Leap Year (2010)

It's really hard to look past the formulaic dreck that excretes from the screen for the first 30 minutes. Bouncy romantic music you've heard a million times, the "funny" best friend, the rube of a boyfriend we all know will get the boot in the end, and the manic leading lady that is just waiting to be put in her place by the rough around the edges yokel.

The one saving grace of the film? Ireland. It's gorgeous. I had to stop myself from booking a flight after the credits rolled. Also, the previously mentioned yokel did a good job. Overall though I was hoping for something more original and witty.

Rating: C-

The Lookout (2007)

A mostly overlooked film that deserves to be seen. Characters are given time to develop, and the story is engaging. A nice effort overall.

Rating: B-

Match Point (2005)

It’s hard to love a film whose main character is such a slime ball. Sure, Scarlett Johansson makes for one incredibly enticing mistress, but that doesn’t excuse his behavior. I certainly didn’t see things escalating to the point that they did. Disturbing.

Outside of the terrible music, it doesn’t feel much like a Woody Allen picture. It certainly wasn’t one of my favorites from him.

Rating: C-

Watchmen (2009)

I wasn't sure what kind of movie to expect going in, and now, having seen it, I'm not quite sure what kind of movie I saw. I thought of "Sin City", but in full color, including the requisite Bloody Red. However, Watchmen aspires to be much more than Sin City. It's a thinking man's movie in addition to being a "bones popping out of skin" man's movie. There are plenty of shout-outs to Snyder's previous film "300" as well.

I liked the back and forth storytelling style we've grown accustomed to from shows such as LOST. There's a lot happening onscreen, but I never felt confused. Zack Snyder's signature touch is transfused in the celluloid. Characters are rich and obscene. Long dramatic stretches will abruptly be interrupted with extreme bouts of violence. The kind of brutality that is so over-the-top that it makes you giggle with immoral delight.

Visually, it's a great film, but conceptually, the story is not as compelling as it would like to be.

Rating: B