The Bat and the Three Dads

I usually see at least one movie each weekend. Very often more than one. I will try from time to time to give you a witty, cleverly written review of the films, but let's face it - I'm lazy and most of the time not all that witty or clever.

Yes, I was one of the many people who saw The Dark Knight at a 12:01 showing Thursday night. And yes, it was more than worth it. The Dark Knight is great and fantastically entertaining. I was thrilled to see that it shattered box office records it's opening weekend. In my opinion Spider-Man 3 sucked and I'm glad it's no longer the record holder for having the biggest three day opening in movie history. No doubt many people flocked to the theater to marvel at Heath Ledger's final performance. And marvel I hope they did. Terrifically psychotic, Ledger's Joker is pure devilish fun. Christopher Nolan is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors alongside David Fincher. The Dark Knight, like Batman Begins, is shrouded in an unbelievable style and ambiance. It's just stunning to look at.

The second movie seen this weekend is the film adaptation of the hit stage musical Mamma Mia! It's better everyone knows this upfront: I love musicals. I saw Mamma Mia! on stage last year and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The film thankfully stays incredibly true to the stage production - thanks in part to director Phyllida Lloyd (who also directed the stage show) and screenwriter Catherine Johnson (who was the book writer for the stage show). The big screen adaptation is fun. Plain and simple laugh out loud fun. But it's not perfect. Is anything really? The singing is not Broadway caliber greatness. But these are not Broadway singers, so comparing the two is not entirely fair. The tunes are undeniably catchy (ABBA!) and the cast (an awesome assembly of veteran all stars and youngster stand out Amanda Seyfried) bubbles with enthusiasm.