The Plot – During World War II Hitler gains command of the Spear of Longinus (the fabled spear that pierced Christ on the Cross). Unable to match an unknown threat President Roosevelt decides to create the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense. Led by Professor Broom a special task force is sent to thwart Hitler’s latest plans led by Grigori Rasputin a follower of the dark arts.

U.S. Special Forces arrive too late to stop Rasputin from opening a portal to a hell dimension, but they manage to prevent anything from coming through… or so they think.

60 years later “Hellboy” has become the government’s secret weapon against evil. There are indeed things that go bump in the night and he will bump back.

The Review – Hellboy is based on the Dark Horse comic series. My club card will probably be revoked as I was not very familiar with this character before seeing the film. Personal musings aside, this movie will be thrown into the lot with other comic remakes. Held up against the likes of Spiderman, X-Men, Blade & even the Hulk expectations are bound to be high.

While the film carries itself with the predictable “good vs. evil” motif, what makes it stand out is the levity of its characters. Much like The Mummy the title characters provide humorous moments to break up what could be considered a slow paced action flick. Ron Perlman brings his own bit of humor & depth to the character of Hellboy. The movie may not have the same dramatic level achieved by Toby Maguire in Spiderman, but it does well for a first movie/origin story.

Where the film gets lost is the large cast of supporting characters. It would have been nice to see more development here, but the focus of course is the title character. I found the lead villain Rasputin rather boring and his underlings insignificant. I would have liked to have seen a little more variety in the monster/demon category. The much noted exception is Kroenen. This S.O.B. definitely needed MORE screen time. I’d like to see him show up in an X-Men flick for duels with Wolverine or even a spot in the next Blade movie.

If you’re the type of person who will nitpick details in plot and look for the flaws in CGI use then you may find contrast to my opinion. Overall I thought this was an enjoyable film based on the delivery by Ron Perlman as Hellboy.

Grade: A- (Hey, I got a thing for cats)

The Plot – Chris Vaughn has come home after eight years in the Special Forces. Only trouble is it’s not the home he remembers. The once thriving lumber community is now overshadowed by a casino which provides the small town residents their only source of income. Prosperity has taken a back seat to shady drug dealings and hedonism. Taking back the town will require more than just standing up to crooked casino owners it will also mean fighting a corrupt town sheriff.

The Review – Walking Tall is a remake of the classic 1973 flick which originally starred Joe Don Baker. The film was inspired by the true story of Buford Pusser a wrestler turned town hero who fought corruption with his infamous four foot long 2×4. I say “classic” simply because I can remember watching this movie along side other titles such as Billy Jack and the Death Wish series. But then I grew up on a solid diet of action films including any martial arts flick and stories with a vigilante inspired theme.

The current film differs from the original in more than just the title character’s name change. Can you imagine The Rock portraying somebody called Buford? The original movie was fairly graphic by today’s standards and the updated version while violent does it’s best to tone down any scenes by simply taking them off camera. (WWE executives are smart enough not to alienate their core audience – young wrestling fans)

The film moves along at a quick pace, by that I mean I blinked and it was over. Approximately an hour & fifteen minutes, the movie sometimes felt like a summary tale than an actual story. I thought The Rock did well (thank God I didn’t have to witness “the eyebrow”) and is slowly cementing his title as the next big action hero.

The surprise of the film was Johnny Knoxville. As the best buddy/comedic sidekick, he stole almost every scene he was in. I’ll admit I was surprised to discover he has talent that goes beyond getting kicked in the nuts on camera.

Overall I thought the film delivered. There are certainly plot points or scenes that could have been extended to give the film more depth, but a movie like this is simply meant to be an adrenaline rush.

Grade: A- (Johnny Knoxville gives this film a boost)

The Plot – Frank Hopkins is a man running away from his past. Billed as the greatest rider of the West, he travels with Bill Cody’s Wild West Show wasting away in a drunken stupor. That is until an Arabian Sheik challenges him to enter the Ocean of Fire, a long distance race held once a year. Apparently, the Sheik is offended that an American would claim such a title as Best Rider especially considering that Frank’s horse is a mustang. Known as the mutt of horses, mustangs garner little respect compared to purebred horses. Reluctantly Frank enters the race with his horse Hidalgo and together they gather up the courage to face not only the hostile terrain of the Arabian desert, but their own troubled past.

The Review – Most of the reviews I had read about Hidalgo were pretty negative. Maybe I was in a jolly good mood, but I thought this picture was well done. Is the story unbelievable? Perhaps. Are the stunts outrageous? I don’t think they’re quite as overdone as an Arnold action picture. Is the pace too slow? Well, maybe if you what you’re looking for is nonstop adrenaline scenes.

This movie is about cheering for the underdog. About a man who has lost his way only to somehow find the inner strength to overcome his own shortcomings. I thought the cinematography was great and the action sequences weren’t completely over the top. And despite what critics have said, I didn’t think any of the fight scenes were too chop-socky (and I would know). Is it cliché? Yup. Is it predictable? Yup. Did I enjoy the film anyway? Yeah, but I cried when Old Yeller died too. Sometimes you just want to be entertained.

Grade: B+ (Chalk it up to the Love it or Hate it category)