Your takes are in on various releases hitting screens this month:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind "The story starts out a bit disjointed and confusing. Somewhere in the middle of the film, the beginning will start to make sense and the end will seem inevitable. Ultimately, Eternal Sunshine of the blah blah blah is worth the price of admission. Many are sure to find it obnoxiously bizarre for no good reason, but at its core, the story intelligently examines the dynamics of long-term relationships and their inevitable self-destructive tendencies..." (full review) "ESOTSM is not a classic but it is certainly welcome into what sometimes becomes a stale film market. Obvious comparisons to Malkovich and Adaptation will be attached but it is again very different. If you like your films to challenge the norm and push the boundaries of reality or simply prefer the odd to even than this for you. The fresh approach and unique style is quite special it is just the storytelling that lets it down a little..." (full review)
Dawn of the Dead "In the end though, Dawn of the Dead is a good one. It's not great to be sure, but it is quite nice. It has the tension of the first one, an ending that's even bleaker, and if the satire is more subdued dark humor finds other ways to escape (Such as a living zombie head found in an unexpected place). While I'll definitely always prefer the original, the remake has earned its place in the dead series. Good show..." (full review)
The Girl Next Door "The Girl Next Door is yet another example of cynical Hollywood filmmaking that puts demographics ahead of actual filmmaking. This is a film that was approved in the pitch meeting by executives who didn't care if there was a good script as long as they had the right amount of T&A to parade in front of the camera and enough familiar elements to lull audiences into mindless nostalgia. I can't register honest surprise about this film but I can lament it and decry it..." (full review) Starsky & Hutch "This Starsky & Hutch will be difficult to swallow for both fans of the TV show and the audiences that remember it. It is insulting to the audience's intelligence as well as to the original actors who took the time to make a cameo..." (full review) "While films like Charlies Angels: Full Throttle and Scooby Doo failed to capitalize on the spirit of the material they were based, they also failed as stand alone theatrical entertainment, something the Starsky and Hutch team accomplish. The flick is a great time at the theatre if you are a fan of the unofficial comedy troupe that seems to consist of Bowen, Will Farrell, Vince Vaughn, & Luke Wilson. Even if youre not a Bowen fan, Starsky and Hutch is worth a rental..." (full review) "Peppering the story with nods to the original show and the goofy chase scenes and fashions within, Starsky & Hutch maintains enough novelty to warrant the connection. However, at the end of the day the film would fall on its face if not for Phillips all-too-easy decision to focus on the strengths of each actor as we know them, rather than make them conform into characters..." (full review)
Hidalgo "Let me assure you another thing: this movie blows. I normally try not to be so abrasive in my judgment on a film, but this film really f**king sucks. From frame one we're told this is a true story, chronicling the real adventure of one man attempting one hell of a race. Well, it becomes obvious almost from the start that this story is less of a true historical tale than it is a tale so tall that Paul Bunyan would have seen and just said "Damn."..." (full review)
