The Ultimate Gift (2006)

This movie had some potential... and, surprisingly, it was Abigail Breslin's character that killed most of it. Well, that and bad writing. It may not have been Abigail's fault - after all, she was fantastic in Little Miss Sunshine. But she was far, far too cutesy and precocious here. Her dialogue was clearly written by someone who hasn't talked to a kid since they were one. That in itself killed the movie. The predictable ending and cheesy lines only helped a little bit. 2.5 stars.

Facing the Giants (2006)

This wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I was dreading watching this movie, but it actually turned out to be quite watchable. The Christian message was there but it didn't feel like a "propaganda movie" in the least, and it actually did have a few very stirring moments. (The scene where Brock was crawling across the football field comes to mind - that was as powerful as anything in a mainstream sports movie.) It's still an inspirational sports movie, and the acting is pretty wooden, but I truly was surprised by it. For once in a while, a football movie that claims not to be about football... really *isn't*. Let's just hope that we can churn out Christian movies that make this much money but are higher quality. 3 stars.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Plot: A remake of the classic Shakespare play "The Taming of the Shrew.", set in a modern day highschool.

As far as teen romantic comedies go, this one's pretty solid, with only a few minor bumps to keep it from being a good movie. (The moment that inspires the film's title being one of them.) The characters are overall pretty likeable, or at least relateable. Not a fantastic movie, but pretty decent for the genre. 3.5 stars.

Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)

I am under no circumstances going to claim this is a good movie. It's cheesy, the jokes are predictable, the plot becomes totally moronic after the first half hour... but the chipmunks are mildly adorable. And I was in a good mood when I went to see it. So I enjoyed it... but I won't recommend it at all. 2 stars.

The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)

Although there were moments that it dragged somewhat, it was overall a very interesting movie. Surprisingly intense. 3.5 stars.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. There's not a whole lot of difference between the two, except this one is a bit sillier. 2.5 stars.

Shrek the Third (2007)

Although this did have a few moments that made me laugh, it was overall quite a disappointment. Too much time spent trying to cram in all the different fairy tale ideas, not enough spent on actual character development. The first Shrek remains the best one. 3 stars.