Random Thoughts...

Hitch - 5/10
This is a movie custom made to please everyone. You can just tell by the safe casting that no one was meant to be offended, not like anyone would be. Rank this one in the long line of mediocre comedies to just exist on screen with little energy. Where's Mark Waters when you need him? Will Smith is charming, Kevin James is Kevin James - a good thing - but Eva Mendes is above it all.

The Jacket - 5/10
Interesting premise that never quite pans out. Worth seeing for Keira Knightley's gloriously failed attempt at a Winona Ryder impression. (Yes, you see her tits in this, too.)

Kramer Vs. Kramer - 9/10
Simple and moving character study with Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep at their best. Both very much deserved Oscars for their performances. The kid was also very good even if he was never heard from again.

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous - 4/10
Comedy sequels should not run 115 minutes. Write that down studios. Sandra Bullock does her very best and paired perfectly with Regina King, but there's little else to see her. I spent most of the movie thinking about how much Heather Burns (Miss Rhode Island) would pass for Kirsten Dunst's older sister.

Robots - 7/10
A highly entertaining piece of fluff which will serve as a nice if slight break from the crap being thrown out by the studios now. Robin Williams had me in tears throughout most of the film even if his character didn't top Eddie Murphy's Donkey or Ellen Degeneres' Dory.

Sense and Sensibility - 8/10
Exquisitely written by star Emma Thompson, this is a charming, well paced period piece featuring top notch costumes, cinematography and acting. Hard to believe Kate Winslet was only 19 here.

Sin City - 8/10
Putting the visual pizazz of Sky Captain with the neonoir hipness of Pulp Fiction, Sin City is a firecracker that while never quite matching either of those films does manager to deliver 2 hours of fun performances, visual razzle dazzle and delirious ultraviolence. The cast has a blast with their roles and you see new dimensions of "actors" you wouldn't have thought had these capabilities. Some of the casting is damn near inspired. Glad to see producers are starting to see how perfect Elijah Wood is at playing a creep. Mickey Rourke, in particular, gives the first great performance of 2005 by an actor. (Sorry, haven't seen Melinda & Melinda or The Upside of Anger.) You feel for Marv every step of the way and the actor, free from his B-movie roots while at the same time right at home in this world, is a revelation. I think my favorite woman in the film was Jamie King as the classic noir blonde twins. The scene of her firing at Marv was one of my favorite moments of the film. Rodriguez has a way with these actors and much like Tarantino can take any actors and put them in a perfect role. I've always believed that any actor can do great with the right role and the right director. I liked Clive Owen's tale because I like Clive Owen and I like women running around being bitches and tarts. And yes, I even liked Jessica Alba. It goes back to that casting thing. Sin City is a hell of a dark ride. See it.