SKeller64

"Three Kings" ranks as one of the best war movies of this decade and certainly one of the better films of this year (1999). Its story starts out sort of satirical though it quickly becomes something more meaningful. While it seems to be only about four soldiers trying to get rich off of stolen gold it definitely has a more poignant and deeper purpose. The portrayal of enemy soldiers as actual people rather than stereotypical "bad guys" particularly struck a chord with me, and since its message was one of anti-war (as most war movies are) this aspect was very well done. While it may lack the sheer intensity of something like "Saving Private Ryan" or the thoughtful introspective nature of "The Thin Red Line," "Three Kings" stands on its own by using humor to contrast against the realism seen in the characters. Also of note are the great performances, especially by George Clooney who finally proves that he is a very talented and capable actor. Highly recommended, 4/4 stars.

Got the chance to see a sneak preview of Mumford and mainly went to see it for Chasing Amy's Jason Lee (as I'm that big of a Kevin Smith fan) and was rather caught off-guard by how good it was. Starting out, the movie is slightly oddly paced and just throws you into the plot with little explanation as to what's up. The script unfolds expertly and does a great job of drawing you into the storyline and the very believable characters. It's extremely funny in a low-key way with most of the humor coming as a quick comment delivered dead-pan. It's the sort of flick where all of the characters are great because they're so quirky that they are funny in and of themselves. The overall message of the movie is also a good one. Definitely reccomended viewing.

By the way, you get to see Jason Lee skate a bit. Cool beans.

I went into Enemy of the State expecting a rather silly "the NSA is out to get me" type action flick, but it proved to be very clever and genuinely suspenseful at parts. Will Smith gives what is easily one of his best performances (as he gets a part that isn't best described as "cocky hotshot"), and everyone else does a top-notch job as well. The script was fast paced but still cohesive, and the movie never turned into a big gunfight. My chief complaint was the chase scenes (of which there were several) due to the fact that they are shot from roughly 23 angles, all constantly being intercut. I guess it was intended to make it more intense (and give the idea that there are a multitude of cameras watching everyone), but the gimmick ended up simply making it difficult to tell just what was happening.

So long as you're not in the middle of a chase scene, the movie is great. And while it obviously pushes the limits of reality at points, it is still believable enough as to not be a large distraction. The entire thing is worth seeing just for the climax, which is quite intelligent and funny. Recommended viewing for fans of the genre, and even those that don't generally like this type of movie will probably enjoy it.