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Bruce Hall: Thanks to our snakebit economy and some personal challenges, I haven't been able to see as many new releases in theater this year as I'd like. In fact, not many at all. The most recent films I've seen in the cineplex are Avengers, Dark Knight Rises and Skyfall.

I know, it's horrible; but it's been pretty jacked up around here lately. However, I do have input.

Avengers was wonderfully entertaining and fun, but holds up less well on repeat viewings, which is my primary complaint with the Marvel catalogue. I can't speak for everyone, but if I were going to invade the Earth and enslave humanity, I'd probably elect to use a strategy more effective than a couple hundred morons on rocket sleds dropped out of the sky over the Chrysler building in Manhattan.

But, I HAVE watched it several times, so obviously it accomplished what it set out to do.

Because of the events in Aurora, I don't think we ever discussed DKR as in depth as we might have, so I'll admit that I was a little off base about how good this film was going to be. It wasn't bad, but it did not quite live up to the hype, and while I think that Nolan's Batman series as a whole is incredibly strong, the final installment was perhaps the weakest.

Tom Hardy was good, but I'm ready to call out Bane's Mask as potential Worst Actor of 2012.

As far as Skyfall, I'll provide an excerpt from a recent conversation with a friend:

There was more character development in this film than in any Bond since OHMSS. The Bond/M relationship has been the driving force in the series since the Brosnan days; I am reminded of what M says to Bond in Goldeneye when they first met:

"I think you're a sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War, whose boyish charms, though wasted on me, obviously appealed to that young woman I sent out to evaluate you...if you think for one moment I don't have the balls to send a man out to die, your instincts are dead wrong."

Despite the lapse in continuity between the two Bonds, M proves what she said then in every movie since, and never more so than in Skyfall. It all comes full circle, and it works fantastically well. There are a lot of holes in Skyfall but the central theme works, and works to perfection. The Mother/Son dynamic drives Bond to his Genesis, and now - they might as well remake Doctor No. We're back to Square One. I like it a lot.

I also watch a lot of films for Viking Night, and most of them I do not end up submitting. I'd like to call out Goon, the hockey comedy by Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg, starring Seann William Scott and Liev Schreiber. It's a small, but enjoyable gem. It's not deep, it's not transformative, but it's a fun, uplifting sports film with humor and heart.

No, it's not Slap Shot. It's just reminiscent of, and every bit as good as. If you are one of the diminishing number of people who still love hockey, check it out. And even if you're not, it's just a great time. Give it a chance. I highly recommend it.

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