This section of the site is dedicated to my personal movie reviews. Even though I got my college degree in Mass Communication (with a concentration in film and television production) I'm not your average critic. I don't think movies are great just because they're masterfully directed. Don't get me wrong--good direction is important, but it's only one element of the film. There are plenty of well-directed films that are so dreadfully boring (to me) that I'd rather eat broken glass than sit through them.

Anyway, that's just the long way of saying that I like all sorts of films, and that on this page you'll find honest critiques by someone who just likes a good movie--and knows one when he sees one.

I'll try to keep this page as up-to-date as possible. Here in Durham, NC there's little to do but eat and go to the movies-- so I'll usually have plenty of new films to review. (Check out my rating scale if you're unfamiliar with my criteria for movie rating.)

By the way--I never include spoilers in my reviews. I hate it when people give away a movie's secrets, so I'd never do it to anyone else.

Reviews at a Glance

(Click the movie title where applicable for a full review)

Movie	Rating	Synopsis
Terminator Salvation	60%	Lots of explosions and action, almost zero plot and character. And not in a good, Terminator 2 kind of way.
Star Trek	93%	An amazing thrill ride of a film and a successful reboot of a classic series. If this is what Star Trek is going to be in future, I'm more than fine with that.
Superbad	85%	A rarity in the teen comedy genre: a movie with good characters and a lot of heart to go with all the laughs.
The Simpsons Movie	90%	Easily as funny and clever as the best episodes of the series.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	85%	Dark, sinister, and fun to watch, but missing lots of material from the book that would have made it truly great.
Transformers	90%	It's insane how good this movie is, considering how cheesy and awful it could have been.
Live Free or Die Hard	75%	It's an okay action film...but there's just no recapturing the spirit of the original, apparently.
Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer	69%	Didn't suck nearly as much as the first one.
Ocean's Thirteen	89%	A fun and funny caper film that goes back to the elements that made the first film in the series so much fun.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End	85%	Manages to recapture a lot of the elements that made the first film so much fun.
Spider-Man 3	78%	Watchable, but definitely not up to the high standards of the first two in the series.
Hot Fuzz	87%	Not as funny as Shaun of the Dead, but definitely worth watching.
Grindhouse	80%	Not the best from either director, but a really cool cinema experience.
Eragon	27%	Truly awful.
Casino Royale	98%	Hands down, the best Bond film ever made.
Borat	75%	Crude and vulgar...but also funny--and occasionally uncomfortably enlightening.
Flushed Away	80%	A fun and funny story that has something for both kids and adults alike.
Man of the Year	69%	Could have been great...but didn't even come close to fulfilling its potential.
Flyboys	80%	If you go in looking for lots of cool, exciting dogfights in World War I biplanes, you won't be the least bit disappointed.
The Wicker Man	76%	A different and decent--though not great--thriller/horror film that's worth a look-see.
Snakes on a Plane	79%	A strangely fun blend of 70s disaster, splatter horror, and science fiction films with a little crime drama (and Sam Jackson) thrown in for good measure.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby	80%	Surprisingly hilarious.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest	75%	Occasionally amusing, but overly long, overly complicated, and not nearly as good as the first film.
Click	72%	Starts funny, but takes a very serious turn. Not destined to be an Adam Sandler classic.
Superman Returns	70%	A long and rather disappointing chapter in the Superman saga.
Thank You For Smoking	85%	An independent black comedy/satire that is easily one of the funniest films of the year.
X-Men: The Last Stand	89%	An action-packed, visually stunning sequel that is easily equal to the first two installments of the X-Men series.
Over the Hedge	80%	A well-animated, funny little film that's definitely worth seeing.
American Dreamz	65%	A promising parody of the president and American Idol that is ruined by a confusing script and meandering editing.
Failure to Launch	75%	Predictable, but surprisingly witty and charming. Actually worth seeing.
Eight Below	85%	In some ways, a typical Disney live action film, but still an enjoyable (if emotional) experience.
Good Night, and Good Luck	98%	An awesome film in every way. Best Picture? Maybe. It deserves it.
King Kong	85%	Best King Kong ever made.
The Chronicles of Narnia	80%	A decent fantasy film that's true to the book.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	93%	Darker and scarier. Easily the best film in the Harry Potter series so far.
Flightplan	60%	A far-fetched, airborne attempt at a thriller that is coasting on auto-pilot at best.
Serenity	95%	There's no place I can be since I found Serenity. A worthy follow-up to Firefly--the best sci-fi show you probably never watched.
Red Eye	83%	Not a typical Wes Craven film--but a really good thriller that's well worth seeing.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin	70%	Amusing, but not hilarious.
Fantastic Four	50%	Fantastic Flop? Lame On? Take your pick. Just don't waste your money.

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Dave's Rating System

I've always felt that the standard movie rating system--the one that uses either a letter grade or a star system (1-5) is a little too limiting. There are often subtle differences that put a movie somewhere higher than a "B" but lower than a "B+" for example. For that reason, I use a percentage system that breaks down as follows: