Osiris-11

When the credits rolled the first time I saw The Phantom Menace, my first thought was it would be three long years before I got to see the next installment. Now that installment is here, and it is everything I was waiting for. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. The acting was a wonderful improvement over its predecessor, and Hayden Christensen stole the show. I was captivated by his portrayal of a man teetering on the edge. But all the characters, not just Anakin, seemed more real this time around. The story is much more emotionally charged in Attack of the Clones, and the film itself is an action movie, love story, whodunnit mystery and a story of deep personal conflict all rolled into one. The special effects are fantastic, it being a Lucas joint and all, but what makes this film such a marked improvement over The Phantom Menace is that the storyline, not the CGI, really drives the film. This movie offers something for everyone of all ages and is well worth the price admission (several times, at that). Its only drawback is that now I have to wait ANOTHER three long years to find out how the whole story comes to a close.

If Russell Crow weren't so darn good in Gladiator Tom Hanks would be a three time Academy Award winner. The performance he tendered in Cast Away was honestly better than the two that won him Oscars, especially when one considers his co-star for the majority of the film was a piece of sporting equipment. This film amazed me from beginning to end. For a couple of hours I because Chuck Noland. What more could I ask from a movie? I liked this film more than most of my friends, and I can certainly understand why it just wouldn't click with some people. Cast Away is deeply psychological and personal, and it makes the viewer think as much about his or her own life as about the story line. It is ultimately a story of hope and perseverance, not of one man but of the human race. Now that it has left theaters I suggest watching this movie alone and free from distractions. I hope it speaks to you the way it spoke to me.

My ultimate measure of quality in a film is how understandable the psychology of the characters is. Ambiguously evil villains and infallible heroes make a story line boring at best and completely derail it at worst. Every character in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is thoroughly understandable and multi-dimensional, complete with desires and flaws. These characters are real people in complex situations and, although the setting and much of the action is highly fantastic, we can all relate to them. The story of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon reaches across time and culture to take the viewer on deeply philosophical and spiritual journey. I was highly impressed with both the acting and the action of the film, truly a masterful accomplishment by director Ang Lee. I was also impressed on how egalitarian the characters seemed, with as strong a set of female characters as has been found in cinema in a long time. Everything about this movie is beautiful, wonderfully directed and choreographed so that the finished product is honestly one of the best films I have ever seen. I would recommend it to anyone.