I didn't care much for Hancock. Here's a guy with abilities normal people can only dream about and he spends 80 years moping around and acting like a jerk. It's not fully explained why he acted like a jerk for so long or how he acquired his super...
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I didn't care much for Hancock. Here's a guy with abilities normal people can only dream about and he spends 80 years moping around and acting like a jerk. It's not fully explained why he acted like a jerk for so long or how he acquired his super powers in the first place, but no matter. Things get destroyed, and it's fun to watch. We even get several chuckles along the way courtesy of Hancock and his PR specialist (Bateman). Late in the story, we finally learn of the interesting history between Smith and Theron's respective characters--a dynamic which should have been explored and explained a bit more. Instead, we're taken straight to a final underwhelming showdown (one where Smith makes his super-emotional, pursed lipped Oscar face) and a somewhat predictable resolution. In other words, Hancock moves too quickly from climax to conclusion. (That's what she said. Ha. Ha.) It was good for me, though.

Nature breaks wind in The Happening, the latest stinker from M. Night Shylamayan. Hey, I'm rooting for the guy, I really am, but it's tough when I have to sit through 90 minutes of laughably bad dialogue and acting, an unconvincing plot, and...
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Nature breaks wind in The Happening, the latest stinker from M. Night Shylamayan. Hey, I'm rooting for the guy, I really am, but it's tough when I have to sit through 90 minutes of laughably bad dialogue and acting, an unconvincing plot, and boring characters. As in his last two films, M. Night finds an interesting idea that ultimately fails to deliver on its promise--sort of like writing a 10-page term paper only to realize halfway through that your thesis statement is weak. Note to Mr. S.: Bustling leaves, open windows, and swaying trees can be scary with the right film ingredients ... or an audience of allergy-sufferers.

NOTE: **I was falling asleep during the first half hour of the film because I was drunk.** [***SPOILER***] I enjoyed seeing Superman return to the big screen, but it didn't take long for me to realize that nothing "big" was actually...
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NOTE: **I was falling asleep during the first half hour of the film because I was drunk.** [***SPOILER***] I enjoyed seeing Superman return to the big screen, but it didn't take long for me to realize that nothing "big" was actually happening in the movie. Perhaps I'm a little jaded by previous superhero films--I couldn't get excited over a guy who can fly, lift heavy objects, leap tall buildings, blow out huge fires, and use his eyes to start fires. He can do everything (kryptonite puts a little bit more strain on his abilities), but unfortunately it's nothing we haven't seen before in other superhero films. I wouldn't have minded the lack of originality so much if the story was compelling. Here's a spoiler: It's not. There was no main hero vs. villain fight and the overall plot was weak. The Superman and Lois Lane here make a boring couple--I really didn't care Lois ended up with Superman or Cyclops (also a bore in the X-Men movies). Kumar was a wasted talent. Special effects were very well done, but again, the special actions themselves were not awe-inspiring. Several lines of dialogue were (intentionally) funny enough to make me chuckle. Still, my good sense of humor and nostalgic feelings toward the legendary Man of Steel wern't enough to keep me interested for the full two and a half hours. I guess drinking before the movie *was* good preparation for such a snoozefest.

I never doubted Sam Jackson, and neither should you. He called me personally to let me know that Snakes on a Plane would be one of the best mothereffin movies of the summer. He was right! Don't pay attention to all the hype and the...
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I never doubted Sam Jackson, and neither should you. He called me personally to let me know that Snakes on a Plane would be one of the best mothereffin movies of the summer. He was right! Don't pay attention to all the hype and the snake-plane-movie-haters; just listen to Sam. Samuel L. Jackson. Not convinced? Well, you already know from chosen title that the movie is going to have fun with this ridiculous premise. After the movie, I had a hard time thinking of ways one can die to a snake that wasn't covered in the film. Sure, the special effects were a little fake-looking and cheesy at times, but who cares. There were memorable characters, funny one-liners and situations, and some genuine scares that make you jump. The story moved along at a nice pace. And damn it, it has Sam Jackson, anchoring the film with his strong screen presence and unique mix of suavity, seriousness, and anger. Good career move, Sam. If you have a good sense of humor (regarding both the film's content and SoaP crowd), then you will love Snakes on a Plane. Seriously. Trust me. Trust Sam.

To the people who enjoyed Grandma's Boy: Were you all high? Seriously. I just watched the movie on DVD today, and I must say, I laughed only twice the entire time. Twice, thanks to the childlike character J.P. and the Robonerd developer. The movie...
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To the people who enjoyed Grandma's Boy: Were you all high? Seriously. I just watched the movie on DVD today, and I must say, I laughed only twice the entire time. Twice, thanks to the childlike character J.P. and the Robonerd developer. The movie was missing a few key ingredients: Adam Sandler, funnier jokes, a more structured storyline. As far as "stoner" flicks go, Grandma's Boy is closer to Dude, Where's My Car? (not funny) than Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (hilarious). Oh, wait--I remember I did laugh a third time during this movie: When I realized Demonik, Alex's big video game, was cancelled in real life! Perhaps this DVD should have received the same treatment.

The movie begins with a hilariously cheesy 80s-style music video starring Hugh Grant, and then wavers between slightly humorous to forgettable and uninspired the rest of the way. Kristin tries to be funny as Barrymore's big sister, but she doesn't...
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The movie begins with a hilariously cheesy 80s-style music video starring Hugh Grant, and then wavers between slightly humorous to forgettable and uninspired the rest of the way. Kristin tries to be funny as Barrymore's big sister, but she doesn't succeed. To top it off, I don't think the core "song" that Barrymore and Grant write is all that good to begin with--it's just decent. As in 8 Mile, That Thing You Do, Hustle and Flow, and other films focused on music and lyrics, the main melody needs to be catchy enough for viewers not to get bored. Also, I didn't really buy the romance between Grant and Barrymore, but they're as charming and adorable as you'd expect them to be.

Spider-Man 3 delivers thrilling action sequences, cool special effects, and humorous moments, but I left the theater feeling disappointed. It could have been so much better! Unlike its predecessors, the film lacked a tight, focused script, and...
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Spider-Man 3 delivers thrilling action sequences, cool special effects, and humorous moments, but I left the theater feeling disappointed. It could have been so much better! Unlike its predecessors, the film lacked a tight, focused script, and adequate character development. Pity.

I saw an early screening of Shooter, and I kinda liked it. Although rife with cliché sequences and characters, the movie had enough funny one-liners, headshots, stuffs blowed up, and memorable supporting performances to keep me...
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I saw an early screening of Shooter, and I kinda liked it. Although rife with cliché sequences and characters, the movie had enough funny one-liners, headshots, stuffs blowed up, and memorable supporting performances to keep me entertained. It's not smart like The Fugitive--a few characters and situations in Shooter were a bit over-the-top and underdeveloped to be believable. If you see the movie, look out for some (intentional?) references to Mark's previous films.

It's like "The Ring," but not as good. Characters are weak, ghosts are lame, acting is poor. One scene gave me a few chills, though.