Favorite Movies

I have seen a lot of movies in the past few months and quite honestly I have refrained from posting anything here about them because I haven't had the time I wanted to actually comment on them. Now I do, so, I will. What follows is a synopsis of several movies categorized by, what else, title. Enjoy!
No Country For Old Men:
I loved this movie for several reasons. First, it was sheer art. The movie was so well done that you really felt like you were watching an actual piece of film art rather than just another sad attempt at filling 2 plus hours of your time. The acting was great, the story was great, and the irony and twists were enough to keep you thinking throughout the whole movie. What I especially liked about this movie is that it wasn't a no-brainer and it left you thinking well after you had left the theater and driven home for the night. It really made you wonder and keep thinking over the events of the movie. I love movies like that. They actually engage your thoughts and keep you interested. This was probably one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.
The Golden Compass:
I wasn't thrilled with this movie. It was interesting. Actually, a month after I have seen it I am still not sure as to how I exactly feel about it. It was much more of a children's movie than any of it's predecessors such as the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was interesting but it lost my attention several times. I must say that the fight scene between the two polar bears was pretty cool. I could have done without the knocked-off bear jaw, but, hey, it was definitely attention grabbing. Also, the story was a bit strange and I found the mixture of cultural and historical mixes to be rather confusing. I felt like maybe the writer was confused as to which time period and place he really wanted to tell the story in, so, he just mixed it all up. An alright movie, I guess.
The Bourne Identity Trilogy:
Ok, I didn't watch all these movie because I couldn't. I saw one and that was enough. Robert Ludlum's book title was hijacked and turned into a mere action series with very little resemblance to anything he wrote. I was sorely disappointed. I didn't understand why they just didn't tell the story they wanted to tell by creating another character. Certainly all they did here was take the names and underlying premise of the Ludlum books and use them to tell a different, somewhat similar story. Why call it The Bourne Identity? The movie was good and the acting was alright, but it didn't come close to the genius of the books. The intrigue, the action, the suspense that Ludlum accomplished in his books was nowhere to be seen in this movie. If you don't know anything about the books and are looking for a pretty mindless action movie, then this series is a sure win for you. If you are looking for a film portrayal of Ludlum's work, don't even attempt to watch these movies.
Alvin and the Chipmunks:
Both a good movie and a bit of a disappointment. The movie was a good children's movie and made the heart-warming points you would expect it to make, but it wasn't the same-old Alvin and the Chipmunks. Theodore was the only one that really resembled the old characters in appearance, but I will say that the personalities were pretty close. I did notice, and miss, the presence of the chipmunk's girl counterparts. Also, I missed the harmonies that made the Chipmunks so great. They were there in a few things, but the music was so hyped that really all you heard was noise that resembled the commonplace offerings of today's "music" world. I found it ironic because the whole point of the movie was that they didn't want to be a part of this crazy pop music scene, yet they offered no real alternative to that in the movie. Perhaps I am over analyzing a simple movie, but those are my thoughts. It was good for a few laughs and there were parts that were very entertaining. At best I can give kudos for a good attempt, but it didn't quite make it.
National Treasure - Book of Secrets:
I loved this movie! I would watch it again with no problem, and, if you know me, that is really saying something. This sequel was definitely a good one. I didn't think it was better or worse than the first one. It was a nice compliment to its predecessor. It was really fun to watch and the history side of it was fascinating. It made you want to go do your own research to see what in the movie was accurate and what was not. That, in my opinion, is one of the best possible effects a movie can have on you. Awesome movie! No need to say more.
Dan in Real Life:
This was a cute movie that was ridiculously funny the first time but wasn't worth watching a second time. It made some very good points and had some very witty humor in it, but it was no masterpiece.
Spirited Away:
I am relatively new to the world of Anime but this movie was great! It became a favorite of mine. It was easy to watch and was so enjoyable. The soundtrack for the movie was unbelievable and the drawings were amazing. It was really a cartoon that was a piece of art. Definitely something I would watch again.
Pan's Labrynth:
This movie was another piece of film art. It was done in Spanish which made everything about it authentic as well as making the viewing of it a different experience. It was a beautiful movie. I haven't seen something that moved me the way this one did in a while. The telling of the story, the characters, the effects - everything was done so artfully and so incredibly. The contrasts were so strong and the climax was one that I have seen few movies accomplish. It was amazing to watch. A classic.
The Nanny Diaries:
This was a silly movie, but pretty well done. It wasn't your typical mindless chick flick, which is always a plus for me. There was actually some intelligent humor in it (Egad!) and the characters were people you could actually relate to. It was funny watching it because I went into it thinking it would just be a silly comedy and wound up finding it was a drama that I could actually relate to. I was watching on the screen what had actually happened to a friend of mine and I couldn't believe how real the story became. Yes, there were multiple funny things in the movie and some great humor lines, but there was also a very serious side to things that I found myself being drawn in by. It was a good movie over all, but that said, I wouldn't recommend it to any guys.
3:10 to Yuma
So, having watched the old movie countless times, I was pretty familiar with the story on this one. Except, wait, it wasn't the same story. Go figure! Oh well. Hollywood strikes again. A remake is no such thing, but rather, a new movie with the same title. However, I will say that this movie was a good movie. Christian Bale is just great to watch, pretty much no matter what, and the story was a good story. It wasn't a great movie but it was one of the better ones I have seen recently and certainly beat out much of the garbage that they are coming out with these days. The movie has really good acting and told a good story, so I was ok with it.
I saw other movies as well, but these were some of the most recent ones I watched. I would have to say that of the twenty plus movies I have seen in the past two months one third were amazing, one third were alright, and one third were worthless. Not too bad of a break down I suppose.