Why do people see such different things when watching Transformers and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix?

Captivity: 0 out of 4 stars
When it comes to movies, I am not a crusader. Rarely do I find the content of a motion picture objectionable on ethical grounds. Then again, films as morally repugnant as Captivity don't come along too often (thankfully). There is no requirement that a feature leave a viewer feeling good about himself, the world, or anything else. Cinematic endeavors should not, however, send audiences home in search of a shower to skim away a slimy, degraded feel. I can't state with certainty that watching Captivity represents the most horrific experience I have ever had in a movie theater - but next to it, Freddy Got Fingered is starting to look better by the minute.

Introducing the Dwights: 3 out of 4 stars
Introducing the Dwights is a coming of age story that (thankfully) doesn't play coy with issues of sexuality. The film, from Australian director Cherie Nowlan, doesn't always move smoothly (it has a tendency to jump around a little, especially in the early going) and it avoids overt heartstring tweaking. It's about a young man whose identity has been shaped and his manhood emasculated by this toxic mother, and how finding someone new to care about gives him the strength to cut the apron strings. While the material may not be new, its handling is fresh and honest and the lead performances are top notch.

Time: 3.5 out of 4 stars
Haunting and disturbing, Time is the kind of motion picture that gets under your skin and doesn't let go. It lingers long after the final credits have rolled and, for those who see it with friends, it will provoke endless post-movie discussions. A meditation on identity and how our physical appearance relates to who we are, Time is the product of the fertile creative mind of controversial (some love him, some despise him) South Korean director Kim Ki-duk. Like Kim's previously seen international efforts (Spring Summer Fall Winter...and Spring, 3-Iron), this one takes a seemingly straightforward storyline and twists it to devastating effect during the final act. The result is a production of intellectual and emotional power. It's nowhere close to conventional and aptly fits the term "challenging."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 3.5 out of 4 stars
With its fifth cinematic outing, the Harry Potter film series has ascended to another level. In addition to providing a self-contained, well-paced adventure, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix also begins to coalesce the epic ether that has been building over the past four films (especially the last two). With this movie, we sense that we're on the brink of something big, dark, and ominous. "By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this was comes…" For a franchise that began under the lightweight guardianship of director Chris Columbus, these pictures have gotten progressively darker. The Order of the Phoenix is easily the gloomiest yet. The movie is not suitable for young children (although, considering that Harry's core audience has aged considerably since the release of the first book in 1997, that shouldn't be a big problem).

Monthly look ahead to major releases - July 2007.

Rescue Dawn: 3 out of 4 stars
Rescue Dawn, which transpires in southeast Asia during 1965, makes three things perfectly clear. First, director Werner Herzog is obsessed with the story of Dieter Dengler. Second, Herzog loves making movies about men with a tenuous grasp on sanity who are trapped deep in the jungle. Third, lead actor Christian Bale no longer has a stable weight.

License to Wed: 1 out of 4 stars
No matter how hard I try, I'm finding it difficult to write anything positive about License to Wed. This movie is bad from top to bottom, front to back, and start to finish. Many romantic comedies sacrifice humor in favor of romance; this one isn't romantic either. If this was the debut outing for Robin Williams or Mandy Moore, neither would get another job. Williams is as unfunny as he has ever been and Moore shows no evidence of charisma or charm. At least License to Wed wasn't so godawful that I wanted to drive a spike through my head to make the pain stop, and when it was all over, I didn't run gibbering up the aisle in a frantic break for the exit.

Transformers: 1.5 out of 4 stars
When it comes to Transformers, I have no ax to grind, pro or con. For me, it's just another loud, plot-deficient summer motion picture. In this case, nostalgia doesn't grip me - I'm too old to have played with the gadgets or watched the cartoon. I'm sure many fanboys (and girls) will be delighted by what Michael Bay has done to update the Transformers mythos (basically, that means incorporating A-level special effects and blowing lots of things up). On the other hand, those with no particular emotional attachment to the toys and their multimedia offshoots may dislike this movie as much as I did.

How will the release of a new Harry Potter movie and book within two weeks impact the performance of the film?

Live Free or Die Hard: 2.5 out of 4 stars
After twelve years haunting the shelves of video stores, John McClane (Bruce Willis) has been exhumed. The indefatigable hero of three Die Hard films during the 1980s and 1990s appeared to have reached his "sell by" expiration date with the lackluster Die Hard with a Vengeance, but Fox decided there was still room for the old school cop in the digital age. So John McClane is back - sort of. For, although this guy looks like McClane, sounds like McClane, cracks wise like McClane, says "Yippee kiyay" like McClane, and gets bloody like McClane, he doesn't always seem like McClane. Instead of an everyday guy getting the crap kicked out of him as he soldiers on to save his family, this guy is a superhero without the costume. If we, as the movie-going public, weren't so obsessed with familiar faces, there would be no Live Free or Die Hard. Take away Bruce Willis and this is straight-to-video material.

Evening: 3 out of 4 stars
Evening, based on the 1998 bestseller by Susan Minot, is an example of a well-told familiar story. There are no surprises during the course of the film, which transpires across two time frames (1954 and 1998), but the strength of the screenplay and acting provide a satisfying, although not overwhelming, two hours of romance, drama, and tragedy. Longtime cinematographer-turned-director Lajos Koltai has fashioned the movie in such a way that it feels literate. Everything from the cinematography to the editing to the score has been calculated to remind us that this is an example of literature come to life on the screen. Those in search of traditional summertime fare need not apply.

Ratatouille: 3 out of 4 stars
Brad Bird may be one of the few animated filmmakers working today who understands what the concept of a "family film" means. It's something that offers material to viewers of all ages and doesn't lose one group by catering too strongly to another. Following The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, Bird has turned his attention to the sewers and kitchens of Paris with Ratatouille. In some ways, it's an odd subject for a big-budget cartoon. Rats don't make for the most cuddly of animated creatures and the movie spends enough time developing plot that younger children may squirm. Nevertheless, while Ratatouille misses the pinnacle achieved by The Incredibles (considered by some to be the best-ever computer animated film), it provides solid entertainment and shows why something like Shrek the Third should be cast aside.

Is Michael Moore the victim or piracy or is this all a publicity stunt?

1408: 3 out of 4 stars
If elements of 1408 seem a little familiar, it shouldn't be a surprise. Here's John Cusack, once again having lodging problems (see also Identity). Here's a supernatural debunker faced with something that refuses to be debunked (see also The Reaping). And here's a movie about a room-for-rent where people go in but don't come out (see also Vacancy). Yet, despite all of these recycled plot elements bobbing around, there's nothing stale about 1408, which is easily the best horror film of 2007. Too often, we see a movie with a great setup like this ruined by a subpar ending. However, 1408 deftly sidesteps that trap, delivering a conclusion that somehow manages not to disappoint while at the same time leaving things open-ended enough that viewer interpretation comes into play.

Sicko: 3 out of 4 stars
For his fifth full-length "documentary," Michael Moore turns his attention to another hot-button issue: health care in the United States. The points he makes - that the health care system is badly broken and other countries accomplish what we have trouble doing - aren't revolutionary, but they are presented in a compelling manner. For those living in the United States, watching Sicko isn't an uplifting experience. Moore, as has been adequately reported over the years, isn't a hard-hitting journalist or a documentarian in the traditional sense of the job description. He's more of a rabble rouser and a button pusher. His ego often gets in the way of his making a point (as happens on several occasions during Sicko), but he knows how to edit and spin in such a way that even the driest of topics can become compulsively watchable. As a documentary, this movie has the same problems as all of those in Moore's oeuvre; as a polemic or a visual op-ed piece, it's an effective piece of filmmaking.

A Mighty Heart: 3 out of 4 stars
Most world renowned people have achieved that status as a result of something accomplished during their lives. Unfortunately, Daniel Pearl was among the few who became famous as a result of his death. Pearl's kidnapping and subsequent death at the hands of terrorists became a major media story during January and February 2002, as the United States was beginning to flex its muscles overseas in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. A video leaked to the Internet showing Pearl's decapitation magnified the tragedy. A Mighty Heart, Michael Winterbottom's interpretation of the memoir written by Pearl's widow, Mariane, examines events of that one month period from the perspective of those who sought Daniel's release: his pregnant wife, his friends and colleagues at The Wall Street Journal, and the Pakistani security forces. The film is fascinating and at times disturbing, but Winterbottom's arms-length style mutes any emotional impact.

Evan Almighty: 2 out of 4 stars
Finally, a 2007 sequel that's demonstrably better than its predecessor! Alas, considering how bad Bruce Almighty was, that's damning with faint praise. The central problem with Evan Almighty is that the filmmakers pack too much plot into what should be a relatively lightweight comedy. This results in too much exposition and too few laughs. Instead of developing a shell of a plot that allows star Steve Carell to take control with his low-key charisma and natural humor, it saddles him with a narrative so preposterous that not even he can vault the barrier. Evan Almighty is amusing in pieces but, taken as a whole, it offers little, and the morality lesson is galling.

Broken English: 2.5 out of 4 stars
For her feature debut, writer/director Zoe Cassavetes has elected to tread into territory where even the best stories feels like clichés. Broken English is competently made and features a solid performance from lead actress Parker Posey, but it's the kind of film that will resonate only with a tiny fraction of the available audience. Unless a viewer's age and situation mirrors that of Posey's Nora Wilder, odds are that this movie will generate a sense of déjà vu. Casavetes tells her tale, but it's one we've already seen, and she doesn't bring much that's new or fresh to the narrative.

Likening the rhetoric in the high def DVD format war to that of religeous fanatics.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: 1.5 out of 4 stars
For non comic book fans over the age of 13, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a tedious, incoherent bore. For comic book fans of any age, it is an atrocity - the cinematic desecration of one of the most storied and beloved of Marvel comic book epics. It reduces iconic characters to soulless special effects and turns one of the most ominous and dangerous of all villains into an interplanetary storm cloud. The action, of which there is little, is predictable and unexciting. The so-called "drama," of which there is far too much, is painful. Soap opera writers would be embarrassed to script such drivel. Then there's the overlay of "comedy," which is intended to reflect the superheroes' comic book origins, except it's not funny and it makes the Fantastic Four seem more like the Four Stooges than a quartet of world saviors. For a story that has been kicking around in one form or another in Hollywood for 30 years (at one point, it was to have starred Olivia Newton-John as the Silver Surfer's girlfriend), it's discouraging that this is the best the filmmakers could divine.

Eagle vs. Shark: 2 out of 4 stars
Eagle vs. Shark appears to be vying for the Napoleon Dynamite audience. However, while there are superficial similarities, this production, from New Zealand writer/director Taika Waititi, is unlikely to achieve the same kind of embrace by geekdom that was lavished upon Jared Hess' feature. There are two primary reasons. In the first place, the semi-comedic tone of Eagle vs. Shark is more uneven than that of Napoleon Dynamite. The film offers some laughs but there are times when the dead zones between them are uncomfortable to endure. The bigger issue relates to the characters. Like the protagonist in Napoleon Dynamite, the main characters in Eagle vs. Shark are quirky and socially inept. Unfortunately, they are also morons, and it becomes increasingly difficult to care one way or another about characters who act like they have undergone frontal lobotomies.

Young kids being brought by their parents to R-rated movies. How appropriate is it for a five year old to see Hostel Part II? Or for a mother to change an infant's diapers in a multiplex auditorium?

Nancy Drew: 2 out of 4 stars
Nancy Drew is an effective translation of the source material, but that's not necessarily a good thing. The popular written series has been a staple for young female readers since the first books were published in the 1930s, and the movie will probably play well to its core niche audience. (As of 2006, there were 175 official Nancy Drew books in publication, plus a number of spin-offs including a popular Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew crossover series.) Unfortunately, for anyone who is not a girl between the ages of seven and 10, Nancy Drew will an unpalatable, dull, and predictable experience. The characters undergo nothing that could be remotely associated with development, the mystery is wafer-thin, and the slight plot is stretched to the breaking point in order to fill out 95 minutes.

Angel-A: 2.5 out of 4 stars
Luc Besson's Angel-A is about as offbeat of a love story as one is likely to find in a movie theater. Think of Wings of Desire crossed with It's a Wonderful Life and crafted applying a film noir style, and you'll have an idea of what the movie offers. There are problems, and these are what keep the picture from attaining the status of an unqualified success. In the first place, it's a talky affair. Sometimes, as in the oeuvre of Besson's countryman, Eric Rohmer, that can be a positive quality, but not here. Besson's dialogue is often inane, occasionally sounding like it is copied verbatim out of a new age self-help manual. Secondly, while there's no denying that Rie Rasmussen cuts a striking figure, she's not the most gifted actress to have graced the screen.

Thoughts about David Chase's exit strategy for The Sopranos.

Surf's Up: 3 out of 4 stars
By now, I'm tired of penguins. After Madagascar, March of the Penguins, and Happy Feet, it's time to move on to some new species of beast or fowl. Yet I must admit that of the four recent penguin-centered movies, Surf's Up is the most entertaining. And, although it may not be the best-looking of those movies, it has the smartest, slickest script and the best voice acting. Even Morgan Freeman's narration isn't missed. In Surf's Up, the penguins aren't into saving the world or displaying family values or escaping from a zoo. They're just out to catch some tasty waves. In the process, they deliver the kind of wit we had hoped for from Shrek the Third but didn't get.

Hostel Part II: 1.5 out of 4 stars
There has been a degree of controversy surrounding the violence in Hostel Part II, with critics in some corners arguing that it amounts to "torture porn." While I'll be the first to admit that Hostel Part II isn't a good film, it's a horror movie, so criticizing it for amping up the levels of gore and violence seems pointless. Since Jason started hacking up people while wearing his hockey mask, the genre has been all about blood and guts and inventive eviscerations. Hostel Part II isn't any more shocking than dozens of its predecessors, so it's surprising that it has been singled out. Maybe that's because movie-goers have become so used to neutered PG-13 ghost stories that something with an edge possesses the capability to shock.

Ocean's Thirteen: 3 out of 4 stars
I may be in the minority, but I don't consider Ocean's Twelve to be the dog that some critics have labeled it. Sure, it's a little self-indulgent, but it's a genial caper drama that allows us to spend some time in the company of the survivors of the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven. Now, along comes Ocean's Thirteen, and it's back to basics. This is a stripped-down, plot-oriented heist movie where character development and interpersonal interaction have been set aside in order to keep the parts clicking. It's like watching a huge Rube Goldberg machine. The end result is a foregone conclusion. The fascination comes from watching the contortions necessary to get there and guess what will happen next to propel events forward.

A look ahead to what's entering multiplexes during June.

Gracie: 2.5 out of 4 stars
Gracie is a by-the-numbers sports drama about a young girl who defies the odds to succeed in an all-male arena. It's the kind of thing that might make for a compelling after school special, but is hardly what one expects to spend $10 for at a multiplex. The film hits all the expected high notes of melodrama, does plenty of preaching from the pulpit, and comes to a rather abrupt conclusion (immediately after the expected moment of redemption/triumph). Yet for all its faults, Gracie is made with enough grace to get us rooting for the protagonist. This is due more to the heartfelt performance of actress Carly Schroeder than it is the less-than-inspired inspirational screenplay by Lisa Marie Petersen and Karen Janszen.

Mr. Brooks: 3 out of 4 stars
Mr. Brooks is a curious mix of the campy and the intelligent, of high concept and low psychology. In spite of these contradictions, or perhaps because of them, it works. This is a tense and engaging thriller, the kind of movie where the audience may feel a little discomfort because the main character is an anti-hero, but will be involved because he's so damn smart. And unlike the recent (and not entirely dissimilar) Fracture, which built its ending on character assassination and unlikely contrivances, Mr. Brooks stays true to its principals and their principles to the last frame.

Thoughts and reminiscences about the 30th annivesary of Star Wars.

Knocked Up: 3.5 out of 4 stars
For Knocked Up, writer/director Judd Apatow's sophomore feature, the filmmaker has elected to follow pretty much the same formula that made his debut, The 40 Year Old Virgin, such a success. Considering how winning the formula is, it's a safe approach. The often ribald humor is genuinely funny. The characters are endearing. And there's something warm and sweet about the underlying storyline. Apatow is clearly a romantic, even if there's a profane edge to his "love conquers all" worldview. Other filmmakers embarking into the comedy minefield could learn a thing or two from him. He's two for two.

Why is it that so many "third movies" fail to live up to expectations? Is it the movies, the expectations, or some combination of the two?

Bug: 2.5 out of 4 stars
Calling Bug a "horror" film may be misleading. Although the movie includes some of the trappings genre fans would expect - including a moment of gore that will cause some viewers to turn away from the screen - it's more of a psychological drama. It's also very strange, although I suppose that's only to be expected considering that the film is adapted from a play about two characters who spend most of their time inside a motel room feeding off each other's paranoid delusions (not the most delectable entrée). Bug is creepy and hard to dismiss, but it's not a lot of fun and its weaknesses leave a bitter aftertaste.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: 2.5 out of 4 stars
When it comes to the final hour, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, delivers the goods. The last 60 minutes offer adventure as rousing as anything provided in either of the previous installments, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Unfortunately, that doesn't account for the other 108 minutes of this gorged, self-indulgent, and uneven production. During the course of nearly two hours of exposition and setup, there's little in the way of charm or action. There are memorable moments, to be sure, but the overwhelming sense is that the film is desperately spinning its wheels trying to shock and awe with unexpected plot developments.

Writing reviews: inspiration or perspiration? How long does it take? Is there a formula? My thoughts on the subject.

Discussion of what it means to be a "blockbuster" and which films are 2007's candidates.

Shrek the Third: 2.5 out of 4 stars
Four words say all that needs to be said about Shrek the Third: more of the same. The problem is, what seems fresh and pleasing the first time through starts to feel a little stale by the time we've gone through it three times (not counting video games and an amusement park ride). The recipe hasn't changed: take a few appealing characters, surround them with slightly off-kilter versions of our favorite fairy tale personalities in a land far, far away, mix in some pop songs and hip cultural references, and keep the tone generally light. It worked beautifully in Shrek and was still appealing in Shrek 2. By installment #3, it has become a little tiresome. Kids will still love the big green ogre and his wisecracking donkey, but adults may find that the formula is wearing thin. Shrek the Third is a classic example of a movie that exists because its predecessor made a lot of money. ($436 million domestically, to be exact.) There's no creative reason for this movie to have been greenlighted. It's a mass-marketed product, plain and simple, where product tie-ins fatten an already gorged pot. That's capitalism at work.