Hairspray

LOVED IT. Easily one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen in quite a while.

The music was incredible, which was kind of surprising. I tend to hate music that's designed to sound like it came from the 50's and 60's, but the music was great. I'm tempted to buy the soundtrack at some point.

The performances were pretty darned good...overall. There weren't any standout voices or acting performances, but there were no weak links either. John Travolta was pretty good, which surprised me as well.

The dancing and choreography were amazing. Adam Shankman (who also directed) deserves a standing ovation. They did a wonderful job at making a distinction between the black and white singers/dancers.

If I have one fault, and believe me, I hate finding a fault in a movie that wears its funness on its sleeve, it's that there wasn't quite enough dramatic tension to turn the movie into an instant classic. You'd think that a movie that tackled segregation through music and dance would have been more tension filled, but the only tension I felt in the movie was based around what I *thought* might happen, instead of what was actually happening.

The movie kind of reminded me of a Jack Russell terrier. It's so filled with life and joy that it's hard not to smile as you watch it. But like a Jack Russell terrier, it's bounciness and over eager tendency to please was *almost* too much to take.

rating: 9 out of 10

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Live Free or Die Hard

I like a good, mindless action movie as much as the next guy, but I didn't much care for the fourth "Die Hard" installment.

One of the great things about "Die Hard" movies is that they're basically the action movie equivalent of an 80's slasher movie. The death scenes are usually over the top (Nakatomi getting shot in the first one, the baddie getting an icycle jabbed through his eye in the second, an elevator shootout in the third movie) and carried out by a lone person. So when you make a Die Hard movie that's PG13, you neuter it a bit. I want my "Die Hard" movies to be a little on the "over the top" side of the coin.

But here's the thing with over the top...I like over the top action scenes when they seem plausible (the top of the building blowing up in the first movie, the igniting of the jet fuel in the second, the taxi chase scene through Central Park in the third movie), but come one...taking out a helicopter with a police car? having a factor blow up around you and not getting a scratch on you? having a Harrier jet fire thousands of bullets at you and not getting hit?

It was too much to take.

I liked Justin Long a lot and think he made a more than suitable "sidekick." I could have done without his daughter storyline. Seemed kinda lame to me.

"Live Free or Die Hard" was a bit like "Alien vs. Predator," only not as bad because at the very least, it had Bruce in it.

rating: 6 out of 10

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Ratatouille

Luke and I recently talked about how Pixar hits nothing but home runs. Well, "
"Ratatouille" continues the homerun streak, though instead of it being a homerun that shatters the rooftops, this one barely clears the fence. It's better than most everything else that comes out from all the non-Pixar animation studios, but it's kind of a beautiful mess.

I like that Pixar tried something new by making a little more straight forward movie. It's pretty much their first non-adventure/action movie, so it didn't have to rely on an elaborate action set-piece at the end of the movie to leave everyone's mouth agape in awe.

But as I said earlier, it was a bit of a mess. It's not quite a kid's movie, but it's not quite an adult movie. It'll appeal to both, but not quite to the same extent that their previous efforts did. Both adults and children LOVED "Monsters Inc," the "Toy Story" movies, and "A Bug's Life," but I'd be willing to guess that kids and adults are going to like, not love, "Ratatouille."

I loved the critic stuff though. I thought that the scene where he eats the ratatouille at the end was PRICELESS. Brad Bird completely nailed the feeling you get when you're "taken back." Those who have seen the movie know what I'm talking about.

rating: 8 out of 10