20 Second Movie Reviews ™

Elf (2003)

Will Ferrell stars in this delightful holiday story of a human boy raised at the North Pole as one of Santa's elves. When he sets off for New York City to find his real father, he embarks on a hilarious and touching journey of discovery, sharing his special gift of happiness with everyone he meets. This is a smart, warm and funny film, perfect to add to your annual Christmas viewing list.

Director: Jon Favreau
Actors: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner, Mary Steenburgen
Recommended? Yes

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

The big screen version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's beloved musical tells the story of the mysterious Phantom who terrorizes the Paris Opera House while tutoring an enchanting young singer. With her beautiful voice, Emmy Rossum (Christine) is the real star, but the other leads do a satisfactory job of both singing and acting. This will likely be one of those movies that viewers either love or hate, but the filmmakers have done a good job of recapturing what the musical is like on stage.

Director: Joel Schumacher
Actors: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver
Recommended? Yes

Batman Begins (2005)

Batman Begins is a powerful reinterpretation of the Batman mythos, focusing on the early years of the Caped Crusader. With its reverence for the character and attention to detail, this dark, action-packed story is the best Batman film since the original, and a wonderful piece of entertainment. This should be a model for all future superhero films.

Director: Christopher Nolan
Actors: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman
Recommended? Yes

War of the Worlds (2005)

This lackluster blockbuster from Stephen Spielberg and Tom Cruise revisits H.G. Wells' classic story of alien invasion, with predictable results. The special effects are generally well done and believable, and the acting is satisfactory, but the story is tired, familiar and uninspiring. The filmmakers should have spent more time working on the script and less on the bells and whistles.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Actors: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins
Recommended? No

Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (2005)

George Lucas finally brings his "A" game to the Star Wars prequels with the third and final installment of the series. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is seduced by the Dark Side of the Force to become the evil lord Darth Vader. Great action and some very touching scenes combine to make this film a memorable and satisfying conclusion to this beloved story.

Director: George Lucas
Actors: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson
Recommended? Yes

Monster-in-Law (2005)

Film legend Jane Fonda returns to the big screen as the mother from hell in this mildly entertaining romantic comedy about a young couple (Jennifer Lopez and Michael Vartan) who meet, fall in love and get engaged, only to have his mother (Fonda) do everything she can to break them apart. The actors try their best, but even star wattage can only do so much to overcome such a dim script.

Director: Robert Luketic
Actors: Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan, Wanda Sykes, Adam Scott
Recommended? No

The Wedding Date (2005)

Pretty Woman is turned upside-down when Kat (Debra Messing) hires male escort Nick (Dermot Mulroney) to pose as her boyfriend at her sister's wedding. It's hard to have a successful romantic comedy when the story has few laughs and the stars have little chemistry. Even so this makes for a pleasant enough film, mosly due to the understated plot and likeability of the stars.

Director: Clare Kilner
Actors: Debra Messing, Dermot Mulroney, Amy Adams, Jack Davenport, Sarah Parish
Recommended? Yes

Constantine (2005)

Keanu Reeves stars in this lukewarm mash-up of The Exorcist and The Matrix, based on the Hellblazer comic book. Reeves plays a PI of sorts who patrols L.A. looking for demons and half-breeds to vanquish. He gets caught up in a battle between (who else?) Good and Evil when the Son of Satan tries to come to Earth. Impressive visual effects and the always-likeable Reeves are sabotaged by a murky story that ventures too far into camp.

Director: Francis Lawrence
Actors: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Djimon Hounsou, Max Baker
Recommended? No