Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

My review is a simple quote from the movie: "Eww."

This would have been a nice remake except for two things:
1) Depp's playing of Willie Wonka was as if he were drunk, high and/or just plain stupid. That doesn't make sense for the guy who designed that amazing factory. I liked Gene Wilder's smart, cynical Willie much much more.
2) Too close to the original. It could have used some modernizing to make it worth making a remake.

This is strike two for Tim Burton's remakes (#1 was Planet of the Apes).

War of the Worlds

My review for this movie can be summed up by its initials: "W.O.W."

This movie has such raw power, it's just amazing. Not since Aliens have I been so drawn into the world appearing on screen that

WOW combines the raw realism and force of Saving Private Ryan with the mind blowing visuals of Jurassic Park.

Batman Begins

Finally someone did it right!!!

Too bad it took so long. But this movie hits the Batman story right on the head. I can't wait for more!

Madagascar

Great characters and really really funny stuff! The penguins are cool, but the lemurs rock!

Star Wars Episode III

Well, we saw it. And we saw it hours before anyone in the US because we were in New Zealand for the opening on May 19.

It does what it promised: Show how Anakin transforms into the evil Lord Vader, and set the stage for Episode IV. But it sure doesn't deliver the potential it could have. Then again, neither did Episodes I or II. They were well produced, stylish and definitely "in" the Star Wars world.

But they lacked the spirit and roughness of the first three movies. The new Episodes are just too clean, scripted like a high school play, and, especially in Ep III, too grandiose. It's like watching an opera, not a movie. Pretty to look at, but just not fun. My apology to opera fans out there.

Rumor has it that Lucas is preparing a TV series based on Star Wars. And he's planning to remake the entire set of movies (again!), this time in 3D.