A Cinderella Story

A Cinderella Story - *

Holy Camp Classic Batman! This 21st century update of the classic Cinderella story is easily the most cliched and campy version yet. With all of the energized cheese of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, this film is going to be a favorite of both teenaged idiots and smug movie critics (like myself) for years. Hilary Duff (in what I believe is only the second film I've seen her in) is clearly inept at conveying anything beyond the one dimensional teenage twit she portrays on "Lizzie McGuire". Hey, I guess art imitates life. Jennifer Coolidge has got to be one of the least talented actresses in Hollywood though, so I guess Duff's not the worst in this tripe. Who knows, maybe she'll go the way of Lindsay Lohan and get good with age. As is, a pitiful movie, but plenty of fun for camp fans. Thumbs down.

Star Wars - The Return of the Jedi

Star Wars - Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi - *****

The culmination of the original Star Wars trilogy came in the form of the audacious and inventive Return of the Jedi, which was both the brightest and most commercially friendly of the series. Whether it be the heartwarming tale of father and son, the relationship between Leia and Han Solo, or even the irresistibly cute Ewoks, most viewers of this film would acknowledge that there's definitely a different tone to this film. Sure Yoda and Anakin Skywalker dies, but in the end, the Emperor is dead, and the Rebel Alliance has triumphed over evil (and apparently Lucas Film has gone back and revised history again, this time including Hayden Christiansen as Anakin the spirit). It was the perfect way to end perhaps the greatest trilogy of movies ever made. Two films into the prequel trilogy, one can only hope that Lucas can manage to end it on a high note somewhat akin to this, but we all know that Revenge of the Sith cannot end on such a happy note. Never the less, this film was brilliant. Thumbs up.

Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead - ****

Whenever a British comedy makes its way to North American theatrical markets, I'm always excited to check it out for a two reasons. First, it's always refreshing to check out films that are made outside the North American mainstream, which those of us who live in the continent are completely overexposed to, and grow tired of before long. Second, when a movie is successful enough to be taken out of Europe and thrown in to the sharktank with other North American movies, there has to be a damn good reason. With Edgar Right's Shaun of the Dead, the reason is simple: it's really, really good. As opposed to the two dimensional and overly childish satires generally produced in Los Angeles, this film is witty, sharp and consistently hilarious, all the while delivering an acceptable amount of horror and gory action sequences. The cast is filled with British TV actors such as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Spaced), Lucy Davis (The Office) and Dylan Moran (Black Books), not exactly an A-list cast from an exposure perspective. However, for the purposes of this film, a cast of up and comers is perfect; everybody delivers solid performances, and the film benefits. Thumbs way up.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - *****

After 4 viewings, this film still has the ability to completely catch me off guard. Even putting aside the phenomenal performances by Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey (who I am still shocked to realise half way through that this is the same guy who made Ace Ventura), even putting aside the breakthrough direction from Michael Gondry (who seems to flawlessly recreate the dream world), it's Charlie Kaufman's completely astute and nearly flawless script that really makes this movie what it is. The movie's soundtrack also clearly aides the film, with an eclectic mix of artists such as Beck, The Polyphonic Spree, ELO and the composition of Jon Brion, whose score for the movie really strikes a chord in some of the more emotional sequences. Still the best movie of 2004, and still a thumbs up.

Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - *****


For a classic like "Empire Strikes Back", it would be foolish to expect anything other than 5 stars. Widely though of to be the best of the "Star Wars" saga, it's easily the darkest of the series. Mark Hamill really gives a crucial performance in this film (helped by the fact that he was a few more years mature than in "A New Hope"), and is able to establish Luke Skywalker as the most watchable character. The "Luke, I am your father" line is perhaps the most famous in movie history, and this is a classic that will be enjoyed for generations to come. Thumbs up.

Darklight

Darklight - **

As it's a made for TV movie, that's about as close to a poster as I can get. The first 30 minutes of this movie are pitiful. Just a bunch of horrible dialogues and cheesy action sequences thrown together. However, as the film continues, we get to see two things: 1) that the film really finds its footing in the second half, and 2) that Shiri Appleby actually can act (despite what Roswell and Swimfan may have indicated). The final action sequence is redeeming, and if a sequel were done with more of the same it may be very entertaining, but as is, this is just a bad movie. Thumbs down.

Star Wars - A New Hope

Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope - *****

My all time favorite movie is also one of the most brilliantly made films ever. George Lucas used an obscenely low budget (due to his breakthrough vision in special effects) to craft a film that is both cost effective and visually impressive. It's also the prototype for science fiction and action/adventure films to follow, although the craft is yet to be improved on. Key performances by Alec Guiness and Harrison Ford in this one, before Mark Hamill truly takes over the final two films of the series. Thumbs up, although, did you expect anything different?

Saved!

Saved! - **

For all the heat that movie companies take for racial stereotyping, this movie proves that they don't do very well at majorities on screen either. Saved is a scathing critique (almost a hatchet job) on Christianity which makes almost no attempt to specify between orthodox and modernized Christianity; choosing to open fire on any Christ follower in sight. I've never met a single Christian in my life as phony and prejudiced as Hilary Faye (played really quite well by Mandy Moore), yet Brian Dannelly seems to think that her type represents the majority. Of course, the more enlightened non-Christians are able to alert us to the error of our ways by the end, and of course Hilary Faye apologises for all the bad things she's done, choosing to take her anger out on Jesus instead. This is Hollywood, remember, it's the Jesus movies that get ravaged, not the anti-Jesus ones. Thumbs down.

Zatoichi - The Blind Swordsman

Zatoichi - ***1/2

This movie takes a while to get going, but when it does, there's a lot to be enjoyed. Even speaking as someone who isn't really into the samurai film genre, this is a good movie. The plot is designed well to build to the final confrontation (even if it does turn out rather anti-Climactic), the film is well scored, and there are plenty of fun moments throughout. It's an action movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. Thumbs up.

Without a Paddle

Without A Paddle - **1/2

I actually saw this film a couple of weeks ago, but I thought I'd pass along my thoughts now. While Dax Shepard and Matthew Lillard are both entertaining on screen, but it's become abundantly clear to me that Seth Green has stopped bringing anything new to his performances. This is mostly overdone stuff that seems to find its way into every teen marketed comedy. The Burt Reynolds cameo is some inspired stuff, but in the end it's unable to really make any sort of impact. There are plenty of decent laughs, but most of all this is a comedy that manages to stay afloat for 95 minutes without really impressing. Thumbs down.

Sky Captain and the World of Tommorow

Sky Captain and the World of Tommorow - ***1/2

The movie is kind of a mix of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but more importantly it acts as a proper tribute to both those movies instead of failing to live up to the hype. Jude Law is terrific in his role, although it could be argued that Gwyneth Paltrow really stars (and does quite well herself). I really enjoyed the style of animation employed, and supppose the film was made for a fraction of the costs of making a live action version. The movie cost 70 million to make (salaries included), and looks like a 200 million dollar film. The plot isn't anything new, but it's clear that this type of filmmaking is ideal in producing imaginative visions at a fraction of the cost. Hopefully the studio gets their way, and we get a series of films, because this really feels like an Indiana Jones for the 21st century. Thumbs up.

Wicker Park

Wicker Park - **

Such a tacky film need not involve such talents as Rose Byrne and Jessica Pare, but sadly it does. Matthew Lillard is proving to be surprisingly proficient as he gets a little older (this is really proving to be a big year for him) but there is little to be said for Hartnett and Kruger. There are tons of really mixed messages being sent in this film, and I think the director attempts to barrage the viewer with style in an attempt to make them overlook a general lack of plot development. This is like Secret Window in the sense that it's essentially a one performance movie; namely the performance of Rose Byrne as Alex. Other then that, there's little to be admired about the film. Thumbs down.