JJohns

Yes I said it. When a movie you anticipate has you anticipating for more and you're still pleased...well thats perfection to me. I felt like a kid watching Star Wars or Indiana Jones for the first time. It was fun and that's how I took it.

Hollywood managed not to screw this one up. Instead, they let Mr. Peterson do his job.

Why this movie is a winner with me is quite simple. Its mass and its production was quite impressive. For an epic picture done on this scale including the CGI, cinematography, and the intensity of the one on one combat scenes was more than adequate for the occasion. It entertained me. That's what movies are made for and considering its 165 minute span, I wasn't bored once.

Another reason why this movie was such a hit was due to the performances. Every actor convinced me of their role but it was both Eric Bana and Brian Cox's performances that stood out for me. You could tell every actor wanted in on this project and was proud. Every actor and actress gave their best.

As for Brad Pitt being considered a miscast, I had to see for myself. Its a shame when critics try to ruin a motion picture for you based on their prejudices. I would have missed another great performance out of Mr. Pitt. The dialogue was a bit challenging but he made up for it with the fight scenes and his charisma for the character.

I did feel the connection between his former role as Tristian in "Legends of the Fall" with the Achilles role. The expressions, the rebelliousness, the physical demands. He did good a job. Why all the down talk? He still brought in the dollars. Brad Pitt just has it like that.

Is it worth repeated viewings? I waited till the following Monday to see it again. However, I learned my lesson with the Matrix Trilogy burnout. Wait till video.

Motives is a souped up soap opera with a restricted rating due to graphic sexual content, more sex with a little violence thrown in . Everyone looked so pretty and the life these fine people lived definately makes you want to covet. It was an interesting film just easily one read like a Soap Opera hyped up in its own melodrama.

Emery Sims played by pretty boy Shamar Moore, is just that, a pretty boy who owns a restaurant business who's very wealthy and respected in the community. When a consensual affair goes wrong along with a murder investigation pending, Sims world begans to spiral down. But as the events unfold Sims begins to question the ones closest to him including his most trusted wife played by Vivica Fox. I thought her perfomance was bland in this movie as they made her into the attractive yet subdued nagging wife.

So yes its been done before and its all acting. Need I say two of Young and the Restless' (Moore and Rowell) were plucked from this sitcom. I also found the beginning subplot unnecessarily used for this story. I do however support the rise of more all star casts of African Americans in films whether their backed independently or not. I just wished that the storylines weren't so confined to stereotypes and overdone material. There's no slighting of the actors because I'm a fan of Fox and Rowell. And let's not forget the knockout performance from Mr. Joe Torrey himself. Just lose the material. You have a potential fan waiting.