Update

I have added a poll to the navbar on the right. The purpose of this poll is to gather information for some possible changes to the site. So, I'm looking for YOUR opinions on how to improve Neko Goes to the Movies. Please go and vote and make your voice heard!

From time to time, I may change the poll to something bizarre or practical, but you'll never know until you click!

Free Ticket Alert!

If you're in the downtown Denver area today, Highlander Comix on Colfax is giving away free movie passes to Grindhouse (you know, the new Tarantino double feature). The showing will be at the Denver Pavillions tomorrow night. From speaking with one of their employees, I gather that there are only a few left at the store. However, usually when these types of things go out, there are several locations at which the tickets are dropped off. So, if you don't see any left at Highlander, try one of the local coffee shops (not Starbucks) or Watercourse.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to make the show tomorrow night, even if I could get up from my desk and run down there. So, good luck to the rest of you!

Updatey

If you've noticed a lack of new posting here, it's because drama in my homelife has been keeping me busy. Soon, things should calm down a bit and I will pick up the slack here at Neko Goes To The Movies. I have been working on a few reviews here and there that just haven't made it to the presentable stage yet. Look for reviews of Little Miss Sunshine, Spider Forest, and Oldboy to post in the next few days. Thanks for stickin' around!

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Directors: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Farris
Format: DVD
DVD Features: alternate ending, commentary, deleted scenes, music vidso
Starring: Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette
Trailer

When I first saw ads for this movie, I wasn’t very interested. It seemed a little too “heartwarming” for my usual taste. Gradually, I began to hear more and more about it. The thing that really surprised me was that most of the people I talked to who gave it a good review were men. It struck me as odd that a film that seemed to target a very tender audience appealed to such a different demographic. So, I decided to give it a shot. Of course, the fact that it won two Academy Awards didn’t hurt either.

In a surprise decision, seven-year-old Olive has been selected as a contestant in the Little Miss Sunshine competition. Short of time before the beauty pageant’s check-in deadline, her father and mother realize they’ve got to pack up the whole family and deliver Olive to the stage themselves. Her coach Grandfather, suicidal Uncle Frank and silent brother Dwayne join them in the family’s dilapidated, yellow VW bus and head off across state lines. A string of mishaps threatens to bring the whole adventure down on their heads.

What makes Little Miss Sunshine entertaining is not the plot particularly, but rather the dysfunctional cast of characters. Olive herself is charming and fairly even tempered, aside from her obsession with the contest. The actress, Abigail Breslin, was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2006 Academy Awards for Little Miss Sunshine. Alan Arkin, her grandfather and pageant coach in the movie, won Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting role that year. His character has, perhaps, the most disturbing set of vices out of the group. Just prior to their road trip, Grandpa was ejected from a nursing home for snorting heroin and his enthusiasm for pornography actually saves the family at one point in the film. Olive’s Uncle Frank, played by Steve Carell, is a suicidal, homosexual, Proust scholar. It’s strange to see the actor playing this role with such a straight-face, but he manages to be funny anyway; maybe even more so because of it. The girl’s brother Dwayne (Paul Dano) has taken a vow of silence, inspired by his love for Nietzsche and his desire to become an Air Force pilot. He may have been my favorite out of the group.

Olive’s parents are quite a pair as well. Her father Richard (Greg Kinnear), aspires to a career as a motivational speaker and lectures ad nauseum about what types of people make “winners”. Ironically, he’s the biggest “loser” out of them all. I really dislike the roles Kinnear is routinely cast in. He plays the loser quite well, but that doesn’t convince me to like the losers he plays. Richard’s wife Sheryl (Toni Collette) is prone to chain smoking just to cope with the rest of the crew and consistently seems at her wits end. The two of them seem to barely be holding their marriage together. Last, but not least, is the VW bus, which is a character in and of itself. Perhaps it’s a metaphor for the rest of the bunch or for the screwed up journey they experience. Regardless, the vehicle has as many problems as each of the family members. It has to be push started before each leg of the trip, the back door falls off its hinges, and it barely runs.

I was surprised by Little Miss Sunshine. Pleasantly so, because it wasn’t a typical, cheesy “family” film. Several of the characters had a level of depth I wasn’t expecting and the grim humor of Uncle Frank’s situation and Grandpa’s situation appealed to me. Although the film had a distinctly “indie” quality to it, it still reeked of Hollywood. I don’t mean to say that all Hollywood movies are terrible, but there’s something generally synthetic about them. The performances, for the most part, were fantastic. Even though most of the subject matter is depressing in nature, Little Miss manages not to be a downer film. The ending, with all of the JonBenet type girls, was a tad bit disturbing. I think it was meant to be. See Little Miss Sunshine if you’re looking for a movie that’s entertaining, slightly down-tempo, funny and unusual.

Overall Rating: 3 ½
Hottie Rating: 0

Alternate viewing: I Heart Huckabees
Official site
IMDB site
Boston.com review

***Note: If you found this review via IMDB, please let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!***

The Prestige (2006)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Format: DVD
DVD Features: making of, Tesla documentary, featurettes, art galleries, trailers
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christopher Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Miachael Caine
Trailer

Since the end of February, my father and I have been on an Oscar movie kick. Not surprising, as The Academy Awards is, after all, one huge advertising campaign. The Prestige is our fourth movie in the last two weeks that earned a nomination for 2006. It was nominated for best Art Direction (Nathan Crowley) and Set Decoration (Julie Ochipinti). The award, however, was lost to Pan’s Labyrinth.

In The Prestige, Hugh Jackman and Christopher Bale play two talented magicians who begin their careers as colleagues. A bitter rivalry is sparked between the two after one trick goes disastrously awry. After they go their separate ways, their careers begin to take off, each man competing to pull off the more impressive trick, while jealously guarding his secrets. Friends, wives, lovers and money all char in the fire of this obsession.

With a name like “The Prestige” the movie sounds more likely to be about a Harvard scholar or a Military commander; not about a magic act. According to the film, the prestige is the final piece of any trick – the part where objects reappear. Of course, the plot revolves around each magician performing disappearing and reappearing acts of one form or another. The problem is, after a while, it becomes tiresome watching the same trick repetitively. When the plot twists initially, it’s to be expected and a little amusing. When the plot twists the third or fourth time, it becomes tiresome and a bit insulting.

The cast is full of familiar faces. Michael Caine plays Cutter, the early mentor of both magicians and the long term supporter of Angier (Jackman). Scarlett Johansson is Olivia, the stage girl who gets tossed back and forth between the two men. Don’t miss David Bowie as the renowned scientist Nikola Tesla. Tesla’s assistant, Alley, might even be familiar, but I won’t give that one away. Each of the cast members gives a solid, although not astounding, performance. (and yes, we get to see Hugh Jackman with his shirt off)

The set designs and atmosphere of the movie were very nicely constructed. The best shots by the cinematographer in the film were in the field of lights scene. The atmosphere was completely believable and the costuming seemed authentic. It’s only because the fantasy realm of Pan’s Labyrinth lent itself more easily to impressive costuming that it won the Academy over The Prestige.

I would have been much more impressed with this film, had I not seen The Illusionist first. For two movies so close in theme and period, it’s amazing how much one sparkles more than the other. I didn’t feel the same emotional connection to the characters in The Prestige. I didn’t become breathless waiting for the next act. Suspiciously similar is the point in either movie wherein the magician elects to shut out his normal stage crew in favor of a gang of blind men (as in The Prestige) or a cluster of foreigners (as in The Illusionist). It makes me curious as to what the profession was actually like during the time period these two movies imitate. Did the filmmakers spy on each other, like the magicians in The Prestige, to learn each other’s secrets?

Overall Rating: 3
Hottie Rating: 2 (Jackman)

Alternate Viewing: The Illusionist
Official site
IMDB site
Stylus review

***Note: If you found this review via IMDB, please let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!***

Amen, My Brotha

More Savage Chickens

Babel (2006)

Trailer

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Format: DVD
DVD Features: audio, subtitles
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adrianna Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi
Trailer

It’s amazing how many films have been born from biblical stories. From The Passion of the Christ to Pinocchio, The Book has inspired countless cinematic interpretations. Not being the churchgoing type myself, I am only familiar with the most famous stories – Cain and Abel, Jonah and the Whale, The Garden of Eden, etc. But I’ve always been fascinated by the concept that God would curse the tongues of man in order to discourage their cooperation. It doesn’t seem condusive to peace at all, and I think that was one point among many that the director of Babel was trying to make.

Babel is a collection of four tales which are each in different tongues, but all connected in one way or another. One part of the story revolves around two boys herding goats in the hills of Morocco. Their father buys a rifle so that the family can protect their herd from jackals. But, the weapon soon becomes a source of competition between the boys and they compete to see who the better marksman is. The Second segment involves an American couple (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) who are vacationing overseas in the hopes of reconciliation after her tragic miscarriage. That issue becomes moot very shortly, when the woman is seriously injured. Back at home, their two children, Debbie and Mike, are being cared for by their Mexican housekeeper, Amelia (Adrianna Barraza). When the parents are away longer than expected, Amelia has to decide to either miss her son’s wedding across the border, or take the children on a field trip. The fourth part of the movie involves a deaf and mute Japanese girl, Cheiko (Rinko Kikuchi), with a longing for physical affection. She not only has the recent death of her mother to deal with, but her feeling of alienation from men drives her to drastic measures.

Alejandro González Iñárritu is the director of both Babel and a movie called Amores Perros. Both films feature several different stories seemingly separate, but in some way linked. Like Amores Perros, Babel shows each part of the tale a little at a time, and not always sequenced in chronological order (very similar to what Quentin Tarantino did with Pulp Fiction). However, I didn’t enjoy the more recent film as much his 2000 movie. The story of Cheiko is linked to the other three stories only by a minor detail. The other three stories share a much closer connection. But, Cheiko’s story is by far the more compelling. All the tales deal with a barrier of some type, not necessarily language, but culture and distance.

When I first finished watching Babel, I was left wondering, “Why did Iñárritu make this film? What was he trying to say?” It was only upon further meditation and conversation that I arrived at the broader theme. Why was this movie nominated for an Academy Award? I think it’s the exact formula that The Academy looks for. It was a Hollywood version of an “art house” film. Its aim is to make the audience feel as if they are examining a deeper philosophy, without actually pondering any real controversial material. It’s a façade. There is also present the familiar flavor of terrorism, which has been a popular theme in Hollywood since 9/11.

With so many worthwhile films released this year, Babel isn’t at the top of my list. It strikes me as the kind of film that upper-middle class Anglos go to in order to make themselves feel worldly and cultured. And afterwards, they pop off to Starbucks for a latte and forget all about the messages they could have gleaned from the experience.

Overall Rating: 3
Hottie Rating: 2 (for cute Japanese guys)

Alternate Viewing: Amores Perros
Official Site
IMDB site
Deep Focus review

***Note: If you found this review via IMDB, please let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!***

Creep (2005)

Director: Christopher Smith
Format: DVD
DVD Features: alternate beginning and ending, making of, operation scene
Starring: Franka Potente, Vas Blackwood, Paul Rattray
Trailer

What elements do I find in foreign horror films that make them more frightening than their American counterparts? It’s not a language barrier, because British and Australian horror films have the same effect on me. Maybe it’s the fact that the surroundings are similar, but just a touch different. Is it the minor differences that make me feel less secure and therefore more easily startled when something jumps out of the shadows? Whatever it may be, it’s true for most foreign horror – except those from Japan. While I’ve seen some very disturbing horror films from Japan, they weren’t really scary in the same sense. But, I digress…

Creep was made in the UK. Since it takes place in The Underground, that fact should become apparent immediately. Kate (Franka Potente) misses the last train out of the station one night and finds herself locked in the subway. She soon discovers that the railway is home to more than just homeless junkies and that lecherous men are the least of her problems. With the help of Jimmy (Paul Rattray), one of the subterranean residents and George (Vas Blackwood), an ex-con sewer worker, she tries to stay alive through the night. Rats, raw sewage, and an abandoned medical facility don’t make her struggle any simpler.

As I mentioned earlier in this review, the fact that the movie has that special foreign flavor gave it more of an edge in the terror department. The dark passages of the London Underground were an excellent setting for this type of film. It was actually filmed in unused portions of The Underground, which makes the film that much more realistic. In the opening scenes of Creep, two sewage workers are trudging through slime and entrails, their cockney slang echoing off the walls. The older man is describing how the odors vary from district to district.

There’s only one monster in the movie (although Guy is one in a different sense), but he’s just as grotesque and twisted on the inside as he is on the outside. The director, in his commentary on the DVD, said that he wanted the audience to feel a degree of sympathy for the antagonist. However, I didn’t see any reason to pity him, especially after the “operation” scene. (Trust me; you don’t want to play doctor with this guy.) I did find it eerie when it becomes clear that the creature does have some intelligence, even though that scene isn’t particularly scary.

Although I usually enjoy Franka Potente’s acting, I don’t think she gave her best performance in this movie. There’s no point at which she seems really terrified, just frustrated and inconvenienced. However, no single member of the cast in Creep stood out as being particularly awful or spectacular. When that’s the case in movies, I imagine that it’s a fault in the directing or the script, rather than the cast members. There are a few aspects of the plot that seem unnecessary or not properly supported.

Overall Rating: 2 1/2 stars
Hottie Rating: 0

Alternate viewing: Resident Evil
Official site
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

***Note: If you found this review via IMDB, please let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!***

The Envelope Please...

In case you haven’t heard this anywhere else by now, here are the results of some of the Academy’s biggest awards:

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Forrest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Helen Mirren for The Queen
Best Cinematography: Guillermo Navarro for Pan’s Labyrinth
Best Director: Martin Scorsese for The Departed
Best Picture: The Departed

I am thrilled to death that Martin Scorsese was finally, finally recognized with an Academy Award. It has been so long overdue. He is one of my favorite directors and all of his films are at the top of my favorites list. The Departed was the only movie that I’ve seen so far that was up for an award this year, and I think it was well deserved. Definitely added to my list after last night were: Pan’s Labyrinth, The Queen, and Little Miss Sunshine. I was almost positive that Will Smith would win the best actor award for Pursuit of Happyness, which I have been anxious to see. However, Whitaker's acceptance speech was the most moving of them all. I actually got a little choked up myself, seeing his wife's tears and listening to Forrest try to hold back his.

In other highlights, Ennio Morricone won a Lifetime Achievement award for his work with musical scores. I can’t imagine not having seen a film that he worked on; there have been so many famous movies with his unique touch. Apparently, the Italian composer is not fluent in English, so Clint Eastwood provided the translation of his acceptance speech.

Hosting this year was Ellen DeGeneres. With all of the talk about the diversity of the nominees this year, I am actually surprised to hear nothing of Ellen being the first openly homosexual host of the Oscars (I could be wrong about that though). I also have a hunch that Al Gore was also the first former Vice President to be in attendance, let alone on stage. He, of course, was up for his movie An Inconvenient Truth.

As usual, there were musical numbers during the first half of the ceremony, to pad out the program until the big awards were announced. One such number was a song by Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly about how sad it is to be a comedic actor at the Oscars. Even though I found the segment to be monotonous and uninteresting, the point was valid. Comedies like Talladega Nights almost never win the golden statue. Another musical number was a song from the movie Cars. I was bored to tears by that one.

It may seem odd, but aside from Scorsese’s big win, my favorite part of Oscar night wasn’t even part of the program. During one of the commercial breaks, the network aired a commercial for American Express. Another of my top directors is Wes Anderson (director of The Royal Tannenbaums and Rushmore) and he was the star of the advertisement. I was giddey! Ever notice that, just like the Super Bowl and the Grammy’s, the commercials during these programs are definitely geared toward music, movie or football oriented ads?

Turistas (2006)

Director: John Stockwell
Format: theater
Starring: Melissa George, Olivia Wilde, Miguel Lunardi

If my readers haven't noticed by now, my favorite genre of film is horror. Whether it be zombies, vampires, or masked stalkers, I'm game. No matter if the terror comes from the shores of Japan, Russia or Hollywood, I will give it a chance. That’s why, whenever an interesting new horror film hits the theaters, I’m itching to go. But, sometimes it’s not always worth the price of admission. Turistas promised to be a gorey adventure along the lines of Hostel. I didn’t like Hostel, but that’s beside the point.

Alex, his sister Bea and their friend Amy are on the typical mid-twenties backpacking excursion, trekking with their gear through the Brazilian landscape. When the rickety bus they are riding in breaks down, they are told that it’s going to be a long wait until the next vehicle arrives. But, their spirits are lifted when they discover a cozy beach getaway with locals, music and a bar. They proceed to party on the beach until the early hours, when they all pass out. Upon waking, they realize they’ve been drugged. Looking around, they also realize that they’ve been robbed of all their possessions. The trio team up with fellow tourists Pru, Finn and Liam and find a local boy to be their guide. He offers to take them to his village and his Uncle’s cabin. After the long and risky journey the destination they thought was safety turns out to be far worse than waiting for the next bus.

My hands-down favorite character in Turistas was Pru, played by Melissa George. She’s everything I’d love to be: attractive, smart and well-traveled. Pru could appear to some as a snotty know-it-all, but I don’t think the crew would have gotten far without her. There are enough main characters that, I presume, the general public could find one to identify with. However, all of the acting is what you might expect from a mid-grade horror film. It wasn’t atrocious, granted, but I wouldn’t rush out specifically to see anyone in the cast. The rest of the gang is the usual jock/cheerleader crowd, with the exception of Alex’s sister Bea (Olivia Wilde). She’s the token booksmart girl. Not Goths or freaks are among the heroes (or victims) in this movie.

So, was I frightened by Turistas? Did the evil Doctor Zamora (Miguel Lunardi) make me tremble in my seat? Am I less likely to go on a Brazilian excursion? The answer to all three questions is a resounding “no”. The only element to Turistas that made me a bit uneasy is when the group has to swim through a series of underground caves. Lack of air makes be nervous and I sympathized with the characters in that instance, much like the tight-walled cave scene in The Descent. But, I never felt that moment when I needed to hide behind my popcorn. The small amount of gore involved didn’t make me flinch in the slightest. No nightmares, no turning on the lights when I got home. And since that’s what I look for in a good horror movie, Turistas scored low on all accounts. Save your price of admission on this one, and call your travel agent for a true adventure.

Overall Rating: 1
Hottie Rating: 3 (lots of chicks/dudes in swimwear)

Alternate viewing: The Descent
Official site (at MySpace)
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

***Note: If you found this review via IMDB, please let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!***

The Descent (2005)

Director: Neil Marshall
Format: DVD
DVD Features: commentary, outtakes, stills, bios, interview, featurette
Starring: Saskia Mulder, Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid
Trailer

I seem to be getting all of my movie recommendations lately from the same pair of friends. The Descent was no exception. Knowing that my tastes lean toward horror, they immediately suggested that I add this movie to my list. The two of them were quite fond of it, but I didn’t get much more information than that. I suppose that not everyone is willing to spend hours upon hours trying to form their opinions about movies into coherent paragraphs. Go figure.

Fold together one part drama, one part horror, and a dash of confusion and you’ve got The Descent. It reminded me of the way From Dusk ‘Till Dawn was half Reservoir Dogs and half John Carpenter’s Vampires (or Dracula 2000). The story centers around a group of female friends who have formed an informal extreme adventure club. On this particular trip, their leader, Juno (Natalie Mendoza) decides that the group will go spelunking in an undiscovered cavern. While they may be prepared for rock climbing and cramped passageways, they certainly aren’t expecting to be attacked by Homo-Microchiroptera. I feel I should warn that anyone with claustrophobia might have serious issues with this movie. I’m not particularly claustrophobic, but I found it difficult to breathe during the more intense scenes.

The first part of the film almost could have been made into a full length feature of its own. Much more focus is given to character development than is common for the genre. I found that the back story about Rebecca’s (Saskia Mulder) family was awkward and unnecessary and that the film would have been better off without it. It seemed like something the writers decided on as an afterthought and then tried to work into the plot after most of the movie had been shot.

By the time the monsters begin to appear, you may have forgotten that The Descent is a horror film. I wasn’t terribly frightened by the beasts in the caves. I don’t even see that they had any teeth, but they must have for all the biting they did. Most of the attack sequences were filmed with a sort of strobe light effect, making it very difficult to make out the action. I assume that the director used this technique, thinking that it would be more frightening for the audience to only see bits and pieces of the action. However, I feel it’s more akin to typical American action films in that the focus is too close in on the actors and the confusion doesn’t result in terror, but rather…well…confusion.

To sum up, I think that the first half of the movie would be excellent if followed through to a full length feature. The second part isn’t very frightening and the subplot felt tacked on. I certainly recommend the rental, but The Descent isn’t going to make it to my “to buy” list unless I can find it in the $5.00 bin.

Overall Rating: 3 ½
Hottie Rating: 4 (lots of athletic young women, sweating)

Alternate viewing: The Blair Witch Project
Official site
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

***Note: If you found this review via IMDB, please let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!***

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Director: Ang Lee
Format: DVD
DVD Features: featurettes, interviews
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Randy Quaid
Trailer

I don't think I'd realized, prior to this review, that Brokeback Mountain was directed by Ang Lee. He has a terrific reputation (Hulk aside) in his field and in his home country. I remember The Ice Storm getting acclaim left and right. The initial draw for myself and for many of my friends was to see two hot actors (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) make out. But I don't think that, had this been just another fetish flick, it would have been so popular with such a large audience. It's not a "gay cowboy" movie, it's a love story.

Two young men find work minding a herd of sheep up on Brokeback Mountain. Ennis, played by Heath Ledger, is the quiet type. He doesn't say much and doesn't cause much trouble. Jack, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, finds work in the rodeo on occasion and has no trouble chatting it up. While the two are isolated in the Montana wilderness, they form a relationship. It's not sappy or flamboyant. In fact, it seemed kind of sudden to me. There are no long, drawn out sex scenes. The two men initially deny that they've got any sort of persuasion toward the masculine sex.

After the job is over, the two go their separate ways and form their own families. They get married, have children, and new jobs. One day, a postcard from Jack comes to Ennis in the mail and the two men, who hadn't seen each other in four years, have a passionate reunion. Their "fishing trips" become a regular engagement. Jack expresses his wish that the two men find a place where they can live together and enjoy their love without sneaking around. Ennis, although he doesn't express his emotions readily, wants the same thing. However, he fears that if their relationship were exposed, both of their lives would be in danger. So, they go on in a somewhat tortured way until the end.

Don't look to Brokeback Mountain for a happy ending. I mean, it does turn out all right, I suppose, but it's really sad. I'm not the kind of girl who cries easily and the movies that have made me tear up are few and far between. However, by the end of this movie, I was bawling. I think that the focus of the film is more on Ennis than on Jack. Ennis does seem to learn something through his experiences by the end and the audience learns something too. Even though he is a man of few words, Ledger goes a great job expressing his character's feelings in other ways.

I have never been homophobic at all. But, there are aspects to a male/male relationship that I hadn't considered prior to watching this movie. I suppose that I'd mainly considered the situation from a sexual standpoint. It hadn't, somehow, occurred to me that the men in these relationships are capable of love and feelings. I hadn't thought about just how difficult it could be to be in love with someone and not have the same freedom to express it as male/female couples often do. As a female, it's become trendy in certain circles, to be interested in making out with another girl. It's much more accepted (in my experience) than same sex male affection. As a woman who's been knocked around by a few bad relationships, I seem to have forgotten that men are capable of emotion. Silly, I suppose, but true.

If you're uncomfortable with your sexuality enough to be homophobic, I don't think you'll be watching Brokeback Mountain anyway, which is a shame. If you're a lady, hoping for some hot guy on guy romance, you may be disappointed. Don't get me wrong - what there is of it is definitely hot, but that's not the best reason to see the film. If you're in the mood for a heartbreaking love story, that moves at a leisurely pace, Brokeback Mountain is right on target. I will not be surprised to see this movie win an Academy.

Overall Rating: 4
Hottie Rating: 5 (oh come on!)

Alternate Choice: Chasing Amy
Official site
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

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The Messengers (2007)

Directors: Oxide Pang Chun & Danny Pang
Venue: Theater
Starring: Dylan McDermott, Kristen Stewart, Penelope Ann Miller
Trailer

On a whim, I decided to treat myself to a movie after work. Having missed so many horror films in the theater lately, I was craving big screen scare. So, I went online and looked up the closest starting time at the nearest cinema. I remembered that the trailer for The Messengers had given me chills and I decided that it would be my choice for the evening. Ten minutes and five dollars later, I was seated in a virtually empty theater and hoping for the best.

After a hard time in the big city, Roy (Dylan McDermott) decides to invest in some property and pack his family off to farm country. Little does he suspect, their new home has a sorted past. As Roy prepares to try his hand at growing sunflowers, his wife Denise (Penelope Ann Miller) unpacks, his daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart) mopes about and his son Ben gets acquainted with the house’s “late” residents. Although Jess has an inkling that there’s something different about the house, she doesn’t really begin to worry until she is witness to a terrifying display of paranormal activity. Naturally, her parents aren’t around when the furniture starts to fly about and they accuse her of acting out in rebellion against the move. Typical horror film parents. Jess realizes though, that her speechless brother can see the ghosts too. Scenes of her carrying the toddler around, seeking out apparitions were what initially spooked me about the trailer.

Unfortunately, that aspect of the feature itself wasn’t as prominent as I’d anticipated. That wasn’t the only disappointment either. The interaction between the characters in The Messengers seemed a bit disjointed. Judging from the way her parents are acting, one would imagine that Jess is throwing a fit about the family’s relocation. In actuality, she seems to be adjusting quite well and isn’t snotty or misbehaved at all. In the beginning, Roy seems to be very considerate of his daughter’s wellbeing. But, midway through the story, she starts to seek the farmhand, Burwell (John Corbett), for understanding. The mother isn’t much of a person either. It seems that she’s gone so far into the country only to facilitate her husband’s desires and doesn’t offer much of her own input on any subject. Oddly, there is never any mention of what Jess’ school situation might be either. She does meet a nice boy in town, but his character only seems to have been written into the script for the sake of convenience. He doesn’t really have much of a personality. Basically, the entire cast of characters is very lukewarm.

Here’s a question: Why do the ghosts in the house seem so hell bent on harming the girl, but not her younger sibling? The “fright factor” in The Messengers is as tepid as the cast. Granted, being the horror movie veteran that I am, it takes quite a bit to make me jump. Each of the moments designed to make the audience leap up in their seats is very formulaic. If you’ve been around the block a few times, they’re easy to see coming. What I crave these days is a pervasive creepiness and rising goose bumps. I didn’t find that the haunted farmhouse offered much in the way of spooky atmosphere.

The special effects in The Messengers are mediocre as well. Compared to The Grudge, the ghosts here are essentially of the same variety, but somewhat less terrifying. The basic plot and storyline have already been used in a score of previous movies and the “twist” at the end, despite the fact that I didn’t see it coming, wasn’t a surprise at all.

One of the little things I did enjoy about the movie was the presence of crows. I have a “thing” for the large, black creatures and can appreciate the element they bring to a scene in almost any setting. They’re significance in this movie is a little obscure aside from just being a nuisance to the farmer. The toddler (played by Evan and Theodore Turner) didn’t get on my nerves even slightly, as most child actors do. Maybe it was because he only has one line in the film.

At the risk of being redundant at this point, I’ll go ahead and officially state that this movie was a disappointment. Even the title leaves me wondering what the producers were thinking. The “messengers” aren’t really trying too hard to send any kind of “message” other than to scare the crap out of Jess. Granted, this wasn’t as awfully rank as some of the other movies currently out (just wait for my review of Primevil), but it fell far short of my expectations. The verdict: avoid spending money on a ticket to this one and rent it only if you can find a discount.

Overall Rating: 2
Hottie Rating: 0

Alternate viewing: The Sixth Sense
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Big Fish (2003)

Director: Tim Burton
Format: DVD
DVD Features: trivia game, commenatry, featurettes
Starring: Billy Crudup, Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Helena Bonham Carter
Trailer

Since the release of Frankenweenie and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure in the mid 80s, Tim Burton has been cultivating a loyal fan base. Most of his films are very successful at the box office and there are a number of well-known figures in Hollywood who collaborate with him regularly. In fact, part of the appeal to his movies, at least for me, is to see what people like Johnny Depp and Danny Elfman will have to contribute. There is no project in which he is involved however, that does not carry Burton’s unique stamp in one form or another. From the telltale black and white wardrobes and sets to the fairy tale ambiance, when you see a Burton film, there’s no mistaking that style.

In Big Fish, Albert Finney plays the aged and ailing Edward Bloom. Realizing that he might not get another chance, Mr. Bloom’s estranged son Will (Billy Crudup) travels to his father’s bedside in an attempt to find out the truth about the man’s life before it’s over. Will is frustrated because he has always heard about his father’s history in the form of fanciful stories and incredible adventures. He stopped believing the tales when he grew up, but has endured them over and over again whenever the elder Bloom recounts his past. It is through these recollections that the audience is introduced to the young Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor).

As a young man, Bloom was the energetic hero of a small town. When he decides that he’s grown to big for his surroundings, he leaves to explore the bigger picture. He meets up with a giant named Carl (Matthew McGrory) and wanders off through an enchanted forest. There, he finds the small town of Spector; eerily pristine and picturesque. The two travel on and meet a roaming carnival. Under the big top, Edward spots the girl of his dreams, and Carl finds a career. For years, Bloom slaves away, doing odd jobs for the carnival’s boss, Amos (Danny DeVito) in exchange for simple facts about the mystery girl. Finally, he is able to woo her and shortly after the two are married, he is drafted into the war. Taking on the most dangerous assignments, the young hero parachutes into China where he meets the Siamese twins, Ping and Jing. After returning from the war, Bloom takes on a traveling sales job, ending up in the town of Spector again. He finds the town in disrepair and sets about rejuvenating the buildings and the residents. In between these flights of fancy, Will is trying to dig up the truth behind each tale.

Big Fish definitely has star power. Ewan McGregor, Danny DeVito, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi, and Jessica Lange give stellar performances as the various and colorful characters in Blooms adventures. McGregor has always been an actor I enjoy. I like that he takes on a wide range of roles and I empathize with his distain for Hollywood. If it weren’t for the way he portrays Edward Bloom in this film, I think the character would have come off as a pretentious jerk. But, McGregor’s treatment of the role with sparkling grin and perseverance in the face of adversity makes Bloom eminently likeable. One other actor of note in this movie is Matthew McGrory. He made it into the Guinness Book of World Records twice; once for tallest actor and in 2006 for having the longest recorded feet.

The very best effect in Big Fish comes when Bloom spots the lovely young Sandra (Alison Lohman) under the big top. The surroundings come to a complete standstill, popcorn suspended in air and cat mid-jump. If you’ve seen the trailers to the film, you might recognize the scene I’m describing. There are some other computer aided scenes in the movie, particularly those of the fish, but they don’t click with the rest of the footage quite as nicely. Most of the visual appeal on screen comes from the very Burtonesque costuming and set design. Keep an eye on Mr. Soggybottom’s outfit particularly.

I don’t think that my enthusiasm for Tim Burton’s films is easily veiled. Because I enjoy the darker side of cinema and the aesthetic texture his movies project, I’d be predisposed to his work anyway. However, there’s a definite way in which he conveys each story and a style in which he directs the actors that goes beyond set design and stop action animation. There have been two disappointments to date in his filmography, but Big Fish wasn’t one of them. Despite the slightly creepy overtones to this film, it remains, much like Burton’s other works, upbeat and fun.

Overall Rating: 4
Hottie Rating: 1 (not McGregor at his hottest)

Alternate Viewing: Pee Wee's Big Adventure
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The Haunting (1999)

Director: Jan de Bont
Format: DVD
DVD Features: behind the scenes, trailers, bios
Starring: Liam Neeson, Lili Taylor, Owen Wilson, Catherine Zeta Jones
Trailer

Frequently, as I may have mentioned in the past, I like to puruse my local video store, just to see what I can find for $5.00. Although I get most of my rentals through Netflix, it’s still fun to hop down the block and see what Hollywood Video has to offer. They usually have a sale. I can find 4 movies for $20 or similar. The great thing about DVD’s, I find, is that unlike the archaic VHS (some of us still remember that), buying them used is almost as good as buying them new. Video stores normally stock a bunch of the new releases, and thin them out as the title gets older. The only downfall is removing that obnoxious sticker. The Haunting was one of these five dollar purchases, rounding out the other three so I could get my four movie deal.

**Notice: I have not seen the 1963 movie that The Haunting of 1999 is based on. So, I will not be comparing the two films in this review.**

Dr. David Marrow (Liam Neeson), a university psychiatrist, decides that the best way to conduct his experiment on fear is to lure his volunteers in under the guise of a study on sleep disorders. He finds three test subjects; Eleanor, Theo and Luke, and invites them to stay at Hill House. Once there, he tells them of the mansion’s sordid past. It seems that the former owner of Hill House was a man named Hugh Crain, who built this house for his lovely wife, Carolyn. His wife, apparently perished inside the house after several of their children met an ill fate. Marrow’s idea is to scare his subjects and study their reaction to the tale. However, he has no inkling that there may be more than fear lurking in the mansion’s shady rooms to keep them all awake.

Eleanor (Lili Taylor), or “Nell” as she’s called, has just suffered the death of her mother, whom she cared for through a terrible illness. After her heartless sister has her ejected from the home, Nell notices Dr. Marrow’s ad in the paper. Nell doesn’t suffer insomnia, per se, but is so used to being awoken in the middle of the night by her demanding mother, that she still hears the woman calling her. Once at Hill House, she is joined by Theo (Catherine Zeta Jones), a high-fashion woman from New York with a taste for the ladies. The third guinea pig is Luke (Owen Wilson) who is a happy-go-lucky insomniac.

Although I have enjoyed Taylor in several films (especially The Addiction), I couldn’t stand her character in The Haunting. She is far too meek and the pity-me routine grated on my nerves. Wilson is an actor who does well with a good script, and not very good with a bad one. In this movie, his character may be good at heart, but a dullard nonetheless. He doesn’t pose any threat as a romantic involvement for the girls, and neither is he a strong contender against the ghosts. Jones is little more than eye candy and didn’t impress me at all in her role as Theo. So, while The Haunting is full of capable actors, their skills all go to waste.

The best character by far in the movie is the house itself. The rooms and hallways are full of lavishly carved stairways and cleverly disguised passageways. There is even a mirrored carousel behind one of its doors. The carvings play a large part in the plot of the film, as they serve to lead Nell on her hunt for the truth behind the dead children in Hill House. Other elements of the abode transform as well, from an evil-eyed window to a possessed bed. Although the CGI in the movie is not as polished as some more recent films, there are a few really neat effects.

Unfortunately, I have never felt that spookactular special effects can make up for a bad plot, a pathetic script and terrible acting. So, The Haunting falls far short of my expectations. Even a B-grade horror film at least has “camp”.

Overall Rating: 1
Hottie Rating: 1 (Jones always looks good)

Alternate Viewing: The Others
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2006 Movie List

I know it's about a month and a half late at this point, but I wanted to post my list of the movies I watched in 2006. Although not all of these films were new releases in 2006, they are all movies that I viewed for the first time last year. I keep a log every year along with ratings, venue and who my company was. This list will give some indication of just how much time I spend in front of the screen. It does not include, however, movies that I'd seen previously and was rewatching. I may have even neglected to record a few. Eventually, I hope to review most if not all of the films below.

Fantastic Four 3 stars
Underworld: Evolution 4 stars
Infection 2 stars
The Interpreter 2 stars
Dark Water 2½ stars
Wedding Crashers 1 star
V for Vandetta 3½ stars
SLC Punk! 3 stars
Crash 3 stars
Boondock Saints 4 stars
Capote 3 stars
Down By Law 5 stars
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly 4 stars
Broken Flowers 5 stars
The Omen 3 stars
Over The Hedge 3 stars
Kingpin 1 star
Hostel 1 star
Not Another Date Movie 1 star
Superman Returns 2 stars (reviewed)
Syriana ?
Pirates of the Caribbean 4 stars (reviewed)
Ultraviolet 1 star
UnDead 4 stars (reviewed)
A Scanner Darkly 3 ½ stars
Lady In The Water 5 stars (reviewed)
Munich 4 stars (reviewed)
The Matador 3 ½ stars (reviewed)
Master & Commander 3 ½ stars (reviewed)
Seabiscuit 4 stars (reviewed)
The New World 1 stars (reviewed)
Final Destination 3 2 stars (reviewed)
Evolution 3 stars
The Mothman Prophecies 4 stars
Silent Hill 4 stars (reviewed)
Crank 1 stars (reviewed)
Brick 5 stars
Man On Fire 3 stars
Wicker Man 2 stars
Bubble 3 stars
The Departed 5 stars
Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Askaban 4 stars
Benny & Joon 3 stars
Meet Joe Black 3 stars
The Bourne Identity 4 stars
The Bourne Supremecy 4 stars
The Brothers Grimm 2 stars
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead 2 ½ stars (reviewed)
History of Violence 3 stars
Night At The Museum 2 stars
Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire 3 stars
Lucky Number Sleven 5 stars
X-Men III 3 ½ stars
Mission Impossible III 2 ½ stars
Brokeback Mountain 4 stars
The Sentinel 3 stars

Going through this list in retrospect, I don't think I'd give some of these films the same rating as I did before. Syriana has a question mark next to it because I couldn't decide if it was really good or not. I felt that there was something I wasn't grasping about the film and didn't think it was fair to rate it.

Derailed (2005)

Director: Mikael Håfström
Format: DVD
DVD Features: deleted scenes, trailers
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Clive Owen, Rza, Xzibit
Trailer

Someone recommended this movie to me. I don’t remember who did, but they assured me that the inclusion of Jennifer Aniston in the cast wouldn’t be an issue for me. She’s one of the actors I tend to avoid. However, in this case, my friend was right. Something I didn’t hear about in advance was two other famous members of the cast. Fans of Hip-Hop will recognize Rza and Xzibit on screen. Rza, at least, has had his hand in the movie business for a while now. He was in Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes as well as contributing the musical score for Ghost Dog from the same director. I dig RZA. It’s fun to see him in movies because he has a lot of personality and quite a way with words. Xzibit though, doesn’t have much more than a token role in Derailed. So, if he does posses any acting abilities, it isn’t readily apparent in this film. I have been on a Clive Owen kick for some time now. I’ll spare you the list of his films that I’ve been through. But, let me say that I’ve only been disappointed once.

Plotwise, Derailed is fairly predictable in places. The “twist” near the end was as obvious as an oncoming train and I don’t think it took more than 15 minutes for me to smell a rat. Then, we have the equally blinding moral lesson that underscores the storyline. Regardless of those two factors, the movie manages a few surprises in places. Although the film’s destination might be expected, the journey is sometimes more important.

Bypassing as many spoilers as possible, the basic plot breaks down like this. Charles Schine (Owen) is an advertising executive struggling under the dual pressures of his home life and his career. When he meets an attractive woman on the train (Aniston), he welcomes the exciting departure of a possible affair. At the moment the couple decides to consummate their infidelity, a mugger surprises them in their hotel room. Fearing the effects that disclosing the event to the police would have on her family life, the woman refuses to file an official report with the authorities. Soon afterward, the mugger contacts Schine with blackmail demands and ever more increasing threats.

All in all, the film moves at a satisfying pace, without many diversions along the way. There’s a final little twist that I hadn’t expected, but all of the loose ends wrap up into a bit too tidy of a package for my taste. Derailed is clever after all and I enjoyed the ride. I do recommend the rental. There are even some juicy moments to arouse, if only briefly, my lust for Mr. Owen. But, Derailed won’t make in onto my “to buy list”, if only for the fact that it’s even harder to surprise me the second time around.

Overall Rating: 3
Hottie Rating: 4 (Owen is such a stud!)

Alternate Viewing: Lucky Number Sleven
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Chchchch an ges!! (ala David Bowie)

I have decided that I don't like the current format of my reviews. I sat here and tried to think about what sets this blog apart from other movie review sites. I came up with A: it's a blog and B: it's me! But, that's not going to be good enough to make this puppy take off. Sure, I could add more reviews, but that's going to take time and it will grow eventually.

Initialy, I thought that by dividing each review by category (i.e. plot, action, visual, etc.) would give me a skeleton to work from; a structure to build around and keep my thoughts in order. Now, I think that the very frame I set out to use as a tool is confining and I don't often have much to say about a certain category. It's making the whole post dull and sluggish.

So, I'm going to try a freeform method and add a little bit more of a personal touch to my reviews. After all, I'm not Ebert or Greg Moody here. I don't need a clinical dissection of each movie and I'm not a scholor who's qualified to make judgements as to technique etc.

I will still enter a score and I'll try my best not to have spoilers. I think this new method of reviewing will leave me more freedom to really express how I felt about the movies.

So, hang on for a makeover!

The Ring Two (2005)

Director: Hideo Nakata
Format: DVD
DVD Features: standard audio and subtitle options
Starring: Naomi Watts, David Dorfman
Trailer

The Ring series is continued here in the U.S. by the director of both of the Japanese films (Ringu, Ringu 2). Although the first Ring movie stateside was directed by Gore Verbinski, it mirrored Ringu almost exactly. The Ring holds a special place in my heart (long story) and I was hoping that its sequel would be as creepy and intriguing as the first. The Ring Two is not a movie to walk into without having seen its predecessor, because there is no rehashing of the old storyline, no flashback scenes (except for a few clips from the deadly video), and picks up very nearly where it left off. The plot also relies heavily on references from the prequel.

Since we last left Rachel (Naomi Watts) and Aiden (David Dorfman), they have moved to a new town, a new job, and a new group of potential victims. Rachel has found work with the local newspaper and learns of a mysterious death in the neighborhood. After some minimal investigation, she finds the unmarked video tape and discovers that Samara is back to haunt her and her son. As with the last movie, Rachel has to follow clues to discover what the ghoulish undead girl wants. The Ring Two could have easily been just another string of victims with VCRs. Instead, it focuses more on Aiden’s character and Samara’s attempts to steal Rachel away from him. In that regard, it was nice to see a change. However, toward the middle of the film, the plot seems to lose some focus. Aiden is in the hospital and Rachel isn’t allowed to visit him because the authorities feel that he may be a victim of child abuse. She doesn’t seem more than momentarily upset by this and runs off to look for Samara’s original mother. When she finds the woman, the scene is anti-climactic. The Ring Two lacks the cohesion that the first movie had and doesn’t feature any spine-tingling moments that weren’t already spoiled by the trailer.

Plot: 2 stars

I always appreciate it when the sequel to a movie retains its original stars. Watts and Dorfman maintain their respective roles, Samara isn’t the same girl, but it’s not easy to tell and everyone else from the first movie didn’t make it to the sequel. Not being a big fan of child actors to begin with, I was especially tormented by David Dorfman. My enjoyment of the movie was hindered by a constant burning desire to slap him senseless or ring his neck (smart-ass little brat).

Cast: 3 stars

I don’t know that I’d say this movie has any action, per se. Most of the scary parts come when they’re expected, or are already spoiled by the trailer. The final confrontation between Rachel and Samara is what you might call “tense” and a bit creepy, but not really action.

Action: 2 stars

The bathtub scene, which is one that the trailer spoils, is perhaps the most visually complex effect in the film. The majority of the movie has a washed-out blue-grey tint and nothing really seems to stand out. At the same time, it works to set the gloomy atmosphere. A few shots of Samara are kind of cheesy looking, and I think that the filmmakers should have either put more effort into them, or left them out altogether.

Visual: 2 stars

I thought the tag line, “Fear Comes Full Circle” was clever, if a little corny. Once again, no memorable dialogue. There was a bit about Aiden addressing his mother as “Rachel”, rather than “Mommy”, but I couldn’t recap that situation without spoiling something.

Dialogue: 1 star

I was terribly disappointed with The Ring Two. Perhaps it is the change of directors that makes the difference, or maybe it’s that the plot isn’t so elastic as to fill two movies without becoming limp. It could have also been the lack of convincing makeup and effects, which didn’t induce the fear that the first one did. I added this one to my personal library, but only because it was on sale for $5.00. At least this video won’t kill you in seven days.

Alternate viewing choice: The Ring
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The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Director: Ron Howard
Format: DVD
DVD Features: Previews, tons of featurettes, interviews, PC puzzle game demo
Starring: Tom Hanks, Jean Reno, Audrey Tautou
Trailer

I avoided the theatrical release of this film mainly because the book had gotten so much hype. I also tend to avoid movies that star Tom Hanks and were made after 1990. However, I did read the novel and curiosity finally got the better of me. It’s always interesting to see how the adaptation will be. The producers/director did appear to solicit the input of Dan Brown, judging from the special features and I feel that the more the original creator has to do with the movie version of their work, the smoother the transition will be from text to screen. I was not altogether disappointed with the movie version of The Da Vinci Code. Except for a few minor details, the movie script followed the novel quite well.

Novelist and lecturer Robert Langdon (Hanks) is approached by the French authorities in connection with the death of Jacques Saunière, curator at the Louvre. Under the guise of consulting Landon’s deep understanding of historic symbols, Captain Fache (Jean Reno) brings him to the murder scene. It is when Agent Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) comes to his rescue that Langdon realizes he is actually wanted in connection to the crime. The deceased, who also happens to be Sophie’s grandfather, has left a trail of clues for the two of them to decipher. Before long, it is clear to Langdon that it isn’t Sauniere’s killer that he and Neveu are looking for, but something far more sacred – The Holy Grail. The two fugitives begin to follow the string of clues and decode the messages and riddles that unlock the secret of The Grail’s resting place. There are some, namely the religious sect Opus Dei, who would also like their hands on the sacred treasure, recognizing the threat it brings to the church. At every turn, Langdon and Neveu must fool not only the authorities, but dodge the attempts of another mysterious interested party to steal the secret. One of the issues that I had with the book, was that I was always one step ahead of the characters when it came to figuring out the next clue. Watching the movie made the situation worse, as I had already discovered each answer in the novel. The suspense wasn’t quite the same either, as it takes a much longer period of time for Langdon and Neveu to get to the next clue in the book. So, the compression of time needed to transfer the story onto film detracted from that aspect. The story on the whole is intriguing, especially considering that most of the clues in the story actually exist.

Plot: 4 stars

As mentioned earlier, I am not particularly fond of Tom Hanks. No matter which role he takes, there’s an air of arrogance about him that I find very unattractive. He didn’t convince me as Langdon. Audrey Tautou is a fantastic actress, especially when she plays French roles (Amelie). She wasn’t how I envisioned the character as I read the novel, but she fits snugly into the role. Jean Reno is also a great actor, in certain roles, but he wasn’t Fache to me. The role of Silas, the albino monk working for Opus Dei, was played by Paul Bettany. In the book, I remember Silas as being a large, hulking creature, terribly threatening in part due to his devout convictions. But, in the movie, Bettany is way too small and the only think that makes him frightening is the Latin he speaks. I also envisioned the character of Teabing differently. The novel gave me the impression that, aside from being crippled, Teabing was also of substantial weight. In the film, Ian McKellen portrays him and although his determination comes through, he is much frailer than I expected. On the whole, with the exception of Hanks, the acting was neat, clean and well executed.

Cast: 4 stars

As befitting a film of international treasure hunting and shadowy secret societies. The Da Vinci Code features a satisfying dose of action. The movie includes a brief gunfight, a car chase in reverse, and plenty brandishing of firearms. Though not quite up to par with 007 type of over-the-top pyrotechnics and such, this movie satisfied my RDA of action.

Action: 3 stars

Watching some of the extra features, I realize what a challenge it may have been to film in The Louvre. All of the artwork in those scenes is apparently the real deal. My biggest complaint is that the director felt it necessary to enhance some of the symbols and clues artificially, when they were blindingly obvious in the first place. Is it really so difficult to see that a six-pointed star is made up of an upward pointing triangle and a downward pointing triangle? The screen on which Teabing illustrates some of the finer points of DaVinci’s “The Last Supper” comes in handy, as well as the images showing Langdon’s recollection of Newton’s headstone. So, it while it may have served well to illustrate some scenes this way, it was overused in the majority of scenes.

Visual: 2 stars

Here, I present the winning quote from The Da Vinci Code, “As long as there has been a one true god, there has been killing in his name.” How true and apropos. There weren’t any vocal failings, aside from the fact that Langdon never seemed surprised or convinced of what he was saying.

Dialogue: 3 stars

All in all, I was satisfied with the movie version of The Da Vinci Code. There were very few diversions from the original story and I have to give points for “shot on location”. Most of the acting was well done and I found it difficult to tear myself from the screen, even after the third go round. I do recommend picking the DVD up from the rental shoppe, but I would hold off on adding it to my personal collection. The features on the disc are a bit disappointing. Plenty of interviews and behind the scenes excerpts, but they only seem to be advertising the film rather than explaining it.

Alternate viewing choice: Raiders of the Lost Ark
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