Movie reviews

Snakes on a Plane
Pretty much exactly what the title suggests. The idea was to combine three common phobias - snakes, flying, and confined spaces - into one action/horror movie. It's better than all those airplane disaster movies of the 70's but not as scary as "Airplane" with Leslie Nielson (that movie still freaks me out). It opens with a variety of shots of Hawaii that lasts way too long. Then they start developing the back story. They get through that as fast as possible because we didn't come to see that. Then a whole bunch of snakes get loose on an airplane to try to kill a witness to a mob hit.
This was a fun movie. Don't think about the story too much. Don't try to analyze it. Just watch it and enjoy. There was more laughing in the theatre than screaming, but there were some wincing at the attacks. Go see this if you're looking for a good mindless action flick.

p.s. There's no mongoose.
p.p.s. They could have just cranked up the AC and knocked out the snakes, but nobody asked me.


The Illusionist
First, my apologies to my readers in Wichita and similar mid-west cities. You probably don't get to see this movie until it comes out on DVD. This is playing in independent theatres and you don't have any of those. Neener, neener.
This is "Thomas Crown Affair" in the 1800's. A peasant boy and a noble born girl meet and fall in love. The meet in secret for years until they're torn apart. He goes on to become a great magician while she becomes engaged to the emperor's heir. They meet again when she is volunteered to assist him with a trick. They start to see each other again behind the crown prince's back. He finds out and loses his temper. She turns up floating in the river with her throat slashed and her horse covered in blood. It's pretty obvious that the prince, who is known to be abusive and has killed before, is responsible. The magician becomes determined to prove the prince's guilt.
One reviewer called this what M. Night Shyamalan wished he could still do.

I'll probably get this one on DVD.