The Astronaut Farmer (2007)

The Astronaut Farmer (2007)

Who is this movie for? Kids will likely be bored by the slow-paced elements of a man’s mid-life crisis. Adults will see right through the smokescreen and identify Charles Farmer for what he really is: a selfish, irresponsible man with passive-aggressive tendencies. The message may be tried-and-true (reach for your… Continue reading

Blood Diamond (2006)

Blood Diamond (2006)

Thoughts of 2004’s Hotel Rwanda zipped through my head as I watched Blood Diamond. As you may recall, Hotel Rwanda told the story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who took in thousands of Tutsi refugees to his establishment during their civil war with the Hutu militia. Blood Diamond is… Continue reading

Flushed Away (2006)

Flushed Away (2006)

Aardman Animations made one of last year’s finest films in Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Constructed with glorious stop-motion animation and a strong sense of dry wit, the film blindsided me with its ingenuity and spirit. Tragically, Aardman’s production warehouse burned to the ground shortly after the… Continue reading

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest certainly has a darker side than its predecessor, 2003’s The Curse of the Black Pearl, but that won’t stop me from making a general and simplistic statement: If you liked Black Pearl, you’ll like this one. The same goes for if you disliked… Continue reading

Superman Returns (2006)

Superman Returns (2006)

If anyone out there ever had any doubts as to whether Superman was a metaphor for Jesus Christ, those doubts will be quickly quashed after viewing Superman Returns. Superman’s only weakness appears to be that he’s a human with the power to lift up a boat and stop a crashing… Continue reading

Cars (2006)

Cars (2006)

The notion of talking cars just isn’t nearly as fun or intriguing as that of animals, dolls, or even plastic army men. Undoubtedly caught up in the raging popularity of Nascar, Pixar has chosen to utilize automobiles as their source material in the uneven, but nevertheless entertaining Cars. The film… Continue reading

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

The X-Men series has been one of a handful of comic book-to-silver screen adaptations that I have truly been able to get into. Perhaps it’s because of the human traits inherent in each “mutant” character, or maybe it’s that the franchise uses the word “mutant” with such seriousness. Regardless, the… Continue reading