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Fearing another Daredevil experience (a pretty normal actioner, but pretty bleak when compared with the X-Men and Spiderman powerhouses), I thought I’d wait for a non-theatrical release, to see how Jennifer Garner holds up on her own. Proven her acting qualities in 4 seasons of Alias, this movie didn’t need her to even break a sweat. The movie itself wasn’t as bad as I expected, with everything floating between mediocre and just fine. The script isn’t that complicated, and leans more to action sequences to keep the pace going. Characters, again, like Daredevil, lack any depth, but Jennifer makes up a lot for that with high quality acting (and ass kicking). If you’re into this genre, it’s okay to see once. If not, you probably wouldn’t recommend anyone else to see it (and hence, it bombed at any box office it has encountered so far).7-.

Guess who’s on top of the box office this week ? No really, Guess Who (remake of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner from 1967) takes in $21 million, which stars Ashton Kutcher trying to get along with his future father-in-law Bernie Mac.
Female audience driven Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous take in $17.6 million, just enough for the second place.
The Ring Two has come full circle again, and the time to die is nigh, falling to the third place with $13.8 million. Fourth place is for Robots, with just $13 million. At a total of $87.4 million, it is a hit, but looking at their advertisement budget, they we’re probably more hoping for a Shrek-like success. Rounding off the top 5 is The Pacifier with $8.54 million. With a total of $86.3 million, it’s a total mystery how a non-acting low voiced bunch of muscle is able to pull it off.

Fox got the taste, opening their animation studio with Ice Age a few years ago. Upping the stakes with realism (fluid 3D animation with amazing textures, material and reflection rendering), we get to see how robots live. This world leaves a lot to imagination, and hence it’s opportunities galore when it comes to visual jokes. It’s enough for the full hour and a half, but then again, it’s necessary as there’s no real story to speak of. There are no meaty roles to delve into either, with no character worked out beyond the obvious two dimensional properties. With the current most expensive cross advertisement budget of this year, it’s not worth the hype. While I probably won’t remember any of the characters names (unlike the bigger 3D animation hits like Toy Story or Shrek), it fun enough to see once.7½.

Based on a true story, it starts with the beginning of the Rwanda genocide in April 1994. It’s a forgotten or untold story of the heroic efforts of Paul Rusesabagina, portrayed well by Don Cheadle, a temporary manager of a luxurious hotel. Ironically, Don Cheadle started his career in the hotel business (comedy series The Golden Palace, the spin-off of The Golden Girls), and has since had several relatively small movie roles. Having proved his worth already (for instance, an extended guest stint on E.R.), this is the first time he’s headlining a movie, and he makes quite an impression. The inspiring and compassionate portrayal stands in contrast of the brutality that happened in the following weeks. It’s well written, and the dramatic score works well. While many gut wrenching atrocities will be shown, luckily there are times where you can sigh with relief.8.

Horror flicks are doing well this year, as this week’s opener The Ring 2 proves. With $36 million it opens at number one, beating The Ring’s opening weekend in 2002 by more than double.
Mechanical failure sets in with Robots, dropping one place to number 2 with $21.8 million. Following at number 3 is The Pacifier with $12.5 million.
At number 4 we have a cold start for Ice Princess, a romantic comedy for teen girls demographics, only good for $7 million. Hitch hits the number 5 with $6.6 million, making clear the love doctor is about to resign, with a current total of $159 million.

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet teams up again with the wonderful Audrey Tautou (previous movie Amelie), in a long hope-driven post-war drama. In the same tradition, it’s a bit lighthearted and frivolous story telling, and hence doesn’t ever reach the tear-jerker status. The driving force behind the story telling is more based on facts revealing itself (feeling more like a detective novel) than feelings. Add the subtitles, and you’re lost. With two and a half hours of this, it’s too overwhelming and boring at the same time.6½.

It’s always hard to find good horror/thriller movies whole year around, and this one proved the search for a good one is not even close. A paper thin plot has to be stretched to 90 minutes, and that means, you’ll be mostly repositioning yourself in your chair the whole while. A usual sweet Dakota Fanning can’t help this movie much either, and neither can the auto-pilot acting of DeNiro, Janssen and Shue. This movie better play hide and seek on your schedule.4½.

Having competed in several film festivals already the past year, I thought it was finally time to find out what this was all about.
Wow, what a long sit this was. While there are enough movies running two and a half hours, this one seemed extremely long in comparison. Scenes that should take seconds are stretched to minutes.
As far as story telling goes, it’s pretty much thin air. Every single minute you keep wondering, where the hell is this going to. After 30 minutes it’s pretty much hopeless. Nonsensical scene after scene. While the soundtrack keeps the dull atmosphere pretty dull, there’s a recurring song that chills to the bone. Downright irritating.
Tony Leung Chiu Wai is in most of the scenes, but this role is a long distance away from previous performance in Hero. When the movie is over, you can finally let out a long sigh, with the only solace being that you’ve seen a full hour of Ziyi Zhang.5-.

The controversial topic alone makes this a grim drama, but the execution makes it much more than that. Following Kevin Bacon’s character after his release back into society (on supervised parole) and how he deals with it, is written in such a way, it’s almost a psychological thriller. In-depth character exploring dialogue covering multiple angles on his life make this in the end a more heartfelt drama.
The movie is executive produced by Kevin Bacon, and it’s not that surprising, as it’s another spot on his resume that proves he belongs to the best among his peers. Taking a risky role like this, he gives an excellent performance, that gives us a dark look into the mind of a former child molester, but supporting cast should not be overlooked.
This being a sensitive subject, it’s definitely hats off for the script writers and the director, making this balancing act work just fine.8.

Robots proved the superior beings this weekend, landing the top spot with $36.5 million (a few million short of Fox’s Blue Sky Productions’ previous entry, Ice Age from 2002). Battling the same family demo, is The Pacifier, slipping to number two with $18 million.
Be Cools suffers from a few degrees of unwanted warmth, dropping to nr. 3 with $10.3 million.
Hostage might be an indication of Bruce Willis’ fading star status, opening at 4 with only $9.8 million. Fifth is for Hitch with $8.7 million, gathering enough love for a total of now close to $150 million.

It’s no surprise Will Smith always felt good in the comedy scene. That fact isn’t that fresh anymore. For me, it was always, of course, about Eva Mendes. So, it was kinda horrible to see her act all “I’m in a comedy, so I’m gonna act like it too”-ish, but luckily, that method fades after while.
The story is like any other romantic comedy. Light and stretched, so it’s definitely not a laughing cannon. It’s slightly predictable too. While it is enjoyable overall, if there was a flaw to be named, it’s that is sticking too much to the established standards.7+.

If you want weird, this one is definitely for you. The trailer had a slight indication of this, but most people are hoping for fun. And this whole movie is more silliness than fun. This is mostly accomplished by unrelated gags in the background combined with sheer ignorance. Added is a good dose of sketch-like editing, not the best way of storytelling. And if that’s not enough silliness, check out the soundtrack. It almost comes close to getting annoying. If you like Wes Anderson’s previous project (The Royal Tenenbaums), you’ll probably like this too.6½.

Not so quietly, the Pacifier storms to the top spot. Vin Diesel is clearly trying to walk the same road that Arnold Schwarzenegger walked when he did Kindergarten Cop, and people are apparently still not tired of this overrated piece of musle. Or, so says the $30.2 million it dragged in this weekend.
At number 2 is another premiere, John Travolta in the Get Shorty sequel, Be Cool, with $23.5 million.
Feeling less loved is Hitch, slipping to the third spot with $12.5 million. At four is last weeks surprise hit Diary of a Mad Black Woman, with $12 million. At five, Million Dollar Baby proves to have long legs, good for another $8.5 million.

The trailer may seem like it’s another Rocky clone, and frankly, it kind of is. The very first one that is (also an Oscar winner), but with slightly more evolved characters. Both have the same feel to it, good script, good acting, good dialogue. With Million Dollar Baby’s script slightly more polished, it’s the same low budget feel, while gearing slight more to the drama side, and keeping the Hollywood spirit (touching and inspiring) on a low but always present simmer. The superb acting, with a three Oscar contending cast, it comes as no surprise. From this bunch, you actually don’t expect anything less. Adding another dramatic undertone is the narrative by Morgan Freeman, doing it just the way as no-one else can do it, stitching the story together into a fulfilling experience.8.

When the movie starts, you actually think you’re gonna see a standard action movie. But it soon clears up it is everything you’d expect from the Trey Parker/Matt Stone duo. South Park fans, of course, already know the ingredients. Thought provoking, coarse and twisted humor and self mockery build in an already thought-out script, where a little bit of story, character interaction, drama mix together in a cinematic experience (which you might not expect from a puppet movie). They have tight control over your laughs, in all manners possible. The lyrically strong songs interspersing the exaggerated dramatic scenes. Movements of the puppets, expressions on their faces. It all works. In the end, you’re still left with the question what the exact message was, as both sides had their time to show the good and the bad characteristics.
Maybe the only bad thing is that after 7 years of South Park, getting new voice talents to do the lead characters isn’t such a bad idea.8-.