Tropic Thunder

This was recommended by my professor. What was he smoking? Do I want to know? This was a silly, stupid movie with a few exceptions. The opening pretend credits were LOL funny, one with Tobey McGuire ("Spiderman") posing as a gay monk opposite Robert Downey Jr. Jack Black's role was stupid and forgettable. The star, Ben Stiller, had the everyman role and played it better than expected. Unfortunately, the movie wasn't all that. There are definitely funny parts (one at the end on the bridge) and takes at the mercy of the way movies are made. This is a movie for those who are not offended by racial slurs, gay situations, drug use, potty humor or child villains (who tote guns and smoke). Side note: Tom Cruise has a small part that is pretty good and you get to see him dance like an idiot as the ending credits roll.

UPDATE: My professor read this and feels I have done this review an injustice. I will admit that after reading his email, this movie was better than my bashing. Hey, it even got some award noms (not for the movie, but for the comedic actors) Looking at the movie from a film maker's perspective, it is slightly more funny than I gave it credit. Sorry.

The X Files: I Want to Believe

How about The X-Files, I Want to Throw Up? As a huge fan of the series and anything the two stars have ever been in, I was sorely disappointed. Yes, I knew it would suck, but I held out for some hope. It was poorly written (shame on you Chris Charter, Spotnitz, Morgan, Wong, or whoever else was involved - you know who you are) and not well acted. But who could with that script? David Duchovny acted much more laid back and Anderson was mild compared to her earlier role on the series. Pileggi showed up for 2 minutes and got top billing - WTF? Amanda Peet did a great job along with her partner Xzibit. Billy Connolly played the ex-priest with a fetish for young boys yet has some divine connection to God by way of visions. The twist is in the villains, of course, and that part is interesting. As a repeat villain (Battlestar Galactica) Callum Keith Rennie used this movie to help perfect his craft and thereby isn't in a starring role. Watch for him with a Russian accent. The rest of it is somewhat predictable and boring. Unless you are a hard-core fan, run from this bomb.

The Dark Knight

I know people will hate me but I didn't like this movie. The only redeeming quality was Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. Christian Bale's Batman was mild, Maggie Gyllenhaal as the love interest was not convincing, and again - Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are the better actors who have been shoved off in the overseer roles. Aaron Eckhart's role as Harvey Dent/Two-Face was okay but the special effects for his alternate personality were out of this world. My only real beef with this movie is that as a comic book reader, I was disappointed the audience saw a very young Commissioner Gordon's daughter. I am taking this to mean that future movies will not follow in the comic book line. I was glad to see Scarecrow and some other buddies show up and hope to see more of them in sequels. If you want to see Ledger, watch this. Otherwise, it's a skipper.

Wanted

Skip this movie. Go online and look at sexy pictures of James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie. You'll thank me later. This is an unbelievable movie about a secret society of assassins and the quest for one young man (McAvoy) to find out about his lineage. The special effects were the only redeeming quality in this movie. Folks, I had this one figured out with the exception of the mass murder scene at the end. This was not that creative of a movie and I'm disappointed that these stars did the gig for money instead of their craft. Especially Morgan Freeman, who played the behind-the-scenes boss that he's played in a number of movies. Morgan: Please stop being the old wise sage and start doing the action again. You've got it in you.

The Happening

Again, the critics hated this but I kind-of liked it. It is a bit preachy about ecology and the state of the planet, but a good lesson. That being said, do not watch this movie if you don't mind gore. This movie is filled (I mean it) with suicide of various bloody means. I love me some Marky Mark, excuse me, Mark Wahlberg, and he did a great job acting with the part he'd accepted. It would have been a better movie if there had been less blood and horror and more relationship and disaster. The adorable Zooey Deschanel played Wahlberg's whiny conflicted wife to a T. The best part of the movie was the suspense, which was unfortunately brief. After they have a sense of what is causing the mayhem, the audience is subjected to countless suicides. Why? I'm not sure, maybe for water cooler reasons. M. Night Shyamalan can and has done better. For you teens of the 80s, watch for Betty Buckley (Eight Is Enough) in a mentally disturbed role. This movie's not all that and a bag of chips but it is something for someone who is comfortable with semi-slasher movies.

Untraceable

Do not rent this movie. It was too gross and disturbing for Diane Lane to have been in and I'm disappointed with her for having a part in it. The story is meant to scare the audience and it succeeds on some level. A countdown begins while a person is tortured online. The more hits, the quicker someone dies online - yes, so everyone can log on and see. It gets personal with Diane Lane's government job and the predictable threat against her daughter. There is simply no reason for this movie to have been this gross. It bordered on "Silence of the Lambs" minus the superb acting and storyline.