X-Files: I Want to Believe

The X-Files: I Want to Believe was one that you would think I couldn't wait to go see. I've never watched the series so it was a take it or leave it movie for me; but mom, on the other hand, was a big fan of the show and seeing how this show is all about the paranormal - and I LOVE paranormal stuff - it seemed like one I might enjoy so off we went...

As the famous theme tune is whistled over the opening credits, listen carefully and you may hear the gentle chime of ringing tills as Mulder and Scully return for a pointless cash-in on the TV series. I Want To Believe isn’t a terrible film but it’s just not very good either.

Mulder and Scully are called back into action when a disgraced priest starts hearing voices and having visions after two FBI agents disappear.

Void of any monsters, super-natural quirkiness or even a psycho killer, the film fizzles. The only ‘mystery’ in the movie is whether or not the paedophile priest could possibly be psychic – and it’s hard to take this seriously when the priest uses his powers to deduce that the house he’s been taken to isn’t the scene of the crime at all – rather it’s the house opposite. The yellow police tape surrounding the property was probably the biggest clue.

I think it's lost its X factor.

Mamma Mia!

We could not wait for this one to come out!! A Musical...with Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan?!?! Oh yeah! This one was on our "MUST SEE" list.

Donna (Meryl Streep) owns and runs a resort hotel on a remote Greek Island where she has raised her daugher, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) alone. Neither Donna nor Sophie know who Sophie's father is but Sophie has narrowed it down to three men - Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), Sam (Pierce Brosnan) and Harry (Colin Firth) - after reading her mother's diary. And unknown to her mom, she invites all three of them to her upcoming wedding.

Donna's closest girlfriends - Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski) - also show up for the upcoming nuptials. Leading into tons of singing, dancing and silliness.

I laughed, I tapped my foot, I smiled, and I found myself undeniably amused. If that's the kind of experience you're looking for, and if you dig ABBA, this crazy, mixed-up movie might just be for you.

This is entertainment, not a movie. And as entertainment goes, Mamma Mia! belts it out of the park!

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth was one that mom and I just had to go check out...If for no other reason than the visual effects (it was 3-D).

I don't know if this one would be nearly as good in 2-D. These filmmakers understand why audiences have put on the 3-D glasses, and they offer up visual trick after visual trick in hopes of keeping the viewers wowed.

The plot is simple. Brendan Fraser plays Trevor Anderson, a volcanic scientist whose brother went missing during fieldwork. Trevor agrees to have his troubled young nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) stay with him for a week, but as soon as the kid arrives, suspicious activity is found on Trevor's computerized volcano-watch system. He and the kid pack up and head for Iceland, where they hire a tour guide named Hanna (Anita Briem) to lead them to the base of a volcano. There, Trevor finds what he always suspected: that there are volcanic tubes plunging straight into the Earth's core.

The trio falls down one of these tunnels and discovers a little "world within the world." There are mountains and an ocean, and other more dangerous things like dinosaurs, carnivorous plants, and man-eating fish. Together, they must navigate all these dangers and find a way to safely return to the surface.

Knowing that two-thirds of American cinemas will show this movie in standard 2-D, which is kind of sad considering that the whole thing exists as a demonstration of how digital 3-D takes a movie thrill ride to the next level. I say in 3-D - yes, absolutely, it's worth your time and money. In 2-D - probably not-so-much; that is unless you just like looking at Brendan Fraser and, in that case, it's still only a maybe.

Handcock

Mom and I thought that Handcock looked like it would be a pretty funny movie so this weekend we decided to go check it out.

There are heroes… there are superheroes… and then there’s Hancock. With great power comes great responsibility – everyone knows that – everyone, that is, but Hancock.

Perhaps the oddest take on superheroes that film has offered yet, Will Smith does an excellent job of playing the disinterested superhero with an existential crisis.

Hancock (Will Smith) is a drunken crime fighter with publicity issues stemming from his tendency to constantly cause collateral damage. But, after saving the life of compassionate public relations expert, Ray Embry (Jason Bateman), Ray is grateful enough to offer his services. Ray thinks he can get the public on Hancock’s side if he agrees to a serious attitude adjustment. Ray’s wife Mary (Charlize Theron) is not happy about the arrangement, fearful that Hancock will disappoint her husband. As it turns out, her reluctance to be around Hancock has more to do with a secret she’s been keeping from her family.

That secret kicks the story into hyper-drive. It changes the entire mindset of both Hancock and the audience, a course change that provides a layer of complexity that the first half of the movie never even hinted was around the bend.

In short, I am more than happy to recommend Hancock as a fun movie to see; however, I would like to stress....that this movie is rated PG-13 for a reason. It has a LOT of foul language and is not one for children under 13!!