Sasha Summers

I know, I know, I have a problem. I watch too many films. But since I do, I might as well make it a useful hobby and let you know what I think is worth watching, those you can pass on…. and those to run away from.

New films this week:

‘Babies’ – 4 stars! This film was a wonderful exploration of the cultural difference in child rearing. Done without narration, judgement or pretense – it was simply a lovely film. I mean, who doesn’t love babies. The whole family enjoyed it.

‘Robin Hood’- 2 1/2 stars! While not something to actively run from, Russel Crowe and Ridley Scott’s latest take on this classic tale left me cold. No offense to the actors, the cinematography (it was beautiful), or the music – it just didn’t stand out. I found the most interesting snippets of this film during the credits which had some super cool animation.

‘The Crazies’- 3 stars! As a horror movie groupie, this one wasn’t bad. And I wouldn’t call it a horror movie as much as it was a scary movie – which is much harder to make. A horror movie is blood, guts and very little investment in the cast. This film did have some blood – but you cared about the characters. I got bogged down by the inconsistencies of the main characters. I mean, if the husband is going to go back into the infected region because he can’t leave his wife – why would he leave her sitting alone (I mean put a target on her head, people) in so many ripe for attack situations after he gets her out. But it was watchable/entertaining – if you enjoy this genre.

‘The Secret of Kells‘ – 4 stars! This was something unexpected. After a brief Oscar show blip, my eldest was dying to see it. It didn’t get released on DVD until this month so I’d forgotten all about putting it on the Netflix list until it showed up. It was so beautiful, in a very stylized way. Though a little frightening, the intensity of this film was mesmerizing. Yes, it’s animated – but it’s not just a kids film. In fact, I’m pretty sure younger kids would get totally freaked out by some of the imagery. Still, if you like anything Celtic, fables, or whimsy – WATCH this film!

Films re-visited:

‘Reign of Fire’- 4 stars! I forgot how much I loved this movie. My son came home sick and we went to get a movie to keep him still and on the couch. Boy did this do it. And I sat through it with him (I really should have put this on my list of movies I’d watch over and over) and enjoyed it again. I mean it’s got all the elements I love: dystopian, original concept, awesome world-building and two totally ripped (Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey) and manly male leads . My son loved the fighting and dragons. Considering how long ago this was made (2002), I was impressed by how well the dragons and special effects stood up.