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.

Raging Bull (1980)

At least Charles Foster Kane started out on top of the world. We can't say the same for Jake La Motta, whose personal life has already fallen apart at the start of Raging Bull. His career eventually catches up as well.

We watch in agony as he descends ever further into his personal hell. By the middle of the film, La Motta is already there. He channels the parable of Lazarus when asking for a piece of ice to cool his tongue while excercizing in a sauna. The scary part is waiting for him to inevitably lose control and hurt someone he cares about.