Short version: Quantum of Solace is the best James Bond film in over a decade.

Screen Rant’s Niall Browne reviews Quantum of Solace

As a life long James Bond fan I always look forward to new adventures from the super-spy. My very first cinematic memory is watching Roger Moore’s final outing as Bond in A View To A Kill, and my teenage years and early twenties were filled with Pierce Brosnan’s daring-do.

When the Broccoli family ditched Brosnan in favor of the younger, more rugged Daniel Craig I was a bit annoyed (to say the least). Although I was a tad skeptical that Daniel Craig had what it took to slip into the tuxedo, I will admit that I was more worried about EON’s idea to reboot Bond for the Bourne generation. Over the years the character of James Bond has been constantly reinvented, without having to start all over again.

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Short version: Body of Lies delivers excellent performances along with realistic action,  suspense and drama.

Screen Rant reviews Body of Lies

My impression of Body of Lies based on the commercials and trailers was that it was going to be a taught, intense thriller - much more grounded in reality than your typical spy movie.

In that regard I was not disappointed, but while it was quite riveting - some aspects of the story did bug me. Some of it was based on my personal views, but some of it was not.

Short version: Towelhead manages to balance humor and drama in this cautionary tale of a 13 year old girl’s burgeoning sexuality.

Like many films shown at Sundance this year, Towelhead combined different styles (humor and drama), but does it more successfully than most. It’s the story of a thirteen year old girl who is half Lebanese / half WASP whose physical development is quite ahead of her age. Towelhead (aka Nothing is Private) was written, directed and produced by Alan Ball, the same fellow who wrote the screenplay for the similarly themed American Beauty a few years ago.

Expectedly, due to the content of this film, it has only been picked up for limited distribution at theaters but it’s definitely worth seeing if you can handle the subject matter.

Short version: Tropic Thunder is crass, gross and rude - but it’s also funny as hell.

Screen Rant reviews Tropic Thunder

Can i make this any more clear?

Leave. The kids. At Home.

Ok, got it? Let’s move on.

For adults, and for further clarification: Adults that don’t mind rude, crass humor - Tropic Thunder is a VERY funny movie.

Short version: The Dark Knight has raised the bar for the comic book superhero genre - it’s a Batman movie for grown-ups.

Screen Rant reviews The Dark Knight

It’s a funny thing about watching a movie you’ve been anticipating so much and for so long - you walk in with preconceived notions of what it should be like. This happened for me with Iron Man, and as it turned out that film nailed my expectations of what an Iron Man movie should be like.

However that very same sense of anticipation hurt my first viewing of The Dark Knight.

Short version: Hellboy II: The Golden Army stretches beyond the first film in both creepiness and humor, making for kind of an odd mix that manages to work in the end.

Screen Rant reviews Hellboy II

Hellboy II: The Golden Army is great, but like the first one, I don’t think it’s for everyone. The first Hellboy only earned $100MM worldwide, which does not exactly classify it as a (pardon the pun) monster hit. That’s not to say it wasn’t great (it was), it’s just that the world of Hellboy is an odd combination of demons, humor, action and creepiness. Oh, and the hero is a demon.

Short version: Technically Wall-E is the best film Pixar has made - it’s funny and heartwarming, but it’s also the preachiest.

Screen Rant’s Wall-E review

We haven’t given Wall-E as much coverage as some other movie sites, but nonetheless I’d been looking forward to seeing it ever since I saw a panel for the film last summer at the San Diego Comic-Con. In my mind there was no doubt that Pixar would knock another one out of the park with their quality approach to both story and the animation itself.

Well, they certainly succeeded as far as the animation goes - the film surpasses everything Pixar has done to date. Overall I enjoyed the film, but a few things kept it from being Pixar’s best work.

Short version: Get Smart manages to combine slapstick, wit, action, and a bit of romance in a package that will leave you smiling even after you leave the theater.

Well I’ll be damned.

Based on the trailers and clips I’d seen, I wasn’t sure what sort of review I’d be giving Get Smart. Imagine my pleasant surprise as it opened with a laugh out loud scene and an extended nod to the original series that felt more like tribute that rip-off. It wavers a bit upon take off but once it gets going Get Smart delivers a great and fun ride.

Click to continue "Review: Get Smart"

Short version: HULK SMASH!

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? If you’re expecting a movie as fun and great as Iron Man, you’re going to be disappointed. However if you’re a big fan of the Hulk in the comics and/or in the old TV series and hated Ang Lee’s version you are going to LOVE this movie.

As I sat and watched the opening credits, it occurred to me that the best way to describe The Incredible Hulk is to call it a semi-sequel to the last film. They actually did something very wise during the opening: Instead of taking up a significant portion of the film re-creating Bruce Banner’s origin as the Hulk, it was done via a series of quick scenes during the opening credits. As soon as the credits are done, we’re plunged right into Banner’s present-day life on the run.

Short version: Kung Fu Panda is arguably the best animated movie Dreamworks has produced so far.

Sure, the commercials and the trailer are pretty funny, but is the actual movie any good?

Oh, yes.

Kung Fu Panda is the closest that Dreamworks has managed to get to the quality and feel of a Pixar film, and that’s a good thing. Although it’s rated PG like previous offerings from the studio like the Shrek series, here we’re missing the sharp edge and subtle “adult” humor.

Does it hurt the movie? Absolutely not.