It's been a while...

Haven't posted a movie review since The Adventures of Prince Achmed, and that was way back in September. Holy crap! But I've seen more before and after that that's worth mentioning, if only briefly. So let's catch up on the good and bad of the last three months, shall we?

Airplane (1980)
One of those movies everybody in the business must have seen because of all the gags they lifted from it over the years sounds like it dictates a must see. But while the more popular jokes are good the rest is flat and terribly average. C+

Riding Giants (2004)
A surfing documentary I stumbled across right after watching another surf doc called Step Into Liquid. In comparison, Riding Giants is a more tightly cut, interesting production that would probably hold the attention of those uninterested in either surfing or documentaries. B+

Stagecoach (1939)
Stagecoach tells the story of nine strangers in the old west and their trials and tribulations crossing the range. A classic western in every sense of the word. B+

Traffic (2000)
Probably Steve Soderbergh's best work. It's not just one, but several stories involving drugs in some way, shape, or form. The film stock and color balancing chosen for each vignette is a nice touch but ultimately unnecessary for a superbly acted film. B

Sunrise (1927)
Old, old silent picture is everything you've probably imagined nickelodeon era pictures to be from today's pop culture. The first act draws on a bit, but not so much to spoil a solid piece of cinema. B+

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Sergio Leone's last film deals with prohibition era Jewish gangsters and the span of their lives. It's long, but so good you won't notice. A fine send-off to a great director. B+

Dodgeball (2003)
At the risk of being unpopular I'm writing the truth that Dodgeball fails to meld all the pieces into even an average flick. Put your Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, etc. biases aside and realize that the slapstick only holds up for so long. C-

The Cell (2000)
Probably the winner of the "Try and make a film out of all the unused sets and props from the past year" contest. This movie is all over the place and even the cooky effects can't save it. C-

Team America (2004)
A very good South Park episode. Unfortunately it's 90 minutes long and done with puppets. Like the other Parker/Stone films some of the jokes are brilliant, but the rest are just the same one in a different suit. C+

Wings of Desire (1987)
An angel falls in love with a girl and longs to become human. Yeah, it's like City of Angels, except it's also German, good, and made 11 years earlier. Not many of you will like this one b/c it requires patience, thought, and probably an additional viewing, but there's really no disputing it's beauty and power. B+