EmperorNortonII

It's been twenty years since Superman was last seen in the movies. Now, the Man of Steel is back in "Superman Returns," directed by Bryan Singer. In this story, Superman had gone off for five years in search of traces of Krypton, his home planet. In his absence, Lois Lane has become a mother, while archenemy Lex Luthor is planning his next criminal empire. The latest chapter in the Superman saga makes an impressive splash! Brandon Routh is well cast as Superman, proving himself a worthy successor to the late Christopher Reeve. Kevin Spacey makes a fine Lex Luthor as well. The filmmakers give us many facets of the Superman legacy, referencing the character's first appearance in the comics, and even reviving John William's memorable score from 1978's "Superman." All these factors have made the wait worth it for fans.

"United 93" is the first movie about the events of September 11th, 2001. Some critics have speculated that, after nearly five years, it was too soon to make such a movie. But the surviving family members of those who had perished had nothing but support for director Paul Greengrass. And ultimately, the movie proves to be respectful and well-crafted. One good thing about "United 93" is the flow of the story. It starts steadily, as we see the terrorists calmly preparing for their mission, the crew and passengers boarding the airplane. Then the tension builds as reports of the other hijacked planes surface, and chaos reigns in air traffic control centers. Finally, the story reaches its climax as the passengers rise up against the terrorists. Admirably, there are no exaggerated performances or characters. The terrorists are not stereotypical villains, and the passengers are not over-the-top heroes. The immortal words of Todd Beamer, "Let's roll," are not presented as a catchphrase, but underplayed. The cast consists of unknown actors, and also includes air traffic personnel who were actually on duty that day, including Ben Sliney, supervisor at the National Air Traffic Control Center at Hearndon, Virginia. "United 93" presents a shocking moment in American history, a tale that simply had to be told.

The latest Disney/Pixar epic, "Cars" is yet another brilliant work. The story takes place in a world populated completely by living motorized vehicles. The main character is Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), a rookie race car with dreams of winning the Piston Cup. When he is on his way to the big race in California, he gets sidetracked in a little town called Radiator Springs, along Route 66. The story is filled with colorful characters, from Mater, a rusty good ol' boy tow truck voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, to Doc Hudson, the town judge/mechanic, and former Piston Cup champion, voiced by Paul Newman. Pixar once again makes clever casting choices, including several personalities from the world of stock car racing: Darrell Waltrip, Mario Andretti and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Racing legend Richard Petty voices "The King," Strip Weathers. Even Paul Newman is a racing enthusiast! The imagery is as breathtaking as always, from the shapes in the desert around Radiator Springs, to the dizzying, exciting action shots at the race sequences. Score another victory for Disney and Pixar!