Best of 2008-Greatest Movies of the year

Fantastic! They finally got one of Dr. Seuss's classic children stories right. And the animation is brilliant! Visually stunning with the talents of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and the great Carol Burnett.

Given the band's obvious megalomania,its impossible to consider U2 as coming close to the Beatles as one of the greatest rock groups of all time? It is a possibility and its new concert movie bears it out. If you ever seen "Rattle and Hum" or "U2 Go Home",or if you have even been in the front row of a U2 concert-you've never experienced anything quite like this,which is the "Lawrence of Arabia" of concert movies with lead singer Bono in the Peter O' Toole role. The massive sonic grandeur comes at you in a rush,wave after wave of it which is remarkable when you consider that this ginormous sound comes from just four guys playing. And seeing this in an IMAX theatre is worth the enjoyment. The best concert film I've seen this year.

This year's must see film is a spectacle beyond belief. Spectacular in every detail.
Bollywood's version of "Ben-Hur" and
"Cleopatra" on a grand scale. The movie iteslf is gorgeous,but it also some of the greatest battle sequences every committed to film including one that features elephants and camels(which was something right outta other movies)but this one is much more brilliant. At a running time of 242 minutes,it is the must see film of 2008. and with good reason.

It just goes to show that when it comes to Hollywood heavies,not one of them is strudy and weathered like Harrison Ford who proves to be as worthy as any 65-year old could be,and the other elements of this Spielburg-Lucas blockbuster franchise remains recognizably intact....even after some 20 years. This is however the first "Indy" film in 19 years and it shows in the thrill ride of the summer. Set in 1957,the year of the Cold War and Communism,the fourth installment to the "Indiana Jones" series with producer George Lucas and director Steven Spielburg at the helm along with producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall with a dynamic screenplay by David Koepp(the writer for Jurassic Park)and musical arranger John Williams,this sequel emcompasses all the elements needed and to bring Harrison Ford back as the two fisted swashbuckling archeologist is a welcome change.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" bring Dr. Jones to the late 1950's where our hero(who has aged) encompasses atomic blasts,sadistic commies,federal agents,blacklisting(from Marshall College),not to mention the Roswell incident,the South American jungles of Peru and Brazil,the usual f/x blizzard and the element of surprise not to mention dealing with a deadly and dangerous foe...this time around dealing with evil Russians(Cate Blanchett)in the quest for the crystal skull. Also to point out this film pays a great tribute to the science fiction/horror/adventure films of the 1950's with references to several Spielburg films(does "E.T." and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" come to mind and his previous remake of "The War of the Worlds"). The cast includes the return of Karen Allen(from the first "Raiders of the Lost Ark" film a welcome sight)along with Shia LaBeouf, John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent along with the usual cliffhanging suspense and non-stop action and thrills that make this the movie to see this summer. Spielburg and Lucas have done it again,and then some.

The thrill ride of the summer. This is to let you know that the Joker is more than wild which brings the testament of Heath Ledger's performance in the second prequel to Batman. Only this time around,Ledger does this with more style and pure evil than Jack Nicholson or even Cesar Romero ever did. "The Dark Knight" brings to light the rattled and transfixation of the character's diabolical menace,blocking out thoughts of the actor's untimely death. It's a career making portrayal and a sadly a career-making one as well. To go from the tacitrum ranch hand in "Brokeback Mountain" to the embodiment of comic-book evil is a stunning trajectory. With his cracked white-pancake makeup,smeared lipstick and greasy hair,the Joker bears no resemblance to the actor that plays him but in fact,the character is like nothing we've seen or heard before. There is however a hint of Malcolm McDowell in "A Clockwork Orange",but Ledger has made this maniac his own singularly unhinged villain. From the repellent way he darts his tongue around to his sneering,nasal voice,he is a peerless eccentric.

Though this is clearly Ledger's movie,that does not diminish the accomplishments of other key cast members. Just as he was in "Batman Begins",Christian Bale is a suave Bruce Wayne and a heroic caped crusader defending Gotham City from the forces of evil.
Gary Oldman is excellent in the returning role as police Lt. Gordon.while Maggie Gyllenhaul replaces Katie Holmes,adding more depth to her character than Holmes ever did in the last installment. Even Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman lend terrific support while Aaron Eckhart is brilliant as disrict attorney Harvey Dent(the man who will transform later on in the prequel series as Batman arch nemesis Two Face).

Again,director and screenwriter Christoper Nolan has crafted "The Dark Knight" into a thrilling,morally,complex and masterfully entertaining piece of a summer blockbuster and it works or all levels. Though it clocks in at 154 minutes,the film is tautly edited with an economy of great storytelling(which goes heavily by the origins of the DC Comics Book and the comic graphic novels). The action scenes are worth the price of admission and they include amazing feats of technical virtuousity. Nolan has done it again and this time brings this second installment as one of the darkest ever in the series. It has the requisite jolts and twists. But it surprises in profound ways and gives us a
maliciously witty villain who gives a performance that is out of the ordinary.