Why do they travel in packs?

Million Dollar Baby was an interesting movie that is difficult to write about without spoilers. It is definitely a good movie and well worth watching. Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman are all impressive in their roles, and the movie has a good message. Unless you don't agree with that message. Then you probably will hate this movie with a religious passion. I gave it 4 stars.

I saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on opening night, and had to go to a later show because the earlier showings were already sold out at 9:30 AM. My showing was packed, and the crowd was psyched. And for good reason. Detractors will tell you that it was too fast, they packed in too much, etc. None of that matters. I thought it was the best movie in the series to date. It looked great. It felt great, as far as what was cut and how they told the story. I can't wait to see it again. I gave it 5 stars.

Thirteen was one of the more uncomfortable movies I've seen in a while. It's literally the story of a girl gone wild. Good student, nice person, until she makes friends with the wrong person, and over a very short period of time, gets into drugs, alcohol, and more. All the while her mother (who has plenty of her own issues) ignores it until it's out of control. This movie should scare the living crap out of anyone who has (or will have) daughters. But that's why those very people should see the movie. Evan Rachel Wood is going to be a star. I gave it 3 stars.

I only half watched Ice Princess, and that was probably enough. It was classic Disney cheese, for the most part, but it did have a few things going for it. Mainly, Michelle Trachtenberg. I saw a lot of her Buffy character in her Casey, but she did a really good job. There was also quite a bit of good music. There were issues too. The nerd thing was very overwrought. It would have been nice if there were a few scenes where Michelle wasn't spewing random physics equations or principles. I gave it 3 stars.

Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle was a lot of fun. It bordered on reality for a while, before going far beyond, but it doesn't matter. The dialog was alternately witty and vulgar, the jokes were hilarious, the cameos priceless (Neil Patrick Harris ftw!). I gave it 4 stars.

My brother recommended The Last Samauri a long time ago. I knew it was a good movie that I needed to see eventually. It exceeded my expectations. Tom Cruise is not a big favorite of mine, but I learned to like and appreciate his character. The whole cast was impressive, especially Ken Watanabe as the leader of the samauri. It was a little weird to see Wormtail in something other than a Potter movie. I gave The Last Samauri 5 stars.

The newest incarnation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was interesting. I liked the new Oompah Loompahs, and Johnny Depp was incredible. I don't think there's a better character actor in the business today. The movie did drag a bit. After the first one, the songs felt very unnecessary. I gave it 3 stars.