Overall: ****
Red Eye @ IMDB

Synopsis:
Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) is a successful hotel manager who knows her clients well. On a red eye flight home, she meets the mysterious Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) who seems to know her so well. Things take a dark turn when Jackson reveals that he is in fact a crafty assassin and is holding Lisa’s father (Brian Cox) as insurance. Now Lisa must break free, rescue her father, and find a way to save the politician that Jackson is targeting.

Review:
This movie was another one that was a pleasant surprise. This movie is simple and entertaining. I enjoyed the full 85 minutes. The thing with this movie is that its not complicated. The plot is straightforward and the action keeps the story moving. I must say that Wes Craven did a good job with this one. I was concerned when I first rented this DVD that the movie would be built around a twist that would a let-down. Lucky for me, it wasn’t.
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Overall Rating: ****
King Kong @ IMDB

Synopsis:
Retelling of the classic action film from the 30’s. This time the big ape gets a face lift with 20th century effects and script that’s a lot longer than the last one. When an ambitious movie director, Carl Denham (Jack Black), gets in trouble with the studios, he’s forced to rush his trip to a lost island filled with mystery. He convinces an aspiring actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) and the famous writer, Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) to join him as he heads towards the unknown. What they find on the uncharted island is a lost world and one hairy ape.

Review:
This one is a tough one. I really struggled with how many stars to give this movie. King Kong is a classic. You have to do it right and I’ll be honest. I don’t know if Peter Jackson got it right this time. This movie was long! Three hours and seven minutes long! It was all good stuff. But was it all really necessary?
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Overall Rating: *****
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe @ IMDB

Synopsis:
When four young children are sent away during the bombing of London, an eccentric professor takes them in at his countryside mansion. One rainy day, a simple game of hide and seak helps a young Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley) discover a mysterious wardrobe. Soon Lucy leads her siblings Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Peter (William Moseley) through the wardrobe and in to the magical land of Narnia. But all is not as it seems in the enchanting world. A never ending winter has fallen upon the land and the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton) has driven everyone to live in fear. The children must struggle across Narnia to fulfill an ancient prophecy and learn what their destinies hold.

Review:
This movie was amazing! I read (or possibly listened to) this book when I was a kid. I honestly don’t remember any of it. I was thoroughly impressed by this movie. I will start this one off with my final recommendation: GO SEE THIS MOVIE! I highly recommend you go see this movie while its in the theatre. Its definitely a cinematic experience and I would go so far as to say that its worth a primetime ticket. I must impress upon you that, that is high praise (at least in my book).
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Overall Rating: ***
The Legend of Zorro @ IMDB

Synopsis:
As California moves to join the Union, trouble begins to brew and Zorro (Antonio Banderas) must ride again. As he struggles with his responsibilities to the people he swore to protect, Alejandro must find time to be a husband and a father. His marriage may be the sacrifice he must pay to save Mexico, but there seems to be more to his marital problems than meets the eye. Now Alejandro must fight an ancient brotherhood bent on starting a civil war and try to win back Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones).

Review:
The sequel jinx?! What a surprise! Ok, I’m not saying anything too surprising. The Legend of Zorro wasn’t nearly as good as The Mask of Zorro. There are several elements from the first one that they brought back well for the sequel. Other things didn’t quite work that well. I warn, I’m going to rant a little bit later. Its not something that’s only a problem with this movie, but more on that later.
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Overall Rating: ***
Madagascar @ IMDB
Madagascar @ Amazon

Synopsis:
When four animal friends bust out the zoo for a night on the town, things get wildly out of control. Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Melman (David Schwimmer), and Gloria (Jada Pinket Smith) quickly find themselves in crates on the way to a wildlife preserve. En route, their crates get knocked overboard and they wash up on the shores of Madagascar. Now these four pampered zoo animals must adjust to life in wild….

Review:
I must say I was a bit dissappointed with Madagascar. I had high hopes for this movie, but it seemed to fall in line with the last few mediocre animated films. It seems that Dreamworks Animation is having difficulties finding success after Shrek and Shrek 2 (which I’m watching while I write this). This movie left something to be desired. I was continuously waiting for that gut busting moment, but it never came.
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Overall Rating: ****
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire @ IMDB

Synopsis:
In his fourth year, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself as an unwilling participant of an ancient competition between three rival schools of magic. But something else is amiss. Unexplainable events at the Quidditch World Cup herald the return of the Dark Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), but what does he want with Harry and what will he do to get him? Can Harry survive the three dangerous tasks of the Triwizard Tournement? Will he get a date to the Yule Ball?! Things will change in year four at Hogwarts.

Review:
I’m going to start by truncating the titles to make writing this review a little easier. I’ll drop the Harry Potter and the from the titles. I’m not trying to make a big fuss over what the “true” title of the movie is here. I’m just being technical I guess. Plus I’m trying to save myself some typing. Also, most people who are considering this movie already know what happens. I’ll assume for the most part that you do to, but I’ll try my best not to ruin it for those who don’t. At any rate lets get in to it, shall we?
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