Fourth Row Center

I have always been a big fan of Tolkien's "The Hobbit." I may be one of the few people that actually thinks that the Rankin-Bass animated adaptation is not that bad, especially if you consider that R&B also made all of the classic CBS Christmas Specials. And, because the story was written for Tolkien's children, it adapted much better to the R&B style then the "Return of the King." Also, I have always enjoyed Ralph Bakshi's "Lord of the Rings." Because at the time I was reading LOTR, this was all that was available. I really kept waiting for part two (in fact, I still am). Yes, I know, there are incredible pacing problems, characters are just all wrong (Sam) and some of the design really makes you go hmmm (Treebeard). Move forward to Peter Jackson's films. I have been listening to the newly released "Two Towers Complete Recording" soundtrack. "Two Towers" has been my least favorite of the films. Yes, the ending i...

"It's too early to tell yet, but Daniel Craig may just be the best James Bond." That's what my friend Mike said after a screening of Casino Royale at Seattle's Cinerama. As they progressed, the Bond movies -- as good as many of them were -- began less and less to resemble the novels and stories upon which they were based. Though set in the present, and not in the early 1950's era in which the novel was set, the movie keeps close to the actions and themes of the book. When the action moves to Casino Royale, pitting Bond against a menacing but very flawed and human villain, Le Chiffre, the film stays faithful to the novel. The script, co-written by Paul Haggis ( Million Dollar Baby , Crash ) is taut, layered and avoids the tiresome quips that have plagued too many action movies, the Bonds included. Craig is intense, menacing and vulnerable as Bond, and in my mind plays the character closer to creator Ian Fleming's vision that any other actor who has filled ...