USA Network Summer Shows

It seems this summer I have been hooked by the shows on USA Network. It started last year with Royal Pains which is a fun mix of comedy, drama, strange medical issues, family issues etc. It sounds strange but really it is just a fun way to spend the summer with out resorting to re-runs and reality fare. I will be the first to admit that the first few episodes of Royal Pains second season left me longing for the first season but after a weak start the show is back to its season one ways and just as much fun as ever. Royal Pains airs Thursday nights.


The next show on USA that caught my interest was White Collar. I had intended to watch this show when it premiered last fall but just never got around to it. Lucky for me USA aired a marathon before the second season started so I was able to catch up and I am glad I did. White Collar is easily my favorite show of the summer. It follow a renowned art thief who is caught by the FBI, twice, and given the choice of going back to jail or working with the White Collar crimes division. This show reminds me of those old detective shows but with the added twist of the criminal working to help the bad guys. This show is well written and gives you just enough of a recurring storyline to keep you coming back while at the same time solving each weeks crime without dragging it out. Do yourself a favor and check out White Collar Tuesdays on USA.


The last show that has hooked me on USA this summer is Covert Affairs. It is a cross between Alias and the Bourne movies. Covert Affairs follows a new CIA agent who is thrown into the spy game fresh from the training farm. Just like Alias we get to travel the world via the spy service but unlike Alias there are no sci-fi elements to keep you scratching your head. This is just like a weekly Bourne movie but with a continuing storyline of a lost love who is the reason young Annie is thrown into the spy world with such little training. Not a bad way to wrap up Tuesdays after watching White Collar.

Movies, Movies, Movies

It's been awhile since I have reviewed any movies and I don't want you to think that is because I haven't been out seeing movies. I do it for you really! So, without further ado here is a quick rundown of the last 5 movies I have seen.

• Alice in Wonderland- I saw this on in 3D and 2D and have to say I liked it much better in good ol' 2D. The colors seemed more vivid and the movie just seemed more real. As for the movie; I found it quite enjoyable. The story is a fresh take on the story that most of us know from the books or the animated movie. There are some fighting sequences that may be a little scary for the under 6 crowd but otherwise this one is a crowd pleaser.
• Clash of the Titans- After learning that this was was converted to 3D at the last minute, and because of enjoying Alice better in the second dimension, I saw this one in 2D. This is best described as an adult Percy Jackson prequel of sorts. I say that because I had just read the 1st Percy Jackson book (and seen the movie) and haven't seen the original Clash of the Titans. This movie was okay, nothing great with okay special effects. Worth a rental or dollar movie viewing if you have to see it on the big screen.
• She's Out of my League- I enjoyed this movie; sure it is crude and predictable but it has a new, relatively unknown cast that do a good job with the material they have been given. I should add a side note that me and my movie companion were the only ones laughing in the theater for the first half of the movie and this might have added to my overall enjoyment of the movie. It was almost like it was an inside joke that only we got.
• Kick-Ass- This one turned out to be more of a violent action movie then I was expecting and the fact that it has teens and a pre-teen doing, and receiving, most of the violence it is defiantly not for everyone. I liked the movie because it was different from most of the comic book/superhero movies that have come out but if you are turned of by large amounts of violence and language this movie isn't for you.
• Death at a Funeral- Another remake, this one of a British movie by the same name. Full of laughs and more enjoyable then I was expecting it to be. James Marsden steals this movie and really is the best reason to go see it. I would tell you more but that would ruin the fun. This one does have some low brow humor but overall a good laugh. It made me want to go out and watch the original just to see how close they are in nature.

Well there you have it. A quick take of five movies. Seen anything good lately? Let me know in the comments section.

District 9

District 9 is defiantly not a movie for everyone. If you are not a fan of Sci-Fi movies or are one who can't stomach typical Sci-Fi violence then you most likely will not enjoy this movie. But if you can get past those things you are in for a very original movie where the aliens are not necessarily the bad guys and the humans not the good guys.


The movie starts by setting up the plot in a documentary like way. We learn that the aliens arrived in South Africa twenty years ago when their ship just stopped working. For 3 months the ship just hovered over the skies of Johannesburg with no activity of any kind until the humans cut their way into the ship to find the aliens malnourished and in very poor health. That is when District 9 is set up as a home for the aliens that over the twenty years becomes a slum and the residents of Johannesburg have had enough. Enter MNU tasked with evicting the aliens and moving them to a new home far away from the humans.


It is at this point that the movie really starts to take shape. We learn that MNU is more interested in the aliens weapons then their well being. The problem is the weapons are bio-engineered only to work for the aliens. Enter Wikus (the perfect fall guy should things go wrong), the man MNU has tasked with evicting the aliens who are called prawns in a derogatory way. While evicting the aliens Wikus comes across one alien who has developed an item that can help him and the other aliens get out of District 9 and return to their home planet. For the sake of those of you who have yet to see the movie I will leave it at that. Lets just say that things do not go as planned for either side.


The reason this movie worked for me is because it touched on so many aspects of human life. I have a feeling that if aliens where to show up on Earth they would be treated very much like those in District 9. There have been many comparisons of this movie to the apartheid in South Africa and that can not be ignored because these aliens really are treated like second class citizens who have little worth. In the end though the movie shows us what can happen if we can look past others differences and work together. District 9 is rated R, mainly for language and gory violence.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

After reading a few mostly negative reviews I went into Transformers with low expectations. I wish I could say that it helped. Don't get me wrong the movie was entertaining and I wasn't expecting Oscar worthy stuff but there were a few things that kept me form liking the movie more then I did. First of all at almost 3 hours the movie was just toooooo long. Once you've seen a few giant robots battling it out you don't need 10 more fight scenes to prove your point, we get it, these robots really don't like each other. Next, while the special effects are amazing a little more attention to detail would have been nice. For instance, I don't remember downtown LA being in Egypt. I mean come on, you have robots that transform into cars and you can't photo shop out LA's skyscrapers? And while I am on the subject, the last time I was in Washington DC there weren't vast open spaces for airplane parking outside of the Smithsonian nor were there mountains outside of it either. Perhaps I have seen to many movies but these little things just chipped away at the movies credibility, a movie about giant robots non the less. Also the movie just felt like it had a whole lot going on, it could have easily been two movies with all the plot lines taking place. There are a few comic characters that break up all the explosions and robot death matches to keep the movie on a lighter footing. But overall it just felt to heavy and in the end this movie fails to live up to the first. While the first movie was just big dumb summer fun this movie seems to focus more on the big and dumb while throwing in a bit of fun, mostly as an afterthought. I am sure the movie will be a monster hit and you will have to let me know if you thought it was any better. Like I said, it was entertaining, it just could have been so much better...and shorter.

Race to Witch Mountain

I have to confess that I was excited to see Race to Witch Mountain as I was a fan of the original movies, Escape to Witch Mountain and Return to Witch Mountain, from the late 70's and early 80's. What can I say I have a soft spot for those movies as I had watched them numerous times growing up, just don't ask me to explain them. I just remember that I liked them when I was little. Needless to say, I was excited when I heard they were doing a remake. It's the little things that bring me joy these days. Anyway on to the new movie...

...I have to say that I was not disappointed by Race to Witch Mountain. It was a fun family movie in the same vein has National Treasure, the first one not the second, that had something for everyone in the family. Action, Adventure, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, you name it this movie has it. Did that make it feel like there was a lot going on at some points during the movie? Yes, but the overall plot moves along at a brisk pace and there is enough car chases and explosions to keep you from thinking about all the side stories to much. They are there for comic value and so on and do serve their roles well.

The cast here is led by Dwayne "No longer the Rock" Johnson, who seems to really be enjoying his time here. You really feel that he develops a connection to the two alien teens who hitch a ride in his cab at the start of the movie. This really is a movie for the whole family and there doesn't seem to be many of those out there these days that the whole family will actually all enjoy. It is rated PG and there are some frighting scenes that may scare the under 4 crowd, but come on it is a movie about aliens so I think you know what you are in for. It is no worse then E.T. so if they can handle that movie they should be okay here.

Quantum of Solace

As most of you know Quantum of Solace it the new Bond movie and even after seeing it I have no idea what the title means. In doing some research I learned that it is mentioned in one of Ian Flemming's Bond novels, so there is that.


On to the movie. This is the first Bond movie that is a direct squeal picking up right where Casino Royale left off. James is after revenge for everything, and against everyone, that happened in Casino Royale. I would highly recommend watching that movie before going to see Quantum. I re-watched it after and it made the new movie a little clearer.


This movie is much more action packed then Casino, it grabs you from the first scene, a car chase in Italy, and doesn't stop until the last scene in Bolivia. That's right you get a world tour with this movie, if only you could keep the frequent flier miles. As in Casino Daniel Craig makes us wonder why anyone else would play Bond. He brings a human element that has been missing in previous Bonds. Then there are the Bond girls, oh yes the Bond girls. Here we get two very intriguing girls who are anything but helpless.


Quantum gives us more information on why Bond is who he is. It just does it in between all the action sequences. Make sure you are not sitting too close to the front as the action can be a lot to take in. That being said this is defiantly a must see on the big screen.

-Eric

Drillbit Taylor

On their first day of high school, Ryan and Wade, are embarrassed by the fact that they happen to wear the same shirt. Wade sticks up for a smaller fellow geek, Emmit (he was the creepy little boy in the Ring), who is being shoved into a locker by bullies. As a result the bullies Filkins and Ronnie terrorizes all three at every chance they get. So they decide to hire a body guard. (Owen Wilson)

My husband and I watched this last night. We both really enjoyed it. That being said, we both really like Owen Wilson, so if you are not a fan, you can probably skip this one. There were some stupid parts, but a lot of really funny ones too.

The kids in this movie crack me up. The main bully Filkens is horrible and you really feel bad for these kids. It is PG13, so be prepared for a little language and some questionable parts. But in a whole it was really pretty funny. Definitely one that is worth the rental fee. If you are looking for a light hearted comedy this could be the one for you.

Caitlin

The Count of Monte Cristo

I am sure this may come as a surprise to some of you but this review is for the book and not the movie. This may be shocking because given the amount of TV shows and movies I have reviewed some of you probably didn't think I knew how to read or what a book was. Well I do and when I worked downtown and took the train each day I used to read a lot more then I do now. But that is off topic, today I want to talk about The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I am sure many of you have already read this book as it is a classic but it is for that very reason that I was hesitant to read the book to begin with. It was tenth grade and I had one of those great English teachers that thought you could learn a lot more about English by submersing yourself in it (i.e. reading books) then by studying a textbook. Before this time I had never ventured out much from Michael Crichton land and was not very very interested in doing so, especially for some boring old stuffy novel like The Count of Monte Cristo. Did I know anything about the book? No, but I was judging it by its cover. Now I know why you are not supposed to do that and I glad I did because the Count quickly became my favorite book and I have read at least 4 different abridgements at least 6 times.


The last abridgement (the unabridged version) I read was by far the most expansive, checking in at 1,000+ pages and a reference and history guide at the back of the book, complete version I have come across yet. This book has just about everything you can imagine in it. From wrongful imprisonment, murder, betrayal, revenge, redemption, romance, friendship, you just can't want anything more from a book. Each time I read it I discover something that I didn't realize, or pick up, the previous time. I think that is why I keep going back and reading it again and again. Edmond Dantes leads the kind of adventures most of us only dream of but at the same time his life is not easy and is consumed with vengeance. So it is a trade off: adventure with all consuming revenge. Ah who am I kidding I would still take it but that might be because I know how the story ends and no the movie does not end the same way, so don't base your assumptions on that.


I would go into more detail about the plot and characters but I think for you to truly enjoy this you need to go in blind, like I did, and discover it all for yourself. Maybe I should have started with that. Forget everything you just read and go and get yourself a copy of the book and find out for yourself. That is if you already haven't read the book and if you have, try the big unabridged version it is worth the effort. There are so many story lines that where taken out or shorted in the version most of us read in high school. I think I may just start reading it again.

-Eric

CSI:Miami

Dear Reader,

I need your help. I can not stop watching CSI:Miami, or as my family refers to it, CSI:Mondays. Now if any of you have ever seen just a glimpse of CSI:M then you know that it is cheesy, over acted and features over the top plot lines that make James Bond look tame. I have tried to stop watching but I always get pulled back in, darn you Emily Procter and your coy smile!!!

The real reason this show is laugh out loud funny/ so bad that it's good is the presence of one David Caruso. I don't know what it is but anytime he opens his mouth I find myself laughing hysterically. He tries to come off as a tough/caring detective and I just don't buy it for a minute.

Over the years, yes I have watched this show that long, Mr. Caruso's um...talent has spread to the other members of the cast and now I probably laugh more at this show than most of the comedies on TV. And now I can't imagine my week without a good laugh courtesy of my friends from Miami. So, my question for you is this: What shows do you watch for no other reason then to laugh at? Or what shows do you watch that you are ashamed to admit too? If you are looking for a good side busting laugh watch CSI:M, you won't be disappointed, just remember it thinks it's a drama.

-Eric

The Sum of All Fears

Based on the novel by Tom Clancy, The Sum of All Fears is the story about two nations having to make life changing choices after an attack and how fear plays into those choices.

I have seen this movie many times and watched it again recently after catching the first half on cable. The movie stars Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman, who both do a great job here. For those of you familiar with the Jack Ryan movies or books; The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, you know that you are in for an action packed, white knuckle ride. The Sum of All Fears is kind of like a reboot of those movies, with Affleck stepping into the part of Jack Ryan last played by Harrison Ford. And all said and done I think he does a convincing job and more than holds his own. Throw in Freemen and a cast of well known actors and the cast is rounded out quite nicely.

The plot finds Jack Ryan working at the Russian Desk at the CIA where he is pulled into the middle of this whole mess and ultimately must do what he thinks is right for the country. I don't want to give away to much to those who have not seen this. But if you are looking for a good thinking man's, or women's, movie then look no further. I was still on edge and I have seen it many times.

-Eric

The Core

Okay, I have another confession; I love disaster movies! Armageddon, Deep Impact, Dante's Peak, Volcano, The Day After Tomorrow, well you get the point. So I am sure that it comes as no surprise that I saw The Core when it came out a few years back. It may surprise you that I didn't really like it then. Well a few nights ago it was on TV and since it is summer and my Tivo is oh so lonely I thought I would give The Core another shot.

Was it any better the second time around? Well no. But I did enjoy it much more this time. Why you may ask? Well the plot is just so crazy and cheesy that you can't help but laugh at what it is. I mean come on, the core of the planet is dying causing the electromagnetic field that surrounds the earth, and protects it from cosmic rays, to fail. This also leads to one of the funniest moments in the movie. Since the EM field has failed, birds internal navigation is all askew and this causes said birds to dive bomb people, buses, cars, buildings! Who knew that pigeons would be so destructive! Oh and don't forget the killer lightning, cosmic rays that can melt the Golden Gate bridge but not a Chevy and so on and so forth. Now this all happens relatively early in the movie. Yes it all happens very quickly, because we have to take our next journey into The Core.

The movie tries to make you believe that the technology exists that can allow a ship and its crew to travel safely to the center of the Earth. This is a little bit harder for me to believe then say blowing up an asteroid with a missile, that at least sounds plausible. But since this is a disaster movie, oh and is it a disaster, I will forgive the movie for its lapses here. So onto the center of the earth. Things happen along the way that delay our trusty crew (Hello giant crystal block thingy!) and of course the crew members have to turn on each other, then make up shortly before the bombs that they have placed in the core to restart it go off. We are then left with two crew members that have to out run the bomb blast, after converting the ship to run on thermal power, and make it back to the surface.

Will they make it? Will their story ever be told? Duh! Of course they do and of course it is. Should you watch said story? Only if you are bored or want to watch a really lame movie. Now to be fair if you go in knowing that is going to be bad it is much funnier then any disaster movie should be. Just don't tell the movie that you are laughing at it! Because those pigeons are still out there just waiting...

-Eric

The Dark Knight

I am sure that most of you have heard all the hype about this movie and I can say that it lives up to all of it. If you liked Batman Begins you are sure to like The Dark Knight.

The cast here is amazing and Heath Ledger is fantastic as the Joker. If I didn't know he was in this movie there is no way I would have guessed that this was the same actor as the one in 10 Things I Hate About You. Christian Bale continues to make up for all the past Batman's by making him a complete, complex character. Gary Oldman impresses as always as Gordon and has a bigger part here then in Batman Begins. And then there is Morgan Freeman who is great in just about anything. Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal are new to the franchise and fit in perfectly with the above named cast.

I am not going to get into specifics here because I really think you need to see this movie for yourself and come to your own conclusions. I loved it. But know going in that it handles much darker material then Batman Begins. And at almost three hours long, make sure your theater has comfy seats (I recommend the District) and go for the small drink (you don't want to leave for potty breaks). One last thing. There is nothing at the end of the credits so you don't need to stay unless you want to.

Eric



I loved this movie. So much in fact that I would call it my favorite of the year. Not only that, I think that we have found the most intense movie since Bourne Ultimatum. This whole movie I was on the edge of my seat.

Heath Ledger is the best villain to hit the big screen for me. The acting in this movie is unparalleled. This movie is dark. Really dark. I wouldn't take the kids to this one.

I had nothing bad to say for this movie. Loved! If you weren't one of the million people to have seen it this weekend. Go see it! Now.

Caitlin

Batman Begins

In honor of the new Batman movie that comes out on Friday, I thought it would be appropriate to spotlight it's predecessor, Batman Begins. I love this movie. It is dark, it is intense, it contains really great acting. (Well, all except the "deer in the headlights" Katie Holmes, who I have liked in the past, but didn't feel like she pulled this one off. I am excited to see what Maggie Gyllenhaall brings to the screen)

This is (so far) my favorite super hero movie ever. I love Christian Bale as Batman. He is not only extremely sexy, but strong and a fantastic actor. I didn't remember how scary they made the Scarecrow until I watched it again last night. He is one of the scarier villains I have seen.

I am a huge fan of the director Chris Nolan (think Memento), and am excited to see what he comes up with in The Dark Knight. I had forgotten how many seriously seasoned actors were in this movie. (Caine, Freeman, Wilkinson, Neeson, Oldman, Hauer) With a cast like this, you can definitely expect greatness. If you get a chance, I would re-watch this movie before you go see the new one. If you haven't seen this movie, I would completely recommend it. I just wouldn't take small children. These new movies are not like the old Michael Keaton ones with a portly penguin and a cheesy Mr. Freeze. This is dark, just how Batman should be.

Caitlin

I too loved this movie. It is one of my favorite comic book movies...ever. The reason I liked this so much was because it took away all the campy elements of the first Batman movies (nipples on the batsuit?!?!) and replaced them with a great story and characters that you could really relate to, well at least relate to better than a penguin man. I didn't even mind Katie Holmes in it, but am totally fine with her being replaced by Maggie, who I think will and an extra umph (ie: better acting) to the character. I can't wait to see The Dark Knight and it is all because of this movie.

Eric

Ironman

Okay, I know this movie came out awhile ago, but looking at movie listings this past weekend I found that it was still playing in some theaters. So if you haven't seen Ironman yet, you really need to see it on the big screen.

Ironman is one of my favorite movies this summer, or year even, right up there with Wall-E. I think the reason that I liked this movie as much as I did is because I went into it not really thinking I would like it and was very pleasantly surprised that I liked it as much as I did.



The cast here, led by Robert Downey, Jr., is the perfect cast for this movie. After seeing the movie, Robert Downey is the only actor I could imagine playing millionaire turned superhero Tony Stark. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Tony's assistant Pepper Potts and I must say that I enjoyed her character here quite a bit and she added a little comedy to the otherwise action packed movie. That is not to say that hers were the only comic moments in the movie, but I just enjoyed them.

The whole movie just comes together so well that I have to give credit to director Jon Favreau, who as a fan of the comic book series makes sure that the movie did not spiral into a giant mess, which it easily could have given its comic book past. In my opinion Ironman solidifies Favreau as a great director (see Elf, Zathura), and was pleased to read this weekend that Favreau and Downey have signed onto Ironman 2.

I strongly recommend that you see this movie on the big screen while you still can. It really is one of the best movies this year. Overall Grade: A-

The only thing different I would say, was it was very much a "boy movie". I liked it a lot and I have a lot of friends who are females who loved it. I just felt like sometimes it was sort of intense. That being said. I really liked it. Definitely one worth seeing on the big screen.

Caitlin

Wanted

I saw Wanted this weekend and I have to say that I really liked it. I should also say that this movie earns it's R rating, so if that is a deterrent to you, consider yourself warned.

The thing I liked most about Wanted was it's dark sense of humor. For those of you who don't know, Wanted is about a fraternity of assassins led my Sloan, played by Morgan Freeman. When one of their top assassins is taken out by a rouge agent, they recruit the assassins son to track down the rouge agent. Wesley the son, played by James McAvoy, is at first hesitant to join the fraternity. But after some training and mentoring by Fox, played by Angelina Jolie, he reconsiders.

The cast really makes this movie, even if you are not a Jolie fan you can't not like her here. She just looks like she is having fun and fits the part of Fox to the letter. McAvoy is believable as an account manager turned assassin and holds his own, not only against Jolie but against Freeman as well, and is the true star of this movie. This may be because his character is so easy to relate too that you just can't help root for him.

Like I stated previously this movies earns its R rating mainly through violence and language, but if that doesn't bother you then you will be sure to enjoy Wanted. Overall Grade: B+

Eric

Hancock

I should start out by saying that I am a fan of the big, dumb summer movie. Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, I Robot, if it is a big summer movie I usually love it. Hancock is the exception to this. Right from the start Hancock can't figure out what it wants to be; comedy, action movie, drama, super-hero movie. The plot jumps back and forth between all these genres so much that after a while I just felt bored and could really care less about what is going on. I kid you not half way through the movie I started thinking that I would have been more entertained at home watching Speed for the umpteenth time.

The stars; Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, are all likable enough but the material they are given here just makes them all come off as smug and uncaring most of the movie. Hancock is the story of a superhero who could care less about what people think about him or what he does in the process of saving the day. This leads the people of L.A. to not respect him and just wish he would go away, they suggest NY. (By the end of the movie I was wishing that I was in NY rather than the theater watching this, or perhaps on the Speed bus!) After Hancock saves a PR exec, played by Bateman, he takes it upon himself to remake Hancock's image against the advice of his wife, played by Theron.

Now in case you do go see this movie I won't say anymore. I will say that there were others in my group that were okay with this movie but I just expect more from my dumb summer movies, especially those that star Will Smith. I wanted to like Hancock, I really did, but sadly I just felt indifferent the whole time watching it, not a good feeling for a big, dumb summer movie to make you feel. Maybe you will have better luck. Overall Grade: C+

I have to disagree with my colleague just a bit. The first half of this movie I thoroughly enjoyed. It was super funny and I liked that Will Smith wasn't his usual self and I am ALWAYS a fan of Jason Bateman. I could have done without Charlize Theron, but she didn't bug me. I loved the chemistry between Will Smith and Jason Bateman. The part where Hancock is helping him into bed had me laughing out loud.

There were a couple bizarre parts, that they definitely could have done with out. The second half of the movie went severely down hill. It didn't have much of a plot and they glossed over so much that I was just left not getting all of it.

With all that being said. I really liked the special effects. It was entertaining and I was never bored. I agree with Eric that they should have had a little more direction. I think it was a good movie to see on the big screen and it was fun to see it once. I didn't feel like I wished I had seen something else.

Caitlin

Wall-E

The first thing you notice while watching Wall-E is that it is so life like you don't realize its animated. I am not going to give away any of the story here because any details about the plot might take away from your enjoyment of the movie. All I have to say is that this is one of my favorite movies of the year, right up there with Ironman. The animation is amazing! Oh, I already said that, well it really is that good that it deserves a second mention. The story is well written and by the end of the show you will all be wanting your very own Waste -Allocation-Load-Lifter-Earthclass. Wall-E is another smashing success from Pixar full of heart and amazing animation. One more mention!

If you have seen the movie, and I suggest seeing it on the big screen, then feel free to post your thoughts in the comments. I would love to know what you thought.

Also make sure you get to the theater on time for this one. The short film before the movie, Presto, is hilarious. Overall Grade: A-

Eric

Kung Fu Panda

The first thing that I have to say about Kung Fu Panda is that it made me want to eat Chinese food! Kung Fu Panda is a story about....a Panda! Who saw that coming? Po, the panda, works at his fathers Noddle (Ahh the food!) store but dreams of being a Kung Fu master. Well he gets his chance to live his dream when he is accidentally chosen as the Dragon Warrior who is prophesied to bring lasting peace to the valley. You can imagine that this does not go over with the students who have been studying Kung Fu for quite some time. The cast here, led by Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman, do a great job and you really feel for all the characters. While the animation is not up to Pixar level it is much better than that of Shark Tale before it. Overall the movie is a fun ride and the kids it's aimed at will enjoy it, and at only 1 1/2 it is not too much for an adult to sit through either. Now keep in mind this movie is about Kung Fu so there is violence associated with it, but it is only cartoon violence. There is one fight scene that may scare those younger then 4 or 5. My overall grade on this: B

Eric