The Dark Knight

V: "The Ring" ruined scary movies for me. I thought it was done really well, scared me from the first minute. But . . . the way it ended was so dark. Beyond scary, it was just evil. That was it. It (the thing, the girl, the antagonist) was just evil. There was no ongoing battle, no hope that good would somehow overcome. Well, this is how Dark Knight left me feeling. I loved Spiderman 2 because the villain was well-rounded and sympathetic, tragic even, as a fallen human. But this joker-guy, (yeah he was played well) was just evil. Not human at all. At first you think, okay, he had an abusive father, how sad. But then, it seems he's just making up stories. He's just a bad seed. Not interesting to me. I really don't have a problem with a super evil character - it could have worked had there been some balance. But all of Gotham seemed depraved. A few (two, three?) people were good guys. There has to be good, too, to have conflict in a story. So I can't say, yeah, it was really dark, but a great show. It was just dark. And really, really mean. (Go see Iron Man again, instead.) 3 stars


M: This is by far the darkest Batman to date and the darkest movie I have seen this year, and beyond. Heath Ledger did a fantastic job as the joker, very haunting. Christian Bale makes a good Bruce Wayne, but a less convincing Batman (the voice he puts on when he is Batman drove me a bit crazy). Incredible action and plenty of curve balls to keep you guessing. But, just too dang dark, and not enough redemption. 3 stars

What Happens in Vegas

M: Tough one. On the one hand, this movie represents everything I don't like in a movie. It was at times crude, mean-spirited, and overly silly. It had potty talk, an unusually easygoing investment banking firm, and it heaped abuse on the institution of marriage. And yet . . . I kind of enjoyed it. Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher worked as a romantic couple, at least toward the end of the movie when the movie allowed for a spark of romance. The movie also had its laugh out loud moments (often followed by a make you cringe moment). All and all, probably worth seeing if you have a night you want to give your brain and your sense of shame a rest. 2 1/2 stars.

V: I don't think I can top M's review. He pretty well summed it up. And I did decide on my rating before I looked here. I guess we are of one mind. So yeah, there are a lot of dumb/inappropriate/crude things in this movie. And there are also a lot of pretty genuinely funny things that made it kinda charming. 2 1/2 stars.

The Jane Austen Book Club

M: The movie had its share of downers, particularly in the beginning of the film. And not a single explosion or car chase, so not for everyone. But the characters grew on me and I found myself liking them and enjoying their little book club adventure. You wouldn't think you could do much with a movie about a book club, and at times the movie took itself too seriously with mega cheesy lines meant to inform the viewer that Jane Austin's books are really, really, deep and important. Nevertheless, in spite of myself, I enjoyed the movie. Highly recommended to some. Moderately recommended to many. To which club to you belong? 3 stars

V: This movie had a lot of charming, refreshing things about it. The cast is good, particularly Amy Brenneman, Hugh Dancy, and Emily Blunt. (Emily Blunt is really good, she really can take you wherever she wants - her character is great in this.) It's a nice little journey the characters take together, as they read all the Jane Austen novels together. They change and grow and learn to understand each other better. Lots of fun lines and quirky things - (like the pan to the robot on the couch - hee, hee!) Do not think squeaky clean, just because Jane Austen is in the title. I could have done without a few parts. The final scene was a little disappointing (cheesy). But otherwise, I enjoyed this movie. 3 stars

Ocean's Thirteen

V: This one reminded me of the first one (the first remake, that is.) Which means it was better than the second, silly one. This one takes us back to Vegas and involves all the great characters in their plot to bring down the jerk who hurt their friend. (Loved the Mormon kids who got sidetracked from their duties by getting all their fellow workers in the Mexican factory to go on strike, protesting poor working conditions.) It is funny, clever and interesting. 3 stars.

M: I agree with V, better than the second; but not as good as the first. These guys obviously have a blast working together, and hats off to them for it. But maybe next time we should get an Ocean's five. There are just too many characters in this movie to give them all camera time without making it feel like a disjointed cameo fest. Plus, you end up feeling bad when the likes of Bernie Mac only gets a half dozen lines. Still, fun, fairly action-packed, and enjoyable. Spend a dollar and get it from red box. 3 stars