The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

All the sci-fi wizardry and CGI fantasy you could hope for; times two. Maybe I’ve come down with Orc Fatigue or Hobbit Hangover, but having seen all this before in previous films, I wasn't especially bowled over by this latest installment.

Cartoony creatures fight by the thousands while the camera zooms in on random characters we are supposed to care deeply about. The thing is, I don’t really care. Not especially. It’s all over-the-top fluff that doesn’t succeed in triggering a real emotional response.

Rating: C-

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

State of the art special effects can't make up for dialogue that I believe I wrote in the third grade. Not sure how Lucas got his hands on that. Zero chemistry in between the two leads.

Thankfully Yoda saves the day, and the film, from completely sucking. Some fun action sequences make it worth seeing.

Rating: C

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

One of my favorite books as a kid, so I was really hoping they would nail it on screen. Something I didn't feel the original pulled off. For the most part, this was a good edition. I loved the beginning of the film, the way everything was set up and the choice of characters.

I was skeptical of Depp's portrayal of Willy Wonka. He was a bit odd, but not odd enough to really annoy me. I thought the second half of the movie turned slightly sour. Visually stunning. Worth seeing. But there is room for improvement.

Rating: C+

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Watched in the theater. Awesome! The story continues right where the first leaves off, without skipping a beat. The battle scenes and narrative were excellent. I loved the new characters/creatures etc. Looking forward to the third.

Rating: A-

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

A movie that actually delivered on all pre-release hype. LOTR has everything you could ever hope for in a fantasy adventure film. I can't wait for the next two. The action scenes and special f/x were amazing. Cool creatures, lots of imagination. Sets, costumes, design, make up, story line, everything, GREAT.

Rating: A-

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

The digital f/x are cool, and Lucas does a good job of setting of the first three movies, but the film is completely disjointed. It jumps from one scene to the next without any sense of flow or continuity. The acting is very poor, despite having a talented cast.

Rating: C-

The Hobbit (2012)

Really pretty to look at and full of incredible special effects, but light on story development and suspense. Doesn’t measure up to the very high bar the three other LOTR movies set.

Rating: C

Frankenweenie (2012)

I’m not a fan of Tim Burton animated films, but I do appreciate his creativity. This was mildly entertaining for me, however, I’m sure fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas will love it.

Rating: C

Hugo (2011)

A slow, beautifully shot story that differs from the one the previews are selling. Mostly because the real story isn’t great movie trailer material. Hugo is a real labor of love from Scorsese and other film preservationist collogues of his. Johnny Depp produced. Terrific performances from Chloe, the kid playing Hugo, and Kingsly. Slow, but deep. Enjoyed it. The 3D was unnecessary though.

Rating: C+