Black Widow

This felt like filler. Knowing that the title character already has an ultimate destiny kind of puts a damper on the proceedings from the start. Then there’s also the confusing backstory, seeming double crosses that really aren’t, and then preposterous finale which is overly convenient, not to mention vigorously defiant of both geography and physics … it’s all a not-quite-rich tapestry. Bottom line: it appears the MCU is sometimes deficient in IQ; at the very least, they outsmarted themselves with this piece. Not incompetent, at least not completely, but also not particularly necessary.

Oz the Great and Powerful

The crux of the matter here lies with the source material. To wit: are we seeing a faithful representation of Baum’s work, or is this a Disneyfied version of the extended world of Oz? Having only read one of the Oz works--that one--I can’t say for sure; maybe the weaknesses are Baum’s and not those of the Disney people or director Sam Raimi. Even with a certain obviousness to the story--it’s a tale that practically wallows in stereotypes--you can still get a good, old-fashioned movie-viewing experience out of this film. It all depends on how high your critical threshold is; demanding types, stay away, but those more open will probably have a decent time.

Constantine

Round up the usual apocalypse. Another bit of cinematic hokum, one that delivers lots of action and a fine sense of visual style to go along with a keen eye for the dirty gray areas between good and evil. The comic book panache more than makes up for Keanu Reeves's "unique" screen presence, and the lack of particularly big plot holes is a welcome change from what you usually get from these kinds of movies. Mix it together and you get a flick that's well done and fun.

Chain Reaction

I can't remember why I wanted to watch this one. I can say that it's nothing special. The story keeps moving, but some elements are just too obvious, the screenplay is occasionally terrible, and it never really grabs the viewer in any particular way. You can skip it.

The Mummy Returns (2001)

Not quite as amusing as the first one (which I liked a lot). It never really has that spark, though it does get more interesting when the story begins to refer more closely to the backstory of the previous flick. And the stuff with The Rock and the "Scorpion King" is mostly retarded. Posted .

Enemy At The Gates

Good cast, pretty good story, and you could hardly find a more dramatic setting than the battle of Stalingrad in 1942. Effective work by Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, the ever-reliable Joseph Finnes, and--with particularly stalwart distinction--Ed Harris. And by the way, if you've got a thing for seeing folks getting shot in the eye, this is your flick.