Since a bunch of the usual crowd was out in San Francisco this week, we decided to see if bigger was actually better for The Matrix Reloaded. The short (albeit useless) answer is "yes and no." The IMAX treatment certainly was a far cry from the local theater in which …

In late April, I was feeling concerned because all of my reviews had been favorable. I wrote in that review "At this point, you are wondering if I ever pan a film." The time has come, the movie is The Hulk and to cut to the quick, don't waste your …

The Italian Job (2003) has very little to do with The Italian Job (1969), except for a scheme involving traffic lights and the use of Mini's. The lack of faithfulness in this loose remake, however, doesn't change the fact that it's a fun way to spend a couple of hours …

I went in to Finding Nemo expecting to have an enjoyable 1 hour 38 minutes and be absolutely amazed by the animation, humored by the characters, and happy with the message. I'm very happy to say, this film did not disappoint! Unless you can't stand comedy, exquisite animation (it's getting …

I just finished listening to The Crisis of Islam (ISBN: 0679642811) by Bernard Lewis and I found it to be a fascinating "read". Much of the book goes through the history of Islam and touches on a number of important differences between Islam and Christianity as well as Islam and …

Bruce Almighty is a new film with Jim Carrey that centers around a TV reporter whose life isn't going as he has planned. It's hardly new territory from the standpoint of the over-driven, uptight character who blames everyone else (including God) for his own misfortunes. In this case, God decides …

I kept hearing good buzz about Bend It Like Beckham, so with Bruce Almighty set to join The Matrix:Reloaded in theaters tomorrow, I decided that I needed to see it before it went to the small theaters. Good choice: this movie is a little gem. Bend It Like Beckham …

Yes, it's a sequel, so I shouldn't expect much. But, unlike the first one, they spent a hideous amount of money promoting it as the end-all, be-all of movies and so I think any over-expectations were the responsibility of those who wrote/directed/produced the film. Note: I didn't say …

OK, I had to think a few minutes before I even admitted I've seen this, but I was switching channels and saw Dennis Miller and got sucked in. This movie is definitely a guilty pleasure and is probably not for a large amount of this audience, however if you want …

A Mighty Wind is another enjoyable "mockumentary" from Director/Writer/Producer Christopher Guest (who has been a writer on This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and Waiting for Guffman, each a fine farce in its own right). As with the previous films, the real genius of this one is …

Friday saw a larger-than-normal group headed out to see the first major action film of 2003, X2. In the end, I ended up enjoying the film on a number of levels and I'm certain the rest of the crew did as well. However, if you are looking for the one …

Bulletproof Monk is another martial-arts film starring Yun-Fat Chow (also referred to as Chow Yun-Fat), one of the more successful Chinese action stars. Following in the footsteps of Jackie Chan, Yun-Fat has parlayed a couple of cross-over roles into larger-budget films based in the US with more elaborate special effects …

Identity is the first real thriller of the year and it does not disappoint. Set as it is in a remote Nevada hotel during a heavy rainstorm, it becomes obvious early on (even if you haven't seen the trailers) that not all of the players are going to survive the …

Confidence is another fun exploration into the game of the grifter. I went in expecting to have to work hard to figure out who plays what parts and what the ending is going to look like, and was not disappointed. Edward Burns (who started his career with The Brothers McMullen …

I will admit to having started in to Holes with almost no knowledge of the film. I had seen part of the preview once and had read no reviews or synopsis prior to entering the theater. This, by the way, is the way I like it. I'm one of those …

I like Japan and I like Japanese anime, so I'm going to be inclined to like a movie like Spirited Away. And so, I wasn't surprised, and neither should you be, that I thoroughly enjoyed this award winning film (Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, 2003). The animation was an …

I'm not a huge fan of Stephen King novels being made into movies. I don't read a lot of King, but he generally writes too much stuff to stick into a 2-3 hour movie, so they more often than not get panned and end up being very empty and hard …

This week's new Science Fiction release, The Core, is a fun ride, but you need to check your scientific knowledge and calculators at the door. The basic premise (you can see all of this in the trailer) is that the core of the Earth has stopped spinning and our intrepid …

For those of you who are fans of Jackie Chan, it's always good to see him working, and he definitely does that in Shanghai Knights, the sequel to Shanghai Noon (Read More below to continue, no spoilers) I can't come out and say that this is some of Jackie's best …

Surprisingly, despite some lackluster reviews, The Recruit is a good movie for the post- cold-war spy action drama genre. Mike, Dmitry and I went to the movie on Saturday so as to avoid paying full price for a movie with such inadequate reviews. Since I hadn't been to the theater …