Reign Of Fire (2002)

 

Pretty good dragon action.

Rating: C+

Doomsday (2008)

A really cool set-up, followed by some great action, at which point things take a turn for the bizarre. I can see the writer and his buddy smoking weed and playing Grand Theft Auto, when one turns to the other and says, "Hey, wouldn't it be killer if someone in a Bentley suddenly pulled up alongside Mel on his way to the Thunderdome?" Well, in this movie, you'll get to see that.

Mad Max and 28 Days Later are just two of the many movies they borrow from. Additionally, you will discover the answers to questions like "What if a hot chick played the role of Russell Crowe in Gladiator? What if Kurt Russell was escaping from Scotland instead of L.A. and New York? What if the fellows from LOTR took the shortcut through the mountain and found a $250,000 set of wheels instead of nothing but heartache?

If you'd like to find out the answers to these questions and more, this movie is for you. If all this sounds like a bunch of nonsense, move on. At best you'll get some good laughs from this amalgam of movies past.

Rating: C

Clash of the Titans (2010)

I have faint memories of seeing the original as a kid. They showed a trailer for it at the beginning of the Blu-Ray. Wow does it look terrible. This new version may look like a CGI wet dream gone awry, but it definitely looks a heck of a lot better than its stop motion for-bearer.

I thought mythology was a bunch of boring nonsense when I was in school, and my opinion hasn't changed as an adult. It's hard to get behind such a ridiculous story. If there's one thing Clash of the Titans does well, it's reminding people what a fantastic feat Peter Jackson did with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and how easily it could have been a pile of bloated effects and shallow characters. Case in point: This movie.

Rating: D-

Syrianna (2005)

An intense look into the ruthless world of oil. Although the story and characters can be a bit confusing at times, the film is very well made. Reminded me a lot of Traffic in style. Clooney is at the top of his game.

Rating: B-

Kingdom Of Heaven (2005)

If this film had come out a few years prior, it would have been a much bigger hit. But it didn't, and so after Gladiator, Troy, Alexander, and all the others, people simply got epic'd out. But not me. I love a good epic. And this one was solid. Ridley Scott directs a lengthy story in a huge film. Plenty of violent battles, booming sound, and gorgeous cinematography. It's not perfect, but it's a fun time.

Rating: B-