Movie #147 - Darkman

Darkman
Universal Pictures
1990 - Rated R - 1 hr 36 min
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels

I don't know why we own this movie.  I don't know how I sat through the whole thing.  That fast-forward button was calling my name.

But I suffered through it, perhaps lead only by my hope that it would improve.  It did not. 

The plot - about a scientist who gets maimed but knows how to create fake polymer skin that only lasts 99 minutes - is lame.  The effects are also lame, in a very Sam Raimi Evil Dead kinda way.  Which worked for Evil Dead but not anywhere else.  Liam Neeson's cool, but this is not his best work.

That is all...

Movie #110 - The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe
Walt Disney Pictures
2005 - Rated PG - 2 hr 23 min
Director: Andrew Adamson
Starring: Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Liam Neeson

I was pretty psyched when I found out they were making a live-action version of this book - one of my personal favorite stories as a kid. I looooooooooooved the animated version so, of course, I had to see this in the theater and then own it on DVD. Of course.

Fortunately for me, this is a worthy incarnation of the classic tale.  In my opinion, the kids are perfectly cast, plus Liam Neeson as Asland rocks. And Tilda Swinton is my girl. So creepy too.

Anyhow, there's nothing earth-shatteringly wonderful about this movie. It's pretty to look at and it follows the book, more or less.  The casting is great, the sets and costumes and effects impressive.  There's not much to say but that it's a great big-budget production of a time-honored classic.  And just to be totally cheesy, I'll also add that the "entire family will love it."  That's probably true.

Movie #58 - Batman Begins

Batman Begins
Warner Bros. Pictures

2005 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 20 min
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Ken Watanabe


I remember when this movie came out thinking, "Another Batman? Why?" But after watching those last four, I can see what the franchise needed a new start. In Batman Begins, the slate gets wiped clean and Christopher Nolan takes a stab at how Batman became the Batman. And some clever bits and pieces are added to deepen his character.

This movie takes the comic-ness out of the story and makes it more accessible. Batman isn't just one-half vigilante and one-half playboy. Instead, we get to see his relationship with his father, how deeply scarring it was to lose his parents, how his childhood friend can affect him, and how his training made him what he is. Plus, it's fun to watch Christian Bale train with ninjas, just sayin'.

Christian Bale may not be the best Batman, but he's great at the gritty, wounded hero thing. He could do without the Batman voice, as I'm sure most people would agree, but it's a small criticism in an otherwise entertaining movie.

I really enjoyed this movie when I first saw it in the theater and I still like it now. My only regret is that the sequel The Dark Knight is filed under D... or else I'd be happy to move onto it right away.