As per usual, I picked up a few flicks from the local McCook Movie Gallery and below are a few thoughts on them.

Mr. Brooks

The latest in a long line of Kevin Costner films is a bit of a departure for Costner. He plays a serial killer who is having a hard time suppressing his desire to kill. His desire to kill is manifested in the form of a multiple personality which is played by William Hurt. No one can see or hear William Hurt, but he is always there giving advice and interacting with Costner. The internal dialogue that proceeds between these two is a bit confusing at first, but settles in and helps drive the story. Speaking of the story, the plot has many twists and turns and a couple unexpected bits which are always nice in a thriller like this. I won't reveal anything here, but one of the unexpected bits is a huge 'misunderstanding' that at first surprises and then lets down. Overall, the flick is very well acted, the plot is tight and genuinely keeps you interested, and the tech aspects are all handled well. A definitely rent it title.

Meet the Robinsons

The latest Disney release is another CGI cartoon made strictly for the kids. Disney has been trying to get a Computer Generated Animation Studio off the ground ever since the boom of CGI with Pixar's Toy Story. They have made a few good things like 'Chicken Little.' Overall, they have done well with the graphics as it looks great, but the animation is a bit dated. The characters don't move as smoothly as most other CGI movies and some of the graphics are not as finely detailed as they could be. The company had a great little idea for a flick but seemed to run out of steam in telling the story. There are some great bits in it, but they are few and far between, which makes this film a bit of a bore for the older crowd, however children love it. Most of the script is tailored to a younger crowd and how they think so it is only logical to assume that an older, wiser person will find it boring. I enjoyed the overall experience of the film, but the story brought it down quite a bit. A must rent for the kids, but the parents may want to get Mr. Brooks to watch once they go to bed.

That's all for this week. Both movies plus some more are released on Tuesday the 23rd of October at Movie Gallery in McCook.