Rating: 3 of 5

Directed by Chris Miller and Raman Hui
Starring
Mike Myers as Shrek
Eddie Murphy as Donkey
Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona
Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots
John Cleese as King Harold
Julie Andrews as Queen Lillian
Rupert Everett as Prince Charming
Justin Timberlake as King Arthur (Artie)

Viewed on the big screen

Shrek was original. Shrek 2 was outstanding. Shrek 3 is out of fresh ideas.

There’s something crucial about the third installment in a series. The usual case is that in the second film, the producers, writers and directors are able to build on what was established in the first film. The Shrek series did that. So did the X-Men series and the Spider-Man series.

However, like in the aforementioned trilogies, something was lacking in their thirds. For the mutants it was the absence of Bryan Singer and structural integrity. For the web-slinger it was the absence of proper focus on a villain. For the green ogre it was the absence of the magical, whimsical, comical, twisted sense of humor that gave the first two films their punch.

Donkey lost his pizazz. Puss isn’t as cute anymore. And Fiona… well, let’s just say I like her human form better! ;o)

Shrek 3 was okay.

I obviously don’t have much to say about it.

There’s not much to say about the film.

Rating: 5 of 5
Directed by Tony Kaye
Starring
Edward Norton … Derek Vinyard
Edward Furlong … Danny Vinyard
Beverly D’Angelo … Doris Vinyard
Avery Brooks … Dr. Bob Sweeney
Jennifer Lien … Davina Vinyard
Ethan Suplee … Seth Ryan
Stacy Keach … Cameron Alexander
Fairuza Balk … Stacey
Elliott Gould … Murray
Viewed on DVD

Definitely one of the best movies I’ve seen in my lifetime. Why? Well, it is socially relevant for one. It cuts straight to the core of the racism issue, which has been a stigma not only in American society but also in the global society.

American History X is such a compelling movie that I have no doubt it will leave viewers feeling a wide array of emotions, thinking deep thoughts and asking hard questions about life by the end of the film.

The story was well told and well directed by Tony Kaye. I loved the style of the narrative — shifting from past to present, colored to black-and-white to effectively service the exposition. I also like the fact there is tangible tension in this film. I was — figuratively — at the edge of my seat… fidgeting — literally — as there were some really nerve wracking moments in this film.

There’s also a lot of very colorful language here but it does help give the characters a degree (in some cases several degrees) of realism. I would suggest some parental guidance if a minor watches this movie.

Acting-wise, Edward Norton totally floors it. It’s no wonder [now!] why he got an Oscar nod for playing reformed neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard. This is one of the best Edward Norton performances I’ve seen (I’d put it next to his Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear). But then again, I have yet to watch The Illusionist (I have a huge pile of movies in my backlog. Heaven help me)!

The movie, despite depictions of race related violence, foul language and some nudity (Vinyard didn’t drop the soap in the prison bathroom, but "it" still happened to him), does have redemptive value. It shows that even the worst of us can still change if only given the opportunity to see the light, which is what happens to Vinyard when he goes to prison and gets a change of mind and heart.

At the end of the movie, Vinyard’s younger brother Danny (played rather plainly by namesake Edward Furlong) writes a paper on the change in Derek’s life and points out a line that stuck with me: "Hate is baggage!" I think that line alone — and the impactful portrayal of it and its effects on-screen — American History X is worth a hundred and 19 minutes in front of the telly.

Rating: 3 of 5

Directed by Chen Kaige
Starring
Dong-Kun Jang … Kunlun
Hiroyuki Sanada … General Guangming
Cecilia Cheung … Princess Qingcheng
Nicholas Tse … Wuhuan
Ye Liu … Snow Wolf
Hong Chen … Goddess Manshen
Cheng Qian … The Emperor

Another wasted opportunity. I felt there was a lot The Promise had going for itself — it started out well, it had decent visuals and it had an interesting story. It also had some really profound themes like destiny and choices, which I really got a lot out of.

The problem was the execution of the story. And some ridiculous special effects. And some really cheesy lines. And some incoherence here and there. There was also something about the cast that I just didn’t like that much — they all seemed too cartoony… well, maybe except for Dong-Kun Jang who plays the slave and later-turned-protagonist Kunlun. Oh, wait! Kunlun does get cartoony in some parts of the film. Oh well.

This movie was enjoyable to some degree and engaging at some parts. I loved, as usual, the colorful visuals — when they weren’t being ridiculous with it. I also liked the themes of destiny and choice incorporated in the story, but I felt it could have been played out much better.

If taken for what it is, The Promise is one fun film to watch.

Rating: 4 of 5

Directed by Sam Raimi
Starring
Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson
Thomas Haden Church as Sandman/Flint Marko
Topher Grace as Venom/Eddie Brock
James Franco as New Goblin/Harry Osborn
Dylan Baker as Dr. Curt Connors
Elizabeth Banks as Betty Brant
Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy
Rosemary Harris as May Parker

Ah, Spider-Man 3. One of summer 2007’s most anticipated movie — very true in my case. I didn’t watch it on opening day because it was a Tuesday, and meeting God at the Revival Service comes first. So there!

I did make it a point to watch it on the second day of its regular run here in Cebu. As always, I was giddy and excited when I made my way to SM — where I watch most of the "big" movies — and had the option of choosing which of the six theaters I would watch Spider-Man in.

Anyway, I found myself going back to the fifth row from the screen and whispered to myself "I’m home" when I finally took my seat. My eyes were glued once the Columbia logo came out followed by the all too familiar Danny Elfman opening score. I was ecstatic.

So the film starts, much like the previous Spidey films did, with the flipping Marvel logo and the spider webs streaking across the screen. The opening title sequence was cool because it served as a summary of what happened in the preceding films. The effects were nice, better than those in the opening credits of 2, though I was hoping for sketches of the characters, not live action shots.

I was glued to my seat and my eyes were fixed on the screen for over two hours and here’s what I think of the film. It was good! In fact it is the most dramatic, most funny and most action-packed of the series. But it is not without flaws.

But first, the good!

Sam Raimi did a good job third time in a row. He knows how to tell a story — he’s proven that in the first film. He knows how to escalate his character arc effectively — he’s proven that in the second one. He knows how to give his characters motivation — he does it well in this one. He’s the main factor that kept the Spider-Man films coherent and he should get honor where honor is due.

Tobey Maguire does more in this film comically speaking and his comedic chops were used to very amusing results. He also does a good job here. I particularly liked the part where his dark side sort of takes over and he’s channeling his inner gigolo and puts on a black suit, matched by his new hairstyle that made him look like the lead singer of some punk rock band. It’s like a repeat of the "Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head" segment in Spider-Man 2. Only better. I guess this one showed more of Tobey’s funny side, and for me it worked. I also liked the part where he gets dumped by Mary Jane, because I could really see Peter’s hurt in Tobey’s eyes. He did good, IMO.

Christopher Young’s score also added to the success of the film. He brought in a different sound to the Spider-Man movie-verse, which for me was a seamless progression from Danny Elfman’s original music. It was a good thing that the theme for Spider-Man was used, as it connected 3 to 1 and 2 musically. On top of that, I also think the new soundtrack captured the tone of this part of the series. Like Elfman before him, Young captured the spirit of Spider-Man and the core of Peter Parker’s conflict in his music. The new soundtrack was great.

I like the fact the Spider-Man 3 was full of action, much more than 1 and 2, and that it brought the series full circle and gave closure to certain character arcs like Harry Osborne’s conflict with Peter Parker among others.

However, the bad!

I guess my main beef with Spider-Man 3 would be the under-use of Sandman and Venom. I felt there wasn’t enough exposition of the Sandman character — which was, by the way, played well by Thomas Hayden Church — and Venom could’ve just been set up for another movie. I felt the film could’ve spent more time on Sandman, instead of splitting screen time to accommodate Venom. But that’s just me.

The film’s running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes [according to Yahoo! Movies] was okay considering there was a lot of ground to cover. Still, there were moments where I could hear my inner voice telling me "this is part here is just too slow moving for a Spider-Man film." This was something I never had to deal with in the previous films. Some parts of 3 does get… "uncomfortable" [I don't know if you guys could relate. Let me know] and it was easy to shrug off while I was watching it. But in hind sight, those moments did feel uncomfortable. Though not enough to overshadow the thrills of the movie.

I was never a fan of Kirsten Dunst as MJ, as I felt she didn’t have that MJ x-factor that her comic book counterpart had. Seeing her here in 3 was actually part of what made those uncomfortable moments uncomfortable. [Here's hoping they recast every role in the next Spidey film... starting with Mary Jane Watson's]

I also felt that Bryce Dallas Howard’s Gwen Stacy was unnecessary. There are other ways to give Eddie Brock motivation for hating Peter and other means of prying MJ and Peter apart.

Finally, I felt that the giant version of the Sandman in the final battle was too cartoonish for me. It reminded me of the Stay Puft Marshmallowman in the Ghostbusters movie. It was just too… B movie-esque. I’m sorry but that’s how I feel.

Overall, I give Spider-Man 3 a four for being able to maintain the quality of the previous movies, for managing to take the series to the next level, for not being a disappointment to moviegoers like me, for making me laugh and cheer again in the theater. Third time’s the charmer for the friendly neighborhood spider!