MOVIE REVIEW - War Of The Worlds (2005)

And I thought Tom Cruise had become an inept human being. Sadly, he's also become an inept movie star. He plays the same character he always plays - irresponsible cocky womanizer who "grows" in a short amount of time and saves the day. This time, among a bunch of Really Really bad aliens. This movie isn't a bad solely because of Tom, but more because it's badly done - especially for a Dreamworks film. We've come to expect better from them. They spent a good 30 minutes in a cellar, with a very bizarre Tim Robbins, who added nothing to the film. The alien Eye can't see them down there as it traverses every corner of the cellar? I can hear them, why can't this amazingly sophisticated alien? And the movie goes from extreme crisis to resolution to end in about 3 minutes. Morgan Freeman's voice definitely brings gravitas to anything he does, but he did less miracles in Bruce Almighty than he did here. There were a couple of creepy scenes - the cratered earth at the beginning, the lightning storm, the blood factory - but definitely not worth the pain of the rest of this dud.

MOVIE REVIEW - Bewitched (2005)

Clearly, Hollywood has crossed the line. They are simply too enamored with themselves. The concept (a movie about a remake of a TV show) sounded far-fetched, but I thought it may have potential. If it did, it certainly didn't fulfill it. Nicole was cute enough, a decent resemblance to the splendid Elizabeth Montgomery, but nothing spectacular. Will just didn't fit the part. Mostly, I was bored throughout. Not funny, not heartwarming, not clever. Does the movie industry think that nothing is entertaining in life but themselves? Heck, they're not even entertaining very often. Certainly not here.

MOVIE REVIEW - Play Misty For Me (1971)

A predecessor to Fatal Attraction, this thriller stars Clint Eastwood in his directorial debut. It is terrific. Very intense, excellent portrayal of SweetCrazy by Jessica Walter (also unbelievably excellent in Arrested Development). You totally know where the movie is going, but it doesn't matter. Really great.

MOVIE REVIEW - Das Boot (1981)

What possible motivation could Wolfgang Peterson have had for thinking this movie deserved 3.5 hours of my attention? It was a decent movie - German U-boat trying to survive and accomplish its mission in 1941. Decent acting, some intense moments. But 3.5 hours? Are you kidding me? This was a 2 hour movie, TOPS. It lost its effect from drawing it out so long.

MOVIE REVIEW - Batman Begins (2005)

Quite Enjoyable. I'm surprised that I liked CB as Batman, but he was excellent. He looked stupid in the mask (bad mouth, or something), and that Batvoice was really creepy (in a bad way), but all in all, he was a great choice for Batman. Katie was surprisingly decent (and looked Exactly like a young Margaret Colin). Plenty dark to keep it interesting and to return to the comic book Batman. But enough hope and character to keep it enjoyable and even inspiring. I wasn't thrilled with Liam's role - the beginning reminded me too much of the whole Jedi thing. I think it falls short of being entertaining to non-Batman (or non-Fantasy) fans. Not the "triumph" I had heard from the critics, but definitely well done.

MOVIE REVIEW - Score, The (2001)

A tired plot (older criminal making his last "score"), but well executed. DeNiro was terrific as usual, Ed Norton was terrific as usual. They had multiple confrontation scenes, very good. I just wish they had a more original idea.

MOVIE REVIEW - Jack (1996)

Trite kid's movie, starring Robin Williams as a 10 year old kid in a 40 year old's body. All the expected comedy and heartstring pulls. Nothing great here. Mr. Coppola has lost his touch.

MOVIE REVIEW - One Crazy Summer (1986)

Catching up on old John Cusack movies. Not really worth watching overall, though it did have some cute moments. Cusack's character drew cartoons for a hobby, and we see his current love status (or lack thereof) played out by the hippos and rabbits in his toons. Demi Moore is John's love interest. She sings - er, well, sort of sings. Mostly, this film is just an absurd teen comedy. Some laughs, but nothing to draw.

MOVIE REVIEW - I Heart Huckabees (2004)

So many bad reviews, I thought I'd hate this whacky philosophy mishmash. But if you suspend all disbelief, if you look for farce instead of truth, it's mildly outrageous. A guilty pleasure, in that you feel like your watching the writer's private joke. The premise of the movie is, well, hard to explain. A guy (Jason Schwartzman) is confused about life, real meaning, reality, perspective, and he hires the existential detectives (Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman) to figure it out. The most he could figure out was that the Ball Thing (Mark Wahburg hitting him in the face with a playground ball until he phases out) is good therapy. It's nuts, but not too proud of itself for being nuts. It will definitely take the right audience in the right mood. I guess I was.

MOVIE REVIEW - Without A Paddle (2004)

It's less that it was a bad comedy, more that I just couldn't help wondering where Scooby Doo was throughout their adventure. Mediocre bachelor party humor, not really worth the rental.

MOVIE REVIEW - Spartan (2004)

Pretty good FBI drama, suspenseful, a little more inventive plot than most movies. Stars Val Kilmer trying to find a VIP teen who has been abducted into a sex slave trade. Nothing incredible, but worth the watch.

MOVIE REVIEW - Committed (2000)

Crappy indi flick w/ Heather Graham and Luke Wilson. New Age garbage about love and marriage and rain dances.