2004

Movie	Star Rating	Comments
Spider-Man 2	3.5	(ok, I am behind on the comments. Actually way behind, like 3 months behind. Any day now, really (at least I finally posted my favorites on the 2003 page!))
Shrek 2	3
Fahrenheit 9/11	3
The Terminal	2.5
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	3
Stepford Wives	2
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story	3.5
Saved!	3
The Day After Tomorrow	1.5
Troy	3
Van Helsing	2
Mean Girls	3
Man on Fire	3
Kill Bill Vol. 2	4
The Alamo	2
Nascar: The IMAX Experience	2
Hellboy	3
Never Die Alone	2
Jersey Girl	3	This would be a predictable, corny father-daughter comedy without the clever writing of Kevin Smith. Ironically, he thought was free of controversy when he put together this film, it is so mainstream compared to his other works (e.g. Dogma, Clerks.) But then the Gigli disaster and the Bennifer blow-up and his pairing of Ben and J. looked liked it could have been a bad move. Not so, this is a pleasant, enjoyable film.
Taking Lives	3	A clever marketing move hooked me into Taking Lives, the first 10 minutes of the film are offered for all on the Net. Although I was confused half way through, a strong finish makes this a recommended thriller.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind	3	Charlie Kaufman is up to his offbeat antics again (Adaptation, Human Nature) and this is well made and enjoyable but a very long second act took some of the fun out of it.
Secret Window	2.5	Another creepy Stephen King thriller that doesn't quite make the grade. Johnny Depp is good as always, but I figured out the mystery early on.
Spartan	3.5	A modern day political thriller that works because David Mamet's signature style is supported by a tense story that fits together perfectly. Don't be distracted by the movie media's "too many twists" assertions.
Starsky and Hutch	2.5	A few very funny scenes, but Ben Stiller's antics are getting old. He and Owen Wilson are together for their sixth movie and it doesn't work nearly as well as the hilarious Meet the Parents.
Broken Lizard's Club Dread	2	The first draft of the script of the funniest/silliest movie ever made (Airplane) had one joke per page. The writer's knew they needed much more and wrote and re-wrote until they had a comedy gem. The Broken Lizard crew obviously stopped after their first draft.
Welcome to Mooseport	2.5	A pleasant, but sitcom-like comedy with wimpy Ray Ramano challenging ex-president Gene Hackman in a race for mayor in the little town of Mooseport, Maine.
Against the Ropes	2	February does not have a lot going for it. It's the worst month for sports, no more NFL and baseball hasn't started yet. It's no man's land for movies too; I've seen all of the December Oscar contenders and the summer blockbuster season is not even close. And then there's the weather...Maybe that's why it only has 28 days. And in this cultural wasteland we are given movies like this; barely above movie of the week quality and about as exciting as a Bulls / Magic game. The only redeeming quality of Against the Ropes is Meg Ryan's use of Erin Brockivich's wardrobe consultant.
Miracle	4	The story of a man who was not going to be denied, he gave his all. Herb Brooks inspired his inexperienced players to go way beyond their skill level to beat the Russians in Olympic hockey. This is an uplifting, exhilarating film that is great for adults and kids, hockey fans or non-hockey fans... anyone that can appreciate drive and inspiration to achieve.
The Big Bounce	2	This movie is "severely under contented" as someone once told me about a training class I was helping to develop. There just isn't enough going on. Characters are weak, underdeveloped shells and the story line seems thrown together with discarded Magnum P.I. scripts.
The Butterfly Effect	2.5	The real critics are slamming this, but I found the story interesting (although a bit repetitive at times.) And Cameron Crowe is right, Ashton Kutcher can't act. Stronger performances and tighter direction would have helped the strong story.
Torque	3	Low expectations are the key here, this is not Spielberg. The approach is like a video game in a theatre, with a story better than most of the genre.

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