I dont think we have a thread going yet about this. But I was wondering if you all had seen any good movies lately that you would like to either recommend or share you're opinion on.

Freedom Writers - Hilary Swank again does a great job! I just finished watching this tonight and I absolutely loved it and recommend it to everyone. Ever since i seen the previews for this movie i wanted to see it and I am glad i finally got the chance.

The Guardian - Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher are agreat actors and i really really loved this movie, I recommend it if you have not seen it yet.


I'm not good at writing reviews of movies...lol but That is all i have for now but if i get the chance to watch any other movies I will let you know.

oops somehow this ended up here, can it get moved to Off Topic somehow please?

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH--Compelling documentary from TV director Davis Guggenheim about former Vice President (and "used-to-be-the-next-President") Al Gore being on a mission to convince people to combat Global Warming. Gore makes his case compellingly, and with an avalanche of data, that a great deal of the freakish atmospheric conditions we have had, including superstorms like Hurricane Katrina and prolonged heat waves in both the U.S. and Europe in 2005, is directly related to us putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and warming our planet's surface. This film is a call to action, and is a must-see (IMHO).

I enjoyed the "300," but it is more for men with its violence and whatnot. If you go into it thinking you're going to watch an accurate depiction of what happened with the Spartans and Persians, you're going to be disappointed. What I like about the film is that the story is told more or less epic-style, and that's what makes it more interesting than the actual battle, in my opinion. Consider it this way: imagine that you are living during that time, and you hear a recounting of the events in the same manner as Homer; this film is what you might imagine from how the story is told.

Going to see Spiderman 3 Friday.

I have also rented recently "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "The Queen." Really liked "Pursuit..." a lot, especially knowing it was based on a true story. "The Queen" was done reasonably well, though people who are--shall we say--less knowledgeable about protocol and whatnot might find it rather boring. If memory serves, Helen Mirren won an academy award for her portrayal; and if memory serves, it was said that the Queen (Elizabeth) herself liked Helen Mirren's portrayal of her. In my opinion, however, whether or not this film and/or her portrayal makes Queen Elizabeth seem any more sympathetic (as a few critics said around the time) is debatable. Personally, I would recommend waiting until it's on TV for free.

The Last King of Scotland.

It was a very good movie. The story was good and the acting was great. It was better than I expected.

We recently saw Night at the Museum and I wasn't really expecting it to be anything interesting but now having seen it, I really enjoyed watching it as well as "catching up on some history". I wouldn't mind watching again.

Thanks for starting this topic Melanie. I am anxious to see Freedom Writers as well.

Zep, I have Pursuit of Happiness ordered and can't wait to see that one once it arrives.

As for The Queen, I had been waiting forever to see it so I bought it when it was released. I enjoyed it, but parts of it were a bit slow, and I thought it focused a bit too much on the protocol and the queen and Tony's relationship in handling the situation at times. I did think Helen Mirren did an outstanding job and deserved her Oscar for her portrayal. Having a British grandmother, I grew up with her still keeping up with the royal family and such. I found parts of the movie made her sympathetic and other scenes, not so much. I just remember watching everything and staying glued to my tv for days after the accident 10 years ago. I've read somewhere that Helen Mirren said she didn't know if the queen saw the movie and didn't want to know what she thought of it. I'm sure she probably has by now.

My hubby and I are also going to see Spiderman this weekend. He's been waiting for this one.

Bobby.

This movie was amazing. The acting is great and the story is soo good. It was alot better than I thought it was going to be. A truly great film! Everyone should see it.

You know she's over in my neck of the woods right now--the REAL Queen. Interesting stuff.

I want to see this one. I'm a big fan of Hilary Swank. Her work in Million Dollar Baby was amazing.

I don't know that I'm going to see Spider-Man 3 in the theaters. I was very disappointed in the second film and I just don't have the enthusiasm to spend 140 minutes watching it again in a theater.

I'll see 300 when it hits DVD. I hope this adaptation of Frank Miller's work turns out better for me than did Sin City, which I HATED.

Another movie I recently watched was Eragon, I'm not a big fan of movies like this but i thought this one was very well done and i enjoyed it very much.

I should've also noted, in talking about "The Queen," that for most people (Tony Blair, Queen Elizabeth, etc.) they hired actors to play them (as you can imagine). However, except for one scene (where they recreate Diana's tragic death), every time that you see Diana it really is her, because you can tell that it's old archive footage spliced into the film.

My brother went to a midnight showing of Spider-Man 3 and he said it was TERRIBLE.

My local comic shop guy said the movie was definitely not as good as #2 (which I hated), and said I'd be better off waiting for DVD.

I completely disagree with the last post...I just watched Spiderman 3, and it was great!!!! Must see! And, being 2 ½ hours long, I would suggest not getting the largest soda (unless you have a strong bladder!)

I doubt I'll be going to see the movie in the theater anyway. I've got summer basketball starting in a couple of weeks and that will occupy my time for the next 3 months.

I watched Pursuit of Happyness today....and WOW. What an amazing movie with a great story. I absolutely loved the whole entire thing. Definitly worth watching.

^ o yes! I know. That movie is great. Will Smith is amazing in it. A really great message. Everyone has to watch this movie!

I'll probably see this one when it hits pay per view.

I've been seeing great reviews for the new films Waitress and Away From Her.

Waitress stars Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion (From Firefly and Serenity! Whoo HOO!). It was written and directed by Adrienne Shelley (who co-stars as well). She was murdered in New York a few months back so this is her swan song.

Away from her is a tale adapted from an Alice Munro book. It focuses on an older couple and what happens when the woman (played by Julie Christie) begins to suffer the effects of Alzheimer's Disease. It was written and directed by actress Sarah Polley. (Go, The Sweet Hereafter, TV's Avonlea).

Has anyone seen the New Pirates of the Carribean Movie or Shrek the Third??

I really wanna go see those two movies. There are so many great ones coming out this summer, I can't wait!!

I've seen both, actually...sorry that I didn't post about it.

Shrek The Third: I thought it was okay, but personally, I didn't like it as much as the first two, though I would have difficulty pinpointing why. I have loved the Shrek movies up until now. Maybe part of it is that the novelty has worn off. The movie was only about an hour and a half long; perhaps they didn't develop the story enough. I also felt that the humor in it was beginning to be recycled humor. The theme of acceptance (of others who are different) is in this movie as much or more than it was in the previous films; I feel like they are running that theme in the ground, and I would like to see them take the cartoon in new directions. Little kids in the theater loved it just as much as the others; but I didn't feel that there was enough for the adults as there had been in the previous movies. I have heard that other adults have liked Shrek the Third, however. There are no hidden scenes in the middle or at the end of the final credits; but the first part of the credits has Donkey and Puss'n'Boots singing and dancing. I do have to say that the graphics (for a cartoon) are quite spectacular...there are moments where the drawing is so good, you'd almost swear it was life-like. But anyway, I did like it a little bit...I just think that they could've done more with it, like maybe they should've focused more on Shrek and Fiona's relationship, since that is what the original film is/was based on in the first place.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: I liked it a lot; it had more than enough action to satisfy most action junkies, for lack of a better term. It had some moments that I thought took away from the believability, but I can't say what without ruining anything. I can accept the magical portions of the film(s), but the things that are--shall we say--out of character for a person in a particular situation is what I'm talking about. (but again, I can't say what without ruining anything.) Jack Sparrow was his normally weird self and maybe a little more so. I'm still not sure whether I liked how it turned out at the end, but I can see how it might be helpful for later sequels, should there be any. Probably the central theme of the movie is that all of the pirates will always act on their own behalf; doing a good deed (or a bad one) may help them accomplish some other goal...and that not every treasure is worth the price, but perhaps there are some that are. That's all I will say on that. Stay through the credits; there is an extra scene after the credits (and I will add that, it's rather ironic how they start the extra scene, considering how long the credits are ). Keith Richards' scene was pretty good, though--relatively speaking--his role is rather limited. The first of the film starts a little slow, but it does get better.

Shrek the Third ~ it was okay. Not worth paying to see at the movies unless you have little kids. I liked the novelty of the first two but this movie was not as unique and captivating for the adult audience. It was okay for a first time view as a rental but not forking out the movie prices.

Pirates of the Caribbean ~ definitely worth watching if you're a fan of the other two Pirate movies.

Rented "Catch and Release"--starring Jennifer Garner, Kevin Smith, Juliette Lewis, et al: Story of a woman who learns to live again after the death of her fiancé; she chooses to live with his former roommates for a little while. While not a classic like "Gone With The Wind," I found it entertaining enough. While small elements of it seem a little less believable, the main part of the story does seem credible as something that could actually happen; though I will admit that a woman moving in with her fiancé's former roommates seems a little far-fetched in itself. While there are some funny moments due to the situations that arise, this is not a film where you see conflict because Jennifer Garner's character is in the bathroom washing her hair and one of the guys wants to use the restroom. That is part of the magic of movies, that the camera's lens only sees what is most important to the story, and what is important in this movie is the evolution of a woman who has lost the man that she thought she would spend the rest of her life is...and then there are some surprises along the way. The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and for several scenes where couples become "very intimate," though those scenes are tasteful enough, I suppose. I have to admit, it's probably the first Jennifer Garner movie that I have liked a lot, though Kevin Smith certainly helped make it more interesting. However, he did not write or direct this one, just starred in it, and I should also point out that he was not being his "Silent Bob" character.

I am another one that was not blown away by Shrek the 3rd....it was okay. But I also enjoyed the first two much more.

The only movie I've seen of late in theatres was FRACTURE, a very well-made thriller with the matchless Sir Anthony Hopkins doing a fiendishly clever psychopathic role (different, of course, from the chianti-loving Hannibal Lecter).

However, I've gotten a DVD that I think is extremely worthy of consideration:

WHY WE FIGHT--Documentarian Eugene Jarecki's film from 2005 takes a sober and even-handed look at how much of an impact the military/industrial complex has had over U.S. foreign policy since the end of World War II and up to the present conflict in Iraq. That complex is an entity that President Dwight Eisenhower warned us about in his farewell address to the nation in 1961: "In the councils of government, we must guard against unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military/industrial complex." The film produces clear and unbiased evidence that we have taken this Beast for granted at the risk of watching our democracy be placed on the pyre of what we think is National Security. This film, I think, is a must-see piece, and will make the viewer realize that while freedom isn't free, that it is earned by the blood of others, we must utilize it for the good of our nation and not allow our democracy to be sacrificed to the spoils of constant warfare.

I guess I'm in the minority here, as I enjoyed Shrek 3. I liked it better than the second one. I thought there were some funny moments in it and I enjoyed the sequences with the other female fairy tale characters. As far as the "Pirates" movies, I haven't seen any of them, so I can't comment. I did however really enjoy "Spidey 3". Again, I liked it better than the second one.

I saw "Fracture" also and while I enjoyed it, I thought it was a little bit of a "mail-in" performance by Anthony Hopkins.

I just had to comment on the pirates thing..

I LOVED it!! but then again, im kind of obsessed with Pirates of the Caribbean....
so thats probably why I loved it so much.

I've seen it twice already so i can say that it's worth seeing at least once if you enjoyed the other two.

I find that the third one was probably the saddest, but also the funniest, if that makes sense.

the clip after the credits is short compared to the length of the credits that you have to wait for, but it does hint that there might be more movies !! which makes me really really happy.

I don't know about you all but I can't wait for July 15th - the new Harry Potter movie........... yes, we're addicted Harry Potter movie addicts.......

They have moved the premiere of the Harry Potter movie up a couple days. It now opens on a Wednesday.

I watched Freedom Writers and Step Up on TV. Both were okay, but that's about it.

I've been watching V For Vendetta lately, my favorite movie from last year.

I watched Hollywoodland Friday night. It was a pretty good movie. A little slow at times, but a interesting story.

I went with my mom last night to see the new Harry Potter film. I liked it.

I went to see Live Free Or Die Hard by myself tonight. LOVED IT!!!

We went tonite to see the new Harry Potter movie - Loved it ~ but we all love the Harry Potter movies!!!! I wouldn't mind seeing the movie again to catch all the things I missed the first time around.

The next movie we're going to see is Live Free or Die Hard.......

I'm going to see Harry Potter in about a week. Usually, when we go we're the only ones there - cos all the die hards saw it on the day of release.

Talking of Die Hard, I saw the new one the other week: It was really cool! Great to see John McLaine again. Not as good as the first one, but still a decent action film. Reminded me a lot of 24.

I saw SICKO two weeks ago.

Love him or hate him, Michael Moore is the ultimate cinematic muckraker and agent provocateur of this age; and here, he takes on the American health care system--or lack thereof. It is vintage Moore: topical; infuriating; thought-provoking; and rather hilarious on more than a few occasions.

Harry Potter- Went to the midnite movie and I loved I was a little concerned knowing it was the biggest book and the movie had the shortest run time of the 5 but I really thought it was done really well and the actors have really come into there own.


Transformers- Absolutely the best movie of the year. I loved it.

I never go to a movie on opening night anymore, particularly one that comes with a built in kid audience. They don't know how to shut up! Oh, and their parents are too busy being their best buddies to PARENT them and tell them to SHUT UP! Oh, and never go on a Friday night either, all the teens are at the theater.




And according to a few reports, has problems telling the actual truth in his movies as well.

Do you get your news from Fox News?

Saw Transformers yesterday...I thought it was good in many respects, but it was mostly a kid movie, other than a few references to more "adult" actions. I think that the story was a little weak, and I really did not like the main plot point at the end--the 'death' (insomuch that one of these robots can die) of a particular main character from the series. But the special effects were fairly decent, and I thought that it was really good for being a movie based on a cartoon where robots transform back and forth into vehicles. My critique: 2¾ stars. (P.S. Has original voice of Optimus Prime.)

Just saw Harry Potter 5...loved it! Better than the last two movies, in my opinion. 3½ stars.

Actually I refuse to watch that claptrap so called news network. If I recall correctly, didn't CNN rip on the accuracy of some claims made in the movie?

Well, I'll admit that I don't watch CNN every day, so it is possible that I could have missed it. But I did see (parts of the interview) where CNN gave Michael Moore a chance to talk back, and Michael Moore was saying, more or less, why did it take so long for CNN to see the truth about Bush and this war? And why hasn't CNN done more stories on health care and how our government is doing nothing when there is such a pressing need? The stories are out there.

As to my earlier comment, I also remember that Fox News was the first one to try to go after him when he made Fahrenheit 9/11.

Sue (TrishaYrwoodFan) was just here in Oz and together we went to see Blades of Glory. It was the funniest movie I have seen in a long while. Will Ferrell plays it up as a 'diva' ice skating champ soooooo well.

I watched Daddy's Little Girls, Pride, and Ghost Rider on pay per view over the last few days.

Daddy's Little Girls was pretty decent.

Pride was okay.

Ghost Rider was very simplistic, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.

I think I'm going to see The Bourne Ultimatum tomorrow night.

I rented a few movies yesterday; thought I'd share my critiques:

Blades of Glory: Despite my instincts to avoid films with Will Ferrell and Jon Heder, I listened to my friends and rented this film. (I don't find them funny.) Blades of Glory turned out to be more watchable than their other films, and there are a few more funny moments--certainly more funny than Napoleon Dynamite. I would still say, however, wait until it comes on TV for free.

I Think I Love My Wife: Chris Rock's update/remake of Eric Rohmer's French film, Chloe In The Afternoon (L'amour, l'après-midi). Anyone expecting Chris Rock's normal brand of humor may be disappointed, because here it is a little more muted. (His language, for those who are offended by it, is not.) It's the story of a bored married man who starts to be seduced by another woman. I don't want to give anything away, but--having seen the original--it is fairly faithful to the original version, except for some subtle nuances (as far as how people would react to things happening today as opposed to the reaction in the '70s when Rohmer made it). May not be suitable for younger children due to showing the result of a pill. As far as whether I would recommend renting it or waiting for it to come on TV for free: that's a hard call, because on the one hand, I'm not sure that's it's good enough to recommend to spend money to see it; but on the other hand, if you wait for it to be on TV, then some stuff may be censored and might not have quite the same effect in it's watered-down version. So, with that said, I'll leave the decision to you. (Personally, I hate for stuff to be censored.)

Hot Fuzz: If you are a fan of Reno 911!, you are more likely to like this film. However, I will say that some of the humor here is a little more subtle than Reno. The basic story is that a "supercop" who performs too well in London, to the chagrin of his fellow officers, is thus sent to a "model village" where there is very little crime. Of course, with his Barney Fife-like attitude, he is soon arresting people right and left for the smallest offense. The townspeople keep trying to tell him to lighten up. But he can't help but feel that something else is going on... From those madcap fellows who brought you "Shaun of the Dead" (but this film is better). To tell the truth, I enjoyed this film more than I do Reno 911!. Rent it!

Quote by J. Wilson:



I probably should as well, just for the sake of seeing an action film with brains.

It's interesting to note that all the films in the Bourne series are based on the novels of the late Robert Ludlum, whose books make for interesting reads, but are also maddeningly complex at times. Before this series, there had been only two cinematic adaptations of Ludlum: 1983's THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND (the last film directed by Sam Peckinpah); and 1985's THE HOLCROFT COVENANT (directed by John Frankenheimer).