Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

See, here’s the thing about spies: if they’re doing their jobs right, you’re not supposed to know what they’re up to. Seems that the spies in this movie are on that ball--for a good stretch of the flick’s running time, I couldn’t tell what was going on. Despite that handicap, and almost in spite of itself, the film does eventually grow into an engrossing viewing experience. By the end, when Oldman’s George Smiley has worked through the problem, you care about how it all plays out. This is clearly not everyone’s kind of film, but if you’ve got a thing for the spy genre and a high tolerance for opacity, you might enjoy this one.

Hellboy (2004)

You can't really go wrong with a big, red, demony Ron Perlman. (Seriously, can't that guy's face ever get a break?) A couple of leaps of illogic in the plot weigh it down, but most of the movie goes down as good fun.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Not awful, but certainly a disappointment, considering the source material. Very lifeless and flat. The kids are fine, but the supporting cast doesn't quite live up to their pedigrees. (Especially Richard Harris as Dumbledore; a cigar store Indian would have been more lively.) This was mostly made for money, and that's hardly magical.