THE SPIRIT

A GIFT FROM MAKERS OF 300 AND SINCITY

MAX PAYNE THE MOVIE

Wall-E (2008)

Wall-E is Pixar's story of a small robot that is left alone for hundreds of years. Charming, beautiful and with an important message, Wall-E is flawless.

When the people of earth cover the world in garbage, they take off on a five year cruise, but they leave a team of robots, called WALL-Es, behind to clean up the mess. As they live generations of lives in hover chairs, tied to their projected televisions and easy-come food, WALL-E works diligently and becomes ever more lonely. That all changes one day when a cute, white robot named EVE comes to earth and begins scanning everything.

As I watched Wall-E I was taken by beautiful acting by animated characters, who essentially did not speak, create such remarkable performances that I was sucked in from the first scene. The animators are like demi-gods, creating animated life and showing it to us on screen. WALL-E's mechanical eyes appear that they should be welling up with tears and his body language is easily the most expressive I've ever seen by an animated character. WALL-E's little mechanical arms squeezed my heart tightly and hasn't let go.

When WALL-E is on earth the lighting natural and radiant. It seems even the dust is shaded properly. When WALL-E is in artificial light, his appearance changes appropriately to a more artificial look.

When WALL-E watches TV the blue colors are spot on, his eye reflections bewitchingly realistic. EVE, the white robot, sparkles in the light and is luminescent in the dark. It is that level of attention to detail that allows the audience to believe completely that this little robot has come alive.

Wall-E isn't just easy on the eyes, it is chalk full comedy that nearly emptied my bladder and actually caused me to snort. WALL-E doesn't really talk so all his humor is done through expression and situation. WALL-E isn't really able to do slapstick, but if he could, he may be called the Charlie Chaplin of robots. No opportunity to bond with WALL-E through laughter was missed, but it was obvious the writer didn't force any comedy either.

Wall-E has a message about responsibility to tell children, and their parents. When you stop paying attention to the world around you and you let your chair be your entire universe, it effects more than just you. Moreover, you miss out on the things that are truly important and the amazing things people experience when their TV's are off. Sneakily, Andrew Stanton, the writer and director, peels away the curtain of what he feels is societal wrongs, but makes you feel good that you peeked behind the curtain. How often can we be told what we are doing wrong, face it and still love the experience?

Wall-E stole my heart right from my chest and for that reason I rule that Wall-E is criminally cute. Wall-E challenged my behaviors and for that I'm grateful. I promise, you won't regret seeing Wall-E.

Eagle Eye (2008)

Boom, Bang, Vroom, Huh?, Crash, Kablam = Eagle Eye. A true escapist movie, Eagle Eye is explosive fun, as long as you don't think too much and you don't mind commercials.

Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf), an underachieving slacker, is blackmailed into a criminal situation, directed only by a woman over the phone that seems able to access all the electronics connected by some kind of network. Rachael Hollowman (Michelle Monaghan) is driven into the same situation with Jerry when her son is threatened. FBI Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thorton) and Air Force Investigator Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson) are assigned to investigate Shaw, and, as a consequence, Rachael. They all are led by the seat of their pants on the path the woman on the phone decides.

Eagle Eye is a two hour chase scene. Jerry and Rachael are chased by the FBI, the Air Force and the woman over the phone. The FBI and Air Force are hampered by the outstanding power of the woman on the phone. The cat and mouse game often drew me to the edge of my seat. There is a particular scene involving luggage that made me laugh and dodge in my seat.

Eagle Eye doesn't require too much from the actors, only the occasional fearful face, but most pulled off the fright believably. Billy Bob Thorton's nearly over the top depiction of FBI Agent Thomas Morgan is entertaining. Thorton lucked out because Morgan is written better than most of the characters in Eagle Eye.

The writing is shaky and Eagle Eye occasionally slips off the tracks. When you find out who the woman on the phone is, I dare you not to slap yourself in the forehead.

I would not be surprised if it were accompanied by a hearty head shake. Some of the important points are a little confusing; a wrong move for a movie meant to be a shoot-em-up.

The product placement in Eagle Eye is painfully obvious and tremendously aggravating. The super smart woman on the phone tells Rachel to get in a Porsche Cayenne. She then tells Jerry to get into the Porsche Cayenne. For those of who do not already know, a Cayenne is an SUV. The unimaginably intelligent and fore thinking woman on the phone chooses an SUV for a car chase? Is there any other reason to use this Porsche Cayenne that is not product placement? In another scene Visa Check Cards and Macy's are mentioned in quick succession. Then they are directed to Circuit City for a scene that seems to be written only to show off the TV's at Circuit City. Afterwards Rachael pulls out her Capital One card. I think all of the phones are the same brand. It is nauseating and detracts from the fun of the movie. Director D.J. Caruso and writers John Glenn, Travis Wright, Hillary Seitz and Dan McDermott should be ashamed that they are trying to make us PAY MONEY to watch a commercial. This is a trend that should be stopped by active irritation by the audience on the studio, in this case DreamWorks.

If the goal of the next trip to the movies is to see a movie, wrapped in logic, seamlessly plotted, unspeckled by capitalism, and beyond any reproach, it would be smart to skip Eagle Eye. If the goal is just to check out for a couple of hours and get a little adrenaline rush, Eagle Eye would be a perfect fit.