Brief Movie Reviews

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I've seen this one twice now, and I felt that it was the strongest of the three films by far. This one took a big step forward in moving the story into the level that the books dwell in, that of fiction that doesn't talk down to the young audience that it is aimed at.

I especially liked the look and feel of Hogwarts in this film, which became more of a dark and brooding castle converted into a school, rather than a big school that happens to be a castle. If that makes sense.

Also Gary Oldman as Sirius Black is a wonderfull bit of casting.

Spiderman

A good superhero movie that retains quite a bit of Raimi's comedy and sensibilites. I liked it for what it was. I'm wondering if the filmmakers get together and try to figure out ways to get Ms. Dunst into situations where she will be cold and wet and not wearing a bra?

Not that I'm complaining.

Mystic River

Really a good movie that could have been even better.

I think they needed a bit more with the kids in the beginning of the movie and a little less at the end of the film. I understand that the film is about the different directions that the three kids life take after one of them is abducted by pedophiles, but without more of thier personalities before the abduction it just doesn't work as well as it could. I would have liked more foreshadowing of their later lives as crook, cop and haunted soul.

Man the kid that was Sean Penn looked creepily like him.

Tim Robbins and Sean Penn run with what they are given in this film and deliver fine performances, Penn in a role similar to what we've seen from him before, and Robbins in an inspired performance unlike anything else I've seen him do.

Kevin Bacon is just there in the film, though. I didn't feel any real involvement in the story of him and his estranged wife, and I wish that they'd given us more so that the film's trio of characters would have been a bit more balanced.

But I did really like the film.