Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Mark Bowden’s Black Hawk Down, is one of those relentless movies. Once it gets going, it just keeps hurtling toward you with extreme situation after extreme situation.

As brutal as the cinematic depiction is, the book is much more extreme… A truly frightful and impossible scenario.

The latest from Pixar… is pretty much what one should expect from Pixar. A good story, excellent storytelling, and impeccable visuals. the only drawback for me was the cute-sy/cheesey aspect inherent to any movie with talking cars. Very well done indeed.

Crash is a truly spectacular piece of cinema. Searing, biting, resonant and tragic.

Even on it’s second viewing, the varied strand of this multithreaded tale held no less impact.

Uhg. Nice start… but it didn’t really go anywhere.

Spike Lee’s latest joint Inside Man is a seemingly uncharacteristic foray into the action and suspense realm… and is one entertaining piece of work. Smart, taught, and engaging.

I’m overdue on some diversions here, so I’ll try to catch up. A recent eMusic find: Isis: In the Absence of Truth. Dynamic, atmospheric, heavy, scary… exactly my cup of tea.

Kong rocks. Even though there were maybe a few extra scenes than were actually needed, Peter Jackson delivers the good yet again. This film pushes some pretty extreme limits in the visual effects realm—almost to the point of disctraction—but that’s what big-time Hollywood blockbusters are all about.

The previews for this Dreamworks Animation feature looked great… and the movie exceeded my expectations! Top to bottom, this one was thoroughly enjoyable.

Ahhrrr… here there be… disapointment? Don’t get me wrong, Pirates of the Carribean II has all the right ingredients for your big summer blockbuster mega-hit. Only there’s just WAY to much of it. Nothing like being beaten over the head with a celluloid sledgehammer cheap thrills and oh-so-not-subtle visual effects.

Not your typical off-the-wall wacky-comedy ala Will Ferrell. Not only was this movie witty and fun, but suprisingly clever and well done.

The Machinist is a truly nightmarish tale of insomnia and paranoia severely underscored by Christian Bale’s frighteningly immersive performance. Bale’s physical appearance nearly eclipses his effort, but imparts a great deal of grit and realism to this movie.

I shied away from seeing Underworld when if came out a few years back based soley on one reviewer’s take—“A souless cinematic turd”. But I checked out the DVD last weekend… and it was actually pretty good!

(If you’re into gun-toting warewolves and leather-clad vampires running amuck, this is surely the movie for you)

The trailers for this film adaptation of the graphic novel seemed interesting enough. Not having read the original comic by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, I went in with no expectations.

Strike that. I went in with some expectations, having just read two opposing reviews. I found the film to be thoroughly thought provoking and relevant. Granted, the protagonist is a “terrorist” intent on bringing down a futuristic, corrupt caricature of a government, but given the fact that V was originally published in the ‘80s-I think those who draw too-close a parallel between our world and this are missing the point.