- Directed by Michael Mann
- Starring Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrel, Gong Li
- As expected of Mann, this cop thriller is skilfully made. Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrel and Gong Li also deliver strong performances in their roles. Mann once again opted to use digital cameras instead of film, which gave Vice his trademark style. This worked particularly well in Collateral, where the video-look enhances the theme of confusion while also giving Los Angeles an appropriate hellish look. In Miami Vice, however, this made the bigger budget action film look a tad amateurish. Miami Vice also doesn't really try anything new. The plot is cleanly written, but uninspired and predictable. The characters constantly look like they're just one step away from delivering a great scene......only then to be yanked back by the tight leach of the script. Mann's intention was probably to create a classic genre piece, but perhaps by doing so, he limited his movie from ever reaching the standards set by his other thriller greats. As a result, overall, Miami Vice is competently made, is well-acted, is even occasionally exciting. Unfortunately, it's also utterly unmemorable. -Comment written by Dear-
- Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
- Starring Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard
- The problem of this film is the story, which is boring, unbelievable and unthrilling.
- Directed by Peyton Reed
- Starring Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston
- Although the trailer looks like a romantic comedy which is supposed to be hilarious and fun, this movie is in fact serious and dull. There is not enough chemistry between the two leads. I can't see any sign of love in the first place. The story doesn't make sense.
- Directed by Gore Verbinski
- Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
- This sequel is big on over the top action sequences, but as tradeoff, loses some of the original's story freshness. Every sequence with the horrendous Kraken is done exceptionally well. All characters except Depp's Captain Sparrow on the other hand, are generally a bore to watch. While the movie is seemingly way too long and too light on plot, the twists at the end surprisingly tie everything together, justifying many scenes that were seemingly unnecessary before. The whole movie might indeed turn out to be just a glorified trailer for part III, but it does work to make you care for the next movie. I'm already hyped for the final film of this trilogy. -Comment written by Dear-
- Directed by Liz Friedlander
- Starring Antonio Banderas
- Based on a true story of Pierre Dulaine, a NYC ballroom dance teacher who tried to transform the troubled youths by way of teaching ballroom dancing to detention students. Antonio Banderas is charming and entertaining as expected. The music and the dance is great. Yet the story is too long and so familiar.
- Directed by Bryan Singer
- Starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey
- The film's greatest merit, like other superhero greats (Spiderman and Singer's own X-men II comes to mind) is how it begs us to identify and relate with the hero. Brandon Routh's Superman may indeed be super (the film's SFX sequences are all spectacular), but he also has other issues to deal with just like the rest of us. Kudos to Singer who decided to give these other plotlines as much attention and screentime as the save-the-world part. The result is a well-balanced and polished film. Good superhero movies make you want to have superhero powers when you leave the theater. Great ones make you want to be the hero, sharing his/her ideals and beliefs. This is one such movie.
The only real flaw is perhaps the utter uselessness of the main villain. Kevin Spacey did his best to make Luthor as memorable as he could, but when you are going against Superman, you need much more than that to stand out.
IMPORTANT LESSON: When going to watch movies that children might also be present in the theater, either schedule for an evening showing or bring some transquilizer with you. Vicious elbow attacks could work too, to the child or the mother, or both. -Comment written by Dear-
