The Dark Knight

Oh yeah ... yeah. Yeah, this was good.

Many may have been put off by what they assumed was hype over Heath Ledger’s performance – but you know what? He was good. Hype aversion is unwarranted here. Don’t let anything you’ve heard about “buzz” or “hype” or “Oscar” distract you from this movie. It’s a movie. Let it entertain you. If you’re not there to let it do its job, then don’t go. Someone else wants your seat. Stay home.

Do be aware, however, that this movie is somewhat of a departure from other Batmans. It’s darker. Even darker than Batman Begins. (and yet, at the same time, infinitely more pleasurable due to the absence of a certain dead-eyed automaton who you could see actually made Christian Bale’s face twitch out of frustration at not being able to smash her head in and get an actual actress for his scenes with her – thankfully his wish was granted for this instalment). There were a few bits that I didn’t look at, because I didn’t truly trust my eyes would be spared gore. Not lots, and not excessive, but a few. And it’s long. They wanted to give you a lot of information and a lot of plot and many developments, and they put it all in one package. But it’s a wonderful afternoon in a theatre and I truly could have returned for the next showing immediately after the one I was in, and I know I would have enjoyed it just as much all over again (but would still not look at the gory bits).

And I just love that when Batman hits someone it sounds like they’ve been struck by a wet tree trunk. Verdict: First Run Theatre - Go Now!

Hancock

I’ll give points to the filmmakers for offering a skewed view of superheroes in this movie. Aside from the funny gaffes you’ve seen in the previews, the film delves a bit into the psychological effects of being the only one of your kind on a planet – and how courageously saving the world isn’t necessarily adequate reward in itself when one thinks they’re different. (The conspicuous placement of references to Frankenstein were a bit heavy-handed though, people. He thinks he’s a monster. Yeah we get it. Would you also like to have a scene where he looks at the back of his hand, and then the back of Jason Bateman’s to reveal – shock of shocks – that he’s black?! ) But then the filmmakers try to make a whole new film, I believe, and that’s where they lost me. What was it you said he actually was? Why did you say his invincibility is waning? And how come, again, he’s invincible until you tell him he’s not – like in the cartoons where the coyote can stay airborne after he’s run off a cliff as long as he doesn’t look down? He’s been in LA all this time without incident … but as soon as he discovers the “what” that ultimately threatens his superhero-ness is in LA too, suddenly it’s a danger to him? I think this may not be what anyone expects it to be, and I’m not sure what to advise you to expect. So the best I can do is say if you want to go to the movie, do so without thinking you know what it will be. Then just see for yourself what it is. Verdict: Movie Rental if You Must

WALL*E

This was pretty much as cute as it looks. I wouldn't say it was as much an all-around cute-fest of, say, a Monster's Inc. or a Finding Nemo or an A Bug's Life or ... okay, most any of the Pixar movies that came before it -- largely perhaps because it didn't have the menagerie of characters to amuse and entertain us, thus fewer opportunities for adorable antics while exploring subplots -- but what you see is what you get. A lonely and industrious trash compactor finds love and follows her to the ends of the universe to win her over. There's one subplot that is so extremely slight it could probably be lost by many of the smaller movie-goers (and perhaps some of their parents), but the main plot holds your attention just fine. Verdict: Movie Rental

The Incredible Hulk

I saw this really hilarious spoof on some talk show where a short man who is painted green corners Edward Norton and starts crying when Edward won't interact with him -- the tagline: "The Incredible Hulk: This time it's emotional!"

That's pretty much what's going on here. Bruce Banner is already the Hulk and now in hiding as he tries to find a way to remove the hulkiness from his blood ... but of course he must go on the run when the bad guys track him down. Whereas the Eric Bana flick focussed on CGI temper tantrums at set intervals, I think the Hulk only comes out 3 or 4 times in this one. The rest of the time, a story is actually being told. (I know: scandalous) The "big fight" at the end is kind of thrown in there because the movie is, after all, probably intended to be geared more towards adolescent boys (and grown men who act like adolescents) -- but until then, it's actually a more interesting movie than you think. Verdict: Discount Theatre