The Wind Rises

Miyazaki rises down to Earth in his exceptionally realist rendition of Grave of the Fighter Jets.  Dream sequences justify animated medium, and stunning visuals keep an otherwise slow story from crashing and burning.  Lacks magic of previous ghiblets but presents colorful alternative perspective on oft generalized black and white history.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Sin City: Fall of a Franchise matches 300.2’s weird chronology, imitative superficiality and nude (albeit black and white) Green.  Rourke’s Kirk Douglas is a better match than Brolin’s Owen.  Could certainly have benefited from insurance against tragic deaths of Murphy, Duncan and character development.  SinCity: Are you in gold eye?

Looper

Pseudo-intellectual time travel flick writes off logic with dismissive dialogue, but can’t talk itself out of pacing problems.  Levitt’s Willis and Johnson’s clever cinematic tricks shine through a story that borrows notes from a bad Frequency, then travels from coincidental and emotionally dissatisfying to physically and psychicly unbelievable and unacceptable.

Stop-Loss

What could have been a tragic tale is undermined by Phillippe’s inability to master Texan accent.  Ryan’s Elvis Wayne is an unsympathetic lead as he maneuvers through a relevant and morally debatable issue.  BFFs Gordon-Levitt and plays-himself Tatum provide most compelling story, but suffer from LSD, Lack of Screen-time Disorder.

The Dark Knight Rises

Rises to challenge of tying in elements of both predecessors.  Nolan incepts outside cast, all of whom perform spectacularly.  Replaces technological faults of previous films with medical and logical gaps.  Geriatric batman’s recovery, Cathaway’s equipment, and strongman’s weak motivation lack conviction.  Regardless, powerful film.  Could have used a spinning top.

50/50

Rogen deals with another unintentional growth in the tragicomedy, Knocked Down. JGL bares his soul and his head with carefully delivered performance in this devastating and hilarious film. Does the heart come from cast’s stunning performances or the fact that it’s the writer’s autobiography? After several MRIs, looks like 50/50.

Inception

Another creative mental masterpiece from Nolan populated with talented cast of lesser-known actors. Revisits Memento themes and Delves into dense subject matter to pose deep philosophical and logical questions. Plot-holes and logic lapses are strangely unable to sink this intellectually stimulating puzzle, but does it connect emotionally? In your dreams.

Killshot

Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines amidst a sea of half-hearted performances in poorly-paced by tonally loyal Elmore Leonard adaptation. Suffers from overly simple storyline with clichéd two-dimensional characters. Dawson, Lane and the Punisher do their best with shallow characters. Rourke’s performance is inspired. Unfortunately, it’s inspired by Heston’s Touch of Evil Mexican.

(500) Days of Summer

that uses nonchronological - Honest romantic tragicomedy - editing a bit excessively. Avoided R-rating by euphemizing ‘blowjob’ but gets away with ‘anal girl’ and ‘took a huge shit on my face, literally.’ Despite obtrusive editing and music will resonate with anyone who has had a relationship end bitterly. Autumn, funny.

10 Things I Hate About You

Classic adaptation in which a television actor hires his Australian doppelganger to aide in his shrew-taming endeavors. Though dialogue was modified from source material, Shakespeare’s famous paint balloon scene was portrayed with great loyalty. One of only a few chick flicks that straight guys can safely admit to liking.