Quick Reviews: A Night at the Movies

I'm on travel this week and got an opportunity to go to the local movie house which, for a guy with a 4 year old boy and a 2 year old girl, is a rare one. I got there a little late so I came in during the trailer for the Tom Cruise vehicle "Lions for Lambs". But I did get to see two other trailers and the feature presentation. So, here are my short but unadulterated thoughts on all three:

Beowulf - The CGI follow-up for Zemekis featuring the voices of Angelina Jolie and Anthony Hopkins based on the screenplay by resident comic book writer, author and screenwriter genius Neil Gaiman and vet Roger Avary. Ehh, I liked the concept but the images in the trailer seems too glossy and flat. I might wait for the DVD on this one.

American Gangster - Man, this one seems like it's trying to capitalize on last year's success of The Departed but I couldn't care less. Denzel, Russell Crowe, and Cuba Gooding Jr along with rappers Common and TI (using the LL Cool L movie crossover blueprint) bring the 70s back to life with the period piece based on the "true story" of Frank Lucas, the Harlem Heroin King. If the trailer is any indication of the movie, it has all of the earmarkings of another classic gangster flick.

And the feature presentation was:

The Bourne Ultimatum - Flat out, this show rocks. Damon once again breathes life into the possibly stale character of Jason Bourne. However, the real stars of the show are the "villains" in the CIA. David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Joan Allen and even Julia Stiles shine as they show the different grays that exist in the shadow world of deep ops. This series has been referred to as the "Thinking Man's Popcorn Movie" and this one not only maintains that high praise but I think that this is the best one of the current trilogy. Just go see it.

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