Another year of going to the movies. Here's my thoughts.

Batman Begins--A cracker of a superhero adaptation that basically gets the look and feel right. It does have that "pilot" feel after a while, and Katie Holmes is unnecessary, but this is good stuff. A-

Jarhead--A searing experience that thankfully doesn't get too preachy or political, instead examining the individual soldier's story in a detailed fashion. Excellent job at subverting, even perverting, expectations of a war movie. A-

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith--Huge expectations, good try. There's a lot to experience here (perhaps too much), some silliness, but it is necessarily uncomfortable. B+

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy--A droll hour plus of entertainment. Having never read the book, I was happy, although I'm told that if you did read the book, you won't be. The "voice" performers do the best work. B+

Kung Fu Hustle--Wacky entertainment. It might sound like carping, but some of the plot twists did make no sense. I have to say I love The Axe Gang. Wouldn't mind seeing this become a series. B

Herbie: Fully Loaded--If you could believe Breckin Meyer as a NASCAR driver, this movie is for you. Like a lot of kids movies, it takes itself too seriously to really not be entertaining after a while. C-

Doom: If you want something to MST, this is a reasonable choice, but heck, the movie does it itself at the last third. Never have I seen a movie hero seem so embarassed to be in the movie than Karl Urban. D

That's it? Wow, saving money for college really took it to the theater experience this year. Sob...