At first I thought, “Uh-oh, this is another one of those interminable animes about Japanese high school kids dealing with adolescent angst.” Boy, was I wrong.
All in Fantasy
Don’t be misled. This is one scary movie.
Brian DePalma's “MISSION TO MARS”
I rented MISSION TO MARS expecting a camp classic, a howler, a real dud.
Pierre Morel's TAKEN
This movie is silly, prepostrous, nonsensical, and the plot has more holes than the strainer I use Sunday mornings to defrost frozen blueberries when I bake muffins.
I loved it.
The Polish Brothers' NORTHFORK
This is a beautiful, entrancing, enigmatic, and mesmerizing movie about death.
Quentin Tarentino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
This is some movie. It’s scary, emotionally draining, funny, exciting, tense, thoughtful, violent, whimsical, cruel, and in a few places, just plain weird.
Peter Docter's UP
I’ve seen this movie twice so far. I’d like to see it again in the theater before it leaves. Why? I just enjoyed it so much. It’s funny, touching, exciting, screwball, warm, lovely, and just plain entertaining.
Alex Proyas' KNOWING
In KNOWING director Proyas (Dark City, I, Robot, Garage Days) takes disparate elements (end of world, numerology, randomness vs. determinism, single father raising son alone, calamity, Nicolas Cage, and some of the most visceral and amazing special effects I’ve seen since Benjamin Button) and weaves them into a mix you’ll either love or hate.
Although visually arresting, I thought Tarsem Singh’s THE CELL was inuman, inhumane, and tawdry. THE FALL is also visually gorgeous. It’s also clever, imaginative, and touching.
Mamoru Oshii's “THE SKY CRAWLERS”
Wonderfully animated, this moody anime adventure combines elements of 1984 (perpetual warfare), Blade Runner (androids with fuzzy memories), Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (alternate history and retro-futuristic aircraft), and Dark City (constant recycling of character experiences and events).
The “invisible aliens among us” story has been done many times before. This one focuses less on wild histrionics than continually escalating terror.
David Fincher's THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
The special effects are the most impressive I’ve seen since Peter Jackson’s King Kong.
Timur Bekmambetov's WANTED
Talk about no redeeming social value! But it’s great fun.
Lilo & Stitch
This movie is one of the sweetest movies I’ve seen in years. And I mean that as a sincere compliment.
Farah Khan's “OM SHANTI OM”
This is the most entertaining movie I have seen since Andrew Stanton’s WALL-E.
Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING
Many of the scenes in the Theatrical Return beg for more exposition. I don’t know if that’s because the story has been too highly compressed, or if I’m just aware that an Extended Edition is due out in a couple of months. Probably a bit of both.
George Lucas' THE PHANTOM MENACE
When I first saw this movie in the theater I was bored. My reaction is much more positive with this 2-DVD set.
Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS
I have watched parts of the film repeatedly on DVD and have seen it in a theater. Many images - too many to mention here - dazzle the senses and cry out for the big screen, there is so much rich lush detail on the screen. The performances of Ian McKellan, Ian Holm, and Christopher Lee are wonderful to behold. And the action set pieces are spectacular.
Gil Kenan's CITY OF EMBER
This extraordinary family film reminded me of the sense of wonder I experienced as a child reading my way through the best of the children’s fantasy and science fiction collection of my local public library.
Scott Derrickson's THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
I really enjoyed this current film. And I still love the original. I’m living proof that these two reactions are not incompatible.