Christian's Recent Reviews
Marvel's The Avengers
PG-13
Sharp, tight superhero team movie. With the exception of the first Iron Man, though, the individual "prequels" that served to set this one up seem unnecessary. That's not this movie's fault, of course, but its strength just shows the earlier films' weaknesses.
It's nice to see Whedon get a hit with this one. And true to form, he kills off a beloved character.
Stick around for a double coda after the credits.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
PG
Fantastic, sweet rags-to-riches story about one of the most talented puppeteers of his generation. I just about wept through the entire thing.
Christian's Favorite Movies
Beauty and the Beast
G
Beauty and the Beast is the Casablanca of animation. Moreso than other animated movies from the '90s Disney renaissance, this one's perfectly paced with some wonderful character development—and as Howard Ashman's swan song, it's got a lot more heart.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
PG-13
The Balrog vs. Gandalf scene alone is worth the price of admission, but then, so are a dozen other moments that are just as potent. It's the perfect beginning to the epic trilogy of the decade (and dare I say, "century"?). The Extended Cut, of course, is the preferred one to watch.
