National Treasure

This film is a treasure of a flick. Like all successful films of this genre, there is the daring-mostly honest and usually noble archaeologist that figures out all the clues, codes and treasure maps. He wins the girl’s heart, finds the treasure, and is alive at the end of the adventure. Done properly, it can be great. Nicholas Cage, fun as an offbeat action hero, and scripting that is memorable, makes National Treasure good enough for all to keep a copy of this movie in their personal libraries.



So Many Movies! Most Notable:

Oliver Stone directed Colin Farrell in Alexander, with a strong cast (Anthony Hopkins, Val Kilmer, Anjelina Jolie,) great CGI, extras and spectacular sets. Michael Caine is such a pleasure to watch, and Around The Bend is no exception. 

Also superb Josh Lucas, Christopher Walken and young Jonah Bobo. Kinsey, with Liam Neesen and Laura Linney explores the life and times of the Kinseys. Howard Hughes is romantically portrayed in his early years during his rise to fame in The Aviator, portrayed deftly by Leonardo DiCaprio. 

Paul Giamatti gets a turn as a leading man in Sideways, and gives everyone an armchair visit to the wine country. I Am David is Ben Tibber’s fresh and unusual portrayal of a 12yearold boy who strikes out for freedom and moves through a spiritual awakening of trust and humor, fear and love, to ultimately overcome the impact of politics and war on his young life. 

Ben Murray is back in The Life Aquatic. His subdued, kookie oceanographer is bent on revenge of his partner’s demise. Andy Garcia is the Clouseau to George Clooney’s Danny Ocean, who intends to pull off heists in Europe because he and his band of thieves, Ocean’s 12, are too well known in this country. Let’s see if the new guy is big enough that the 11 can hide from Garcia behind him. A remake of Flight of the Phoenix provides a cast including Dennis Quaid and is about a plane crash in the Mongolian Desert that they actually shot in Africa. Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman are whimsically precious as metaphysical detectives, a metaphorical examination of our mind, heart and spirit, not the CSI version of solving the mystery. In Phantom of the Opera, none other than Andrew Lloyd Webber brings this haunting music to the screen…sure to dazzle when it hits theatres this December.

Christmas Offerings: Tom Hanks portrays nearly every character in Polar Express, which is unbelievably exquisite in 3D on the huge screen at the Brenden’s IMAX. Barbara Streisand and Dustin Hoffman freshen up the original ensemble in Meet The Fockers. Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, light up their neighborhood for Christmas with the Kranks. The Incredibles is the newest high profile animation with more brilliant CGI techniques. Jude Law’s Alfie is a bittersweet look at the holidays, the art of dating, and the dance of the gender gadabouts. Surviving Christmas has Christina Applegate steeling the show.