Reviews!
I'm going to try to add a review every time I watch a movie, even if it's not for the first time. Hey, it's practice for the future...
MOVIES
The Matrix Reloaded
Not many movies give you a sense of accomplishment just from finishing the movie and knowing what happened, but both of the Wachowski Brothers' Matrix movies made me feel like Einstein. Leaving the theater after the latest 142 minute affair, my mind was still interpreting information. Throughout the movie I was getting input on more than one level... I was listening to what they were saying but trying to figure out what it meant and where they were and why they were saying it... anyone who has seen the movie knows what I'm talking about. There are so many different things to comprehend in the movie - I love it. As for this movie... I thought the first Matrix created a vast new universe that was too big to comprehend. This one expanded it, but also explained it a lot better. It added in variables such as recycled computer programs, upgraded bad guys, and quite a few allies. I'm still in awe of some of the chase and fight scenes, as well. Totally 100% awesome. Motorcycles, head-on semi truck collisions, swords, sais (Rafael the turtle's weapon of choice), more bullet-time action... the list goes on and on. The addition of all the new characters and Zion makes it a bit confusing to follow, but I'm sure Revolutions will piece it all together.
Ratings (* = bad, ***** = awesome)
Action: *****
Sex Appeal: * (I really didn't need to see Keanu's butt)
Comedy: **
Acting: ** (Keanu...)
Special Effects: *****
Bruce Almighty
Very good movie. Not exactly the deepest movie I've ever seen, but it definitely made the audience feel part of the storyline. I left feeling very pure, actually... I wanted to go take care of people. I was glad to see Jim Carrey back to himself... I could see him starting to lose it in Liar, Liar... and with bombs like The Truman Show, The Majestic, and Man on the Moon, none of which I actually saw..., it was time for him to get back to his bizarrely funny self which he "ace"d years ago. Jennifer Aniston earned back her "actress" title, showing the world that The Good Girl wasn't the best she had to offer. The emotion and devotion she showed was believable. The whole jist of the movie was fun and it was worth the admission price.
Ratings
Action: *
Sex Appeal: ***
Comedy: ****
Acting: ****
Special Effects: **
2 Fast, 2 Furious
It was like watching Grand Theft Auto: Vice City with real cars and real people. The police were horrible drivers but weren't afraid to hit offenders out of the way... the movie took place in Miami, as does the game... and to avoid police, what do they do? They pull into nothing other than a big storage garage. Frightening.
I thought it was a very entertaining movie, though. It was better than the first... it took the good aspects of the first movie and got rid of the bad aspects (except for the poor acting). Seeing the Mustang get run over was pretty cool (the audience clapped), and I was very happy that the Viper survived everything. All in all: pretty fast, not all that furious, but a good movie.
Ratings
Action: ****
Sex Appeal: ***
Comedy: **
Acting: *
Special Effects: ***
VIDEOS
James Bond: Die Another Day
I liked this movie the first time... when it was called GOLDENEYE...
I'm now convinced that MGM and EA Games are going to merge like AOL/Time Warner. It seems like the last three Bond movies were merely made so video games could be based on them. As I watched this movie, I realized I would rather be playing it than watching it. The hovercraft chase scene (which wasn't very believable), the fast cars on the ice, surfing... it would make a good game, not really a good movie. Don't get me wrong... I'm glad I watched it, but it wasn't the greatest. Some of the scenes, namely the second surfing scene, were horribly unrealistic. The lack of special effect quality really hurt the movie there, in my opinion. I'll still probably watch the next Bond movie... well, unless Keanu Reeves replaces Pierce Brosnan as Bond.
Ratings
Action: ****
Sex Appeal: ***
Comedy: * (Bond jokes aren't funny... they're sad, usually sexually-driven puns)
Acting: ***
Special Effects: ***
Dogma
I just finished watching Dogma for the third time (not in a row), and I found it to be a lot better this time. The first time I saw it, I didn't pick up on a lot of stuff. The second time I only caught bits and pieces... but this time I really pieced together the characters and what they were supposed to have done in Biblical times. I find it interesting that some of this is based on Kevin Smith's religious beliefs, which he states in the credits. He also thanks God and wants it to be known that the movie isn't in any way mocking God, which I like. It's more of a political statement than anything else. Dogma is still only my third favorite View Askew movie, though... Mallrats holds the top honor and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back is a close second. Fourth place belongs to Chasing Amy, which I've only seen once and will probably soon view again. Clerks takes a distant last... I didn't like that movie at all. Maybe I haven't given it a chance... but I've seen it twice. I'll watch it next year again... Matt has it on DVD. Aside from that... Dogma had a really strong yet complex storyline full of talented and well-known actors. Like all of Smith's movies, this had an excellent mix of humor and storyline... but this particular one tactfully threw religion into the mix. Kevin, this one's for you, "buddy": 
Ratings
Action: ***
Sex Appeal: ***
Comedy: ****
Acting: ***
Special Effects: **
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My "To See" List
Movies
*X-Men 2
*Matrix Revolutions
*Terminator 3
*American Wedding (a.k.a. American Pie 3)
*Bad Boys II
Videos
*Identity
*A Guy Thing
*Old School
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