mls-11

My wife and I enjoyed a "matinee date" to see "Barnyard." The film, overall, did not disappoint. The voice talent was impressive - a very good collection of actors.

Animation was also impressive - fun. Scripting was pretty good: funny, tender, scary. A good time was had by all in the auditorium today (we were the only adults at the movie without children).

Only two negative criticisms, both specific to the drawing of animals: 1) Most of the cows are male, but they all had udders. Now, I am no farmer or livestock expert - but, I thought only female cows had udders (ergo, mammary glands).

2) Flying chickens? Once again, farming is not my forte, but when did chickens acquire the ability to fly? Beyond these two oddities, my wife and I enjoyed the video trip to escape life for an hour and a half. You will also enjoy the film, if you appreciate animation and humor - oh, and you MUST have a heart! Go and Enjoy !

My wife and I saw "Pirates" after a lengthy stretch of great anticipation. She wanted to see it because she likes the story; I was more focused on make-up, special effects and computer generation. Neither of us was disappointed.

Positives: excellent costuming, great make up and special effects, and some very good computer generation. Captain Jack's First Mate pretty much stole the show, as far as I am concerned. Very strong, solid performance. Choreographed fight scenes VERY well done - lots of fun to watch.

Bitter/Sweet: lots of silliness in this film. If it was intended to be silly and dumb, success. If the filmmaker was serious with his silliness, he blew it. Silly IS fun, though.

Negatives: TOO LONG! Could easily have been whacked by 1/2 hour - EASILY! Editing was amateurish; choppy. Johnny Depp seems stalled out in his creativity and execution: "Pirates" I & II and "Chocolat" seem to be rubber stamp characters, though there was more heart and depth in "Chocolat." Overall, I consider Mr. Depp a marginal actor.

Additional Negative: Keira Knightly. Difficult to look at, from a physical perspective (facially unfortunate), but more difficult to watch as a performer. Miscast in this role, to my way of thinking. It was a chance she took in her career, one she should probably not repeat.

Overall: see the film. No one under 12 should see it, for several scenes are inappropriate for younger children (quite gory and graphic). 12 and over? Yes - see it as a family and enjoy! SPECIAL NOTE: kudos to whoever created Davy Jones, A+.

I often read postings from movie-goers who rail on and on about "the best movie ever." Far more often than not, they are films of little depth, thin stories, and little artistic value.

Tonight, my wife and I saw "Narnia" and were absolutely bowled over. This is a story - a portrayal - a delivery - that is simply overwhelming. A film of over 2 hours in length seemed to fly by. The actors - unknown to us - were delightful. Of particular note is the young person playing "Lucy." She is captivating - in face and charm. She carried her role very nicely, and worked well with her peers.

Special effects were wonderful in animal and human form - as well as the semi-humans. And, let us not forget The Beavers - tried very hard to steal the show, and almost succeeded.

There was a primary hero, but several more supporting heroes. And, much to our delight, there was a villain that we REALLY wanted to "boo." I don't believe we overstate our position when we cast our vote for Film of the Year for "Narnia." Go see it, and enjoy.