A Very Long Engagement

DUMP
This film was so horrible. I couldn't even finish watching half of it. First, I didn't know it was a French film. I have no problems with foreign films, but I have big problems when the foreign film has no point. It was about a woman who was waiting for her love to return from the war. Who cares? Why make a movie about this? Why make a movie of a woman who waits and searches for a man who deserted his army in the war? He was not a significant figure. She was not a significant figure. Thousands of men died in the war. What makes this one special that merits a story?

40 Year Old Virgin

BUY
Even though there isn't much new material, this film is really funny. The dialogue is great and there's some very humorus conversations. There's even a great collection of extras to watch on the dvd. It's hard to put together extras that are interesting to watch. Most of the time I just skim through most of them.

The Man

RENT
Eugene Levy is very funny with his constant running mouth. He provides for some great laughs with his stupidity. There's not much of a story and Samual Jackson is really terrible in comedies. He should stick to dramas.

Into the Blue

RENT
Surprisingly, not just another lame movie to see Jessica Alba. This film has some substance. Honestly, not a whole lot, but there is enough treasure hunting and beautiful scenes underwater to keep you entertained. It's incredible how many scenes are shot in the bottom of the ocean.

Stealth

RENT
A good selection of original music and some great flight sequences. This isn't exactly Top Gun, but you got some good cinema in the air. However, the story is weak and there isn't much relationships among the characters. Even when there is death, you hardly give a damn.

Shakira - Live & Off the Record

DUMP
Most of her songs are in Spanish. When she does sing in English, you can't understand what she is singing. However, she does have some great dance moves and music. Also, her documentary is worth watching but can probably be caught on E.

Mariah - The #1's

BUY
A good collection of songs that made her famous. Some music videos and some live performances. If you listened to her back in days, this is a good watch. This was before she started making bad movies, bad songs, and bad moves not to go to the gym.

God of Cookery

RENT
If you seen Steven Chow's movies, this is another one of them. There are some really funny scenes and you will enjoy an evening laughing at some of the dumbness in the characters. Mok Mun Wai was great in her portrayal of a noodle street vendor and it's great that an actress has courage to perform such a role.

Love For All Seasons

DUMP
With so many films out there, you probably shouldn't waste your time on this one. It's a story about a woman who has to have her heart broken to learn the highest level sword skill. The outcome is predictable and starts to not make sense at the end. Definitely, a waste of Sammi Cheng's ability as an actress.

Kingdom of Heaven

RENT
Orlando Bloom is decent as a knight in the Crusades, fighting for the people of Jerusaleum. Incredible scenes of the land and some good battle scenes. There are some boring long pauses in the film but there are some good speeches of war. Orlando made for a good warrior and was much better than Colin Farrell in Alexander.

DownFall

RENT
A very realistic movie on the last 10 days of Hitler's life. He is trapped in a bunker and he is losing the war. This film takes you into his life and how he controls Germany and its people in his last hours. There have been many war films on Hitler, but this is a totally different film that focuses more on the man behind the war and killings, rather than the fightings of war. A great performance by the actors and a must see for history buffs.

Spy Game

RENT
This is a great film with Robert Redford and Bratt Pitt. This could be one of the best spy movie of all time with magnificient moves and strategies. Redford is a CIA coordinator who has to save his pal Pitt who is imprisioned in Su Chou, China. The film is filled with suspense and you are always guessing what is Redford's next move. The problem with buying such a great movie is that you wouldn't want to see it again because you know what will happen next.

Sky High

RENT
If you are a kid at heart and still like to watch superheroes, this is the film for you. This is a borderline kid movie, but gets away with it. It's a story about two superhero parents who has a boy attending High School who doesn't have superpowers. Along with facing teenage problems, he has to stress over his powers. Some great moments which as usual, the hero triumphs.

Bad News Bears

DUMP
Unless you are a kid, pass on this one. Billy Bob wasn't too spectacular and he was much more funny in Bad Santa. Throughout the film, there are just kids running around everywhere dealing with dumb kid problems. If this was another underdog movie, it did a terrible job. What the hell is a moral win?

Must Love Dogs

BUY
Diane Lane was perfect in her role as a divorced woman looking for the love for a life. The film is fresh, fun to watch, and very funny. Her films are always realistic and her acting is superb. Some scenes will keep you laughing every time.

Four Brothers

DUMP
The second half of the film was good. It was filled with action and suspense but the first half suffered from boredom and predictably. A story of 4 adopted brothers who wanted revenge for their executed mom. A good plot but not much to see.

March of the Penguins

RENT
If you are not a fan of penguins, I would pass on this one. Basically, it is a National Geographic special on the mating ritual of the penguins. It goes into depth on their long and harsh journey to produce an offspring. Also, it gives you a close look at the cold winters in the South Pole. Some great cinema at work but not necessary to be made into a movie.

After you watch this film, it feels great to know humans do not have to go thru this gruesome ritual of reproduction.

Convicted

DUMP
A very predictable movie with no twists at all. Everything that you imagine will happen. It was not interesting to watch. Could have been a good story of a district attorney's journey to save a woman who is on deathroll, but this film falls short of a good plot.

Dukes of Hazzard

DUMP
The classic might have been a smash hit, but this remake is total trash. Jessica Simpson might look sexy but she can't act for her life. Endless car chases that were so boring to watch. That's about the whole movie unless you want to see some nude chicks in a university. What a pointless movie.

Versus

DUMP
I thought it was an anime based on the cover, but it was just a regular Japanese movie. Lots of blood and gore. If you enjoy martial arts movies, this is still a rent. However, the fighting scenes with guns and swords were just boring. The dialogue were cheezy and it looks like a movie made in the 1950s.

Andy Lau Vision Tour

Special Feature
Sporting a goat tee, Andy was lively and entertaining. He interacted with the audience and had the most wild fans I have seen. He also brought most of his dancers from Hong Kong, so his dance routines were very well done. What made Andy a success is that he knows how to play to the audience. He was not afraid of the crowd and even seek their attention.

This time around, Raymond Mui did a good job and the bus were on schedule. However, they should not be taking tips if they were not providing any services. They used to show a film on the bus, but this has been eliminated. With the bus fee in place, tips are not appropriate.

Leon A Story

DUMP
Nothing worth seeing. A musical movie by Leon that is nothing special. A young girl who has live a life of drugs and partying starts dating Leon who is a police officer.

King Kong

BUY
The prescreening of Kong was over 3 hours long, but well worth the stay. Peter Jackson does not disappoint and delivers an epic size film. This film will definitely do well in the box office and might even topple giants such as Jurassic Park and Lord of the Rings. What makes this movie a success? King Kong is a legend and this remake of the classic is more entertaining and more exciting. If you grew up watching the black and white edition, you will love this film. Jackson brings Kong to life and gives him humanity. He is a roaring ape, but the audience loves him. Who can hate a beast that succumbs to beauty? Like Spiderman, the audience enjoys a movie where they can relate to the flaw of the superhero.

Despite his size, Kong does not steal the whole show. Naomi Watts with her dazzling beauty and innocence captures the heart of the audience and the great beast. The role of Anne could not have been casted better. She is vibrant and alive, and gives hope to a better world. Adrian Brody was also good in his part as writer and lover to Anne, but critics could be right, seems like he was upstaged by King Kong.

My Date with Drew

DUMP
Another bad movie. Who wants to see a true documentary of a normal guy's quest to get a date with Drew Barrymore? I thought the filmmaker will have some new elements with this film. However, it's a plain old documentary. I don't even know why Drew would even show up on film. Pity probably. Such a boring quest.

Winter Solstice

DUMP
This movie is a total waste of time. It begins with no point and ends with no point. I cannot believe that I rented this film. I thought it started out slow and it might end with some brilliant lesson of life, but this film was just a complete waste. Never listen to the critics. This film isn't even 10% good.

Without a Paddle

RENT
Without a doubt, an entertaining film. Lots of great laughs and just a no brainer funny movie about 3 guys who goes on a road trip in the great wilderness. It would have been better if they left out the villains because it felt like a kid movie.

The Final Cut

RENT
An interesting film to watch. If you liked Minority Report, you will like this one too. A science thriller where you can watch replays of people's lives when they die. Imagine that. When you attend funerals in the future, you will see their lives as a movie. How weird would that be?

After the Sunset

BUY
If you like Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek, you will like this film. They definitely have chemistry on screen and they keep you interested. The movie is entertaining and you will have some great laughs. You can't go wrong with doing a diamond heist on a beautiful tropical island.

In the special features of the DVD, they also showed how the movie was filmed. It was quite interesting to see how a movie is produced from beginning to end.

Jacket

DUMP
This movie was really terrible. It is so gloomy, depressing, and boring. I thought Adrian Brody could have some great thriller out, but this is trash. Throughout the movie, all you see is a man who has flashbacks because he has been shot in the head. Adrian was great in Pianist but this is total junk.

Even the Manchurian Candidate was better than one.

House of D

DUMP
A movie directed by David D. A good concept of a movie that does not make it. You wait a long time to see this big secret of his past but it's no big thing. You are waiting to see this past that blows his family away, but it's just alittle thing. Cmon.

However, Robin Williams was great in his role as a mentally challenged individual who has a sacred friendship with a kid in his neighborhood. Still not worth watching.