At the Movies

Seen a few flicks lately, some good, some bad. I'm sure I'll forget many, but here's some comments on the last couple weeks' viewing, now that I have some time. I know, I know, they're not new movies, but gimme a break - I've been a little busy lately!

The Ring Two. Apparently, the Japanese know horror. This was almost as scary as the first (which was, by the way, one of the scariest movies I'd seen in a long time), but the plot wasn't as good. Still, very scary and worth seeing if you're into that sort of thing.

The Grudge. What is it about these Japanese directors and their movies? Another great Japanese horror flick turned American, only this time it was directed by the same Japanese director as the original, using the same crew, and same locations. This time, however, it's done in English with American actors (including Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar). It was surprisingly scary; almost on par with the Ring movies. I went into it expecting very little, though, and so maybe my perception was skewed by the fact that it was better than I thought it would be. Still, a good fright-fest.

Amityville Horror. This remake tanked. Stinko. Lame. Not worth the hour and a half, let alone any money you might have to fork out. Skip this one.

XXX: State of the Union. A really horrible, horrible sequel (?) to the first. Skip this one, unless you want to just make fun of the plot and the physics-defying action sequences (like leaping from a 180mph bullet train onto a rope ladder hanging from a helicopter - gimme a break).

The Incredibles. I loved this movie, and went out and bought it. You should watch it if you haven't. In fact, if you have, go watch it again.

Hitch. Will Smith, romantic comedy. I know, sounds a little boring, but it also stars Kevin James of The King of Queens television fame. Funny guy, funny movie. I enjoyed it, despite my initial resistance.

The Mindhunters. A suspense/thriller starring Val Kilmer and Christian Slater. Don't let the star power fool you though; both of them star in about 15% of the movie, and then it's LL Cool J and some television actors (including Cold Case's Kathryn Morris). In the end, a reasonably entertaining flick, but nothing to get too excited about. Rent it if you've got free movies coming, but don't spend much money on it.

Okay, so I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but it's kinda late and I'm kinda braindead. More later, if I think of any worth mentioning.