Retelling of the Robin Hood legend with animals for the characters. Robin Hood is an outlaw who starts to form a gang in Sherwood Forest to fight the injustices of the Sheriff of Nottingham, who levies unpayable taxes upon the people. Written by Tim Pickett {quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au}

“Exorcist: The Beginning” has a firm grip on the title ‘Worst Movie of 2004.’ And it’s in strong contention for Worst Movie of the Decade, a title currently held on my list by “Gigli.” “The Beginning” is a disjointed, unintelligible mess that’s a very poor relation to the classic “The Exorcist.”

(more…)

Whatever you’re expecting from “Alexander,” the odds are high you’ll be in for a huge surprise. Oliver Stone’s Alexander the Great story is more about the man himself and his relationships with the men in his life, than it is about Alexander’s conquests and life as a ruler.

(more…)

Tyrants - Monsters - Heroes - Ear Wax.

This is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years. It’s also one of the sweetest romances. Who would have thought that a huge, ugly, bug-eating, tube-eared, gassy green ogre could be so loveable? Mike Myers voice was the perfect match for this animated creature, though personally I believe Eddie Murphy stole the show with his Donkey doings.

(more…)

I’ve issued this disclaimer many times before (“Spider-Man,” “The Hulk,” and “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”) but reiterating it one more time can’t hurt: I don’t know anything about comic books. Therefore, as with my other reviews of movies based on that source, I’m reviewing “Hellboy” without any background knowledge of the story or the characters. I’m reviewing the film as a “Hellboy” virgin.

(more…)

During the Napoleonic Wars, a British frigate, HMS Surprise, and a much larger French warship, the Acheron, with greater fire power, stalk each other off of the coast of South America. Russell Crowe brings great intensity to the role of Captain Jack Aubrey. Lucky Jack, as he is referred to by his crew, is well regarded by his men, who trust him implicitly, even after the first devastating battle and an apparent personal vendetta against the French captain. While the naval battle sequences are quite fantastic, the film is successful because director Weir chose to build the story to get to know the men who are locked aboard the tight quarters of a small ship and how they interact everyday. The officers and the mates are well-known by the time the final battle comes. Paul Bettany offers a strong performance as the surgeon and naturalist who balances the violence of his chosen life with the quiet demeanor of the scientist. He is the captain’s friend and confidant, the two frequently playing violin and cello duets together. The horrors of the injuries from the war are frequently implied, but vividly depicted in the reactions of the characters. Written by John Sacksteder {jsackste@bellsouth.net}

(more…)

As the adventure continues, the saga of war between vampires and werewolves. Selene, the vampire “death dealer” who’s now fighting to stop the release of the original “Lycan” werewolf, William from the prison that’s held him for centuries. As we learn from the film’s action-packed prologue, William and his brother Marcus began the bloodline of vampires and werewolves, and after witnessing centuries of warfare between them, their immortal father Corvinus now seeks Selene and the human vampire/lycan hybrid Michael to put an end to the war perpetuated by Victor, the vampire warrior whose betrayal of Selene turns Underworld: Evolution into an epic tale of familial revenge. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}

(more…)

Intrepid British archaeologist Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) has made perhaps the most important archaeological discovery in history: an orb that leads to the mythical Pandora’s Box. Unfortunately, the orb falls into the hands of Jonathan Reiss (Ciarán Hinds), an evil scientist who deals in killer viruses and hopes to sell the secrets of the box as the ultimate weapon. Recruited by British Intelligence to get the orb back from Reiss, Lara recruits Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler), a British marine turned mercenary (and her former love interest) to help. The two embark on an adventure that spans continents in an attempt to regain the orb… Written by Gavin Nelson

“Serenity” is a wild, white-knuckle roller coaster ride set in the future where the heroes are deeply conflicted, people do whatever they have to – even if it’s illegal - just to survive, and if you want to cuss at someone, you do it in a foreign language so there’s no need to cover the ears of small children.

(more…)

This cheerfully low-budget riff on the Dracula story from directors Sarah Nean Bruce and Eduardo Durao follows Van Helsing, the immortal vampire hunter, as he battles the evil dead throughout the centuries. Asylum Pictures favorite Rhett Giles stars, alongside Paul Logan, Denise Boutte, Brent Falco, and Anthony Turk.