Shrek the Third

Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Justin Timberlake

Directed by Chris Miller and Raman Hui

Rating: B+

Shrek (Myers) finds himself now ruler of Far Far Away after Fiona (Diaz)'s father dies. Shrek soon realizes he is not cut out for the royal life and goes off in search of the next heir to the throne, leaving a pregnant Fiona at home. Shrek, Donkey (Murphy), and Puss (Banderas) find Artie (Timberlake), a picked-on teenager at high school and take him to rule Far Far Away. However, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) gangs up with the fairy tale villains to take over as king of Far Far Away. Fiona, her mother, Snow White, and other princesses fight their way out to stop Charming from taking over.

Shrek the Third continues to enchant audiences after all these years since the beginning of the franchise. What many people enjoy about the Shrek films is that its contents are for both children and adults. In each Shrek film, viewers are introduced with even more fairy tale people. We finally get to see Snow White, Cinderella, Rupunzel, and Sleeping Beauty who are portrayed different than we imagined. We even get to see some fairy tale villains get together, like Captain Hook and the Evil Queen.

What I love about Shrek the Third is that no matter how old you are, you can still enjoy this movie (as goes for all four movies). They're entertaining, funny, have an intriguing plot, and you finish the movie happy. Another great thing I love about Shrek is that fairy tale characters come back to life. We get to see the Three Little Pigs, Pinocchio, the Gingerbread Man, and many more come back to life. They're all back in these movies and it's fun to see them again.

A Knight's Tale

Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Paul Bettany, Shannyn Sossamon, Alan Tudyk, Mark Addy

Directed by Brian Helgeland

Rating: B-

William Thatcher (Ledger) wants to change his stars. Born a peasant, Thatcher was sent to work for Sir Ector  (Nick Brimble) who we found dead at the beginning of the movie. Sir Ector was due to joust and so Thatcher jousts in his place to win enough money for food. While on his way home with friends Wat (Tudyk) and Roland (Addy), Thatcher convinces them to pool the money together in order to give him proper jousting lessons. Lacking the proper papers to prove (in this case lie) to show his nobility, Thatcher allows Chaucer (Bettany) to tag along and write the proper paperwork. Thatcher becomes tough competition and makes an enemy along the way. Sir Adhemar (Sewell) and Thatcher both have their eyes set on Jocelyn (Sossamon), a pretty, young, woman who catches their attention.

A Knights Tale is an entertaining movie with memorable quotes; "it's called a lance... hello." Infused with some rock moments, like the opening scene to Queen's "We Will Rock You", A Knight's Tale is a fun to watch movie. Ledger is charming as a determined young man, refusing to let his peasantry get in the way of doing something he likes. One of the my favorite characters in this movie is Wat. He says a lot of funny things and makes the audience laugh. Kate, a female swordsmith, brings a bit of femininity in the movie, even teaching the boys how to dance for a feast.

I would recommend this movie to anyone thirteen and older, after all it does have some dialogue not fitted for young children (though it does not dominate the conversations). A Knight's Tale is a movie I like to watch yearly because it has the action, charm (from Ledger) and plot that keeps me interested. It's a fun movie to watch with friends and comment on and I would hope I'm not the only one who feels this way.

The Dark Knight

Christian Bale, Michael Cain, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Rating: A-

After Wayne (Bale)'s home was destroyed in the Batman Begins, he takes up residence in a penthouse in Gotham City. Gotham's thugs are too afraid to discuss business at night, hiding away in the daylight from the vigilante. Harvey Dent (Eckhart) is Gotham's needed hero and Wayne starts to believe the city does not need Batman soon. Dent has been locking criminals and keeping Gotham's streets clean. However, one force comes in to play: the Joker (Ledger). The Joker has no rules but his twisted mind brings the city into chaos. Batman is up against one of his toughest villains yet and learns that he has can't always be the hero.

Another masterpiece by Nolan, The Dark Knight continues to thrill audiences. It's a refresher to see a sequel that does not disappoint. There are many factors that make this sequel amazing: Heath Ledger as the Joker. Ledger immersed himself in the role so deeply that viewers could believe he became the Joker. From the creepy laugh to his twisted mind, the Joker becomes one of the audiences favorite villains.

Then there's Harvey Dent. Dent is a symbol of hope not only for Gotham City but for Bruce Wayne as well. Wayne hopes that Dent's keeping Gotham City clear of criminals will allow Batman to retire. The only problem is Dent's vulnerability to being corrupted by the Joker. Shocking events turn Dent from a hero to an angry victim.

Bruce Wayne has his own ethics to abide by. While the Joker has none, Batman faces his toughest challenge yet while seeing how long he can endure watching the city burn. Wayne is trying to be the hero Gotham needs, only after the destruction the Joker left behind, he has to flee the city.

The Dark Knight leaves audiences wanting more. Nolan does another great job keeping viewers anticipating the return, and end, of Batman in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises.

Batman Begins

Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Michael Cain, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Rating: A-

The first of the Batman trilogy, Batman Begins pulls you in to the secret life of Bruce Wayne (Bale). Upon being released from a prison in Asia Henri Ducard (Neeson) goes to speak to Wayne, convincing him to train  to fight against evil. Wayne goes home to Gotham to find it in the same thug-controlled environment he left it in. Dr. Crane (Murphy) is working with villain Ra's Al Ghul to take over Gotham with an intoxicating hallucinogen. Lucius Fox (Freeman) works at Wayne Enterprises and helps order material for Wayne to use as Batman. However, Wayne has to use his millionaire persona to dissuade people from getting any notion that he is the masked vigilante "Batman".

Christopher Nolan is a mastermind at making movies. From Memento to Inception to the Batman trilogy, Nolan has audiences flocking to the theaters to see his latest hit film. What makes these films brilliant is not only the choice of cast, the acting believability, but the intricate plot that has the mind spinning. What makes Batman Begins so good is how viewers get to see what makes Batman tick. Wayne lost his parents to a mugger who took their lives outside of an opera. Wayne never kills his enemies; murder is the last thing he wants to do. All Wayne wants is justice and to clean up the city his father tried to build.

Batman Begins is a movie for all audiences in general. Not that parents would take their five-year-old to see this but it's safe enough for an eight or ten year old to see. After watching this movie, viewers begin to anticipate the next two movies and the sequel The Dark Knight does not disappoint.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Danny Elfman, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix

Directed by Henry Selick

Rating: A

Jack Skellington (Elfman) is tired of being the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. In fact, he's tired of the same tricks and same scares every Halloween. After celebrating Halloween one night, Jack goes on a walk with his dog, Zero, and stumbles upon a door with a Christmas tree on it. Curious, he goes through the door and finds himself in the wonderful land of Christmas Town. Enchanted by the snow, joy, and presents, Jack wants to bring Christmas to Halloween Town. Jack goes about and gives a task to each person to make toys or work on Christmas good. Sally (O'Hara) has a bad feeling about this because it's not natural for Halloween Town to do this. She tries to warn Jack but he simply won't listen.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the best Halloween movies to watch around this time of year. Tim Burton, the writer for this movie, did us all a favor by making this movie. The best part about this movie is that it can be watched in any decade. Even now in 2011, it is still a great movie to watch around Halloween. The characters are all interesting, from Jack as a skeleton to Sally with all her body parts sewed together to the Mayor with two faces.

This is a classic Halloween movie for any ages and I highly encourage watching it around Halloween time. Christmas works too as that is involved with the movie! It's not too scary so even young kids (of perhaps six and older) can watch this without being too scared.

Casper

Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci, Malachi Pearson

Directed by Brad Silberling

Rating: C

Casper (Pearson) is just a friendly ghost stuck haunting a house with his three uncles Stretch, Fatso, and Stinkie. However, Carrigan finds out that after her father has passed away a treasure is hidden in the house that he left her. Unfortunately she can't get to the treasure do to Casper's mischievous uncles so she hires Dr. Harvey (Pullman), a ghost therapist, to help these ghosts with their unfinished business and move on. Dr. Harvey's daughter Kat (Ricci) befriends Casper and helps him deal with Carrigan.

Casper has the potential to be a good movie but the general audience to want to see this film again is probably under ten. At first the film captures your attention but then after Dr. Harvey and his daughter move into the house to deal with these ghosts, the movie starts to falter. Dr. Harvey tries to help the three rude ghosts move on but instead gets pulled into their schemes. Kat allows her whole class throw a Halloween party at her house on her first day of school which is totally unrealistic.

The plot has a way of quickly being resolved and the ending leaves you unsatisfied, thinking, "that's it?" Apparently each Casper movie following this first one gets just as bad a rating. This film was rated 5.7/10 while the next two receive 4/10. You would hope that Casper would be a great choice to watch Halloween night but you're better off watching The Nightmare Before Christmas or Halloween Town.

Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck
Directed by Gus Van Sant

Rating: B

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is an exceptionally smart person. However, he spends his time as a janitor at MIT in Massachusetts. When Professor Lambeau (Skarsgard) asks his students who can solve a particularly difficult problem that could earn them an award, Will solves it on a blackboard in a hallway. The professor is impressed and when his students admit none of them solved it, he goes to find out who did. When Will is found out for his intelligence, Professor Lambeau seeks to help him see his true potential. However, Will has some issues and finds himself at court quite a few times. This is when Sean Maguire (Williams) comes in, as he has a similar background to Will's and as his psychologist can connect with him.

Will has a hard time letting people into his life. Growing up, he moved around foster homes where some of the foster fathers were abusive to him. Will meets a girl but eventually pushes her away, all because he wants to avoid being abandoned by someone he cares about. Sean can see himself in Will and helps make a bond with this unconnected young man. Will learns to trust Sean and finally see's the his own potential.

Good Will Hunting is a movie worth seeing. Matt Damon portrays a believable character and one that the audience can sympathize with. Viewers want to see Will have a happy ending because in the end he deserves it. This was an interesting film to watch because Will has two choices: live life on the high end with a job that pays very well or he can do what makes him happy. It's a hard choice to make when you can potentially earn a six-figure salary but with the help of his psychologist, Will learns to do what is right for him.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker

Directed by Jon Avnet

Rating: B

Finally having her son growing up to leave home, Evelyn Couch (Bates) has a void to fill. Her husband, Ed (Gailard Sartain) doesn't appreciate the time they have together, preferring to eat dinner in front of the tv than talk to her. During a visit to see Ed's aunt in a nursing home, Evelyn meets Ninny Threadgoode (Tandy). Ninny starts to tell Evelyn a story about a strong, independent woman she knew growing up but doesn't get to finish because Ed was ready to go home. Evelyn comes back to visit Ninny and hear more about Idgie (Masterson) and Ruth (Parker), two best friends who have survived an abusive husband and some attacks by the Ku Klux Klan.

Fried Green Tomatoes is really just a sweet story about friendship and loyalty. The movie goes in and out between Ninny's story and Evelyn's growth of independence. Through Ninny's story about Idgie, Evelyn is inspired to change what she doesn't like about herself and to fix her marriage. Evelyn struggles with aging and gaining weight and after trying out some support groups, the best support she can get is from Ninny. Soon, Ninny becomes like family to her.

What I really liked about this movie was how Ninny takes you back to the 1920's Alabama. You get to hear about a different time and different people. Idgie is a tough girl who has preferred to be on her own since her older brother died. Ruth comes back to town and tries to reach out to her, not giving up until one day they are able to make a connection. Their friendship grows (while apparently in the novel they are actually "lovers") and they take care of each other. In the end, something tears them apart but the movie doesn't end unhappily. I would recommend this if you enjoy sentimental, inspirational, and heart-warming movies of the kind.

Zoolander

Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Christine Taylor

Directed by Ben Stiller

Rating: C

Derek Zoolander (Stiller) is a model and famous for his look "Blue Steel". Mugatu (Ferrell) is looking for the perfect dumbest model for his plans to assassinate the Malaysian prime minister who is trying to outlaw child labor laws. A snoopy reporter (Taylor) tries to help Derek from becoming Mugatu's next victim.

Zoolander is one of the better comedies of the 2000's. While maybe not a laugh-out-loud film of the year, it's enjoyable and Stiller is the best part of the movie. Zoolander is an over-exaggerated look at how models are conceited and have no brain cells but it pokes fun at them in harmless way. The movie isn't predictable because there's not too many modeling movies out there. This movie isn't Ferrell's shining glory but he does a good job at portraying an evil clothes designer.

Overall, Zoolander ranks itself among the movies like Dodgeball. It's a fun film to watch and maybe worth buying to watch every once and a while. For those fans of Alexander Skarsgaard from the hit HBO show "TrueBlood" should be excited for the small role he has in this movie.

A Clockwork Orange

Malcom McDowell, Michael Bates, Patrick Magee

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Rating: C

Alex (McDowell) is a young, rampant, violent, sex machine. He and his group of "brothers" go about stealing, fighting, and raping about in England until one day they don't want Alex as the leader and leave him to be picked up by the police. After murdering a woman, Alex is charged with a fourteen year prison sentence. After two years of good behavior, he convinces the governor to be picked for a new experimental treatment that cures bad men of their habits to never doing a bad thing again. After two weeks of a sickening process, Alex can't stand violence or sex or even Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony", driving him mad. Alex is the government's pawn in leading England free of crime.

A Clockwork Orange is a disturbing movie that crawls under your skin. It's intentions are to make the audience uncomfortable right from the first scene. Alex stares at the camera for a lengthy time; that's the only thing viewers see. The camera zooms out to reveal a room that Alex and his friends are sitting in, white plastic models of naked girls in uncomfortable positions leave watchers feel like averting their eyes. While Alex goes through a reformation process he is still slightly disturbed, retching and making belching noises when confronted with violence or sex.

Alex is a hard character for viewers to sympathize with. After seeing what he's done with his life, even after he has been "reformed", viewers don't feel so sorry for Alex. The audience may still think he may not have gotten what he deserved for all the wrong he has done. True, viewers might feel bad when his parents don't let him come live back in their house, but besides that, Alex is an unsympathetic character.

This is a movie that is loved or hated between many viewers. I think it deserves a "C" rating because on the whole, it's a very disturbing movie. I've always wanted to see it just because the name pops up every now and then but this is a movie you rarely watch. I would recommend this movie to those who are okay with uncomfortable movies, like The Black Swan or Trainspotting. While viewers may ponder if the main character, Alex, will ever be okay, the real question is, was he ever okay to begin with?

South Riding

Anna Maxwell Martin, David Morrissey, Penelope Wilton, Douglas Henshall

Rating: D

Sarah Burton (Anna Martin) is a free-spirited young woman, which is a rare thing in the 1930's Yorkshire, England. Sarah applies to be Headmistress of a school for girls and helps Robert Carne's (David Morrissey) troubled daughter in the school. Overall she improves the school system and is liked by fellow staff and students. As a miniseries, other troubles brew over land that could make men rich if they invest in the right land.

South Riding had a very promising start, the few two episodes capturing your interest. The miniseries revolved around mystery of the landlord and his sick wife, an adulterous middle-aged man, and a young girl who excels in her study but has greater responsibilities. Sounds like a good show, right? Well, after trailing you along for two episodes and the promise to not disappoint in the last episode, something went horribly amiss. It was as if the last episode was cut short and the story ended on a very disappointing note. Of course this disappointment happens in the last half-hour, with a depressing ending. This miniseries deserves a "D" because of it's cruel deception that it would all end well.

Juno

Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman

Directed by Jason Reitman

Rating: B

16-year-old Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) finds out she's pregnant. The father who is her friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), doesn't participate much in the goings-on of her pregnancy. Unsure of what to do, Juno finds an advertisement for a couple wanting a baby. Juno goes to meet Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner) and her husband Mark (Jason Bateman) to see if they would be a good match to adopt her baby. Vanessa could not be more thrilled while her husband doesn't seem to be ready for parenthood. Juno and Mark make bond over music and she goes to hang out with him a few times. However Mark seems to have the wrong idea and recklessly decides he does not want to continue his marriage.

Juno was a popular movie amongst the teenagers when it hit theaters but isn't a film that connects with all ages. Juno is one of those movies that fits in a specific category of movies that are popular among a specific group of people. For example, Napoleon Dynamite appealed to a mass group of teenagers, where many liked to quote from it but the popularity quickly died down. There's simply not much to like about Juno. A teenager girl gets pregnant and this film portrays what she goes through while she decides to give up her baby.

It deserved a "B" because while it was shortly popular, the movie was pointless. The dialogue was nothing special to comment on, the humor was short-lived, the movie overall did not keep interest. I would recommend this film if you enjoyed the humor of Napoleon Dynamite, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, or Gentleman Broncos.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman

Directed by David Yates

Rating: A-

In this conclusion to the Harry Potter, Deathly Hallows Part 2 did the series an immense justice. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) must face off Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) for the last time. Only one can make it out alive...

Read the rest here.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman

Directed by David Yates

Rating: B+

There's a saying, "keep your friends close but your enemies closer." Sometimes it's best to know some background information on who you're going up against. For the past few years, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) has been digging up lord Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) past. Lord Voldemort had made horcruxes, magical objects containing a part of your soul. He stopped at six and now Professor Dumbledore is on the hunt to search and destroy these. He recruits Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), teaching him about Voldemort's past. To be able to finally defeat his enemy, all of the horcruxes will have to be destroyed.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a darker movie than those made in the past. With Voldemort's rise to power, a war continues to rage on. It's a busy year for Harry, not only is he getting private meetings with the Headmaster, he is also trying to find out who the Half-Blood Prince is. Harry finds a used Advanced Potions book in class and to his advantage, the book has handwriting throughout each page with short cuts on how to make a potion. Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) is also a busy student, with a special task from the Dark Lord himself.

Half-Blood Prince could have been directed a little better. The casting was picked well, with new editions Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) and Cormac McLaggen (Freddie Stroma). Unfortunately Frank Dillane, cast as the sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle, was a disappointment. In the books, Tom Riddle was portrayed as manipulative and handsome (sorry Dillane). Though his acting was convincing, I felt that Dillane wasn't the right fit. The movie was in some respects, pretty faithful to the book even though a few scenes were tweaked. For example, The Burrow (the Weasley house) was never burned down due to Death Eaters. I'm guessing this scene was created to show the danger of the times they live in.

Half-Blood Prince did get a good rating from users on the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com), better than some previous Harry Potter movies. While Half-Blood Prince was not the best out of all eight movies, it was decent enough.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Evanna Lynch, Ralph Fiennes

Directed by David Yates

Rating: B-

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) are the laughingstock of the Wizarding World when they proclaim that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (Ralph Fiennes) has returned. The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), refuses to believe it and makes the Daily Prophet newspaper spread lies that Harry and Professor Dumbledore are crazy. After forming Dumbledore's Army (also referred to as the D.A.) Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson), Neville (Matthew Lewis), and Luna (Evanna Lynch) all go to the Ministry of Magic to stop Lord Voldemort from taking the "secret" weapon.

The first Harry Potter movie directed by David Yates proves not to be the best of the four he directed. There was some disappointments being that Order of the Phoenix is the biggest Harry Potter book written, therefore the director must have had some hard decisions on what was to be cut out. Continuing the dark theme that the previous movie Prisoner of Azkaban was starting, this fifth film was just as dark with evil characters rising to the spotlight. One of the most evil characters introduced was Professor Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Professor Umbridge was just as evil as the Dark Lord though her aspirations differed from the latter. She strongly believed in whatever the Minister of Magic had to say and had a firm hand in changing Hogwarts rules. Imelda Staunton did an amazing job with her character. She made Professor Umbridge feel like a truly evil, frustrating woman and it was very easy to hate. From her "hem, hem's" to that innocent-sounding voice when she makes Harry carve "I must not tell lies" into his hand with a quill, Professor Umbridge is someone you want to meet a bad end.

The movie did have some light humor spread throughout it. Sick of Professor Umbridge and all her rules, Fred and George Weasley (James and Oliver Phelps) have a little fun during the fifth years O.W.Ls (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Seated upon broomsticks, the Weasley twins release their magical fireworks that creates chaos in the halls and zoom out of the castle, leaving Hogwarts behind.

While the Order of the Phoenix book is filled with many things happening, the director David Yates did a good job condensing the movie a little by moving the plot along through the use of the wizarding newspaper. Headlines would flash to let viewers know what was happening so that the plot could move on instead of lengthening the time for this already long movie.

In the end, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was a movie that could have had a few improvements. A good choice of actors to portray characters like Luna Lovegood and Professor Umbridge may have saved this movie from being a disappointment.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robert Pattinson, Ralph Fiennes

Directed by Mike Newell

Rating: A-

The Triwizard Tournament is the big news of whats happening at Hogwarts this year. Students from Beauxbatons and Durmstang wizarding schools are brought to Hogwarts to enter their name in the Goblet of Fire. This magical goblet will choose one student from each school to participate in this dangerous tournament. Harry (Radcliffe)'s name comes out of the goblet, making him the fourth contender when only three are supposed to be chosen. The headmasters of the two foreign schools are upset since Hogwarts has two contenders to win the cup. Only, Harry didn't enter his name and he has no idea who did. The tasks prove to be challenging and come the last task, Harry may not make it out alive.

Personally, I like to call Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the Year Of Good Hair. This is particularly because almost everyone is having a very good hair year. Harry, Ron, the Weasley twins Fred and George all have long hair which looks good from Azkaban's awkward hair cut. Director Mike Newell successfully got the movies back on track with this film.

The opening scene captures your attention upon seeing Voldemort's plan to rise. Wormtail (Timothy Spall) is helping Voldemort get his body back while another unknown Death Eater gets instructions for his mission. Newell continues the trend Cuaron started with the darkness of the film. Goblet of Fire was not a light film to watch as it begins the trail of deaths Voldemort leaves behind. However, dark is balanced by light with the help of the Weasley twins and Harry's first crush on Cho Chang (Katie Leung).

It was disappointing that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) didn't have much of a role. He finally meets Harry in Azkaban and you'd think Harry would talk to someone who is like family to him more. The Yule Ball was entertaining and brought light to a challenging situation Harry is in with the tasks. Goblet of Fire was well made and deserved an A- because it brought back a little more magic that the previous movie had lost.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman

Directed by Alfanso Cuarón

Rating: B

Harry Potter (Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts for a magical third year. He's prevented He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named from obtaining the Sorcerer's Stone, saved Ginny (Bonnie Wright) in the Chamber of Secrets, and now he has a notorious killer who broke out of a high security prison after him. Not Voldemort but Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), his godfather. With yet another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, Professor Lupin (Thewlis) teaches Harry how to produce a Patronus Charm. Dementors (cloaked figures that guard the wizarding prison and tend to suck the happiness from people) have been affecting Harry especially. Can Harry survive another year at Hogwarts?

A new director for a new Harry Potter movie. Out of all the movies, Cuarón was one of the worst directors for this series. While the main scenes were kept in this adaptation from the book, the movie was not satisfying.  With a new headmaster in place after Richard Harris' death, Michael Gambon was recruited. Gambon portrayed a exceptional Professor Dumbledore but he lacked the finesse needed. Harris portrayed a wise Dumbledore while Gambon took on a more energetic role.

While six-second scenes of the Whomping Willow was significant in portraying the changing of the seasons, I feel like Cuarón could have used those seconds more wisely. The changing of the seasons did not further the plot so why not use the extra time for something else? Perhaps comedic relief or some suspense. One may have noticed that Prisoner of Azkaban has a darker feel to it than the two previous movies. The lighting isn't as bright as seen in the first two movies. Harry himself looks different with shorter hair and I believe his hair looks browner than the darker shade shown previously.

The acting was slightly better as Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint have by now got accustomed to the art of acting. I thought this movie deserved a B because of all the movies, it was one of the weaker ones. Prisoner of Azkaban was one of my favorite books so I was disappointed with this one. However, I did enjoy this movie when I looked past the differences. I've accepted by now the fact that the books are genius on their own so the movies should be looked at in a different light. On the contrary, this movie should not be skipped because it is good and how can you miss the introduction of two marauders?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs

Directed by Chris Columbus

Rating: A

Another year older, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns for a difficult year at Hogwarts. When Dobby the house elf (Toby Jones) warns Harry he must not return to school, Dobby goes through great lengths to try and get Harry to leave. Hogwarts is his home, so Harry does not want to leave. However, on a few occasions he is caught at the wrong place and the wrong time. A bloody message is left on a wall alerting students that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Half the school believes Harry is the heir of Slytherin and it didn't help his case when he unknowingly spoke Parsteltongue (snake language). Students are afraid for their lives as fellow students get petrified. It's up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione to figure out who opened the Chamber and how to save the rest of the school from Slytherin's "monster".

Another brilliant film from Chris Columbus, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets brought the magic back for another year. You can see that the young actors are improving. A chilling scene for instance is near the end when Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) tells Harry something like, "Let's just hope Mr. Potter will always be around to save the day." Harry replies, "Don't worry. I will be," which was chilling because the scene had been improvised and Radcliffe was not aware that was going to happen. Again, the cinematography was similar to the first movie. The Chamber of Secrets was really neat looking and Slytherin's "monster" was just as realistic looking. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets did not disappoint.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane

Directed by Chris Columbus

Rating: A-

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) spent ten years of his life living under a cupboard in his relatives home believing he was just a normal boy. However, he is far from normal. Harry is a huge celebrity in the wizarding world for vanquishing He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, a very evil wizard who was taking over. Upon his eleventh birthday, he finds out from a friendly half-giant named Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) that he is a wizard. His aunt and uncle had kept this a secret in hopes that he would grow up to be "normal". This is the happiest moment of his life, for Harry gets to leave the Dursley's (his relatives) home to go to a magical school. Upon Harry's arrival at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry he easily makes friends and an enemy on the first day. While Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry soon becomes home to Harry, trouble still lurks around the corner. Professor Dumbledore (Richard Harris) is hiding something at Hogwarts for protection but one of the teachers is after it. Harry and his friends spend the year trying to unlock the secret and find a way to get to the sorcerer's stone before it can be stolen.

Who wouldn't want to receive an acceptance letter to Hogwarts by owl? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone does immense justice to the book. It's one of the movies that is most like the book and for this reason, it makes the movie feel a little too lengthy. However, it doesn't stop it from being a great film. Looking back to where it all started, all the young actors (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint) look so tiny! Their acting was very convincing for ten- and eleven-year olds; though in the movie scenes had to jump to the next one since they had trouble with their lines. Part of what makes this movie such a success is the cinematography. This movie makes Hogwarts look so legit. Gringotts, Hogwarts castle, the Great Hall, everything looks so real. It makes the movie so much more believable, it takes you away to a whole new world. Another contributing factor that adds to the success of the movie is the screen writing. Steve Kloves (the screen writer) kept in touch with J.K. Rowling, the author of the celebrated series, to make sure he was on the right track. The movie has some memorable scenes from Harry and Ron saving Hermione from the troll to one of the most popular quotes from Dumbledore upon eating a Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean, "Alas, Earwax!" Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone brings the magic to life and is definitely one of the better movies in the series.

Easy A

Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley, Dan Byrd

Directed by Will Gluck

Rating: C+

When Olive (Emma Stone) finds that she is invisible in her school, she decides to shake things up a bit by pretending she is someone quite opposite of her true nature. Marianne (Amanda Bynes) takes up Olive as someone she can help see the light and fix the errors. Instead, Olive is helping out the male population of her high school by spreading rumors that she slept with, kissed, dated them if they pay her by gift cards or cash. By ruining her reputation, Olive gets caught in a nasty rumor and the guy she wants probably thinks all the rumors she spreads are true. Poor Olive.

Easy A is a newer version of Mean Girls. The plot may be different but Emma Stone's character is very similar to Lindsay Lohan's character. They both change themselves for a cause and everyone at school either fears them or admires them. Easy A isn't a bad movie though. The reason I thought it deserved a C+ is because of it's similarity to Mean Girls and the fact that it's overall nothing special. Easy A has it's funny moments and it's a movie worth owning. It's nothing sophisticated, it's just another one of those teenage movies. It doesn't mean adults wouldn't enjoy it though. They probably would rather watch it then a kid movie. In the end, I would recommend this to those who enjoy movies like Mean Girls, 17 Again, etc.

Thor

Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Rating: B+

On the eve of Thor's Day, trouble brews and Thor and his friends go off to fight enemies who tried to steal a precious object. While Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is seen as arrogant and impulsive, his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) decided to teach him a lesson by casting him away from their realm of Asgard. Thor is sent to Earth, separated from his hammer (which gives him powers). Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her friend are out studying the anomaly that has been occurring in the night skies to record in her scientific journal when she fins Thor. Not completely understanding Thor and thinking him a little mental, Jane ends up helping Thor to find his hammer but while doing so forms a friendship that evolves to a late romance. However, the plot does not stop there as Thor needs to return home and battle his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) who is not everything he seems.

Thor was a really good movie which brings comic book heroes into modern society. It had an interesting plot line that doesn't leave your mind drifting during the movie and Chris Hemsworth is nice to look at for two hours. What was good about Thor is it's entertaining for everyone. I think that even if action, comic book movies aren't your normal standards to watch, you might enjoy Thor. That depends on your taste of movies of course though. Personally, I could see myself buying this movie in the future. It looks like their will be a sequel (watch the end of the credits) but I don't think there will be a Thor 2. Thor is coming back in the 2012 movie, the Avengers which contains more comic book characters (like Iron Man and the Hulk). I definitely recommend Thor for those unsure whether they want to watch it or not.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams

Directed by Robert Schwentke

Rating: B+

Claire Abshire (Rachel McAdams) has known Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) since she was six years old when she met him in a field behind her house. Henry has come in and out of Claire's life in different ages because he is a time-traveler. Somehow, his world seems to revolve around Claire by the fact that he mostly reappears around her. It isn't until she reaches her twenties that Henry re-appears again. This time their relationship changes to a more romantic one, now that Claire is old enough. Only, being a time-traveler, Henry gets a sneak peek into his future and it's not as pleasant as it should be.

The Times Traveler's Wife is a really good book. The movie did a good job and as you can probably tell from the title, it's a chick-flick. I believe most girls would enjoy this movie. It's got romance, drama, a bit of a teary-eyed ending; if you like any of those things in a movie you will enjoy The Time Travelers Wife. I thought it deserved a B+ because it's got good quality and like I mentioned before, I think most people will like it. I did read the book after I watched the movie and there was some things I wish had been included but I took the movie as it was. If you liked this movie, I would definitely recommend reading the book because you will enjoy it even more than you did the movie. In my opinion the book is rated young adult while the movie has a PG-13 rating, the movie is not too inappropriate (though there is cursing). Not to pick on the stereotype of girls, but if you need a girls night out, invite the girls over and watch this!

Water For Elephants

Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Rating: 4 stars

Jacob Jankoski (Robert Pattinson) is in training to be a veterinarian when the death of his parents leaves his penniless and homeless. Unsure of where his future lies, he hops aboard a train and is accepted to work for a circus. August (Christoph Waltz) the ring leader gives Jacob a job cleaning up and feeding the animals. When Jacob's talent is noticed by August, he is appointed teacher of the new attraction, an elephant. Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) is to ride the elephant and be part of the show. While Jacob handles the elephant, he and Marlena form feelings for each other though they can't acknowledge it because Marlena is married to August.

Though the movie may be a disappointment to those who read the book, I really enjoyed Water For Elephants. The cast was simply brilliant and  this movie redeems Robert Pattinson's acting qualities. It was an entertaining movie though had some upsetting scenes. This isn't a movie to bring the family with (unless maybe they all read the book). What I'm trying to say is, don't bring your kids. August is a brutal character with some mental problems that he inflicts pain on the animals and is abusive. I think this movie deserved four stars because the acting was impressive, it's easy to get lost in the movie. I don't want to spoil the movie so I would definitely recommend this movie. However, if you get uneasy at scenes with animal abuse or fighting, you may want to approach this movie with caution.

The Green Hornet

Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz

Directed by Michael Gondry

Rating: 3 stars

When Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is left his father's large company, he wants to do something cool with his life so he decides to fight crime after he witnesses Kato's (Jay Chou) awesome fighting skills. Not knowing anything about villains or how to become a crime boss, he gets information on what his next move should be from his receptionist Lenore (Cameron Diaz). However, he attracts the wrong attention and the crime lord Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) is after him.

Personally, I didn't like this movie at all. It's definitely a "guy" movie but even then, thats a bit of an insult to the gender. First of all, the script for this movie was poorly written. Secondly, the bickering between Seth Rogen's character and Jay Chou's character was annoying. A five minute scene is wasted on them throwing each other across the room in a fight. Thirdly, Cameron Diaz's character should not have been in there. Her character bascially told the guys what to do, unknowingly, and to be the reason the two guys fight with each other. I was disappointed that this movie was so bad. It was two hours I will never get. I would only recommend this movie for those who enjoy pointless movies that don't require any thought.

Micmacs

Dany Boon

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Rating: 4 stars

Bazil (Dany Boon) was a boy when his father was killed from a land mine built by competing French arms dealers. Years later he leaves a shop he works at for the night when a stray bullet hits him. He survives but due to being in the hospital, he is out of a job and has nowhere to live. A group of junkyard bandits collect him in their estranged family they've made up and agree to help Bazil take down the two arms dealing companies.

Micmacs is a quirky, enjoyable movie. Though it may not be a laugh-out-loud movie of the year, it's the little things in this movie that make it memorable. I thought this movie deserved four stars because I think many people would enjoy it if they were open to witty foreign movies. Yes, it is in another language and you have to read subtitles but it's worth it. It's not a long movie either. At a little over an hour and forty minutes, Micmacs leaves you feeling content and not sleepy (it's not boring). Also, it's similar to the French movie Amelie so if you enjoyed that, you will definitely enjoy Micmacs.

Eat Pray Love

Julia Roberts, Billy Crudup, Javier Bardem

Directed by Ryan Murphy

Rating: 4 stars

Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) realizes her marriage isn't as great as it once was. She has a successful career, a home, a stable, comfortable marriage. However, Liz is so caught up in her life that she realizes she's lost. She needs something new, an adventure. Packing her bags, she goes on a life-changing trip from Italy, to India, to Bali, making friends along the way and looking at life in a whole new perspective.

Eat Pray Love is based on the novel written by Liz Gilbert, a true story of her own self-discovering journey. The movie was enjoyable and inspiring. I can't imagine who wouldn't want to run away and go on a journey that would change your life. Not that that was what Liz was doing, running away. However, it was an interesting movie to say the least, especially since most of it is true. It shows us that anything is possible. One of the issues I found with this movie was the time length. Though necessary, it was a tad too long (two hours, 13 minutes). Since the movie had a slow pace to it, the the time length was noticeable. I would definitely recommend this movie to those who like Julia Roberts movies, for those who wish to/enjoy traveling, and for those who like learning about other cultures (not that you learn a lot but it's interesting to see a different life style). For those of us who feel like they are in a rut in their life, feeling like something is missing, Eat Pray Love is an inspirational movie and I wouldn't be surprised if others followed Liz Gilbert's example.

How Do You Know

Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson

Directed by James L. Brooks

Rating: 2 stars

When Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) gets cut from the USA softball team, she finds herself stuck not knowing what to do with her life. She goes on a date with Matty (Owen Wilson), a naive pro baseball player. George (Paul Rudd) is being blamed with some bad news from his company and doesn't hit it off so well when he is set up on a date with Lisa. Yet, George really likes Lisa. Lisa must figure out which guy she wants.

How Do You Know is two hours of my life I will never get back. Judging from the preview, you know it's going to be an okay movie. What I didn't know was that it would be a terrible movie. Reese Witherspoon's character is annoying and (for lack of a better word) dumb. This was a terrible role for her to be cast in. Same goes for Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson! Paul Rudd plays this corporate guy who is just as annoying while Owen Wilson plays a professional baseball player who sleeps around and has the common sense of a two-year-old. The only reason I rated this movie two stars instead of one is because this movie probably appeals to some people out there. Honestly, this movie should never have been made. Usually I'd recommend movies to people who like the cast but honestly, if you are a fan of any of the cast in this movie, you will find yourself wondering the same thing as me; how could a movie be so horrible? Save yourself two hours and watch something else.

Mega Piranha

Paul Logan, Barry Williams, Tiffany

Directed by Eric Forsberg

Rating: 1 star

Mutant piranha's get unleashed in the amazon, swimming towards Florida. A group of scientists and military people try to stop them and figure out how to kill them.

Yep, that pretty much sums up this movie. It was THE worst sci-fi movie I have ever seen. It shouldn't have been made; the special effects were terrible, the cast couldn't act, the piranha were digitally added and completely laughable. Don't get me wrong, when you hear a title like Mega Piranha, you know it's got to be a horrible movie. I couldn't finish watching this movie because it was boring and the bad acting was unbearable. I would only recommend this movie to those who enjoy bad sci-fi films. Be warned: it is only fun to laugh at if you are watching this with a group of people. If you watch this alone, that will be 92 minutes of your life you will never get back.

Practical Magic

Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Aidan Quinn

Directed by Griffin Dunne

Rating: 4 stars

Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) Owens are two very close sisters. Raised by their aunts, the Owen sisters learned how to cast magic. However due to a curse their ancestor made, any man the Owen women falls in love with dies. Sally Owens believes she falls in love and gets married to her perfect man. Life is going great and she even has twin girls. Then one day, her husband dies. Gillian gets herself into trouble after she kills her boyfriend in an accident. She and Sally fight together to break the Owen women curse.

Practical Magic is a really good movie. Who doesn't love Sandra Bullock or Nicole Kidman? It's a fun movie to watch. The two aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest) are funny and nice, while Bullock and Kidman make a good duo. Practical Magic is one of those old movies you want to watch from time to time and the best part is, is it's not too old of a movie to watch. Even though it doesn't have the high quality of special effects that we're used to in the 2000's, the storyline is interesting and hasn't been done before which is a nice refresher from all the re-makes these days. Personally, I'm a huge Nicole Kidman fan (ever since I watched Moulin Rouge) and even though this movie came out before Moulin Rouge, she has that fiery spark you see in that movie. As for Sandra Bullock, she's a great actress and if you're a fan of hers you won't be disappointed in this movie. I would recommend Practical Magic as a family movie though there are some topics discussed that may not be appropriate for an eight-year-old. However, in defense of it, I really believe that it's one of those movies little kids watch but don't understand whats going on.

Little Fockers

Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Teri Polo

Directed by Paul Weitz

Rating: 4 stars

When Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) starts experiencing heart problems, he realizes he needs to appoint a new "successor" to be the head of the family. He decides to appoint Greg Focker (Ben Stiller), the only one who is eligible. When the Byrnes visit the Fockers for the Focker's twins birthday party, Jack does some reconnaissance on Greg because he comes to believe Greg is cheating on his daughter. Greg has no idea what is going on and must face (again) Pam's (Teri Polo) ex-boyfriend, Kevin (Owen Wilson), who is fighting for her attention.

Little Fockers was an enjoyable movie. Though I have yet to see the sequel to Meet the Parents, this third film doesn't confuse you as to what has happened in between. There are some memorable scenes like the traumatizing experience Greg's son witnesses between Jack and Greg. Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller make great pair and bring humor to the father-and-son-in-law complexities that occur, especially with Jack Byrne's background of being "top dog". The only main problem I had with this movie was Jessica Alba's character. I thought that they could have chosen a different actress to play this role of the woman after Greg, causing Jack to have suspicions of Greg having an affair. I would definitely recommend this movie to those who enjoyed Meet the Parents and to those who enjoy a good comedy.

Dorian Gray

Ben Barnes, Colin Firth

Directed by Oliver Parker

Rating: 1 star

Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes) is an innocent and pure young man. He is easily misguided by Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth) and corrupted by Henry's antics. Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin) wanted to capture Dorian's innocence by painting a portrait. Dorian wishes to trade his soul for his youth and unbeknownst to Dorian, his portrait takes on the sins he later commits. While Dorian remains young for years to come, his portrait grows old and ugly. Upon noticing this, Dorian hides his portrait and continues to live a corrupted life.

An erotic and horribly twisted version of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, this movie should never have been made. DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE. I was deeply disgusted with this version and personally cannot believe someone could make a movie so bad. It was a very sensual and disturbing take on Wilde's novel. Honestly, it was a waste of time. Colin Firth made an embarrassingly bad career move when he took on the role of Lord Henry Wotton. Sure, he played it all right but it was such a horrible movie! And Ben Barnes, while he may be an ideal actor for Dorian Gray, unfortunately not even he could save this movie. The cast was fine, the content however is a different story.

(Warning: next paragraph may be disturbing as I describe some gruesome scenes from the movie.)

The movie had similarities to the book. It's been a while since I read the novel so I can't remember if they strayed too far but they got the main points. However, what wasn't heavily influenced in the book that was put in the movie was Dorian's sex life. What a scandalous young man! In the movie, he has sex with a young girl (teenager, he wasn't a pedophile) and when the mother comes looking for her in the bedroom, the young girl hides under the bed while he has sex with the mother! The ONLY thing I actually laughed at in the movie was the death of Sibyl Vane's brother because it was unexpected. I preferred his death in the book but in the movie it was humorous to see him die by falling in an underground railroad and run over by a train.

I would only recommend viewing this movie if you want to be disturbed.

Hall Pass

Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, Jenna Fischer

Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly

Rating: 3 stars

Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are best friends who tend to bring out immaturity in each other. Sick of this, their wives grant them a "hall pass" where for one week, they are free to do whatever they like to get the immaturity out of their systems and are "unmarried" men for one week. Rick and Fred are psyched because this is their chance to do whatever they want without repercussions from their wives. However, as a week goes by, a hall pass isn't everything they thought it'd be.

Perhaps Hall Pass is more appealing to older couples who know what it's like to live the married life, where sometimes the little things one spouse does annoys the other. Or maybe it appeals to men because they can relate to Rick and Fred. I thought Hall Pass was funny but it's humor was short-lived. There was some humorous moments but the movie wasn't deserving of anything higher than three stars. It's predictable in the sense that you can guess how it ends. You may not be able to predict what events occurs but as the movie crawls towards the end, the pieces fall together. Hall Pass is one of those movies where you sit in your seat and soak it in. No thought requirement at all. This movie has potential to be a better movie deserving four stars if some of the character's lines were rewritten. Owen Wilson's and Jason Sudeikis' characters were your typical roles as husbands; Wilson's being the faithful husband, Sudeikis' being the husband eager to grab opportunity when presented to cheat. Their roles could have been written more thought out. I would recommend Hall Pass to those who like comedies like "Hot Rod" or "You, Me and Dupree" (the latter another Owen Wilson movie) or even "The Hangover". For those who don't care for dumb-downed comedies (no offense anyone!) do not watch this film!

Paul

Seth Rogan, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman

Directed by Greg Mottola

Rating: 3 stars

Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost) are two British comic-book nerds trekking across America. They stop along at Comic Con in Los Angeles, California, and are crossing Nevada when a speeding car goes off the road in front of them. As they find, Paul is an alien on the run from an FBI agent (Jason Bateman) who want to "terminate" him. Paul has been in America for a number of years, a captive by the FBI, giving information and treated as a prisoner. Graeme and Clive must help Paul escape the FBI so he can go "home".

Paul was an entertaining movie that appeals mostly to sci-fi fans. There was lots of references to alien movies like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Predator", and "ET" with an edition of a cameo from Steven Spielberg. Paul (as in the movie, not the alien) didn't live up to it's hype though. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost make an excellent team and are enjoyable to watch in films (like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) but this film in particular was just average. I think what made it a "three star" movie was the whole Kristen Wiig spiel. Sure, it's cute that a comic-book nerd gets together with an "odd" girl but I think Wiig's lines should have been re-written or cut out entirely. The ending wrapped together nicely and was not a disappointment. Paul is worth watching, don't get me wrong on that. I would recommend Paul to those who like sci-fi comedies or any movies starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Other then that, watch and enjoy!

The Town

Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm

Directed by Ben Affleck

Rating: 4 stars

Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) is ready to retire from bank robbing with his buddies. On what he hoped to be his last operation, he took Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage but made sure not to harm her. They released her but she was disturbed by the day's events. However, Doug's team wants him to help with the promised final robbery that involves lots of cash. Doug is the brains behind the task, so he is a valuable asset that cannot be replaced. Doug agrees to do the job but he wants to confirm that Claire is doing okay so he talks to her (while she is unaware he took her hostage). Doug wants to change his ways as his feelings grow for Claire but he has to find the proper balance so that she doesn't find out his "other" side.

The Town was a well-directed movie by Ben Affleck. For the longest time, all I heard was how well-made this movie was and finally, I got to see for myself. The cast worked well together for this movie and it was worth watching. The ending was bittersweet; I won't ruin it for those who have not seen it but it gives some satisfaction to the viewers. It was interesting to see a crime movie where one of the team members wants to change to a healthier lifestyle then robbing banks. Ben Affleck's character is easy to sympathize with as he struggles with falling for a woman he took hostage while risking the chance of her recognizing the men and turning them in to the FBI.

While I would recommend this movie to those who like robbery movies, I would like to warn those that the style of The Town is different from most crime films. It contains more dialogue than action so for those who particularly enjoy lots of action between cops and robbers, The Town does have it, just not at every scene. This is a rated R movie and has mature content. When I mean mature, the average sixteen-year-old could watch this but they may not find it as enjoyable as an eighteen-year-old because the mindset is different. In conclusion, I enjoyed The Town and I would recommend it to my friends who enjoy non-mainstream movies.

Coraline

Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher

Directed by Henry Selick

Rating: 4 stars

After moving to a new home, Coraline (Dakota Fanning) finds herself bored. Her parents are too busy to pay her much attention and so Coraline wanders around the apartment building looking for something to do. She finds a small hidden door in the wall and when she goes through, finds herself in a parallel universe where her parents are nicer and her home is a lot more fun. But when her mother (Teri Hatcher) wants to replace her eyes with buttons, Coraline realizes she must escape before it's too late.

I really enjoyed Coraline. After searching for something to watch on tv, I stumbled upon this movie and though I had missed the first thirty minutes, it wasn't so hard to catch up on what was going on. (I later found it playing On-Demand so I ended up re-watching the whole movie.) It was pretty entertaining and the best part is it's only 96 minutes! Which means it doesn't drag on and you don't get bored with it. I would recommend this movie for those who enjoyed Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and for those who enjoy animated, kinda-weird, movies. It's enjoyable for kids and teenagers at least. I would give this a try if you're looking for something to watch!

Hunger

Michael Fassbender

Directed by Steve McQueen

Rating: 3 stars

Based on a true story, Hunger is the story of Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), an Irishman locked in the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland, during the 1981 IRA hunger strike. Bobby Sands started the hunger strike and lasted for six weeks up to his death.

This is probably the shortest review I'll ever write, embarrassingly enough, but there's not much to say. Hunger wasn't a long movie but its message was powerful; portraying life in the Maze Prison a little before the strike. It was hard to see how police treated the prisoners and how prisoners lived in their cell. The reason I rated this movie three stars though, is because it was slow. Do not watch this movie at night or if you feel tired. Michael Fassbender has a very, very, long monologue when he's talking to a priest and it's hard to pay attention since the camera is focused on him almost the whole time. I should probably give this movie another try but I would recommend this movie only to those interested in the history of this hunger strike.

Battle: Los Angeles

Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez, Cory Hardrict, Ne-Yo

Directed by Jonathan Liebsman

Rating: 3 stars

Sgt. Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) had his share of war time experience and just had his retirement approved only to be put back in the line of duty when the world is under attack by an unknown force. Los Angeles is one of the many cities under attacked by meteors that seem to slow down once they hit the earth's atmosphere. The platoon is being led by 2nd Lt. William Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez) which puts pressure on Nantz since most of the platoon is skeptical of their chance of survival since rumors have spread that the last mission Nantz was on, only he made it out alive. So when the platoon makes it to the police department to save some civilians, they find out that what they are dealing with are literally from out of this world. They must find a way to make it back to their base safely within a set time before a bomb goes off while destroying the aliens after them.

Battle: LA starts off interesting enough, however this movie drags on and on and on. Though it is only a few minutes short of being a two-hour movie, Battle: LA has so much content that it's not overwhelming, it just feels boring. You get tired of the action that keeps going-- or at some moments lack of action, that by the end of the movie you are washed with relief that it is over.

I think this movie deserves three stars because it was worth watching once. I wouldn't want to buy this movie but if you're looking for a good action movie to rent, I would recommend this one. What could have made this movie more successful would be if there was more suspense. Some scenes are suspenseful in the beginning to middle of the movie but then you get tired of it that you don't find yourself holding your breath, waiting to see what happens next. Another weak item in this movie was the aliens. They looked like metal contraptions. You do see the aliens but they are simply shiny, or rather dirty, pieces of metal. At one scene they break apart the alien trying to kill it but you don't see the typical alien accustomed to horror films. In fact, the lighting makes it hard to distinguish what it truly looks like.

Therefore, it is my opinion that Battle: Los Angeles was a film well-made, however, be warned that it is just a film that feels a tad too long.