Robin Hood

****  I really enjoyed this movie a lot.  Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott put together another entertaining adventure.  Similar to "Gladiator" but of course following the Robin Hood legend.  I liked how the movie flowed introducing the Robin Hood character and also the royalty and political conflict at the time.  Kate Blanchet is wonderful as usual, and the development of Robin Hood's band of merry men is well done. The Action Scenes are fun to watch and believable.  Unfortunately, they try to wrap up the story too neatly in the end so that it would fit historically with the Robin Hood legend, that made it corny and too much like a fairytale.  Still a good movie and worth a rental.  Recommend

Cop out

**  I was disappointed in this movie.  Unfortunately Bruce Willis can only act as Bruce Willis and is always typecast in the same roll and plot.  Tracy Morgan is the real reason I wanted to watch this movie, he had a few good moments, but is much funnier in "30 Rock"...  The movie should have gone completely comedy rather than a mixture of "buddy cop"/serious with some stupidity included. A Waste of Time unless you really are a Tracy Morgan fan.  Not recommend.

No Man's Land

***  A Very Good Movie if you're at all interested in a different perspective of the Bosnian-Serbian war.  Two soldiers get caught in the middle trenches of a war zone, one Bosnian and one Serbian.  Of Course they at first want to kill each other, but then they begin to realize they have to work together in order to survive.  I believe at one point they actually think that day have a lot in common and if the war was not going on they could possibly be friends. The incompetence of the UN peacekeeping force is shown as well as the hawkish attitude of the press.  Unfortunately the movie ends with the truthful statement that war is a very nasty thing and totally without merit.  The Film left me feeling sad that these types of things occur in our world, but I guess if it had a Disney like ending I would not have liked it as much. Recommended.

Untraceable

*** Another serial killer movie where the FBI agent is in mortal danger and of course saves the day at the end.  Diane Lane is a wonderful actress and does a good job in this movie.  The twist to this movie is that the serial killer carries out his murders on a website, where are the more people that logon the faster it is victims are killed. Definitely an attempt at a moral message for our generation that is so voyeuristic and given so much opportunity via the Internet.  Very gruesome scenes at times, but suspenseful and well-made.  Recommended for those that like crime dramas.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

**  A wild and confusing fantasy tale of good vs. evil.  It had some interesting scenes and a decent storyline, but it was just too bizarre for me.  And bizarre stuff usually entertains me at least for a while.  Part of the story outside of Dr. Parnassus' mind was intriguing, unfortunately that was not the main focus of the movie.  Instead we were transported through a mirror into the very chaotic and confused mind of Dr. Parnassus.  I don't really recommend this movie unless you like extreme fantasy.

Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?

***  An interesting documentary-type film in the same type of genre as Michael Moore, but less sarcastic.  The movie is a little bit old, made in 2006 so some of the impressions and comments made by people in the Middle East have probably changed by now.  The basic premise that "we are all people seeking peace" and that a few extremists are causing all the problems is a positive message. Of Course the policy of the American government is made out to be the cause of most of the problems.  The movie doesn't offer any solutions, but does give some perspective to the issue.  Recommended if you're interested in a semi-documentary point of view.

Kick Ass

***  OMG!  While watching the 12-year-old girl slice and dice bad guys, below heads off, slit throats, break arms and legs, and all the while cursing like a drunken sailor...  I kept thinking this is wrong, wrong, wrong.  But, I could not take my eyes off the screen.  The action was riveting, extremely well choreographed similar to "Kill Bill" style, the music was great and the characters were deep and engaging.  This was a comic book action thriller made for adults with an adult sensibility but about teenagers wanting to be superheroes.  I especially liked where the filmmakers used actual comic book frames, graphics or subtitles to make the point that this was a comic book film.  Much better than the usual comic both movie that tries to make itself seem realistic.  This film "is what it is" extremely violent but fun to watch.  Recommended for hard-core action viewers.