"The Da Vinci Code" starring Tom Hanks opened this weekend and I got a chance to see it on Saturday. I wanted to see it Friday, but NoOoOo... Allie said PROM was more important... I was skeptical ... (that was a joke for those of you who actually think I'm THAT movie crazy).

Tom Hanks acted in a way that can only be described as Keeanu Reeves esque, as he portrayed Harvard graduate Robert Langdon, on a quest to discover who killed and elderly man and why. As the investigation continues Hanks is accused of being a murderer and the quest goes from a simple psychological journey, to a run from the law and a deadly search for the REAL Holy Grail.

Now the movie's plot line was amazing and the story behind it was absolutely fantastic. The religious views portrayed in this film (as they were in the book) are absolutely addicting and keep you wanting to know more and more about different theories in Christian mythology.

That said, the acting was less than amazing. I'm a Tom Hanks fan. "Forrest Gump" and "Cast Away" are two of my favorite movies and "Saving Private Ryan" is up there. But this just wasn't a role for him. I felt as though I was at a "Da Vinci Code" book reading and Tom Hanks just happened to be the guy reading to the audience. He was so wooden and cold that I just didn't believe his character.

Ian McKellen, who I believe is a wonderful actor, also wasn't up to snuff. He wasn't really playing a character. He was Ian McKellen playing himself with the early signs of dementia.

But Paul Bettany! Oh, thank Hollywood for Paul Bettany, because he did an amazing job as a psycho-murderer who'd been brainwashed by the church. He deserves an award for the role he played. Absolutely stunning.
I think you'll enjoy the movie more if you've read the book. I hadn't, but Allie had and she liked it more than I did.

But overall I liked it and I'll probably have to see it again to gain its full affect.

I am an enormous fan of Mel Brook's "The Producers" (1968) starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder and the remake is just as good. The only difference is that "The Producers" (2005) starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick is a MUSICAL based on the Tony Award Winning Broadway Smash Hit. The film follows two men as they decide to produce the world's WORST musical "Springtime for Hitler!" Because theoretically, under the right circumstances you could make more money with a flop than with a hit. This film is funny from start to finish, co-starring Will Ferrell as Franz Liepkin and Uma Thurman as Ulla.

The remake of "When a Stranger Calls" also comes to DVD today. This I am NOT so thrilled about. Frankly "When a Stranger Calls" just proves my point that Hollywood is running out of ideas. The plot follows a good-looking teenaged girl who is stuck in a house alone and gets weird phone calls from some guy with a deep voice. It's kind of like "Scream" only "Scream" was SOMEWHAT original.

The animated feature "Doogal" makes its way to DVD today, but don't rush out with your kids to rent it! Though this film is star studded with celebrities such as Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chevy Chase, and my personal favorite KEVIN SMITH (you may recognize him as Silent Bob) this film isn't even worth renting. Even as a sixteen-year-old guy I enjoy kids movies. "Curious George" was absolutely fantastic and "Hoodwinked" was hysterical. But, "Doogal" provides us with nothing more than an utterly boring and overly childish "Lord of the Rings" satire. The jokes are lame, the characters are one dimensional, and the animation looks as though its from a made for TV movie about the "Little People" toys. Skip it.

And while we are on the topic of Kevin Smith I would like to add that the release date for "Clerks II" has been moved to July 21. I for one am angry about this change because I'll be at summer camp and, though they do let us go to the movies on the weekends, they don't allow us to see R Rated films... and for those of you who have never seen a Kevin Smith movie (Dogma, Chasing Amy, Clerks, Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), the language is NOT G rated.

I guess that weekend I'll be watching M. Night Shyamalan's "Lady in the Water."

Nothing against Shyamalan, I love the guy, but there's just something about a Jay and Silent Bob movie that leaves you feeling all tingly inside. Or maybe it's just all those delicious Egg-A-Mooby Muffins.

I have the truth behind all of this rain! God is once again creating a "Great Flood" and this time it isn't up to Noah to save mankind. It's up to my buddy Steve Carrell!

Steve carrell will be starring in Universal's new comedy "Evan Almighty" in which Carrell returns as Evan Baxter, arch nemesis of beloved reporter Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey)!

In this sequel to 2003's "Bruce Almighty" God tells Congressman Evan Baxter that he must build an ark for the next great flood. Here is the one and only Carrell as Noah:

Shouldn't his eyebrows have turned white also?

Though Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston turned down the offer to appear in this film (who needs Jennifer Aniston anyway?) I think it will still be pretty good and VERY funny. God is still played by Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption) and the film is still written by comic genius Steve Odekerk (Bruce Almighty, The Nutty Professor & Jimmy Neutron) and directed by the wonderful Tom Shadyac (Bruce Almighty & Ace Ventura 1 & 2).

I also read in "Below the Line" that Jim Carrey's make-up artist (who works SOLELY with Jim Carrey) is on board. Maybe he'll have a cameo. Let us pray. If we're lucky maybe Morgan Freeman will answer.

I also thought I'd share with you that while filming a scene with some sheep, Steve Carrell fell and twisted his ankle. i guess that's what you get for playing a religious figure in a movie. Jim Caviezel got struck by lightning, Carrell hurts his foot.

Things happen.

So I went to see 'Hoot' today and just as my Uncle promised, he was clearly visable in one of the ending scenes. No one other than family members would ever notice him, but I thought it was pretty cool. They even got a close-up shot of him (and two other people) at one point. SCORE ONE FOR THE ROBIDA'S!

And speaking of 'Hoot' I suggest that, if you have nothing better to do on this rainy weekend, go out and see it. It's a light family movie that will keep you entertained the whole way through. The film follows three kids who discover that land development is destroying the habitat of a species of "burrowing owls" in Florida. The kids decide to take a stand against a mean landowner (Tim Blake Nelson) and a nit-witted cop (Luke Wilson) to save their tiny friends.

This movie won't leave you wanting to run out and buy the DVD, but its a much better kids movie than 'The Wild.'

Also a new Lindsay Lohan movie opened this weekend! Who isn't excited about that?

You know... I'm waiting for a day when she makes a movie in which she DOESN'T fall down 400 TIMES!!!

Also... Poseidon opened this weekend...

The movie poster and IMDB don't display a tagline for the film, so I have come up with one that the Producers can put on the DVD case-

"Because One Big, Sinking Ship Movie Just ISN'T Enough!"

Everyone always asks me what my favorite movie is... well today I am going to give you a big list of my all time favorite movies...

ONLY THE TOP TEN ARE IN A PARTICULAR ORDER

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

3. Dogma

4. Cast Away

5. The Producers (1968)

6. Bowling for Columbine

7. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut

8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

9. Kill Bill Volume 2

10. Toy Story

11. American History X

12. Shrek

13. The Godfather

14. Jurassic Park

15. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

16. Crash

17. Sideways

18. The Lion King

19. The Weather Man

20. The Blair Witch Project

Those are mine, but what are yours? What's your favorite flick?

So, Mission: Impossible 3 comes out tonight at 10 PM (Smittys Cinema Pub) and I have to do a project in school on violence in the media. Well I thought, "Okay! I'll interview people going to see the movie!"

Well my parents will let me go interview people
and then they'll drive me back to the theater at Midnight to interview those coming out of the theater

But won't let me stay and watch the movie because I'm grounded momentarily from the movies...

I'm still trying to convince them, but (Here comes the BIG pun) it seems impossible. So pretty much, my Mission is to SEE the new Mission Impossible which stars PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN as the bad guy (awesome) ... oh yeah and that Tom Cruise guy is in it too...

Check back for a review tomorrow morning, but don't be surprised if it isn't there.

-Mike

Hey everybody! I figured it was time I gave YOU the opporunity to do some critiquing so I just thought I would share with you what my friend Adam Hodsdon and I have been doing this weekend. This is our entry for the "One Minute Wonders" contest and I wouldn't mind some feedback on what you thought.

I'd don't care if you love it or if you thinks it's worse than 'Gigli,' just let me know what you think of it!

Here's a brief summery. The movie shows a day in the life of a CIA Agent and shows how his work conflicts with his personal life. The "If I were in charge theme..." fits in with the film because, if he were in charge of the CIA, he would make the rules different so that his life wouldn't be so secretive, but by the ending sht you realize that there isn't much he can do about it.

Well, enjoy! Or, you know, DON'T...

Check it out HERE: http://20below.mainetoday.com/oneminutewonders3/

THANKS!

-Mike & Adam