Iron Man 2

M: Not as good as the first one, not even close. But not a bad movie. 3 stars

V: I super duper loved the first Iron Man. But, I also really enjoyed this one. Always been a big fan of RDJr. Scarlett Johanssen didn't even bug me in this one. Gwyneth is great. The action was great. There were a couple of dumb lines, but I still really enjoyed it. 3 1/2 stars

X-Men First Class

V: We actually saw this in the theater and I enjoyed it. I really liked James McAvoy already, so I thought he was a good pick. His (Xavier's) dominance was just kind of assumed though, and not really developed. So that could have used a little help. The Magnito character was interesting - a pretty big swing between likeable and super-evil though. You might not want to be seeing how many degrees away from Kevin Bacon you are after seeing this - just stay away. So, it's a comic book movie, and was entertaining as such. It's interesting thinking about the difference between X and Magnito, their backgrounds, their philosophies and their choices. We were excited to see our "About a Boy" boy all grown up. It was fun. 3 stars.

M: A rare full cost, in the theater experience (for my friends b-day). It probably helped to see this in the theater, since the special effects give it a boost. I thought there were a lot of characters with very little depth, and a lot of cheesy lines. Xavier, Magnito, and the blue girl were the only really compelling characters. But it was pretty good. 3 stars

Kill Bill (Edited)

M: Kill Bill is 111 minutes long. The edited version V and I watched came in at 88 minutes. So, with 23 minutes missing, I suppose this review should be taken with a grain of salt. I didn't buy it. It was quirky, but, between the quirkiness and the editing, I didn't know what quirks were purposeful and what quirks were simply editing. Extremely violent. I mean, extremely. The editing may have made it choppy, but without the editing it would have just been vulgar. I just wasn't a fan. 2 stars.

V: So they fought a lot. And then they fought a little bit more. And sometimes when they fought they flew through the air, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon-style. And sometimes they were cartoons. So, it was kind of stylish, but otherwise, y'know, they just fought. So, yeah, meh. They fought. 2 stars.

Inception

V: What an interesting, unique movie! M and I sat through the credits and then walked out of the theater in silence, just so much to think about. It was a cool concept involving dreams and dreams within dreams. I won't include any spoilers, here. There are times with wild action and violence, but it's inside dreams, so the people are "pretend", and it doesn't seem so bad. Leonardo DiCaprio and the rest of the cast are great. There are some super-cool effects, and amazing images. I was thoroughly captivated and interested. I loved it. 4 stars

M: Great show. Took a while to figure out what was going on. Then, at the end, V and I could agree on what it all meant. But, I think that it is a deep and well thought out movie that is absolutely worth seeing. I would love to go further, but I can't think of what to say that would not include spoilers. After you watch it, which you should, call me, we can discuss. 3 1/2 stars

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

V: I just want to remind you all that I was a big fan of Robert Downey Jr. long before Iron Man came about. College roommates? Back me up on this. So, I really enjoy a good suspense/mystery movie every now and then. I thought both Downey and Jude Law did a great job. The story was interesting. I thought it was a good romp. The Rachel McAdams character was just all right, for me. It felt like they were just trying to fit in a female character, affirmative action style. It could have been a better character. Apparently she was a super-thief, but then, oh dear, the girl got in "over her head," to quote from the movie. She was supposed to be Sherlock's equal. She didn't come off very experty to me. Anyway . . . I otherwise enjoyed it. Good fun. 3 1/2 stars.

M: Yea, I am with V on the McAdams' character. I didn't see the point, except to add a pretty face. Which I guess doesn't hurt. I mean, if you are going to have Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, it is, after all, only fair to throw something in for the guys. So, ok, I talked myself out of not liking her part. Otherwise though, the movie was just ok for me. I thought Jude Law really stole the show, taking Watson, a historically forgettable character, and making him really interesting and likable. Downey, as usual, was quirky and dark and good. Watson definitely should have died though in the big explosion he got caught in. No way he survived that. So, I was a bit annoyed with that. I am really torn. I definitely could go a bit higher, but I am going to have to give it 2 1/2 stars.

Angels and Demons

M: I wonder if it is better to have read the book or not. Very violent, and not a good as the book, which was also violent, but which was also a page turner. I don't think that the Dan Brown books, and their thinking and talking about conspiracies and symbols, translates well to the big screen. But, in any event, pretty good movie, with good actors, that was a bit too long. 2 1/2 stars

V: I thought is was a good adventure. It kept my attention. There was no reason for the girl, except to have a female counterpart, so that bugged me. 3 stars

James Bond: Quantum of Solace

M: Definitely action packed. Fairly stylized too, more like the classic James Bond than its predecessor. But, not as good of a story. Just a lot of revenge. But still, I am going to give it a little bump up for the attention-grabbing action. 3 stars

V: Interesting, but not amazing like Casino Royale. The "rogue agent" idea was not well developed. And the opening credits sequence was waaayyy toooo long. I was bored before the movie started. Otherwise, it was a good Thursday night's entertainment. 2 1/2 stars

Indiana Jones

M: I delayed seeing this movie. I had some low expectations, but even more, I had fear. Fear that another childhood love (see "Transformers") would be brutally ruined for me. That didn't happen here, so I am pleased. I really like Indiana Jones. The Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Last Crusade, for me, are classics. This latest attempt, "Crystal Skull" does not stack up, but it is better than I expected, and better than the Temple of Doom. Definitely cheesy in parts, definitely unbelievable too. But I thought the movie had a good heart. 2 1/2 stars

V: I didn't expect this to be good at all. So I ended up liking it more. It was enjoyable. There were fun references to the earlier stuff. I enjoy the goofy humor in the middle of deadly situations. It was a fun watch. And I swear they threw the Superman theme in there, just for a second. Am I wrong? 3 stars.

Avatar - no spoilers!

V: It's that special time of year again: the time we see a movie in a movie theater. (In general, we feel it's a financially silly thing to do when you could just wait a few months and pay a buck for it at the redbox.) But you must, you really must, see Avatar and see it in the theater. And I would say watch it in 3D, too. Imagine watching Cirque du Soleil on a 22 inch television. Not the same, right? I'm itching to watch a "making of" because this was just really cool to see. James Cameron has created a beautiful world with beautiful creatures that need to be seen up close. Try not to draw comparisons-- whether or not they were intended, (which I suspect they were) and despite the strong urge to do so-- to world politics. (I wonder how members of the military community will react to this film.) I also heard mention of Pocahontas. But I think the story stands on its own, and is more interesting (less annoying) that way. Just take a deep breath, and let your mind go. Avatar is almost 3 hours and I ate it all up. I only have a very few complaints: a little less swearing would have been nice. I like my swearing as much as anybody, of course, but in this fantasy-land it was distracting and too pedestrian. And I wish they would have held the very last shot for a couple more seconds. And they had to include a pop song right after all that coolness, really? I guess they were hoping for another "My love will go on" money-maker. Despite those little things, this film is an easy 4. It's an amazing accomplishment. I'm not usually much concerned with special effects, but this was . . . just so cool. I read that Avatar is the second largest grossing film of all time internationally. The first is Titanic (also Cameron.) He takes his projects seriously, apparently. I love the concept of the Avatar, and the two worlds, the split consciousness. I loved it. 4 stars

M: No spoilers! Well that spoils things. I think V gave that title as a warning to me, which I will heed. As V and I left the movie, V commented that Avatar is a feat of movie making and an accomplishment for mankind (ok, so I am paraphrasing). She was right, and my paraphrase is right too. This is the most beautifully made movie I have ever watched. I had a few minor complaints, I didn't like the narrating, and some scenes were a bit long - ala King Kong (full disclosure, I loved King Kong). It is also fairly violent. Nevertheless, this movie just floored me. You have to see it on the big screen. I thought the characters and the world were so beautiful, lifelike, and full of expression. Do not miss this movie. It is 3 hours, so be prepared. And as V said, don't get caught up in what political statements you can draw from the story. Just sit back and be entertained. Amazing. The best show of the year, and the best show I have seen in a long time. Wow. 4 stars

Hellboy II

M: V and I really enjoyed the first Hellboy (see our full movie review chart). I found it quirky, lovable, and fun, mixed in with some great action. So I have looked forward to seeing the sequel, even though it took a while to get around to it. Man, was I disappointed. This show lacked the things that made the original great. I didn't feel for the characters, even Hellboy himself was just not as engaging. At times the storyline was weak, it felt like it was pointed heavily toward readers of the comics. At other times it was just plain dumb. The romances were lame, and I wanted to punch the German robot man in his metal face, not good. The movie seemed to build toward sequels to come, but now, I am not sure I care if they do come. Very disappointed. 2 stars

V: I don't think I hated it as much as M did. It was very odd and disjointed, though. First movie was much better. 2 1/2 stars.

Eagle Eye

M: Buckle your seat-belts and suspend your disbelief. This show is action-packed. An unknown entity displaying unbelievable powers over people and things compels our two main characters to do its bidding. I was disappointed when I found out who was pulling the strings behind the scenes. 2 1/2 stars

V: Yeah, this show was entertaining if you like a lot of action and car crashes. It was an interesting premise in the Big Brother is Watching You vein. But added to the scare of what might realistically happen in our modern world was this kinda sci-fi villain, which discredited the reality/realistic part. It reminded me of I-Robot, which I really liked, and which (rightly so) just stuck with the sci-fi thing. 2 stars.

National Treasure 2

M: After enjoying the original so much, I was disappointed in this sequel. This movie lacked both the originality and the cleverness of its predecessor. It was a decent adventure movie, but the characters were not super likable and the adventure seemed unnecessary, unbelievable, unrealistic, and, ultimately, unfulfilling. Ed Harris' character was completely beyond my understanding, one minute he was a maniacal murderous monster chasing the good guys through the streets of London, hell bent on beating them to the treasure even if it meant killing them all along with half the city of London, the next minute he was seemingly part of the team. an OK show, worth a red box, but ultimately, fairly disappointing. 2 stars

V: Yeah, the first was so fun because of all the puzzles and clues they had to figure out. This one had just a few puzzles. The big problem was that -unless I missed it - I saw no justification for what they were doing. Supposedly it was to clear his ancestor's name, but there was no reason finding the treasure would clear his ancestor's name - if anything (!) it further proved his ancestor's guilt in being involved with the original bad-guy-gold-hunters! So that could have used some clarification. The villain was oddly motivated, too. If it's just for money or fame, keep it at that. What's with the artifacts and then destroying them, and being so intensely violent, when he had been so calculated and cautious for so long before? The relationships between the good guys were fun, though. Fairly entertaining, even if there were a few puzzle pieces missing. 2 1/2 stars

Jumper

V: This show was pretty entertaining, but didn't give you enough story or info to cause you to really care. Like the characters, it jumped from place to place, and lacked good connections. But most importantly, the real conflict was never developed. Why do these people just want to kill them so bad? It would have been so easy to develop some grudge that Samuel Jackson's character had - like a Jumper killed his son or something - to explain why he's this crazily driven Jumper-killer. And the main guy's mom - doesn't she have a choice? - she just has to hunt Jumpers? That's just who she is? The only thing they offered was that Jumpers "think they are gods." So what, you're jealous? Poorly developed - were they so assured of a sequel? Also, some simple carelessness: They are blocked by the guards from entering the Collosseum, so they "sneak" in another door - and you can clearly see more guards and lots of people at that door, too. Good visual effects. 2 stars.

M: Great visual effects, and I loved the concept of jumping through space and loved even more they way the movie portrayed the jumps. The movie grabbed me from the start. Unfortunately, the storyline was a bit weak and the acting not superb. Plus, I never figured out why the paladins wanted to kill the jumpers so bad. Come on, it has to be a serious deal for a mother to consider it her duty to hunt her own son. Where did this hatred come from? The explanation of "we have always done it" didn't quite do it for me. See the movie though, its a fun watch. 2 1/2 stars.

I am legend

M: Will Smith is a lone man in New York after a virus strikes which turns people into "dark seekers," creepy monsters that cannot come out during the day. I am not entirely sure how this virus caused this incredible transformation in people, or how it have gave these monsters their insane strength, speed, and their unhuman monster look, but it did, and I accepted it. Unfortunately, Will Smith's role caused me to draw comparisons to that of Tom Hanks in Cast Away. You know, both guys living alone for a long time and trying to cope and survive. For me, the comparison hurt Will Smith because he just wasn't as believable in the role. Nevertheless, he was likable and the action and suspense of the movie kept things interesting. All in all, a good movie and worth seeing. But not amazing. 3 stars.

V: This movie was way creepier than I expected. I guess I was thinking more of a Planet of the Apes-type flick, or something. It's very suspenseful and sometimes joltingly scary. Creepy. I thought Will Smith did a good job. I heard there was an alternate ending, which would have been interesting. I just didn't feel totally engrossed or fulfilled by this movie. It was interesting though. But creepy. 2 1/2 stars.

Iron Man

V: I've been a long time fan of Robert Downey Jr. - even annoyed my college roommates by posting an ode to him on our shared refrigerator. He did a really great job in this, and I'm glad things are good for him right now. So, Iron Man . . . First of all, it says a lot when we see a movie in the theater - and not even the dollar theater. This happens 3 or 4 times a year, at most. (Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for watching our kids!) It means we expect big, big things, and Iron Man didn't disappoint. The pace of the movie was great, always kept you into the action, moving forward, not too much or too little, and never boring. Downey, as Tony Stark, was funny and cool. These movies easily find themselves in cheesy, bad-lines territory, but this one never did. The bad guys were bad. The gizmos were awesome. The love interest was well-handled. It was exciting! You may find yourself searching for something to hold on to. (Sorry M). I really enjoyed it. The end really surprised me. Not good or bad, but I just wonder what they're going to do with it. One small critique and that is that I thought Pepper (Paltrow) was moving pretty slowly when being pursued by a big, bad robot monster thing. But she did have on some really tall heels. And maybe she didn't know he meant her as much ill will as he did. But anyway, even with that I give it 4 stars. (And don't forget to stay all the way through the end of the credits. It's important to know who the Additional Second Assistant Director is.)

M: It took me a while to suspend my belief in this one. I suppose I should have been prepared upon entering the theater to accept without question what I saw, after all, the movie is based on a comic strip about an iron man. But still, there I was saying, how did this guy build this contraption in a cave in the desert in a few days . . . no way . . . couldn't happen. Well, once I allowed myself to get into the show, I thought it was really good. Downey did a terrific job, as did Paltrow. The effects were sweet and the show, fairly unpredictable. Go see this show. 3 1/2 stars.

Transformers

M: Oh man. A piece of my childhood, spoiled. This action-packed movie contained so many cheesy lines that it was one long cringe throughout. The battle scenes were chaos, I couldn't tell who was who. Oh, so disappointing. And when they had Prime giving his lame lines, it was almost more than I could take. But, some cool effects, I guess. 2 stars.

V: This show was way, way too long. (I can do 2 1/2 hours for a really good movie - this one should have been 90 min.) Even with that length there were loose ends. And for a show that I'm sure attracted a lot of 8-12 year-old boys, it had quite a few crude elements. Lost credibility in many parts, with characters making uncharacteristic moves. The effects were cool - but not 2 1/2 hours worth of cool. I thought Shia Labeouf did a good job with what he was given. 2 stars.

Bourne Ultimatum

PG-13, The third (and last?) of the Bourne series. Jason Bourne still trying to find out who he is and why he has been running around killing people.

V: My favorite so far. That car chase in the last one went on for hours. Bourne is a great spy/assassin. Very sneaky, very tricky. I gave this one 3 1/2 stars.

M: This is the final installment of a great series. I love watching Bourne in action. The first show was the best, the second the worst, but this third movie was good, action packed, and definitely worth catching. 3 stars.