mike's mini movie reviews

Date	Rating (out of 4 stars)	Title
2025-08-19		Freakier Friday
(Comedy/Family) Took a lot of time before the swaps. I often struggled to remember who was who among the four, with Jamie's lack of her person's British accent not helping. Overall pretty good story.
2025-08-12		The Naked Gun
(Comedy/Action) Didn't quite rate 3 stars. Some jokes miss, but many more made me laugh or at least chuckle. The object sought in the opening robbery sequence was called the P.L.O.T. Device! LOL
2025-08-05		The Bad Guys 2
(Action/Animated) (3D) Generally good, even if one hasn't seen the first one.
2025-07-29		The Fantastic 4: First Steps
(Action/Superhero) Some good parts but again, silly fight scenes and a predictable ending.
2025-07-22		Sorry, Baby
(Drama) Hard look at sexual assault by a superior, marred by an odd, flat ending.
2025-07-15		Superman
(Action/Fantasy) (3D) Just OK. Generally good characters and acting, but it's still a superhero movie with silly fight scenes.
2025-07-08		F1 The Movie
(Drama) Just OK. Some good racing scenes, and reasonable plot lines.
2025-07-01		Elio
(Fantasy, Animated) (3D) Just OK. Some good, touching moments, but many other unnecessarily complex parts that really could have been left out.
2025-06-17		How to Train Your Dragon
(Fantasy, Live + Animated) (3D) Excellent! Faithful to the original. Depth of emotion shows far easier on human faces. The marriage of actors and CG characters is now seamless. Amazing technology!
2024-12-31		A Complete Unknown
(Bio-Pic, Musical) Very good, compelling story and excellent musical performances.
2024-11-29		Wicked Part 1
(Fantasy, Musical) Excellent! Beautiful and stunning! Great movie adaptation. Some spots could have have been tighter, but several others made me cry, and most scenes wow with impact. Can hardly wait for part 2!
2024-10-24		The Wild Robot
(Science-Fiction/Animated) Pretty good, though they could have stuck to more probable points in the robot's technology.
2024-09-07		Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
(Fantasy) Just OK. Maybe too many threads, complications. Some fun bits. Not sure stop-motion animation works in the CG age.
2024-09-03		Sing Sing
(Drama) Based on the life of members of a theatre group within Sing Sing penitentiary. Well told and acted.
2024-08-20		Alien: Romulus
(Sci-Fi, Horror) Competent story, faithful to the other movies. Excellent effects. Jaded me was never really scared or surprised. Just OK.
2024-08-13		Trap
(Suspense) Wasn't the expected psychological drama of a whole arena being a trap for all attendees. Big plot holes, awkward exposition, and predictable twists. Just OK.
2024-08-06		Deadpool and Wolverine
(Action) Lots of LOL moments, but of course tons of silly violence. Might watch again to catch jokes I missed this time.
2024-07-30		Twisters
(Action) Pretty OK, some thrilling sequences, but predictable. Great effects.
2024-07-16		Fly Me to the Moon
(Drama/Comedy/Romance) Funny, charming, great characters, and a suspenseful climax - despite the high improbability. Fun!
2024-07-09		Despicable Me 4
(Fantasy/Animation) (3D) Solid sequel, with good plot, Ending reunion song implies this is the last one.
2024-07-02		Kinds of Kindness
(Fantasy/Drama) Three weird stories. Kept watching, hoping there would be an explanation for each plot, but nope.
2024-06-14		Inside Out 2
(Fantasy/Animation) (3D) A good sequel, expanding on the original with a good message.
2024-03-24		Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action) Pretty good, but lacking some heart. The vague antagonist doesn't instill fear or suspense as in previous movies.
2024-03-19		Dune: Part 2
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Just OK. Overly violent, as usual in action movies.
2024-02-24		Drive-Away Dolls
(Comedy/Drama) Quirky story of 2 lesbians who are hired to drive a car to Florida, not knowing there are bad men looking for the contents of the trunk.
2024-01-30		All of Us Strangers
(Drama) Unusual, moving and sad gay-themed story that I didn't fully understand.
2024-01-02		Ferrari
(Drama) Fine acting in this sometimes-slow bio-pic. Necessary but disturbing crash near the end.
2023-12-26		Poor Things
(Fantasy Drama) Quirky, odd and overt. Interesting story about attitudes towards humans, and sex. Won't buy this but will watch again.
2023-12-19		Wonka
(Musical Fantasy) Wonderful! Timothée Chalamet is such a good singer and perfect for the role. Excellent plot.
2023-12-05		The Holdovers
(Drama) Calm and slow, but lovely and entertaining. Excellent acting.
2023-11-28		Wish (3D)
(Fantasy/Animated) Pretty good story with defined conflict. Songs are good but rather familiar.
2023-11-25		Trolls Band Together (3D)
(Fantasy/Animated) Just OK. Some fun and suspenseful bits, and good song performances. Maybe it took too long to establish the main plot point.
2023-08-29		Gran Turismo
(Drama) Decent take on a true story, with good racing scenes.
2023-08-22		Jules
(Drama/Science Fiction) Slow in parts but a good story about an old man with early-stage dementia and his experience with an alien visitor that crashes into his back yard.
2023-08-15		Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
(Action/Fantasy/Animated) Pretty good story and interesting animation technique, but the usual long and boring action sequences.
2023-08-08		Barbie
(Fantasy/Comedy) Solid, intelligent, fun movie that comments on patriarchy and feminism.
2023-08-01		Theatre Camp
(Comedy) Some chuckles, as well as some cringe-worthy moments. Fun musical finale. Overall just OK.
2023-07-25		Oppenheimer
(Drama) Compelling dramatization of Oppenheimer and the creation of the nuclear bomb, including the investigations after.
2023-07-18		The Miracle Club
(Drama) Interesting story of Irish Catholic women in 1967, a teenage pregnancy that happened decades before, and a pilgrimage to Lourdes in search of miracles.
2023-07-11		Asteroid City
(Fantasy/Comedy) Odd. Quirky. Weird, even. Yet, overall I enjoyed it, and look forward to watching it again.
2023-07-04		Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
(Action/Fantasy) I'm so tired of long, improbable fight scenes with too much death and injury. When Indy is in peril, the shots are often too dark and the edits too quick that the danger didn't register, so I didn't care. Yet the overall story is pretty good, even if filled with plot holes, and there's a satisfying ending to the movie and series.
2023-06-27		Elemental (3D)
(Fantasy/Animated) More than a rehash of Inside Out or Soul, it's a whole fantasy world of element beings. A fun story of accepting others' differences, and following your dream.
2023-05-23		Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
(Action/Sci-Fi) Pretty good ending of the series, though still not as good as the first.
2023-03-14		Cocaine Bear
(Comedy/Horror) Just too much gore. There were a few chuckles but no LOL moments.
2023-01-03		The Fabelmans
(Drama) Captivating look at the life of a young Jewish boy in the 1950s and how he became a movie director. Liked this.
2022-12-27		Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
(Fantasy/Animated) Disappointing. Overly-complicated plot. Just a few chuckles.
2022-12-20		Avatar: The Way of Water (3D)
(Sci-fi/Fantasy) Beautiful world, but the fighting gets tiresome.
2022-10-15		Bros
(Rom-Com) Funny, fun and of course, romantic. Cried during the song near the end.
2022-08-30		Three Thousand Years of Longing
(Fantasy) I enjoyed this tale of a mythology scholar and her encounter with a djinn (genie). Should she accept his offer of three wishes?
2022-08-23		Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
(Fantasy) Odd and quirky, but with a good ending.
2022-08-09		DC League of Super-Pets
(Action, Animated) Pretty fun, with good lessons but not overly preachy.
2022-08-02		Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
(Drama) Lovely movie! Some plot holes, but generally great.
2022-07-26		Nope
(Sci-Fi/Thriller) Rather fun and suspenseful. Some points could have been explained better, or resolved better.
2022-07-19		Jurassic World Dominion
(Action/Fantasy) Silly, improbable chase scenes. CGI is fantastic these days, but can still spot times when it's not quite right.
2022-07-12		Top Gun: Maverick
(Action) Pretty good but predictable.
2022-07-05		Minions: The Rise of Gru (3D)
(Animated, Fantasy) Funny and entertaining look at young Gru's life, but again missing the heart of the earlier ones.
2022-06-28		Elvis
(Biopic) Interesting and entertaining, despite some hip-hop mixes added to the score. Might buy when sale priced.
2022-06-17		Lightyear (3D)
(Animated, Sci-Fi) Generally good, but like most action movies, too many improbable feats as plot points. I'll buy this on sale.
2022-03-15		Parallel Mothers
(Drama) Rather interesting story about mothers whose babies get switched at birth, but with odd plot complications that make you wonder "why?"
2022-01-04		Nightmare Alley
(Drama) Odd movie. Missed a line near the end that might have explained the weird change of direction of the plot. Guess I need to watch it again when broadcast.
2021-12-28		Encanto
(Animated, Musical) Delightful story and great vocal performances. Will probably buy this.
2021-12-22		Sing 2 (3D)
(Animated, Musical) Loved it! So fun! Can't wait to buy the Blu-ray!
2021-12-14		West Side Story
(Musical) Still dislike this musical. New movie version is OK, despite real locals competing with cinematic gimmicks and shaky-cam closeups. Glad it was Cheap Tuesday.
2021-11-26		Ghostbusters: Afterlife
(Fantasy) Slow in spots, huge leaps of logic, but overall a worthy sequel.
2021-08-24		Reminiscense
(Sc-Fi/Fantasy/Action) Just didn't grab me, so plot twists didn't shock or impress.
2021-08-17		Free Guy
(Fantasy/Action) Funny and quite a fun ride, despite some gaping plot holes.
2020-01-11		1917
(Drama) Excellent! Made me feel fear, disgust, sadness. So well done.
2019-12-31		Little Women
(Drama) Well done, compelling and entertaining, with a happy ending.
2019-12-24		Knives Out
(Mystery) Quite interesting and fun. Keeps you guessing who did it and why.
2019-12-17		Frozen 2
(Animated, Family, 3D) Just OK plot, but lovely animation. Kristoff's cheesy '80s rock ballad music video in the middle made me LOL!
2019-08-27		Blinded By the Light
(Comedy/Drama) Generally good, but again some improbable points: Crowd enjoying a song that's only playing in the lead character's headphones, school hallway speakers, etc.
2019-08-20		Good Boys
(Comedy) Some fun spots, but also improbable points that spoil the fun.
2019-08-13		Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
(Thriller/Horror) A few scares, 1 eerie moment, but too many lame or implausible plot points to be really enjoyable.
2019-07-30		Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
(Comedy/Drama?) Um, WTF? Could have been an hour shorter and still would have been a waste of time.
2019-07-23		The Lion King
(Animated, Family) Maybe the realism makes talking animals so improbable, they can't be cared about. It worked in Jungle Book, but not here for me.
2019-07-16		Secret Life of Pets 2
(Animated, Family) Rather dull, like the first first one. A few funny bits.
2019-07-09		Yesterday
(Comedy/Drama) Excellent. Very fun and the music is well done.
2019-07-02		Toy Story 4
(Animated, Family) (3D) Very good, lots of touching moments, maybe too many, at the expense of more fun.
2019-06-18		Aladdin
(Live/Animated, Family) (3D) Just so-so. A few laughs, good singing, but overall rather dull.
2019-05-31		Rocketman
(Musical Drama) Excellent! Great use of Elton's music combined with visuals and dancing. Great performances, too. Buying this one!
2019-05-14		Long Shot
(Comedy) Funny and rude, as expected from Seth Rogan. Somewhat predictable.
2019-03-12		How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
(Family, Animated) (3D) Wonderful story and a great wrap-up of the series. Beautiful!
2019-02-16		The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
(Family, Animated) (3D) Lots of humour for adults, good fun for everyone, yet slow in spots.
2018-12-18		Dr Seuss' The Grinch
(Family, Animated) (3D) Beautiful, detailed scenes, pretty good story, but slow in spots.
2018-11-17		Bohemian Rhapsody
(Drama) Very well done, interesting, exciting and thrilling.
2018-08-28		The Happytime Murders
(Comedy) Not particularly funny, except maybe the gag with Silly String.
2018-07-31		Three Identicle Strangers
(Documentary) Intriguing story about identical triplets, separated at birth, who find each other at age 19. But their story turns darker, and the film explores questions on science and morality. Really interesting.
2018-07-24		Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
(Musical Comedy) Thoroughly enjoyed this! A few liberties taken with plot points made in the first, but overall a good plot, good performances, fun numbers, and more. I laughed and cried and sang (quietly) along. Can't wait to buy the Blu-ray.
2018-07-17		Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
(Comedy/Action, Animated) (3D) Rather boring. OK plot, just not exciting or suspenseful. Bits modified in the commercials are funnier.
2018-07-10		Ant Man and the Wasp
(Action) (3D) Lots of comedy and a decent plot. Fight scenes are a bit more interesting when characters shift sizes or "phase."
2018-07-03		Deadpool 2
(Action) (3D) More irreverence, gore, silly fight scenes. A few chuckles.
2018-06-26		Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
(Action) (3D) Dull, boring. Same old.
2018-06-17		Incredibles 2
(Action/Animated) (3D) Very good sequel, just missing a little of the heart and compassion of the first.
2018-01-02		Pitch Perfect 3
(Comedy/Musical) Silly fun! Not too serious, even poking fun at itself. Improbable in spots, but excellent performances and a great ending to wrap up the series. I'll purchase this, and already downloaded the soundtrack.
2017-12-30		The Greatest Showman
(Musical) Very good. Great songs, though they all sound similar. Some of the big dance numbers looked too limited to a room or stage. I'll purchase this, and the soundtrack.
2017-12-19		Lady Bird
(Comedy/Drama) Well-acted coming of age story. Odd ending, but otherwise captivating.
2017-12-12		Coco (3D)
(Animated) Quite good. Another Frozen-style drawn-out climax, but this one worked better. Too busy in places, too many plot points. Menacing spirit guides?
2017-08-29		The Hitman's Bodyguard
(Action) Silly fight and chase scenes, some humour. Not my type of movie, just as I expected.
2017-08-22		Logan Lucky
(Action/Drama) Just OK. Interesting plot points, but again, no real reason to accept that they are committing crimes.
2017-08-15		Baby Driver
(Action/Drama) Pretty good story, if you ignore the improbable car chase scenes and the gun battles chreographed to the music.
2017-08-08		The Dark Tower
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Enjoyed this, despite critics panning it. The story is set up well enough even for those who have never read the Stephen King books. Maybe this will spur a more faithful Netflix or HBO series?
2017-08-01		Dunkirk
(Drama) Well-told story of the rescue of cornered British soldiers at Dunkirk. Very suspensful, and the effects are seamless. I had trouble telling some of the lead soldiers apart.
2017-07-25		Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (3D)
(Sci-Fi/Action) Leads totally miscast, silly plot lines only to feature effects, rather boring. Effects are great, though.
2017-07-18		The Big Sick
(Comedy/Drama) I'm calling this a "good feel" movie. Wide range of emotions felt through this lovely movie.
2017-07-04		Despicable Me 3 (3D)
(Animation) Some funny bits, but generally dull and lacking the heart of the others.
2017-06-27		Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
(Sci-Fi/Action) Fun and enjoyable. Maybe even less silly fight scenes. Saving the galaxy again.
2017-03-14		The Lego Batman Movie (3D)
(Animated) Some funny bits, neat references to past Batmans, and a good life lesson, but generally a dull movie.
2017-02-11		Hidden Figures
(Drama) Lovely movie, even with the obviously 'Hollywood' scenes. Great performances. Still shocking to see the segregation of the early 1960s.
2017-01-03		La La Land
(Musical) Muddy vocals in a misguided attempt to keep a live feel. Strange camera shots, people looking at camera. Dull songs, none memorable. Too little surprise/excitement in fantasy numbers. Good acting, singing and dancing, though. Overall disappointed.
2016-12-31		Sing (3D)
(Animated) Seemed to lack the spark of finding hidden talent, but the wonderful big show at the end made up for the slow start.
2016-12-26		Rogue One (in 4DX)
(Sci-Fi) Decent plot this time, but still lots of holes. 4DX experience was fun; great for flying or riding scenes, but overkill during fight scenes. Neat to do once.
2016-12-20		Manchester by the Sea
(Drama) Series of stories about complex lives and relationships. But other than simply telling these stories, I didn't find any point to the movie. Well acted, though.
2016-11-12		Arrival
(Sci-Fi) Compelling, suspenseful, plausible. Beautifully filmed and well acted. Great effects. Well done.
2016-11-05		Trolls
(Animated) Cute and fun, decent story and great use of music. Watched with Vico, and lost our tickets.
2016-08-30		Hell or High Water
(Drama) Beautifully shot, well acted, yet slow plot, little empathy for characters, and an odd ending ultimately disappointed.
2016-08-23		Sausage Party
(Animated) Silly and fun. Decent premise, one large misstep (head of a god), lots of chuckles, yet few LOL moments.
2016-08-16		Florence Foster Jenkins
(Drama) Entertaining and well acted. Funny and sad. A little disquieting in how everyone pretended that Florence was a great singer.
2016-07-26		Star Trek Beyond
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Very good movie. Still too many prolonged fight scenes, but at least they were for a clear goal. Excellent effects. Watched in IMAX 3D.
2016-07-19		Ghostbusters
(Fantasy) Enjoyed it. Decent plot, with lots of comedy. The cameos by past stars were fun.
2016-07-12		The Secret Life of Pets
(Animated) Pretty good, but lacking something. Improbable actions never work when they're EXPECTED during chase sequences, only if unexpected and cause for evasion.
2016-06-18		Finding Dory
(Animated) Lovely, heart warming and funny.
2016-05-14		The Jungle Book
(Animated) Amazing detailed animation easily immerses you in the great story. Some action too close and busy, but otherwise a super movie.
2015-12-29		Carol
(Drama) Rather dull, slow, little empathy generated for the characters.
2015-12-22		Star Wars: The Force Awakens
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Too similar to episode IV. By now should be able to write better plot points than, "we'll disable shields so you can blow up a weak spot."
2015-12-15		The Good Dinosaur
(Animated) Pretty good, but felt the featured dinos should have evolved more to make them able to do the actions required in the story.
2015-10-10		The Martian
(Sci-Fi/Drama) Great movie. Lots of suspense tempered with lots of humour. Got a little silly towards the end.
2015-09-01		Mistress America
(Comedy/Drama) Odd movie. Some funny bits, but generally just odd, unlikely, even unintentionally uncomfortable moments.
2015-08-25		Mr. Holmes
(Drama) Excellent acting by Ian McKellen as retired Sherlock Holmes, who is trying to write a book about his last case, before he loses memory of it completely.
2015-08-18		The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
(Action/Drama) Pretty good. Lots of humour, homoerotic undertones. Sad there were no scenes with either of the two hunky leads without their shirts.
2015-08-11		Ricki and the Flash
(Drama) Kind of dull. No real reason for the conflict resolution. Band performances were good, though.
2015-08-04		Ant-Man
(Sci-Fi/Action) Enjoyed this more than expected. Lots of humour, and reason to care about the characters. Even the silly fight scenes were interesting.
2015-07-28		Jurassic World
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Just OK. Some suspenseful parts, but mostly rather dull and unbelievable.
2015-07-21		Trainwreck
(Romantic Comedy) Some funny bits, but I generally couldn't feel for the main character, who fell in love too easily.
2015-07-14		Minions
(Animated) Light fun, but not much heart or depth.
2015-07-07		Spy
(Action/Comedy) Quite enjoyable, better than expected. Woman across the aisle loudly enjoying it was actually a man.
2015-06-30		Inside and Out (3D)
(Animated) Delightful and moving. Chase scenes with purpose! Will buy this one for sure!
2015-05-18		Pitch Perfect 2
(Comedy) Very fun sequel. Will buy this one when it comes out.
2015-03-17		The Second Best Marigold Hotel
(Comedy/Drama) Delightful. Some loose ends left dangling, and others awkwardly resolved, but still great.
2015-01-03		American Sniper
(Drama) Well done story, with a sad ending. Disappointed that the end credits started over a real-life montage instead of waiting.
2014-12-30		The Imitation Game
(Historical Drama) Very good story; jumping between several time periods works well. Great acting.
2014-12-23		Interstellar
(Sci-Fi) Quite good, and well told. Gets you intrigued very quickly.
2014-12-03		Big Hero 6 (3D)
(Animated) Good. Some fun bits, and some emotional bits. Maybe trying too hard?
2014-09-02		Ghostbusters
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Theatrical re-release for the 30th anniversary. Still fun, but effects are dated now. Too bad it wasn't a re-mastered copy. Looked pretty fuzzy.
2014-08-26		The F-Word
(Drama, Romance, Comedy) Decent story, and nice seeing Toronto featured.
2014-08-19		Guardians of the Galaxy
(Sci-Fi) Rather fun, but still silly action/fight scenes. Good use of fine songs from the 1970s.
2014-08-12		The Hundred-Foot Journey
(Drama) A bit sappy in places, and predictable in others, but enjoyable.
2014-08-05		Get on Up
(Drama) The non-linear plot was odd. Often couldn't understand the James Brown character, nothing new there. Well acted, though.
2014-07-29		A Most Wanted Man
(Drama) Kept my interest, despite several attempts to make me expect something that didn't occur. Didn't understand the ending.
2014-07-22		The Jersey Boys
(Musical Drama) Didn't make me feel the excitement that the live production did, but still pretty good.
2014-07-15		Begin Again
(Drama) Pleasant story/theme of making it in the music business, which I always like. No default sappy Hollywood ending, which is great. Mark Ruffalo in just underwear!
2014-07-08		Edge of Tomorrow (3D)
(Sci-Fi) Surprisingly good plot, time-travel explained well, violent but not gory.
2014-07-05		How to Train Your Dragon 2 (3D)
(Animated) Pretty good, good message, but not as fun as the first one.
2014-03-11		The Lego Movie (3D)
(Animated) Overall, quite fun and funny, with a touching message.
2013-12-31		American Hustle
(Drama) Pretty good. Interesting characters, and loosely based on real events, so rather surprising. Decent end twist.
2013-12-17		Frozen (3D)
(Animated) Boring intro. Songs kept reminding me of Wicked. Over all pretty good. Not sure I will buy the disc.
2013-10-21		Gravity
(Sci-Fi) Well done effects and story. Spent $19 to see it in IMAX 3D, well worth it.
2013-08-27		The World's End
(Comedy/Fantasy) Just OK, funny in parts, but no suspense like in Hot Fuzz to keep it interesting.
2013-08-20		The Butler
(Drama) Very good, yet trying too hard in places to elicit emotions.
2013-08-13		Blue Jasmine
(Comedy/Drama) Compelling character study, but disappointing ending, no real resolution.
2013-08-06		The Way, Way Back
(Drama) Good coming-of-age story, good performances, without being too sugary.
2013-07-16		Monsters University (3D)
(Animated) Not as rich as Monsters Inc., but still quite good.
2013-07-13		Despicable Me 2 (3D)
(Animated) Fun and cute, with several LOL moments.
2013-06-18		Star Trek: Into Darkness (3D)
(Sci-Fi) Pretty good. Many silly, improbable ways to bring tension, action to plot. At beginning, should have sent an autonomous probe to fix the volcano, instead of dangling Spock on a cable.
2013-03-12		Oz, the Great and Powerful (3D)
(Fantasy) Kept thinking of ways I would have done parts differently. OK in general.
2013-02-02		Les Misérables
(Musical Drama) Most of it worked well for me, and I cried often. Will by the disc.
2012-08-21		Paranorman 3D
(Animated) Funny parts, and scary parts. Would have been better if Norman faced the witch in the real world. Can't help but feel it would have been easier and better done by computer rather than stop-motion.
2012-08-14		Hope Springs
(Drama/Comedy) Nice story, deeper that the rom-com advertising portrayed.
2012-08-07		Ice Age: Continental Drift 3D
(Animated) Some laughs. Story just OK.
2012-08-04		Brave (3D)
(Animated) Enjoyable Pixar movie. Went with Michael Stuart, his first 3D movie.
2012-07-31		Beasts of the Southern Wild
(Drama) I was bored. Why would people want to stay in such decrepit conditions? Not sure why the beasts.
2012-07-17		Prometheus
(Sci-Fi) Wonderful effects that couldn't rescue a murky plot. Never found it scary.
2011-08-30		Our Idiot Brother
(Dramatic Comedy) Fun, non-silly movie. Better than the commercials.
2011-08-16		The Help
(Drama) Wonderful movie. A must-see.
2011-08-09		Crazy, Stupid, Love
(Dramatic Comedy) Cool, fun movie, with surprising turns.
2011-08-02		Cowboys and Aliens
(Sci-Fi/Action) Interesting premise given a silly action-movie treatment. Plenty of cliché moments and needless explosions, but little logic.
2011-07-19		Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (3D)
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Some touching moments, some funny ones, nice ending, but little suspense. Forgot about the 3D effect, so perhaps it wasn't used well?
2011-07-05		Larry Crowne
(Dramatic Comedy) Starts slow, but is entertaining, without being too far-fetched.
2011-06-21		Super 8
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Some good performances, and potential scary moments, but the over-the-top action sequences numbed everything.
2010-07-02		Inception
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Very interesting and intriguing. Amazing effects, and lots of action. I want to see it again to catch parts I may have missed.
2010-06-22		Toy Story 3 (3D)
(Animated) Lovely! Action, suspense and humour, with a touching ending.
2010-05-18		How to Train Your Dragon (3D)
(Animated) Good plot, with lots of suspense, action, drama and humour. Great 3D effects. Nice!
2010-03-20		Alice in Wonderland (3D)
(Fantasy) Little suspense or plot interest. Effects, 3D were excellent.
2009-12-31		A Single Man
(Drama) Too much style, too little substance. Fading/boosting of colour quickly became annoying. Colin Firth was excellent, but usually wonderful Julianne Moore can't play an English woman.
2009-12-24		Avatar (3D)
(Sci-Fi) I liked the plot, though there are some holes. 3D was well implemented, adding to the wonderful visuals.
2009-12-08		Disney's A Christmas Carol (3D)
(Animated) A classic story well told, 3D effects well done, amazing detail in the artwork. Sometimes characters look cross-eyed.
2009-08-22		District 9
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Interesting story, great effects, somewhat marred by some silly "going to kill you now but I will wait long enough so that someone can stop me" events.
2009-06-17		Up (3D)
(Animated) I really enjoyed the lovely, interesting story. The 3D effects seemed natural rather than gimmicky.
2009-05-09		Star Trek
(Sci-Fi/Fantasy) Liked this one, good start to a new series, will buy the disc.
2008-12-31		Doubt
(Drama) Excellent performances in a story that keeps you guessing.
2008-12-10		Milk
(Drama) Very good performances, suspense building and history telling.
2008-09-15		Burn After Reading
(Action/Comedy) Darkly funny, typical Coen brothers fare. A bit brutal in parts.
2008-07-20		Mamma Mia
(Musical Comedy) Fun, with some very funny moments. Not deep, and there are better singers than the 'dads,' but still enjoyable.
2008-07-01		WALL-E
(Action/Adventure, Animated) Just couldn't get into the machines having emotions. Wonderful scenescapes and animation, though.
2008-05-20		Iron Man
(Action/Drama) Pretty good. Interesting story line, and not many needless fight scenes. Some huge improbabilities, such as flame throwing without fuel tanks, but generally believable.
2008-04-15		Run, Fat Boy, Run
(Comedy) Not bad story, but too many silly stunts meant for laughs.
2008-04-05		Bella
(Drama) Some suspense as you wait to find out what messed up the man's life. Not Hollywood at all. An interesting, pleasant film.
2008-03-11		The Bank Job
(Crime/Thriller) Very cool, well performed, interesting thriller. Root for the bad guys!
2008-03-04		Be Kind, Rewind
(Comedy) Slow and not very funny, but with a touching, if far-fetched, ending.
2008-02-26		There Will Be Blood
(Drama) Very interesting, compelling story, but an oddly abrupt ending.
2008-02-19		Definitely Maybe
(Romantic Comedy) Very nice movie, well told story, held my interest.
2008-01-22		Sweeney Todd
(Musical Fantasy) Bland. Most of the songs are performed without feeling or dramatic connection to the story. Singing and acting are good, though.
2007-12-24		I Am Legend
(Science Fiction/Fantasy) This is based on the same novel as "Omega Man", which I really liked. I think the infected in this movie are too extreme, too super-human, to make me believe. CG gone wild.
2007-12-18		No Country for Old Men
(Crime Drama) I liked it, but not sure why. Somewhat silly in its violence, but then, that seems to be the point.
2007-12-11		Enchanted
(Fantasy) Disappointing. No real reason to feel for Giselle. Why was she not terrified of the cars when she first enters the real world? So many missed opportunities for humour. How would she know about toilets?
2007-11-14		American Gangster
(Crime Drama) Pretty good story of a black drug lord in the '70s, but lacking suspense.
2007-10-30		Michael Clayton
(Drama, Thriller) Very interesting story dealing with lawyers and firms, murder and mystery. Successfully starts the movie near the end of the story, then jumps back "four days earlier."
2007-08-14		Stardust
(Fantasy) An entertaining adult fairy tale. Fun.
2007-07-31		Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
(Fantasy) Pretty good. Dark and eerie. Somewhat forgettable.
2007-07-24		Hairspray
(Musical) I LOVED it! Started smiling at the wonderful, witty intro number, and never stopped. Was dancing in my seat, and itching to applaud after each number ended. Will buy the DVD as soon as it comes out.
2007-07-17		Live Free or Die Hard
(Action) Not bad. Somewhat suspenseful, if you overlook the huge coincidences.
2007-07-10		Ratatouille
(Animated) Wonderful! Excellent story told through super animation. Maybe too many action scenes, many of which didn't captivate and make me fearful for the characters involved. Many amazing touches in the movements, and photo-realistic outdoor scenes.
2007-06-26		Evan Almighty
(Comedy) Not terrible, but not very good. The cast and crew dancing to "Gonna Make You Sweat" over the ending credits was the funniest part. Heavy handed with the religion, too.
2007-06-19		Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
(Action/Fantasy) Just OK. Somewhat silly resolution. Only one shirtless scene with sexy Chris Evans.
2007-06-13		Shrek the Third
(Comedy, Animated) Pretty good. Not as funny as the first two, but with a good story.
2007-06-11		Knocked Up
(Comedy) Funny! Yet there is a good story and plot behind the comedy. I'll rent this when it comes out.
2007-05-22		28 Weeks Later
(Suspense/Horror) Not particularly suspenseful, not one good "jump." Too many improbable situations, such as herding the survivors into a protection room that has no emergency lighting and flimsy back doors. Or mowing down a crowd of attacking infected people with a helicopter blade. Oh, well. First movie was much better.
2007-05-08		Away From Her
(Drama) A man deals with having to put his Alzheimer's-stricken wife into a home. Very sad in parts. Lovely. Superbly acted by Gordon Pinsent and Julie Christie.
2007-05-01		Hot Fuzz
(Action Comedy) Silly. Improbable. Fun! The shoot-em-up buddy-flick parody ending is so ridiculous it makes you laugh out loud. Some gore, but acceptable.
2007-04-24		Fracture
(Crime Drama) The plot builds logically, and I didn't figure out the ending too early, so it was a successful story. Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins are splendid.
2007-04-17		Disturbia
(Suspense) A troubled teen under house arrest begins to suspect a neighbour of murder. Decent story, and very likable characters. Some good "jumps," too.
2007-04-10		The Lookout
(Mystery/Drama) A young, brain-damaged former hockey star is conned into being a lookout for a robbery of a bank which he cleans. Very good story that keeps you guessing.
2007-04-03		Reign Over Me
(Drama) A very good story. People in different forms of pain, and helping others deal with the problems. Competing interests. One fault: Adam Sandler's talking like a child, which wasn't necessary. Don Cheadle was excellent.
2007-03-27		Shooter
(Action) No, not a porn flick. Decent story, reasonably executed. Lots of big explosions and bloodshed without being too gory. I won't rent it when it comes out, but might catch it on TMN.
2007-03-06		Zodiac
(Suspense Drama) Very interesting and eerie telling of investigation into the Zodiac killer's spree in the 1970s. Lots of twists and turns.
2007-02-27		Music and Lyrics
(Romantic Comedy) Funny and cute. Somewhat silly and predictable, but enjoyable, with smart quips. Both Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant sing on key, even if their voices lack quality.
2007-02-20		Breech
(Spy/Mystery) Very good. Held my interest throughout. Very good performances from Ryan Phillippe, Chris Carpenter, and Laura Linney.
2007-01-30		Pan's Labyrinth
(Fantasy) Didn't like this one at all. Violence was entirely too graphic. I couldn't be horrified because it was too obviously faked. Also, I had no reason to feel for the girl, so there wasn't any reason to hope for her success.
2007-01-23		Letters from Iwo Jima
(Drama) Pretty good, but not as interesting or exciting as its sister movie, Flags of Our Fathers.