The most anticipated movie of the summer, The Dark Knight, does not disappoint.

The midnight showing was what I would have expected. The entire place was sold out and people were clapping, before (in a chant like way) and after. Trust...
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The most anticipated movie of the summer, The Dark Knight, does not disappoint.

The midnight showing was what I would have expected. The entire place was sold out and people were clapping, before (in a chant like way) and after. Trust me, after you see this movie, you will clap, or rather it's hard not to clap. To get a good seat, I had to get in about 45 minutes before the movie started, and yes, they did let us into the theater that early. But let's get on to the movie.

The Dark Knight starts out with the introduction of the Joker, taking a look at Batman as he deals with a couple of thugs, and also being introduced to Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Everything seems to be going well. The criminals are scared and the arrival of Harvey Dent, the new DA in Gotham brings another big hitter for the side of good. But that's where everything goes wrong. The Joker is unleashed. Now the games will begin. The Joker in seemingly unstoppable considering, as he puts it, by having no rules. As such, he's a curveball that no one can seemingly hit or see coming. But of course battles are waged, and certain people will realize who they truly are.

What everyone is probably wondering and probably already know is the fact that the late Heath Ledger, in his last performance is beyond spectacular. He is the embodiment of The Joker. He shows you why The Joker is one of the most feared villains in history. This is true greatness that he brings to the screen and he steals the show. Much like Johnny Depp did with Captain Jack Sparrow, but to a much larger extent. You can't help but both laugh and be horrified by the character of The Joker. Perfection. May you rest in peace Heath Ledger.

But of course, the great acting doesn't end with Mr. Ledger. Aaron Eckhart is fantastic as the DA Harvey Dent. He is aggresive and emotional as he tries to get things to go his way, doing a great job at portraying the character. While not stealing scenes like Heath, just wait until the end, when the character's true colors show, and Eckhart is hard not to admire. The same can be said for Gary Oldman as Lieutenant Gordon. With everyone else shining, it can be hard to witness Oldman doing at times a better job. He doesn't have a large part, but he brings it all to the table. Dare I say that this movie is one of the best acted movies of the year? Why I do dare.

Katie Holmes is the only loss actor-wise, as she's replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes. It is an improvement to say the least with Gyllenhaal in the film.

The Dark Knight is also one of those films that wouldn't be the same without its spectacular musical score from Hans Zimmer (who also did the past two Pirates of the Caribbean movies coincidentally). Hans Zimmer is at his best here and I wouldn't be surprised if he gets an Oscar nod for his effort. The mood of each scene is perfectly emulated through his score. "Why So Serious" perfectly gets you ready for each scene that goes wrong. Check out the soundtrack on itunes to get an idea.

It's very rare that I see a film that does pretty much everything almost to perfection. While The Dark Knight isn't the perfect movie, it comes close. There are a couple of slight problems, but they're negligible unless you want to look for them. The movie is clocked at a fast two hours and 40 minutes. I say fast because you won't know it's that long. The Dark Knight is the movie this summer, and may well be the movie of the year.

It's rare that I give out a score like this, but considering that the line "Why So Serious" is still ringing out in my head, along with a couple of other classic lines from the Joker, it makes sense.

10/10

Do not miss this movie.

I wasn't all too sure if Kung Fu Panda was going to be a good movie worth watching, considering Dreamworks' track record. Was it going to more like Shrek, a great family film, or more like Madagascar, a film that fit more for the younger audience...
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I wasn't all too sure if Kung Fu Panda was going to be a good movie worth watching, considering Dreamworks' track record. Was it going to more like Shrek, a great family film, or more like Madagascar, a film that fit more for the younger audience that didn't quite hit the family market. As such, I was pleasently surprised.

Kung Fu Panda tells the story of Po (Jack Black) a panda who has aspirations of becoming a kung fu master alongside the Furious Five, the protectors of the valley. Unfortunately for him, he's extremely out of shape and currently works at a noodle shop with his father. Meanwhile, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is told that the time to find the Dragon Warrior is upon them as the evil Tai Long (Ian McShane) is going to be set free. A quick search is made, and Po is chosen as the famed Dragon Warrior, much to the Furious Five's and Shifu's surprise. What comes next is a series of gags and all out fun as Shifu tries to train Po before Tai Long appears.

The story itself isn't an overly great one, but what makes this movie is Jack Black. Plain and simply his great excitement and complete embodiment of Po really stands out here. Every action and reaction is perfectly done here. It's hard to imagine anyone else with as much enthusiasm of Jack Black for this role. Perfectly done. As for the rest of the voice actors, Dustin Hoffman and Ian McShane do great jobs as the disgruntled and ashamed master and evil protege respectively. The rest of the all-star cast, which includes the voices of Angelina Jolie, David Cross, Lucy Liu, and Jackie Chan, aren't in the movie as much as one would like, and don't really affect the film in any which way.

The next great surprise of the film, for me that is, was the great action sequences. They're fast, furious, and utterly fun to watch. Fantastically choreographed and mapped into the animation.

Overall, Kung Fu Panda is a fun fun movie to watch.

Yep, that's right, I stayed up late last night to see the new Indiana Jones movie at midnight, heh. I actually bought my ticket a couple days in advance thinking that the place might be sold out. It wasn't, but that was probably because the...
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Yep, that's right, I stayed up late last night to see the new Indiana Jones movie at midnight, heh. I actually bought my ticket a couple days in advance thinking that the place might be sold out. It wasn't, but that was probably because the theater I saw it in was located in one of the smaller towns around Cincinnati. Yep, smart thinking there . Anyway, everyone was buzzing in anticipation in the about third-full theater (maybe just a quarter-full); only the hardcore Indy fans showed up .

The lights dimmed and the previews started; they included the other highly touted summer movies including Get Smart, Wall-e, and Hancock. There were just a little too many, but oh well, the buzzing stopped as the Paramount Mountain opened up, along with the classic Indy start - they always start each movie with a mountain, or in this case a mound, that looks like the Paramount Mountain. Anyway, the movie started off a little differently than your typical Indy film (of course I won't spoil anything ). But it wasn't until the introduction of the main villain, brilliantly played by Cate Blanchett, that red flags went off in my head. The red flag went off due to the character not the actor. It just provided an awkward moment. But soon we learn what the main object of the movie is about, a crystal skull, and the fact that the Soviets are looking for it. I do have to mention that for some odd reason, the word Soviet is never mentioned during the film, even though it takes place in 1957 during the Red Scare. I just thought that was somewhat odd and a nice FYI. Anyway, we're soon off on a regular Indy adventure with Shia LeBouf and Karen Allen along for the ride. Karen Allen, who returns as Marion Ravenwood (from the Raiders) is spectacular to watch onscreen, especially when she and Indy get at each other. As for Shia, I'm not quite sure how I felt about his character. But unfortunately, the newest Indy adventure is hit with unexpected bumps along the road.

While I'm not going to say anything bad about the action sequences, as those were pulled off nicely, but I just want to say how poor the dialogue was. There were more than a couple of times where the dialogue just fell flat. The acting, from LeBouf and Ford could have been a little better, as their scenes together felt off. I'm not saying that neither of them were terrible, just decent, but lacked excitement, and when you're just discovering things for the first time, like a couple of scenes in the Amazon Jungle, it felt stiff and bored. But luckily when Karen Allen arrives on screen, everyone seems to pick it up. Most likely due to her energetic behavior, and the fact that aside from Cate Blanchett, she was the only person that seemed to be in character consistently. But the dialogue wasn't the only problem. I have more than one gripe about the central story.

The central plot of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull of course involves the retrieval of a crystal skull, no shocker there. But how the story turns and develops near the end just doesn't fit. I'm not going to spoil the movie, but if you see it, then you'll know what I'm talking about. The ending and what the crystal skull is just seemed not right. I'm not sure if it's because it's definitely not what I expected, or if it seemed cheesey in a way. But from my standpoint, the story is a change from your typical Indy adventure in a way, but not in a good way. Plus the way how the Soviets wanted to use the skull was, well, you'll understand.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a good action movie, but is unfortunately hit with inconsistencies with the acting and dialogue along with a story that may not be believable (is that the right word here?). Fans of the series (minus the really hardcore) will probably like it as they know how the movie could have gone. But overall, it's just hit with a little too many inconsistencies to bring it up to the same level as the first three Indy movies.

And before I give my score, I just have to say, what the hell was up with that lame scene with Shia LeBouf in the jungle aciton sequence and them monkeys? I'll leave it at that and hope the warning doesn't make you cringe in embarassment as I did while watching it.

You have to give J.J. Abrams knows movies. Cloverfield, the latest from the producer, is a new look at the giant monster genre. Think Godzilla. This time around, the point of view of the monster attack is from a camcorder, providing a much more...
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You have to give J.J. Abrams knows movies. Cloverfield, the latest from the producer, is a new look at the giant monster genre. Think Godzilla. This time around, the point of view of the monster attack is from a camcorder, providing a much more dramatic look at surviving this impossible scenario.

Cloverfield opens up with a look at the main character, Rob, as he begins his day. The shot suddenly shifts to a month later, where people are getting ready for set up Rob's going away party. Here we meet Rob's best bud, Hud, who takes control of the camcorder for the rest of the film. The party goes well, with the exception of Rob's girlfriend, Beth, showing up with someone else, until the first tremors start to arrive. The monster arrives and suddenly everyone is running for their lives. Cut off at the Brooklyn Bridge by the monster, Rob receives a call from Beth who's trapped in her apartment. Rob makes the decision to go and help her. The rest of the movie revolves around the small group trying to reach Beth while avoiding the monster and other horrors.

As a film, Cloverfield is just great to watch. The atmosphere and interactions between the characters perfectly portray a scenario exactly like this. The cast, mostly unknown, do a terrific job here. Not to mention the director for keeping the thrills coming. It's hard not to get hooked to this movie. As such, the only real downfall would be how it ends. Cloverfield ends suddenly, leaving you a little disenchanted. But overall, Cloverfield is a very good movie and people looking for a new way to see a monster movie, or a disaster movie as a matter of fact, you should check out Cloverfield.

I wasn't expecting much from AVP Requiem, seeing as how the first AVP wasn't that good, but what I saw was a highly entertaining action flick that took me somewhat by surprise.

Requiem is exactly what the first AVP should have been....
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I wasn't expecting much from AVP Requiem, seeing as how the first AVP wasn't that good, but what I saw was a highly entertaining action flick that took me somewhat by surprise.

Requiem is exactly what the first AVP should have been. A ton of Alien and Predator action. We didn't need to see any form of acting from weak human characters, and for Requiem, that's thankfully avoided. Fans of the Predator series are even more thankful as to the inclusion of a Predator character who's more in line with the two Predator movies. That is, he's a bad*** and doesn't care who gets in his way. The same can be said for the Aliens. There's more of them, and of course, that means more fun. But let's get to the movie itself.

Requiem starts right off where the first AVP ended, with the birth of the PredAlien. The PredAlien quickly dispatches one of the Predators on board the Pred ship. A second Predator sees this and in an attempt to kill the PredAlien (see super Alien) he inadvertantly sends the ship careening towards Earth and an unsuspecting Colorado town. As such, an SOS is sent. A Predator quickly responds and is on route. Meanwhile, the Predator ship had six (even though only five are seen in action) face huggers who conveniently are set free from the crash. A father and son hunting are the first to fall victim. Yes, a child is hit by a facehugger, and we do get to see his chest burst. To say the least, the directors are heartless. But it gets worse. With the other facehuggers finding their prey, we've got quite the infestation brewing. Key in the arrival of the Predator. It becomes clear that he's here to clean up the mess, wipe out the Aliens, and make sure no technology falls into human hands. Speaking of the humans, unlike AVP where we're looking at scientists and such, we actually get some strong realistic characters this time around, and that helps. With that said, the humans become aware of the Aliens and all hell breaks loose. Ending in a climatic sequence in a hospital, Requiem just does a great job at delivering what fans of both the Alien and Predator series want. Bloody fun and plenty of Predator and Alien action without any annoying human characters.

With that said, Requiem isn't an overall great movie. There's no acting to be seen, and the story does falter at times, but then again, you don't go watch a movie like Requiem for the acting or story. The directors, called The Brothers Stause, do a fantastic job here. They may be heartless, but they deliver something that fans want to see.

Overall, Requiem is a good film. Great for fans, but no so great for people looking for some sort of acting or a story.

As a fan of animation films, I have to say that Renaissance is a visual treat.

Renaissance is for the most part shown in only black and white animation. While most would shy away from it, as there's no color, but by limiting the...
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As a fan of animation films, I have to say that Renaissance is a visual treat.

Renaissance is for the most part shown in only black and white animation. While most would shy away from it, as there's no color, but by limiting the movie to just black and white, the lighting effects are what really define this movie. Renaissance might not be a Pixar movie in terms of detail, but the lighting effects of this movie, and the great directing, really leave you in awe. To say the least, Renaissance is a piece of art.

But not to say that the visuals are what make Renaissance what it is, Renaissance does have a pretty good dark story and some great action sequences. Renaissance revolves around the kidnapping of a scientist that works for a powerful firm, Avalon. It's up to Captain Karas and the rest of the Sector K police division to find her. In the middle, expect a couple of twists and turns as typical for investigation movies and you've got the story. Oh, and don't forget a couple, although there aren't, great action scenes.

Renaissance is a French movie in origin, but the English voice cast is outstanding.

Overall, Renaissance is a must for fans of animated movies. The great visual style and the lighting effects will keep you enthralled. As for everyone else, Renaissance is still a good look. It might not have the best story out there, but it's still pretty good.

Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country is the last movie, and also the last time, for Trek fans on seeing the original crew of the Enterprise in action. As such, The Undiscovered Country is full of some good action sequences, political intrigue,...
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Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country is the last movie, and also the last time, for Trek fans on seeing the original crew of the Enterprise in action. As such, The Undiscovered Country is full of some good action sequences, political intrigue, and inside jokes, the perfect send off for the great crew of the Enterprise.

The Undiscovered Country starts off with Captain Sulu, now in command of his own starship, watching the explosion of a Klingon mining moon. This leads to the Federation in knowing that the Klingon Empire is in dire straights. As such, and to the surprise of many, the Klingon's propose a Peace Treaty. It is up to Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise, who are three months from standing down, to lead the Klingon ambassador to Earth. But not all goes to plan, as the ambassador is killed after a brief meeting with the Enterprise. The Enterprise is blamed for the attack, and Kirk and Bones are sent to a Klingon prison. It's up to Spock and the rest of the crew to find out what really happened, not only to save Kirk and Bones, but to save a peaceful future.

As a Star Trek movie, and there are a lot, Undiscovered Country is one of the better ones. There aren't too many action sequences, but it does a good job, in customary Star Trek fashion, at creating a good enough story to keep you watching. For Star Trek fans, this is a milestone in the Trek universe, so of course, Trek fans will love it. But non-Trek fans, the story and the characters are all well made and well acted that it's hard to see anyone really not like the movie. But for those expecting large-scale battles of any sort will be disappointed.

Overall, Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country is a very good film to watch. For Trek fans, this is a must see. For everyone else, Undiscovered Country really shines in the fact that it's a showcase of great storytelling and great characters. Just don't expect too much action.

Eastern Promises brings back director David Cronenberg with actor Viggo Mortensen together. The last time the two worked on a film, we got A History of Violence. Eastern Promises might not be as good as A History of Violence, but boy, is it a...
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Eastern Promises brings back director David Cronenberg with actor Viggo Mortensen together. The last time the two worked on a film, we got A History of Violence. Eastern Promises might not be as good as A History of Violence, but boy, is it a joy to watch.

Eastern Promises stars Mortensen as a Russian mobster, Nikolai, working in London. He is just the driver to the higher ups, but he knows his stuff. Anna (played by Naomi Watts) is a doctor working at a local London hospital. Their worlds were never supposed to cross paths. Enter young Tatiana. She dies giving birth and leaves a diary. Unfortunately, the diary is in Russian and Anna decides to have it translated by a mob boss, of whom Nikolai works for. Their paths invariably cross as Nikolai wants to advance in the mob and Anna wants to find a family for the baby. Both are playing dangerous games, either knowingly or unknowingly.

As said before, Viggo Mortensen stars and shines as the mobster Nikolai. The same can be said for the rest of the cast. But what really keeps this movie going is the excellent direction by Cronenberg. He does a superb job of pacing the movie and by keeping the audience in a mystery as to what's really happening.

Overall, Eastern Promises is a great movie to watch. There may not be gun battles or a ton of action scenes for the action junkies, but those looking for a good movie will find Eastern Promises is indeed a great watch.

For everything that it is, a horror movie, a sci fi movie, and a movie starring Vin Diesel, you have to admit, Pitch Black is interesting. Pitch Black is credited as a horror movie, and it handles the horrors pretty well, but not well enough to...
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For everything that it is, a horror movie, a sci fi movie, and a movie starring Vin Diesel, you have to admit, Pitch Black is interesting. Pitch Black is credited as a horror movie, and it handles the horrors pretty well, but not well enough to bring it up to the ranks of other sci fi horrors like Alien.

Pitch Black is set in a future where humans have spread across the stars. Here we join they survivors of a ship as they crash land on a seemingly unknown planet. This planet is desolate, but soon they discover a small outpost. That's when things start to go wrong, and they figure out that the planet will entire a total eclipse soon. This eclipse will leave then entire world in darkness for months. But that's not what troubles them, there are violent beasts that inhabit the dark, and these beasts aren't friendly to anything. Soon it's a race for survival as the survivors try to find a way off the island. Their only hope? A convict who can see in the dark by the name of Riddick (Vin Diesel).

Like I said before, as a horror movie, Pitch Black does some things right and some other things alright. The good thing is that they never drop the ball, but they never quite keep the audience on their seats. The dark creatures, called bioraptors, are menacing, but they remind me of the raptors from Jurassic Park. Not too menacing, but they do a good job nonetheless. The story isn't that bad, for a horror movie, and it works to an extent. Vin Diesel shines as the antihero Riddick, along with the rest of his flawed cast.

As a science fiction movie, Pitch Black is great. The world, or universe, Pitch Black rests in is rich and real. If anything, if this movie were set during present day, it wouldn't work as well. The audience wouldn't be pulled into the richness of it all.

So, overall, Pitch Black is a rich rich world filled with some fantastic visuals. But first and foremost, it is a horror movie, and as such, Pitch Black does an okay job. For those looking for a small scare, then Pitch Black is worth a look. For those looking for something along the lines of Alien, then you're going to be slightly disappointed.

I wasn't sure when I was going to see this movie, but I did. I didn't expect too much from it, after hearing that the plot was a little more off the walls than the first. But boy was I wrong about that.

National Treasure: Book of...
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I wasn't sure when I was going to see this movie, but I did. I didn't expect too much from it, after hearing that the plot was a little more off the walls than the first. But boy was I wrong about that.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets opens up somewhat after the end of the first movie. We get to see what all the central characters are up to, and then we're off to the races. A Mitch Wilkinson (played by Ed Harris) enters the scene and provides the spark to start this whole movie off by providing a missing piece from John Wilks Booth's diary. It names Ben Gates' (again played by Nicolas Cage) great grandfather as a co-conspirator in the murder of President Lincoln. The Gates are off to clear their name, yet again, but are closely followed by Wilkinson. What happens next, without revealing too much of the central plot, is a whole lot of clues and a great discovery, of sorts.

I just have to say, that while for the first National Treasure, the story was actually somewhat plausible. Here, in Book of Secrets, the story is just so ridiculous that you just have to shake your head in somewhat disgust. Also, in the early stages of the film, you're given a hint as to something sinister happening behind the scenes. Sadly, and annoyingly, there isn't. The story ends in a spectacular mess as everything tries to end all at once. For those who love story driven movies, this might not be for you. But that's just the story. Book of Secrets does, however, manage to surpass its predecessor by upping the action and making it a whole lot faster. The action scenes show better choreography and they're well directed, keeping the audience in a perpetual state of "what's going to happen next." If only they could do that for the plot.

Helen Mirren makes a welcome addition as Ben Gates' mother. She and his father (played again by Jon Voight) are fantastic on screen together bickering. The rest of the cast do a pretty good job, although I just wish that they would write good jokes for Justin Bartha's character. Ed Harris plays an okay villain at best.

Overall, National Treasure: Book of Secrets is in ways better than the first movie, and in equal ways a lot worse. The story is something that should be forgotten. The action, on the other hand, should be what the movie remembered. If you liked the first National treasure, you will love the second, while if you hated the first, don't bother with this one.

You know it's the holiday season when those fantasy epics hit the screen. The Golden Compass, one of this year's epics, has been on my radar for a good long time. I have a thing for fantasy flicks. The Golden Compass, based off the best selling...
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You know it's the holiday season when those fantasy epics hit the screen. The Golden Compass, one of this year's epics, has been on my radar for a good long time. I have a thing for fantasy flicks. The Golden Compass, based off the best selling book of the same name, or for those of you outside North America under the name Northern Lights, by Philip Pullman is a fun, somewhat flawed, but overall, fun film to see.

The Golden Compass stars young Dakota Blue Richards (in her film debut at that) as Lyra. Lyra is special as she's part of a prophecy that will help lead the her world to freedom. Speaking of her world, Lyra lives in an alternate universe where human souls reside outside their body in the forms of animals. Also, her world is run by an authoritative regime known as the Magisterium. The story begins with Lyra learning about dust from her uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), who is convinced that this dust, which isn't your ordinary dust, is the key to other worlds, alternate worlds. He journeys north without Lyra, much to her displeasure. But to her luck, she meets Marisa Coulter (brilliantly played by Nicole Kidman) who decides to take her. Unfortunately, all is not what it seems and Lyra finds herself in the middle of destiny as she heads north to save her friends with the aid of witches and an ice bear by the name of Iorek Brynison (voiced by Ian McKellen).

The Golden Compass is fueled by great acting performances by Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman. But the show is stolen by young Dakota Blue Richards who absolutely shines in her debut role. Nicole Kidman is perfect in her role as the villain. Let's also not forget the great voice acting by Ian McKellen. Also fueling the movie are some great special effects, especially during battle.

Aside from the great acting and the fantastic world that The Golden Compass resides in, the plot itself does take a few hits every here and there. The pace of the movie is somewhat fast, and at times, for those who haven't read the novel, it can leave some people a little confused. Another problem comes with the ending. I won't say much about it, so as to not spoil the movie, but it ends in somewhat of a cliche, which leaves a sour taste in your mouth. But other than those two big problems, The Golden Compass does a really good job.

Overall, The Golden Compass is a fun movie to behold. There may be some problems with it, but the great performances given by the cast and the special effects will keep you enthralled. I haven't read the book, so I can't comment on how well the movie does in staying with the book. But other than that I recommend this movie to anyone just looking for a fun film.

Beowulf was a tricky one for me to go out and see. Sure the graphics looked downright amazing, but how was the story? After reading a few reviews and seeing that it was a pretty good experience, I took off to see it. I probably could have...
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Beowulf was a tricky one for me to go out and see. Sure the graphics looked downright amazing, but how was the story? After reading a few reviews and seeing that it was a pretty good experience, I took off to see it. I probably could have waited until it hit home video.

Like what I said before, Beowulf is a fantastic film to behold. The graphics are unbelievable. If films were rated on only spectacular graphics and on screen effects, then Beowulf would probably win the Oscar for best film. But, unfortunately, there's the case of the story. Beowulf is, of course, based off the classic early English epic. In the case of the movie, "based off" is more appropriate as it seems the writers wanted to expand upon the classic tale. Fans of the classic epic will not be all too pleased with what they did.

Beowulf is best explained as a movie with two halves. The first half being more or less the actual original tale between Beowulf and Grendal. The second half deals with Beowulf's own personal demon coming back to haunt him. With most movies that have two halves, the two are imbalanced. The dealings with Grendal are best suited with the words slightly boring and somewhat annoying. You just can't help but feel that everyone on screen is having a blast, but you're not. As for the second half, they do a great job at bringing out some great action and fantastic shots that will have you wanting for more. The only problem, it occurs within the last 30 minutes. A little too late to save the movie.

I'm not saying that Beowulf is a complete waste of time, but it's a movie that could be a lot better as seen with the last 30 minutes. The movie runs at just shy of two hours, and it'll feel like a lot less, which is actually a good thing. But sadly, overall, Beowulf struggled out of the gate and got going a little too late. Fans of the original poem will not be thrilled, while everyone else it'll depend on whether you get swept away by the graphics or not.

In the Valley of Elah is one of those movies that relies heavily upon the performances of its actors. These types of movie are becoming rare nowadays, but luckily, In the Valley of Elah is a gem.

Starring Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize...
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In the Valley of Elah is one of those movies that relies heavily upon the performances of its actors. These types of movie are becoming rare nowadays, but luckily, In the Valley of Elah is a gem.

Starring Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron, In the Valley of Elah tells the unfortunate story of a man named Hank Deerfield (Jones) who finds out that his son has been murdered. His son is in the military and just came home from Iraq. Deerfield, being an ex-MP, vows to find out what really happened, and goes to enlist a detective (Theron). What they find isn't exactly plot shattering and neither are there any clever twists or so, but what fuels this movie are the fantastic performances and the overall atmosphere of the movie.

Tommy Lee Jones is fantastic. One of his best performances. He plays the father of a murdered military son greatly. You can't help but feel his pain and his repressed emotions of his character being in the military as well. Charlize Theron does a fantastic job as a single mother detective.

Let's not forget the overall mood of the movie. It's depressed, but it also shows a lot of Iraq and how it changes people; the horrible consequences of war. These are all done excellently through scrambled media. It just leaves you with a sense of dreamlessness.

Overall, In the Valley of Elah is a spectacular film. Not really for action buffs, but for those who are looking for powerful movies, In the Valley of Elah is it.

I remember growing up that I always seemed to be shown a ton of old western movies from back in the day, courtesy of my dad. But when looking at today, there just aren't too many movies, westerns or others, that are made in the same way. Where...
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I remember growing up that I always seemed to be shown a ton of old western movies from back in the day, courtesy of my dad. But when looking at today, there just aren't too many movies, westerns or others, that are made in the same way. Where have all the character-heavy stories gone? Where have all the great gunfights that actually mean something other than it's a gunfight? 3:10 to Yuma is a great tribute to those days gone by. It's a movie set on the characters and relationships with more than a couple of amazing action sequences. You will not be disappointed with 3:10.

3:10 to Yuma is about two men, Ben Wade and Dan Evans (Russel Crowe and Christian Bale respectively). Both men are on completely different paths of life. Wade is a notorious outlaw and Evans is a Civil War vet who is struggling as a rancher. Both men meet by chance and they immediately create a sort of bond. It's watching the two of them overcome their differences and learn to respect each other that really makes 3:10 to Yuma such a satisfying movie.

The name of the movie comes from a train to Yuma. Ben Wade is captured, with the help of Evans, and a small contingent of men have to get Wade to the nearest railroad and onto the 3:10 to Yuma. But in their way is Wade's loyal gang. The two groups finally meet at the train station in a glorious show a gunfire, that all action fans should love.

In terms of acting, you couldn't ask for a much better job. The entire cast is fantastic. Crowe and Bale are brilliant, but so are Alan Tudyk, Ben Foster, and Logan Lerman. 3:10 to Yuma has it all in the bag.

Overall, 3:10 to Yuma is a joy to behold. Fans of all the old Westerns or the old-fashioned movies will absolutely love this film. The only actual problem is the fact that for most people nowadays, it may be a little too slow getting from action point to action point. Which is a little sad. But I heavily suggest everyone to check this movie out.

All I have to say is wow. Talk about having a bloody fun time. Shoot Em Up is best described as an adult version of Looney Toons. You have your impeccable hero (Clive Owen) who eats carrots and seems to survive all the time, and you have the...
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All I have to say is wow. Talk about having a bloody fun time. Shoot Em Up is best described as an adult version of Looney Toons. You have your impeccable hero (Clive Owen) who eats carrots and seems to survive all the time, and you have the hunter (Paul Giamatti) who never seems to catch that rabbit. Shoot Em Up is almost strictly for action fans. If you're looking for any good acting performances, then you're a little out of luck.

With that said, Shoot Em Up is about a hard-nosed man (Owen) who seems to have an enormous list of pet peeves and has to destroy whatever it is that ticks him off. Of course this leads him into a devious, yet confusing, plot where he now has to protect this newborn baby from being assassinated. The reason why becomes a little muddled up at the end of the film. Hunting the baby is the hunter (Giamatti). Thinking that this should be an easy job, he gets a whole different bag when Owen steps into the ring. The whole rest of the movie really involves action scene after action scene between Owen and Giamatti with Owen always getting out unscathed and killing a whole heck of a lot of people in the process. If there's a problem with this seemingly awesome formula, then it comes in the story.

The story itself is pretty preposterous, but they do a good job at trying to make it sound plausible. That unfortunately implodes in on itself as the film ends, making you wonder why the baby was the target after all. With that said, you really don't know much about the characters. Aside from Owens being this really angry guy who loves carrots and shooting people, you don't really know why he knows as much as he does. You get an inkling, but not the full story, which to me is a little disappointing. The same is said for Giamatti, minus the eating carrots part and more of the quotes part.

Overall, Shoot Em Up is a boon for action fans, but it's not the perfect action movie. If mind-numbing action is what you like, then this if the movie for you, but if you want some sort of story that doesn't destroy itself and some characters with more of a backstory, then you might want to look elsewhere.

Fans of the television show Reno 911! will be in for a treat with Balls of Fury, seeing as it's written by the same people. With that said, for everyone else, Balls of Fury is a movie that seems to be all over the place. The comedy is a mixture...
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Fans of the television show Reno 911! will be in for a treat with Balls of Fury, seeing as it's written by the same people. With that said, for everyone else, Balls of Fury is a movie that seems to be all over the place. The comedy is a mixture of some purely hilarious treats and some that miss the target. But a better adjective to describe this movie is inconsistency.

Balls of Fury is about Randy Daytona, a gifted ping pong player who has been through some rough times after being a disappointment at the 1988 Olympic games. He finally gets the chance he needs when an FBI agent (George Lopez) appears needing him to help bring down a dangerous Triad lord Feng (Christopher Walken). This leads to Daytona working his way through a couple of wacky scenes and some ping pong before he reaches the main event. Once there, more mayhem ensues and that pretty much sums up Balls of Fury.

As a comedy, Balls of Fury is pretty well written and does a good job throughout by keeping a great atmosphere. But, like what was said earlier, the jokes are all over the place, which seems to hurt the movie. But I'm not saying you won't have a fun time though. What really hurts the movie is the fact that at times there may be too much going on, the Scarface references were a little too much, and all the balls jokes were too.

Overall, Balls of Fury is a pretty decent comedy where the jokes are either a hit or a miss. Don't worry about there being much of a plot, this is a comedy after all. If you're itching for a comedy, then go ahead and check it out, although I would wait for a rent.

I wasn't too sure about Nacho Libre, considering that it was directed by the same person who did Napoleon Dynamite. I think I was hoping that it would be the same as Napoleon, but after seeing the advanced reviews, it slipped from my mind. It's...
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I wasn't too sure about Nacho Libre, considering that it was directed by the same person who did Napoleon Dynamite. I think I was hoping that it would be the same as Napoleon, but after seeing the advanced reviews, it slipped from my mind. It's too bad that it did, as after I finally watched it, I was rather pleased.

Nacho Libre stars Jack Black as a monk who has dreams of being a luchador. There are problems with his dream. The main one being that he can't be both a man of the cloth and a wrestler. Of course this plays as a major plot line as we see Jack Black try to balance the two.

The movie was made by Nickelodeon Studios, so right off the bat you know it's going to be targeted towards a younger audience. As such, some of the humor is rather hit and miss at times, especially the occasional fart and scream jokes. But luckily, for older audiences, there are the occasional jokes that they'll get, but only the occasional. With that said, Nacho Libre is more of a mixed bag for adults, while the younger audiences will just love it. The only real problem with the movie is that it seems to jump around a lot from scene to scene. Also, not everything is fully explained. But luckily they don't take too much from the film as a whole.

Overall, Nacho Libre is a pretty good family film. Jack Black does a great job and the humor, while at times smart and not so smart, really works. If you're looking for a movie to see on a weekend or late night, then make sure you check it out.

First off I must warn all you Harry Potter purists out there, you probably won't enjoy this film like the rest of us. With that said. I do have to say that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a spectacular film.

For those...
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First off I must warn all you Harry Potter purists out there, you probably won't enjoy this film like the rest of us. With that said. I do have to say that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a spectacular film.

For those who haven't read the book, Order of the Phoenix is Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. Like what's been going on from the previous installments, Order of the Phoenix takes you into the more darker aspects of Harry's world. Voldemort is back and the Ministry of Magic (think of them as the government of everything magical) refuses to believe and tries to discredit Harry and Dumbledore. Harry is frustrated, and there's not much he can do, until he finally decides to take matters into his own hands.

The Order of the Phoenix is a powerful film and new director David Yates does a brilliant job at portraying the essence of Rowling's book. Yes, there are omissions and there are changes, but if you really think about it, they are the correct omissions and changes. Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series, and you can't put all of it into the alloted time frame. The acting is absolutely superb. Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint are becoming actors. But lets not forget Imelda Staunton who is fantastic as the despotic Umbridge. Gary Oldman is also deserving of praise as Sirius Black.

Overall, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is one of the best of the series and one of the best films of the year so far. It is powerful, entertaining, and most importantly, it captures what J.K. Rowling wrote. For that, this is a must see for fans and non-fans alike.

There aren't many times you come across a movie that just completely takes you off guard. Stardust, a literary creation of Neil Gaiman, does just that.

Stardust starts off by weaving a story about a wall. This isn't your ordinary...
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There aren't many times you come across a movie that just completely takes you off guard. Stardust, a literary creation of Neil Gaiman, does just that.

Stardust starts off by weaving a story about a wall. This isn't your ordinary wall. It's a portal to another world where magic is the rule. We then meet Tristan, our hero, who tries to win the heart of a girl who doesn't share his feelings by trying to retrieve a fallen star. The star ends up being an actual person, much to the surprise of Tristan and he tries to bring her back to the one girl. Unknown to Tristan, there are other forces at work in trying to obtain the star for their own purposes. What comes next is a fantastic journey full of dangers and joys and hilarity. You've got your witches, evil princes, and cross-dressing pirates, wait...

The acting is superb throughout. All the actors do a great job, although I do have to give props to Robert Di Nero for being the cross-dressing pirate. Those have to be the best scenes in the entire movie, aside from dead ghosts cheering and joking. The humor, and there is a lot, is just great. You have to give props to Gaiman and the director for creating and recreating a fantastic sense of humor, and more importantly, a fantastic world.

Overall, if there's one movie you should see this summer, you should really check out Stardust. It brings back memories of the Princess Bride, but a much better version.

300 is best described as the ultimate guy movie. It's chock-full of action, memorable quotes, and the occasional sex scene. But what fully describes 300 is its style and vision.

300 is a retelling of the historic Battle of...
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300 is best described as the ultimate guy movie. It's chock-full of action, memorable quotes, and the occasional sex scene. But what fully describes 300 is its style and vision.

300 is a retelling of the historic Battle of Thermopylae. In this retelling, only 300 Spartans make their stand against the might of the Persian Empire. King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) does this in pursuit of the ultimate glory and to protect freedom. The Spartans fight furiously, and try to get the rest of Sparta into the battle.

As a movie, 300 is all about the action and unbelievable vision of Steve Miller. Gerard Butler gives a great performance, and so do a couple of the other actors, but this isn't a movie made for acting. The real problem that 300 faces is that it really is all about the extraordinary vision of Steve Miller. The action may be great, but you just feel as if there's something missing.

Overall, 300 is a great action film that most people will like, although, 300 is pretty much targeted towards guys.

Live Free or Die Hard brings the fantastic Die Hard series back to the big screen. It took twelve years to go from the 3rd to the 4th. But you know what, after seeing this movie, it didn't really matter.

We join up with a John...
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Live Free or Die Hard brings the fantastic Die Hard series back to the big screen. It took twelve years to go from the 3rd to the 4th. But you know what, after seeing this movie, it didn't really matter.

We join up with a John McClane (Bruce Willis) who has seen better days. He's suffered a divorce and seems to be on his last job. He's sent to go pick up a lowly hacker (Justin Long) and it thrust into a virtual terrorist attack. Soon all of America is shut down leaving McClane and the hacker to stop them. To make things worse, they have McClanes daughter (Mary Elizabeth Winestead).

For a Die Hard movie, Live Free or Die Hard (or Die Hard 4.0) brings the action. You have some stellar sequences and of course you have John McClane being, John McClane. Bruce Willis does a fantastic job by playing the John McClane that we all love. Justin Long does a great job at playing the unwilling sidekick providing some well needed humor. But, when it comes to the villains and the overall plot, this is where Live Free or Die Hard falls a bit. Timothy Olyphant plays Gabriel, the lead cyber-terrorist, and really doesn't seem to be too menacing. His minions are pretty good, in that they give McClane a run for his money, although you don't see them for too long, as they're quickly disposed of. When it comes to the plot, it's never fully explained why the villains are doing what they're doing, which is sad, as if there was a decent plot, this movie would be that much better.

Overall, Live Free or Die Hard is a great summer action movie and should be seen by fans of action movies or for those who just want to enjoy themselves.

Jason Bourne is back, and boy we couldn't have waited any longer. The movie starts off right where the last ended. Bourne is now having more flashbacks about his past, but more importantly, about his beginning. This leads to Bourne trying to...
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Jason Bourne is back, and boy we couldn't have waited any longer. The movie starts off right where the last ended. Bourne is now having more flashbacks about his past, but more importantly, about his beginning. This leads to Bourne trying to track down whom ever knows anything about his past leading him to locations around Europe and finally to New York. What ensues during his journey are an assortment of great action sequences and a great plot.

Matt Damon does a fantastic job as the amnesiac, Jason Bourne, along with Julia Stiles and Joan Allen.

Overall, The Bourne Ultimatum is an action fan's dream come true. You have great action sequences coupled with a great plot. When you leave the movie theater, you will be left breathless.

Die Another Day takes the Bond franchise to a whole different direction. For once, this isn't your regular Bond story, or twice as this does share a little bit with License to Kill. Here, we get to see Bond take it a little personal, as seen...
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Die Another Day takes the Bond franchise to a whole different direction. For once, this isn't your regular Bond story, or twice as this does share a little bit with License to Kill. Here, we get to see Bond take it a little personal, as seen from the beginning of the movie. Of course, the movie does start off a little slow, and some of the locations are a little too off the wall; like the arctic locale. But even with that, the movie does hit its stride near the end with some great action and creativity. Oh, and lets not forget the Halle Berry character. Yeah, she didn't need to be included.

Overall Die Another Day is an interesting Bond movie. The imagination is great at times, but seems too fantasy than real at times for its own good. The last third of the movie really steps up and keeps it afloat. Bond fans won't like it as much as those who are looking for a decent action flick.

With a lot of action movies nowadays spending a lot of time with CG sequences, it's hard to remember how an action movie was made before CG became so popular. John Woo's Hard Boiled is, not only a great example of how you can make a great action...
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With a lot of action movies nowadays spending a lot of time with CG sequences, it's hard to remember how an action movie was made before CG became so popular. John Woo's Hard Boiled is, not only a great example of how you can make a great action movie without the use of CG, but also an utterly fantastic action movie that will leave you stunned.

Hard Boiled stars Chow Yun Fat as Tequila, a hard boiled cop who will do what it takes to get the job done. Tequila is on the trail of a ruthless mob boss who has managed to flood the Hong Kong with illegal gun shipments. Enter Alan (Tony Leung), an undercover cop working the same case. The two of them join forces and take the fight to the mobster in what would be one of the greatest action sequences you will ever see.

What makes Hard Boiled such a great movie to watch, aside from the great action sequences, is the fact that none of the action was done with the aid of CG. What you are seeing is real, and it feels real. To go along with all the action are the great performances given by both Chow Yun Fat and Tony Leung.

Overall, Hard Boiled is just plain fun to watch. All the action scenes will have you drooling for more. If there's an action movie you have to see, this is one of them.