Movie Micro-Reviews: Edition 20

This weekend was a "Bachelor weekend" for me, so I tried a few movies that Sherry might not like. That set of movies starts at "Office Space" below. We had decided to see "Batman Begins" again before we see "Dark Knight." I had the same motivation for the 1989 "Batman."

The true surprises of the list below: "Lars and the Real Girl" and "Open Range."

Bourne Ultimatum (The)	68	For pure secret-agent action, Bourne beats everyone else. And in this film, he beats them senseless. Would he be as interesting if he were not the hunted? Probably not
Lars and the Real Girl	87	What a strange, wonderful, sweet film! If you hear the premise and assume it’s the kind of thing Adam Sandler or Ben Stiller would do, you’re completely wrong. Lars is genuine, Karin is the kind of sister-in-law we all need. And the community is just so, well, real, in the best possible way.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (3D)	71	Story was what you’d expect, but familiarity is not a bad thing for a summer action flick. The effects were great (yes, we saw it 3-D) and the personalities were fun. Cotton candy – not much there, but sweet.
Batman Begins	91	Wow! This is such an excellent origin story. Particularly intriguing, to me, was the origin of all of Gotham’s super villains from the events of this story. And the Ra’s Al Ghul framework was a great touch.
Office Space	67	I completely understand why people expected me to like this, and I did! Much smarter than most comedies. Apt use of rap music!
Hellboy	70	Paul’s recommendation, and a good one. The characters are broad, but that’s typical of a comic book movie. Cool concepts, interesting heroes. Own? Maybe not. See the sequel? For sure.
Road to Perdition	78	Which is more important, loyalty or family? What is the definition of a “good” man? Simple questions, complicated answers.
Open Range	82	I’m amazed. A Western, and I really enjoyed it. They drew me back into that time. Light on dialogue. Heavy on character, nonetheless. This is writing, acting and directing done right.
Ocean’s Thirteen	55	Serviceable, worth a viewing, but the humor was lighter, the scams not as cool. I think they are done. If you liked the first ones, you’ll like it, but you won’t say “Let’s see it again!”
Batman	80	This film proved superheroes could be serious. Though a bit aged in effects, it’s still a satisfying experience, with plenty of subtlety. That “Batman Begins” outclassed it 16 years later does not diminish this one.