Doom (2005)

Skip the movie and go straight to the game. If you're not into games, listen to a NIN album.

Rating: D-

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

I saw this one on a plane. I expected much better. The music was hit and mostly miss for me. Also, I like my love stories to have happy endings, not end with one of them dying. Spoiler alert.

Rating: D

Dredd (2012)

Ten times better than the deplorable Sylvester Stallone Judge Dredd. The post-apocalyptic future cityscape looked adequately gritty and realistic. The setup up was tightly scripted and sufficient to engage the viewer in the bloody mayhem to come. We may have seen the main plot device—working one’s way to the top of a building of bad guys—many times, but it’s still entertaining when done right. This is no award winner, but it’s a killer action flick deserving of a sequel.

Rating: C+

Death Race 2 (2010)

This is actually a prequel, not that anyone was asking for one. Do we really need the origin story for a NASCAR snuff film? The last Death Race had a higher caliber cast and better writing. This retooled version tries really hard to convince us it’s not a B movie, to no avail. There are some fun sequences, but overall it’s a clunker.

Rating: D

Your Highness (2011)

Silly, crude, and juvenile. Follows in the footsteps of Pineapple Express, but it’s more lowbrow than that. The big mystery is how they got Natalie Portman to join the cast. She’s looking fabulous in this pre-pregnancy role. The movie is funny, but not laugh out loud funny. I’d heard some pretty bad reviews, so my expectations were low. I’ve certainly seen worse. This was at least entertaining.

Rating: C-

The Four Feathers (2002)

The pros: picturesque landscapes, performances by Heath Ledger and his native friend, and one cool battle scene. The cons: Everything else. Long winded and trite at times. I had to make myself focus during the long drawn out romance sequences and stop myself from rooting for the bad guys since I felt the British deserved to be wiped out.

Rating: C-