The Year in Movies Review

I have the following movie stubs from the previous year:

Good Night and Good Luck (2/10/06): A very good movie, with superb acting by David Strathairn. My only complaint is the side story about the married couple; it was well acted but took away from the force of the main story. I still think that David Strathairn should have won Best Actor over Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote. I thought this was a far superior movie to Capote. Grade: A-

Walk the Line (don't have stub): M reminded me that we saw this picture around the same time. Fabulous movie about the early life and times of Johnny Cash. Extremely well-acted by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. I actually liked this movie more than Ray, another Oscar-winning movie about a musician. My only question is why they stopped it where they did-- I was very interested in seeing his rise to fame again in the late 90s/early 00s with a whole new host of artists and fans. Grade: A

V for Vendetta (3/18/06): The first really good movie of an Alan Moore story from the comic books. They really didn't change much for the movie, I felt, and the few changes they did make were for cinematic reasons. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. I was even more surprised by how much of the original dialogue they managed to keep! Grade: B

Mission: Impossible 3 (5/21/06): I enjoyed the first M:I and disliked the second immensely. So I had an open mind but reservations going into this one. And I will readily admit that Tom Cruise's antics prior to this movie's release annoyed me. However, I was entertained. I thought this was a terrific action movie, well-acted, with a good story. Grade: B

Da Vinci Code (5/21/06): What a waste of time and money. As I had already read the book, I expected-- no, needed-- them to make some changes from the book to a movie in order to provide a more cinematic experience. Instead, they chose to keep the long, wandering dialogue rather than showing us those passages in action-filled sequences. Plus, while a fan of Tom Hanks, I felt this was his worst effort in many years. Ian McKellen was a treat, as always. Grade: D

X-Men: The Last Stand (5/28/06): Not nearly as good as it could have been, I was, however, entertained. Had good action and effects and wrapped up the stories being told in a way in which I was satisfied. Grade: C+

Superman Returns (7/4/06): A surprisingly good comic book movie. However, the entire addition of the son of Lois Lane became a thorough distraction and little to no explanation of the varying effects of Kryptonite caused me issues. For example, he has lost all his powers while on the rock of crystal and Kryptonite enough that some common thugs and Lex Luthor can beat him to a pulp and stab him, yet moments later he does not lose his super-strength or ability to fly and is able to heave that rock into orbit, but then falls to earth in a coma after doing so. Hunh?

However, if you are a comic book or action movie fan, then the entire scene where Superman saves the shuttle and the airplane is worth the price of admission alone. Grade: B+

Note: I just watched Superman 2: The Donner Cut. First, this is a far superior movie to the 2 that was released in theaters. Secondly, Returns seems to be a sequel to this version more than to the original 2. I recommend that anyone who enjoyed the first Superman movie rent or watch The Donner Cut for a far better sequel and a much better story.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (7/10/06): I thoroughly enjoyed the original movie. This movie was flawed. First and foremost: Elizabeth and Will seem to have forgotten everything that Jack is about and that they experienced from the first movie. That annoyed me. Second, the director seemed to put in multiple shots of the "best" of the comic action from the first film into the second and then extended those scenes to the point where I was asking, "When are we moving on from this?" Third, this movie is half of a two-parter. Unlike most movies, which try to tell a complete story that can stand alone, this one just ends at the half-way marker and insists that you watch the third to get the entire story. The only highlights were Johnny Depp and the dog. Grade: D+

The Last Kiss (unsure, can't find ticket stub): I am a fan of Zach Braff. Garden State is a favorite of mine, so I was very interested in seeing this one. The story was strong, the relationships were meaningful, and the ensemble cast was well-played. My only complaint has nothing to do with this movie itself: M and I watched it just days prior to her leaving for Canada. Since the movie is about a relationship breaking up, not the best choice we could have made. Left us a bit sad and melancholy prior to her departure.

I continue to make the argument that the Academy Awards needs to add a "Best Ensemble" award so that movies like this one (or Crash, Gossford Park, etc.) can have the entire cast nominated instead of trying to pull individuals out of the ensemble or having multiple people from the same movie competing against each other. Grade: B+

Casino Royale (11/19/06): I was initially a little surprised by the casting of Craig as Bond. Not that I was against him, per se, but the other roles I had watched him in didn't give me any indication he would fit into the Bond character. I was wrong. This is one of the best Bond movies made and Craig makes a good Bond. The story was a bit long, I could have cut about 15 minutes total time out of the movie and been a little happier, but I was completely entertained, pleasantly surprised by the strong, adult violence (most of these movies have been relatively mild in the violence and play it for more humor), and happy with the tone and story. I look forward to a sequel. Grade: A-

Rocky Balboa (12/06): I am a fan of the first three Rocky movies and I enjoyed the fourth but admit it wasn't the best movie in the world. The fifth Rocky was awful-- a painful waste of time. This Rocky is surprisingly good. It does have its flaws: too many soliloquies, not enough character development of the love interest, her son, the "villain," or Rocky's son. Otherwise, it is a decent movie that plays with the concept of getting older and having unfinished business. It was fun to see Rocky go out the way he should and wipes clean, for me, the memory of 5. Grade: C+