Welcome to my movie review blog!

Welcome to my brand new movie review blogspot. Until I am able to develop a proprietary blog on my site (HollywoodKen.com), I'm going to post my reviews of movies here. Coming soon: My 10 Favorite Films of 2005. But for now, here are a few reviews to get you started.

1. KING KONG

Brilliant! Simply f**king brilliant! Peter Jackson has filmed the definitive version of this timeless story, delivering not only a beautiful film steeped in the hues and moods of the 1930s (the art direction is flawless), but an epic love story of grand proportions. Kong is so real and life-like, it's impossible not to fall in love with him, and Naomi Watts is radiantly luminous as the damsel in distress. Some are bulking that, at 3 hours, the film is too long, but frankly, I could have sat there for another hour of Jackson's genius for making "big Hollywood pictures" that deliver thrills and chills for the popcorn crowd and true emotion and complexity for the more intellectually-minded. He is, quite frankly, a master of filmmaking. Grade: A

2. THE PRODUCERS

Simply hilarious and endlessly enchanting. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprise their Broadways roles as theater producers scheming to make away with the big bucks by producing a sure-fire flop. The musical numbers are flawless, and the performances (particularly Lane, Gary Beach and Roger Bart) are briliantly over-the-top and jaw-droppingly hilarious. Uma Thurman is a riot as Ula. Seriously, we laughed so hard in this one that I was crying almost as much as I was during the final 10 mins of Kong. Grade: A-

3. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE

One of my favorite books comes to life is an enchanting and lyrical film adaptation that takes quite a bit of time to fully get off the ground (the book was always a bit episodic in the beginning as well), but, once it does, it just soars. You'd have to be a ignoramous not to pick up on the Christian allegories, but they are very subtle and not at all intrusive. Besides, they are great life lessons to begin with. Tilda Swinton makes an excellent White Witch, and the four kids are all very talented. I was especially enchanged by Scottish actor James McAvoy, who plays Mr. Thomas the faun. What a cutie! Fauns, talking beavers, messianistic lions and mean old white witches... good versus evil never looked so good, or felt so damned comforting. Grade: B+

OK, folks, that's it for me this time around. Hope to catch up with you soon!

XOXO,
Hollywood Ken