big parts, just lots of little ones. Most of those are good as well. Surprisingly, Macy Gray and Snoop Dogg do nice jobs in their brief appearances.

Antoine Fuqua does a good job directing, which is a bit of a surprise, considering that his previous work isn't really worth mentioning. I didn't know he had it in him. His directing isn't quite as good as the acting, but he does keep things moving nicely and does a good job of building up tension as the film goes on.

The script, written by David Ayer, is the only complaint I have. "Training Day" starts off with a great deal of promise, but then loses it a bit at the end. At the beginning, Alonzo doesn't come across as a horrible person. He makes some interesting statements that could make you think, and he has decent reasons for what he does. He doesn't always follow the laws, but he can make you understand why he breaks them. But by the end, he's a completely corrupt, totally evil villain. And then the film is no longer about these choices that he makes, but about Hawke trying to stop a madman. Don't get me wrong, the ending is still exciting and fun to watch, but I was a bit disappointed to see the film abandon the moral complexities that it hinted at earlier. But, with the acting, it's still a very thrilling film, even at the end. Washington and Hawke could have been fishing, and I still would have been on the edge of my seat. So despite my minor issues with the story, the quality of the performances is more than enough for me to recommend "Training Day."

Rating: 8/10

Writer/director/co-star Kevin Smith bids farewell to the Jay and Silent Bob characters in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," the first of the five movies featuring them in which they are the stars. He couldn't have come up with a better send-off for them. True, there's no big ideas behind this film like there were in "Dogma" or "Chasing Amy," but really, the grand ideas in those movies came from the main characters, not Jay and Silent Bob. They were there for comic relief mainly. Therefore, it makes sense that "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" would be pure slapstick comedy. Think about it, do you really want a foul-mouthed, over-sexed stoner telling you how to live your life?

So anyway, it's a pure slapstick humor road movie. But unlike most slapstick comedies of late, this one's actually funny...extremely funny. Jay and Silent Bob find out that a movie is being made from a comic book (Bluntman & Chronic) that was based on them. They set off for Hollywood intending to stop it. Kevin Smith manages to pack so many jokes into what could have been another predictable, boring road comedy, that it's head and shoulders above the competition. I'm gonna have to go see it again, to make sure I didn't miss any jokes. Smith once again is showing off his incredible writing skills. Some people may not believe that any movie full of crude, R-rated humor is well written, but it is. Not only is it incredibly funny, but there's an intelligence and wit behind it that is unmistakably Kevin Smith's.

I was also pleased with the quality of acting in the movie, especially Jason Mewes (Jay). In past View Askew movies, Mewes has been funny, despite not doing a particularly good job of acting. The one thing I was worried about was whether or not he'd be able to carry a film mostly by himself (since Silent Bob is mostly, well, silent). But he definitely proved that he has grown enough as an actor to be able to head up a movie. Kevin Smith (Silent Bob) does his usual decent job. Since he doesn't say much, mainly just reacts, he can't to a great job, but he's still very funny. He's the perfect companion (or should I say, "hetero life mate" for Jay, who's the complete opposite. There are no real other big parts in the movie, but there are tons of little cameos. Really, I think it'd be easier to list the people who DON'T appear in it. Some of the highlights include a scene with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon playing themselves, on the set of "Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season," a scene with Jason Biggs and James Van Der Beek, as themselves, playing the stars of the Bluntman and Chronic movie, and a scene with Mark Hamill parodying Star Wars. But really, almost all of the jokes are highlights.

For people who have seen the other films in Smith's New Jersey Chronicles series ("Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," & "Dogma"), there are quite a few in-jokes that you will find hilarious. In addition to playing himself, Affleck also reprises his role as Holden from "Chasing Amy," Jason Lee reprises his roles from "Chasing Amy" and "Mallrats," and Jeff Anderson and Brian O'Halloran reprise their "Clerks" roles. Many others from the View Askewniverse appear as well. However, this movie is not only for fanboys. I saw it with a friend who hadn't seen any of the other four movies, and he thought it was hilarious too. The majority of the jokes will be understood by anyone. The in-jokes are like a little bonus from Smith to his fans, but they are not the focus of the movie.

Kevin Smith also does a good job directing. Lately, it seems to have become popular to attack Smith's directing ability, but I think he did a good job. In his earlier movies, his directing was simply decent, not good, not bad. But he has made a lot of progress. This is one of the better directed comedies I've seen. Not Academy Award stuff, but most other comedy directors are pretty boring it seems.

I want to briefly comment on the GLAAD protests of the film, citing large amounts of homophobia. I am gay, and I didn't find the film offensive. I think a lot of people are just taking the film way to seriously. It's not a serious film. People forget that Jay is, basically, a moron, so you can exactly take everything he says as the truth. Smith has said it's supposed to be a satire, and it works. Especially considering that in past films, Jay has admitted to sometimes fantasizing about guys. It's a satire, lighten up people. There's actually a funny scene where James Van Der Beek chastises Jason Biggs for calling something "gay," and also there's a funny disclaimer at the end.

Which reminds me, stay for the credits. There's plenty of funny stuff, and Alanis Morissette shows up at the very end. All in all, "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" is an extremely funny movie, plain and simple. Just don't take it seriously, because again, it's not a serious movie. There's still a few months to go, but I think this will prove to be the funniest movie of the year...actually, of the last many years. Quit reading this and go see it!

Rating: 10/10

I actually enjoyed the first Scary Movie, I gave it 7 out of 10. But Scary Movie 2 is absolutely horrible. I don't mind gross out humor if it's funny, but here, it's not, it's just plain stupid. I do have some respect for the Wayans Brothers (and the endless list of other writers involved) for at least trying to parody different movies this time around, instead of sticking to the same ones as the first (although a few of the same jokes do show up again here). Unfortunately, they just couldn't pull it off. The teen slasher movies from the original were easier to parody, I think, because they're just really horrible to begin with and very easy to make fun of. People would have laughed no matter what. It seems like they were expecting the same thing with the second movie. However, most of the movies they choose to parody are a little more on the serious side, and therefore, are more difficult to make fun of. Not that it couldn't be done, but the writers would have to put more work into it. They didn't. All but a few of the jokes fall flat, and are more likely to inspire blank stares, not laughter. There are a few really funny jokes, but not nearly as many as the original Scary Movie, and not nearly enough to fill an entire movie.

Rating: 3/10

First off, let me say that there is absolutely no moral to this film. Most of Kevin Smith's previous films in the "New Jersey Chronicles" series have had some sort of message, be it about religion ("Dogma"), sexuality ("Chasing Amy"), or anything else. But "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" is just pure comedy. But it is great comedy. Definitely one of the funniest movies I have seen in a very long time. Any moral in the film would just take away from the laughs, so it's better off.

I don't want to give too many of the jokes away, but take my word for it, the film is absolutely hilarious. I'm not generally a fan of gross out/sex comedies like this, but Kevin Smith does a such a great job of writing the jokes that J&SBSB is infinitely funnier than all of those other movies combined. There's tons of hilarious cameos in the movie. I swear, it'd be easier to list all of the people who AREN'T in the movie. Some of the highlights include a bit with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck playing themselves, a bit with Jason Biggs and James Van Der Beek playing themselves, and a bit with Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) spoofing Star Wars. Actually, the entire movie is like a highlight reel. Other movies would be lucky to have 1 or 2 jokes this good.

A lot of the characters from the View Askew/"New Jersey Chronicles" family also make return appearances in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." Ben Affleck, in addition to playing himself, also reprises his role from "Chasing Amy." Jason Lee reprises his roles from both "Chasing Amy" and "Mallrats." There are numerous others as well. There are quite a few "in-jokes" that will be lost on people who haven't seen the other movies. But most of the jokes will be understood by anyone. I saw the movie with a friend who hadn't seem any of the previous ones, and he thought it was hilarious. The little in-jokes are like an added bonus in film that is, otherwise, still extremely funny.

Of course, I can't talk about "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" without talking about Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith). For the first time in the series, they have a movie all their own. And they carry it very well. Jason Mewes shows that he has come a long way as an actor, and is more than capable of carrying a film. And Kevin Smith as Silent Bob is the perfect companion (or should I say, "hetero life mate") for the foul-mouthed, over-sexed Jay.

While I'm talking about Kevin Smith, I should mention his directing. His writing skills have always been great, but some people have criticized his directing. I never thought he was a bad director, but he has definitely improved since "Clerks," his first film. He's gone from being a pretty good director, to a very good one. It's uncommon to see direction this good in a slapstick comedy movie.

On a slightly serious note, I want to briefly mention the GLAAD protests of this movie, saying it is overly homophobic. I'm gay, and I didn't find it at all offensive. I think they forget that Jay is, basically, a moron, so anything he says can't be taken seriously. Smith has said that he intended it as a satire, and I think he succeeds. There's actually a point in the film where a character is chastised for calling something "gay." There's also a funny disclaimer about it in the credits.

Actually, there's lots of funny stuff in the credits, including a cameo by Alanis Morissette at the very end, so stick around. Overall, there's really no way "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" could be any funnier. Congratulations to Kevin Smith for creating a movie that is extremely crude, but extremely funny.

Rating: 10/10

"Evolution," though not the most original movie ever, is still a very entertaining comedy. Although the story uses some cliches, it uses them well, and so it's not really a problem. The three main characters (Duchovny, Jones, and Scott) are fairly typical underdog hero types. However they are all very funny, and some of the comedy is far better that a lot of recent comedies. Going in, you're going to have a pretty good idea how it ends, of course, it's getting to that ending that makes this movie good. For instance, you know that our heroes will come up with some ingenious method to stop the aliens, but in "Evolution," they come up with an idea (which I won't spoil) that is also very funny. The script for "Evolution" is far better than many recent comedies. There are quite a few witty conversations between the characters that go beyond the typical slapstick, shock-oriented humor that has become popular of late. That said, the film does occasionally lapse into some gross-out humor (like an extended fart gag near the end), but fortunately there's not too much of it, and there's enough of the more intelligent comedy to make up for it.

The acting in "Evolution" was also quite good. David Duchovny proves that he can do comedy, and in a way, almost mocks his "X-Files" character in this movie. He deadpans many of his lines, but his timing is good, and so this works for great comedic effect, instead of being boring. I was especially impressed with Orlando Jones, who was not only very funny, but proved that he could be serious at times. Jones actually had some of the lines that made me laugh the most. He's one of the few comedians who's acting skills constantly impress me. Seann William Scott is pretty good as well, though he does play basically play the same character he's played in many of his films. He seems like he could be a pretty good actor, I'd love to see him try something different. Julianne Moore is, of course, a very talented actress, and brings as much to her role as she can. Her character is, however, the least developed of the four, and so she doesn't really shine here, but she at least manages to keep her character from seeming too one dimensional.

Overall, I enjoyed "Evolution." It's not perfect; there's a few plot holes and a few of the jokes misfire. Most of them, however, do not, and the movie manages to become an entertaining, well-acted, summer comedy. And even if you DON'T like the movie, you'll still love the special effects. So go see it...there's plenty of worse things you could do to kill a couple hours.

Rating: 8/10

It's not a great film, but "15 Minutes" is very good. It has good action, plus more intelligence than the standard action movie. The cast is very good all around. I especially enjoyed Edward Burns and Kelsey Grammer. De Niro is, of course, very good as well. Karel Rolen and Oleg Taktarov are good as the villains. They managed to act like murderers, while still being kind of funny.

John Herzfeld's directing is pretty standard. Nothing about it really stands out, but it's by no means bad. Herzfeld's script is very good though. He knows what points he wants to make, and does so pretty well. Overall, I enjoyed the movie. It has good action, and a good point as well. True, the anti-media thing has been done better (I don't think anything will ever top Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers"), but it certainly could have been worse. See this movie. It may not change your life drastically, but you won't be any worse for it, and it'll give you something to think about for a little while.

Rating: 8/10

I think that one of the big reasons many people haven't really liked "Blow" is the inevitable comparisons to "Traffic." But it's really not a fair comparison to make, because they're very different films. True, they both deal with drugs, but they do it in very different ways, and there are few other similarities between the two.

That said, "Blow" is a terrific movie. I thought that it was a very realistic account of George Jung's sad (but true) life story. Never once did movie try to say that Jung's actions were okay. Jung realizes that he messed up, and doesn't make any excuses. We feel sorry for him not because his punishment was unjust, but because we recognize how much his mistakes cost him. Some have complained about the pacing of the film, that it starts fast and slows down is it goes on. I think this was the best way to do it. At the beginning, Jung as young and free and has his whole life ahead of him. As the film goes on, he loses more and more, and it wouldn't make sense for the filmmaker's to portray this as exciting.

"Blow" is very well acted for the most part, especially Johnny Depp. His portrayal of George Jung is stunning because he gives a very human quality to a man that, in the hands of a lesser actor, would definitely come across as an inhuman scumbag. Depp's performance is almost creepy, because he seems like a regular person, like anyone else...who just happened to be responsible for the vast majority of the cocaine in America in the 70s and 80s. Ray Liotta and Rachel Griffiths, as Mr. and Mrs. Jung, also give very good performances. Liotta shows us a man who wanted so badly for his son to be happy, that he willingly let his him continue dealing drugs, because he was happy. Paul Reubens and Penelope Cruz, the other major supporting cast members, aren't really anything special, but they're good enough. They don't detract from the film at all.

Ted Demme's direction is good because it lets Depp run the story. His direction isn't nearly as stylized as some other directors, but it works very well for this story. It feels very realistic. He also does a good job with the pacing of the film, as I mentioned above. The screenwriters, David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes, should be commended for not being at all preachy. "Blow" is a story that could have dwelled too much on making moral assertions, to the point where they could have beat the audience over the head with it. But the writers thankfully avoided this. They show us Jung's life and leave us to make our own judgement of this morally complex man.

I would highly recommend "Blow." It's a great telling of the excitement of Jung's rise in the drug world, and the sadness of his fall. The story is very realistic, and not at all preachy. Just don't go in expecting another "Traffic"...it's not. The films are too different to draw any good comparisons between them. If you see "Blow" without any preconceptions of it, you will really enjoy it.

Rating: 10/10

When I first heard about "Down To Earth," I was pretty excited. I'm a pretty big fan a Chris Rock, he was especially hilarious in Dogma. But this film proved to be a disappointment. Chris Rock's performance was not nearly as good as his past performances, and the movie was just very badly directed as a whole.

First off, Chris Rock. He plays the entire movie as a standup comedy routine. Obviously, this works fine in the scenes where he's supposed to be doing standup, but in the rest of the movie, it doesn't. Even when he's talking to one other character, he seems to think he's trying to make a roomful of people laugh. He has a few funny moments, but they mostly come during the standup scenes (no wonder they decided to make his character a comedian). As for the rest of the cast, they're pretty much there just to give Rock someone to talk to, none of them stand out.

Also, the movie was poorly directed. The movie has basically a one-joke plot: old white guy acting like a young black comedian. While I prefer movies with more than one joke, this still could have worked, and been quite funny. The problem was, we saw too much of Rock and not enough of the old white guy. It's supposed to be funny because it's this white guy telling Chris Rock's jokes, but for most of the time, we just see Chris Rock, so it's not nearly as funny. The few scenes where they decide to show us the white guy talking like Rock are, in fact, hilarious. If he had been shown more, the movie would have been a lot funnier.

Overall, a few moments of laughter can't make up for the fact that "Down To Earth" is poorly acted, and poorly directed. This one was a pretty big disappointment.

Rating: 4/10

The one thing that sets Gattaca apart from almost any other science fiction film is the amount of humanity and emotion in it. There have been a lot of good sci-fi films, but the one thing that is rarely done in the genre is to take a personal story and set it in a futuristic world. Sure, looking at cool special effects and high-tech gadgets can be entertaining, but if you want intelligent, moving sci-fi, the check out Gattaca.

Gattaca takes place in the near future, when genetic engineering has allowed parents to determine characteristics of their child before it born. The story is about a man named Vincent (Ethan Hawke) who was born the "old-fashioned" way, and his struggle to achieve his dream of flying into space. He uses the identity of a man with incredible genes, who happens to now be crippled (Jude Law). As the launch date nears, people come closer and closer to finding Vincent out, including his love interest Irene (Uma Thurman). The entire cast gives great performances, especially Hawke. He does a great job of conveying Vincent's determination, while also showing us his "softer" side.

Andrew Niccol's directing was very good, especially considering it was his debut. His screenplay is also very imaginative, something that Niccol seems to be quite good at (he followed this with The Truman Show). I also liked the sets and the art in the movie. It had that sleek, modern look we expect from sci-fi, but also had kind of a 1950's look to it. Again, different than what you expect from sci-fi. There are no really flashy special effects, but the story doesn't need it. They would just take our attention away from the story, which is what's important here.

This is one of my favorite films of all time. I've always liked sci-fi, but this is one of the few films in the genre that manages to be have a touching, personal story. It is about the struggle for freedom, even when there's discrimination down to the genetic level. And it is about following your dreams, no matter who tells you that you aren't good enough. Of course, these themes aren't entirely new, but Gattaca takes a fresh approach to them, and makes them very powerful. If you see the DVD, check out the deleted scene titled "Coda," it really drives these points home even harder.

All in all, Gattaca is a great movie. Even if you don't normally like sci-fi, you will enjoy Vincent's moving story set against the futuristic background. See it!

Rating: 10/10

Pitch Black is one of the most entertaining science fiction movies I've ever seen. The script was surprisingly intelligent. It would have been easy to make a film about monsters on an unknown planet be extremely stupid, but the screenwriters managed to avoid this. Every character is well written, there are no "cookie-cutter" characters. They are all 3 dimensional people with good and bad traits.

While all of the acting in the movie is good, no one was as good as Vin Diesel as Riddick, the escaped convict that the stranded passengers turn to for help. Even when he's not speaking, he commands attention. Diesel makes it clear that Riddick is only out to help himself. Only near the end do we see some signs of caring for others in him, but even these are minimal. Diesel never lets us forget that Riddick is a murderer.

Technically, the film is also very good. The lighting was interesting before the darkness comes. There are 3 suns around the planet, so the lighting is a little brighter than normal. And at one point the screen has a kind of blue tint to it, apparently because the bluish sun was higher in the sky. It's a nice effect. Also the editing is very quick and frantic, especially during action sequences. The crash scene at the beginning is especially tense due to the editing.

Does Pitch Black teach us any great lessons about life? No. But who cares? It's an intelligently written, well directed, and well acted movie. It's by no means the best movie ever, but it's definitely an entertaining and thrilling ride.

Rating: 9/10

The Ladies Man is a funny movie. There's not much thought behind it, but what do you expect from an SNL movie? It's actually better than most SNL movies (i.e. Superstar or A Night At The Roxbury) Tim Meadows and Will Ferrell were both very funny. Chris Parnell was also funny in his short scene (one of the funnier ones in the movie). Other than that, the rest of the cast is average and is just there to support Meadows. I've definitely seen funnier movies, but I've seen dumber ones too. Again, it's not exactly a deep movie, but it's good for a few laughs. It was funnier as a skit though. But still, if you're looking for a pretty funny movie, I'd recommend this one. Just don't think about it too much, or you'll hate it.

Rating: 6/10

Since The Way of The Gun is about a crime, and was written by Christopher McQuarrie, it was bound to draw comparisons to The Usual Suspects. I for one, thought it lived up to those expectations without being a blatant rip-off of Usual Suspects. The film also marks McQuarrie's directing debut.

To put it simply, The Way of The Gun is a great movie. The plot has as many twists as we would expect from McQuarrie, and it's a very good plot in general. Unlike most action movies, it has a plot. It's a very intelligent movie, yet still has plenty of action. It also has a very sleek "modern western" look to it. McQuarrie seems to be as good a director as he is a writer.

The acting is also very good. I was surprised at how good Ryan Phillipe's performance was. I wasn't really expecting too much from him, but I honestly think his performance is Oscar-worthy (of course action movies never get nominated, but I still think he deserves it). Benico Del Toro was great as well. Taye Diggs was also very good in his role as a cold, emotionless bodyguard for Juliette Lewis, who was also good. The rest of the cast was good as well. The great thing about the characters, is that there are no clear good or bad guys. Lewis' character is the only really good one. You feel sorry for Parker and Longbaugh (Phillipe and del Toro), but they are just as bad as the people chasing after them. It's so much better than having stereotypical characters that are either all good or all bad.

Overall, this is a great, great film. I can't think of anything else to say. See it!

Rating 10/10

The Cell has to be one of the most unique movies to come out in a long time. Tarsem Singh has provided us with a great visual movie. Not that it's just based on visuals. While the effects are amazing, the story holds up too. Some people have complained that this is "just another serial killer movie," which is entirely not true, in my opinion. Yes, the villain, Carl Stargher, is a serial killer, but the movie makes us look at him, not so much as a terrible evil person, but as a very sick man who needs help. It makes us feel sorry for him, while still being disgusted by the things he does.

That's another thing, this movie is not for the faint of heart. It's rated R, and it earned that rating. In addition to the nudity, the violence in the film is especially gory, and at many times is utterly disgusting. I don't mean that in a bad way, but the movie isn't for everyone. If you can handle it, then it doesn't take away from the film, because it's done in an artful way.

The only weak spot in the film, I thought, was the acting of Jennifer Lopez. While not absolutely horrible, there were some spots where she seemed a little wooden, and there are many actresses who could have played the role better. It also could've been worse though. That said, the rest of the acting is great. Vince Vaughn was impressive, and Vincent D'Onofrio was especially good as Carl Stargher. He plays Stargher like a man who knows what he's doing is terrible, but can't stop himself. Like I said before, you almost feel sorry for him. Jake Thomas is also good as the young Stargher.

All in all, this is a great movie. It certainly will not appeal to everyone, and if you don't think you can handle the levels of twisted violence, I wouldn't recommend it. However, if you don't mind that, you will find a movie with a great, original plot, and absolutely stunning special effects. The Cell is one of the most creative films I have ever had the pleasure of seeing.

Rating: 9/10 (1 point off for Lopez)

Lots of people have given this movie horrible ratings. I didn't think it was horrible, but it certainly wasn't great either. You can't think of this as a serious movie, for the most part. You have to be able to laugh at John Travolta overacting in the role of the alien chief of security. Aside from Travolta, the acting is good, nothing spectacular, but decent enough. Of course, the special effects are very nice, but that alone doesn't make it a good movie. The plot is average at best. The idea is good, but the script doesn't follow through on the promise. It seems very choppy, it jumps forward too much a few times, and it feels like parts have been left out. That could either be due to flaws in the script, or the film being overedited. Aside from this, every other part of the film is good enough. Nothing is great, but nothing else is horribly bad either. Battlefield Earth can be a somewhat enjoyable movie to watch, if you're willing to take it's shortcomings in stride and just laugh at it.

Rating: 6/10

Hollow Man starts off as a genuinely creepy movie, and it lasts for most of the film. While there's nothing incredibly original about the story, it's still pretty good. Like I said, it's very creepy not knowing where Sebastian (Kevin Bacon) is, or what exactly he's going to do next. Plus, the special effects are extremely good, and actually add to the creepiness for the most part, which is more than can be said for many big budget movies. However, near the end, the last 1/3 or so, Hollow Man turns into a pretty typical Scream-type slasher movie. Sebastian goes around trying to kill all of his co-workers, and nothing very startling happens. It's not creepy anymore, because we know what he has planned. It's a shame that it was so good for the first 2/3, and then degenerated to that. Also, I have some issues with the realism at the end...I won't say exactly (I don't want to spoil it) but Sebastian seems awfully hard to kill.

Overall, every aspect of the movie is good for the first 2/3 or so. It's very creepy, the acting is good, and the effects are amazing. It really looks like there's an invisible man there. But the film loses some of the excellence in the last third. The acting and effects are still good, but the plot is pretty bad. But this doesn't totally ruin the film, it's still very enjoyable.

Rating: I'd give the first 2/3 10/10, but the entire film gets 8/10

Yes, Loser is a very predictable film. Plotwise, it follows most other romantic comedy type movies. But still, there is enough here to make it stand out somewhat. Granted, being better than most teen romantic comedies isn't much of an accomplishment, but Loser is a good movie, even though I knew what was going to happen.

I thought Jason Biggs played his part as Paul very well. He had the loser-like goofiness that inspired quite a few laughs, but you could also tell how much the character loved Mena Suvari's character, Dora. Greg Kinnear is also very good as Professor Alcott, Dora's love interest at the beginning of the movie. When all is said and done, Paul comes out as a winner, not a Loser, because he realizes that you don't have to fit in with everyone else to be "cool." That's what really sets this movie apart from lots of other recent teen movies. It does have a point. Obviously, it's not extremely deep, and it won't change your life or anything, but it's still good, and it makes the movie very worthwhile.

I think that lots of people didn't like this movie because they were expecting something along the lines of American Pie, given that both Biggs and Suvari were in that. If you're looking for American Pie, you will not like Loser. Although billed as a comedy, there are some times when it's downright serious, especially further into the movie. If you want non-stop gross-out humor, Loser is not for you. If, however, you want to see a good romantic film, that's funny at times, but serious at other, just like real life, then I think you will enjoy Loser. Yes, the basic plot is quite familiar, but there's enough extra stuff to keep it interesting and make it stand out from the crowd of bad teen comedies that have been around lately.

Rating: 8/10

When I went to see X-Men, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew it would be great looking, with great effects, and it certainly was. But I didn't know what to expect after that. I was very pleasantly surprised. This is one of the first action movies in a while that has actually had a point to it. In some parts of the movie, it was closer to a drama. It gives us a message of how prejudice affects our world. Although mutants are the target of prejudice in the movie, the message can be applied to any group of people that has ever been in the same situation. Hopefully people who see X-Men will get that message, instead of concentrating solely on the visual appeal, which there is a lot of.

The two main mutants in the film are Wolverine and Rogue (Hugh Jackman and Anna Paquin, both do incredible jobs). Instead of just showing them killing the bad guys like typical summer action movie fare, Brian Singer (the director...another amazing job) focuses on their pasts, showing us how they ended up like they were. He does a great job at this, he can really make you feel emotion for the characters (another uncommon thing in action movies).

The rest of the cast is good as well. Patrick Stewart (Professor Xavier...leader of the X-Men) and Ian McKellan (Magneto, leader of the bad group of mutants) are especially good. I was surprised by Rebecca Romijn-Stamos' performance as Mystique (another bad one). Although she didn't have many lines, I still thought she did a very good job. Surprising, considering how most models do in movies. I'd like to see more from her, provided she can stay out of typical model roles (i.e. Bond girl). The one weak spot is Tyler Mane as Sabretooth, but it's a pretty small part, so it doesn't really matter.

You don't have to be a comic book fan to enjoy this movie. I've never read X-Men, and I enjoyed the movie immensely, and it made perfect sense to me. It offers so much more than a typical action movie. It has a well thought-out plot, which may not seem like a big deal, but not too many big-budget action movies do that anymore (M:I-2...). I highly recommend this movie. Even if you don't typically like action movie, X-Men has a much deeper plot, much more heart, and is just a great movie overall.

Rating: 9/10

The Truman Show is one of those movies that doesn't come along very often. It is a great concept, and it turns out wonderfully. Jim Carrey turns in a great performance as Truman Burbank, who spends 30 years living his life in a TV show before realizing what's going on. It's not what you might expect from a Jim Carrey movie. There is no slapstick gross-out humor in the film. The movie is a drama that has some funny parts, but it is not intended to be a comedy. Not that that's a bad thing. In fact, it's a very good thing. There was nothing weak about Carrey's part in this movie. It proves that Jim Carrey is a truly gifted actor, unlike so many others who have made their name in slapstick comedy (Adam Sandler...). Carrey shows that he has a wide range of talents, and pulls of the dramatic acting without a hitch.

Of course, there's more to the movie that just Jim Carrey. Peter Weir does a great directing job, giving us the views from the cameras that watch Truman's life. It works very well. And the supporting cast turn in great performances as well, especially Ed Harris as Christof, the director of the show. Of course, the other actors are overshadowed by Carrey's performance, but they still do a great job.

"Touching" might not be a word commonly associated with Jim Carrey films, but this one is. It has sad parts, it has happy parts...it is just a great drama. The only thing it doesn't have is the slapstick humor that got Jim Carrey famous. And I for one don't miss it. See this movie, it is truly great. Everyone involved does a great job, and Jim Carrey establishes himself as one of the best actors of our time, maybe of any time.

Rating: 10/10

This is one of the best comedies I've seen in a while. Granted, that's not saying much, there haven't been too many great comedies of late, but The Whole Nine Yards is a very enjoyable movie. The characters are well developed and the plot has enough unexpected little twists to keep you interested. Bruce Willis is good as Jimmy, and Matthew Perry is especially hilarious as "Oz." Amanda Peet also does a good job as Jill, the contract killer in training.

Now, this isn't exactly an extremely deep movie that's really thought provoking, and there are some aspects of the plot that I find a bit unbelievable (some stuff involving Jimmy's wife...I won't spoil it). But, it's not a serious movie so there's really no need to expect it to be too realistic. The Whole Nine Yards is simply a funny movie that you'll definitely enjoy if you're in the mood for something light-hearted.