What's in my DVD player this week? (Or what I'm watching at the theater.)

12/4/05

• Rush - 30th Anniversary DVD (concert) - * * * *
• Madagascar - * * * (DVD) Mini-review: Better on DVD for some reason. Came up 1/2 point.
• Sky High - * * * (DVD)
• Zathura - * * * 1/2 (Loews Alderwood) - A great family movie. The best one I've seen in a while, though it scared the hell out of the kids I took (ages 5 and 8).
• Robots - * * * (DVD)
• Good Night, and Good Luck - * * 1/2 (Loews Alderwood) - I know there's been a lot of acclaim for this movie, but I think Clooney made a huge mistake in letting McCarthy play himself. The movie seems like a documentary and a drama, and in this reviewer's opinion the two don't mix. Especially with something as volatile as the McCarthyism and Edward R. Murrow's attack on it. I saw the real show "See it now" episode in college about McCarthy, and it was infinitely more dramatic than this movie. I think a lot of reviewers are reviewing the event the movie is about and not the movie.

11/19/05

• Dragon - The Bruce Lee Story - * * * (DVD) - Mini Review: Jason Scott Lee channels Bruce Lee in this well-done bio-pic on Bruce Lee. Not sure about how much truth is in this film, but I think the filmmakers captured the spirit of Lee.
• Enter the Dragon - * * * * (DVD) - Mini-Review: The quintessential karate movie. All the elements are here: An evil crime lord, evil bodyguards/henchmen, revenge, and incredible action sequences. But the thing that really puts it over the top is the Hollywood big budget. It feels like a real film, not just a martial arts display. I really like the images of Lee walking through a virtual house of mirrors at the end as he does battle with the evil crime lord. The other thing that's great is that Lee does all or most of his own dialogue. Before Ah-nuld, Stallone, Willis, and others, there was Bruce Lee.

11/19/05

• Jarhead - * * 1/2 (Mountlake 9) - Mini Review: Technically, this film is amazing, from the actors to the cinematography to the sound. But has no soul. Entire scenes seem to be left on the cutting room floor that were crucial for continuity and character arcs. In the end, Jarhead never connects all the scenes together, which leaves us as an audience confused and let down.
• To the Moon (NOVA special - DVD) - * * * *

11/15/05

• The Assassination of Richard Nixon - * * * 1/2 (DVD)
• Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - * * * 1/2 (DVD)
• Chicken Little - * * * (ACT III Alderwood)
• JFK - * * * * (DVD)

10/21/05

• The Untouchables - * * * 1/2 (DVD)
• Serenity - * * * 1/2 (Mounlake 9)

10/16/05

• Steve Smith: The History of the U.S. Beat (Instructional Video) - * * * *  (DVD)
• Wallace and Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures - * * * * (DVD)
• In Good Company - * * * 1/2 (DVD) Recommended by Tiny Dog
• Phone Booth - * * * 1/2 (DVD)
• The Breakfast Club - * * * 1/2 (DVD)

10/4/05

• Ferris Bueller's Day Off - * * * (DVD)
• Corpse Bride - * * * (Loews Alderwood)
• Constantine - * * 1/2 (DVD)
• Flight Plan - * * * (Loews Alderwood)

9/18/05

• Napoleon Dynamite - * * * * (DVD)
• White Noise - * * 1/2 (DVD)
• Dream Theater - Live at Budokon - * * * 1/2 (DVD)

9/11/05

• The Life Aquatic with Steven Zissou - * * * * (DVD) Recommended by Tiny Dog
• Kung Fu Hustle - * * * * (DVD)
• Napoleon Dynamite - * * * * (DVD)
• Fantastic 4 - * 1/2 (Loews Alderwood)

9/6/05

• Sin City - * * * * (DVD)

9/4/05

• The 40 year-old Virgin - * * * 1/2 (Mountlake 9) Review: My brother saw this movie and said it was "the funniest movie he'd ever seen." That was enough to get me into the theater. I don't think it was the funniest movie I've ever seen, but I did think it was a great comedy—probably a classic. Steve Carell stars as the virgin of this film, Andy Stitzer (that ditzy weatherman in "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy"). This time, Carell gets to carry the film. The script is smart, there's actual character development, and there are a lot of hilarious moments. I also liked that the film didn't pull any punches about its subject (sex). Very few movies actually stay the true course with a subject like this.

8/31/05

• Sting - Live at the Hollywood Bowl - * * *

8/27/04

• Red Eye - * * * 1/2 (Mountlake 9) Review: Leave it up to Wes Craven (the father of Nightmare on Elm Street) to come up with a modern-day Hitchcokian thriller―probably the best one this summer. Rachael McAdams (Wedding Crashers) scores big again this summer as a woman who is pulled into an international plot to kill a political figure. Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins) also scores again as a worthy antagonist with icy blue eyes and an almost Terminator-esque will.
   
• Joe vs. the Volcano - * * * (DVD)

8/12 - 8/24/05

• Valiant - * * 1/2 (Mountlake 9) Review: A nice kid's movie. This time, the backdrop is world carrier pigeons in World War II. Valiant is (you guessed it) too small to be a carrier pigeon. But he signs up anyway. I found the script witty and funny, although most of won't make sense to kids.
   
• Be Cool - * * * (DVD) Review: Not as bad as the critics made it out to be. John Travolta returns as Chili Palmer, the calm and cool shylock from Get Shorty. It's fun to watch him get out of bad situations. There are some amazing cinematic feats in this film, including filming at a live LA Lakers game and an Aerosmith concert starring one of main characters. Cedric the Entertainer and his band of thugs are funny and menacing at the same time.
   
• Steve Smith: The History of the U.S. Beat (Instructional Video) - * * * *  (DVD)
   
• Van Halen: Live Without a Net - * * * (DVD)

8/11/05

• Assault on Precinct 13 - * * * 1/2 (DVD)

8/9/05

• Ray - * * 3/4 (DVD)
   
• Spider-man - * * * 1/2 (DVD)
   
• Stealth - * * 1/2 (Mountlake 9) I noticed the critics shredded this movie, and for good reason. However, there were some genuine "summer popcorn movie" moments in this film. I tried to ignore the obvious problems, the clichés, and the bad allusions to other movies. If you don't know anything about this flick, it's about three fighter pilots who are testing out a new, super-stealth aircraft. When they get assigned to an aircraft carrier, they gain a fourth wingman―a computer-controlled aircraft that no one likes (they christen him "Tin Man"). As I'm sure you can guess, the aircraft without a pilot goes haywire, and the real pilots have to clean up the mess. The last act of the film is actually better than the previous two, despite its unbelievable plot.

8/5/05

• March of the Penguins - * * * * (Loews Alderwood) I have to admit I wondered how a documentary about penguins was worth putting on the big screen. But when I walked out of the theater, I understood. Let's just say my world view had shifted a bit after watching this film. The documentary is about the yearly breeding cycle of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica. They literally march (and sometimes slide) across the ice to their breeding grounds, where the ice stays thick longer and few predators roam. The Emperor Penguin's reproductive life is one of misery. They march 70 or so miles, find a mate, starve for months, watch over a single egg, and take turns going to get food for themselves and the chick. The image of the male penguins huddled in a moving black mass against a winter storm is one I'll never forget.
   
• Hitch - * * * (DVD) Nice romantic comedy. An interesting movie to watch after March of the Penguins.
   
• Million Dollar Baby - * * * * (DVD) I wasn't prepared for the emotional punch of Clint Eastwood's spare yet intense film that took home the Best Picture Oscar for 2004. As much as I loved The Aviator, I think Million Dollar Baby deserved the Best Picture honor. Hillary Swank is that rare actress like Meryl Streep who fully inhabits her characters. All I have to say is I thought about this film long after I sent it back to Netflix. 

8/1/05

• Sky High - * * * (Loews Alderwood) A great kid's movie that stitches together pieces of Harry Potter, The Incredibles, Spider-man, and other superhero films. It's fun to see Kurt Russell in a movie like this, since he did all those Disney movies back in late '60s and '70s, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972), and The Strongest Man in the World (1975). This time, Russell plays a superhero father who's sending his son off to "Sky High," where all the superheroes-in-training go to high school. Michael Angarano plays Will Stronghold, who hasn't yet discovered if he has superpowers, but has led his parents to believe he has.
   
• Herbie: Fully Loaded * * * (Mountake 9) - Yes, this is the second time I saw this movie, but it was the only movie playing at the time of our arrival. I liked it better the second time. Matt Dillon really knows how to play a villain.

7/25/05

• Wedding Crashers - * * 1/2 (Oak Tree) Sure, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are funny. Sure, I was laughing through a lot of the film. Sure, there's a great supporting cast. But then the film hit the last act (the final 25 minutes or so), and it dragged. And dragged. Not a bad try for summer fare, but not a classic.
   
• Garden State - * * * 1/2 (DVD)

7/22/05

• Bad News Bears - 2005  - * * * (Mountlake 9) Bill Bob Thornton was the perfect choice for the role of the alcoholic has-been, who is now coaching a Little League team. At first it seems like it's going to be one of those stupid B-movies, but goes in interesting directions. Even though it was PG-13, I was surprised at the amount of profanity. They could have gotten a much broader audience (and seemed more intelligent) if they'd cut this down a little. However, that said, Richard Linklater is a great comedy director who often finds interesting angles in a story. Just don't bring the kids.

7/21/05

• Star Wars Bonus Disc - Empire of Dreams - * * * * The best documentary ever made about the original Star Wars series.

7/20/05

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) - * * * (Mountlake 9) The movie stays true to the book by Roald Dahl. Having just read the book to my son a month ago, I was delighted to see images like the Indian Prince's chocolate palace, the boat being road by Oompa Loompas, and the squirrels that sort nuts (and other things). Johnny Depp, as usual, delivers an interesting, complex performance. He and director Tim Burton find the backstory for Willy Wonka that departs from the book, but fills out the film with the theme of redemption. Burton's unusual brilliant visual style really shines with the Dahl imagery.  
   
• Super Size Me - * * * 1/2 (DVD) What a great documentary. It's impressive to see someone exposing McDonald's and other fast food for what it really is: poor nutrition and, if eaten on a daily basis, dangerous to your health. I'll definitely think twice about eating there now (at least for this week).

7/18/05

• Kinsey - * * * * (DVD) The first time I heard about Alfred Kinsey was in my intro psychology course in college. I thought it seemed perfectly logical (and scientific) to understand human sexuality the way Kinsey did, but the movie shows how people used to think otherwise. Liam Neeson turns in a layered performance as the manic Kinsey, racing toward the truth of human sexuality―and sometimes exploring the darker sides. Laura Linney, playing Kinsey's wife, is also great, as well as all the other actors playing Kinsey's team. The other actor who impressed me was Peter Sargaard, playing Kinsey's main assistant. 
• Fantastic Four - * 1/2 (Loews Theaters - Oak Tree, Seattle, WA) In this age of great superhero, comic book films, The Fantastic Four falls painfully short. 
• Batman Begins - * * * 1/2 (Loews Theaters Alderwood, Lynnwood, WA) Joins Spider-man I and II as a smart comic book adaptation. Many people probably wondered how they could squeeze any more story out of this tired franchise, but Batman Begins contains everything we saw in the original Batman (1989) and much, much more. It really is more of a cousin of Spider-man I, showing us the origins of Batman. Christian Bale brings just the right tone to Bruce Wayne and Batman. Click here for more about comic book movies.    
• Herbie: Fully Loaded - * * * (Carmike in Kennewick, WA)
• War of the Worlds - * * * 1/2 (The Ruby in Lake Chelan, WA)

6/19/05

• Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed - * *
• Celebrity - * * * 1/2 - Woody Allen is one of the most consistent filmmakers of our time. This movie has some amazing moments in it.

6/14/05

• Cinderella Man - * * * * (theater)

6/12/05

• Schindler's List - * * * *
• Spy Kids - * * *
• Groundhog Day - * * * *
• Madagascar - * * 1/2 (theater)

6/5/05

• Maria full of Grace - * * * * - An amazing movie about drug "mules" (people who take drugs into the U.S. in their stomachs). I expected to be depressed, but the movie ends up being fairly uplifting.
• Star Wars - Episode I - * * *

5/29/05

• The Aviator - * * * * - I'll say it again―"The Aviator" should have won the Oscar for Best Picture.

5/21/05

• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - * * * 1/2 (Read my review here)
• The Interpreter - * * * 1/2 (theater)

5/12/05

• Ladder 49 - * * * 1/2 (moved down 1/2 point on DVD)
• Primus - Hallucino-Genetics, Live 2004 - * * 1/2 (Not enough camera angles, too many repetitive images.)
• Jurassic Park - * * *

5/1/05

• Ocean's 12 - * * * (Moved down a half point on DVD)
• Spider-man - * * *

4/25/05

• Madison - * * * (theater) - Great film about the 1970s, hydroplane racing, and staying true to yourself. This brought back a lot of memories, as I used to go to the hydros in the Tri-Cities.
• Sahara - Unfinished (I made the mistake of taking my 4-year-old to this one)
• Aliens - * * * 1/2
• Buffalo 66 - * * * *

4/12/05

• Sideways - * * * *
• The Manchurian Candidate (2004) - * * * *
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars (cartoon) - * * * 1/2

4/2/05

• The Village - * * * Review: I know a lot of people hated this movie. But it kept my interest all the way through and had some interesting plot twists. (You know when it's an M. Night Shyamalan movie, you're in for some major plot twists―and probably at the end.) One problem I have with Shyamalan's movies is that I can usually figure out what the major twist is. This was certainly true for "The Sixth Sense." This movie feels like one of those great short stories you read in a Ray Bradbury book, which is its strength and weakness: If the movie had been a short film, it might have been a masterpiece. But at almost two hours, there's just too much dead space.
   
• The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course - * * * Review: I really admire the way the screenwriters put Steve Irwin (AKA "The Crocodile Hunter) in a movie. Steve gets to do what he always does, including jumping crocodiles, handling poisonous snakes and spiders, and teaching the audience something, while the plot happens around him (he's oblivious to it). The result is pretty entertaining. It also happens to be a pretty good children's film, too, although there is some language.
   
• The Race to Space - * * 1/2 - Review: This is a movie about a woman scientist and young boy who train a chimpanzee to be the first American creature in space. I probably would have given this a better review, but the fact that they named the boy's father something other than Wernher Von Braun, even though that's who he was supposed to be, distracted me the entire time. They didn't even call the chimp by the right name. His name in the movie is Mac, while I found out from a documentary on the DVD that his real name was Ham. Something tells me the true story about Ham would have been more interesting.
   
• Sex and the City - Season 2 - * * *

3/26/05

• Robots - * * * 1/2
• Sex and the City, Season 1 - * * *
• Alien vs. Predator - * * 1/2

3/21/05

• Napoleon Dynamite * * * Review: Another surprisingly fresh, original movie. The Napoleon character is something I've never seen before on the screen. The deadpan delivery, the abruptness the... dancing―these traits make him stand out in a sea of the usual cookie-cutter Hollywood archetypes. But it's not just Napoleon; all the characters have a freshness to them, including Napoleon's uncle, his brother, his would-be girlfriend, and Pedro. The last time I was struck by the originality of characters was when I watched "Repo Man" in college.
• 2001: A Space Odyssey - * * * *

3/18/05

• Donnie Darko - * * * * Review: One of the most original movies I've seen in a long time. Donnie Darko morphs into different genres throughout, including: teen-angst (like American Beauty), sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and some others I'm forgetting
• Ice Princess - * * 1/2 (Theater)
• The Pacifier - * * (Theater)
• The Incredibles - * * * 1/2
• The Day After Tomorrow - * * 1/2

3/9/05

• 24 - Season 4, Discs 5 and 6 - * * * * - OK, I have to admit I'm glad to be done with 24-Season 3. Watching this show on DVD was like a nightly rollercoaster ride. I'd be so full of adrenaline, I'd be up until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. on a work night.

As usual, Season 3 was skillfully done. There are many of the same characters we've seen before, plus a few new ones. For me, it was heart-wrenching watching Jack Bauer go through some major moral dilemmas that I can't even imagine facing. And there's the wickedness of Sherry Palmer (ex-wife of President David Palmer) and a different wickedness to Nina Myers, a nemesis of Jack's from season 1.

But we've got new characters, or characters who have expanded roles, like Michelle Dessler, Tony Almeida, and Chase Edmunds. And finally, Kim Bauer has been given some real plot points. Season 2 was practically a spoof, with her running from mountain lions in the hills of LA to battling an apocalyptic-minded lunatic who wanted to keep her in his basement.

I can't imagine a better show than 24. Now I have to wait for Season 4 on DVD, because I won't wait through the commercials to watch it every week.

3/1/05

• Bruce Lee - Jeet Kune Do - * * *  - For those looking to understand the philosophy behind Lee's technique, this DVD provides a glimpse into Lee's personal training tapes (with James Coburn, no less), interviews, movie clips, and demonstrations from teachers who carry the Jeet Kune Do torch. A must for Lee fans, especially those who have taken any martial arts.

2/27/05

• 24 - Season 3 - Disc 4 -  * * * *
• Because of Winn Dixie - * * * (Theater)

2/25/05

• Escape to Witch Mountain - * * *

2/23/05

• 24 - Season 3 - Disc 3 -  * * * *

2/20/05

• Son of the Mask - * * 1/2 (Theater)
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind - * * * *
• 24 - Season 3 - Disc 2 -  * * * *

2/13/05

• Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag (Imax - Theater) - * * * *
• Racing Stripes - * *1/2 (Theater)
• Shark Tale - * * 1/2
• Creature Comforts - * *

2/7/05

• Cheaper by the Dozen - * * *
• About Schmidt  - * * * 1/2
• 24 - Season 3 - Disc 1 - * * * * - Mini Review: I sat up till about 12:30 a.m. watching the first DVD. Man, what a ride! Jack Bauer is in trouble again.

1/29/05

• Are We There Yet? - * * 1/2 (Theater) - Mini review: I think America is hungry for mindless comedies like this one. It's the second one to come along in as many months ("Meet the Fockers" was the first). The theater where I saw this movie was about three-quarters full, and people laughed throughout most of the film. My son laughed especially hard and asked me a lot of questions ("hey, why'd that kid pee on that lady?"). I know this isn't really a review of the film, but I think seeing it with the audience I did made a huge difference in my perception of the film. Yes, the plot contained about five coincidences, but I didn't care; I was there to laugh. Ice Cube was particularly good in this film, as was Aleisha Allen.
   
• Field of Dreams - * * * *

1/20/05

• Tron - * * - Mini review: Every time I see this film, it seems more and more like a showcase for the special effects. The story just isn't there; or, more accurately, it's unfocused. I mean, Jeff Bridges gets beamed into the computer by a pissed-off computer? My rewrite would have had the story taking place entirely in the computer world.

1/16/05

• Rocky IV - * * 1/2
• Before Sunset - * * * 1/2

1/14/04

• Big Fat Liar - * *

1/10/05

• Open Water - * * 1/2 - Mini-review: Yes, the scenes on the open ocean gave me feelings of despair and panic; and the sharks amplified these feelings. But the first act of the movie contains so much amateur filmmaking (watch the cuts) that I couldn't believe there was so much hype surrounding its release. The only thing it has is the story of two people trying to survive on the ocean, and I can think of ten or more ways they could have made this better. A movie always has to be better than a documentary of the filmmakers making the movie; in the case of this movie, this is not the case. In just about every review, the critics write about how the actors were acting with "real" sharks, about how the movie was made on a shoestring budget. But in the end, the movie feels like it was made on a shoestring budget with the gimmick of a half-baked horrific story.

1/1/05

• Meet the Fockers - * * * (Theater) Mini-review: I haven't been to a movie in years where I've heard people laugh so hard. The critics have ripped this movie, but I found it quite enjoyable.
   
• Spider-Man - The New Animated Series (Special Edition) - * * * Notes: Cool animation and interesting new adventures for Spider-Man.