The Rapid Round-Up Of Flicks I've Seen Lately ....

"The Forbidden Kingdom" — Wow! Jackie Chan and Jet Li, together at last. This is going to be great, right? Not so fast ....
This one is one is just good, but only in the way that might satisfy that drive you have for cheap kung fu movies. It isn't spectacular. In fact, it's a sort hop away from being like this other movie I remember. Grade C (not terrible, but not superstar standout ....)

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" — Who would have thought that Johnny Depp could sing. Oh wait .... turns out, he can't.
Helena Bonham Carter is excellent, but everybody else is phoning it in, I think. Grade C (humorous and repetitive application of overly theatrical blood can only get you so far ....)

"There Will Be Blood" — I get it already: greed kills, and oil leads to greed. Ok, thanks for that.
Daniel Day-Lewis is easily one of the most rotten SOBs ever portrayed on film, and he for sure earned his Oscar. Still, for the most part there is so much unnatural dragging in the story as to make it just kind "eh." Grade C+ (it could have been better .... do yourself the favor of checking out one of the movie's great inspirations)

"Cloverfield" — Sort of boring. Nausea-inducing and blurry camera work hide a multitude of sins, including an aimless "plot" and nothing-special CG.
I ended up feeling like I saw about half a movie, and it wasn't the better half. Grade C- (nothing to write home about .... I've seen better)

"Night Watch" — Moody Russian import sci-fi flick. It has all the good vs. evil storyline with an interesting mythology about two eternal races keeping tabs on each other.
It's part of a trilogy of movies, and this is a respectable franchise to see. Grade B- (pretty entertaining ....)

"Enchanted" — So boring, I doubt your child (or the kid inside you) will make it all the way through. Gosh, when will this pointless crap ever end?!? Grade D- (yikes .... I thought this was supposed to be good)

"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" — Good alternative to some of the other so-called family friendly flicks. It has enough going on to make kids and adults pay attention and kinda care about what happens to all the wacky people and creatures. Grade C- (better than most ....)