Juno

Every so often a movie comes along that is just simply perfection from beginning to end. Juno is such a movie. I love this one. The acting is stupendous, especially when it comes to Ellen Page who plays pregnant teen Juno MacGuff. She was wonderfully flawless, delivering her lines as if they were written specifically for her. She was nominated for the Oscar for this one, and I'm really kind of surprised she didn't win.

J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney, two of my favorite actors, play Juno's father and stepmother and both do a great job. These aren't the usual teen pregnancy movie parents who go nuts and yell at their wayward daughter. Her news is met with surprise but also support for what is ultimately her decision. And Michael Cera as Juno's bewildered boyfriend Paulie Bleeker is funny and even sometimes frustrating. You wonder if he is ever going to really get his mind around what is happening.

Everyone in this cast did a great job, and the story manages to avoid being a cliche, which is amazing for a subject that has been done to death in the past. Diablo Cody is the writer of this little gem, and I really hope she can keep up this quality with her future works. The dialogue is snappy, witty and quick; and Cody's Oscar award is well-deserved.

If you haven't seen this yet, rush right out and rent it. It deserves five stars and then some.

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

I have just one thing to say about this movie. I WANT THOSE 102 MINUTES OF MY LIFE BACK!!!!

Stephen King's The Stand

I am a big fan of Stephen King...well, his older work anyway. His newer stuff just isn't up to par if you ask me. Out of everything his has written, The Stand is by far his masterpiece. Most people know, there are two versions of the book. I read the second, uncut version and loved it.

Which brings me to the 1994 mini-series based on this book, also a masterpiece. This movie stuck with the story pretty well, something that rarely seems to happen now-a-days. Now, it's not perfect since it was based on the original release of the book, a bit shorter than the uncut version. And of course some characters were omitted and others combined for the sake of simplification for television. But I don't think it loses much if anything along the way.

For those not familiar with the story, The Stand is set in a time when what appears to be a biological weapon is accidentally released from a military base. As Captain Tripps, as the illness comes to be called, tears its way through the population, survivors are drawn to two very different people who exemplify good and evil. Mother Abigail Freemantle (Ruby Dee) is a servant of God, while Randall Flagg (Jamey Sheridan) appears to possibly be the Devil himself. A great battle is brewing and the prize is the world itself.

Gary Sinese is great, as usual, and was a wonderful choice for the character of Stu Redman. Even Molly Ringwald, whom I had serious doubts about, did a great job as Frannie Goldsmith. The cast is a veritable who's-who of Hollywood talent, some very well-known at the time, some not so much. Out of all of them, I have to say Rob Lowe as Nick Andros was probably my favorite. He was great as the deaf-mute Andros and deserved more raves for his work than he actually received at the time.

Even after 14 years, this movie really holds up. I've even watched it in its entirety in one sitting and not been bored or frustrated. That's saying a lot for a mini-series. I haven't read the book in quite a while though. I think it's about time I dig it out again.

The Incredible Hulk

OK, we are going to forget Ang Lee's Hulk from 2003. Shouldn't be too hard since it was so utterly forgettable. I was very disappointed in that one. Ang Lee did amazing things with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, so I was hopeful when I heard he would be bringing one of the most well-known comic book characters to life. Boy were my hopes dashed.

This year we were "blessed" with director Louis Leterrier's version of the big green guy. The Incredible Hulk was much better than its predecessor. Edward Norton did a good turn as Dr. Bruce Banner, harking back to Bill Bixby in a way. Bixby's character from the television series was such a mild-mannered, likable guy; and Norton exudes the same type personality. Liv Tyler does a good job as well as Elizabeth "Betty" Ross. She and Norton seem to fit pretty well together, and I hope both return for any future sequels. (Come on. You know there's going to be a sequel.)

I have to say I loved the bit of a nod to the old series and Bill Bixby. First, as Norton is flipping through channels on the TV, he comes across a rerun of The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Bill Bixby's series that ran from 1969 - 1972. Then at one point when Norton is walking down the road, we hear the familiar music that played at the end of each episode of the old series as Bixby left town. And Norton trying to say the old "Don't make me angry" line in Portuguese was hilarious.

This movie was great visually, and the storyline was well done. Stan Lee made his usual cameo appearance, and Lou Ferrigno was there as well. (Yes, they were both in Ang Lee's version as well, but we're forgetting that one. Remember?) William Hurt did well as General Ross, and Tim Roth was wonderfully power hungry as Major Emil Blonsky. (No redeeming qualities there.)

I wish I had seen this movie in the theater instead of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, but there's not much I can do about that now. It is definitely worth renting, and possibly buying. And watch the end for a tie-in with another summer hit. The way comic books work, they could make endless movies from the world of Marvel. (Hopefully they'll be good ones.)

The Bucket List

If you're looking for a funny, poignant movie full of sentimentality, this is it. The Bucket List teams up Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson as two men suffering from terminal illness. Carter Chambers (Freeman) is a working class auto mechanic and Edward Cole (Nicholson) is a corporate billionaire who end up sharing a hospital room. They become friends and when Carter starts a list of things he wants to do before he "kicks the bucket," Edward adds his own items to the list and off they go.

I was worried this movie would fall into cliched drivel, as so many of these types of movies do, but it was actually pretty good. Yeah, it may be a bit of a cliche in spots, but it holds up well. Freeman is one of my favorite actors, and although I'm not a big Nicholson fan, I really liked him in this movie.

Sean Hayes, who was delightful as Jack in Will & Grace, does a marvelous turn as Edward's assistant. His scenes are really brief, but they work so well. He plays a great straight man in this one.

The Bucket List makes you think about what you would do if you had a short time to live. It literally asks the questions "Have you found joy in your life?" and "Has your life brought joy to others?" (Two questions everyone should ask themselves.)

Pretty good movie. I liked how the ending turned out. (Not quite as expected.) Worth renting.