The American (2010)
★★★★½
After watching THE SMURFS, I had to wash that bad taste out of my mouth. I chose THE AMERICAN and did it hit the spot.
THE AMERICAN was marketed as an Action flick. It's not. It's a slow paced, character study on the life of a hitman. Clooney is awesome. The direction is subtle and wonderful. Loved it.
The Smurfs (2011)
★★
Well, smurf. I gave into my kids and let them watch it. The opening scene with the Smurfs in their village show me that this should have been an all CGI animated feature. No New York City, not heavily made-up actor posing as Gargamel. The potential with the Smurfs' fantasy world is there. Unfortunately the filmmakers went the CHIPMUNKS route and made this steaming pile of smurf.
Moneyball (2011)
★★★½
Jonah Hill's horrible "serious" acting almost derailed the film more me. However, the story and Brad Pitt helped elevate things.
Black Book (2006)
★★★★½
I consider this one of Paul Verehoeven's best "legitimate" films. He's usually known for over-the-top flicks like ROBOCOP, TOTAL RECALL or STARSHIP TROOPERS, but I loved his take on WWII. There are the Verehoeven over-the-top flourishes with sexuality in this film, but it coincides with the plot and characters. The end of the film gets a bit lost, but overall BLACK BOOK is a wonderful film.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
★★★★★
Still wonderful. Still amazing. Watching with my kids was a memorable and even emotional experience!
Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
★★★
Another flick that got raked through the coals when it was released. I actually dug it. Some great effects and a decent mash-up story. I do think the tone is way too serious. There should have been more fun and adventure injected into the script. If it had the energy of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK it would have been a much better film.
Green Lantern (2011)
★★★
OK, so it's no IRON MAN, but GREEN LANTERN is a serviceable Comic Book flick. The potential is dumped into a garbage disposal (I mean, this could have been an awesome space opera) and we're grounded on Earth for way too much of the flick. However, Ryan Reynolds is fun as Hal Jordan and there's always potential for a better sequel. Though, they totally drop a major villain arche relegating it to an extra "end credit" scene.
Settle your expectations and this is enjoyable. The Oa scenes look great on Blu Ray.
Conan The Barbarian (2011)
★★★
Nestled somewhere between the quality of CONAN THE DESTROYER and the original CONAN THE BARBARIAN, this remake is what you'd expect it to be. I enjoy it for what it is: a goofy, brutal fantasy romp and nothing more.