Movies from 2008

Christopher Nolan's second film in the reinvented Batman series is not only action-packed and a feast for the eyes, but boasts a truly remarkable performance from the late Heath Ledger as the insane criminal, The Joker. Ledger takes the character to...(read more) a whole new level, and has created a performance that will go down in history as one of the all-time greatest. There are many surprises, and surprisingly, quite a few laughs, in this excellent action flick that, at 2 1/2 hours, never lets up and never feels long. Highly recommended.

Based on the classic TV series, "Get Smart" is very funny and a lot of fun. Steve Carell leads a talented cast that keep the laughs coming the whole way through. Very enjoyable.

"Hancock" can be broken up in three different ways. The first 30 minutes are very funny and highly entertaining. Will Smith is at his best, and the laughs just keep coming. The next 30 minutes, however, tend to become a little bit sloppy and the laughs are far less frequent. All would not be lost, however, if the remaining 30 minutes picked up on the previous steam and delivered a solid ending. Unfortunately, the final 30 minutes went from sloppy to an all-out mess, ending the movie so suddenly, you thought you must have missed something. A disappointing turn for Will Smith to say the least. Not recommended.

M. Night's new movie is far different from his previous films, in that it fails to connect in a very big way. Mark Wahlberg leads a cast of talented actors, who, for whatever reason, give terrible performances from start to finish. At times it was almost difficult to watch because of this. The story did not make a great deal of sense. Bits of "scientific facts" were thrown our way, I suppose to make us feel as though these events were possible. However, I'm not even sure these "facts" were real in the first place. Throughout this movie, you're waiting for the "twist" at the end, just like all of M. Night's previous works. Just so you know, there is no twist. What you see is what you get. And you don't get much. Very disappointing.

While high expectations often lead to large disappointment, I am happy to say that was not the case here. Harrison Ford is back in a big way in another Indiana Jones adventure, that while very different from the others, remains true to the non-stop ...(read more)adventure and all-out fun of the previous three films. The movie is set 20 years after The Last Crusade, putting the year at 1957. Instead of battling Nazis, Indy is doing battle with the Russians, trying to stay one step ahead of them at all times in returning the Crystal Skull to its rightful place. Steven Spielberg has crafted a different look for this latest outing, making it look like a movie filmed during the 1950's, from certain set pieces, to simply the quality of the picture, bringing a certain level of authenticity to it. A great movie, with a terrific look to it. Highly recommended.

The latest comic book adaptation to come to the big screen is different than most ... its story more than equals its amazing special effects. Robert Downey Jr. is perfectly cast as playboy millionaire Tony Stark, head of a multi-national weapons manu...(read more) facturing corporation. After Tony is taken hostage by a group of terrorists, who have been sold weapons from his own company, his life is changed forever. After escaping, he devotes his life to helping this world, as opposed to creating weapons that will one day destory it. As a result, he creates a suit of armour, and becomes Iron Man. Sounds like a very run-of-the-mill action movie, but with clever dialogue, terrific effects and a well-written story, "Iron Man" soars above the rest. Highly recommended.

Very funny movie about an overweight and underachieving panda who is chosen to be the Dragon Warrior of Kung Fu. Jack Black voices the panda, and provides a great deal of laughs, as usual. A fun story and terrific animation make this a great movie ...(read more) all around. Lots of fun!

Very scary movie about an all-too real situation that some unfortunate people have found themselves in. While the scares were very present, and in that way, the movie did its job, the ending was quite poor, leaving the viewer feeling frustrated and unresolved.

Diane Lane puts in a good performance as always, but not even she can save this otherwise poor movie. This is just another thriller in the long line of thrillers that puts gory before story. This could have been much better.