This Aussie film is noir as it should be: cheaters double-crossing and cheating other cheaters, perfect plans going horribly wrong, events spiraling out of control. Really enjoyed this one. Makes The Killer Inside Me look totally blah.

FF=1

This doesn’t break any new ground but is engaging if you’re in an undemanding mode. No surprises. Good for the kid inside.

FF=1

I’ve long been fascinated by Manfred von Richthofen. Matt Costello and I even wrote a screenplay about him.  But I watched The Red Baron with dismay. The inaccuracies and anachronisms start with the opening scene and continue through the film. A complete disregard for the man’s character and The Flying Circus – the fighting unit he commanded. He was a born hunter and here he’s a fop. The planes and the aerial combat scenes are gorgeous, however. See this for the planes. Ignore the story.

FF=4

Am I a wimp for getting all puddley at the end? I mean, come on, they’re toys! And they’re not even =real= toys, they’re animated!  Another amazing job by Pixar in giving more depth to their animated characters than many live actors can achieve.

FF=0

A very pleasant surprise.  A fascinating premise that takes some unexpected twists.  A very noirish turn at the end.  The less you know about it in advance, the better.

FF=0

I watched these back to back and they’re very nearly one story.  They’re okay.  Some good action and suspense between all the talk.  I haven’t read the books but I’m told the films are better paced. If that’s true, why are the books so phenomenally popular?

FF=2

The real-world scenes were a bit slow, but things picked up once we got down the rabbit hole.  I loved the look of the film and Depp’s take on the Hatter.

FF=0

This could have/should have been a YouTube video. Very little meat. More about the filmmaker than the subject.

FF=4

Why do I do this? Against all advice, I watched this. I have a weakness for Biblical apocalyptic stories (all those years in Catholic school, I guess) and figured, How bad can it be? Well, pretty bad. I mean, I never knew you could kill angels with bullets. (I missed that in Catechism class.) Maybe a coherent story existed in the script; it sure as hell didn’t make it to the screen.

FF=3

The latest incarnation of this (was 3D in theaters) is fun. And certainly the most anatomically correct film I’ve seen in some time.

FF=1