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Max Braden: From the time we listed recents a month ago and I had seen Brave, I've since been to the theater twice: for The Dark Knight Rises, and Total Recall.

The Dark Knight Rises - The most immediate comment I have about this movie is that I *hated* the audio mix; the music drowned out important dialogue throughout the movie and for various characters. I nearly threw up my hands in the theater and I'll be yelling when it wins an Oscar for Sound Mixing. I was a little underwhelmed by Bane. The fights between Wayne and Ra's in the first Batman were better, and Hardy's physical power is demonstrated better in Warrior. I liked the other two Batmans more, but the ending was a bright spot in this one. I think in that aspect, it was better than The Avengers because the solution to TDKR required more complicated teamwork. Still, I'd say The Avengers was the more enjoyable movie.

Total Recall - It really annoyed me that there was a claim that "the only element from the previous Total Recall being reused is the three-boobed woman" and then you had line after line of the same dialogue. Although Beckinsale looked great in chase mode, there was no chemistry between Farrell and the women. The Fifth Element and I, Robot both had better futuristic car chases. And Schwarzenegger's version was just grander, more exciting, and more enjoyable.

Recently seen on video:

Loosies - Is a crime/romance movie starring Peter Facinelli (a Tom Cruise doppelganger) and Jaimie Alexander. It's decent, and they have good chemistry. Both actors are easy on the eyes and I've always thought that Facinelli is better than the level of movies or distribution he's been stuck in.

Big Miracle - About the 1980s international effort to rescue trapped whales. This is a completely play-it-safe-for-whole-family-viewing choice. It made me laugh when the Eskimos point out, "hey, this is part of nature and it happens all the time."

Cat Run - A Tarantinoesque heist starring Paz Vega, with Janet McTeer (who plays a brutal and proper assassin) and a couple of guys I didn't recognize. It has some sexy and funny moments. I'd recommend it for McTeer's performance.

Mother's Day - About a mother/sons crime group who take a house full of strangers hostage. The tone is like Texas Chainsaw Massacre with a touch of lightness thrown in (but really, it's almost torture porn) because the mother is Rebecca De Mornay, and she's super sweetly sadistic. DO NOT watch this with your mother.

Machine Gun Preacher - Based on a true story about Sam Childers, a Pennsylvania biker, come preacher, come African freedom fighter out to save the children, starring Gerard Butler, with Michelle Monaghan as his stay-at-home wife. Noble story, it just didn't grab me.

Mirror Mirror - On the one hand I like that the actors took a loose approach to this movie, which resulted in a fun, relaxed tone. I laughed a couple times at the dialogue (and the quick cut of "I need a second..." *cut to clock tick* "Okay..."). But on the other hand, the production felt so made for ABC Family Channel that it had no teeth, and I felt a little sorry for Julia Roberts. Still, an easy-going choice and one I'd make every time over frumpy Kristen Stewart and her version of Snow White.

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