Disney's: A Christmas Carol: 6.6/10 - It's been getting some disappointing reviews, which, to be honest, haven't really surprised me; however, I still rather enjoyed it. The biggest problem that I had with it is that it really couldn't decide what genre it wanted to present the story in. The comedy was a little misplaced (although still effective since it's Jim Carrey), the drama is nicely placed, but not extremely effective with Scrooge as the movie presented his transition very abruptly and it was surprisingly frightening, especially if you look at it from a little kid's perspective. Some of the characters aren't the most attractive in the world (top notch "animation" though) and a couple of the characters are flat out scary. The whole scene with Jacob Marley, from the door knocker to his departure, is rather disturbing as it includes big jumps, loud, demonic-like screams and at one point Marley's jaw even dislocates which gives him an even creepier look. Believe it or not, this movie made me jump more than The Shining did. Go figure, right? There were several things I like though, starting with the visual look to the movie. The movie digitally transferred the facial expressions and movements from each actor and used them on the characters; for example, Bob Crachet looks very similar to Gary Oldman and the ghost of Christmas past and present look like Jim Carrey, with the previous' face basically bearing Carrey's exact face. This was the first movie I've ever seen in 3-D and it was very impressive. Great effects and it was beautifully done with 1800's London captured perfectly. The only complaint I have with the visual aspect is that at times the characters eyes seemed to lack life. That's a very small problem though. Overall, it was an enjoyable movie and gave me a nice dash of Christmas this early, but it's definitely not the best rendition of the classic story.
The Men Who Stare At Goats: 8.5/10 - I've been anticipating this movie since it first appeared on IMDb around January of 2008 and it did not disappoint. The story is actually a very simple one; however, they play at off as this big, complicated and secrective thing, which really works. The comedy is very consistent and I laughed out loud several times. Every character is a memorable one, from Ewan McGregor who is trying to prove to his ex-wife that he's courageous by going into Iraq to report on the war, but is so jumpy and cowardly that you can't help but laugh. Kevin Spacey shines, like always, as the "villain"; however, his final few scenes help make his character awesome. George Clooney and Jeff Bridges steal the show, which probably won't surprise. Clooney plays the seemily crazy Lyn Cassidy perfectly and his dialogue was perfectly written and performed; definitely one of Clooney's better performances. Bridges' character is very Dude-like, which is always a plus. He doesn't get as much screen time as McGregor or Clooney, but definitely takes advantage of and steals the scenes he's in. The best part of this movie is that they take some controversial war topics and throw humor into them and that, along with the ending made this movie live up to my expectations. One of my favorites of the year and definitely challenges Zombieland as my favorite comedy of the year.
V For Vendetta: 9.6/10 - Great film and by far the best film based on a graphic novel. Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman are just too good for words.
