brokeback mountain

even if you haven’t loved ang lee’s movies, you have to respect him for the quality and variety of films that he’s been able to make. his movies always have great direction, great acting, and are generally quality productions. brokeback mountain will probably drive him to multiple awards but i was expecting a bit more. you would think a film about semi-gay cowboys would a shoo-in for emotional impact, but i thought there wasn’t enough in the film to make you see exactly why these two men loved each other. despite that fact, the movie captures your attention all the way through.

the family stone

as far as i’m concerned, this was the best movie i’d seen in about a month. who knew? the family stone was in contention for well on its way to "great xmas movie" until some slight hiccups near the end. but no feel-good holiday movie can make it without an ending that ties up neatly -- so it’s hardly a sin. filled with witty dialogue and hilarious moments, the family stone turned out to be an unexpected gem.

oh, some unsuspecting members of the audience felt ambushed by the not quite uplifting ending, so criers and people with real human feelings and emotions beware.

king kong

peter jackon, overrated? i believe so. i didn’t like rings and i don’t like kong. jackson may be a wizard at organizing huge extravaganza movies, but his films contain so many over the top cheesy moments that i couldn’t help but almost gag. maybe he was trying to mimic the style of the older films, but this new version is only acceptable as a brainless adventure that forces you to disconnect from reality to enjoy it. not my piece of pie. it’s probably not a good thing when the giant insects are more exciting and scary than the eponymous featured animal.

chronicles of narnia: l, w, w

sorry kids, this one's not worth it. the book is too slim to support a two hour film. compared to potter and rings (i'm no great fan of either), this one's a distant third. the pacing is just too poor and nothing happens that is jaw dropping, remotely exciting, or even "wow, that was cool." the only reason to watch this movie is if you've read, and loved, the book enough times that you have to see it. a huge disappointment. don't be fooled by the critics, this film sucks.