It's official. Jonathan Demme has directed two of the best concert films ever made. This being one of them and the other being 1984's Stop Making Sense. Young is arguably Canada's best musician - able to transcend genres from Grunge, to Folk, to Country. A recent brush with death (brain aneurysm) made him focus all his creative energy into making the album Prairie Wind. Demme captures his two night performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The first half of the concert consists of Young's new material, while the second half is made up of his classics. As with Stop Making Sense, Demme focuses exclusively on the artist in front of the camera and doesn't resort to gimmicks like quick cuts and audience reaction shots. He captures Young with a rawness and poignancy which is simply mesmerizing to watch.

Fresh off the unexpected success of 'March of the Penguins', you just know some studio exec thought to himself, "Hmmm how can we exploit the public's newfound adoration of Penguins? I know, let's turn them into frickin cartoons! Box office bonanza baby!" Sigh. Mumble is a misfit penguin. All penguins have an inner song that they sing to woo the female penguins - all except for him. He's the worst singer ever. Instead he finds his groove by tapping his feet. Ok, so you have a cute little guy named Mumble, you have great voice actors, and you have animation which is truly amazing. More than once I caught myself pondering how incredible the imagery was. So what's the problem? Basically I found the story bordered between boring and preposterous. Happy Feet is an environmental warning, no it's a expose on homosexual intolerance, no wait it's actually a father-son reconciliation - hey you know what? It's supposed to be a kids film! Pixar's Cars was a perfect example of how to make a movie with a message that appeals to both kids and adults alike. Sadly this one's heavy handedness taints the otherwise stellar visuals.

Ok, so I was one of those people that thought the casting of Daniel Craig as the new bond was a big mistake. Personally I was rooting for Clive Owen. Happy to say that Craig is arguably the best Bond ever. This version is probably the closest to the spirit of Ian Fleming's character in quite awhile - the last Brosnan film and Moonraker standing out as particular abominations. Here we have a Bond that actually contemplates the morality of his actions, a Bond girl (Green) who is more than just T&A, and a focus on characters not gadgets and ridiculous sets. That said, I had some minor issues. I realize that Poker is the popular thing right now, and therefore it made sense to make that the game of chance in the showdown between 007 and the bad guy (Mikkelsen). Still I miss the days of the old films where it was Roulette or Baccarat. Maybe I've just been watching to much Celebrity Poker lately. Regardless, Casino Royale is a much needed injection of freshness in a franchise that was getting pretty stale.

Anyone who knows me knows that I abhor going to the movies. I'd much rather wait until it comes out on DVD and then watch in the comfort of my own home. Therefore it takes a pretty special film to get me to practically bolt to the theatre to see it. 300 is such a film. Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is the story of how a mere 300 Spartans stood fast against hordes of invading Persians in one of the most famous battles in history. However you won't go to this movie for the story; you'll go to see its unique imagery. I can count on one hand the number of movies that absolutely blew me away visually - this is one of them. Yes it's brutally violent, but never has violence seemed so beautiful. Gerald Butler plays Spartan King Leonidas and gives him a commanding presence. Lena Headey plays the Queen in a role equally as strong and equally compelling. The rest of the cast also give terrific performances. Violence, treachery, honour, and lust. All wrapped together in one of the most stylized flicks in recent memory. You'll definitely want to see this on the big screen and I'll definitely be seeing it again!

Disclaimer: I'm a manly man. I enjoy drinking beer and watching football. Therefore normally I wouldn't be caught dead seeing this film - but hey, it was Valentines day (read score points with my lady). That said, it was win win because I adore Drew Barrymore. The film opens with a hilarious 80's inspired music video starring Alex Fletcher (Grant) as a member of the 80's superband Pop!. Sadly that was the best part of the movie. Fast forward to the present where Fletcher is struggling as a living 'where are they now?' curiosity, forced to perform at High School reunions and state fairs to make ends meet. Fate decides to throw him a bone when an up and coming Shakira wanna be (Bennett) decides she wants him to write her next hit song. The problem? He only has a few days and he hasn't written a song in over a decade. Enter his plant watering lady (Barrymore) who has an uncanny knack for coming up with catchy lyrics. Grant plays his patented stammering but charming shtick and Drew simply could not be any cuter. Drew's cuteness and shots of Haley Bennett scantily clad shaking her ass almost made up for the otherwise contrived storyline. But only almost. Like pop music itself, this movie is entertaining enough while watching it, but ultimately is easily disposable and forgettable.

Breaking up is hard enough to do. But what do you do when your girlfriend just happens to be a super hero? Such is the dilemma faced by Matt (Wilson) when he realizes that the needy and overly neurotic woman (Thurman) he has been dating is non-other than super hero G-Girl. Hell hath no fury like a super woman scorned! Fellow Canuck Reitman directs this likeable romp and keeps things light and fun spirited. The always likeable Wilson is well paired with the even more likeable Thurman. Throw in a great supporting cast of Rainn Wilson (The Office) as the scuzzy best pal and Sykes as the true object of his affection and you have a great mix of actors who clearly are enjoying themselves. I found myself giggling, er I mean laughing through most of the movie. Yes, the movie isn't perfect as it's a bit by the numbers and the ending seemed a bit weak, however overall it's great mindless fun!

Talk about a risky undertaking - director Singer passed on directing the third X-men movie to instead tackle the franchise that first brought comic books to the big screen and one that will forever be associated with the late, great, Christopher Reeve. Having left Earth to revisit his destroyed home world, Superman returns five years later only to find his love (Bosworth) and his adopted planet have moved on without him. Routh makes a great Superman and bears more than a passing resemblance to Reeve. I also found Spacey to be a much more effective and menacing Lex Luthor than what Gene Hackman was in the original films. In addition, the effects are also top notch. About the only possible criticism is the storyline; Luthor plans to rule the world by creating a big island in the ocean?!?!? Hey, no one said diabolic villains had to always make sense - that's why they're diabolical. Acting and special effects aside, the real reason this film is special is that it remains true to the spirit of Superman while also including the occasional nod to it's predecessors. Singer's choice was definitely the right one.