Batch-o-Movie Reviews

Here are some quick thoughts on some movies I've seen of late...

• Inkheart - I wanted very much to like this movie. It's all about the power of books and imagination. Instead, I found myself unimpressed with plot and how the story was resolved. It was a great concept, but executed way too simplistically.
• Monsters vs. Aliens - What a fun movie. The action, the underlying message, the characters - pretty much all of it made it exceedingly fun to watch. Pixar continues to knock them out of the park. My only complaint: did they really need to make the main female character so absolutely skinny? I mean, I know cartoons work best when the characters are exaggerated, but still. I fear for all the little girls who watch this movie and think that a concave body shape is normal and ideal.
• Gran Torino - My gosh Client Eastwood plays one heck of a grumpy old man. I really liked this movie - the character development, action, the ending, the whole ball of wax. It was a bit heavy, but showed what a good film can do: give you a glimpse into a world that's normally hidden from you.
• Knowing - I rented this movie after seeing the trailer play in a bar, with the sound off. So I knew next to nothing about. I stuff blowing up, and Nick Cage and thought this would be a fun one. I enjoyed the unfolding of the story, and generally liked the action (it sure is fun to watch Hollywood blow stuff up!). At first I was disappointed about the ending, but upon further reflection, I've warmed up to it. It wasn't the cheesy Hollywood finish I wanted to see (well, it was in some ways), but maybe in the end, that made it a better movie. Of all the movies, this is one I might go back and rent again to see if I could pick up some of the subtler clues of the movie.

What movies have you seen lately that you'd recommend?