Movie Round Up 2008

Here is the list of movies I saw in the theater this past year:

Michael Clayton (February 17) was a very good movie, with a good story, and mostly great acting. George Clooney was actually the weakest link in this, while Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson were incredibly engaging and powerful in their respective roles. A-

Definitely, Maybe (March 13) was a good, sweet story. Ryan Reynolds was a pleasant surprise, while Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks, and Rachel Weisz were quite good in each of their roles. Breslin was cute. I really enjoyed the story and I especially liked that this "chick-flick" was told from the perspective of the male role; made for an interesting twist. B+

The Bank Job (March 16) was a solid crime drama, with Jason Statham well-cast as the leader of a group of somewhat amateurish thieves who are contracted to rob a bank and all that transpires because of it. It is funny, fun, and exciting. B-

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (April 20) was a great comedy. Jason Segal was a breakout talent shown in this movie, while Kristin Bell was great as the eponymous ex-girlfriend and Mila Kunis was a surprise as the new love interest. Russell Brand was good as the sex-crazed pop singer. I don't often laugh out loud at comedies, but did regularly while watching this one. A-

Iron Man (May 2) was one of the best comic book translations made. Instantly leaped into the top four of all-time best comic adaptations. Robert Downey Jr was the absolute perfect choice for Tony Stark and Gwenyth Paltrow did some of her best work in years as Pepper Potts. I didn't like Terrence Howard as Rhodey and I felt the ending was a little weak, but the overall tone and translation of source to screen was fabulous. A

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 23) was half to even two thirds of a pretty decent movie, but the last act blew it out of the water. Aliens don't belong in an Indiana Jones movie. I liked that they made many references to his getting older, but at the same time that's not why we watch Indy. I didn't have the same issues with Shia LaBeouf that others did. It just came across as a bit tired, over done, and trite by the end. The script leaked online about a year ago was far superior to what was actually filmed, which is too bad. C

Incredible Hulk (June 18) was a pretty good action movie. I still puzzle over why it was not better received by audiences. I have a theory that if they had used less CGI and used trick shots using actors people would have liked it more. As it was, it had a very quick recap of how the character became the Hulk, got quickly into the action, and had a lot of great scenes of battle with the Hulk-- all of the "problems" people stated they didn't like with the Eric Bana Hulk movie, yet the audience didn't watch. Edward Norton was great as Banner, Tim Roth was very good as Emil Blonsky, but Liv Tyler seemed out of her league and floundering as Betty Ross. C+/B-

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (July 13) was a good sequel and a pretty good movie. Ron Perlman once again was great as Hellboy and his supporting cast was good. Guillermo del Toro did a very good job with direction and the visualization of the mythic creatures that populate this world. In some ways, like action and plot movement, was better than the first. B

WALL*E (July 17) was one of the best animated films I've seen. It was one of the two best films of the last year. It has a touching story that is accessible to both children and adults, a strong love story, good comedy, and a message. I personally felt the second half was slightly weaker than the first half, and a bit broader in its comedy, but this is only a small fault. A

The Dark Knight (July 20) was the second of the two best films of the last year. It was a tight cop drama, a great action movie, and a damn good character piece. Heath Ledger was incredible as the Joker, while Aaron Eckhart, Christian Bale, and the rest of the ensemble cast were solid. Nolan proved, finally, that you can have a good movie that happens to have a character who dresses as a super-hero. Small complaints are that the movie is too long, the "fourth act" could have been the start to a great third movie instead of the end of this one, and the "bat sonar" scenes felt a little false. None of these complaints are enough to torpedo it. A

Quantum of Solace (November 15) was a great sequel to Casino Royale, but didn't quite live up to that first film's tight story. The secondary story of Camile's revenge nullified and drew attention away from Bond, which isn't what you want from a Bond film. The plot was a bit disjointed and the crime was a little esoteric. However, with the exception of the shaky-cam used on the opening chase scene, all of the action was incredible and the acting by Craig and Dench was great. I particularly like that the writers/director have given Dench a bigger role and more to do; she and Craig have a good chemistry and their scenes together are always good. B+

Punisher: War Zone (December 7) was, well, a Punisher movie. Everything you expect from a Punisher movie is here-- ultra violence, a little humor, more violence, a ton of blood, and then some more violent deaths. It actually had a pretty good story hidden under all the violence. Ray Stevenson was actually very good as Frank Castle. If you want a movie with a ton of action, and way over the top violence, this is a great movie to see. Closest one yet to what you find in the best Punisher stories. C-