Watchmen (***)
Watchmen might be a superhero movie like all the rest, but at least it's genuinely dark in tone, and at last there's a bit of sexuality; it also benefits greatly from having a less familiar cast (i.e. none of the usual suspects like your Christian Bales, Michael Caines, Morgan Freemans, Robert Downey Jrs., Gwyneth Paltrows et al) - the overall aesthetic is beautifully achieved, and clearly a lot of attention has been paid to detail to keep faith with the source material
Kairo (*)
yet another stupid Japanese film about ghosts appearing in screens - the wooden acting and clunky script help not at all; also, any movie that utilises the internet, or computers, as a plot device is condemned to instant anachrony
Adventureland (**)
wet coming-of-age comedy with godawful 80s soundtrack - Kristen Stewart puts in a great performance against the odds
Visioneers (*)
spectacularly tedious indie film that is neither remotely funny nor intellectually absorbing
Bruno (****)
less spontaneous perhaps than Borat - but in truth Sacha Baron Cohen is at the top of his game in an uproariously, outrageously, consistently funny comedy whose great effect is only sadly undone by the horrid sell-out ending
The Hangover (**)
stupidass guy comedy that's marginally better than average thanks to the splendour of Las Vegas, a witty script, and a few clever plot devices - I always end up hating myself for watching this type of thing however
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Yeah, William, I went into "Watchmen" with really low expectations but I was surprised how much of the comic they managed to squeeze into it, and it's perhaps the most faithful adaptation of any of Moore's comics that I've seen to date. I was flipping through one of the "Making Of" books when it first came out and was amazed how much attention they put into all of the little details. The only false notes were some of the Matrix-y action sequences IMO.
I'm not the least bit familiar with Japanese horror films, but if I were to look for an introduction-where would you suggest I start?
erm, Korea? not really a fan of Japanese horror, so not the person to ask.... 'Audition' is a good one, but I can't stand stuff like 'Ju-On', 'Dark Water', and 'The Ring', and the sequels and rip-offs, all with their silly 'spooky' supernatural nonsense (much like 'Kairo' in fact)
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