Reviews may be a little slow for a while, since I'm not getting a whole lot of time to watch movies around Finals, working and getting my Christmas shopping done.  But I'll post 'em as I see 'em!

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN  (2009)  **1/2   Ben Stiller returns as hapless museum night watchman Larry Daley in this sequel to the hit comedy. Though he's now working at the Smithsonian Institution, Daley continues to deal with exhibits that come to life while the museum is closed. His adventures this time include close encounters with Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), George Custer (Bill Hader) and Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest). Hank Azaria, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais co-star.

My Review: The original "Night At The Museum" was a surprise treat, a movie that really had no right to be good but, somehow, was.  It was not undeservingly a smash success, and as a result the sequel is much bigger, louder and self-aware than the original.  This is both good and bad, because though the bigger F/X budget allows for some very clever and imaginative sequences (especially one involving some paintings that come to life), the overall sense of BIGGER! ultimately becomes a tad wearying, and it's lost some of the original's modest charm.

Still, not-very-well-written family films don't come much more likeable than this.  And Amy Adams is truly wonderful; as Amelia Earhart she struts through the surrounding madness with confidence and delivers 40's-style dialogue like "Crimey!  We've been jimmy-jacked!" with cornball aplomb.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL  (2009)  ***1/2  Jim Carrey stars as miserable Ebenezer Scrooge in this computer-animated adaption of Charles Dickens's iconic holiday tale about the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. When confronted with the suffering of Tiny Tim -- as well as his own mortality -- Scrooge learns the power of opening his heart to others. Robert Zemeckis directs a star-studded cast featuring Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins and Gary Oldman.

My Review: Dark, rich, exciting and ultimately very moving, "A Christmas Carol" is absolutely true to the spirit of Dickens' timeless ghost story.  And Zemeckis' animated triumph (much, much, much better than the stiff and peculiar "The Polar Express") really is a ghost story, too - this is truly one step away from being a full-fledged gothic horror film. 

Dickens' story is an ageless one that makes you ponder weighty thoughts of morality, life, death, love, and personal responsibility, and Zemeckis doesn't shortchange any of that complexity, while at the same time zipping the story right along with crackling, fast-paced style.  And visually (especially in fully immersive 3D), it's easily one of the most spectacular experiences of the year.

NINJA ASSASSIN  (2009)  ***  When his best friend is murdered by the shadowy Ozunu clan, Raizo (Rain), an orphan raised to be an assassin, vows revenge. But a government agent (Naomie Harris) is also trying to expose the gang, and now, the two must work together to bring the Okunu to justice. Time is running out as the clan's professional killers chase the pair across Europe. James McTeigue directs this action thriller.

My Review: Imagine the House Of Blue Leaves sequence of "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" stretched out to 90 minutes with a few dialogue scenes to pad out the running time and that might give you a slight idea of the madness that is "Ninja Assassin".  Featuring more spraying blood and creatively dismembered and decapitated bodies than all the "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare On Elm Street" films combined, this is one of the most violent film I've seen...ever.  It's also one hell of a lot of fun.  The story makes no sense, the acting is bad and the dialogue worse, but who cares when it looks so great and is so much fun, so exciting, and such a greasy, bloody, guilty pleasure?  Not me!

SLEEPING DOGS LIE  (2006)  ***  All hell breaks loose when a woman reveals a secret to her fiancé in comedian-director Bob Goldthwait's edgy romantic comedy. Encouraged by her mother and co-worker, Amy (Melinda Page Hamilton) tells her husband-to-be about a rather shocking past sexual encounter. But her confession threatens to destroy the relationship, and what unfolds is a story of integrity, family ties, bravery and forgiveness. Bryce Johnson and Colby French co-star.

My Review: Uneven but well-written, well-acted, not nearly as predictable as it first appears, and often very funny.  Melinda Page Hamilton gives a brave and un-self-conscious performance, and she's part of an ensemble of other unfamiliar but talented actors in a film that is scrappy and low-budget, but smart and well-made enough to cover up the rough patches.  It's also surprisingly touching, given a...ahem...rather nauseating central plot point.  Good to see that Bobcat Goldthwait would become an even better filmmaker, as his "World's Greatest Dad" is one of the best films of this year.

Saturday night was movie night at home, and it was my choice this week.  I picked out...

...still one of the greatest of all music documentaries, Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster.  Following the legendary, Grammy-winning, multi-million-selling band over the course of two eventful years as they very nearly fell apart, the film is a thoroughly engrossing look into long-term life in the music business, and is remarkably entertaining as well. 

The explosive relationship between chief songwriters (and duelling control freaks) James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich reached its head during this point, and Hetfield's year-long stint in rehab for alcoholism further drove a wedge into the band's unity.  The frequently tense and traumatic recording sessions here resulted in one of their best and most underrated albums; the raw, cathartic, and experimental "St. Anger".  That album sounds like a collective musical exorcism caught on tape, and watching this great film it's easy to see why.

THE MESSENGER  (2009)  ***1/2  An injured U.S. soldier, Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster), is paired up with an off-kilter, by-the-book vet, Capt. Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), to notify families of killed soldiers -- a job that gets thorny when one of them breaks the rules. After clashing and then bonding, an ethical situation suddenly threatens to dissolve their relationship forever. Oren Moverman directs this poignant military tale that co-stars Samantha Morton.

My Review: A topical, emotionally searing drama that features some of the year's best performances in those given by Foster, Harrelson, Morton, and a powerful supporting turn by Steve Buscemi.  It's little more than a cameo, but Buscemi's two scenes will stick with you. 

The film loses a bit of its focus in the final half hour, when it seems to go a bit off the rails along with its two main characters, but looking back, the somewhat aimless, existential malaise of its concluding chapter is an adequate depiction of these characters' states of mind.  And even including its very minimal flaws, this is some of the year's best filmmaking, a near-perfect synthesis of great acting, genuine kitchen-sink realism, and an honest, non-manipulative emotional punch.

When the trailers started to run for "New Moon", my Mom got all excited because she loved the first one, and wanted me to see it so that I could see the new one.  When I expressed hesitation, she correctly pointed out that she goes to see anything I recommend for her, so I watched both "Twilight" films yesterday.  Despite my general lack of interest, I popped "Twilight" into the DVD player with high hopes.  After all, I love vampires and werewolves, and I'm not averse to some good teenage melodrama.  Alas...

TWILIGHT  (2008)  **  When Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) moves to a small town in the Pacific Northwest to live with her father, she starts school and meets the reclusive Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a mysterious classmate who reveals himself to be a 108-year-old vampire. Despite Edward's repeated cautions, Bella can't help but fall in love with him, a fatal move that endangers her own life when a coven of bloodsuckers try to challenge the Cullen clan.

My Review: Though the film starts out very well and has a great look and a slight edginess (largely thanks to "Thirteen" director Catherine Hardwicke), it's far too long, indulging in far too many scenes featuring morose, frowny-faced Stewart and Pattinson yakking to each other endlessly about their wannabe Romeo-and-Juliet relationship.  I'm sorry, but as they're presented in this film, these characters just aren't interesting enough to warrant that many dull dialogue scenes.  And I officially checked out sometime during the "vampire baseball" scene.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON  (2009)  **  In this sequel to Twilight directed by Chris Weitz(American Pie), Forks, Wash., resident Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is reeling from the departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), and finds comfort in her friendship with Jacob Black, a werewolf (Taylor Lautner). But before she knows it, she's thrust into a centuries-old conflict, and her desire to be with Edward at any cost leads her to take greater and greater risks.

My Review: Like the first "Twilight", "New Moon" is neither very good nor particularly bad - it just kind of sits there.  Stuff happens, I was interested for brief stretches, and then it ends, leaving no lasting impression whatsoever.  It clearly wants to be a timeless and exciting story of true love and adventure, but these characters are dull and uninteresting, and the only "adventure" is a few regrettably silly action scenes, heavy on slow motion and light on excitement. 

So yeah, I guess I'm not a fan, though I honestly did try. 

And today I watched...

WHAT'S COOKING?  (2000)  ***  This multicultural comedy-drama set in Los Angeles's middle-class environs paints an intriguing portrait of family tensions as four ethnic clans -- Latino, black, Jewish and Asian -- get ready for Thanksgiving dinner. The intertwining tales follow the families as minor frustrations escalate into heated battles and skeletons come out of the closet. Mercedes Ruehl, Kyra Sedgwick, Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert and Joan Chen lead the superb cast.

My Review: Perhaps not quite a Thanksgiving classic along the lines of "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" or (in my opinion) "Pieces Of April", "What's Cooking?" is a likeable ensemble film that plays like some very lightweight Robert Altman.  The first half is pretty fantastic, building character, setting up situations, and it has a nice, authentic, human feeling.  It takes a hard left into some regrettably heavy-duty melodrama in the second half, which is a shame, but it's still an entertaining watch.  The huge cast all shine, but I particularly enjoyed the performances by Kyra Sedgwick, Julianna Margulies and Alfre Woodard.

Kierre and I hung out a bit today and we went to see Michael Jackson's This Is It - second time for me, first for him.  It is such a great movie, fascinating on so many levels.  It's surreal to see such an elaborate, ingeniously produced show as a work in progress, poignantly performed for a mostly empty auditorium. 

Very interestingly, we also get to see the things we're never meant to: the wires, the crew, the tape marks on the stage, and we are witness to the missed cues and mistakes as Michael and everyone around him relentlessly (but buoyantly) rehearse the show into perfection...yet somehow glimpsing the raw edges of the production makes it even more extraordinary and enchanting.  And besides how visually and conceptually interesting it is, it's also just a non-stop exhibition of one perfect, perfect song after another.

And then I went to the Crest to see...

AMREEKA  (2009)  ***  Eager to provide a better future for her son, Fadi (Melkar Muallem), divorcée Muna Farah (Nisreen Faour) leaves her Palestinian homeland and takes up residence in rural Illinois -- just in time to encounter the domestic repercussions of America's disastrous war in Iraq. Now, the duo must reinvent their lives with some help from Muna's sister, Raghda (Hiam Abbass), and brother-in-law, Nabeel (Yussuf Abu-Warda). Cherien Dabis writes and directs.

My Review: "Amreeka" is burdened with a script that is sometimes formulaic and too often goes out of its way to address every important societal issue it possibly can, but it has heart and a genuine likeability that makes it a worthy way to spend 90 minutes.  It's ultimately a movie about family and culture, with a moral about resilience-no-matter-what that is impossible to resist and it carries a feeling of true emotional authenticity, despite that flawed script.  Nisreen Faour is fantastic in the lead.