My Movie Marathon (with reviews)

Over the long holiday weekend, I managed to view two movies in the theaters and two in my living room. Here are the reviews, in brief:

"Deja Vu" (in theaters) - Denzel Washington stars as an ATF agent investigating a terrorist bombing of a ferry full of armed service personnel out of New Orleans. His uncanny Sherlock Holmes-like ability to pick up odd details, and make clues out of them, gets him invited to join an experimental investigations unit looking into the event. The unit has access to technology that lets them see exactly four days and six hours into the past. Washington is somewhat obsessed with one indirect victim of the bombing. Her involvement is key to catching the culprit.

Good mystery with minor touches of science fiction (some suspension of disbelief required). Acting and writing are very good. Recommended for fans of Denzel Washington, thrillers, and lite SF.

"Casino Royale" (in theaters) - Daniel Craig makes his debut as the latest James Bond. Bond is after an international financier who fronts for terrorists.

I'll admit it, I really wanted not to like Daniel Craig as Bond. I had some loyalty to previous actors, and was disappointed that some of my favorites for the next bond didn't win the bid. However, Craig is a mighty fine Bond, indeed. The implementation of this Bond installment was done somewhat differently than previous versions. While purists may find fault with the differences, I think those same differences made the film a better mainstream film. First difference that a Bond fan will notice: no scantily clad female silhouettes during the opening credits. Second, the music was more complimentary and less of a character in its own right (yes, I know this will make many cringe). Third, Bond was less over-the-top cheeky. Don't get me wrong, he was still arrogant and cheeky as all hell, it just wasn't as gratuitous as in past installments. AND, a number of the other characters faulted him for his arrogance. Finally, (minor spoiler here) Bond doesn't expend a lot of energy, or screen time, casually sleeping with the hot women in the film (and those women are not as shallow as the bulk of previous Bond women).

In summation, if you are a long standing fan you may find fault with this installment, but try to view it with fresh eyes, I think you may find that the execution will gain the film a new respect outside the traditional audience (and isn't it worth it to broaden the fan base?). For folks who have had little use for Bond in the past, DEFINITELY give this one a shot. It is a fine FILM, not just another Bond flick.

"Four Brothers" (on DVD) - Mark Wahlberg stars as one of four adult adopted brothers of a murdered mother. All four men have checkered pasts, that would have been worse had they not been adopted by their mother. Two men are white, and two are black; though the race thing is nearly superfluous to the story. The men decide that their mother's death was an execution and vow to uncover the reason behind it, and to exact their revenge. Things are never what they seem, and get way out of hand. (Ultimately, this flick reminded me very much of an old favorite western, "The Sons of Katie Elder" starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Earl Holliman.)

I didn't have high expectations for this flick. However, it was an evening well spent. The twists were interesting. And the action was great. If you like tough guys that you can care about, who are somewhat smarter than you initially want to give them credit for, and you like lots AND LOTS of gun play, this is worth a rent.

"Lucky Number Slevin" (on DVD) - Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Lucy Liu, Ben Kingsley, and Stanley Tucci. Got your attention, yet? Bruce Willis is an assassin. Josh Hartnett is the seeming victim of mistaken identity caught between two warring crime bosses (Freeman and Kingsley), one who wants a pile of money, while the other will forgive a debt in exchange for assassinating the other mobster's son. This is a complicated situation, that is made all the more intriguing by where the story goes by the end. You may see it coming, but you probably won't. Even if you do, it is fun getting there.

This was an unexpected gem. The plot, writing, and acting were all fantastic. I am still stunned that we didn't hear about this flick when it was in the theaters. Great sleeper. Excellent choice if you are a fan of Hartnett, Freeman, or Kingsley. Also excellent if you like movies about organized crime, or mind benders. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. My son loved it and now wants to buy a copy. I don't know that I'd go that far, since half the fun was the twist that the movie took at the end, but maybe another viewing is in order to make the final call on that. Definitely MORE THAN WORTH A RENT.

Overall, we made some very good entertainment choices this weekend. Now, its back to the mundane world of work.