Mark and Barb Go to the Movies

Definitely did not neglect the cinematic arts, big-budget division, on our recent California-Oregon sojourn.

Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith (dir. George Lucas) I'm not sure why everyone's so abuzz over this final prequel installment. Maybe because instead of lots of weirdly-dressed aliens sitting around in official-looking rooms debating issues that slowly, slowly develop the plot Episode III has a bunch more dogfights and battles, including one massacre of (most of) the good guys just in case you thought this one was going to end happily. You can tell all the care ILM put into every overstuffed background scene and establishing shot, only to fall right back to sleep as soon as Princess Padme and Anakin Skywalker start pitching woo. So just give thanks the damn thing is finally over with and wait for the director's uncut DVD edition. Mark's rating: **

Batman Begins (dir. Christopher Nolan) In these Dirty Harry times, I'm grateful for any blockbuster that suggests (however indirectly) that paranoia is a virus that tears societies apart, not a necessary state that separates Us from Them. I'm sure Christopher Nolan took seriously the job of rescuing this once-lucrative franchise from Joel Schumacher's kiss-of-death episodes. (Say, what ever happened to Chris O'Donnell after Batman and Robin anyway?) I even think Chrsitian Bale's rageaholic brings a little much-needed bad attitude to the batdude. But whoever thought Katie Holmes was a good female lead was probably the same genius who thought the same thing about Alicia Silverstone in 1998. And prequel or no, what's a Batman installment without a bunch of colorfully-themed criminal masterminds to do battle with? Mark's rating: **½