A Really Fun Movie

Rating: Null/10 (4 May 2004)

This is a really fun movie. I went to the premiere tonight and, while the actual event was good, the movie just rocked me.
Like another reviewer here said, it's a beautifully shot visual effects movie. But it's more than that because I also thought that the new Star Wars movies looked beautiful, but they didn't keep me interested because there was nothing more than visual effects. Hugh Jackman was a great hero and the monsters were perfect. No, it's not completely faithful to the legends we've seen in the classic movies, but that didn't bother me at all. Each monster took on a new life of their own and it was great to see how they could all blend together smoothly.
Obviously, Hugh Jackman is the lead, but the movie belongs to the director, Stephen Sommers. He seems to have a good time with his movies and he keeps things moving really quickly (and loudly!), with not much time to recover from each scare or each laugh. It's not scary like The Shining, it's not even scary like the original Dracula, its scares are more like brief frights, followed by a laugh. Honestly, it's the epitome of a fun movie. Nothing heavy, nothing that'll make you think too much, just something that will take you away from it all.