Beowulf
Beowulf – 5 out of 5 – Outstanding retelling of a classic poem that I hated reading back in high school. The film has an all-star cast including Anthony Hopkins, Robin Penn-Wright, John Malkovich, Crispin Glover as the demon Grendel, Angelina Jolie as Grendel’s mother, and Ray Winstone as the fearless warrior Beowulf. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it was done in beautiful CGI; we happened to catch it at a theater with a digital projector, and it was shown in 3D. Spectacular!
Viewing films in 3D have certainly improved. I was always impressed with 3D presentations done in theme parks like Disney and Universal. However, I found myself with a headache because of straining my eyes to visualize the 3D effects. Those attractions lasted 5 to 10 minutes; I wasn’t so sure about a film lasting nearly 2 hours. I had nothing to worry with Beowulf. In fact, the 3D presentation was done so well that I had forgotten I was wearing special glasses. Lots of action and great storytelling made this the best film I had seen this year.
UPDATE: 11/30/07 – I forgot about Ratatouille. So I digress and say Beowulf is one of the best films I have seen this year.
Transformers
Transformers – (3.5 out of 5) – Having owned the toys as a kid, this was kind of a nostalgic trip for me. Lots of action and the special effects are the true stars of this film, and Shia LaBeouf is great and keeps the movie going. A good popcorn movie, although it fizzled towards the end (costing it a star on my rating scale).
Disturbia
Disturbia – 3 out of 5 – I haven’t seen Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, where this thriller gets its inspiration. This movie has terror and violence – two things I normally don’t have any interest in. The opening sequence with the main character and his dad was enough to make me look away. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this movie; Shia LaBeouf is great as Kale, the teen under house arrest who occupies his time by spying on his neighbors. This brings him to suspect one of them of being a murderer. That’s where the “fun” begins.
Music and Lyrics
Music and Lyrics – 3 out of 5 – a charming “chick flick”. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore have good chemistry, and the musical performances are actually pretty good, although I could do without Grant’s dancing.
Breach
Breach – 4 out of 5 – based on the story of Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent convicted of spying for the Soviet Union, and Eric O’Neill, the operative who helped catch him. This thriller is a fantastic character study with fine performances from Ryan Phillippe as O’Neill, Laura Linney as Agent Burroughs, and Chris Cooper, who is excellent as Hanssen. Highly recommended.
