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With a very interesting and thought-provoking concept, Legion doesn't disappoint for those with moderate to no expectations going in. What's good about the film is, number one, the overall story; God loses faith in humanity and sends his angels to exterminate them from the Earth. Not exactly the standard telling of the Apocalypse. A second smart move by the filmmakers is the use of camera work; a lot of shaking and spinning and low lighting help to make the audience just as confused and disoriented as the characters, all of whom are relatable and believable. The actors really make you feel for them on the screen, make you believe that all of the events going on are real. The CGI was a bit uneven throughout the movie, sometimes being good, a lot of times being very obvious and rather sloppy. However, some of the camera shots of the foreground (ex. a string of light bulbs against a grey sky) were simply gorgeous; photographers dream of getting shots like those. Also, the careful use of high and low angles helped to build tension during the movie rather than go for a "jump scare", something sadly not seen too often in modern movies.

About the only real issue I had with the film was why humanity's fate always seems to hinge on an unborn child for one reason or another; no reason is really given in Legion, though. Just once I'd like to see a movie like this not focus on a fetus where everyone has to protect the expectant mother and she has to stand by the wayside. Other than that glaring plot device, everything else just seemed to fit in place. The wings on the angels were an equal balance of function and beauty, the religious overtones weren't preachy given the subject matter, and the cameo from Doug Jones was a nice touch for fans of the versatile actor. The archangel Gabriel is once again handed the "jerk" card (Constantine, The Prophecy), but he's really the only other archangel whose well-enough known by the general public to fill the role of Michael's foil. Open endings mostly tend to bother me, but for a film like this with so many possibilities it was the wiser move to make; not necessarily to set up a sequel, but to allow the viewer to finish the story in whatever way he or she wants.

All in all, Legion is a good movie. Not great, not terrible, but good. It explores the various weaknesses and strengths of humanity through individuals that are believable and make us sympathetic to their plight. The storyline is inventive and smart, pitting God's angels against His own children and the latter's struggle to survive; however, the script could have been handled better. Which side will win out: mortal humans or divine messengers?

The latest installment of the vampire sub-genre is what vampire flicks should be: slick, bloody, and cool. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat after the initial exposition to get the viewer caught up on what's going on in this futuristic world. The idea of using modern science to explain a creature that has always been more myth and legend than anything factual is not new, nor is it really used to its potential in this movie, especially since the source of the virus that causes this widespread vampirism is never explained, nor is how a stake to the heart or the sun can cause people to spontaneously combust. For a movie that wants to focus on the future it stubbornly holds on to the old tales formed from superstition and magic, not cold, hard science (lazy writing, perhaps?). A lot of unanswered questions are left hanging, making the audience wonder "is that it?", and that is the biggest fault of this movie, not the over-stylization of fight scenes like some critics have pointed out. There are a few sequences and dialogue that are downright silly, and while they don't kill the movie on their own, they sure don't help it. Slow motion was used a bit too much, especially in an overlong scene towards the end for the sole purpose of showing more blood and gore. The most shocking moments come in short back-to-back bursts in less than five minutes, both of which involved projectile vomiting and a rather startling explosion; there really wasn't any warning or time to look away if you're squeamish, so keep that in mind before snacking on something during the movie.

What does help the film are the performances from Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, and Willem Defoe; all three are good at what they do in real life and in-character given the material. Neill is very convincing as the greedy, slimy corporate head of the Bromley Marks Pharmaceutical company, which provides the blood supplies needed by the vampire population to survive. Defoe brings some genuinely funny lines to the screen and is the guy you really root for as the minutes go by. Hawke is the conflicted, almost self-loathing vampire doctor whose refusal to consume human blood leads him to search for a substitute food source, and also into some big trouble as things get a bit sticky. Another thing that really kept my attention was the sheer starkness of the visuals; the same desaturation technique was used in Underworld back in 2003, but it was much cleaner and sleeker this time around. The gorgeous, sharp, and vivid blues, blacks, and whites contrasted beautifully to the dusty, bright, and colorful scenes depicting the remnants of humanity. Slight uses of red (clothes, blood, eyes) and yellow (eyes) add to the film noir-esquire style of the film. Speaking of noir, seeing the comeback of suits and fedoras made the giddy little girl in me come out. The crispness of the suits and retro-style dresses and hairdos were the complete opposite of the casual jeans and T-shirts worn by the humans, those who were ready to fight or run as opposed to the leisurely arrogance exhibited by their blood-drinking counterparts. The Sydney Orchestra contributed well to the score, but a lot of the music got lost in the mayhem of bodies exploding and burning and cars crashing. The not-so-subtle commentary on overusing natural resources (i.e. oil) was not lost, but the underlying speculation on how fast society can turn on itself was more interesting to me; the societal "undesirables" are still part of the world, but when we no longer consider them "one of us", what would we do, and how far would we go?

Aside from the beautiful visuals and the grotesque creature provided by the ever-wonderful WETA Workshops, Daybreakers is a good way to kill a couple of hours, but nothing to break your neck to see. The lead actors are enjoyable to watch, but with so many loose ends left and some rather ridiculous action scenes, dialogue, and other smaller parts nearly overshadow them all. The subplot involving Sam Neill's daughter wasn't necessary at all, although it could have been had it been explored more deeply and made a better overall impact. Hawke's brother as his soldier counterpart was a bit more bearable to watch, but not by much; he seemed to be pretty much a paint-by-number character whose fate you already knew even before you learned his name. What I can say about the movie is that while it doesn't really go much farther than looking pretty and showcasing some gratuitous blood splatter, it's a decent film from the Spierig brothers and could most definitely give a beginner course in how to be a true vampire flick to the Twilight franchise, which doesn't even deserve to be called a vampire story.

Final score: 7/10

This was an absolutely stunning movie by director Shekhar Kapur, who has a history of doing very-well done films, as few as he has under his belt. The costumes were what held my attention for the most part of movie; they were vivid, vibrant colors indeed fit for a queen. Makeup and hair was extraordinary, especially for the always brilliant Cate Blanchett. She delivers a very powerful depiction of the Virgin Queen, making her appear as a most believable blend of power, vulnerability, and humanity; we see her laughing with her attendants, making jokes at the expense of very powerful world leaders, acting out of passionate rage and jealousy, and being broken under the weight of her own crown. Yet she still managed to pull everything together at the end and continue her reign as Queen of England.

I think there were two parts of the film that were exceptionally powerful to me. The first was when she asked only for a kiss from Sir Walter Raleigh, who could have probably been better played by someone other than Clive Owen. Such a simple action, yet one that held so much meaning to a queen who could not have what she wanted most. The second part was when Elizabeth, in little more than a white nightgown, stands on the cliff overlooking the burning Spanish ships. The clouds part a little behind her as she smiles in relief and triumph as she watches the destruction of Spain as a superpower of the seas and the world. It was a very poignant image for me.

I think that while some things could have been done to make this film better (replace Clive Owen, make it a little longer in order to give the characters enough time to grow believably, give Geoffrey Rush more screen time as his character was indeed important to Elizabeth's saga, develop Mary Stuart's story a little more), it was a well-done piece of cinema that deserves recognition. It is very rare that we are bestowed with a historical film as engrossing and beautiful as this. I hope we get to see more like this for other historical figures sometime in the near-future.

Mel Brooks is definitely a force to be reckoned with in 1968's comedy The Producers. The acclaimed director and writer leaves his mark on this film with witty one-liners, outrageous songs, and oddball characters. The opening scene, Zero Mostel's character flirting with an eighty-year old woman for money, may leave the viewer in a state of strange wonder, but the film soon turns the confusion to humor when an accountant (Wilder) sets up a scheme with Mostel's has-been Broadway producer to make a theatrical flop in order to scam the IRS and the play's investors out of millions of dollars.

What results is a play praising Hitler (Springtime for Hitler) written by a Nazi (Mars) with an obsession for pigeons and bad-mouthing Winston Churchill, directed by a gay man who wears dresses in his spare time, and starring a lovable yet tone-deaf young man representing the "Free Love" ideal of the sixties. Much of the humor is supplied by the character L.S.D. (Shawn), whose portrayal of the leader of the Third Reich ensures the play's success, much to the dismay of the producers.

My only complaints about the movie are that the funny moments could have been funnier by Brooks' standards, and that Gene Wilder's face seemed to be frozen in one expression, regardless of whether his character was embarrassed, hysterical, or happy. But overall, The Producers is a showcase of how many ways and times an audience can laugh at both Hitler and Broadway in a mere ninety minutes. If for nothing else, the film is worth at least one viewing simply for the play it centers on, and Dick Shawn's performance, which is reminiscent of the early works and stand-up routines of Robin Williams.

A political thriller set during the Cold War and based on Tom Clancy's bestselling book by the same name, The Hunt for Red October is the ultimate cat-and-mouse game with Sean Connery heading the Soviet nuclear submarine, the Red October. Connery and Baldwin deliver magnificent performances as the Russian naval captain and a CIA analyst, respectively. Jack Ryan (Baldwin) finds himself in the middle of a potential prelude to global nuclear war as the seemingly insane Captain Marco Ramius (Connery) steers the Red October toward the United States, supposedly as a hostile move.

Running slightly over two hours in length, Red October perfectly captures the state of tension between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. as the suspense never lifts from the film. The directing style is very effective in depicting the fears of impending warfare against foreign and new weapons, and the fears of the individuals who try to prevent it. The moody lighting alone portrays these fears beautifully. The score by Basil Poledouris is superb, using both Russian lyrics and various submarine sounds to envelop the viewer in the lives of those who must ask men to risk their lives in close spaces underwater. Supporting cast members including Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, and Sam Neill reflect very well on the roles of both Baldwin and Connery by acting as foils to round out the other two characters and to emphasize the fact that the characters are complex individuals, not a mass of good vs. evil or the United States vs. the Soviet Union.

While the technical and naval jargon and outdated technology may put off some viewers, it is easily one of the best movies of the past fifty years. Utilizing the talents of several big-name stars, Red October will continue to be an excellent example of how political thrillers should be done: not with fancy explosions and half-baked explanations for characters' actions, but with heart and tone indicating that the stars of the film are the characters and the plot, not the special effects which Hollywood has become addicted to in order to draw in audiences.

A friar at an orphanage finds a creative way to raise money to provide for the children he takes care of: he becomes a masked wrestler who makes more money to lose than to win. A hilarious addition to Jack Black's filmography, Nacho Libre is a story of empowerment of the individual and that the underdog can often surprise even the toughest critics. The humor is directed mainly at viewers between the ages of 13 and 17, but adults can also enjoy the jokes and comedic situations.

The directing style was very well done in certain instances, but was more often than not a basic approach to filming. The color scheme was effective in representing the idea of a typical Mexican monastery with browns and tans and other earthy tones, but then throwing in vivid reds and bright blues for the wrestling costume of Ignacio (Black). In addition, although it was sweet, the subplot of a love story between Ignacio and Sister Encarnacion (de la Reguera) seemed to be thrown in for no reason than to attempt to make the film "well-rounded". The orphans were the most lovable throughout the film, especially the one who convinces Ignacio to keep pushing on with his childhood dream of becoming a famous wrestler.

Although not for everyone, I certainly enjoyed this film, if for no other reason than it was a fun way to pass a couple of hours. A typical underdog story of triumphing over impossible odds and getting the girl of your dreams, Nacho Libre is a light-hearted, uplifting story, but in essence seems to be better suited for a teenage audience.

The continuing story of Selene (Beckinsale), the werewolf-fighting vampire, and Michael (Speedman), the vampire-werewolf hybrid, is presented in the second installment of the Underworld franchise. Because I loved the original, I eagerly awaited this sequel for months before its release in January of 2006. What I got was a very different approach from the director than what I got with the first of this series. While the first was almost devoid of gore and sex scenes, due to Wiseman's wish to not give in to the stereotypical werewolf vs. vampire movie, Evolution starts off with a graphic massacre, is filled in with a graphic (and weirdly filmed) sex scene, and ends with more graphic death scenes.

Despite this, Kate Beckinsale still pulled off an amazing performance of the conflicted vampire heroine, and Scott Speedman kept in character acting mainly as a sidekick, with the exception of the ending. Tony Curran made the film, however, as the ultra-villain, Marcus. With wicked-looking prosthetics and makeup, he made the villains in the first Underworld chapter pale in comparison. Sadly, Marcus disappointed me slightly with his one-track mind, which did not seem to fit with the history of the character and those of the other two vampire Elders. Sir Derek Jacobi as the immortal Alexander Corvinus was a very good casting choice, but again, his single-mindedness and explanations for previous actions did not make much sense in the grand scheme of the story.

My main complaints for this film were the excessive amounts of blood and gore, and the oddly placed sex scene between the main characters. It seemed to just be put in the film to attract more viewers than the previous movie did. However, even though I believe this film to be slightly worse than the first Underworld, the directing style remains an effective way to make the saga of Selene and Michael all the more otherworldly and eerie by desaturating the picture (a process which drains the image of most color) in order to make the blues, grays, blacks, and whites stand out much more. This, I found, was a better choice than overloading the screen with bright, flamboyant colors. There were also various plot holes that I feel could have been explained or fixed, but the filmmakers did not give clarification on these in either Underworld or Evolution.

All in all, I could have done with a little less blood and a little more meat to the plot, but it was still a very enjoyable film and a nice addition to the Underworld legend. As a side note, with as many times as I have been asked this question, I feel that I must mention that I do not recommend anyone under the age of 16 to watch this movie. It's rated R for a reason.

Note: This review pertains only to the subtitled version.

A gorgeous epic about a timeless love, Devdas broke box office records in its home country of India and garnered critical acclaim at the Cannes film festival in 2002. The story follows a man's downfall into depression, alcoholism, and his ultimate self-destruction when his childhood sweetheart marries a man she does not love because of a thoughtless mistake on his part. While Devdas Mukherjee (Khan) struggles to overcome his grief at losing Paro (Rai), the one woman he loves, he meets Chandramukhi (Dixit), a courtesan who falls in love with him at first sight. Running slightly over three hours (subtitled version), Devdas is, at heart, a basic story of boy loves girl, boy loses girl, another girl loves boy, and a tragic end for one or all of them. Although typical in Bollywood (Hindi cinema), the plot is very engaging and simple, but later made complex due to the marvelous performances by Khan, Rai, and Dixit.

At first, the focus of the viewer is solely on Devdas and Paro's relationship, but when Chandramukhi enters the scene, the viewer is conflicted by who he/she wishes to see Devdas end up with. While Paro is beautiful, innocent, and pure in her love for Devdas, Chandramukhi is sensual and elegant. The latter also gives off an air of sadness and loneliness that seems to stem from her life as a courtesan, which endears her all the more to the viewer.

With his previous hit Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam (Straight from the Heart, 1999), Bhansali delivers another visually stunning film with Devdas. The songs are exquisite and very catchy, and the dance scenes were a wonder to behold. Elaborate costumes and striking sets only added to the beauty and mystique that was the world of Devdas.

The only things I could make negative comments on would be the picture quality, the subtitles, and Shahrukh's acting. The quality of the picture was often grainy and did not seem as clear as it should have been. There were a few instances when the subtitles either went by too fast or needed to be read more than once in order to understand the meaning; some of them were very weirdly worded. Shahrukh did appear to struggle a bit in his performance and overact in some scenes, but overall he did a nice job.

A film that can be enjoyed by families and viewers of any age and nationality, Devdas is what most Americans expect to come from India: gorgeous, breathtaking, and having the ability to take a simple love story and turn it into a complicated plot line that will have almost anyone become a romantic (even a secret one).

This series is absolutely beautiful! It attempts to blend cultures and legends of many countries (North America, Russia, Japan) and does so in a way that is believable. It flows nicely until the end (except for the four OVAs which are really just flashbacks of the previous episodes) and is one of the saddest, yet somehow comforting endings of any series I've ever seen. The characters are easy to relate to, and their relationships are wonderfully portrayed by both the Japanese and English voice actors. The most touching relationship in this series is that between Kiba, the alpha wolf who desperately searches for Paradise, and Cheza, the Flower Maiden who can lead him there. It is so sweet that I found myself thinking 'aww' several times while watching. Although some may be disappointed with the conclusion, I think it's one of the better ways to end a series (much better than the manga did, by the way) and leaves the viewer thinking about philosophy, religion, and spirituality. An imaginative, creative, and all around great series that everyone (especially wolf lovers like me!) should take the time to watch. If you just want to hear the story, skip the four OVAs (I believe they are the last four on the first volume). You're really not going to miss much if you cut those out.

This series by Rod Serling is an absolute classic of American television. The stories were simple and easy to relate to, but they always ended with a twist that left you with your mouth hanging open in awe. It dealt with many of the most basic fears of men: fear of the dark, nightmares that seem almost too real, paranoia, death, and concepts of evil. Mingled with these stories are ones that are 'what if?' situations, like "Probe 7: Over and Out", "Five Characters in Search of an Exit", "Eye of the Beholder", "The Night of the Meek", and "Time Enough at Last". A great many of the episodes were also chill-inducing in their own right; "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?", "To Serve Man", "It's a Good Life", and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" all played with the viewers' minds and were much more effective in scaring people like myself than the so-called 'horror' films of today. The more psychological disturbing, the better...at least that's the case for this show.

Serling's appearances in the beginnings of the shows only added to the mystery surrounding each player, each situation, and each object. His monologues were beautifully delivered at the beginning and end of each episode, adding a sense of the supernatural to each installment. Serling also had help from many other writers for the show, like Ray Bradbury, and with great actors of their time (Mickey Rooney, Jack Klughorn, Agnes Moorehead, and Burgess Meredith), the show will always be one my favorites as long as I live.

"You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Twilight Zone!"

First off, I just want to make it known that I adored this show! I don't even remember my first time watching it. All I remember is seeing an ad for it, then months passing without seeing a full-length show, then channel surfing to find a masked woman in black sword-fighting soldiers. That got my attention and held it for the rest of the series. Sure, it's basically Zorro only with a lead female instead of a male, but it was (and still is) a joy to watch! The scripts were original and clever, the costumes were beautiful, and the landscape was just stunning! The fights were also done well, as were the shots of the actors on horseback (I'm a horse-lover, so I noticed this).

The big problem with it was the dialogue between characters. Some of it was clichéd, other times absurd. But then most of the time, it was it was decent. Sometimes I knew the next lines before the actors themselves said them. Despite that, the show was engaging and the characters were likable, even the villains: you just loved to hate them and see their plans get foiled. Tessie Santiago and Peter Wingfield had such great chemistry together that I wish the series could have gone on just to see what would come of their relationship (especially since I have a somewhat unhealthy crush on Wingfield).

This show was robbed by being cancelled after only one season, and I'm just glad that I managed to record most of the episodes before it stopped airing frequently on SiTV. I will always love this show!

!Viva la Reina!

I went into the theater with high expectations for this movie since I consider (like many others) Kurt Wimmer's Equilibrium to be an underrated stroke of genius. I was severely disappointed by this movie, not only with the dialogue and lack of coherency and plot, but because a decent actor (William Fichtner) and a good director managed to not make this work. Fichtner was underused as a character, and Wimmer must have gone on a mental vacation while filming this. Milla Jovovich should stick to Resident Evil movies, and Cameron Bright needs to crawl in a hole somewhere. He has the power to ruin most every movie he's in, so why do directors continually give him work? The plot line...alright I couldn't really find one, but it hardly made any sense. With little to no background on the characters or the reasons why humanity has "evolved" the way it did were left completely out of the picture. The main villain was nothing more than a joke, and I don't have enough space or patience to explain my dislike of him. A minor point, but one I need to make, is that the film was far too short. Everything was rushed into and crammed together so that it made hardly any sense. If it could have been stretched out by another half hour or so, things could have flowed more naturally (although it still probably wouldn't make up for how bad this film is).

That's the bad (and not even all of it). Here's the good: the fight sequences and the use of color. The fights were beautifully choreographed and really the only things that kept me watching this movie. The colors were bold and vibrant, and even though their constant changing was never explained (like so many other things), they were very nice to look at for an hour and a half.

The only reason I gave this film a five instead of a two or three is because I'm giving Wimmer a break and I'm holding out hope for him. After the way he was treated by Dimension Studios, I can't blame him entirely for this travesty. Plus, I know that he has more talent and skill to make a better movie in the future. Hopefully he'll go to a different studio and they'll give him the creative freedom he needs to deliver us another film on par with Equilibrium.

This show was positively brilliant! It was like a milder version of Family Guy; by that I mean it was random and stupid, but genius and clever at the same time. Nickelodeon never knew how good it had it with all the great shows they've let go over he past 10-15 years: Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Invader Zim, GUTS, Salute Your Shorts, Pete & Pete, Kenan & Kel, the original All That, and so many more. Jhonen Vasquez, the show's creator, may have been a little insane, but that's what I loved about him and the show! This show is one of the few that will (or should) go down in history as one of the greatest cult classics ever! Hey Nick! Your new shows suck, and your refusal to continue airing great shows like Zim has lead to your downfall into mediocrity! You have now been replaced by Boomerang and Cartoon Network. the only good thing about your studio is that you have the decency to have Nicktoons Network, and that's the only thing that's keeping me and many others from despising you now.

Anyway, Zim rocks! FEEL HONORED AT MY INSULTS, NICKELODEON!