Random thoughts about movies - 2007

Great movies from the past year (and a bit):

August Rush - Not sure why I liked it so much, but I know I liked the music in this one. Very understated movie and a really unique turn by Robin Williams. If you like a movie with a good story line and a really unique view of how to make music and the part it plays in our lives, take a chance.

Bucket List - This may be one of my favorite movies of all time. I'm not a real Jack Nicholson fan but I was really impressed by the way he presented his character. Morgan Freeman on the other hand impresses me every time and this was no exception. In fact, he may be my favorite all time actor so my enjoyment of this movie may have been impacted by that fact. The basic idea that these two men would connect takes a bit of a leap to accept and yet the movie pulls it off and it works. Dealing with death is often dangerous territory but this movie deals with it as well as I have ever seen. The basic premise of the movie surrounds a "bucket list" which is a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket. How this plays out is done very well and brought laughter, tears, joy, sadness and frustration at different times. And how you view this movie will be very influenced by how you view life. This is the one movie that I came out of this year thinking a lot about how I live my life, how I interact with others, and what I want to make out of the rest of my years.

Wild Hogs - Wow. If you are a guy who is in his 40's who is wondering about how you got where you are and if you have it in you to take a chance, this is a movie you need to see. This is the one movie I have seen several times. Most movies I will see once or twice but this one I have seen often. Why? Because as much as it was a funny movie and there were great gags (make sure you know which container holds the fuel and which one holds the water when you go camping), there were some great lines that really hit home. My kids liked it as well so it isn't just for 40 year old men, but they liked it for different reasons than I did. If you ever get the chance to read the book Wild at Heart, or if you have read it, this movie laid out a lot of the same thoughts that are presented in that book.

I Am Legend - Never saw the original Omega Man so I had no point of reference. Wasn't sure I would like this one but it was in the cheap theatre so I thought I'd take a chance. Good decision. The more I see of Will Smith, the better I like him as an actor. It takes a lot of skill to pull off a movie like this and he did it very well. Was it a classic movie? Likely not. But it was really good and I found myself wishing it had gone a bit longer which for me means that there was more story to tell and the story that was told was told well.

Die Hard 4 - How can you not like a movie that has a helicopter getting taken out by a police car? Still one of the most enjoyable action franchises. (And if Bruce Willis can do action at his age, maybe I still have a chance to get in shape). :-)

Transformers - Incredible special effects.

Bourne Ultimatum - Excellent ending to the trilogy (which apparently now may be adding a fourth movie. $$$$$$$). It is rare that a third movie does such a good job of wrapping up a trilogy. This is one of the few movie franchises that has had excellent action, acting and plot throughout and could easily add more movies in the future.

There were several other movies I saw during the year but for me, those top my list. Kind of a diverse group but I liked each one for different reasons. Feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree.