Inception

A+

Wow, what a ride! Ocean's Eleven meets The Matrix. This brilliant cross between a heist story, a psychological drama/thriller, an action movie, and sci-fi left me wide-eyed and breathless. Writer/Director Christopher Nolan (Batman: the Dark Night, Momento, The Prestige) has hit another home run with Inception. This film engaged my emotions, my adrenaline, and my intellect. Smart and exciting. I loved it.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. His skill has made him a hot commodity in the world of corporate espionage, but has also cost him everything he loves. Cobb gets a chance at redemption when he is offered a seemingly impossible job: to plant an idea in someone's mind. If he succeeds, it will be the perfect crime, but a dangerous enemy anticipates Cobb's every move.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I had thought of writing a story about entering people's dreams, and had even toyed with the idea of using the technology for thievery and espionage. But Nolan did something so much more amazing than I ever could have with it. It is the kind of movie that will need to be re-watched several times in order to figure it all out. It is the next day and I am still dwelling on it. I can't wait to discuss it. It is rated PG-13 for violence, action, and peril.

The Last Airbender

D+

I really, really wanted to like this movie. I loved the Nickelodeon cartoon that it is based on. And I really wanted M. Night Shyamalan (whose movies, after his explosive debut with The Sixth Sense and Signs, have been steadily declining until acheiving an all time low with Lady in the Water) to finally have a good movie. . . . but . . . . I was sorely disappointed. It had such potential. Unfortunately, it fell very flat. Though the movie did capture much of the feel of the cartoons in how it looked, it lacked so much. It lacked the depth of character. It lacked the humor that endeared the characters to your heart. It lacked storytelling. It seemed that Shyamalan (screenwriter and director) tried to move swiftly from episode climax to episode climax from the first season of the cartoon with so little development or background that it felt choppy. The dialog was written and delivered very dryly. Shyamalan does have great talent for framing a shot and creating suspense, he needs to stay away from writing. Get a crack screenwriter to produce a killer script and let Shyamalan work with the camera.

The four nations of Air, Water, Earth, and Fire lived in harmony until the Fire Nation declared war. A century later, there is still no end to the destruction in sight. then, an Avatar named Aang discovers that he has the power to control all four elements. he joins forces with Katara, a Waterbender, and her brother Sokka to restore balance to their war-torn world.

Now to what I liked. The special effects were very cool, the water bending, fire, bending, earth bending, and air bending. I am still bummed that I didn't like it. It wasn't that I was so keen on the cartoon that nothing would have satisfied me. I can control for that within myself. It just wasn't a very good movie. I think that kids will enjoy it more because they will be less critical. Maybe wait for the dollar theater to take the kids to it. It is rated PG for stylized martial arts fighting and some peril.

Iron Man II

B

Iron Man II was pretty entertaining.I can't say it was as good as the first, but it had great action sequences and special effects. I think where it fell a little short was in the area of character arc. While in the first movie, Tony Stark went through some character change, in this one he did not. But I must say that I did like the Iron Man II villain more than the money grubbing business partner from the first. Here's a rundown:

With the world now aware that he is Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey) faces pressure from all sides to share his technology with the military. Tony is reluctant to divulge the secrets of his armored suit, fearing the knowledge will fall into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and ``Rhodey'' Rhodes (Don Cheadle) by his side, Tony must forge new alliances and confront a powerful new enemy.

Overall, it is worth watching. The role of SHIELD is increased in this movie with much more information on the development of the future Avengers group. (Don;t forget to stay for the bonus scene after the credits!) Overall, it was a good popcorn movie and hopefully a good enough bridge to the other avenger prequels. It is rated PG-13 for some language (including a "bleeped" f-word) and violent superhero combat.

Avatar

B+

I had a lot of fun watching this movie. the story was compelling enough to work, even if it wasn't spectacular. But the visuals WERE spectacular. It was a Thanksgiving feast of stunningly real visual effects. Even though the movie is almost three hours long, it didn't feel like it.

On a lush planet called Pandora live the Na'vi--humanoid beings who appear primitive, but are actually highly evolved. Because Pandora's environment is poisonous, human-Na'vi hybrids, called avatars, are linked to human minds, allowing for free movement on Pandora. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed ex-Marine, is made whole again through one such avatar, and falls in love with a Na'vi woman (Zoe Saldana). As his bond with her grows, he is drawn into a battle for the survival of her world.

This film is available in 3D and standard. I watched it in 3D. I honestly found that the visuals were so spectacular anyway, I don't know if the 3D made it any better. All the other critics say that "you gotta see it in 3D." You can choose for yourself. As I said, the story was good enough. it has been described as "Dances with Ferngully," if that gives you a handle on the basic plot. Some of the twists were predictable. The action sequences were awesome. But the real star of the show has got to be the breathtaking visuals. Definitely worth and probably buying (on BluRay, of course). It is rated PG-13 for intense action scenes, some violence, peril, and language, and some brief sexuality.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (6)

A-

I really enjoyed this newest edition to the Harry Potter saga. It has already been observed that the story is getting darker the further it goes. But movie six does a good job of balancing this darkness with light-hearted humor.

It is Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwart's and he is invited to have special classes with Professor Dumbeldore. In preparation for a final showdown with Voldemort, Dumbeldore and Harry work together to unravel the Dark Lord's mysterious past by reconstructing memories. They hope to learn the secret to Voldemort's destruction. Meanwhile teenage romance abounds and Professor Snape continues to make us ask the question: "Who's side is that guy on?"

The pacing of this one was slower than the other movies. There was less action and more dialogue and exposition. It has the atmosphere of the "calm before the storm." Even the epic climax had a serene feel to it. Overall I really liked it, I added the "minus" to the A that i gave mostly for it's removal of what I thought were some exciting action scenes from the book. Although it is rated PG, there is one scene near the end which will definitely scare small children.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

B

I liked this movie. I was a little disappointed because I was expecting "great" and got "good." But it was good. It was packed with action, had a few laughs, and even had some tenderness. The violence felt a little excessive for PG-13, though. This film launches a new direction in the X-Men franchise: origin stories for their superheroes. In that sense all of these new movies are/will be prequels to the existing X-Men trilogy.

Seeking solace from his dark past, Logan (Hugh Jackman), better known as Wolverine, seems to have found love and contentment with Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins) . Logan's peaceful existence is shattered when Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber), his vicious brother, brutally murders Kayla. Logan's thirst for revenge propels him into the Weapon X program, where he undergoes a painful procedure to bond his bones with adamantium, making him virtually indestructible and more than a match for Victor.

Overall, it was a good movie. It connected some of the dots in the later movies and answers many of the questions raised about Wolverine's past in the trilogy. It is rated PG-13 for sci-fi, superhero violence (some of which may be hard to watch for a sensitive viewer).

Star Trek

A-

What a ride! This newest edition to the Star Trek franchise may be the best film yet. It was exciting and funny. And the opening scene was about the best I've ever seen.

Aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, the most sophisticated starship ever built, a young crew embarks on its maiden voyage. Their path takes them on a collision course with Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan commander whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. If humanity is to survive, a delinquent Iowa farm boy named James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and a coolly logical Vulcan named Spock (Zachary Quinto) must move beyond their bitter rivalry and find a way to defeat Nero before it is too late.

I really enjoyed this film. It didn't take itself too seriously and seemed to enjoy poking fun at itself. The characters were believable (given the sci-fi setting). There were plenty of little things that only Star Trek fans would get, yet even the uninitiated will find the the movie thrilling and fun. Well done! The movie is rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some brief sexuality.

The Incredible Hulk

B+

Okay, so I finally got around to seeing the Incredible Hulk. It was pretty good. I enjoyed the experience. A little disclaimer, I am one of the only people in the world that liked the older version (2003) of the Hulk. The 2003 version was poetic, beautiful, and dripping with symbolism and Freudian psychology. Perhaps where it failed with the public was that they were expecting more "Hulk Smash!" and less beauty. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this new Hulk movie.

Five years have past since the last movie. Bruce Banner is hiding in South America desperately searching for a cure to his hulkish condition. In the meantime, he has practiced martial techniques of relaxation in order to maintain control over his hulking-out episodes. General Ross, however, relentlessly pursues Banner back to New York City. A new creature, The Abomination (a sadistic soldier who becomes an evil version of the Hulk) threatens the city. Banner is the city's only hope, but only if he can summon the Incredible Hulk and direct his blind fury at the right target.

This film was more of the "Hulk Smash!," high action movie that the Hulk fans wanted. I recommend it as a great addition to the franchise and as a great action movie. It is rated PG-13 for comic book style violence and intensity.

P.S. For those superhero fans who have been following it, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and a couple future movies (Thor, Captain America) are setting us up for a combined movie with all of the superheroes: The Avengers. Notice Samuel L. Jackson's appearance after Iron Man, and Robert Downey Jr.'s (Tony Stark/Iron Man) appearance after the Hulk.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Grade: B-

In assessing my grade of it, please take into account that It was meant to be viewed in 3-D, which I did not. This was a fun movie, a fine popcorn flick, though there was nothing long lasting about it.

During an expedition to Iceland, professor Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser), his nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and their guide, Hannah (Anita Briem), get trapped in a cavern. As they follow their only escape route deeper and deeper below the Earth's surface, they pass through strange places and encounter incredible creatures, including dinosaurs. But as volcanic activity around them increases, they realize they must find their way out -- soon.

It was a little scary for my 3 year old, but my 7 year old loved it. The special effects were good, and there were some genuine laughs. If it comes out on DVD in 3D, it might be worth rented from Redbox, (with the glasses, of course).

The Clone Wars

Grade: B

I really liked this movie, understanding that it was meant for kids. (My own kids loved it.) It was a fun little romp in the Star Wars universe. In fact, it is intended to kick off a new TV series with the same name on the Cartoon Network (I think).

The Clone Wars is a computer animated film that takes place between Episode II (Attack of the Clones) and III (Revenge of the Sith). We find Kenobe and Anikan fighting in the clone wars when Yoda sends a young apprentice to Anikan. They immediately butt heads as both are headstrong and somewhat arrogant and reckless. Together they embark on a mission to rescue Jabba the Hut's infant son from kidnappers in an effort to win his support in the Clone Wars. Both learn valuable lessons along the way, and we get to see a lot of action.

The action was exciting. The animation was adequate. It was fun.

Batman: The Dark Knight

Grade: A

Just brilliant!

The action was great, the acting superb, and the story compelling. Christian Bale turned in another great performance. Heath Ledger as the Joker knocked it out of the park. Aaron Eckhart, although overshadowed by the untimely death of ledger, was equally brilliant in his role as Harvey Dent / Two-Face. the story was definitely dark (as all Batman stories are), but they seemed to balance it out with having more of the events take place during daylight.

It is a year after the events from Batman Begins and Gotham City is again in trouble. The efforts of the vigilante Batman from outside the system, and Lt. Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent from within the system have made great strides in reducing the city's crime and corruption. The Joker emerges as the city's "new class of criminal," one that is not interested in personal gain but only in spreading chaos and terror. He holds the city in his grips as a homegrown, psychopathic terrorist with no agenda but destruction. The Joker represents all that is evil, Gordon represents all that is good and both the Bruce Wayne/Batman and Harvey Dent/Two-Face are in the middle. Harvey Dent, the "White Knight" who begins by giving the people hope then falls to his demons after personal tragedy in contrast to Bruce Wayne who begins in darkness (see Batman Begins) and rises above his demons to become the Dark Knight. The two characters are like mirror images, identical in every way except exact opposites, or like opposite sides of the same coin. Who will prevail, the ever good Lt. Gordon, the ever evil Joker, the White Knight turned villain Two-Face, or the Dark Knight turned hero Batman?

If you are a fan of the Batman franchise, you will LOVE this film. In fact, I am loving this new direction the Batman movies are being taken. The older generation of these movies were fun at the time, but these new ones are better in every way. It is rated PG-13 for very scary images and intense action. (Definitely not a movie for the light-hearted, or for children).

Iron Man

Grade: A+

I can't think of anything I didn't like. I must admit a few things first. When I heard that Robert Downey, Jr. was playing the lead role, I was very skeptical. And some of the movie's trailers made it look like it was going to be very corny. BUT, it was great. Downey was brilliant playing the likable prick, and soon to be superhero, Tony Stark. His supporting cast (Gweneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, etc.) was equally brilliant.

The mechanical genius and billionaire Tony Stark made a fortune creating and selling cutting edge weapons. However, after he is kidnapped by terrorists and forced to build a super weapon for them, he must use all of his ingenuity to build a weapon that will help him escape. He decides to devote himself to a superhero life, instead of that of a self-absorbed playboy, which he had led to that point. He becomes Iron Man, a hero who, like Bruce Wayne's Batman, holds the world's true superpowers: money and smarts. He builds a metal suit for himself that gives him strength, armor, projectile weapons, and (of course) flight.

I highly recommend this movie. It is PG-13 for some brief sexuality and epic superhero combat.

P.S. Stay until after the end credits for a little surprise.

Battlestar Galactica

Grade: B+ (so far)

Okay, so this is a TV show. But each episode has the production quality of a feature film.

For those who are not familiar with it, it is a remake of the old TV show. In the distant future, mankind is traveling the Galaxy. Humans had invented artificially intelligent machines, which inevitably evolve to become our enemy, (pretty cliched back story, I know). These machines, the "Cylons," have actually destroyed all of mankind except for around 40,000 people that populate a fleet of star ships.

So here are the major conflicts in the series: (1) the Cylons are roaming the galaxy looking to wipe out the rest of the humans, (2) the humans are roaming the Galaxy searching for the mythical planet "Earth" to restart their civilization. Of course, there is plenty of political intrigue, twists, and action along the way. For example, there are 12 Cylon models that are indistinguishable from humans (they look like people, not robots), but here's the catch, we the viewers do not know who they all are. So, there is always the real possibility that any character is actually one of the unidentified Cylons.

I must admit that I hadn't watched Galactica until this season, which is the fourth and final season. It really blew me away. I was drawn in by the plot, the cinematography, and the overall production quality. One major "pro" to the series is that it began with the end in mind. It will not be like those shows that outlive their prime and spiral, out of control, into outlandish stories just to stay alive. It is able to maintain its epic feel through the life of the series.

One major drawback: there is some blatant sexuality. Although not in every episode, when it is there, it is pretty in your face. I find myself simply changing the channel and returning to it after a couple of minutes. It really bothers me, especially when there are always other ways to communicate what has happened to the audience. Viewer beware.

I am hooked and can't wait to see how the whole sweeping plot unfolds and resolves.

I Am Legend, PG-13

Grade: A-

Wow! What a movie. Will Smith, once again, proves why he is one of America's national treasures. This post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller was full of emotion and action. The first half of the movie reminded me a lot of Cast Away, where Smith is the only person on screen, indeed in the "world." His means of coping with the loneliness came across as genuine and convincing.

Many critics say the end was disappointing, an opinion with which I can sympathize. It felt a little abrupt, and left a few unresolved plot points. An alternate ending is available (I found it on YouTube), which I am told more closely follows the book. I like both endings for different reasons. The original ending has a messianic quality to it: a savior must sacrifice to save the world, hearkening to the Time Magazine cover page displayed at the beginning with a picture of Smith's character and the title "Savior?" The alternate ending, however, does tie up the loose ends (even the ones you didn't realize were loose at the time), manages to portray the humanity in the "bad guys," and is "happier."

Overall, I really liked it. I am sure that I will watch it again.

Top 10 Sci Fi

In no particular order.

1. Star Wars
2. Signs
3. Matrix
4. Minority Report
5. The Hulk (I think I was the only person in America who liked it. But it was Freudian deep)
   
6. Spider Man
7. I Robot
8. Serenity
9. X-Men
10. Independence Day
11. Back to the Future
12. I am Legend
13. Gattaca