The Last Mini Reviews of 2006

I might see another movie or two in 2006, but I doubt I’ll have time to write reviews for them (I tend to let them accrue). Here are my additions to the big list. Tomorrow I’ll review it and assemble a ten best and worst of the year.

Casino Royale – 7.5/10 – It’s too long by about 20 minutes, but it looks great. Daniel Craig is a little too brooding and not wry enough for my taste, but he’s a convincing assasin. Eva Green is, well, very, very watchable. As for the film’s length, there was way, way too much card playing. I forget where I heard this, but somebody pointed out that the poker scenes are all about the cards when they should be about the players. Also, I think this badboy set a new record for most product placements.

Van Wilder 2: Rise of the Taj – 3/10 – What can I say, the first one was pretty funny. Kal Penn is a great actor, but it’s an unfunny movie and trades on all the usual stereotypes.

Blood Diamond – 9.5/10 – A really great film, with world class performances from everybody. It’s thrillingly high-paced yet still has plenty to say about Africa at the end of the millenium. Leonardo DiCaprio has always been a great actor, but I felt like he finally was a man, instead of a boy playing a man.The film also has a few moments of levity, which was Babel’s only real failing. If you see one film this month, see this one.

Apocalypto – 7.5/10 – You’ve seen all the scenes in Apocalypto before–the pastoral village before the raid, the rowsing, bloodthirsty speech to the plebs, the run through the jungle–but you’ve never seen them look like this. The film is set in the final days of the Mayan empire, and it’s worth the price of admission just for the incredible (and not unnecessarily showy, as in the Peter Jackson school) scenes in the Mayan city. It’s a typical Mel Gibson epic, all about redemption and vengeance. The movie also has a very strong environmental theme. The performances are more athletic than artistic, as there’s little dialogue and a great deal of running.