Block Party (2005)

The best part is that it really does feel like a local block party. A block party where it just so happens that Kanye West and Lauryn Hill are your neighbors.

The film is more about music than comedy. Dave Chappelle makes the party a personal mission, and makes sure real people are invited. With Gondry at the helm, the film is loosely constructed, but expertly crafted. The hands-off approach lets us just enjoy the party.

Kanye West (backed by a college marching band) and Dead Prez are highlights, but Wyclef steals the show at the end as he seems to have talent and passion absolutely exploding out of him. I repeatedly found myself wishing I was more familiar with the music though, so to get the most out of the movie, I'd recommend checking out the following acts:

Mystic River (2003)

If you think the mob is "cool", see this movie and you'll get your head straight (like I did). Mystic River is a movie that could have gone over the top, but stops just short. I can't think of how to describe this without spoilers, so here goes...

Kevin Bacon opens a window to the film's meaning when he wonders allowed whether all three of the leads had gotten kidnapped as children and their lives ever since have just been an elaborate dream. When one friend gets in the car, all three get in, since they are all affected.

The film gives us no closure and we are left with a completely ambiguous situation. Everybody looks happy though we know it can't last for any of them. Dave's wife looks on in horror as she has lost everything, including her friends.

Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

Horton Hears a Who! is another film in that lives up to its company of films with an exclamation point in the title. The acting (voices and animation) was splendid and the sets were beautiful and faithful to the Seuss style. Note: I haven't read the book myself, but I saw the film with a Seuss-ified expert on the matter who felt that the movie did it justice.

There were a few scenes where it was obvious that the directors were stalling for time to turn the children's story into a full-length feature film. I didn't mind this one bit, as these additions had a charm of their own. One anime sequence was particularly well-executed.

Go see this movie! It's over-dramatic! The final song is cringe-worthy! You will laugh! You will love it!

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Though The Breakfast Club and its predecessor, Sixteen Candles, are now revered as cornerstones of the 80s, I have to say that I haven't caught the vision after a viewing of the former.

Nothing interesting happened, the casting wasn't believable (no offense to Molly Ringwald), and there was a lot of crying. Way too much crying. That said, it was probably a movie that needed to be made. Cautions against consumerism, the disillusionment of our youth, and the fight against stereotypes are always important themes.

Hughes went on to write a multitude of films including Beethoven (parts 1 through 5), Home Alone (parts 1 through 4), and the recent flop Drillbit Taylor. Just sayin'....

I Am Legend (2007)

I Am Legend is an unnecessary remake of an earlier film which was an unnecessary adaptation of a novel about a virus outbreak which has turned everyone on Earth into zombies except for one man.

As is, the movie is fun for a one-time fright fix. However, you must watch the alternate ending, which is a game changer that lends a certain uniqueness to an otherwise flat experience.

Empire Records (1995)

Empire Records is about my generation. But instead of identifying with it, I felt slightly pigeonholed. The film is exuberant and fun to watch, yet at times it teeters over the edge of melodrama.

Though highly overwrought, the film has a fun soundtrack and interesting (but stereotypical) characters. It's worth checking out, especially if you've worked in a record store or been around the high school band circuit.

Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

I wanted to fall asleep during parts of Akeelah and the Bee, but I couldn't because I wanted to see more spelling bees. Just like any other movie about sports or competitions, you're always waiting for that showdown.

This is a movie that makes you feel smarter, because it's about words. Here are some of my favourites:

luscious
facetious
cellar door
and now: pulchritude

Troy (2004)

Troy attempts the impossible and comes away from it with some dignity. The Greek epics are told from such a different context than our own.

They tried to modernize the tale by completely removing the interference from the gods. They also modernized the values by trying to redeem Achilleus with a love story.

The art direction didn't feel entirely cohesive and the dialogue was over-wrought, but it's easy to look past some of the weirdness of the movie and enjoy it.

The Golden Compass (2007)

Have you ever walked out of a movie wishing not for your money, but for the last two hours of your life back? I have.

The Golden Compass begins with a lengthy voice over describing some mystical substance with the excruciatingly banal name "dust." The rest of the plot is equally forgettable. And most of it takes place in an arctic snow field at night, so there's not much to look at either.

What brought me from boredom to anger, though, was the ending. The filmmakers had the audacity to leave us with a cliff-hanger, with the characters talking up the threat of a coming war. I felt insulted that they would dangle such a rotten carrot before me.

Please don't see this movie.

The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

No trilogies. No pretentious lore. An ending that's believable and funny. The Spiderwick Chronicles asks no more of you than to enjoy yourself for 100 minutes. It is a fantasy that hasn't fallen victim to Lord of the Rings envy.

If having two Freddie Highmore's in the same movie scares you... well, it should. But don't worry because he's out of his little kid stage, and I enjoyed his new pre-teen persona. This is a movie easily worth your time and even your money.