Bolt

In a Nutshell: We really enjoyed it! A little intense at the beginning, but very fun with a lot of heart. The child loved it, too.

Quick Plot: Bolt is the star of his very own television show as a dog with super powers. The problem is, he thinks it is all real. When he accidentally ends up out in the real world and on the other side of the USA, his "powers" aren't working. How will he ever get back home to his person?

In Detail: This movie was just so much fun. When we found ourselves still chuckling about more than one scene several days later, we knew we would end up buying it when it was released for home viewing. The gags are funny (it's styrofoam! LOL), the banter is hilarious (Rhino in particular), but the story doesn't get lost, and the emotion is there as well. Just really well done. That's not to say that it's not predictable, but hey, it's a Disney; that comes with the territory. I actually don't mind predictable most of the time. We took the child to see it (age 4) at the theater as well. I will say that the opening sequence is a little intense (and a little long at such intensity for very young children, IMO), so you may want to preview it for the little ones. But L was riveted, and it is now one of his most favorite films.

Will I Buy It? Already did, on Blu-ray, no less!

The Bourne Ultimatum

In a Nutshell: Not a whole lot of plot, but it more than makes up for it with excellent suspense. One of the best nail-biters I've seen in a while.

Quick Plot: Jason Bourne is tired of living on the run with no memory. He wants to know who he really is, and he wants to be left alone.

In Detail: That pretty much covers it. Not a whole lot of plot to speak of, but that's okay. I don't mind if a film doesn't have a long detailed plot as long as it does well with what it has. On this front, the film does quite well. More Joan Allen (good), more Julia Stiles (good), and adding David Strathairn (good). And they really did build the suspense from one scene to the next. They would build it up and let it down, but not quite all the way down, then build it back up again. We really enjoyed it. Just sit back and let it roll; don't think too hard.

Will I Buy It? Don't know. I don't even know if we own the first one. It was good, I'm just not sure if we'd watch it over and over (besides, my parents own it, so we could borrow it if need be).

The Bridge

In a Nutshell: I stumbled on this one late night on IFC (dangerous, I know; that is the Independent Film Channel, for those unfamiliar), just moments after it started. It really was like an accident, you just can't not look once you start watching. Very powerful, and very unsettling.

Quick Plot: Taken directly from IMDb, because I couldn't have said it better. "This is a documentary exploration of the mythic beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge, the most popular suicide destination in the world, and those drawn by its call. Steel and his crew filmed the bridge during daylight hours from two separate locations for all of 2004, recording most of the two dozen deaths in that year (and preventing several others). They also taped interviews with friends, families and witnesses, who recount in sorrowful detail stories of struggles with depression, substance abuse and mental illness."

In Detail: I really wasn't sure I wanted to watch this. In fact, I'm still not. I thought it was going to be awful, and it was very emotional, but it was also fascinating. Listening to how differently each person felt about what had happened to the person they knew; it was an amazing study of human nature, grieving, family, and friendship. I'm not sure I'm explaining this very well. I'm not sure I can. And I absolutely cannot recommend this film to everyone. You have to decide if it is something you think you can handle; I know not everyone can. I won't lie, it is hard to watch. But I'm not sorry I did, and it is one of those things that has stuck with me far more than I thought it would. Very haunting.

Will I Buy It? No. I don't care to see it again.

Brokeback Mountain

In a Nutshell: Good movie, excellent performances, but didn't live up to the hype.

Quick Plot: (If you don't know by now, then you have been living under some huge whopping rock for way too long.) Two cowboys begin a forbidden and secret romance that spans several decades.

In Detail: Wow, what to say about this movie. I don't really know. Lots of folks have seen it already, lots of others won't see it for any reason, and still others have lots of questions. If you have some specific questions you would like to ask me about it, email me and I'll get back to you. For me, I'll just review it like I would any other film.

It was very good, but not great. It is one of those films (and I have seen several) where the performances were excellent, but the movie as a whole didn't live up to those performances. My hat is off to Heath Ledger; he was simply amazing. So restrained, so understated, and yet you could just feel his pain and torment flowing from the screen. Jake Gyllenhaal was good, but Ledger was better. It doesn't help that there is something about Gyllenhaal's character that I really didn't like, though I can't really put my finger on it. The movie is very slow, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Most emotional dramas are. But ultimately, I was disappointed. No, disappointed isn't quite right; unsatisfied is probably better. For that kind of build-up and that amount of time and emotional investment in the long and drawn out drama (again, not a necessarily a bad thing), there just wasn't enough pay-off. I should have cried. I should have been bawling. Instead, I barely got misty. I'm all for subtle, but to me, there should have been more. More how or more of what, I'm not sure. It was just missing something. Good, worth seeing if you're interested, but not the great cinematic masterpiece I was expecting.

Will I Buy It? Unlikely. I wouldn't watch it often enough to make it worthwhile.

The Bourne Supremacy

In a Nutshell: The next film in the Jason Bourne saga, this one has an interesting story, if less effective execution, though I'm not sure why it was slightly less entertaining than the original. Worth renting for fans of the first one.

Quick Plot: Treadstone is gone, but Jason Bourne still lives, and someone wants him eliminated. Bourne is willing to keep running, until they cross the line. In order to survive and hopefully clear his name, Bourne must take on the government and his former Treadstone foes, returning to his operative ways.

In Detail: The story here is rather interesting. I thought
Treadstone has been reinstated from the previews, but this is not the case. Instead, Joan Allen is put in charge of the investigation, in which two of her own operatives were killed. She is an effective investigator; she wants the truth, not just revenge. And the truth she finds is rather interesting. I love the interactions between her character and Bourne, and the story does go in some interesting directions. But it just didn't seem as good to me, and I can't really say why. The chase scene was lesser, that's for sure (LOVED the first one). The acting was fine for this type of film, the story was better, but it was still.... lacking some how. Worth renting if you liked the first one.

Will I Buy It? No, it doesn't quite make the cut. Glad I saw it, don't care to see it again.

Big Fish

In a Nutshell: Wow. I was so surprised by this movie. I was just expecting it to be okay, and it was exceptional! And I don't even *like* Tim Burton! Just go see it.

Quick Plot: A son tries to reconnect with his sick father, after years of having to tolerate Dad's "big fish" stories.

In Detail: Just wow. This is truly one of the best movies I have seen in quite some time. I wasn't even going to see it; I really don't like Tim Burton films. But my brother convinced me that it wasn't a typical Tim Burton (like Edward Scissorhands ::shudder::), and that he really thought I'd like it. And he was so right! Thanks little bro. This movie was fun and funny and fantastical and fulfilling all at the same time (and no, I didn't try to get all those words in there, it just worked out that way). Yes, it's a little strange, but in a good way, and it actually makes sense within the context of the film. It is also very moving; if you're a crier, take tissue (I only had one or two tears, but there was lots of sniffling and a couple of borderline sobs in the theater). Just a great great film. I'm trying not to say too much about it, because I don't want to ruin anything. Just see it, you won't be sorry.

Will I Buy It? Most likely.

Brother Bear

In a Nutshell: I wanted to love it, but I didn't. Still good though.

Quick Plot: Kenai, an Inuit young man in search of vengeance for his brother, is transformed by the spirits into a bear so that he may "walk a mile in his enemy's shoes," so to speak, and Koda (an abandoned cub) tags along. But Kenai's other brother is also seeking vengeance, and assumes Bear-Kenai is the enemy.

In Detail: A beautiful film, to be sure, eh? The Aurora Borealis animation is fantastic. I especially liked the "Great Spirits" song segment, sung by Tina Turner. Beyond that, it was just, well, okay. I really wanted to love this film, and I didn't. Liked it, yes, but not love. Sadly, most of the best stuff, you've seen in the trailers. Beyond the stunning visuals (with extensive multi-plane camera use, yay!), the story is just a touch blah. Fine for kids, I think. Worth seeing, but perhaps with slightly lower expectations. If you like ending Kodas, I mean codas, stay through the credits.

Will I Buy It? Most likely. You know I'm a Disney nut!

Bandits

In a Nutshell: Quite different, quite funny; worth seeing.

Quick Plot: Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton escape from prison and decide to knock off a bank to get the cash needed to flee to Mexico. They become dubbed "The Sleepover Bandits" due to their tactic of holding the bank manager hostage over night, then accompanying him/her to the vault the next morning. Throw in Kate Blanchett as a hostage/love interest (and the inevitable love triangle), and you've got quite a mix.

In Detail: It's different. Not really what I was expecting, but still very good. I thought it would be more of a straight comedy, but there was quite a bit of drama to it. Plenty of laughs as well, though. Willis is the delightfully slightly-psycho action man of the group, and never ceases to amaze with his wild notions. Thornton is fantastic as the hypochondriac brain of the operation. Blanchett is kooky as the disgruntled wife/hostage/borderline nutcase and amazing to watch. The way the pieces fit together in the end is great!

Will I Buy It? Probably not. I liked the movie, but I didn't love it. A great rental, though.

The Bourne Identity

In a Nutshell: Not bad for a different twist on the spy thriller genre.

Quick Plot: Matt Damon wakes up on a ship with no clue as to who he is, except that he was pulled out of the sea with bullets in his back and a tiny cylinder embedded in his hip listing a Swiss bank account. People are after him, trying to kill him, and he has no idea why. He is also trained in many skills, not the least of which incapacitating people without much fuss or fanfare.

In Detail: I liked this movie fine. It had good suspense, and great car chases (reminded me of older James Bond films). I love films set in Europe, so this was an additional plus in my book. I do feel that it was missing something, though. It's like someone gave the screenwriter a 5-minute synopsis of the book, and he wrote the screenplay from that. Now, I have *not* read the book, this is just my feeling. I'm sure the book has all of the intricacies that I'm looking for that the movie was missing. It was still a fine 2 hours spent in the theater. Possibly worth full price, but a matinee is best. Again, wouldn't lose much on the small screen if you chose to wait. And I definitely want to read the book!

Will I Buy It? Probably not, unless the sequels are good and I need this one for the set.

Bad Company

In a Nutshell: Funny in spots, not really a waste of 2 hours per se, but mainly blah.

Quick Plot: This is the latest "mismatched buddy cop" movie, this time starring Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock. Rock and his twin brother were separated at birth, the refined works-for-the-CIA brother gets killed, and street hustler brother is recruited to take his place to finish out that last mission.

In Detail: Not much detail to give really. It had its moments. I think Chris Rock has it in his contract that he is allowed a 3-minute spiel on the topic of his choosing in each film; that said, this one's pretty funny. We laughed, and we didn't feel like we had wasted 2 hours. Is it worth full price ($7.50 here)? Probably not. Will it lose anything on video? I doubt it. Anthony Hopkins was disappointing in this role, so if that's you're only reason for seeing it, don't bother. It was like he went through the whole movie with the "I can't believe I'm doing this" attitude, and it showed.

Will I Buy It? Nope.