Reviews

The Wolverine is a competent movie but not special in any way. The acting is okay. The special effects are okay. The story is okay. Since our time is limited, is that enough?

You'll be entertained but what will you remember after a week? Probably not much. The plot isn't especially creative (no spoilers). The twists are somewhat predictable. At times you might think you're watching Pacific Rim, a Transformers movie or even The Matrix. Those comparisons aren't compliments but point out how this movie feels formulaic.

If you like the X-Men, you might as well watch this movie too. Otherwise, you can safely ignore it.

Watch American Gangster without preconceived ideas. While the film is long it never drags. You don't get the sense that you've seen this movie before. It's not Serpico. It's not The Wire. It's not The Sopranos. While much is going on, the story is easy to follow. There is action, but this isn't an "action movie".

Both Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe act convincingly and give depth to their characters.

The film leaves you wanting to know more about about happened to the lead characters. You care about them that much. Now *that's* film making.

This movie presents information available from other sources. Yet the way it's shown here is still compelling. The overall impact is powerful. The movie is worth watching. Most disturbing are the types and numbers of crimes committed in Wal-Mart shopping lots, aided by lack of security. Shoppers could be protected but that would cost money ...

There's a glaring omission. Wal-Mart gets its main strength from us, the consumers. That point is made eloquently in South Park's episode "Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes" (season 8, episode 9, Nov 2004). Another good critique is PBS's Frontline in "Is Wal-Mart Good For America?"

If we didn't shop there, there would be changes. We get what we pay for.

Rating: WWW (Well Worth Watching)