Dodd Alley (moviedodd)

Steven Soderbergh once more handles the ensemble drama with great precision. While he visited the drug trade in Traffic, this time Contagion focuses on the ripple effect of a virus epidemic. What I really like about Contagion is that it does not throw any Hollywood punches (yes I'm talking about you Outbreak). It lays out a theory of what would happen if there really was an unknown viral killer and the story is almost too horrifyingly real. The real chilling point is that the virus becomes the least of everyone's worries when populations are rioting violently and the the government is focusing its protection efforts on the "important" 1%. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to get back to constructing my air-tight panic room that is equipped with canned goods and fire arms.

There is a lot going on in Cowboys & Aliens: flying saucers, explosions, aliens that resemble Nintendo's Battletoads, etc. The problem is that there is way too much disorganized spectacle with no focal plot point to follow. I expected Cowboys & Aliens to be mediocre at least, but it is actually pretty bad. This is a real shame considering all of the talent involved in what could have been an ambitious and bold marriage of genres.