high octane summer

wanted--
wasn't exactly eager to see this one. felt like silly shoot-em-up popcorn fluff to me. and james mcavoy as an assassin? gimme a break. as per usual, his acting here is rich, and he proves up to task for any challenge at hand. angelina, too, is strong as one might expect. stunts, f/x, and camera tricks are laid on Thick, and they look good. even though i'll call the script a weak point, i do appreciate the storytellers' sermon to the sadsacks and couch potatoes of the world about choosing & living the fulfilling life.
tricks: 2 stars

hancock--
will smith is the undisputed king of the july 4th holiday opening. folks flock to see what he'll bring to each summer blockbuster. here's an extraordinarily cool premise that doesn't measure up to its potential, yet is certainly worthy of both its star and release date. count me as one who likes the "twist" and the ending. dig all three principals too. don't at all, however, like the music supervision (cheesy bad, dated song selections), or, more importantly, the direction. this--any jiggy mid-year romp, really--just strikes me as a bad fit for peter berg. he's prone to heavy-handedness (e.g., the kingdom and friday night lights), and his staple hand-held shots and dramatic close-ups don't fit tonally.
worthy: 2 stars

wall-e--
pixar keeps churning out the charm and raking in the bucks. the animation is spectacular, and the score delightful. (could have done with less hello dolly, though, soundtrack.) not quite as fun or clever, on the whole, as some of their past efforts (could have something to do with less actual dialogue), yet sure to play to all audiences. guaranteed to pick up significant post-season hardware, but i'm predicting early that best picture oscar nom hype is merely that.
charm: 3 stars