Batman Begins

Who do you think of when you think of your favorite superhero? Mine, personally, is Batman. So when this flick hit the theaters, I was really excited to go and see it. The other movies had been ok...kind of corny, but hey, that's just the way superhero movies are.

I saw it in the theaters and it was by far the best superhero movie I've ever seen. It beats Spiderman with a log and it outdoes the other Batman movies by a long shot.

In the beginning Bruce Wayne, the prince of Gotham, is stuck in a poor 'village', I guess, in the middle of China or somewhere out East (or West, depending on how you look at at). Fine, he's in Eastern Asia. He's 'discovering himself' and he's trying to experience what it's like to be poor. You see, Bruce has always lived in the lap of luxury. His parents basically owned Gotham and they did the best they could to make it a good town. Unfortunately, they were killed when Bruce was a small boy, and he blames himself for their death. After he'd grown up, he went out to Asia. When he's in Asia, a man named Henri Ducard finds him and takes him on a journey to become a warrior. Under the principles set by Ra'as al Guhl, he trains and becomes worthy of membership in the 'League of Shadows'. The final step of him membership would cause him to go against his morals, and when he refuses, they try and kill him, and he blows the place up, and goes back to Gotham.

While he's there, he tries to make a difference in the city. It's twisted with crime and illegal activity, and there's a crook behind every bush. The bad people are all wealthy, and the good people are too scared to do anything. The only exception is Bruce -- he's good, he's wealthy, and he's Batman.

He discovers the cave beneath his house (more like his castle) and makes it his lair. He imports materials from other places and constructs the most extraordinary costume known to man. He gets his hands on a totally sweet set of wheels, and he fights crime like none other.

But...there is a bigger plot in Gotham than even Batman knows. Find out what it is for yourself, and watch this amazing movie!!

The camera work and scenery are incredible, as are the special effects. It's intense, well-made, and the soundtrack ROCKS.

This movie is begging for a sequel. See it...you'll know what I mean.

Five stars

Monsters, Inc.

One thing's for sure...you can't go wrong with animation. Especially when Pixar's involved.

Monsters, Inc. is a cute, heartwarming movie that's good for both kids and adults. In the city of Monstropolis, the residents get their power through the screams of children who get scared bythe monsters in their closets, all of whom work at Monsters, Inc. Sulley and Mike are partners in the business -- Sulley scares the kids, Mike assists Sulley. Everything is going great until a little girl wanders through her closet door into the monster world. The monsters of Monstropolis only know one thing about children -- if they are touched by a human child, they will be contaminated and they will die. Panic ensues when the child is discovered, and Sulley and Mike are caught up in the middle. They become attached to the little girl and realize that she isn't toxic, and they try to get her back, but Sulley's rival, Randall, is trying to get the child to use her for reasons that are unknown to Mike and Sulley. They uncover a plot that goes deeper into the company than either of them could have guessed.

It's hilarious, it's cute, and it's interesting enough so that young and old will love it. Sulley and Boo (the little girl) have the cutest bond ever and Mike is the perfect side-kick for Sulley. Randall is an amazing bad guy and there are some really creative-looking monsters that add lots of personality to the movie.

5 stars. Good job Pixar!!