A big name director, a standout cast, a scandalous murder from Hollywood’s golden age – you can’t miss right? Well no, apparently in this case you can. Noir is a pretty hard genre to do right, especially with today’s action oriented, easily bored sensibilities, although it is possible (think L.A. Confidential). And at times this film succeeded but ultimately it’s let down by the one too many twists syndrome, weak acting, and a bizarre ending bordering on campiness. Hartnett isn’t engaging in this one, and Johansson whom I normally adore simply seemed out of her element. Thankfully it’s not all bad as Swank is excellent; especially her frequent use of the word ‘fuck’. Who knew that people in the 40’s had such potty mouths? Kirshner is also terrific as the victim whom we only see through her grainy black and white screen tests. Do yourself a favour, skip the movie and read James Ellroy's novel instead.

Yet another movie where the best parts are already seen in the trailer, and the rest is dreadful to sit through. I was amazed when it was over to see that only 90 minutes had gone by, it seemed like hours. Black plays a friar? monk? at a Mexican monastery who secretly longs to be a famous wrestler in the Mexican version of the WWF. When the new (and relatively hot) Sister arrives he sheds his robes for homemade spandex and attempts to win her affections via glorious victories in the ring! Ok so the premise isn’t bad, but sadly Black is only funny when he’s not trying to be funny. And in this film for some reason he simply thinks he’s hilarious. From School of Rock to this? Talk about a downward spiral. Nacho Libre, Mucho Sucko!

Michael Newman (Sandler) has it all, the hot wife (Beckinsale), two adorable kids, a nice house, and a dog who habitually gets intimate with an oversized, stuffed duck. Unfortunately things are starting to fall apart as the stress of trying to appease his obnoxious boss (Hasselhoff) begins to take it's toll. Salvation appears one night in the form a mysterious remote control given to him by an eccentric employee (Walken) who works at the back of the local Bed, Bath, & Beyond. A remote that allows him to fast forward through arguments, mute the dog's barking, and slow-mo to better admire the bouncing breasts of female joggers. But salvation soon turns to nightmare as the remote control begins to malfunction and spontaneously fast forward through increasingly greater periods of time. Ok, so this film falls somewhere between the crap that is Waterboy and the only decent acting he's ever done (Punchdrunk Love). If you've seen the previews, as is typical of mediocre movies, you've already seen most of the best parts. Tack on a contrived turn down sentimentality lane during the second half of the film and you have Click in a nutshell.

I thought the first movie was ok, but I was disappointed with the second one. And given my disdain for 'Hollywood Sequelitis' I wasn't expecting much from this one either. Colour me surprised, because I thought this one kicked ass! The story revolves around the mutants divided over a newly discovered 'cure' for their mutancy, one which will revert them to normality. One side sees the cure offering a chance at a normal life while the other side sees a government conspiracy to wipe them out. All the major players are back again and a slew of new mutants are introduced. Standout scenes include the showdown between Professor Xavier and Phoenix and the climactic battle on Alcatraz. Oh, and best of all you get to see Mystique naked.....well even more naked that is. All in all great mindless fun!

Ok, so it’s no Das Boot, but props (ha, get it?) to them for making a relatively unique film. When was the last time you saw a WWI movie? Exactly. Flyboys is based on the story of the Lafayette Escadrille, a squadron in France consisting of American volunteers gone ‘over there’ to either escape their problems at home, to do their patriotic duty, or to simply learn how to fly. The story consists of these men with their various backgrounds coming together while they struggle to stay alive (given a 3 to 6 week life expectancy for pilots). Of course there’s the prerequisite love story, consisting of the main flyboy (Franco) falling for a local French girl (Decker). But the main reason you’ll want to see the movie is for the action scenes, with the highlight consisting of our heroes going up against a German Zeppelin! Maybe if you’re looking at it from high above it’s not the greatest movie, but while you’re in the thick of it, it’s one hell of a ride!

A horror flick based on a video game just has to suck right? Well in this case, no, it doesn't. It's actually pretty decent. Rose's (Radha Mitchell) daughter Sharon (Jodelle Ferland) sleepwalks - a lot. While doing so she mutters about a strange town called Silent Hill and draws demonic pictures of the place. Worried her child is losing it and with the medication ineffective she packs her up in the truck and takes off to find the source of the visions. Visually the movie is top notch and the horrific imagery more than makes up for any plot holes (hey come on, it is a horror film remember). I found myself thoroughly engrossed watching the secrets of the town and it's nightmarish denizens slowly revealed. While a subplot involving the husband's (Sean Bean) search for them detracts from the flow of things, the finale is an orgy of Hellraiser-esque bloodletting that will leave all but the most jaded horror aficionado satisfied.

Unlike say, Samuel Jackson, Denzel Washington still has integrity when it comes to the movies he appears in. In this one he plays a weary detective struggling to get by and under investigation within his department. Opportunity knocks when a Manhattan bank gets taken over by a gang of robbers led by Clive Owen and he must negotiate the release of the hostages inside. Add Jodie Foster as the mysterious women who is hired to protect the bank owner's dirty secret and Willem Dafoe as the dutiful cop and you have an all-star cast. Director Spike Lee departs from the racially charged movies he's known for and let's it be known that he's capable of directing more mainstream fare as well. While there are various biting racial commentaries throughout the film they serve as a backdrop and don't dominate the story. An above average flick with great actors and an engaging story. My only quibble? While I don't need to be entirely spoon-fed when I watch a movie, I wish they had explained the genesis of the robbery itself.

What a steaming pile of crap this was. Good God…….probably the worst movie I’ve seen in a long time. Hottie Jovovich plays a genetically altered mutant in the future who, um, you know what? Who cares. This movie was awful. Not ‘so bad its good bad’ – just plain bad. Craptastic if you will. In an emergency you could use this as masturbatory material - if gazing at Jovovich’s ever present midriff is your thing - but you’d get much better titillation out of watching Resident Evil or The Fifth Element. “Worst movie ever!” No, seriously this was abysmal. Just brutal! Am I getting my point across as to how bad this was?