I’ve been watching a fair amount of movies lately. I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on them.

Transformers - I really could have done without all that “plot” crap, but the scenes where the Transformers fought were amazing (particularly Starscream fighting the jets in midair). It did seem a bit unnecessary to give the Transformers total makeovers, though. In their new forms, it’s like they were made out of a bunch of moving needles or something. (Also, I didn’t even understand how they defeated Megatron in the end, but oh well.)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) - A decent flick, but it doesn’t make me want to read the books or watch the sequels. I also found the ending a bit lame. Way to touch the bad guy’s face with your hand, Harry. Meh.

Zodiac - Recommended by Dave, I expected either a really well-made film or some kind of incomprehensible pretension. I got neither. It was just a long, slightly boring, slightly interesting movie. In the end, the killer’s identity is still unknown, but you knew that would be the outcome when you started… you’re just a little more frustrated about it now. I think I’ll be looking for other movie experiences from now on.

The Hidden Fortress (Akira Kurosawa) - I enjoy Kurosawa’s films, and this one was interesting because it was supposed to be one of Lucas’s key influences in creating Star Wars. As is usually the case with Kurosawa’s films, I was turned off by the black and white visuals and the less-than-crisp audio, telling myself I’d only watch it for about 20 minutes. But the story just sucked me in and held me, so I ended up watching all two and a half hours of it. I thought the ending was a little lame, but all in all, a good flick.

Pride and Prejudice (2005) - A decent movie, although I doubt I’ll ever read the book. The impetus for me watching the whole thing was Keira Knightley. HOT!

TMNT - I liked how they returned to the original comic book style of artwork (the style that predated the cartoons). No real surprises here, but it’s solid turtle action if you’re not expecting more than that.