Reviews

3:10 to Yuma is one of those few remakes that's on par with its original. A desperate, down on his luck rancher, Dan Evans, played by a very convincing Christian Bale volunteers to traverse a dangerous outlaw, Ben Wade,(Russell Crowe) to a train that will take Wade to a Yuma prison. Bale and Crowe are two of the best male actors today and they're excellent to watch on screen.

Major props should go to screenwriter Michael Brandt(2Fast 2Furious), for weaving a story that has added even more heart to an already excellent original. Ben Wade and Dan Evans aren't stereotypical good vs. evil characters. They're complex leads who have backgrounds that pave the way for the people they have become.

The story might get a little too compact in the middle with everything from Native Americans, Ben's gang, and tough train workers put in the story, but it's all made up for in the end where an exceptionally well directed climax is installed.

The Acting is superb, the action is top-notch, and the story is original. 3:10 to Yuma is a western that won't be soon forgotten.

I didn't have high expectations for ATL when I went to see it on it's opening day. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. The script was obviously very well written with very different, colorful, lively characters. Tip "T.I." Harris and "Big Boi", rappers turned actors, weren't unbearable to watch. Newcomer, Evan Ross Naess, also portrayed his character well.

ATL's story line was a bit questionable in some parts with subplots that might have been a little unnecessary, like Rashad's ex-girlfriend in the movie. The middle of the movie let itself fall down a little bit, but it quickly regained itself. The scenes inside the skating rink lasted a little too long in some parts and the scene towards the end was a bit flawed. However-- enough with the nit-picky stuff. ATL was humorous at some points, sad in others, and maybe even a little moving.

Bottom Line: Go on and give this one a try.

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington collaborate once again to make an outstanding movie. Inside Man is about a group of bank robbers that appear to be involved in a bank robbery gone wrong and it turns into a hostage situation. What makes it so special is that the bank robbers have a pretty cool plan to get out.

Clive Owens and Jodie Foster star. They do an okay job, but the script didn't exactly give their characters an opportunity to really shine. Their characters weren't dull, just not very special. Denzel Washingon however was really fun to watch as a New York detective.

Many people complain about major plot holes, but there really aren't any major ones, just small things. If you can let those small things just go you can really enjoy the movie. The movie got a little jumbled towards the end, but it was still good.

Bottom Line: A very interesting heist flick

When I watched Copland I was really surprised at Sylvester Stallone's performance. It was so solid and he played the role flawlessly. I had once shoved him into the category of all the big muscles no acting ability actors such as Chuck Norris, Arnold Swarzenegar, and Charles Bronson. Sylvester Stallone did an excellent job of portraying a county sheriff who is a little mentally slower than the average person. Harvey Keital also co-stars in this film and he doesn't hold back either his performance was top-notch too, but you can always expect that from him. Near the end the last scene was shot to perfection. This has got to be ranked one of the all time best cop movies ever, because it's got what all cop movies got to have. A mystery, a lovable character, and lots of shooting.

Bottom Line: Give this one a try, it'll change your opinion on Sylvester Stallone too.

--Tayman

This movie is as average as it gets. Don't get me wrong it was fun to watch and a little funny at times, but it won't be remembered for sure. Colin Farell does an okay job, but it's not like his character had much depth. Farell doesn't get a chance to explore his acting abilities at all. LL Cool J (mindhunters) is in the movie along with Michelle Rodriguez (Resident Evil)and they both give average performances of two people they play time and time again. The only person who really is enjoyable to watch is co-star Samuel Jackson who plays the tough squad commander.

Bottom line: This movie is an okay rental that pays good homage to the old seventies show, but nothing more.

6/10

21 grams was one of the first movies I've seen filmed in such a fashion. The entirety of the film was shot in quick scenes and fragments which gave intimations of what you could expect later, or foreshadowed things to come.

Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro all gave solid performances. In my opinion this was Benicio del Toro's finest acting role he's ever done, playing a Christian who left his old life of crime and drugs. Sean Penn rivaled performances he has done in films such as Mystic River. Naomi Watts is just about good in everything, she doesn't let you down in this film either.

What makes this film even more interesting is that it was based upon real actual events that took place. This movie is extremely good.

Bottom line: If you hate movies that jump around a lot and aren't as linear as normal films, you might not like this one. But rest assured it all ties up in the end. 8/10

-Tayman

I've heard many complaints about Denzel Wahsington not deserving the Oscar, and quite frankly I'm sick of it. Denzel Washington gives a solid performance in his role as Alonzo Harris. Most viewers aren't used to seeing him in bad guy roles where he's the one everyone's rooting against. He pulls off the performance amazingly, and when I watched the film I was just shocked.

Not only was Denzel's performance great Ethan Hawke's character Officer Hoyt was also well written. Ethan and Denzel had a kind of chemistry during the shooting of the film that was just excellent. (especially the sheep and the wolves speech) Training day is just a great film, which tells the uncensored story of a officer trying to learn the ropes of his job. The movie falls into the three act structure perfectly. That's pretty cool sense the movie takes place in a single day.