Movie Micro-Reviews: Edition 35

Here's a long list of micro-reviews. We've clearly been seeing Harry Potter movies in preparation for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." And it's summer, so our Netflix membership is helping us see movies we missed. [Though the wedding, and other family events, consumed many evenings, so our Netflix consumption is not as prodigious as one might expect.]

Anyway, here's this edition.

Lean On Me	71	As with all “real life” stories brought to the big screen, I wonder how much of the plot was real. But one thing that was clear – Joe Clark was not a saint, but he got the job done. I hope he really did eventually start treating his teachers as teammates. P.S. It’s amazing how a good song at just the right point in a movie can give me goosebumps.
Live Free or Die Hard	81	First reviewed all the way back in Edition 2 of my micro-reviews. A fun, action-filled movie. It’s not as good as “Die Hard: With a Vengeance” but I had fun, and there were some spectacular stunts. When we saw "16 Blocks" this is sort of what we were expecting.
Sum of All Fears (The)	72	I guess I wasn’t paying attention when this came out that it was a Jack Ryan story. They did this one very well – showing real dangers. Shocking at times, in fact. They did that?
Abyss (The)	67	We saw the “Director’s Cut” which was long. It starts as a disaster movie. The science fiction is much later. Cool concepts. Harris and Mastrantonio are good. The “bad guys” are too artificial.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone	93	A delight! Had I not read the book, I would still have followed the story perfectly. Since I had read it, I was amazed at how perfectly they hit the characters and setting.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	88	Harry still discovers the wonders of the magical world, along with us. But he begins to take ownership of his life, and the story provides plenty of chance for him to grow.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince	92	Oh, they did this well. Plenty of humor and teen angst, but not too much. Plenty of darkness, but not too much. The young actors are growing well. Harry on Felix – precious! Hermione crying – very believable. Ron lovedumb – so silly! The only problem was the way the ending was handled, which was not as dramatic as the story deserved.
Benny & Joon	70	A delightful treat: a movie that doesn’t try too hard to be too funny or too serious. Depp’s character was like someone you wish you could meet.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	93	First reviewed all the way back in Edition 2 of my micro-reviews. An excellent story, and they told the best parts of it, and did it well! These young actors are growing into their roles, and the fantasy continues to grow. The dementors were scary! Lupin was wonderful. And Gary Oldman as Sirius? Perfect!
Sense and Sensibility	73	Once again, the chains of aristocracy are on display, with matters of the heart pitted against the values of honor and decency. The story is well formed, and I think I liked it much better as a movie that I would have in a book. P.S. Amazing how many of these actors appear in Harry Potter later.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	92	First reviewed all the way back in Edition 2 of my micro-reviews. An excellent adaptation of a very long book. I really liked the relationship emphasis for Hermione and Ron. They got the critical story elements right. The challenges were particularly well done – dragons, merfolk, maze – and OH that confrontation at the end!
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	94	Micro-reviewed last in Edition 18. The best yet. The young actors have grown, and are equal to the task. The effects are wonderful – especially the final spell battle. The full review in the blog is here.