Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope that this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you towards titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.
This week brings with it a selection that includes an Oscar winner, a nominee, and a variety of other, non-nominated flicks, both good and bad. Read on for the week's titles that are worthy of your consideration.
Battlestar Galactica: Season Three. The fourth season is so close I can almost taste it. I eagerly anticipate digging into the third season of the show, as I have sadly forgotten a lot of what has happened and need the refresher. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, do yourself a favor and dig up a copy of the first season and you will discover why the fans rave about the series so much. It is an incredible series with action, drama, comedy, thrills, and chills — everything you could possibly want in engrossing television. This is a must have, no question about it.
Enchanted. Here is a film that I had no expectations for. I thought the trailers looked cute, but beyond that I did not hold out much hope. Then I saw it. The film is wonderful. It has comedy, fantasy, adventure, and plenty of good cheer that is totally infectious. Amy Adams really brings everything together as she completely sells the princess out of water element; without her energy this film would not have been nearly as successful. Because of her, Enchanted is a must have film. At least give it a rental.
Atonement. Here is a film that is well made, but is surprisingly uninvolving. Until the final minutes of the film, I felt as if the filmmakers were keeping me at arm's length. Now, considering that this is a wartime romance, involvement is a must. In order for this to work, we need to care about these characters. I did not feel that connection. Still, it is well made and is worth a rental.
I Am Legend. Surprisingly good for about two thirds, then it goes off the rails to a poor conclusion. No, it is not a straight adaptation of the novella, and it subverts what the title means, but it still works as a stand-alone film. Will Smith is strong as Robert Neville, a role I was unsure he had the presence to pull off. I was happy to be proven wrong.
Article comments
1 - Dan Hoffman
scifi.com has a nicely hip and witty video recap of the first 3 seasons. I guess it's intended for newbies, but it's probably established fans who'll get a real kick out of it. Imagine that you had just a couple of minutes to try to explain all the twists, techno, history, character developments, culture etc. of the first 3 seasons. Yeah, it would be absurd to try, and the writers of the recap narration know it. I definitely recommend checking it out if you're a fan.