Cowboys and Aliens
Jon Favreau movie based on the comic book. Title pretty much tells the story. Great cast, though Whatshername Wilde was just a face and not such a great one, adequate CGI for the aliens, and even a little back-story on the characters, though the attempts to generate sympathy for them were kind of lame. Narrative seemed much like a comic, but the movie wasn’t too bad. Wasn’t too good either, though it did pretty much accomplish what it was trying to do.*

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Movie, based on the original film from the 1960s, about the mechanisms by which apes come to be the dominant species on the planet. Wanted to see it because of the impact the original had. Unfortunately, this movie is shallow in every way, especially when compared to the original, though it does employ the fundamental fear of our time, as the original did, as the cause. The CGI is good, but the apes are still not quite convincing. Nothing particularly wrong with it, but nothing particularly good about it either. Should have passed on it. *

Captain America
Disappointing movie version of the comic. It seemed so lifeless, more moralizing than interesting action. The characters were all stereotypes, the guys he rescues and with whom he forms a fighting group, don't get even the slightest development, so all the relationships, especially with the woman, remain trivial. The evil Nazis were particularly limp and buffoonish. There was no menace in any of them, and the red mask on Hugo Weaving was much too reminiscent of Jim Carry in the movie named for what he was wearing. Like Shakespeare, I love the way comics translate to film, and I have really enjoyed many of them, but this remained too cartoonish. Too bad. *

Mr. Brooks
Kevin Costner as a wealthy serial killer and his struggle to quit. Completely unbelievable family situation for someone as psychotic as he is, Demi Moore gives her usual poor performance as the cop chasing him, and an unconvincing ending. William Hurt was excellent as the voice in Costner’s head, but overall lame and disappointing. *

Whatever Works
Absolutely delightful Woody Allen film about a quantum mechanics scientist and the young woman he falls in love with. A little too much serendipity, especially at the end, but Larry David’s pitch-perfect spewing of the bitter monologues, the outstanding performance by Rachel Evan Wood as another wonderful female character by Allen, and all the black humor make this one of Woody’s best for some time. Really enjoyed it.**