Iron Man II

Okay, I'll get it over with. Paltrow is as nasal and flat and boring in this as she was in the first. Scarlet Johansson is almost as bad but she gets to run around in a cat suit, so that at least distracts you from her wooden acting. There, I'm done. The rest of the movie is great. If you liked the first one, you will like the second one. I found the film predictable except for the fact that the final battle scene (oh come on, you know there's one) seemed really SHORT- I kept waiting for Mickey Rourke to pop back up. Robert Downey Jr is really great- he's familiar with the material. Rourke is always going to play a perfect villain. The special effects are perfect. Aw- just go see it because there was not one curse word, no graphic sex (just some unfortunate, chemistry lacking kisses between Paltrow and Downey), and only one hanging. So, have fun!

The Dark Knight

I'll make this part short- Heath Ledger does the defining role of his brief career- I thought it might be posthumous hype at first, but he is positively compelling and brilliant in a role that could have come off as campy and banal. You cannot take your eyes off of him as he fills the screen with his performance. He will be forever on the list of top 5 movie villains of all time. Hands down. Now, for the longer part. When Ledger is NOT on the screen, you must endure Christian Bale as a rather miscast Batman. Why, you might ask? Thith is why. He lithpth. Tho much tho that I giggled at one point. As Batman, he has an affected, gravelly voice and his teeth look like piano keys. But you cannot be compelling when you are lisping like sylvester the cat. Then it becomes a weird obsession to listen for the way his lisp comes and goes. What Superhero lisps??? At least while in the Superhero mode? Then there is the homeliest actress in America today- Maggie Gyllenhaal. And in this film, she is referred to as beautiful and desired by not only Mithter Batman, but by the charming Aaron Eckhart. Not gonna happen. Even in a fantasy film. Was there no one else available? Michael Caine is charming as always. The film seems to have some extraneous and confusing story telling in spots. A film this long should have every plot twist clearly delineated. By far, this movie has one star- and for once it isn't the special effects - but the incredible performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker. And that is the reason to see it.

The Incredible Hulk

Sometimes, a movie skates through because "it is what it is". This applies to most Adam Sandler movies, family cartoons, and any other movie with someone from Saturday Night Live in it- especially if the film is based on a skit. This is an action movie with a ton of cgi, based on a comic book, and is geared to the average 10 year old boy. But in today's world of grand theft auto, there is a possibility that even a 10 year old boy will find it as boring as watching paint dry. Edward Norton's massive talent is wasted on this film- Liv Tyler is NO match for him as his girlfriend. I hardly recognized William Hurt. It's not like you don't know what this movie will do next. But the story is boringly told- relying on nothing but ammunition and growling. It will make a ton at the box office- but if you read the negative reviews closely enough, they will tell you why you just might not like this. It is bombastic and overdone, repetitive and lengthy, and frankly, not worth your admission. It is what it is- and you know exactly what that is and it should be easy enough for you to decide it 2 hours of cgi and violence is worth it.

Iron Man

I should give it 4 stars but we'll get to that in a minute. Robert Downey plays Robert Downey- with a noticeable eye job since we last met. But he does himself so WELL in this movie- he is likeable and is also a superhero of great likeability. Most superheroes are okay as saviours of the weak, but liking them as their "day job" person isn't much of a concern. Downey's Iron Man is really a superhero you might hang out with. This movie really appeals to guys- the whole theater was engrossed but the guys really reacted. It's violent but fun. A little bit of sex, but enough that a 10 year old would say "big deal". The special effects are spectacular. The little sports Audi is so cool that you wish it had a better reliability rating so you could actually own one. For once, the USA is the hero (as in most Marvel comics) and the military is just and good, and the bad guys are truly the bad guys. Now to that .5 star deduction. Gwyneth Paltrow (and her nasally bland voice) gives one of the flattest and dullest and worst performances by an actress that I have EVER SEEN. I honestly believe that Courtney Cox would have done this role justice. Paltrow is almost visibly BORED by herself. She is just awful. When you see it (and I HOPE you do!), pay particular attention to her dialogue when she can't open a door near the end of the film. It is screamingly bad. So other than Gwyneth the Dolt, the movie is just great.