Man With a Movie Camera (1929)

Wow. This was one bizarre movie. I know I couldn't actually recommend it to anyone, but it was strangely compelling. Truly an experimental film, without plots, actors, or dialogue. Just a long series of quick shots of various people... for an hour. Some of the shots seemed to tell a story, others only giving us a snippet of these people's lives. Although I couldn't say I enjoyed it in any real sense of the word, I found it a fascinating watch. One of the most unique movies I've seen thus far in my film class. 3 stars.

Flubber (1997)

Oy vey. I didn't even care for the original movie, but it was significantly better than this. The flubber is intelligent? This guy has created all sorts of amazing inventions, like a sentient robot, and yet his college is still struggling to make any money? This movie is just nonsense. The thin plot becomes even thinner, the jokes are bland, and what the HECK is up with the robot suffering from unrequited love? Were people just sitting around saying, "You know what would be completely idiotic and random if we put it in the movie? LET'S DO IT!" Sigh. Don't bother with this. 1 star.

Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

This is actually a very good movie. Despite whatever political connotations you want to draw from it (I found it fascinatingly faith-based, but I've heard others draw other conclusions), it's just a solidly good story about valuing people. It's got some very good laughs... as well as a few that didn't quite make it, but came close. Steve Carell does a great job as the mayor, while Jim Carrey is good but occasionally over-the-top (of course) as Horton. This is the first good kids' movie I've seen in awhile... Thank goodness for Hollywood occasionally getting it right! 4 stars.

Calamity Jane (1953)

I am clearly musical-starved, because I enjoyed this far more than I should have. Heh. It's your typical 1950s musical. (Bears an uncanny resemblance to Annie Get Your Gun.) The songs are fun but not spectacular or very memorable. Overall, one of those movies that gets lost among all the dozens of others just exactly like it. 2.5 stars.

Enchanted (2007)

This was disappointing... It's got a great premise and a good cast, so it should have been much better than it was. I think the main problem was they tried to cloud it with too many side characters and too much extra plot. I was really only interested in the part of the story featuring Giselle and her prince... The evil queen and her minion's entrances into New York just seemed unnecessary. And the final ending scene went on FAR too long. But these moments didn't completely overshadow the rest of the movie, which was really enjoyable, so I'll give it 3 1/2.

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.