Well written, expertly directed, and acted with precision, True Grit easily moves into the top-five westerns I’ve ever watched. The plot is enthralling and filled with rich characters fully immersed in the genre. It is a pleasure to watch on the big screen and I can see myself making this a purchase for my permanent collection — an honor rarely bestowed on any recently released films. Furthermore, True Grit shows the acting talents of Jeff Bridges in a role few will be familiar with: a fat, aging law man who is quick to anger but moves with deliberate and mostly deadly intent.  Now I see why there is Oscar talk regarding this role.

True Grit is worth paying a premium price for theater viewing because it is an exceptional piece of American film making. Grand vistas, with a gritty storyline, I strongly recommend this film and would rate is a solid to strong 8 out of 10.

AMC has come through again with The Walking Dead. Based upon a comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead is a post-apocalyptic setting where zombies have taken over and a small band of survivors struggle to avoid becoming dinner for “the walkers” stumbling around. But this series is so much more than a simple zombie flick — truth be told, it rewrites the genre. The typical zombie fare is a steady diet of gruesome deaths lashed with special effects and lots of screaming. The protagonists are typically moving from encounter to encounter and the most we find out about them is how fast (or slow) they are in reacting to the next threat. The Walking Dead goes much further. The series is a character study of people in the worst of circumstances, making tough decisions, while trying to eke out a niche to survive in. The weekly plot lines are compelling and become a high-point on the DVR each Sunday.

The Walking Dead has become a run-away hit and AMC has commissioned another 12 episodes to compliment the first six. I look forward to watching the series unfold and applaud AMC for taking a shot at something completely different … and winning.

The heart and soul of this picture is the daily toll placed on these young men as they strive to live in some of the harshest conditions in modern combat. We watch as they are repeatedly ambushed, assaulted, and bullied until the commanding officer has enough. In the dead of night, he orders a small squad of men to create a observation post on the very summit the locals are using as a vantage point for sniper fire. Once established, the story continues with intense combat sequences, the never ending labor to improve fortification, and the camaraderie of soldiers under fire. This picture is a testament to enduring spirit and the sometimes heart-wrenching pain suffered by those in harm’s way. The platoon has just one goal: survive the deployment and return home.

I personally found this picture inspiring, tragic, powerful, and thought-provoking. Because of the distance and gap between the U.S. and the war, one sometimes forgets the real pain these men and women endure. Though this isn’t a multiple viewing kind of film, Restrepo should be watched at least once. Let’s not forget those veterans.

The guy’s reaction is too good! Well done, Directv. Excellent marketing team responsible for dis. I has it, too.

In its third season on AMC, Breaking Bad is acted with perfect realism, has inventive and engaging dialog (read: writing), and is pushed to the screen with intense emotion and on-point direction. Though I’ve also seen the first two seasons, Breaking Bad has become one of my all time favorite television shows. Set in the southwest, Breaking Bad (no spoiler here, these revelations are exposed in episode one of season one) is a story about a high school chemistry teacher who falls on hard times and begins cooking the purest, most perfect form of crystal meth seen in recent history. The story winds around his troubles, disasters, self-discoveries, and all-out drama that seems to dog his every step.

A true drama, Breaking Bad is the classic edge of your seat production model where each episode is perfectly balanced and hooks the viewer into the next. Of the people I’ve talked to about the show, many have heard “good things” about it but few have actually seen it. Take my advice: rent the first disk of season 1 and drink in all the goodness (and foulness) that is Breaking Bad. You won’t be disappointed.

You won’t find any plot spoilers in this muse but I have some observations about the general tempo and fabric of the movie. Speaking of tempo, they sell you the whole seat but you only need the edge. The plot is rolling almost immediately and doesn’t let go until the end credits slip past. That isn’t a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination and is a successful formula for any sci-fi flick.

They have changed the fabric of the Star Trek universe. Gone are the clean lines and pristine engine rooms of the past. The new Star Trek adds a Battlestar Galactica feel with beaten up shuttle craft, engine rooms the size of warhouses, and weapons that rip a man open. Though it takes a moment to grapple with, I happened to like the different texture of the universe.

My last comment centers on the characters. The cast seems rock solid with only one exception: Pavel Chekov. Too hammed, too over the top; however, the rest, from Spock to McCoy have been faithfully reproduced with fascinating mix of homage to the past while updating everyone for the new look.

All in all, I must say the movie left me wanting more and it certainly sets the stage for future adventures. I rate the movie a solid 8 out of 10. Very good but a few convenient plot points keep it from getting a 9. Enjoy.

When I saw the tease trailer for The Happening I was interested. It looked like the classic, post-apocolyptic flick with a little horror mixed in for good measure. And, although Mark Wahlberg isn’t exactly a fabulous actor, I’ve enjoyed movies like, Three Kings, The Italian Job, and Invincible. Honestly, he makes a far better action star than his portrayal of a high school science teacher. So, this Tuesday I rented The Happening on the first day of release. Errrrr, mistake.

Now, fair warning, this will contain a spoiler but the bottom line is The Happening isn’t. Get it? Yeah, the premise is people start randomly killing themselves for no apparent reason. They shoot, stab, and toss themselves off tall building, all with a resounding finality but it does little to build the suspense. Initially the reports claim this is some sort of chemical attack by terrorist but as you ponderously endure the plot, it becomes evident the enemy isn’t some radical Islam sect, or a splinter group of Russian communists.

Nope, the plants (i.e., the trees, shrubs, and grass) start releasing a toxin which inhibits the self-preservation instinct of people thus causing to act on latent feelings of suicide. The reason? Because the Earth is giving man a warning… Allow me to spend money so you don’t have to. Bottom line: don’t bother.