Ralph Breaks The Internet (2018)

Creative and fun when it’s being creative and fun. More overbearing than the first in parts. The Disney princesses were a nice touch.

Rating: C

An Education (2009)

Smartly written, although a bit dry at times. I think I would have liked the story a little more if David hadn't been so randomly odd. Still, the characters were well developed and relatively consistent throughout the film. It's not a terribly exciting story, but not bad for a Sunday afternoon.

Rating: C

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

After a disappointing and cartoony Spider-Man debut, I didn't expect Spider-Man 2 to turn out any better. I was wrong. The sequel was superior in so many ways.

The villain here is much more credible and somewhat reality based. There's no glossy, plastic suit to draw attention away from the action. I thought the mechanical arms would turn out novelty-like, ala Inspector Gadget, but instead they looked fantastic.

In addition to some really cool action and fight scenes, there was plenty of character and story depth that I felt was lacking in the first.

The final battle between the bad guy and Spider-Man was not formulaic. Spider-Man was not beaten to a bloody pulp, only to come back and finish off the villain. They changed things up a bit. Overall pretty entertaining.

Rating: C+

The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

Not as terrible as I was expecting, which isn't exactly a stellar review. It held my attention, for the most part. I've seen worse.

Rating: D

Monsters University (2013)

It was ok. While the original was inventive and genuinely funny, this prequel garnered a few modest laughs and was mildly entertaining. Pixar is no longer the trusted brand it once was.

Rating: C

Identity (2003)

This movie freaked me out. I was ashamed to be covering my eyes with my own hands. They use the classic slow build up to a jump-out shot to get the scares, but they are effective. The story may be a little thin, but the acting was pretty good.

Rating: C

Chocolat (2000)

A delight to watch. Makes you feel good after it's over. Great performances and a cute story. Johnny Depp is at his best with Lasse H. at the directors' helm. They do good work together.

Rating: B+

The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)

Bill Murray plays this role perfect. A great all around comedy for all ages.

Rating: B

Rango (2011)

Another animated feature without an audience. I can’t see kids liking this, and it wasn’t clever or funny enough for adults. I can only guess it was a pure vanity project from Mr. Gore Verbinski. I barely suffered through till the end.

Rating: F+

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Like so many others before me, I made the mistake of reading the book prior to seeing the movie, and therefore became annoyed by the plethora of plot changes made by the screenwriter. In addition, the movie didn't flow like the book did. It felt jumpy; patched together.

Rating: C-

Dead Man (1995)

Dead Man, with Johnny Depp, is beautifully shot in black and white. This odd story set in the old west combines an all star cast of strange characters into a sweet and dark tale.

Rating: B-

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)

I went in with extremely low expectations and had them met. I imagine this is what watching Ghost Rider must feel like. I hope I never prove myself right.

Rating: D-