This is a response to my husband Mikey’s 2008 Movie Review.

January 1st UPDATE: Added Valkerie.

Cassandra’s Dream– Nice to see Ewan McGregor in a movie where he doesn’t drop his pants.

Strange Wilderness – The best joke in the whole movie is literally in the very last minute of the film. Oh, and it also happens to be the ONLY funny joke in the whole movie. Oh, AND they already showed it in the trailer, so there was NO REASON to watch the movie in the first place. In case you didn’t get it by now, worst movie of 2008.

Definitely, Maybe – Cute, kept you guessing. I’m a sucker for Jane Austen references. Ultimately forgettable.

The Spiderwick Chronicles – Agree with Mikey on this one: total Potter wannabe and BO-RING.

Be Kind Rewind– It just wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. Definitely quotable (“If you see a little ghost walking down the street. Whatcha gonna do about Ghostbustaaahs?”) I wouldn’t object to watching it again, but I wouldn’t buy it on DVD.

Charlie Bartlett– Interesting story about the high school wannabe shrink. Less like Ferris Buellerthan people were hyping it up to be. Ferris would never be quite THAT entrepreneurial.

The Counterfeiters – What is it about WWII/concentration camp movies that people like so much? This one was nicely done and kept me interested in the story throughout the entire thing, which can’t be said of all WWII/concentration camp movies.

Penelope– Cute, great moral. A bit Pushing Daisies-ishin the sense that extraordinary things happen and small liberties are taken with reallife (i.e. no one uses those old-fashioned cool looking keys with the long teethand decorative handles anymore).

Semi-Pro – Yawn. I can’t even recall one joke from this movie. Anchorman was better and that’s saying a lot because although it has insanely hilarious moments in it, I can’t sit and watch Anchorman in its entirety.

Married Life – Murder mystery done in an unconventional way. Not so much “who done it?” More like “will he actually do it?” I watched this one on DVD and the alternate endings would have made this movie TERRIBLE…. BUT I’m happy to say that they chose the best ending and it saved the movie. It was a hard movie to end, but they ultimately pulled it off and left me satisfied with the characters and the story.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day– Cinderella-ishstory with a nice twist that the heroine is the “sidekick.” I was almost nearly convinced that Lee Pace was actually British in real life from his performance in this movie. I would definitely watch it again.

Snow Angels– Such a sad movie and a great performance from Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale, parents coping with the loss of their daughter. It was a good movie, but I don’t think that I would watch it again. Like Mikey said, such a downer.

21 – This movie was fun for the most part, but then it got a bit monotonous at the end. Forgettable.

Run, Fat Boy, Run– I’ll basically watch anything with Simon Pegg in it. I enjoyed this movie and the story was engaging, but it’s the sort of movie that you’ll watch on TV if there’s nothing else good on.

Superhero Movie– Mikey and I wanted this movie to be good (I have no idea why) but it ended up just being stupid. I understand what he means when he says “middle school me would haveliked it.” It’s the sort of parody/spoof that we liked in movies like Austin Powers and Hot Shots, but it falls waaay short of those much superior comedies.

Leatherheads– Kind of boring with a couple of fun moments, but I like  George Clooney in early 20th century period movies. It makes him that much more Cary Grant-esque. Proves that Kransinski needs to keep his ass on TV as he cannot carry a film all that well.

My Blueberry Nights – Something about pie? I don’t even know … this movie was so boring and pointless the only reason I watched it was the good female cast.

Young@Heart– Great documentary, a bit long. Engaging, you will really care about this choir of octogenarians et al. Mikey’s right, “Golden Years” is the best part of the flick.

The Forbidden Kingdom– Mikey liked this movie waaay more than I did. To me it seemed a knock off of Neverending Story. I appreciate the flick for its good choice in lead kid and the momentous occasion of Chan and Li finally getting together. Otherwise, meh.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall– Awesome. Quotable, funny, romantic, a little on the nasty side. The former cast of Freaks and Geeks has some talented peeps in it. Jason Segal carries a movie better than John Kransinski. Who knew it would be so?

Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?– Kind of ho-hum compared to SuperSizeMe, but informative, sharp, and comedic. Every documentary should be done by Morgan Spurlock.

Baby Mama – I was entertained by this movie and laughed a little bit, but it was forgettable fluff.

Deception– Oh, Ewan. Why must 70% of your movies be about sex? I love it when my favorite people get together and make movies, but it doesn’t always work. Example where it worked: Jackman, Bale, Bowie in The Prestige. Deception is an example where it didn’t work so well. The movie was interesting but predictable. Ending was pretty good, satisfying.

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay – This was entertaining, but truthfully I only watch the H&K movies for one reason. I’ll give you three hints: N. P. H.

Ironman– I did not want to see this film. It sounded like Spiderman—I hate Spiderman. But then everyone and their mother kept saying it was good, so I relented. So glad that I did. Great fun, great action, funny moments, the love story falls a little flat but at least it didn’t have Kirsten “My acting skill was at its peak at age 12” Dunst wallowing and wimpering in it. A maybe purchase on DVD.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull– I love this movie, even for all of its little nitpicky flaws. I don’t consider it part of the original trilogy, but more like a new beginning. Indy’s epic adventures are not over! Casting was great especially Lebeouf and Blanchett. My biggest pet peeve, though, is the character “Mack.” What a waste of space. Be sure to check out my cosplay photos as Elsa Shneider at the midnight showing of Indy 4!

Kung Fu Panda– There were too many characters in this movie. It’s one of those classic Dreamworks CGI kids movies in which they stuff as many celebrities as possible into a predictable, cookie-cutter plot. Except this one was half-way entertaining. A few genuinely funny moments and a couple of surprisingly appropriate and successful casting choices (James Hong, perfect utilization of his talents) made this movie worth watching at least once.

Mongol – Like a lot of foreign films in my experience, this one lacked for appropriate pacing. At times the action dragged and sputtered to a halt. Beautifully shot and a unique look at a legendary historical figure. Worth seeing once. It would be hard to watch at home on the couch because of the slow pace. I was only able to see the whole thing because I was at a theater… and I’ve only fallen asleep at the theater during one movie (Kicking and Screaming).

The Incredible Hulk – Who would have thought another Hulk movie would have been a good idea? I guess when it’s done right, it isn’t so bad. I’m loving how these total nerds are becoming the superheroes of the new millennium: Robert Downey Jr., Edward Norton, Tobey Maguire, Hugh Jackman. In the old days you had to be super-dy handsome like Adam West.

Get Smart– Great utilization of Steve Carrell in this movie. He’s such a better leading man than Jim Carrey, in my opinion. There is something kind of cute and sexy about Carrell at moments—I can’t really imagine a scenario where Jim Carrey gives off that kind of effect. Oh and GetSmart was also really funny and Anne Hathaway was the ONLY person in the world who could play 99 in this new version. There I fulfilled my obligation of commenting on the movie and not just my mental meanderings.

The Love Guru – Pretty forgettable, as most of Mike Myer’s new comedies are. Ever since Austin 2, he’s been off his game. What happened to stuff like So I Married an Axe Murderer? A couple of quotable moments, so forgettable otherwise.

Wall*E– I never expected such a profound story concept from a cartoon. Sometimes I think I underestimate Disney. There is definitely something in their animated movies that is difficult to find anywhere else. I’m always pleasantly surprised by how involved I get with their characters at 26-years-old. No other makers of CGIcartoons can compare with Disney and/or Pixar. Everything else just falls terribly short, even the ever-popular non-Disney classic CGI flick fluke, “Shrek.”

Journey to the Center of the Earth– Meh. I guess I was entertained, but that was mostly because every other minute there was a “huh? No way!” moment. I was more entertained correcting all of the scientific liberties that were taken with the story than actually watching it. And is it me or did Brendan Fraser look terrible in this flick? I watched it on DVD, I can only imagine what he looked like in 3D on the big screen!

The Dark Knight– I wanted this movie to be good; I think the whole country wanted it to be great, but it just fell short of my expectations. It’s difficult to say exactly what was wrong with it, though. Ledger, Oldman, Gyllenhal and Freeman were all awesome as usual. Ledger did not disappoint, he managed to create a madcap memorable Joker that if not surpasses at least equals Jack Nicholson’s portrayal. But the movie was long and the further we got into it, the more I just wanted it to end. I dare say that the problem might be Christian Bale… his Batman is SO vanilla and at times seems totally mailed in. I like him better as the Bruce Wayne public persona, but I fear that might be because he bears a striking resemblance to Patrick Bateman. And I heart Patrick Bateman…

Tropic Thunder– This movie was a lot more graphic than I expected it to be and that turned me off quite a bit because a lot of it occurs in the first 20 minutes of the movie. I enjoyed DowneyJr. and there were a couple of good Stiller moments, but I agree with Mikey, Tom Cruise was the last nail in the coffin for that one. I might watch it again and I do quote it on occasion. “I’m the dude that’s playing the dude that’s disguised as another dude!” However, I’d much prefer to watch Zoolander if it’s going to be a Ben Stiller kind of night.

Hamlet 2 – This movie wouldn’t have been as enjoyable if the characters didn’t admit that the story is totally borrowed from the likes of Dangerous Minds, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Sister Act 2, etc. They admit pretty early on that the plot is the classic Troubled High School Kids Meet That One Amazing Teacher that Makes a Difference In All of Their Lives Forever. This combined with the raw humor made this film watchable. Forgettable, but worth watching once if you like jokes about balls.

Burn After Reading– I enjoyed this movie, but didn’t feel that satisfied about the ending. The Coensare a bit hit-or-miss with me.

Ghost Town – Kind of like Shelley Long’s “Hello Again” in that it’s silly, funny, with a little bit of romance, but basically another of those movies that you might watch 20 minutes of on TV until something much more exciting happens in your life. Something more exciting like your toast is done, for example.

Eagle Eye – I enjoyed this movie intensely when I first watched it in the theater, but when I decided to see it in the theater again withmy mom, it wasn’t as exciting after I knew “the secret.” I might watch it again some time. Lebeouf is on the babe list for sure. Probably should have mentioned that in my Indy 4 review… oh well.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno – Couldn’t say it better than Mikey: “All the crudeness of a Kevin Smith film without any of the heart.” Not that the movie doesn’t try super duper hard to have heart… it’s hard to explain how this movie went wrong, but it just falls flat compared to Smith’s other flicks.

Role Models – Surprisingly awesome, but I don’t know if that was due to low expectations. Maybe worth another viewing to figure that out.

Quantum of Solace – Again, Mikey puts it well: “I was entertained, but overall it was a pretty weak Bond movie.”

Bolt– I liked seeing this in 3D. I again underestimated Disney on this one and I didn’t find Miley as annoying as I anticipated her being. Cute, funny, I’d watch it again, but it’s not a buy.

Bedtime Stories– Enjoyable, great cast. Totally surprised to see Lucy Lawless and Guy Pearce as the baddies, but it really suits them. I’ve developed a theory about the seeming conflict about this being at the same time a Disney movie and a Happy Madison movie. I think it’s kind of ingenious how they are taking one of our generation’s naughty funny men and putting him in a kid’s flick—people our age are beginning to have kids and I’m sure we’d all much rather take Little Ricky to an Adam Sandler movie than a Wiggles concert. Capeesh?

Valkerie – Totally awesome! As crazy as Tom Cruise gets in real life, I have to admit that I still believe him in the movies. The desire for the plot to kill Hitler to be a success while watching this movie is just that much more palatable. I can’t believe they got SO CLOSE. You can’t help but root for the good guys even though you know they’re going to lose in the end. I liked how I could pick out four members of the cast that had been in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Tee hee!

Patti’s Top Ten of 2008 (so far)

10. Bedtime Stories

9. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day

8. Valkerie

7. Role Models

6. Wall*E

5. The Incredible Hulk

4. Ironman

3. Get Smart

2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull