That Thing You Do

Actors:  Tom Hanks, Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Steve Zahn, Jonathan Schaech

Rating: 9 out of 10, extremely enjoyable with a great cast and extremely well written.  The superb young cast captures some of the innocence of the 1960s that is missed by most movies that focus on the war and the unrest.  Hanks, as always, is a pleasure to watch in a mentor role.  Scott was very good but I wonder what happened to him because have not heard much lately.

MVP:  Zahn is hilarious as Lenny the band cut up in first role I ever noticed him in

There’s Something About Mary

Actors:  Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller, Chris Elliot

Rating: 8 out of 10, laugh out loud moments in a totally irreverent comedy.  Diaz does a great job of redefining herself as a really capable comedic actress.  Best of the Farrelly brothers’ efforts which as always uses gross out and shocking moments for humor.  Dillon is really funny as the smarmy PI.  Probably most uncomfortable movie moment ever with the prom night fiasco.

MVP:  Diaz in her best role is luminous as Mary the object of everybody’s lust

There Will be Blood

Actors:  Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J O’Conner, Ciaren Hinds, Dillon Freasier

Rating: 6 out of 10, over long with slow moving and at times plodding plot and  avery unlikable main character.  As expected powerful acting by Lewis who may be the best dramatic actor of this era.  You really end up not caring about the characters and that’s always a problem for me.

MVP:  Lewis as Daniel Plainview is at his powerful best, a force of nature

The Thing

Actors:  Kurt Russell, Keith David, Richard Masur, Richard Dysart, Wilford Brimley

Rating: 9 out of 10, great suspense and drama in a fight for human survival set in Antartica.  Fabulous job portraying the cold which is almost like another character.  The special effects are really dated now but I remember them as a lot more scary.  Russell more than establishes himself as a bona fide action star in this movie.

MVP:  Russell carries entire movie as Macready the leader for human survival

Thirteen Ghosts

Actors:  Tony Shaloub, Shannon Elizabeth, Matthew Lilliard, Embeth Davidtz

Rating: 8 out of 10, really well done horror movie with some very scary ghosts.  I usually don’t like movies that rely too much on sudden shocks but this is an exception.  Great cast, although Shaloub is a little too whiny for my taste, and Elizabeth and Davidtz are underused. 

MVP:  Lillard does well as the conflicted psychic

Three Kings

Actors:  George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonz, Jamie Kennedy

Rating: 9 out of 10, movie with a heart, great cast - tries a little too hard to politicize the right decisions made at end of first Iraqi war.  I like some of the quirky techniques used to tell the story.  Clooney, Wahlberg, and Cube are a great buddy team and Jonz a great foil for them.  Very nostalgic for me because I’ve met soldiers like all that are portrayed here.

MVP:  Jonz steals every scene he is in as the lovable redneck idiot Conrad

Timecop

Actors:  Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ron Silver, Mia Sara

Rating: 6 out of 10, has not aged well and you now can see just how bad an actor VD was.  I still like this movie but I remembered it as groundbreaking action sci fi and now all I see is a lot of VD posturing.  Silver is a real creep as the villain which is what they were aiming for I guess.

MVP:  Sara as the wife is incredibly hot and one of few who can act in film - whatever happened to her?