RIO

V:  Cute show.  The kids enjoyed it.  I hope the others in the theater were entertained by our kids' commentary.  3 stars.


M: We went to the local discount theater to see this. I thought it was pretty fun, and funny in parts. It didn't blow me away, and I was a bit annoyed at times by all the innuendo and carnival stuff (while it wasn't that bad, its a kids show, so it bugged me). It kind of felt like a big advertisement for Rio the city. This was just ok for me. 2 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

How do You Know

M: I really kind of enjoyed this silly romantic comedy. Reece Witherspoon and Paul Rudd were really cute, and Paul Rudd was hilarious. Perhaps not the most romantic couple in the world, but very cute and fun. Owen Wilson was also very funny. I generally liked the movie quite a bit. I considered going with a 3 1/2, but I couldn't quite go that high. Worth seeing. 3 stars.

V:  This had a lot of original humor.  The cast was great.  Loved Tony Shaloub's short but sweet scene. Paul Rudd is funny, funny.  Loved the very short scene of him BBQing.  It was cute.  3 stars.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

M: We watched this movie the day Elizabeth Taylor died. She was pretty, but I didn't care for the movie very much. 2 1/2 stars

V: I actually picked this movie up from the library, then went home and found out that Elizabeth Taylor had passed away.  Am I in tune with the universe, or what?  It isn't a fun, happy movie to watch.  But my English major background helped me to appreciate the development of the background story, the relationships between the characters, who, I thought, were realistically portrayed with their myriad (and I do mean myriad) problems.  The whole movie takes place in one day.  This is based on Tennessee Williams' play, and you can tell this was written first for the stage.  It's more literary, less spectacle.  The best part was Burl Ives as Big Daddy!  I'd only known him as the narrator of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  He was a terrific actor! 31/2 stars

Heaven Can Wait

M: A cheesy old movie, but kind of heart warming. 3 stars

V: I fell asleep, its what I do. N/A  (M wrote this review for me, V.  I was too tired.)

Great Expectations

V: We have unwittingly found ourselves on a Dickens kick. This is the Masterpiece Theater version, with Ione Gruffudd (Amazing Grace) and Justine Waddell (Wives & Daughters.) I thought it was pretty good, but not particularly compelling. If Pip fell into really foolish behavior, it wasn't developed well, except mostly to mention that some debtors were out for him. I didn't catch why he'd love (who he loved) except that, again, it was mentioned that he did. So, I think they could have done a better job showing rather than telling. Miss Havasham was aptly creepy. Could they have made the people look worse on the cover of the DVD? Pip looks like a different person! All in all, it was alright. (Watch for The Emperor.) 2 1/2 stars

M: I agree. A good looking show, but not my favorite. 2 1/2 stars

Tess of the D'ubervilles

V: Wow, what a downer!! I maintain that I hate Thomas Hardy. Didn't like him in High School and still don't like him. He's a cynic, a fatalist and a bad, bad man. His poor characters try and try and try and just keep getting knocked down by bad timing and unlucky circumstances. This is a tragically tragic tragedy. Just, please don't watch this - it will depress you. That having been said, I do think I have to rate this movie based on more than just the story. It was well acted, and it did affect me emotionally. I give it 2 1/2 stars.

M: Yea, its a downer. Tragedies are. But, my problem with this story is that in a tragedy, the main character should have a fatal flaw. Like V said, here, there was no flaw, Tess just didn't have the stars aligned for her I guess. It was her "fate" for her life to fall completely apart. It was mean spirited and not very enjoyable. 2 1/2 stars.