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12/21: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: I revisited the Capra/Stewart classic, and it was just as meaningful and moving as the first time. 12/21: Spartacus (1960) :star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: The...

12/16: Enchanted (2007) :star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: The heart of the story is terrific. Giselle and Robert have great chemistry together, and the relationship is equal parts humorous and heartwarming. Nathaniel makes an excellent comic henchman. The film is filled...

12/7: The Muppet Christmas Carol :star::star::star::star:1/2 out of :star::star::star::star::star: My traditional Christmas viewing of this movie was as enjoyable as ever. It amazes me how the Muppets can inject their own style of humor into the movie but still have it retain the spirit and...

11/23: Rain Man (1989) :star::star::star::star:1/2 out of :star::star::star::star::star: Hoffman's performance is completely deserving of the Oscar, and Cruise does a good job as the materialistic brother who has a change of heart. The humor, relationships, and photography make this movie so...

11/19: Face/Off (1997) :star::star:1/2 out of :star::star::star::star::star: John Woo knows how to film entertaining and visually striking action scenes. They are the highlight of this movie. I also like some of Sean's interactions with his wife. The movie's downfall is in its poor logic. The...

11/9: Die Another Day (2002) :star::star::star::star:1/2 out of :star::star::star::star::star: I consider this as sort of a "Greatest Hits" of the Bond franchise. It's got references to just about every other Bond picture, both subtle and overt. All of the elements of a Bond picture (action...

I'm seeing a lot of hate for Van Helsing, but so far, I haven't heard any reasons for it. Would any of you care to elaborate?

10/31: Van Helsing (2004) :star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: I enjoy this movie as a loving tribute to Universal's monster movies of yesteryear. The werewolf CGI looks completely fake, and the physics are impossible, but the sheer entertainment value compensates...

10/30: The World is Not Enough (1999) :star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: This is the film that threw off my one-a-month Bond marathon for three months because I could not get past the 40-minute mark. The film is very weak in terms of characters and their motivations. The only...

10/21: Lilo & Stitch (2002) :star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: The first time I saw this movie, I arrived late and missed the prologue, so I'm counting this as a first viewing. I remember commenting five years ago that this was a two-star movie, so time has not been kind to it...

10/11: The Jungle Book (1967) :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: The Jungle Book is one of my favorite Disney movies. It excels in all areas, particularly in creating lovable characters, humor that anyone can enjoy, and a terrific musical score and songs. The...

10/2: North by Northwest :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: This is one spy film that has it all. It keeps the audience guessing until the very end, and it all pays off in the Mt. Rushmore sequence. Cary Grant is charming and empathetic as he goes from one...

Re: Godfather Part III date problem The two popes died in 1978, not 1979. Even if it was a creative choice to set the movie in the wrong year, it still makes Coppola look ignorant. Re: Vertigo and The Birds I've seen clips on the AFI specials and elsewhere, and neither the footage nor...

9/23: The Godfather Part III (1990) :star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: I liked this more than Part II but less than the first. Michael became someone I could care about again as he tried to find redemption and escape from crime. The Atlantic City and opera...

9/9: The Godfather, Part II :star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: After the brilliance of the first Godfather picture, this one came off as a big disappointment. I admit that I did not see it under the best circumstances, since several phone calls interrupted the movie and made...

9/1: I tried to watch the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet, but I gave up after about 35 minutes. The movie tried to have it both ways, and it just failed utterly for me. Full-text Hamlet needs to look and feel like a stage production because all of the soliloquies feel horribly unnatural as...

8/19: The Godfather (1972) :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: This was my first viewing of the mob classic. The film's greatest accomplishment is that every minute of its three-hour runtime is riveting. I was a little thirsty after finishing my popcorn, but...

Re: Revisits vs. First Time Viewing My DVD collection is at a size right now where I know I can pop in a disc and have a great time for 30-250 minutes. Therefore, I am becoming much more selective on which movies I am giving a shot. In particular, I ask myself the question for new movies...

8/6: Stargate (1994): Extended Cut :star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: It's tough to rate this one. While all of the individual elements are well done, it fails to blend into a cohesive whole that truly impresses. It's worth watching, though, just for Spader...

7/14: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: The latest film in the Harry Potter series is an amazing ride. It packs in the best moments of the book while trimming the plentiful fat of the novel in the editing room. The...

7/3: Transformers (2007) :star::star::star:1/2 out of :star::star::star::star::star: The look and personalities of the Transformers are brilliant, the action is spectacular, and the main two human characters are likable. I like the humor a lot, but the section where the bots are trying to...

6/24: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: This was the first James Bond movie I ever saw, so it will always stand apart from the rest in my book. Still, I tried to look at it objectively last night. The only complaint I have is that...

6/16: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer :star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: The humor, action, characters, gadgets, effects, and all of the other elements of the film are well done. I am particularly impressed with the realization of the Fantasticar this...

6/5: Fantastic Four (2005) :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: I finally got to revisit this film with the new DVD release. I loved it in theaters, and I still love it today. It's got great humor, characters that are sympathetic and likable, and a couple of...

5/23: 6-Movie Star Wars Marathon at Celebration IV :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: This experience was awesome! The picture was crisp and clear, and the sound system was arguably the best I've heard in any movie theater. It was the fans, however, that made...

5/19: Citizen Kane (1941) :star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: The screen presence of Orson Welles is the best thing about this movie. I also like the structure of the story, giving the bare facts of Kane’s life, then adding the personal details through a series of...

5/14: Star Wars (1977) :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: After reading The Making of Star Wars, I wanted to watch the original movie, so I pulled out my VHS and enjoyed this timeless classic.

5/12: The French Connection :star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider are the reasons I picked this up at Blockbuster, and their performances are easily the best part of the film. Also, the detective work and pursuits of the criminals are...

5/5: Home on the Range :star::star::star::star::star: out of :star::star::star::star::star: This mix of western and farm comedy is full of memorable characters and sassy humor, and it is still entertaining from start to finish. 5/11: 2001: A Space Odyssey :star: out of...

5/2: Goldeneye (1995) :star::star:1/2 out of :star::star::star::star::star: The opening sequence is amazing, and so are the main titles. Unfortunately, it's mostly downhill from there. For one thing, Bond seems to be a supporting player in hiw own movie. The action sequences are too few and...