Avatar 3D

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After the Earth has used up all its resources-- and also developed the technology to fly people 6 years into space so they can inhabit the bodies of man-made beings that look like the aliens who live 6 years into space-- earthlings use their military to try to claim the distant planet Pandora's resources as its own.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Wes Studi, Laz Alonso

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I had totally forgotten what Dances with Wolves was about until I saw this movie, which when you change American Indians to blue-alien-nature-worshippers, is pretty much the same movie. That said, if you're a lover of art and fantasy, the sights in this land are not to be missed.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: All the hype and build up made me laugh.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not likely, but the music might rock you to sleep.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It really does deserve to sweep the special effects and makeup categories. But anyone who calls this the best picture of the year should be fired immediately. Even if it's your dry cleaner.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I kinda get what all the hype about Sam Worthington is about. But I did hear his Australian accent slip through noticeably several times.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I wouldn't be disappointed if James Cameron won the Oscar for Best Director. The world he creates is truly stunning. I would almost suggest watching the movie on mute, and simply enjoying the visual artistry.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Hard to follow and filled with moments that you have to ask your friends to explain the justification for afterwards. Your friends won't be able to justify those holes in the logic either. And the dialogue (what little of it there is) is filled with cliched jingoisms. "Let's dance!"

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Way too long. As usual. 162minutes. Egregious.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/avatar/26982/trailers

Back To Top

Race to Witch Mountain

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A skeptical cab driver (Dwayne Johnson) picks up a pair of child aliens (AnnaSophia Robb & Alexander Ludwig), and they all run from the government, an alien monster, and some mafia thugs, as they attempt to save their planet and ours from imminent destruction.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Carla Gugino, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Everett Scott, Chris Marquette, Billy Brown, Garry Marshall, and from the original, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If I were Simon Cowell, I might say, "You didn't make it your own." If I were Randy Jackson, I would add a "Dawg" to that. And if I were Paula Abdul I would say, "I like cake." But what they all mean is, it's all there, except for the charm.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Only once, thanks to the well written dialogue of a non-speaking dog named, Junkyard.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I cried when I found out that there were no witches on the mountain, or anywhere else in the film. Maybe they meant to spell it "Which" mountain. That would've made more sense, in the context of a film that asks the question, "Hey, which mountain is our space craft hidden on?"

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Well, it is the Best Movie I've seen this year for boys 7 to 11 years old. And since it's made by Disney, I can't imagine it'll get a Nickelodeon award... unless the lesson of the day at Nickelodeon is "share-nice."

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The kids' speech patterns are purposely stilted, for the purpose of proving to the audience that they're aliens. So when you cast The Rock next to that, who delivers every line with his signature stiffness, it's sometimes hard to decipher who is supposed to be human. But when it comes to the physicality of being an action hero, Dwayne Johnson is the most believable one they've got. With his gargantuan biceps, you actually believe he could knock an alien-created, robot-soldier off his feet with a single punch.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing captures all the action appropriately, I only wish some of it didn't contain the types of hokey effects you would find on a ride at Disneyland. But it is a recession, so maybe Disney is cutting back by creating the ride first, and then shooting the movie on it.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It is choreographed like an old standard: And 1) and present the skeptic, and 2) and introduce him to aliens, and 3) have them running from everyone until he believes they exist, and kick-ball-change, chassé, and spin!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/race-to-witch-mountain/33071/trailers

Back To Top

WALL•E

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Right when the last living robot on Earth gets lonely, a female robot lands on his planet, and together they attempt to bring humans back to rebuild it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigournery Weaver... although you really can't recognize most of them.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's got some very current messages about the environment, big corporations, and obesity-- as well as how they're all tied together-- but at times you find yourself thinking too hard to understand what's going on. What I'm saying is that (as tends to happen with Pixar films), it's a little over-rated by the majority of critics that aren't me.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Here and there, but with almost no dialogue for the first two-thirds, this kids' movie often times went right over my head.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Probably not, but it's nice to see that in the year 2700, robots have absolutely no stigma attached to interracial dating.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: There are only two steps in the recipe for getting an Academy Award. 1) Compete in a category with hardly any contenders (Animation), and 2) Be a Pixar film.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Robotic.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As with most Pixar projects, the most wonderful stuff is in the details and the little moments that you feel you couldn't have thought of yourself.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's impressive that they are able to tell so much with so few words, and yet the message is not always well communicated. There's also something unsatisfying about the ending. I mean, it's happy... kind of... But there is no heroic moment that makes you feel like the good guys did something really special in order to win. It just ends happily. And then it's over. And then the credits roll.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: This is the first time I've seen a movie tie in what the video game will be about during the closing credits. They don't announce that that's what they're doing, but if you watch the little 2-D animation that runs alongside the credits, that's what they're doing.

Back To Top