Harry Potter: The IMAX 3D Experience

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was just released in IMAX 3D, and I'm here to comment on the experience. First off, IMAX is always very tricky with the wording in their advertising. For the last month, they have said that their version had 12 minutes of exclusive footage. Though this sounds an awful lot like never before seen scenes, it really just means 12 minutes of the normal scenes are in 3D. The only difference between the IMAX and normal version of the film is that the first 12, and only the first 12 minutes, are in 3D; a fact they only started acknowledging recently. The rest of the film is the exact same, though the screen will likely be bigger in an IMAX theater.

So how is the opening 12 minutes in 3D? It's actually quite stunning. The images are very crisp, there aren't any gimmicky 3D moments, and the depth it adds to the film is absolutely wonderful. If the whole film was shot in IMAX 3D, I would recommend that option in a heartbeat. It really was a amazing 12 minutes, but then it was over. For casual fans, I would not recommend spending the extra money (tickets were $14 a pop for a matinee) for the IMAX ticket, as it's probably not worth it. But for the Potterholics who are planning on seeing the film multiple times anyways, paying a bit extra to see it once in IMAX is a very cool and worthwhile option.

Review: Crank High Voltage (2009)

Directors: Mark Neveldine (Crank), Brian Taylor (Crank)

Cast: Jason Statham (Crank, The Transporter), Amy Smart (Crank, Just Friends), Dwight Yoakam (Crank, Panic Room), Efren Ramirez (Crank, Napoleon Dynamite), Art Hsu, Ling Bai, Clifton Collins Jr., David Carradine (Kill Bill)

The Deal: Thought to be dead, Chev Chelios (Statham) survives a fall from a helicopter, but awakens to find that a Chinese mobster has taken taken his "indestructible" heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker. Chev must hunt down and retrieve his heart, but the battery on his new ticker requires frequent jolts of electricity to keep it running. Set on finishing the job, Chev will do anything to keep his heart going.

Thoughts: This is an adrenaline-fueled, action-happy thrill ride from start to finish. The action sequences are cool and increasingly more ridiculous than the last. I knew this was not a serious film going in, but even with that knowledge, the fact-paced action fails to save the film. It's hopped up on too much adrenaline for its own good, so the plot becomes very wild and erratic, struggling to make much sense at most times.

I can't really rip on the acting in this film, as there really wasn't any real acting required. Statham continues to thrive in this type of role, playing characters that are completely bad-ass despite their ridiculousness. I continue to wonder why Amy Smart appears in these. All her character is meant to do is wear nothing, have sex, and get beaten up. They could get anyone to do this, so I don't know why she has decided to add this role to her resume. Efren Ramirez is a throwaway character meant for comedic relief yet also intended to be badass. The combination doesn't really work.

As I said before, the action sequences were cool. It was interesting to see the different ways Chev would get his jolt of electricity, and some of them were quite clever. I especially liked the use of the taser and how the cops unknowingly re-charged their captive. Unfortunately, the film was not made up entirely of cool action sequences, and the remaining parts were quite stupid. I knew what this was going in, and I still feel dumber after seeing it.

Verdict: Though some of the actions sequences were both exciting and creative, the rest of the film is mostly rubbish. If you paid money to see this in theaters, I'm sorry. If you're thinking of renting this, wait until it's on cable. ☆☆

Summer Movie Picks: August

Must See: District 9 (August 14)

The Deal: A band of alien refugees has been living in District 9 in South Africa while the world's nations discuss what to do with them. Humans have been waiting for the aliens to attack or for some great leap in technology, but neither have come. With patience over the situation running out, control of District 9 has been contracted out to MNU, and the aliens are no longer being treated well. When an MNU agent becomes infected with an alien virus, he becomes to sole way for humans to unlock the alien weaponry, but when they only place for him to hide is in District 9, things may slip out of control.

Why: As I mentioned before when I picked Moon for June, great sci-fi films are rare. As for this film, the marketing department has shown us just enough to create lots of buzz and interest. The visuals have looked cool, and previews leave you begging to learn more. Even better, the film had a pre screening at Comic-Con last week, and all I'm hearing from it is that it is fantastic (IGN can't stop raving about it). To top it off, the film is helmed by the two people (Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp) who nearly brought us Halo. We were given snippets of what to expect of that, and it looked phenomenal before the project was shut down. The two then channeled their mutual interest and poured it into this. Anyone who's seen Lord of the Rings knows what kind of passion and awe Jackson brings to the screen, and Blomkamp is his protege. In the last month, this flew up my list of films I'm dying to see, and I can't see Jackson and Blomkamp disappointing me.

Sleepers

The Time Traveler's Wife (August 14): I've generally ignored the romance genre when making my monthly picks, but this one looks like it could be very interesting. Eric Bana plays a man who involuntarily travels through time, and he falls in love with a woman played by Rachel McAdams. It's pretty obvious this will put some interesting stress on their relationship, and I'm intrigued to see how it plays out. I can probably guess how it will end given its genre, but the sci-fi time travel element is quite enticing.

Inglourious Basterds (August 21): I thought for a long while this would be my August pick until I learned more about District 9. That being said, despite some mixed reviews from Sundance, I love a good Quentin Tarantino film. With the likes of Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, and B.J. Novak playing Jeweish soldiers who run around brutally killing Nazis, it seems like something right up Tarantino's alley, and I'm eagerly anticipating the film. To top it off, it has the beautiful Diane Kruger in it.

Taking Woodstock (August 28): I was a little hesitant to consider this, but the more I thought about it, the more I'd like to see it. The film chronicles the generation-defining concert of 1969, and the previews look fairly good. I like Demetri Martin, he's pretty funny, and the film has a handful of other good actors and actresses. Director Ang Lee will most likely do an excellent job, and I think it will turn out to be a fun and exciting film.

Review: Race to Witch Mountain (2009)

Director: Andy Fickman (The Game Plan, She's the Man)

Cast: Dwayne Johnson (Get Smart, Walking Tall), AnnaSophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Alexander Ludwig (The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising), Carla Gugino (Watchmen, Spy Kids), Ciaran Hinds (Rome, Munich), Chris Marquette (Fanboys)

The Deal: Las Vegas cab driver Jack Bruno (Johnson) finds himself transporting two strange young kids, Sara (Robb) and Seth (Ludwig). It doesn't take long before he realizes they aren't from this planet, and they are on a secret mission. Unfortunately, their space ship is in government custody, and they are being tracked by not only government agents, but also a mysterious alien hunter bent on capturing what they are looking for. As the adventure and danger escalates, Bruno decides to stick by the kids as they race to Witch Mountain where a secret government base lays hidden.

Thoughts: I thought this looked pretty stupid based on the previews, but it turned out to at least be entertaining. It's nothing too special, but it was fun and full of more action than one would expect from a Disney film. Yes, lots of things worked out far too nicely for the characters, and some bits were fairly cheesy, but it always kept a serious tone in what the story was trying to accomplish. The film is meant for kids, and in that sense, it's quite solid, but adults may forget the film quite quickly.

For a big and intimidating guy like Johnson, he does a lot of these kid-friendly films. You'd think him out of place, but he works fairly well in the roles. His humor is funny enough for the kids to enjoy it, and he's the kind of hero they'd look for to help save the day. As for the two young stars, I thought Robb gave a better performance than Ludwig, though neither was what I'd consider bad. I like what I've seen of Robb, and I think she brings a fun and likable presence to her roles. Hinds is a good choice as the head government agent. Though adults will see him as just another man working for a secretive government, kids will truly see him as a bad guy. He has a slightly creepy look to him, and plays his part well.

I found it interesting that the hunter was a government agent from the kid's planet trying to stop them so their government could hide the truth. It paralleled a lot of what the kids said about the similarities between the two races. I was a little disappointed when the space ship turned out to be a flying saucer. It seems that nobody has an imagination when thinking up what a ship would look like. That being said, kids will recognize it more this way, and I actually thought parts of the ship were cool. I like the cockpit and the strange "sphere" that seemed to power the ship. It's nice to see someone finally showing us the inside of a saucer and not having it be generic.

Verdict: Though it's not a great film, kids will like it, and it is entertaining and fun enough, even for adult viewers. There's surprisingly a lot of action, and a few cool car chases. ☆☆☆

Recognizing Kings

In this day and age, it seems like every new TV show is either a comedy or a hospital romance/drama, so when a show like Kings comes along, I'm intrigued. The show is based on the biblical story of King David, but told within a modern day alternate reality. Due to divine intervention, Silas (Ian McShane) founded the kingdom of Gilboa, but as time wore on, he became old and slightly less fit to be king. He's power hungry, and he doesn't like that Capt. David Shepherd (Christopher Egan) has become widely popular for his heroics. With it growing ever clearer that David is meant to be the new king, power struggles emerge between many.

The first season, which I thought was brilliant, has just finished up, but due to NBC's rocky handling of the show (it was moved from Sunday night to Saturday night after all of 2 weeks, guaranteeing certain doom), few have heard of it and it's been cancelled. None the less, the show is a refreshing break from the norm, sporting a very interesting story and incredibly powerful acting from pretty much everyone. It's laced with romance, war, power struggles, religion, politics, etc. There's something for most everyone in the show, and it all intertwines wonderfully together. If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest you check it out, and you can watch the episodes for free online.

A show like this is rare, which makes it all the sadder it has met an early end. I liked the show more and more every week, and the characters within it were endearing. The religious overtones were handled properly, never getting too preachy. I've heard small whispers of a revival, but I won't get my hopes up. All I can ask is that as many people give the show a chance as possible. Even if it's gone forever, it'd be great if was at least remembered.

Review: The Unborn (2009)

Director: David S. Goyer (Blade: Trinity, The Invisible)

Cast: Odette Yustman (Cloverfield, October Road), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Leon), Cam Gigandet (Twilight, The O.C.), Jane Alexander (Kramer vs Kramer, The Ring), Atticus Shaffer, Meagan Good (Saw V), C.S. Lee (Dexter, Chuck)

The Deal: Casey (Yustman) starts seeing haunting visions of a young boy. While babysitting neighbors, their child hits her with a mirror and states that someone called Jumby wants to be born. Upon visiting an ophthalmologist regarding a resulting eye condition, she is asked if she is a twin. Questioning her father, she discovers that she had a brother that died in the womb. As she becomes haunted more and more, she discovers that a dybbuk is trying to cross over from another realm, and her brother was going to be the vessel. Scared for her life, she asks Rabbi Sendak (Oldman) to perform and exorcism to rid the demon forever.

Thoughts: Films like this are almost never good, and The Unborn does nothing to kick the trend. It does have a few scenes that make you jump, and the twisted bodies that crawl are quite creepy, but the story itself seems unoriginal. We've seen films about demons possessing others to cross over a hundred times, and though this is mildly entertaining at times, it relies on too many "horror film" cliches.

The performances in the film are quite forgettable. Gary Oldman's talent was almost completely wasted. I love his work, but am left wondering why he chose this. As for Odette Yustman, it seems clear the director had no intention of flaunting her acting skills. Instead he focuses on her physical characteristics, relying on male viewers to find her sexy in order to view the film. Don't get me wrong, she looked very very good, but no one in their right mind should pay money just to see her look good (though Megan Fox in Transformers does seem to defy this statement). The decision proved distracting, pulling attention away from the story where it needed to be. This could have been better, and a larger focus on performances would have greatly helped.

I really did enjoy the way the dybbuk possessed people's bodies. Sometimes, it just used it as a vessel, but when it got angry, the bodies became all contorted and crawled in a truly terrifying manner. It was one of the few saving graces for the film, as it occurs just enough to keep the viewer watching.

Verdict: A lackluster film that falls into place among the many others of the often disappointing genre. Though is has a few startling and creepy moments, the film spends too much time reminding the viewer Yustman is attractive instead of keeping a serious tone. ☆☆

Comic-Con 2009 Movie News

The Hobbit: IGN got a chance to speak to producer Peter Jackson about the upcoming film, which is to be directed by Guillermo del Toro. The script is about three weeks away from being turned over to the studio. Their hope is to have Part 1 ready for release in December 2011, with Part 2 following in December 2012, much like how the Lord of the Rings films were released. By splitting the book into two films, Jackson and del Toro will include pretty much everything as well as add in events between Gandalf and the Necromancer, which had previously only been discussed in appendices. Though no roles have been cast at this time, they have a few ideas in mind, and from what I've heard from other sources, actors who played characters that appear in both LotR and The Hobbit will be sought after to reprise their roles, Bilbo excluded.

Avatar: James Cameron has been working on this film for something like 10 years now, and much of it has been kept secret, though we've been told that the 3D techniques being used are revolutionary. Well recently, extended sneak peeks have been shown, and the buzz seems to be confirming Cameron's proclamations. As IGN puts it, the peek "surpassed all expectations and anything the guy who gave us Terminator 2 has ever done." These are pretty lofty statements, but I'm hearing similar thoughts everywhere I read. They even went as far to say that the 3D is so good it is face melting. With early buzz backing up everything Cameron has said, and given his previous bodies of work, I can't help but eagerly wait for December 18.

Batman 3: Though Batman 3 always seemed inevitable after the raging success of The Dark Knight, rumors that Chris Nolan would not be directing seemed to derail these hopes. Gary Oldman, who plays Commissioner Gordon, announced that the third installment will begin shooting next year with a target release date in 2011. With Nolan working on Inception (which sounds like it will be awesome), and this film's proposed start date, the film may in fact be seeing a new director. Hopefully this will not be the case, but with a good script and a returning cast, I'm sure the film would do just fine.

Review: Adventureland (2009)

Director: Greg Mottola (Superbad)

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart (Twilight, Into the Wild), Bill Hader (SNL, Superbad), Kristen Wiig (SNL), Ryan Reynolds (Waiting..., Van Wilder), Martin Starr (Knocked Up)

The Deal: James' grand summer of touring Europe before starting grad school at Columbia hits a roadblock when his parents have a financial setback. Now forced to find summer work, he takes a job at the only place that seems to be hiring, a local amusement park, Adventureland. His initial disappointments of summer soon vanish as he quickly falls in love with Em (Stewart), a co-worker at the park. Through the summer, James and company have eye-opening experiences about life, love, trust, and heartbreak, and by the end of the summer, amidst all of the chaos, James discovers what he truly values.

Thoughts: The marketing campaign for the film is very misleading, and if you're looking for the next Superbad, you'll be disappointed. That aside, it still is a pretty good film that hits home in these troubled economic times, despite the film being set in 1987. It's biggest strength is the level of emotion the film brings, especially with Em and James. It's the most compelling aspect of the story, and what ultimately keeps the film afloat when the film isn't firing on all cylinders.

The high emotional level of the film is due to the surprisingly good performances by the main characters. This was the first I've seen of Eisenberg, and I thought he did a wonderful job with his character. The viewer really feels his troubles as he tries to mend everything that's gone wrong with his summer. I'm very happy to see Stewart giving a performance that is far from hers in Twilight. She has real emotion here, and despite all of her character's stupid decisions, you still feel sorry for her and want to forgive her. Hader and Wiig were the comedic anchors of the film. Both were very funny as the park owners, and they really helped pick the film up since they are responsible for the only bits I found funny.

Personally, I found this film way over hyped. Critics raved about its vintage feel, subtle humor, and overall ability to cause reminiscing about their happy younger years. Here in lies the problem. For my generation, we can't make that connection. We know nothing of the 80's, as we were born in them, hence, we don't remember them. We can connect emotionally with the characters, but the film's other "strong" points can easily fly over our heads. Because of this, I found the plot to be somewhat of a roller coaster itself. There were plenty of highs were I was really enjoying it, but then there were plenty of lows were I was quite board.

Verdict: Though over-hyped by many critics, the film still does an excellent job delivering the emotion. It's well acted, and the audience can connect with the character's financial struggles due to the tough economic times we are experiencing today. ☆☆☆1/2

Review: The Hurt Locker (2009)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow (K-19: The Widowmaker, Point Break)

Cast: Jeremy Renner (28 Weeks Later, The Unusuals), Anthony Mackie (We Are Marshall, Eagle Eye), Brian Geraghty (Jarhead), Guy Pearce (Momento, L.A. Confidential), Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter, Schindler's List), David Morse (House, Disturbia), Evangeline Lilly (Lost), Christian Camargo (Dexter)

The Deal: Staff Sergeant William James (Renner) is a highly trained bomb specialist with a severe addiction to adrenaline. He's reckless, but the best at his job, having diffused over 800 bombs in his career. His new squadmates, Sanborn (Mackie) and Eldridge (Geraghty), tend to strictly stick to protocol, and find themselves questioning James' ability to keep them out of harm. As they handle one bomb after another, and find themselves in more dangerous situations, their wild leader's antics will change each man forever.

Thoughts: First off, I'd like to applaud the film for completely refusing to take a political stance on the war in Iraq, and instead focusing solely on the men in it and the dangerous jobs they do. The film itself is incredibly gripping, leaving many viewers holding their breathe as the characters again and again plunge themselves ever close to death. Even for those who don't hold their breathe, they will most certainly be on the edge of their seats. It's a powerful film, and it does a wonderful job showing how soldiers really do put their life on the line. It also sports a fair amount of humor, as James' reckless and wild man antics tend lighten the audiences mood a bit, but the film's mood remains quite serious.

Jeremy Renner gave an excellent performance in the lead. He knows when to hold back and when to go all out, and he feels like a soldier and not like an actor playing a soldier. Similar things can be said of the other two main actors, Mackie and Geraghty. Geraghty's character is one who is tired of war, always living in fear of death, and desperately wanting to go home. He's the big emotional anchor of the trio. Mackie plays the by-the-book Sergeant, seemingly stone-cold and analytical, but slowly realizing some of the things he wants in life lie outside of the war. Regardless of any of the other big names in the film (they all have small roles), these three dominate the screen time, and do a very good job carrying the film.

In the opening sequence, it is stated that for some, war is a drug. It doesn't take long for this to become very apparent with James. He initially comes off as young and reckless, but then you slowly learn how experienced he actually is and the leadership skills he possesses, and you realize how addicted to diffusing bombs he really is. He says that as you get older, you find only one or two things in life you truly love, and for him, it is one thing, the thrill of war. It's where he feels most at ease, and he just can't function well without it. There is a wonderful scene towards the end of the film when he finally goes home, and he's trying to go grocery shopping, but has no clue what to even do. It doesn't make sense to him, and the sad thing is, this happens in real life to soldiers.

Verdict: The film is incredibly suspenseful, leaving many breathless and others on the edge of their seats. It is well acted, especially by Renner, and is easily the best film on the war in Iraq, and the best war film since Saving Private Ryan. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Good News, Everyone... Or Maybe Not?

Comedy Central has decided that Futurama deserves the Family Guy treatment. The four straight-to-DVD movies were great, but what we've really wanted was the show to come back all together. Wish granted! Comedy Central has ordered 26 new episodes to be aired over two seasons. We can thank the positive DVD sales and large viewership of the reruns for this, and it is well deserved. When it first aired on TV ages ago, I was fairly indifferent about the show, but as the years rolled on, it grew into one of my three favorite cartoon shows. We can look to find the new episodes airing sometime mid-2010.

Here's the possibly not so great news. The budget for the show has been cut, and the original voice actors' salary requirements are too high, so they may be getting replaced. All of them! This could be devastating, as I doubt the show can be the same with that many new voices. Family Guy got away with changing the voice actress for Meg, but that was one character, and this is everyone. There is one small sliver of hope though. Back when The Simpsons was debating getting new voice actors, they held auditions, but the original cast ultimately worked a deal. There is still a chance the same could happen here, even if it's just for a few of the members. Honestly, can Bender or Fry really be voiced by someone new? Only time will tell, but until then, my fingers will be crossed.

UPDATE (7/31): Various sources are reporting that the cast has indeed signed new contracts, ending fears the show would loose all of its familiar voices.

Review: Watchmen (2009)

Director: Zach Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead)

Cast: Malin Akerman (The Heartbreak Kid, 27 Dresses), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Public Enemies), Matthew Goode (The Lookout), Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children, The Bad News Bears), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey's Anatomy, P.S. I Love You), Patrick Wilson (Hard Candy, Lakeview Terrace), Carla Gugino (Spy Kids, Sin City)

The Deal: Set in an alternate universe circa 1985, America and Russia are on the verge of nuclear war, with the "Doomsday Clock" fast approaching midnight. The glory days for costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close due to government crackdown, but when The Comedian (Morgan) is murdered, many of the heroes reunite to prevent the same thing from happening to them. Determined to discover the killer, Rorschach (Haley) discovers a wide range of conspiracies that could pose their doom, as well as threaten the planet.

Thoughts: It's hard for me to rate this, because I really enjoyed the film, but it was far from perfect. There were a slew of bad-ass scenes, and the characters were interesting and fairly well-developed. Unfortunately, having not read the graphic novel, the plot seemed clunky at times and it took me almost half the film just to figure out where the plot was going. Don't get me wrong though, it was fun along the way, even when I was a bit lost. I've been assured by friends that did read the novel that these stem from the close attention payed when adapting the novel. Though they stand out to me, I'm willing to treat these issues less harshly after hearing this.

The performances in the film ranged from good to sub-par. Jackie Earle Haley shined in his role, and I believe his character is the one that the viewer will like and understand the best. On the flip side, I though Malin Akerman struggled to deliver many of her lines convincingly. Much of the male audience will overlook this fault seeing that she wore skin-tight leather or nothing at all during the entire film. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was solid in his limited role, and it's a shame his character was the one to be murdered early on. Crudup was acceptable as Dr. Manhattan, coming across fairly detached from the world and people that occupy it, which is how the character should have been. Goode, Wilson, and Gugino all become somewhat forgotten. Their performances were fairly average and are overshadowed by the better and much worse performances.

The one thing that most people tend to agree on is that the opening sequence was exceptional. Set to the song "The Times They Are A-Changin", it shows a montage of pictures depicting the glory days of masked vigilantes and then showing them slowly fade away into troubled times. It was one of the best opening sequences in recent memory, and I can watch it over and over. Unfortunately, the remainder of the film's soundtrack didn't hit so close to home. Many of the songs seemed out of place, though a few that were hilariously awesome for the scene.

Verdict: This film is not for everyone, but for the viewers who tend to really like this genre, the film strikes home. Though not perfect, it is highly entertaining and visually pleasing. Most will be left impatiently anticipating the director's cut, which contains an additional 25 minutes. ☆☆☆☆

Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Director: David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Sleepy Hallow), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), David Thewlis (Kingdom of Heaven, Dragonheart), Evana Lynch, Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd, Fight Club), Jim Broadbent (Iris, Hot Fuzz), Timothy Spall (Enchanted, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Tom Felton, Dave Legeno, Bonnie Wright, Jessie Cave, Natalia Tena, Freddie Stroma, Helen McCrory

The Deal: Voldemort's grip is tightening, striking fear into the muggle and wizarding world alike. Now in his sixth year, Harry Potter (Radcliffe) discovers a book with extra notes written in it that help him move to the top of his class, but it's previous owner, The Half-Blood Prince, remains a mystery. Dumbledore (Gambon) decides it is necessary for Harry to begin learning more about Voldemort, but needs Harry to get a special memory from the school's new professor, Horace Slughorn (Broadbent). On top of his classes and special assignments for Dumbledore, Harry must also deal with his budding romantic feelings, the growing rift between his two best friends, and his sneaking suspicions that Draco Malfoy (Felton) is now a Death Eater plotting disastrous deeds for Hogwarts.

Thoughts: If, like me, you've read every review you find for the film out of excitement, please disregard what you've read before seeing this. There were four things I kept reading in lots of critic's reviews, four things that were the exact opposite from the film, three I will address now. Many say this is the darkest film yet, but it's not. It's surprisingly hilarious at times and serious in others, but definitely not as dark as the third and fifth film installments. Many say that the quidditch game is too amazing for words, but it's not. It's wonderful having quidditch back, but we only get at most a one minute snippet of the game. Many said the bathroom battle between Harry and Malfoy was horror-film bloody, but it most certainly wasn't. Yes there was blood, but please remember, this is only rated PG. Overall, the things that critics hyped the most were disappointing because they hyped the wrong things. This doesn't mean the scenes weren't good though. The story has all of the magic we love, but an amped of supply of humor mixed in with the very serious storyline developing. There's a big focus on budding teenage romances, and it's as awkward as could ever be hoped.

The fourth thing many say is that Wright and Felton fail to impress in their increased spotlight, but I couldn't disagree more. I've always liked these castings, but up until now, they never had much to do. Felton was wonderful, displaying a wide range of emotions as his character struggled with a massive task with deadly consequences for failure. Wright did a good job as well. Her character's main focus was romance, and she did a good job of subtlety dropping hints here and there. Broadbent plays the biggest new character, and he is absolutely wonderful. He has a wide range of scenes that really allow him the develop the character quite well. Cave also has a fairly big new role, and she is terrifyingly perfect. Not in an evil way, but in the "this girl is bat-shit insane" kind of way. A stage 5 clinger in if there ever was one. Though I usually don't take the time to talk about the main characters much, they do deserve some time again. Gambon is quite good, especially in the film's final half-hour. Watson has developed into a wonderful young actress, and despite having somewhat of a comedic character, Grint does more than just comedy. Lastly, Radcliffe finally displays a full range of believable emotions. It was far and away his best performance yet.

The scene in the cave was one of the best of the Potter franchise. It was very dark, chilling, powerful, emotional, and visually stunning. Watching Harry force feed Dumbledore poison on orders was very sad to watch, and the resulting attack by inferi had half the audiences jumping from their seats. Needless to say, magic was needed to fight their way out, and it doesn't disappoint.

Accuracy: I was so very surprised and happy to find how many little scenes were included from the book that I never expected: Hermione's magical birds attacking Ron, Aragog's funeral, multiple Slughorn parties, love potions, etc. It does the best job following the source material since the first film. It's sad that Dumbledore's funeral was not included, but producers said it was left out to avoid double-covering things with the next films. Really, the only disappointing omission was Hogwarts actually being attacked. Death Eaters casually stroll through the halls to the astronomy tower with no resistance, and it is somewhat anti-climactic. Producers say it would have been too similar to the final battle in the upcoming seventh films, but I call shenanigans. Without the battle, Fenrir Greyback had very little to do in the film. The addition of the corn field scene at the Burrow was actually quite cool for a made-up scene. It fit with the mood and feel of the story. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Overall Verdict: It will take some time and additional viewings before I know where exactly this fits in with the rest, but I can say it will be near or at the top. Capturing much of the book's spirit, the film boast a wonderful amount of humor to compliment the more serious plot developments. Visually, the film is quite beautiful. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Director: David Yates

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Sleepy Hallow), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), David Thewlis (Kingdom of Heaven, Dragonheart), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Leon), Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake, Nanny McPhee), Evana Lynch, Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd, Fight Club), Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Stranger Than Fiction), Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Schindler's List), Timothy Spall (Enchanted, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Natalia Tena, Tom Felton

The Deal: Harry Potter (Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year, but most of the wizarding world refuses to believe him regarding Voldemort's return. Harry is determined to make the truth known, but the Ministry of Magic won't admit it. The open DAtDA position is filled by Umbridge (Staunton), a Ministry worker who will act as a spy and prevent rumors from spreading. As Harry and a group of students band together to learn magic, Umbridge gains more and more control in the school. Unbeknownst to Harry, Lord Voldemort has access to his mind, and he is searching for a weapon, a weapon only Harry can retrieve. Drawn out by curiosity and fear, Harry sets out to the Department of Mysteries, but he doesn't realize it's a trap.

Thoughts: I'll admit that when I first saw this, I was very taken aback. It varies largely and often from the book, and it made me angry. But as I viewed the film more and more, it slowly transformed into my favorite of the franchise. Accuracy aside, the film is very dark, exciting, mysterious, and unites the audience in the student's hatred of Professor Umbridge. There is plenty of magic, and the story is quite fun. The battle scene in the Ministry of Magic is action packed and possibly the coolest scene of the film franchise so far. My biggest complaint is the terrible CGI of Grawp. It was worse than the CGI in the first film.

Most everyone is back, and improving on the performances. Evana Lynch, Imelda Staunton, and Helena Bonham Carter are the new additions this time around, and perfection is the word for all of them. Lynch is exceptionally loopy and charming as Luna Lovegood, Staunton evokes such deep and perfect hatred for her character, and Bonham Carter is playfully terrifying as Bellatrix Lestrange. Their performances were all great, and they feel like they've been with the films the whole time.

Accuracy: This is the longest book of the franchise, and so far, the shortest film installment. There are tons of cuts and loads of changes, all of which prove very frustrating the first view or two. They could have added a few more scenes to lessen this frustration and still keep the film around the same length of the others. They did do a solid job in the Ministry of Magic. Some bits were cut, but they did include much of what did occur, and their additions were fitting and enjoyable. Their new castings were also dead on for the book characters, especially Lynch. She is 100% Luna Lovegood. I could go on and on about other problems with the accuracy, but I won't. There are too many, and in the end, I've gotten over them when I view this film as a whole. ☆☆☆

Overall Verdict: Though at times it strays very far from its source material, it proves to be plenty magical and full of entertainment. The performances are quite good, the story is entertaining, and it's my favorite film of the franchise for its rewatch value. ☆☆☆☆

Movie Rewind: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Director: Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Mona Lisa Smile)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Sleepy Hallow), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), Robert Pattinson (Twilight), Brendan Gleeson (Troy, The Village), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Leon), Timothy Spall (Enchanted, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Stanislav Ianevski, Clemence Poesy (In Bruges), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Katie Leung, David Tennant (Doctor Who), Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Schindler's List), Jason Isaacs (The Patriot, Brotherhood), Miranda Richardson (Sleepy Hallow, Damage)

The Deal: Following the scare at the Quidditch World Cup, where Death Eaters cast The Dark Mark, Harry Potter (Radcliffe) and friends return to Hogwarts to find that the school will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Each of the three main wizarding schools will have a champion to compete for the Tri-Wizard Cup, granting them eternal glory. When the Goblet of Fire, the tournaments selection judge, names Harry as a fourth competitor despite him not entering, fears of Lord Voldemort's involvement slowly rise up. Bound by the magic of the tournament, Harry cannot withdraw, leaving him to take on three difficult tasks, of which he may not come out alive.

Thoughts: Being Harry Potter, I find the film entertaining, but overall, it's easily the weakest of the film installments. It seems to lack much of the magic and enchantment that the previous films had, though it maintains a darker feel like that of Prisoner of Azkaban. The three tasks were fun but slightly underwhelming, but the end of the film makes up for this. The final scenes are quite powerful, very dark, and visually pleasing. They leave the viewer with a very good last impression that overshadows the film's faults.

Another new film brings another set of new characters. Everyone from previous films is continuing to improve, even if only a little. Gleeson plays the DAtDA teacher, and he looks and acts the part perfectly. He has a commanding presence, especially his first lesson about the Unforgivable Curses. Pattnson's role as Cedric Diggory planted him on the map for future stardom. He fits the role here much better than his role in Twilight. Ianevski plays Viktor Krum, a school champion and star Quidditch player. Though his physical appearance may lead to questions, his performance was very fitting for the role. Poesy plays Fleur Delacour, and the same can be said of her that was said about Ianevski. Tennant, Richardson, and Leung all do fine jobs in their roles, but Fiennes deserves my last comments. We finally have a face to Lord Voldemort, and he is absolutely perfect. His performance is powerful, chilling, and truly dark.

Accuracy: This film begins the struggle for writers, as they are tasked with turning a book that is twice as long as the others into a film the is the same length as others. Scenes must be cut, and details must be altered accordingly. For the most part, they did a good job with this. They thankfully cut everything to do with S.P.E.W. (those chapters were some of Rowling's worst), and focused almost solely on the tournament. It was the right move for the film, though disappointing as a Potter fan. Though I have no huge problems with the new castings in the film, I don't find some as good as most of the previous ones. Ianevski is pretty much the exact opposite of his book character. Instead of being skinny, awkward, and duck-footed, he is muscular, confident, and sure-footed. Poesy was doomed to fall short in physical appearance. She's very pretty, but not really the drop-dead-irresistibly-gorgeous her character is described as in the book. Aside from that though, the castings overall were good. ☆☆☆1/2

Overall Verdict: Though entertaining, the fifth film installment lacks much of the magic the previous films sported. The ending scenes stand out as quite powerful, some of the best in the franchise, but the film overall is possibly the weakest. ☆☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Y tu mama tambien)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Sleepy Hallow), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), David Thewlis (Kingdom of Heaven, Dragonheart), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Leon), Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Stranger Than Fiction), Timothy Spall (Enchanted, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Tom Felton

The Deal: Sirius Black (Oldman), a dangerous criminal and supporter of Lord Voldemort, has broken out of Azkaban and is hunting down Harry Potter (Radcliffe). Though safe behind numerous enchantments at Hogwarts, Harry struggles to deal with the addition guards now stationed there, the Dementors, as they suck the happiness from people. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin (Thewlis), is an old friend of Harry's father and is willing to help teach Harry to ward of the Dementors. With Black moving ever closer to Hogwarts, Harry's curiosity is only sparked further, and he slowly starts to think he might just want to encounter Black after all.

Thoughts: Alfonso Cuaron took over the third film installment, and with it he brought some positive changes. Gone are the super kid friendly likes from previous director Columbus, and in are very dark and mysterious overtones. It's a giant change of pace, but one that was also necessary. The story really depicts the growing darkness as Voldemort gains strength and strives to return. The magic and intrigue is still all there, but now the film franchise will be taken more seriously.

This is the first film where we really start to see the three kids grow up. Their performances have improved, and they're beginning to show signs of becoming solid actors. Rickman continues to amaze, stealing every scene he's in. Dumbledore is now being played by Michael Gambon, as Richard Harris sadly passed away. Though the change received mixed feelings from many, Gambon is well suited for the character and does a very good job. Thewlis was an excellent choice to play Lupin, he looks exactly like the character was described, and he does a great job bringing him to life. Behind all of the makeup and costume, it's hard to recognize Thompson, but she does a wonderful job, coming across as incredibly loopy. Oldman is a terrific choice to play Black. Though his role is small here, he does a good job and has all of the skills to make the character great in future films. The last big addition is Spall, as Wormtail. He's a perfect fit for the role and does a great job.

Accuracy: There were a slew of new characters in this film, and the casting department continues to nail their choices. All are excellent fits for the characters they are depicting. This is also the first film that doesn't have scenes that really stand out as differing with the book. There are always going to be slight changes, but none of them here are troubling. The most noticeable is that the children are all wearing normal clothes whenever they aren't in class, and it seems here that that is far more often than not. It'd be nice to see a bit more of them wearing their wizarding robes. ☆☆☆☆

Overall Verdict: Much darker than the previous two installments, director Cuaron does a wonderful job with the film. The magic and wonder are still there, but adults will really appreciate the film more. It's arguably the strongest film of the entire franchise. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Director: Chris Columbus (Home Alone 2, Mrs. Doubtfire)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Richard Harris (Gladiator, This Sporting Life), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet, Henry V), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Jason Isaacs (The Patriot, Brotherhood), Tom Felton

The Deal: The summer before Harry Potter's (Radcliffe) second year at Hogwarts, he is visited by a house elf named Dobby who warns him that he will be in danger if he goes to school. Ignoring Dobby's warning and avoiding Dobby's roadblocks, Harry goes to Hogwarts, but strange and terrible things are happening at the school. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, and students around the school are turning up petrified. To top it off, Harry must put up with an incredibly arrogant and egotistic new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart (Branagh). When a student is taken into the chamber, Harry sets out to find its location and stop whoever it is behind the horrible attacks.

Thoughts: The second film installment picks up where the first left off, returning the viewer to the wonderful and magical world of Hogwarts. It is a bit darker than the first, but still somewhat on the light side. Columbus definitely aimed his efforts at keeping the film kid friendly, scaling back some of the darker elements. Thankfully, this doesn't ruin the film, as times have not truly become dark in the wizarding world, and the more childish direction is still full of the magic and entertainment the first film brought.

Pretty much everyone from the first film is back, and their performances are on par with their previous efforts. The child actors are still young, so their performances haven't really grown, but then again, it's only been a year since the last film. The biggest addition this time is Branagh, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He pulls off the arrogance, ego, and most of the charm the character sported in the book, but he didn't quite fit the physical appearance. Overall he did a good job though. The other new character is Dobby. Though the CGi is fairly average, the character was handled well.

Accuracy: Like the first film, Columbus stuck quite close to the book. The changes made are mostly small and forgettable, though a few do stick in my head. Most people I talk to agree that the basilisk was nothing like they imagined or was depicted in the book, but it is not really a problem. I still am bothered how the ending was handled though. Events of the battle were out of order, and though not devastating, it wouldn't have cost anything to have done it properly. My other issue was more of a missed opportunity on the film's part. In the book, the Weasley's are all huddled in McGonagall's office crying, at which point Harry comes through the door covered in blood with a sword in one hand and Ginny in the other. This was skipped in the film, and I don't know why, as it would have been an incredibly epic and powerful scene. It bothers me every time I watch the film. ☆☆☆☆

Overall Verdict: Though not as good as the first film, it was still very enjoyable. The magic, mystery, humor, and excitement were all there, but at times it failed to fully capture the moment. In the end, it gets overshadowed by many of the other film installments. ☆☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Director: Chris Columbus (Home Alone 2, Mrs. Doubtfire)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Richard Harris (Gladiator, This Sporting Life), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Tom Felton

The Deal: Orphaned as a baby and treated poorly by his Aunt and Uncle, Harry Potter's (Radcliffe) life changes when he is accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on his 11th birthday. There, he learns that his parents were both wizards and that they had been killed by the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort. Through his endeavors at school he makes friends with Ron Weasley (Grint) and Hermione Granger (Watson), and finds a mentor of sorts in the school's headmaster, Albus Dumbledore (Harris). Harry's curiosity uncovers a plot to steal the legendary Sorceror's Stone, which can grant eternal life, and he suspects Lord Voldemort is behind it. With the help of his two friends, he sets out to stop the dark lord.

Thoughts: The film's tagline, "let the magic begin," could not be closer to the truth. Whether the viewer had read the books or not, the first film installment of the series was spellbinding. Director Chris Columbus did a wonderful job bringing the story to life. He created an imaginative and constantly interesting magical world, and faithfully adhered to the book's details. The film kept exciting pace throughout, and was full of all of the emotion, wonder, action, and suspense a viewer could ever want.

The casting for this film was critical, as the characters would carry through and grow for seven more films. To say the choices were anything less than masterful would be an understatement. The three core children (Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson) all looked the part and played them admirably. Coltraine, Harris, and Smith were all exceptional in their performances. Perhaps unexpectedly, Alan Rickman provided not only a scene-stealing performance, but one of the most popular character's to spawn from the films, the mysterious and possibly villainous Severus Snape.

Accuracy: Easily the most faithful of all the Harry Potter films. Almost every important and moderately relevant scene was included, with little to no changes to them. The most glaring omission was Peeves the poltergeist. Though the ghostly character would have been fun, looking back, I don't hold the decision against anyone. Of the magical tests Harry, Ron, and Hermione face, only the potions one was left out, which I would have liked to see. The cast all resembled the characters as they were described in the books, and the wizard world was as accurate as one could ever expect it to be. ☆☆☆☆1/2

Overall Verdict: The first film installment of the popular book series is as magical and spellbinding as the most devout fanatics could have ever hoped for. The casting is perfect, the story is endearing, and the visuals are beautiful. If there was one fault, it's that it may have followed the book too closely at times, slowing the film's pace a bit. ☆☆☆☆

Movie Rewind: Thunderpants (2002) & Driving Lessons (2006)

Cast: Rupert Grint (aka Ron Weasley), Bruce Cook, Paul Giamatti, Stephen Fry, Josh Herdman (aka Goyle), Anna Popplewell (aka Susan Pevensie)

Summary: Ron Weasley, who goes by Alan in this film, is a crazy-smart 11-year-old boy who befriends Patrick Smash, a classmate with extreme flatulence. This doesn't bother Ron because he's lost his sense of smell, but he does set out to invent a solution for Patrick- Thunderpants. He also builds a hovercraft that runs on Patrick's gas, and the two of them struggle dealing with the school bully Goyle, who goes by Damon in this film. Patrick dreams of going into space, so Ron sets out to help him fulfill the dream. Susan Pevencie, who goes by Denise Smash in this film, makes a small appearance before making her trek to Narnia later in life. It's a shame Ron didnt meet her, because that could have led to a wonderful fantasy crossover.

Verdict: This film was God awful, but so terrible that it was funny, mainly because it was Ron Weasley. Very young kids and Potterholics may enjoy this, but otherwise you should keep very far away. ☆

Cast: Rupert Grint (aka Ron Weasley), Julie Walters (aka Mrs. Weasley), Laura Linney

Summary: Ron Weasley, who goes by Ben in this film, sucks at driving, and then goes and works for some old lady named Evie, who's actually Mrs. Weasley in disguise. They become good friends, but then Ron bangs some random chick and Mrs. Weasley gets angry. Oh, Ron even had a stick that he pretended was a wand, and then his mom was cheating on his dad and then she got hit by a car driven by an old man cross-dressing as a lady. Ron and Mrs. Weasley rekindled their friendship.

Verdict: All Ron Weasley jokes aside, this was a decent film. The story was solid, and the acting was passable. Grint shows that he may be able to transition himself into other films after Harry Potter is done. ☆☆☆

Accio Pottermania!

In honor of the upcoming sixth film installment of Harry Potter, I will be devoting the next week to the magic of Hogwarts. Being a fairly big Potter fan, I will rate the films from two perspectives. The first being from an overall film standpoint, and the second focusing on the accuracy to the source material. This way hard-core Pottermaniacs and more general film viewers will get a better idea of the film.

The Potter week will conclude next Wednesday, as I will be catching the sixth film at the midnight showing, with the review following in the morning. But to start things off, I will go with a more comical and less Potter related post. No matter what Rupert Grint may do with his career, he will always be Ron Weasley to me. He's done a couple of films outside of the magical realm, so I will have a double feature covering two of them (Thunderpants and Driving Lessons). Since this is Harry Potter week though, I will have a wonderful and comedic twist to these two non-magical flicks.

Review: Public Enemies (2009)

Director: Michael Mann (Collateral, The Insider)

Cast: Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, Sweeney Todd), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, The Prestige), Marion Cotillard (La mome, A Good Year), Stephen Graham (Snatch), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Big Fish), Jason Clarke (Brotherhood, Death Race)

The Deal: After his string of bank robberies gets out of control, John Dillinger (Depp) is labeled America's first Public Enemy Number One. J. Edgar Hoover (Cudrup) tasks Melvin Purvis (Bale) to lead the Feds in the hunt and capture of Dillinger and his cohorts, including Baby Face Nelson (Graham) and right-hand man Red Hamilton (Clarke). The task proves quite difficult, as Dillinger remains to be very elusive, but his flame with the beautiful Billie (Cotillard) may provide the best opportunity for capture.

Thoughts: I've been quite excited for this film for a little while, and a string of mediocre reviews had me a little worried I would be sadly disappointed. Though the ending was somewhat anti-climactic and there was less action than expected, there was a surprising amount of humor, and the story remained interesting even during the slower scenes. The film looks beautiful, it's fun to watch, and the action scenes, though not grand, are actually toned back to more realistic standards, which I actually liked about the film.

The film is somewhat of a one-and-a-half man show. Though Bale has a main role, his character is vastly overshadowed by Depp's. Bale does a good job with the scenes he's given, and is up to the high standard I expect from him. Depp is excellent as Dillinger. He has the right amount of charm and humor while maintaining a dangerous edge to the character. He remains in my mind the best well-rounded actor in Hollywood. Despite having won an Oscar, Cotillard is not given much to shine with. Her character doesn't get very good scenes until the end, at which point we finally get some emotion and see what she's capable of. Cudrup has a small role, and Channing Tatum, Stephen Dorff, Emile de Ravin, Giovanni Ribisi, and Leelee Sobieski all have roles in the film, but if you blink you may miss them.

There's one scene in the film that stands out for its shear ballsiness. In the scene, Dillinger literally walks through the department dedicated to capturing him and even talks to a few of the guys that have been chasing him. It's a rather funny scene, but one that really defies logic. If that actually happened in real life, then holy-cow I am blown away, but if that was a scene of pure fiction then it was absolutely ridiculous. It's so unbelievable for Hollywood standards, so I sure hope it's not a figment of a writer's imagination.

Verdict: Though it may not quite live up to the high levels of hype, it still remains a good film. It's entertaining, well acted, and surprisingly funny. It's not your typical summer blockbuster, but that's something I like about it. ☆☆☆1/2

Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

Director: Eric Brevig

Cast: Brendan Fraser (Inkheart, The Mummy), Josh Hutcherson (RV, Bridge to Terabithia), Anita Briem (The Tudors), Seth Meyers (SNL)

The Deal: Professor Trevor Anderson (Fraser), his nephew Sean (Hutcherson), and their beautiful mountain guide Hannah (Briem) become trapped in a cave while on a scientific expedition in Iceland. Realizing the only way out must be down, they travel deeper and deeper into the Earth to find a world within the world. Full of strange and supposedly extinct creatures, they soon realize that if they want to survive, they must return to the surface before the volcanic activity boils them alive.

Thoughts: The film was far different than I expected. It took a somewhat hokey stab at Jules Verne's classic, with the characters knowingly replaying the book's story themselves, even using the book as a guide to help them. They're barely there before realizing they need to get out, and the rest of the film feels like it's rushing to incorporate the fantasy and adventure elements of the book. It drifts in and out of entertainment, and fails to fully utilize the source material for its benefit.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, as much as I like Brendan Fraser, he's not lead actor material. He's funniest in complimentary roles, and as the lead, many of his comedic moments fall flat. He's a fun actor, but he can't carry a film. If you've seen Bridge to Terabithia or RV, then you know what kind of performance Hutcherson gives. He's a decent child actor who still has plenty of room for improvement, but he proves to be adequate for the role. Briem is a fresh face for me, and most likely the same can be said for most people viewing the film. She does a decent job, probably the best in the film, but the story tends to make it known that she's there to look good (she does). The two guys both want dibs on her, and it never really changes as the film goes on.

I really wish the film could have had a bigger awe factor. They travel to the center of the Earth and find a thriving world there, yet nothing about it blew me away. It really was just a small Earth inside the Earth. I haven't read the book, so I don't know what if anything was left out, but I was hoping for more interesting visuals. The T-Rex was quite fake looking and far from terrifying, and their make-shift raft at the end looked way to corny.

Verdict: It has a few entertaining moments, but fails to become everything it could be. Possibly worth a rental if you've seen every other newish movie, or love Brendan Fraser. ☆☆1/2

Movie Rewind: Independence Day (1996)

Director: Roland Emmerich (10000 BC, The Day After Tomorrow)

Cast: Will Smith (I Am Legend, Men in Black), Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping, Lake Placid), Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, The Fly), Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica, Donnie Darko), Judd Hirsch (Numb3rs, Ordinary People), Randy Quaid (Christmas Vacation, The Last Detail), Vivica A. Fox (Kill Bill), Margaret Colin (Gossip Girl)

The Deal: Communication systems worldwide have suddenly gone into a frenzy, and it is soon realized that the cause is an alien invasion. The invasion has one goal- to destroy and obliterate the human race in order to mine the planet of all of its usable resources. With major cities destroyed, the remaining band of humans must rise up and take back the planet. July 4th will gain a new importance for not just Americans, but the world.

Thoughts: When I think back on the summer blockbusters of my childhood, Independence Day quickly comes to mind. It possesses all of the elements we crave (action, comedy, epic explosions, etc) while sporting the bare minimum of a script. When films are as grand and visually stunning as this, all that matters is the entertainment. The film is fun and entertaining, remaining an July 4th staple many years later.

Nowadays, when you want a summer blockbuster to be a guaranteed success, you turn to Will Smith. This was pretty much the start of said blockbusters for Smith, and he doesn't disappoint. He has attitude, humor, and the all around likeableness that makes him so popular. We know he's capable of Oscar-worthy performances, but it's films like this that we'll remember him by. Bill Pullman was decent as the President. He had a Presidential feel while also showing the soldier inside of him. Goldblum works fairly well as the "sidekick" to Smith. They play off of each other fairly well, and make for a funny duo.

Everyone loves a good film about humans defeating aliens, but what is most remembered about the film is the absolute beating the aliens dish out. Their ships are massive and intimidating, and when they decide to vaporize the White House, the scene is one that will forever be etched into your mind. The final stand battle is quite exciting, will lots of cool explosions and whatnot, and by the end of the film, you can't help but feel overwhelmed with pride for your country and the world.

Verdict: The epitome of summer blockbusters. The script itself may be lacking, but the big-name actors are there, the story is epic, the visuals are overblown and cool, and the film is still entertaining over 10 years later. ☆☆☆☆

Review: The International (2009)

Director: Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, Paris je t'aime)

Cast: Clive Owen (Children of Men, Closer), Naomi Watts (The Ring, Mulholland Dr.), Ulrich Thomsen (Duplicity), Armin Mueller-Stahl (Angels & Demons), Felix Solis, Jack McGee (Rescue Me)

The Deal: Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Owen) and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Watts) are determined to expose the International Bank of Business and Credit for illegal activities that include money laundering, arms trading, and government destabilizations. Anyone who has gotten close to discovering the IBBC's dealings has wound up dead. After learning some key bits of information and discovering the identity of the assassin the bank uses, Salinger and Whitman must bring down the company before the company silences them.

Thoughts: Films like this tend to crop up in bunches every year, with some standing out and others becoming fast forgotten. Though The International falls somewhere in between those two extremes, I would say that it leans closer to standing out. It's not a great film, but it is interesting and sports enough suspense and action to keep it entertaining throughout. It flirts with being very good, but some of the surprises were a little too easy to predict, and much of the story seems all too familiar.

Clive Owen always seems to look worn out in every film he's in, which is very useful here. His character is supposed to running on little to no sleep with minimal food because of his obsession with bringing down the bank. He looks the part, and he does a solid job with his performance. He's capable of a bit more, but he's not bad in any way. Naomi Watts gets somewhat forgotten in the film. It's not that she was bad, but around half way through her character is no longer in the forefront and the focus has shifted away from her. Some of the best scenes in the film didn't have her in it. It really just became the Clive Owen show, though it would have been nice to find a larger use for Watts.

Though I would not really consider this an action film, it has one of the coolest action sequences I've seen in the last couple of years. It takes place in the Guggenheim Museum, which kind of spirals up in one long continuous ramp. The place becomes filled with goons toting guns, and Salinger must make his way down the ramp, which is the only way out. The place becomes riddled with bullet holes, and plenty of things come crashing down. The scene looked very cool, and was very exciting and suspenseful. They built an exact replica of the museum due to the large amounts of damage they wanted to inflict.

Verdict: Though not an outstanding film, The International is entertaining and has a dynamite action sequence. The performances keep the film interesting, making this worthwhile for at least a rental. ☆☆☆1/2

Review: Religulous (2008)

Director: Larry Charles (Borat, Bruno)

Cast: Bill Maher (Real Time with Bill Maher)

The Deal: Bill Maher travels the world interviewing some of religion's oddest believers. He talks to truckers at a Truckers' Chapel, visits a museum that believes dinosaurs and humans lived together, travels to a religious theme park in Florida, and encounters a few other "crazy" people. Maher is a "doubter", someone who believes one can never know if God exists, but thinks it is highly doubtful. Oddly enough, a Vatican priest proves to side closest to Maher's own beliefs.

Thoughts: Being somewhat of an agnostic myself, I was quite drawn to the film, as I found myself easily siding with Maher in every confrontation. His arguments were actually quite interesting and clever, and he had a few pieces of information I had never known about, which I found absolutely fascinating. Viewers with Maher's beliefs will find the film brilliant and hysterical, but religious types may only become enraged and insulted.

Though I agree with his arguments, Maher was incredibly disrespectful towards the people he interviews. At times it can be funny, but whenever someone doesn't agree with what he says, he essentially calls them an idiot. He looks down on religious folk as less intelligent and in need of a good shock of reality. Some of his interviewees may have deserved this, but plenty of them were quite friendly and warranted a little more respect. I know that is not what Maher was aiming for, as the film is clearly edited to depict them as less intelligent than they might actually be, but when someone has to get up and leave to prevent physically attacking you, it might be best to dial it down a bit.

Getting back to the good points Maher brings up, I thought two of them really stood out and make for the best arguments. The first involves an Egyptian story that essentially plays out identically to the stories in the bible, but was written far earlier. The point is to show that Jesus is just a retelling of a different story, and therefore never existed. The people he interviews don't really have a response to this, and try to circle around the point. The next argument he makes is that about 19% of the world is not religious, yet organizations like the NRA have vastly smaller numbers of supporters yet get plenty of attention, while the non-believers are shrugged off to the side. It's an interesting statistic that when compared to these other organizations, really makes for a strong point.

Verdict: Though he may have been too insensitive and insulting to religious believers, Maher poses some excellent arguments. The film is very interesting, and at times quite funny. Don't take it too seriously, but it will still get you thinking. ☆☆☆☆