8/9/07:  "Let's start by testing whether there's any chance you'll enjoy Disney's new canine superhero flick Underdog.  All together now!  “When criminals in this world appear / and break the laws that they should fear / and frighten all who see or hear / the cry goes up both far and near / for Underdog! Underdog! Underdog! Underdog! / Speed of lightning, roar of thunder / fighting all who rob or plunder / Underdog! Underdog!”

If you successfully sung along and didn't need me to tell you the lyrics, there's an excellent chance you'll get the same goofy kick I did out of the loving cinematic reinvention one of the most beloved cartoon characters of my childhood has received.  If not, and you're over ten years old, odds are you'll focus on tiny, unimportant details like the lazy, unexciting plot and the indifferent performances of everyone whose character is not part of the Underdog mythos.  But they had me at “Simon Says...”"  MORE

2/2/08:  "After seeing the 3D version of Beowulf last year, it became pretty clear to me that Digital 3D is The Coming Thing of modern moviegoing.  As more and more locations become wired to carry events like this weekend's Miley Cirus concert (much as I shudder at the thought of being at one of THOSE screenings), we march closer to the 2009 releases of the first major 3D-only fictional features:  PDI's Monsters vs. Aliens and James Cameron's Avatar.  In the meantime, we've reached another milestone:  the first live-action digital 3D feature.  U2 3D is a concert movie, and a very good one.  But it also teases with the amazing potential of the digital 3D format (in this case, care of a company called 3ality).  Watching the movie alone is a treat:  that it comes complete with the music and showmanship of one of the world's greatest rock bands is just icing on the cake.

Shot at 9 different Latin American concerts but seeming to occur entirely in Buenos Aires, the concert consists of “Vertigo”, “Beautiful Day”, “New Year's Day”, “Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own”, “Love and Peace or Else”, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “Bullet the Blue Sky”, “Miss Sarajevo”, “Pride (In the Name of Love)”, “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “One”, followed by an encore of “The Fly” and “With or Without You”.  “Yahweh” is performed over the end credits."  MORE