Death Race (2008)

No more violent than Braveheart. No noisier than Days of Thunder. No more outrageous than any of the Mad Max movies. In fact, this story felt a bit like Thunderdome. The smarts behind "the machine" is an evil woman. The hero is a bad boy who bends the rules in his favor. If you liked Thunderdome I predict you will like Death Race.

Jason Statham takes his Transporter character to a different level with this one. He is smarter than the average bad guy and just a little bit tougher. As usual.

Joan Allen is a bit of a surprise as the evil warden of a very unusual prison. If cold and expressionless can be called acting, then she does a great job. I wish she had put more relish into the role. It would have given more credibility to the crazy behind her make-up.

Ian McShane is much more enjoyable here than in his role in HBO's Deadwood. Much less potty mouth and much more brains. Just as plotting and evil though.

The movie had much more story than I expected and was actually as interesting as it was entertaining. You may actually find yourself cheering for the "bad guys" in the end a bit like The Longest Yard.

Watch this movie with someone who will be patient enough for the good bits.

Burn After Reading

If this is comedy, it is very much on the dark side. Perhaps I wrongly expected something different from the Cohen brothers. Most their other work I truly enjoy.

And perhaps I also wrongly expected more from such a big-name cast. George Clooney and Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Francis McDormand, and Tilda Swinton are all capable of much better things. Don't get me wrong. The acting here is very strong on everyone's part. In some cases brilliant.

My problem with this movie is that it does not fit my definition of a good story well told. First the story. My problem with the story is that it is incomplete and leaves way too much needed information until the end or it is left completely out. No wait, that is the opposite of a well-told story. Either way, the story is lacking. None of the characters, major or minor, are in the least bit likable. They are all badly flawed and unredeemed people. Thank you Cohens for reminding us what a messed up species we belong to.

If you must, watch this movie with someone who is trying to find dates via the Internet.

Traitor

Don Cheadle is a great actor. Hands down, one of the best unsung greats of the current generation. He plays good guys, bad guys, funny guys, pathetic guys, and pulls them all off in a way that everyone can relate to. This movie is first and foremost about his character Samir Horn.

I hope our Islamic brethren find this movie as respectful as I believe it to be. I'll hear otherwise, I'm sure, if I'm wrong about that. I found this story to be as patient and thoughtful as The Kite Runner and almost as nail-biting as Spy Games. Both of those stories get high marks from me. While I liked this movie, it was a bit slow, but only if you are expecting an action thriller, which this movie is not. It is billed solely as a Thriller, and I suppose that fits it best. There is some action, tastefully placed, but not enough to get your heart pounding. This movie does however get you mind working. Given the title, which side is right in calling the main character a Traitor? No spoilers here.

The other great performance in this film is by Guy Pearce. Despite being primarily from Australia, Pearce completely pulls off his role here as the son of a Southern minister now working as an anti-terrorist FBI agent. Well done Mr. Pearce.

Watch this movie with an open mind.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

"Hulk smash" were two frequent words from the comic book Hulk. They are used just once in the movie, but at a perfect time and it almost describes the movie. Almost.

Edward Norton was a perfect choice for Banner/Hulk, and Liv Tyler was a delicious choice for Banner's love interest Dr. Betty Ross. William Hurt and Tim Roth round out the fun cast as the bad buys. Two very nice surprises were a brief shot of Bill Bixby (TV Bruce Banner) and Lou Ferrigno (TV Hulk). I also totally enjoyed the visit by Tony Stark (Ironman) at the end. Oops. Don't let that spoil anything for you.

This is a fun movie for Hulk fans from the comic to the TV series to the video game. If however someone is not familiar with the Hulk story, this movie does not really offer enough back story to get them up to speed fast enough. Do a little homework first if necessary and you'll enjoy the film much more.

I liked this movie for many reasons, not the least of which are the scenes shot in Brazil.

Watch this movie with someone who loves their superhero comics.

The Happening

I'm pretty sure when Al Gore saw this movie, if he did, he was shouting "I told you. You know I told you" and shaking his closed fist at the audience, the screen, and Washington, DC.

If you have already seen this movie, you know what I mean. If you have not seen it yet, and still choose to after reading this, you will know.

Writer, Director, and Producer M. Night Shyamalan had a quirky idea driving down the road one day and made it into a movie with some pretty big names. The story itself is plausible enough to work on a Hollywood level. The dialogue and acting however were SO bad (with the exception of John Leguizamo) that it made it hard to keep focused on the movie.

The film goes through a series of sappy, somewhat irrelevant, conversations punctuated by brief scenes of graphic violence. It just didn't work for me.

Unless you must see all Mark Wahlberg movies, I suggest giving this one a pass.

The Strangers

According to Director Bryan Bertino this movie is more of a terror film than a horror film. I totally agree. There is very little of the graphic gore and violence you find in a horror movie. Instead you find evidence of violence, you hear noises, LOTS of noises, but you don't actually see much happening. The perception of danger that results in panic and chaos is the very definition of terror. Well done Bryan.

Liv Tyler is not only the big name on the cast list, she is also 90% of the movie. The story is about her fear, her terror, and her suffering.

Very clever film-making and editing make this movie very real to the audience.

Watch this, if you dare, with someone who will not hear things going bump in the night for weeks afterwards.

Le Fils de l'épicier (The Grocer's Son)

If you understand French, you may enjoy this movie. If you enjoy quirky, slow-moving romances, you may like this movie. If you enjoy bucolic scenes of French countryside, you may enjoy this movie. If the antics of senior citizens make you smile, you may like this movie. If 2 or 3 of the above items make you wish you were getting a root canal, you may want to stay away from this one.

French language only with English subtitles. Be prepared to understand French or read this movie. Even at that, it is a nice pleasant journey.

If you are a fan of French cinema you will surely recognize many faces. If not, you should enjoy several new ones.

It's a simple concept. Country boy falls out with family and runs to the city. Country boy has a tough time in the city. Country boy's father gets sick and needs help. Country boy returns with a girl friend and helps with the family business.

Watch this movie with someone who sees things differently than you do.

The Dark Knight

If you have seen this you will know what I'm talking about. If you have not seen it I highly suggest you see it at least twice. The first time you watch just let the ride happen. You may be totally emotionally exhausted by the end of this 2.5 hour epic. The second time you watch it do so for the nuances. Relish the smart script. Savor the more than Oscar-worthy performance of the late Heath Ledger. Get into the sub-plots and subtle messages. It is easy to miss them the first time through because there is so much happening so fast you need to see it twice, at least, to take the full measure of this movie in.

This is hands down the best comic-based action thriller movie out thus far. And it sets the bar very high. This is what big budget movies are supposed to look and feel like. This movie would still be great without Batman. If, instead of Batman, you plug in a very tough, very smart, cop or vigilante, or even a very rich crime solver, it would still work. That is because the movie is not about Batman. The movie is about the criminals. This is so brilliant it has evaded most the watching public.

Don't get me wrong, Christian Bale does a brilliant job as the Caped Crusader. I shows a full range of emotions and is more human than some of the other guys have been. He is truly heroic.

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman reprise their roles in support of Bruce Wayne. Each is a very welcome, smart, and funny addition to the story. Maggie Gyllenhaal is also back and the love interest, but with a huge interesting twist.

Other welcome faces include Aaron Eckhart and Gary Oldman.

But the true star of this movie; the one who carries the entire story on his shoulders with delicious flare is Ledger's Joker. Nothing like Nicholson's over-the-top masterwork of 20 years ago. This Joker is much more real, much creepier, much more sinister, and much more macabre. His character study is so perfectly psychotic one might wonder who he used for inspiration.

Watch this movie with someone who can help you keep up with what's going on.

Fred Claus

As holiday movies go, this is one of them. It is not great, but it is not terrible either. There are some fun scenes, and some funny moments, but with so many other great holiday movies out there, this one should be down the list for your family to watch.

Vince Vaughn plays the title role which is pretty much the same character he plays in every other movie. If you like it, you'll love this movie. If not, you may want to skip this movie. There are no other performances here that I can recommend. This is sad too because some great names signed up.

Paul Giamatti is less than saintly as Santa. Miranda Richardson is almost painful to watch as Mrs. Santa. Kathy Bates made me cringe as Santa's Mom. And Kevin Spacey can play bad guys, but is not very convincing here as an efficiency expert sent to shut down the North Pole operations.

There is one scene that I really enjoyed in the middle of the movie. With Elvis's "Rubbernecking" as a soundtrack Fred Claus gets the elf workforce to loosen up and have a little fun. For me, this was the best part of the movie. You may enjoy other parts however.

Watch this movie with one of your siblings.

You Don't Mess With The Zohan

This movie was not supposed to be any good. This movie was supposed to be one predictable gag or prat fall after another. In fact, in my opinion, it was much better than that. The salon scene alone is worth the watch all by itself. But, if you can handle the heavy-handed satire and tongue-in-cheek racism it's a pretty fun ride.

Also well worth the watch is all the surprise appearances from people you know but may not recognize. Adam Sandler of course plays the title role, and goes so far over the top with it he actually makes it work.

Other names you may recognize with out catching their faces include: John Turturro, Rob Schneider, even the musician Dave Matthews. Other SNL alums you may know are Kevin Nealon and Robert Smigel the cartoon guy. Mariah Carey, John McEnroe, and George Takei of Star Trek fame, and Paul "Mitchell" of the hair products fame, all play themselves believe it or not, and one of them takes their top off. Chris Rock and Kevin James also have scenes. Way too much fun.

If you are a fan of James Bond, please don't let this movie offend you. If you are Israeli or Palestinian, gay or old, the same goes for you too. And if you are still very much into disco I'm pretty sure you should be offended.

Watch this movie with someone who has a strong stomach.