Movies I've seen recently...

WALL-E (2008)  A-

Pixar has once again showed how ambitious they can be with their CGI animated films. The visual presentation of "WALL-E" is ofcourse easy on the eye, but it's the title character that should impress you the most, as well as tug on your heart strings a bit. A robot that acts like a sentient being that collects odd items, obsessed with the classic movie "Hello Dolly," living alone in an apocalyptic world that's been abandoned by humans, is not a plot normally associated with a "kids movie." The majority of the film doesn't even have much in the way of actual dialogue besides robot-speak, and once humans are brought in the picture do we see how depressing this possible future is when a robot has "more life" than people. Full of heart with a strong powerful message, WALL-E should captivate you from beginning until the very end.

Wanted (2008)  B

Loosely based on a graphic novel series of the same name, "Wanted" is a visceral stylized action film that's a lot like a roller coaster, fast and in your face. The story follows a nothing special loser of a guy played wonderfully by James McAvoy, who one day finds out that he is the son of a skillful assassin, able to do fantastic things like curving the shot of a bullet or slowing down his perception of time. These powers are just one of many things and situations that kind of just happens in the movie without much explanation, but I suppose are all excusable considering the content. Full of cool gun fights and strong violence, "Wanted" is simply great fun of an action film to watch.

Definitely, Maybe (2008)  B+

Having this movie be a "romance mystery" prevents "Definitely, Maybe" from being your typical "chick flick" or melodrama. Having a plot about a child trying to figure out who out of three women is her mother, through the story as told by her father, is a pretty neat idea that held my attention quite well. The story is told in flashback form by the surprisingly very good Ryan Reynolds who plays the dad, and it's set in the 1990's, which itself adds some entertainment value based on the nostalgia factor of that decade. Covering the many different aspects of a relationship, from friendship, acquaintances, lovers, girlfriends, etc, "Definitely, Maybe" allows us to relate with a man who is just trying to fine love with someone.