So, I'm pretty disappointed in my fellow X-Philes at the moment. No. 4? Really? That's the best we could do? Shameful.
- The Dark Knight ($75.63 million)
- Step Brothers ($30 million)
- Mamma Mia! ($17.9 million)
- The X-Files: I Want to Believe ($10.2 million)
- Journey to the Center of the Earth ($9.4 million)
- Hancock ($8.2 million)
- WALL-E ($6.3 million)
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army ($4.9 million)
- Space Chimps ($4.4 million)
- Wanted ($2.7 million)
What I watched:
- Rushmore (3½ stars) - I always kind of forget how much I like Jason Schwartzman. I'm generally a fan of Wes Anderson, but I think sometimes he veers a little too much toward style in its ongoing battle against substance. He doesn't do that here.
- Secret Window (3½ stars) - This is a much more clever movie than I'd given it credit for. The special features really opened my eyes to a lot of the things I'd missed. I enjoyed it well enough while watching it, but I'm much more impressed in hindsight, if that makes any sense.
- It Takes Two (3 stars) - Yes, I'm owning up to having watched a Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen movie on Saturday night with my 16-year-old sister. I know you're all jealous of how exciting my life is. In my defense, this is actually a pretty decent kids flick, and it's one of the only movies I remember sitting through multiple viewings when my sisters were younger without wanting to spork my eyes out.
- X-Files 2: I Want to Believe (3½ stars) - I'm a little shocked by all the negative reviews this film has gotten. I'm not quite sure what people were expecting, but I thought it was a solid flick that probably would have been more appropriate for a September or October release. The X-File part of the story does get a little convoluted in places, and at times the story moves a little more slowly than it probably should. But the themes being explored are classic to the series. This is more than just a popcorn movie. It's more in the vein of Christmas Carol/Emily than Bad Blood, and maybe that's different than what people were expecting. But I don't think that's a bad thing. I love the comic and light-hearted episodes as much as the next X-Phile, but there's a lot more substance when they're exploring the faith vs. science issue, which was always the heart of the series in my opinion.
- A History of Violence (3½ stars) - I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Eastern Promises, but it was a solid outing from David Cronenberg with great performances. In my opinion, Ashton Holmes, who plays Viggo Mortensen & Maria Bello's son, stole every scene he was in.
- Tootsie (4 stars) - Not much to say about this one that hasn't already been said over the years. Great movie, wonderful performance by Dustin Hoffman, charming supporting cast.
- The Orphanage (4 stars) - A lovely little thriller with a heart. Creep factor: 7/10 with one f-bomb dropped.
Writing update coming soon.
