TRANSFORMERS: After twenty-five minutes I took it out of my DVD player. I’m taking it back to Blockbusters tomorrow. Why? Because even after only a mere twenty-five minutes and a quick review of the Scene Selections, it was clear to me that the Transformers/Cube plotline was not enough to carry the movie by itself, and that the script had been padded with an “Earthlings in danger” story arc featuring brain-dead humans and feeble adolescent humor. The Cube idea was so unoriginal that it didn’t make me care at all; it looked like a recycled Borg ship from “Star Trek: First Contact”, which it more than likely was. Sorry, but they can keep their Camaros – and this film. I will not rent it again. And I sincerely hope that the upcoming ThunderCats movie won’t be this awful.
I know some of you will say that I should have watched the whole thing instead of bailing after only 25 minutes. My answer is this: If 25 minutes was more than I could take of “Transformers”, there was no reason for me to endure two more hours of what I sensed to be obvious crap. And all the dazzling special effects in the world would not make a bad movie better; it would only prove how much time and money were wasted in a clearly desperate attempt to hide its flaws. 
If any good came out of the film, it was Peter Cullen’s fan base enabling him to again be Optimus Prime. I can only imagine how the man must feel about that, and the thought is deeply moving.
ELEKTRA: I can sum up this film in one word: Enjoyable! I didn’t see “DareDevil” before this, but I plan to in the not-too-distant future. “Elektra” might not be great filmmaking, but then neither were “X-Men”, “Fantastic Four”, and “Ghost Rider”, and I thoroughly enjoyed them as well. If Stan Lee and his crew have taught me anything about their comic book characters, it’s that they are not cardboard cut-outs; they all have backstories, emotions, and worldviews. Elektra Natchios is the same, but she’s also unusual because of the personal journey she has to take. Never mind that she’s your proverbial superheroine. The ghosts Elektra has to put to rest, the villians she has to face down and destroy, and the young girl Abby who she has to protect from these evildoers are an interesting parallel to her life as a hired assassin who’s also a human being that’s walled herself off from the rest of the world. The action sequences are great as are the special effects, and, of course, there’s Jennifer Garner’s kick-ass costume in which she literally kicks ass. The story could have used a bit more humor, and there are a few plot glitches (how did Stick get hold of Elektra’s body so he could bring her back to life; how did Abby slip away from the martial arts camp; how did Abby find Elektra’s childhood home when nobody told her where it was), but the interplay between Elektra and those who come into her orbit, both good and bad, make for a fun action film and, at times, a touching one at that.:cheetaraveryhappy:
DAY WATCH: A swirling fever-dream of a movie like its NIGHT WATCH predecessor. Both based on the sci-fi trilogy by Russian author Sergei Lukyankenko, the story, largely set in modern-day Moscow, tells of the powers of Light and Dark struggling for dominance and of the Truce they agree to when their war threatens to destroy the world. Two organizations, Day Watch and Night Watch, are formed to keep the Truce from being broken. But that Truce is broken when when just one drop of Dark One blood is spilled, and literally all hell breaks loose and once again threatens to consume the planet. It takes a senior member of Day Watch and the Chalk of Destiny to put things to right. DAY WATCH has things in its favor: A fast-paced script, witty dialogue, more humor, and mind-blowing special effects. But no movie is without its glitches and DAY WATCH is no different: A troup of vampires appear in a subway sequence and then are never seen again, there’s no explanation as to what “The Second Level of Gloom” is other than it’s what a powerful Dark One can ascend to, and medieval warriors of Good and Evil popping up at a 21st century birthday party to slug it out makes you think a historical re-enactment group went berserk and crashed the wrong gig. Still, DAY WATCH is a film that kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing about what would happen next.
