Superbad (2007)

This Movie Is About two high school best friends, Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera). They're a week from graduation and this is the last chance for them to get with the girls of their dreams, and do something together because they will be going to separate colleges next year. Seth gets invited to a party hosted by the school hottie, Jules (Emma Stone). Seth remembers his other friend, Fogell, who said that he will be getting a fake ID. So Seth, trying to impress Jules, volunteers to bring the booze. Jules gives him the money and a little extra for motivation. Evan, on the other hand, is interested in Becca (Martha MacIssac) who will be also attending this party. Evan goes the extra mile and offers to buy her a bottle of Vodka. The two friends meet with Fogell after school only to discover that he has changed his name to McLovin on his fake ID. But with no other option left, and Seth with 100 dollars of Jules's money along with all the expectation, the two friends along with Mclovin go on an hilarious adventure to get the booze while at the same time learning much more about each other than they had ever thought.

You Should Watch This Movie because it's too funny not to. And come on! What more convincing do you need? It's done by the guys who did Knocked Up, and I know you liked that movie cause I'm sure you all read my awesome review and went out and watched it the next day. Okay, maybe not, but I know you liked it if you've seen it. Well, this movie does not disappoint. And for some of you know think that this is just an American Pie rip off, well you're partially right. But if you think that this film is left wanting compared to American Pie, you are very much mistaken.

What's Hot is Mclovin! It is fair to say that he's just the comic side-kick in this film, but at the same time, his story line is so well thought out along with the two police officers that he's with, it really pushes this film from a dual protagonists story to a ensemble cast. All three story lines are very well balanced out, and although McLovin doesn't have the arc as Evan and Seth, his story sprinkled in between Seth and Evan's adventure works nicely and it's incorporated brilliantly at the climax. And yeah well, he's fucking hilarious. And it's a slightly different type of comedy when compared to Seth and Evan's adventure which works as a nice contrast.

What's Not Hot is Jonah Hill quickly becoming a type-cast character. In Accepted he played the typical cynical character and in Knocked Up he was the same person but just more attitude. Well, he's back again in this movie as, you guessed it, the same cynical maniac.Bbut this time he's brought a whole arsenal of cusses and rants. It seems that all he does is scream and swear. It's fine because it was funny but I just don't want to see a talent like him be so fixed on a single role. I know it's still early in his career but I hope he takes on some more diverse characters in the future.

Breaking It Down:
Story: 8.5 (Seth Rogan & Evan Goldberg)
Direction: 7.8 (Greg Mottola)
Acting: 7.4
Cinematography: 7.0
Music/Sound: 8.0

Entertainment Value: 8.5 (not an average)

Fracture (2007)

This Movie Is About a hot-shot criminal attorny, Wiliam Beachum (Ryan Gosling). He has a 97% conviction rate and he's willing to do anything to make it to the top of the game. The film picks up on his last week of work at his old firm. He's just secured a new position as a junior partner by more than unethical means. The last case he takes seems to be an open and shut one. Theodore Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) shot his wife. He told everyone he shot his wife, and he signed a confession too. This seems to be just another notch in the belt but when Beachum gets his ass handed to him in court by Crawford, it becomes a personal struggle between the old and the new, the moral and the unmoral, and ultimately, life and death. But who belongs on with side? That is the real question.

You Should Watch This Movie Because: crime films are so fun when they're done right. That's because all the small pieces must fall into place while at the same time presenting the audience with interesting and conflicting characters. This movie does all of those things and the story is very satisfying in the end. If you are a fan of the crime genre then this film is definitely worth checking out. There are not many scenes which are scary. This movie is advertised as a possible thriller but it's not. It's a straight up crime drama and it's done well.

What's Hot is Gosling's performance. You know that Hopkins is going to be good. There's no question, but good actors need other good actors to play off of and these two do that wonderfully. Their accurate portrayal of character really brings this movie to life. And in the end you're swearing at the screen begging Gosling to not give up! "Come on Sean! Get that bastard!"

What's Not Hot is the slightly over acting by everyone else. Maybe they think that they have to compensate because they are not the leads or something? Actually, the over-acting is minor but it was just a bit annoying. Other than that, there are just a few story lines that are not set up properly. Take for example, Beachum and his love interest, Nikki Gardner (Rosamund Pike). They meet, then they end up in bed together, which is fine. But after it seems like they've known each other for ever. And their story line was not properly resolved in the end either. Oh well, it's not a big deal since it wasn't the focus of the film anyways.

Breaking It Down:
Story: 8.0 (Daniel Pyne & Glenn Gers: screen play)
Direction: 7.8 (Gregory Hoblit)
Acting: 8.2
Cinematography: 8.4
Music/Sound: 6.8

Entertainment Value: 7.8 (not an average)

Disturbia (2007)

This Movie's About a kid named Kale (Shia LaBeouf who has the good life living in the suburbs of any small town America. His life takes a tragic turn when Kale and his father get into a car accident, leaving Kale to deal with the death alone with his mother, Julie (Carrie-Anne Moss). Things go from bad to worse when Kale punches out his Spanish teacher. This combined with his two previous misdemeanors puts him under house arrest for the summer. Things seem to be going alright at home until Kale's mom cancels every form of entertainment available. This leaves Kale with no other option but to spy on his neighbors. What he sees at first is all entertaining, especially the hot new neighbor's daughter, Ashley. But what's entertaining suddenly becomes terrifying when he spots his neighbor Mr. Turner, with some suspect garbage. Paranoia is redefined as Kale tries to not only convince others, but himself that his neighbor is indeed the serial killer.

You Should Watch It Because good thrillers are so hard to come by. And I know that many people are in love with this movie, and they have a right to be. But I think most people who adore this movie adore it because at the time, there was just really nothing else out that was worth watching. This film is by no way a masterpiece with all kinds of twists and turns. It's very one-dimensional and although the love story is cute, it's inclusion borders this movie a bit too close to the teen slasher genre. I'm not saying this movie isn't good cause it is and definitely worth watching, but just don't go in there expecting to be blown away.

What's Hot is Sarah Roemer in a bikini for half the movie and Shia LaBeouf redeems himself to a degree from his Transformers debacle. His acting is pretty good although I still get the feeling that he's just playing himself. But himself is a good character and it suits this film so I'm not complaining. I was also very glad to see the Asian community represented in Aaron Yoo who plays Ronnie, Kale's best friend. The writing is solid like most well received films as everything is set up properly and then paid off in the climax.

What's Brutal is LaBeouf continuing acceptance of awkward make out scenes. I understand that this is supposed to be a teen movie, and making out is something teens are interested in doing, but if you want to make and produce a straight up hardcore thriller, you need to focus more on the thrillin' parts. Don't get me wrong, making out with someone as hot as Sarah Roemer is thrilling and I'm sure that Shia was going crazy in his mind while filming those scenes, but for the rest of us poor souls who don't have the opportunity for the luxary, perhaps a little less focus on the sex and a bit more on the action would have been nice.

Breaking It Down:
Story: 7.5 (Christopher B. Landon & Carl Ellsworth: screen play)
Direction: 7.5 (D.J. Caruso)
Acting: 7.0
Cinematography: 7.6
Music/Sound: 7.8

Entertainment Value: 7.6 (not an average)

The Lookout (2007)

Synopsis:When you're at the top of the world, the only place is to go is down and for Christopher Pratt (Joesph Gordon-Levitt) not only did he go down, but he went crashing down. After a horrendous car accident resulting in the loss of two of his friends and the physical handicapp of his ex-girlfriend, Chris Pratt is left to pick up the pieces of his own life along with the mental disorder that he suffered in the accident. He lives his mundane life, trying to just get by without going into seizures and trying to remember how to use a can opener. That is the world Chris has to deal with until the night he meets Gary Spargo (Matthew Goode). Gary befriends him and even helps him hook up with the very fine Luvlee Lemons (Isla Fischer). Suddenly, Chris's life is picking up! But there's something strange about Gary and Luvlee, something not quite right. It is not until Gary asks Chris for a favour does Chris realize the kind of trouble he has gotten himself into. Oh, did I mention that Chris works as a janitor in a bank?

Should You Watch It? This film is amazing. It starts off so small and just builds and builds until it freakin' explodes at the climax. It starts off as a tragic story about a boy that had everything going for him, but then it starts to introduce new characters like Chris' blind roomate, Lewis (Jeff Daniels) and Chris' family. All of these characters contribute to an enticing story that tugs on your heart strings along the way of an evoluting situation and finally pulling at your emotions, full-throttle by the end.

Things to Watch Out For: Isla Fisher, can you please be not as hot in your next movie? I know it's hard but you're making it very difficult for me to concentrate on the story when you're walking around in your underwear. Anyways, with that out of the way... The writing brilliant. I'm not just saying that because I'm a writer and whatever, but because it really is. Everything that's introduced, every bit of dialogue that you think is worthless, somehow comes back in the end and contributes in a big way to the story. It's that artistic echo that we writers constantly look for and in this film, it's all over the place. The ending shows how a simple piece of dialogue can be introduced, manipulated then twisted around to make an unforgettable ending.

Things You Don't Expect: I'm surprised at the low-key reception this movie got. I didn't hear about this film at all! Well, hopefully, you'll all go out and watch this after reading this review cause this one is a keeper! I'm also surprised by the serious actor that Joesph Gordon-Levitt has become. I remember day when he was on 3rd Rock from the Sun and then Angels in the Outfield. He played that stock type of character but he has really matured into a well rounded actor. Look for much more from him in the future.

Final Comments:
Story: 9.0 (Scott Frank)
Direction: 8.0 (Scott Frank)
Acintg: 8.8
Cinematography: 7.0
Music/Sound: 6.5

Entertainment Value: 8.8 (not an average)

Syriana (2005)

Synopsis: The gang in Ocean's 11 is back minus the Pitt and well pretty much everyone else except for George Clooney and Matt Damon. But I guess that's all you really need! They play different roles all involved in the oil industry. Their jobs contradict one another while at the same time, similar. They are each responsible for the way oil is distributed from the Middle East into the rest of the world. As you know, the oil game is a very profitable game if you play it right. And by playing it right I mean do whatever it takes to get the big contracts and make sure that you have sole rights to the biggest untapped natural resource in the world! That's pretty much what this movie is about. It's high politics at its finest as it trudges along for an hour and forty minutes. Is it worth it? Come along and find out, Children.

Should You Watch It? This is by no means an insult on the film but it might sound like one. If you're not a big fan of the oil industry or don't really care about it, then maybe this movie isn't going to thrill the hell outta you. I know it has an all-star cast outside of Clooney and Damon but seriously, beyond them, there really isn't anything that's awefully interesting. You would think that with something as crazy as an oil struggle, there would be more cloak and dagger and more violence behind closed doors. Well, there is, but seriously, it's tame compared to TV shows like 24 which just won't do it for some thrill seeing folks.

Things to Watch Out For: Other than the war for oil and stuff, there is a very strong family sub-plot involved in all the big names in this movie. But the thing is, it doesn't really fit into the struggle for oil. Sure, I guess the oil and money corrupts family and rips people apart but you don't really get to see a direct connection. You really have to make the connection yourself, and seriously, these peoples' families could have been messed up from the beginning. So I think they're just slandering oil haha.


Things You Don't Expect: There is a whole bunch of talking. And even though Chris Cooper is in it doing a lot of the talking, it still doesn't make it interesting enough. He's the guy from the first Bourne movie. He pretty much plays every government role available in Hollywood. Overall just pretty shocked at how all the stars and stuff couldn't make this exciting. It's okay Matt you did your best. I know if you had Ben there with you, it could have been worth watching.

Final Comments:
Story: 7.8 (Robert Baer: book, Stephen Gaghan: screen play)
Direction: 8.2 (Stephen Gaghan)
Acting: 8.0
Cinematography: 8.5
Music/Sound: 7.0

Entertainment Value: 6.2 (not an average)

The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)

Synopsis: Cillian Murphy plays Damien, a young doctor in the Irish Republic during the 1920s. Except, the Irish Republic isn't a republic anymore because it is under the attack of the British Empire. So Damien and his not-so-merry lads decide to form a rebellious coalition against the tyranny. But they are out-maned, out-armed and pretty much out-classed in very aspect of war. But the thing they got going for them is their heart and determination. And the fact that they swore to the independant parliment of the Republic back in the day. And even though everyone else in Ireland have lost the will to fight, these lads will pay any price to keep their freedom alive.

Should You Watch It? This isn't a war movie in the traditional sense where a Major usually played by Bruce Willis is going out against all odds and killing hundreds of people. Instead, this is a slow paced, melodrama representation of what it was like during the war for independance. Moreover, this movie focuses on the inter-personal dynamic between families and friends when it came to deciding which side to choose. It's a powerful piece of cinema if you can sit through it and if you can get the English which is a bit tricky at times, especially during all the yelling and cussin'.

Things to Watch Out For: This film represents both side of the argument quite well. On the one hand, you have Damien arguing about the fundamentals of freedom and democracy which will push the British into a full war with Ireland. On the other, you have people who just want to live their lives in peace and they can do that if they just swear an oath to the United Kingdom. Both sides are valid and in a perfect world they would be the same thing. But the world is anything but perfect and this split in ideals can pry apart the tightest bonds and this movie does a brilliant job in bringing that struggle to life.

Things You Don't Expect: This is probably the most accessible war movie you will find. It doesn't have the high action or high gore of traditional war movies like Saving Private Ryan or a lot of angry shouting. But it makes it up by adding a strong romantic element as well as a very emotional family dilemma. I know I keep bashing the Irish English but it's really alright in this film. On a down note, I was pretty disappointed with the special effects, especially with the gun shooting. Perhaps that's what bullets did back in the day and maybe they just didn't show any blood to keep the rating down but still felt like a cop out.

Final Comments:
Story: 8.0 (Paul Laverty: screen play)
Direction: 6.8 (Ken Loach)
Acting: 8.5
Cinematography: 7.6
Music/Sound: 6.8

Entertainment Value: 7.4 (not an average)

The Namesake (2006)

Synopsis: Aschoke Ganguli (Irfan Khan) came to America to the land of opportunity. He brought with him, his arranged marraged wife, Ashima. After a long period of getting used to things, Ashima and Aschoke has a son, Gogol (Kal Penn) , after a famous crazy Russian author and a daughter, Sonia. The family grows up in suburbia New York with the kids constantly fighting with their mother about the balance between assimilating into American culture and hanging on to their Indian roots. Ashima's story eventually becomes Gogol's story as he enters the working class and becomes a married man, himself. And no matter how hard he tries, he just can't shake the baggage that comes attached to his name. Gogol goes on a journey to find acceptance and inner peace while learning much more about where his name came from and the meaning it has for him and his family.

Should You Watch It? This film starts out super slow and it is obvious that the writer, Sooni Taraporevala tried to take as much out of the book as she could. As a result, in the first twenty minutes or so, the film doesn't really go anywhere and it's not until Aschoke and Ashima have Gogol does the story pick up. But after that, it's all downhill and the story rolls along beautifully, touching on all the challenges and obstacles an immigrant family goes through when dealing with assimilation and trying to get their kids to hang on to tradition.

Things to Watch Out For: This film isn't a romance story. It might seem like that by the way it's advertised with Kal Penn dating a white chick, Maxine Jacinda Barrett but his mother doesn't want him dating anyone who's not Indian and the film is about them accepting each other's cultures and shit. Well, this movie is not that. That, in fact, is a very small part of this film as it focuses more on the inner family dynamic and Gogol's acceptance of his Indian roots and his, well, Russian namsake.

Things You Don't Expect: Any film that deals with tradition and culture mixed in with family and stuff it's always going to be emotional and that should be expected. But what was really interesting is that this movie, which features many known actors, really focuses on Ashima's story and her arc as she goes from a plain ol' Indian girl to a house wife in suburban America. And of course our good friend Kal Penn plays a serious role. Not saying his role as Kumar in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle was not serious but you know what I mean. And damn! Jacinda Barrett is hot! I didnt' think she was that hot in Last Kiss but I guess I just wasn't paying attention.

Final Comments:
Story: 8.2 (Jhumpa Lahiri: novel, Sooni Taraporevala: screen play)
Direction: 6.8 (Mira Nair)
Acting: 7.5
Cinematography: 7.5
Music/Sound: 7.6

Entertainment Value: 7.8 (not an average)

Red Road (2006)

Synopsis: Jackie (Kate Dickie) works at the CCTV in Scotland where she monitors a small part of a town. The name escapes me and I don't think they mentioned it in the fim. Oh well. Anyways, she lives a pretty boring life and there was a falling out with her family. One day, during her monitoring, she spots a man getting it on with a woman behind an alley against a brick wall. She thinks nothing of it until the man turns around and faces the camera. That's when the world falls apart. Seeing him jolts her to life and compels her into a obesession. She begins to stalk this man and monitors him non-stop which all sets up the climax where she confronts him and we discover the horrible past these two shared.

Should You Watch It? For most of the movie, you don't know what's going on. She sees this dude who's name is Clyde (Tony Curran) by the way, and starts following him around. It is obvious that he did something to her in the past and that because of this horrible event, Jackie has lost contact with her family. So this movie is pretty much watching Jackie stalk some guy and try to reconnect with her family. This is advertised as a drama/thriller, but believe me, there is nothing thrilling about it.

Things to Watch Out For: Katie Dickie is amazing and she has to be in order to pull off a single actress cast. Her portrayal of a broken down woman on the edge of insanity is brilliant and definitely worth watching. Tony Curran complements her as much as he can, but it's difficult for him because most of the time we're watching him on a monitor and he doesn't really do much until later in the film, and that's only to accompany Katie. But overall, these two characters play off each other beautifully and if you can understand the English and don't mind sitting around watching a bunch of nothing for long stretches, then you should give this a shot.


Things You Don't Expect: Perhaps I'm just loosing my mind, but I had a real tough time catching on to their accent in this film. I don't know what it was. Maybe I just haven't heard the Scottish accent in a while. So, if you really want to enjoy this film, either be Scottish, or go find a version with subtitles. The theme of this film is pretty blatant as well. I guess is something you would expect from a movie which is entirely conceived from a theme. Actually, I don't know if it is, I'm just guessing.

Final Comments:
Story: 6.5 (Andrea Arnold)
Direction: 7.0 (Andrea Arnold)
Acting: 9.2
Cinematography: 7.8
Music/Sound: 6.5

Entertainment Value: 6.0 (not an average)

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Synopsis: Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) comes home to finish off everything he started. It's been three years of running from the FBI, cops from over 10 countries, having his love sniped and crash into a river, and pretty much have the shit kicked out of him over and over. He wants it all done, and the only way to do it is face his past. It wont be easy though because the government is back with a new black ops. program which Bourne will have to battle and expose if he has any chance of clearing his name, freeing his soul, and regaining his sanity.

Should You Watch It? The Bourne action series has always focused on one thing: brutal reality. The action sequences in this film are as real as it will get. Everything from New York car chases, to military style mixed martial arts. It's all about survival, and being the last man standing with enough juice to stand up and just keep running. Of course, Damon's performance is solid as always proving why he's Hollywood's go to man at the moment.

Things to Watch Out For: I won't ruin it for you but there is one very mouth watering fight sequence which will have you holding your breath and when it's all over you'll let out the ooOOos and awwwss before breathing. Other than that, there are plenty of other tantalizing car chases, gun fights, frantic cat-and-mouse moments which all adds to the overall frantic nature of this great action film. Ahtough this film does use the shaky cam approach which might sour some people, overall it worked fine and complimented the tone of the film quite well.


Things You Don't Expect: Like her or not, Julia Stiles makes her return but this time as a co-star instead of a just a cameo role. She goes along the adventure with Bourne and faces charges of treason in order to set everything straight in her past as well. The only problem some people will have, if they even spot it, is that the first half of the film is all back story. It doesn't feel like this though because it's very well done but some people might feel a bit cheated. For me, I thought it was actually quite clever.

Final Comments:
Story: 8.8 (Robter Ludlum: novel, Scott Z. Burns, George Nolfi & Tony Gilroy: screen play)

Direction: 9.4 (Paul Greengrass)
Acting: 8.2
Cinematography: 7.8
Music/Sound: 7.2

Entertainment Value: 8.8 (not an average)

Hot Rod (2007)

Synopsis: Rod Kimble (Andy Sandberg) is a hardcore stunt man. Well he's not stunt man. In fact he's exactly the opposite of everything a stunt man should be! But that's okay cause he's a stunt man in his mind! All he wants to do is earn the respect of his step father Frank. But he can't do that because Frank is going to die as from heart failure. Now he must do one last huge jump to raise 50,000 dollars in order to get Frank the transplant and kick his ass!... in order to win his respect.

Should You Watch It? This movie is going to be hit and miss for a lot of folks. This isn't like the traditional comedy where they set up a situation and it's funny because that's life. This movie goes for the "what the fuck" moment by throwing in there all sorts of randomness that really doesn't have anything to do with anything. For some people this might seem like pure genius but may leave some starring at the screen and scratching their heads. But seriously, you should all just watch it for Richardson.

Things to Watch Out For: Isla Fischer plays the love interest for Rod and she's soooo hot. I didn't think she was that hot in Wedding Crashers and Talledega Nights: Ballad of Ricky Bobby but for some reason, she has the girl next door/natural look going for her which I just totally dig. The awkward romance between the two characters is so stupid but at the same time rewarding and of course, random as always. Moreover, his crew adds so much dimension to the film. Although, it can be argued that they're all the same characters, each brings enough diverity to be fresh enough to add layers to the film.

Things You Don't Expect: This film is a throw back 80s film and the music is surprisingly accurate. It's amazing how they got the license for all the tracks that it did for what seems like such a low budget film. In fact the entire movie should be put under this category cause there will be things you will never expect.

Final Comments:
Story: 6.0
Direction: 7.0
Acting: 8.5
Cinematography: 6.5
Music/Sound: 8.8

Entertainment Value: 8.0

Zodiac (2007)

Synopsis: It is very rare these days for a criminal to kill someone and get away with it. It's even more rare for someone to kill many someones and not only get away with it, but taunt the cops as he's running down the street. Now, I'm not going to suggest that the real happenings of the Zodiac killer is by any means, cool or exciting, but for a film, it made a great story. Robert Graysmith Jake Gyllenhaal is a cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle in the 60s and the story begins with his editor getting a letter from the Zodiac killer. From then on, the killings continue with the Zodiac taunting the police through the media. Robert gets more and more involved as the case is stretched out over the years. It is not until when everything looks bleak and everybody has given up on catching this guy, does Robert take action and does the right thing because no one else will.

Should You Watch It? This film isn't about the serial killer. That is, the story isn't focused around him stalking people and killing them. Although this film may be advertised like that, it's really about the characters in the case after the Zodiac killer. When this was going on, everyone was obsessed with this guy, and for a few people, including the ones I mentioned above, it took their lives away. This story is about how the Zodiac killed these people without ever hurting them physically. He tortured everybody involved and this movie shows us how Robert Graysmith gave up everything he had in order to fullfill his obsession and the toll it took on him and his family.

Things to Watch Out For: They say that in order to create a good film, you have to dramatize real life. That is, life itself is naturally boring so you gotta spice it up a bit. But this film doesn't feel very spiced up. In fact, everything they put this film is pretty much real. I mean, they had to cut out parts of course but overall they were able to stick to what really happened and let the story write itself. It just goes to show you how much of an extrodinary tale this was back in the 60s and 70s.

Things You Don't Expect: This film is pretty slow because the whole event took over 6 years to resolve and even then some question whether it was resolved properly. Like I said before, this movie is about the people and media involved in this case and how it ruined their lives. Because that's such a gradual progression, the story may seem very slow and at times, not really connected to the Zodiac at all. Believe me though, it all has a point and if you just stick around long enough, you'll be equally rewarded for your patience.

Final Comments:
Story: 8.6 (Robert Graysmith: book, James Vanderbilt: screen play)
Direction: 8.0 (David Fincher)
Acting: 8.5
Cinematography: 8.0
Music/Sound: 6.0

Entertainment Value: 8.2

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

Synopsis: I was not a cool kid in school. In fact, I was not a cool kid anytime in my life lol! And the percentage of kids actually cool in school is really low. The popular kids are the minority so it would make sense that Disney would make a film with characters that are the majority. The shy and loner types that we all were or all have seen sometime in our life. Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke are two of the lonliest people on the planet! It's amazing what hermits they are. But birds of a feature I guess as they join together to form a life lasting friendship. They escape across a river on a rope and find a incomplete tree house. The land is completely theirs and Leslie teaches Jesse that with just a little bit of imagination and an open mind, they can create the most beautiful world just for them. Jesse is captivated by this new and exciting fantasy land which they call Terabithia but he is constantly being pulled away from it by the harsh realities of his families' financial situation as well as problems at school. But this film teaches you that, as long as you stay positive, you can always find that bridge to your magic place.

Should You Watch It? The difference between this Disney film and something like Pixar is that this film assumes the kids watching it are stupid and that they are watching this film themselves. Which is of course, not true. Kids have to go watch movies with adults and kids who do not go with adults will probably not watch something this childish. Pixar excels in creating films which suit both the child audience as well as the adult audience. Although, this film does not do this, if you happen to have a 7 year old you want to entertain or have a friend with the maturity level of a 7 year old, then this movie is worth considering.

Things to Watch Out For: From the cover, it may seem that this is a straight up fantasy adventure involving two ordinary heroes. But it's really not. It's more about how kids can deal with the pressures of growing up and the awkwardness of social interactions esepcially at a place like school where it is mandatory to socialize. Bullying is also a big theme in this film although it is touched on with a softer note than what the reality is. All these story lines tie back into the make belief world that Jesse and Leslie create as a metaphor to teach kids that your imagination and your willingness to stay positive is something that can never be taken away from you.

Things You Don't Expect: This movie is pretty sad. I was thoroghly surprised with the amount of tear jerking scenes in this film esepcially since it's for children. Of course I'm not going to ruin it for you but it was just surprising. After that point, the film did take off in a new direction. One that I think is vital for the theme but one which led the climax of the film to be a bit short in my opinion. Other than that, I didn't get a clear sense of what the antagonists wanted, or if there was one. I don't know. But then again, it's a children's film but still! Kids deserve quality too!

Final Comments:
Story: 6.0 (Katherine Paterson: novel, Jeff Stockwell & David Paterson: screen play)
Direction: 6.8 (Gabor Csupo)
Acting: 7.0
Cinematography: 6.8
Music/Sound: 7.5

Entertainment Value: 6.2