I love going to the movies. Unfortunately, life is usually very busy, so I never really get a chance to go to the theatre as often as I’d like. That, and movies are $10 for general admission. Absolutely ridiculous.

So every year, when my wife and I go on a week-long vacation, we usually end up seeing several movies. Last year I posted about the movies I saw, and I’m doing the same thing this year.

Collateral: This was a “formula” movie. Everything that happens in this movie is expected to happen. Although there weren’t many surprises, this movie was very well written and very well acted. Personally, I like it better when Tom Cruise plays stronger characters like the one in this movie. I haven’t seen Jaime Foxx in anything for quite some time, so it’s good to see that he still knows how to act. Jada played an uncharacteristically weak character, but that’s how the part was written, so she did an excellent job. I watched “13 Going On 30” the night before, so Mark Ruffalo played a very different character by comparison. Overall, I’d say that this movie is worth seeing. Bottom Line: B

I, Robot: Man creates robots. People trust robots. One man doesn’t trust robots and gets made fun of. One day, robots become self-aware and try to destroy man. Man fights back. One guy was right. The story is a cross between Matrix, Terminator 2, and Minority Report, with the action and explosions of a Jerry Bruckheimer film, all done with the style of Will Smith. Although I personally like character development far more than action in movies, this film did a decent job on characters and a good job on action. Bottom Line: B+

Little Black Book: This was a fun movie along the lines of “How to lose a guy in 10 days”, although it’s not a romantic comedy. It is, however, a movie about a girl who starts digging through her boyfriend’s little black book. She ends up getting betrayed by her good friend, loses her job, and ends up happier than ever. Fun to watch, but you wouldn’t miss anything by waiting for it to come out on video. Bottom Line: B-

The Manchurian Candidate: A man with post-Desert Storm stress disorders begins to have dreams about one of his men killing innocent people. Years later, that man is the vice-presidential candidate. With stellar performances all around, you will find yourself surprised by what happens in the end. Bottom Line: A

The Village: M. Night Shyamalan has a fantastic way of filling you to the brim with fear, mystery, and suspense without ever showing you something scary on-screen. As in his other movies (Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs), the audience learns something about 80% of the way into the movie that completely throws you for a loop, but the movie continues to make perfect sense. Bottom Line: A+

Napoleon Dynamite: This movie requires a certain understanding prior to watching it. You have to have been there. You have to have been a geek, nerd, dork, or whatever else that most people don’t want to be in high school. Having that understanding allows you to realize that this film is brilliant. I went through many of the exact same things in junior high that these guys go through in high school. The overreacted gestures, the things they tell people to try to be cool when they’re obviously lies, and the physical movements made by the characters are flawless. My favorite random quote from the movie is: “You need to take your stuff back. It’s taking up too much room in my locker. I can’t fit my numchucks in there anymore.” Hilarious. Bottom Line: A+