Movies I've seen This month

Not many films can hold a candle to "The Dark Knight" in hype and excitement, but I was witness to some other films this month that in some ways were just as effective and inventive.

Hellboy 2: This film probably has more in common with "Lord of the Rings" than your regular comic book movie, it comes to no surprise considering it was directed by Guillerrmo del Torro the man who directed "Pan's Labyrinth" which is the best fantasy film in recent years. I loved the first "Hellboy" so I couldn't wait for what Del Torro came up with for the second. I was not disappointed, the film is like a love letter to the creepy crawlers that go bump in the night. Del Torro seems to sympathize more with the creatures than with the human characters. Ron Perlman is quite commanding and funny as the big man in red, but it's really Doug Jones' performance as sidekick Abe Sapien who in my opinion carries most of the emotional anchor. This was a pure delight that doesn't take itself too seriously.
3.5 stars out of 4

Get Smart: A perfectly cast action comedy with Steve Carell as Agent 86 and Anne Hathaway as 99. The two have good chemistry and I love how they handle the age difference between the two leads. This is a nice love letter to fans of the original series and succeeds where most television inspired movies failed. I wish it was a tad more funnier but the actors energy and enthusiasm compensate for it.
3 stars out of 4

Wall-E: One of the best films I've seen this year, it's a lovely Sci-Fi/animated movie that relies on old-fashioned Disney story telling with very little dialogue and mostly visuals, sound, and character. I was reminded of films like "Dumbo" and "Bambi" where the hero does not need to talk in order to display emotion. It's well crafted from the geniuses at Pixar who have made their share of new classic animated films.
4 stars out of 4


The Love Guru: This was not Mike Myers' finest hour which many people seem to agree with, at the same time I can't say it was as horrible as some say it is. Myers does some clever word play as Pitka the Love Guru and I liked the Bollywood references, however Myers has a tendency to rely too often on gross out humour that seemed lazily written, I cannot fully recommend this film but all I can say is it's not that bad. 2 stars out of 4

Stepbrothers: I must admit I did laugh at this completely silly, plotless movie about two 40 year olds who still act like spoiled brats. However after the film finished I couldn't help but think about how really empty it left me. Will Farrell and John C. Reilly are very talented and funny guys, but give me "Talledega Nights" any day over this often too vulgar and repetitive one-joke yarn. 2 stars out of 4

Wanted: The first part of this film had moments of very clever insightful moments about a poor schmo working in an accounting office only to discover he has great hitman powers. The satire is quite biting with elements of "Office Space" and "Fight Club". It even starts off with an inspired car chase, and has a twist that I didn't see coming. But I didn't quite get the sense of wonder or empowerment the film asks me to feel. Once the credits rolled by I forgot all about it. 2.5 stars out of 4