TTUCHY

Director Don Michael Paul takes us on a journey with these genuine characters who are thrown into a much bigger situation than they had signed up for. The protagonists and antagonists have good dimension. Nate's character (Chad Michael Collins) is identifiable as the guy who comes in with boots on the ground and is forced to grow a pair real quick. Vinnie Jones is the stand out British airman that steals scenes. He's always ready for a fight. His fists seem ready to connect with Nazis at a moment's notice. Tom Sizemore, though a veteran to the genre, brings a fresh take to a platoon leader that has been knocked out of rank, but is still able to guide young Nate through his life and death decisions. The movie has a crisp, energetic look, with some authentic-looking scenery that is pretty effective in selling the hardship that the soldiers experienced during WW2. The coverage of the action is fast-paced and complete. Although I'm no ballistics expert, the equipment and guns looked and sounded awesome. The movie is pretty relentless as the action sequences come one right after the other. It's a worthwhile watch.

I was never a fan of the original Tron, but liked the trailer for Legacy so much, I wanted to give it a try. I was blown away. A truly stunning spectacle of visuals and sound. Between the production design, the sound fx, the amazing score, and the pure skill of story-telling, this movie reminded me of what a true blockbuster is. Science fiction is a rough genre' because it demands such a high suspension of disbelief. Not all massive budget fare can deliver. Movies like Transformers or the Star Wars prequels proves that bigger is not always better. A film needs consistency. It needs heart. You have to be sucked into a world for 2 hours and stay contained in it's walls until the credits roll. Tron: Legacy does this. It takes the very basic conflicts and never lets go. It hinges on a very simple and specific goal, and sees it through. It doesn't distract (other than beating you over the head with some minimal PG rated exposition). It's a movie that never forgets what it's meant to be. I enjoyed it very much.

I was expecting a doc on a band that had seen it's share of success and torment. What I got was America. This film, while showing archival footage that would rival a reality show of today, chronologically documents the highs and lows and highs of a band that TRULY defined a generation. They were there at the blooming of the hippie revolution and died with it in the End.

In it's humble beginnings, the Doors were a voice of freed minds. A chance to finally let your inner soul speak through poetry. The song writing spoke to many in it's delicate balance of fluent mainstream melodies and complex, poetic lyrics. Morrison seemed to be Pied Piper- ing a pack of non-political politicians into a drug induced state of ultimate awareness, until finally crashing into a world of drunken vulgarity. Ultimately, the veil is lifted and the man "with very little to say" shows that he is indeed vulnerable to destruction.

By the conclusion, you realize you've been taken on a historical journey through America during the time period where growing pains were most prominent... the 1960's. And you've done all this watching through the eyes of a rock and roll band that, for better or worse, showed us who we really are.