X-Men: First Class

Lots of fun. True, lots of silly, profoundly implausible fun, but for what it is--a backdrop that plays while you munch away at your grain-silo-sized tub of popcorn--the movie performs its task admirably. There's plenty of easy on the eyes--certainly for the male viewer; probably for the female viewer, too, though I'm not one to judge that--and a good dose of cool visuals (nice but not overbearing special effects included), and an easy, comfortable attitude about the materials that more than makes up for the profound absurdity of the base premise. And, of course, Nazis with submarines; you never go wrong with Nazis with submarines. Wrap it all up and it's worth a couple of your hours.

Diner

Competently done as a nostalgia piece, but strangely unengaging as a story in its own right. Almost dull, if you can believe that. They got the details right, and the cast is full of recognizable faces (in their younger forms), but there's very little about the story that really leaps off the screen. Given the focus on youth--of another day, no less--there should be far more exuberance in the screenplay. But it's just not there.

Mystic River

Taken solely for its content--a smart and well-drawn yet ultimately standard story--this movie would not be particularly special. But the cast is so talented, and their performances so professional and dead on, that their work raises this film to a higher level. Watch it and wish that you could do your job so well.

Hollow Man

I must give credit for some truly eye-popping special effects: the anatomical visuals are simply amazing. The bad news is, those effects appear in the service of an otherwise bad--indeed, downright unpleasant--movie. Kevin Bacon's lead character is thoroughly repellent even before he goes off half-cocked; there are scenes of truly repugnant violence; and the final sequence veers into explosion-riddled stupidity. Hollow Man is, ironically, only the shell of a worthwhile movie.

My Dog Skip

A very charming movie. Frankie Muniz (before he was Malcolm) does good work, and a good supporting effort comes from Kevin Bacon as the dad. One of those rare "family" movies that's nice, but doesn't drown in treacly sentiment.

Wild Things

If you like 'em smutty, you're in the right neighborhood. Actually, it's not that racy, but I suppose it's not exactly Disney Channel fare, either. The serpentine plot is a bit of a put off; eventually, you start paying less attention to the movie and more to thinking about how clever the writer thinks he is. And no, the Bad Cat's review is not meant as a double entendre; it's just your standard MEOW/meh critique.

Picture Perfect

Fluffy like a teddy bear. That's not always bad, of course; just don't expect much beyond plain, warm snugglies. Jennifer Aniston does a decent job here, as in several of her other movies; get that girl away from that Friends tripe and there she may have a real career.