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I hope you’re a Disney fan if you’re looking to rent a new DVD today. The DVDs releasing this week are perfect for your 7th-grader;s back to school sleep over. We’ve got the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus to rock your televisions. And some Keanu Reeves if you like that sort of thing.

Camp Rock

Camp Rock

For anyone with a future on the stage, there’s only one place to spend the summer … Camp Rock! Yep, that’s the tag line. Starring the Jonas Brothers and Disney star Demi Lovato, the movie follows a bunch of young up-and-coming stars on their quest for Camp Rock greatness. A little bit love story, a little bit teen comedy, and a lot of singing and dancing, Camp Rock is sure to keep the kids entertained.

Best of Both Worlds Concert: The 3-D Movie

If you like Hannah Montana, you’ll like the 3-D Movie. It’s been a while since I was seen sporting some 3-D glasses, but maybe it’s about time I try them on again. With Miley Cyrus and her alter ego, you get the best of both worlds, mix it all together and you know that it’s the best of both worlds.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

This movie looks like a cross between “Nanny Diaries” and “Down with Love”. With the musical and light-hearted talents of Amy Adams and the comical greatness of Frances McDormand (who doesn’t love her, really?), “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” looks to be a winner. In the film, career nanny Miss Pettigrew finds herself fired and looking for work, and in her desperation takes a job as “social secretary” for an American actress and singer. In the unfamiliar world of glitz and glamor, Pettigrew finds herself navigating quite well and helping her new friend in love, life and work along the way. 77% of critics agree that this flick scores big.

Street Kings

Keanu Reeves is back, this time playing an outside-the-lines cop as part of a group of officers who take justice into their own hands. But when the good cops rat out these “Street Kings”, it’s Keanu who takes the fall. And it’s Forest Whitaker who sells him out. But in typical Reeves fashion, the critics aren’t buying it. Lots of fun action it looks like, but not a lot of acting chops.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

It’s a good thing there’s mid-week movies releasing on the big screen this week because there’s not much in the way of small screen films. The DVDs releasing this week are “Nim’s Island” and “Starship Troopers 3″.

Nim’s Island”

Nim’s Island

Abigail Breslin and Jodie Foster star in this family adventure movie about an author who’s never left her home and a little girl in need of help from the world’s greatest adventure author. When Abigail’s father is lost at sea and her island comes under attack, she enlists the help of her favorite author, Jodie Foster. But Jodie is not the person she lets on in the books, so it’s an adventure for everyone. The critics have generally been pleased, calling the movie a story of “girl power” and “cute and imaginative”.

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder

The third installment in this sci-fi adventure comedy is nothing new if you’ve seen the first two. Johnny Rico is called back into action to fight the bugs, and he gets into some trouble along the way. It’s a directly to DVD movie, so don’t get too excited.

See the movie trailers below.

Videos

There’s only a couple DVDs coming out this week, so I hope you’ve got some old ones stashed away to get you through. The DVDs releasing this week are “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” and “Never Back Down”.

“Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay”

Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay

In this sequel to the original, Harold and Kumar begin their travels to Amsterdam the same way everyone would - in the airport. After an encounter with airport security, the boys to get on the flight only to find that they’ve been mistaken for terrorists. They get arrested and sent to Guantanamo where they’re interrogated by Rob Corddry. Realizing their fate of wasting away in a terrorist prison with no hope of trial or phone call, Harold and Kumar plot their escape.

Poking fun at stereotypes and the judgments people make about one another everyday, Harold and Kumar is not only a funny movie to spend a couple hours on, but also an eye-opener with a bit of political commentary mixed in. They even smoke out with President Bush.

Never Back Down

Have you been looking for a good fight movie? “Never Back Down” just might be it. Starring Djimon Hounsou and Sean Faris, it’s a movie about a kid’s introduction to mixed martial arts (MMA). Jake Tyler gets involved after he realizes the only way to beat his rival Ryan is to learn some MMA and kick his ass.

And here’s a funny piece of trivia about the film - it’s working title was “Get Some”. I’m glad they changed it.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

In case you don’t feel like going to the theater to fight the Batman crowd, there’s still at least one good movie you can watch right in your own home. The DVDs releasing this week include “21″, “Picture This”, and “Two Tickets to Paradise”.

“21″ Releases Tuesday on DVD

21

A movie based on the book “Bringing Down the House”, “21″ stars Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth. It tells the story of some very gifted MIT students who use their math skills to count cards and score some serious cash. But when you start down a road of excitement and danger, you never know where you’ll end up. When Ben gets in too deep, he’s got to get out of the game before it’s too late.

Picture This

“High School Musical” star Ashley Tisdale is back on the screen in this dramedy about a girl who trying to discover herself in the high school hallways. It’s an ABC Family original. Ashley plays Mandy, a senior who happens upon a date with the most popular guy in school. Unfortunately, she’ll have to overcome a few obstacles to get to the date, including her own unpopularity, mean high school girls including Drew’s ex-girlfriend, and her dad. And there’s an Ashley Tisdale cover of Pat Benatar’s “Shadows of the Night”. Sounds like it’s perfect for next weekend’s slumber party.

Two Tickets To Paradise

This little-known movie stars John C. McGinley, D. B. Sweeney, Moira Kelly, and Ed Harris. It’s a story of three friends pulling each other up from the blows life has thrown their way. After one loses his money and his family on a bet, one loses his wife to an affair, and one realizes he’s just not into the life he’s ended up with, they take off on a journey for the College Football Championship Bowl. And of course hilarity ensues, followed by that heartwarming feeling you get from being with great friends.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

There are just a few DVDs releasing this week, and while they’re not huge titles, they might still make for an entertaining movie night. This week we’ve got “Stop-Loss”, “Superhero Movie”, and “Sleepwalking”.

“Stop-Loss” Releases on DVD July 8

Stop-Loss

The latest in movies about the Iraq War and the soldiers who fight in it, “Stop-Loss” tells the story of a soldier who returns from war, looking forward to starting a life after the military. But when he goes to get discharged, they tell him that he’s been stop-lossed. That means that even though he has fulfilled his duty and his time is up, the army won’t let him out because the rule says that in the event of war, a soldier’s enlistment continues until six months after the war ends. Unfortunately for the boys fighting the war, most of the time they don’t realize this until they’re told about the stop-loss.

In the film, we watch as Ryan Phillippe deals with his own stop-loss and how he handles his change in plans. When a soldier is stop-lossed, it doesn’t just affect him, it affects his friends, family, and fellow brothers in arms.

Superhero Movie

From the makers of the spoof “Scary Movie” comes the latest in comedic movies that poke fun at different genres. This time, it’s the comic book genre. “Superhero Movie” stars Leslie Nielsen, Tracy Morgan, Drake Bell, and Pamela Anderson as various superheros. There’s not much else to say about this one - if you’ve seen one spoof you’ve seen them all.

Sleepwalking

In “Sleepwalking” Charlize Theron plays a mother who has never dealt with the past. After she abandons her daughter, played by Anna Sophia Robb, the girl has to come to terms with the events, and in doing so forms a bond with her uncle. After the 11-year-old ends up in foster care, her uncle breaks her out and takes her back to his childhood home to meet his father, played by Dennis Hopper.

Unfortunately, the film appears to fall short. Director William Maher is said to “bring in surreal touches and put on literary airs”, which ruins the realness of the story. The best thing about it, according to the New York Times, is Anna Sophia Robb.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

The DVDs releasing this week include “Vantage Point”, “Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns”, and “Drillbit Taylor”. It looks like a little bit of action, a little bit of love, and a little bit of laughs.

“Vantage Point” Releases on DVD July 1

Vantage Point

When the President of the United States is shot while giving a speech at an international location, it’s up to the people in the crowd and a couple secret service agents to put the pieces together and figure out what exactly went wrong. The movie stars Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, Matthew Fox, and Sigourney Weaver, but even with a strong cast like that, the critics say they can’t carry a weak script. Even the good reviews have comments like, “To fall for Vantage Point you have to throw away any connection to reality” and “watchably silly”.

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns

When Angela Bassett’s character loses her job in inner city Chicago, she’s almost at wit’s end with how to make ends meet. But then she receives word that a father she has never met has passed away, and the single mother of three decides to take her kids to Georgia for the funeral and see what kind of help she can find. In the process of getting her feet back on the ground, she finds friends, family and even love. Critics give this one a C.

Drillbit Taylor

Another film in a long line of Judd Apatow scripts, “Drillbit Taylor” stars Owen Wilson as a pre-teen bodyguard. When three boys start high school as freshman, they’re small size makes them perfect targets for the school bullies. So they take matters into their own hands and hire a bodyguard, who teaches them how to stick up for themselves. But again the movie is not all it’s cracked up to be. Wilson is said to be phoning it in this time around and the bullies are just a little too dark for how lighthearted the film is supposed to be.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

Another week, another DVD release. The DVDs releasing this week bring you action, adventure, and fun for all ages. We’ve got “The Spiderwick Chronicles”, “10,000 B.C.”, “Definitely, Maybe”, “Persepolis”, and “Charlie Bartlett”.

“Definitely, Maybe” Releases On DVD June 24

Definitely, Maybe

Have you had a bad Monday? Do you really need a feel good movie you can curl up to with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s? Then “Definitely, Maybe” is the DVD pick for you this week. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz, and Elizabeth Banks, the story is about a little girl dealing with her parents divorce. She’s worried about her dad, and in the midst of the unpacking, she convinces her dad to tell her the story of how her parents got together. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll enjoy Ryan Reynolds.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

In the family film department this week, we’ve got “The Spiderwick Chronicles”. Starring Freddie Highmore (previously seen in “August Rush”), the story is about a boy who finds a mysterious book that opens the doors to an unseen world. While it appears beautiful at first glance, soon the ugly ogre rears his head, and the boy and his family must figure out how to get their world back to normal. The critics mostly love it, saying it’s fun for both kids and adults, and let’s face it, those are the best movies.

10,000 B.C.

I actually watched “10,000 B.C.” in the theater … on opening night. Don’t ask me how it happened, it just did. But interesting fellow movie-goers aside, the movie actually wasn’t all bad. It’s a strong story of love, courage, and fulfilling your destiny. After a band of horse-riding vandals ransack D’Leh’s village and kidnap his love, he must lead the few strong survivors into battle to regain the love of his life (played by Camilla Belle) and restore peace to his village. And, yes, there’s some pretty good special effects.

Persepolis

A favorite in the foreign film and animated film categories at the Oscars, as well as Toronto, Telluride and Sundance, “Persepolis” is the story of a young girl living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. When the main character, Marji, begins to speak out against the new tyranny of the Islamic fundamentalists, her parents send her to study in Vienna and stay out of trouble. Feeling like she doesn’t belong in either location, Marji must find her true identity in unfamiliar territory.

Charlie Bartlett

In the comedy department this week, we have “Charlie Bartlett”, a story about a high school student struggling to make the transition from private school to public school. But he finds his calling as the high school shrink, who happens to get some meds prescribed by his own psychiatrist. He sets up shop in the boys’ bathroom, and the students line up the dozen to get Charlie Bartlett’s advice. Rated overall as a B-, you’re sure to get a few laughs out of this film.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

It’s almost Tuesday again - time to update that Netflix queue with these new titles. With the DVDs releasing this week, I hope you’re ready to laugh, because it’s pretty much nothing but comedy. This week, we’ve got “Fool’s Gold”, “Be Kind Rewind”, and “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins”.

“Fool’s Gold” Releases This Week

Fool’s Gold

With the smokin’ chemistry between Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, “Fool’s Gold” brings the laughs the way a romantic comedy should. McCounaughey plays a treasure salving machine who is on a mission to find the Queen’s Dowry from the 18th Century. Hudson is his wife, who is just about to divorce him when they come upon a clue that might really bring the treasure to life. With lots of laughs and adventure, this movie is a pretty good rental pick this week.

Be Kind Rewind

Jack Black and Mos Def star in this comedy about two guys who work at a video store. After Jack accidentally erases all the videotapes, they come up with a way to save the store - recreate the movies themselves and rent the remakes. But when viewers start to like the remakes more than the originals, Jack and Mos Def become famous. And most people are liking the movie, calling it “corny, cool, and beautiful” with “the most touching ending of Gondry’s films”.

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

In Martin Lawrence’s latest movie, the comedian stars as America’s favorite talk show host living the good life. But when Roscoe has returns home for his parents’ 50th Anniversary celebration, it’s a bit of a culture shock from the high-profile, pampered celebrity life he’s used to living. Growing up, Roscoe was the awkward kid who got picked on all the time, and celebrity or not, that’s the way his family remembers him.

See the trailers for these DVDs below.

Videos

This Tuesday is a slow day for DVDs releasing this week, unless the only DVDs you watch are Blu-Ray, in which case there are several discs being released on the high definition disks that were already previously released on DVD. This week, the only two semi-big titles we’ve got are “The Eye” and “Flawless”.

“The Eye” Releases on DVD

The Eye

Jessica Alba stars in this horror film about a blind girl who is given the chance to see after a corneal transplant. Unfortunately for the girl, along with the sights of everyday life, Alba’s character is also able to see death capturing people and taking them away. She must find out whose eyes she has inherited and why they hold these secret visions. Critics have almost universally panned the flick, which received a C- overall. Alex Markerson of E! Online writes,

“So, there’s nothing in The Eye that’s scary enough to warrant closing your eyes. Sadly, there’s nothing exciting enough to keep them open, either.”

But Jessica Alba on screen for 90 minutes might keep your eyes open. See, there is an up side.

Flawless

Demi Moore and Michael Caine star in this diamond heist thriller set in 1960s London. Demi is diamond company executive frustrated by the glass ceiling holding her down. Michael is a night janitor with a personal vendetta against the company. Together they come up with a plan to take down the man and steal all of his diamonds.

Unfortunately, it appears that the movie never quite gets going. After the robbery, the film starts to get a little more unpredictable, but not necessarily in a good way. As a New York Times reviewer writes,

None of it makes much sense. In an extra, unnecessary layer, “Flawless” is told as a flashback in which the aged Laura brings her story to a magazine editor.

Also on DVD this week is the Third Season of “Weeds”.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

Not many new DVDs releasing this week, but enough to write about. For both the big screen and small screen, we’re in the dead zone as far as exciting new releases go. But there’s a couple, so here we go.

“Rambo” Releases This Week on DVD

Rambo

Sylvester Stallone is back. In “Rambo”, both written and directed by Stallone, we find the always kickass fighter living a quiet life in the jungles of Thailand. That is, until he is hired by a group of mercenaries to travel to Burma to save a group of Christian aid workers. Fans have been waiting for more Rambo since 1988, but it looks like they might be a little disappointed. The New York Times writes,

“Rambo” is, for most of its fairly brief running time, a blood bath punctuated by occasional bouts of clumsy dialogue. There are beheadings, mutilations, disembowelings — enough gore to rival “Apocalypto.”

But if you’re looking for violent excitement, this might be just the movie for you this week.

Grace Is Gone

John Cusack made two movies about the war this year, “Grace is Gone” and “War, Inc.” “War, Inc.” is a satirical look at the capitalist side of conflict. But “Grace is Gone” is a much more emotional story. Cusack plays a husband whose wife has been killed in the line of duty in Iraq. With two daughters to raise, Cusack isn’t sure how to break the news, so he waits. Throughout the movie we watch him struggle with how and when to tell his 8 and 12-year-olds that their mother isn’t coming home. I’m guessing Kleenex are a requirement with this one - I needed one just for the trailer.

Cassandra’s Dream

“Cassandra’s Dream” is written and directed by Woody Allen. But with a plot that sounds a lot like “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” (Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei), it looks like Allen has backed away from comedy this time. “Cassandra’s Dream” follows two brothers down on their financial luck who turn to crime as a way to make some cash. When their Uncle Howard offers to help, by paying them to kill an old business associate, the brothers must come face-to-face with their decision. In the film we follow Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell as they deal with the criminal decisions they make.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

Just when you thought Tuesday was the worst day of the week, think again. It’s new DVD day, and you can’t go wrong there. So set your Netflix queue because we’ve got a few new DVDs releasing this week.

P.S. I Love You

P.S. I Love You

In one of the funniest and saddest romantic comedies in a long time, Hilary Swank stars in this movie about a woman who loses the love of her life, and gets his help from the great beyond to move on. Husband Jerry had time to prepare for his death, so he also prepared for his wife’s life after his death. He sends occasional packages with various tasks to Swank’s character in the hopes that she finds that she is strong enough to live life without him. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll miss your man immensely as soon as the movie is over. And then you’ll want the soundtrack. So grab your pint of Ben & Jerry’s and snuggle up.

I’m Not There

In this creative portrait of Bob Dylan, tons of actors star as the brilliant musician that embodied the spirit of the sixties. The movie selects six different stages of Dylan’s life, and portrays the artist in very distinct ways. Each of the stages has a different name (like Jude or John, for example), and follows Dylan on his path to becoming the legend he is today. An interesting bit of the movie: not once is Bob Dylan’s name mentioned. And it sounds like it’s worth seeing the movie for Cate Blanchett’s performance alone. Rolling Stone writes,

She burns through Haynes’ head-trip odyssey like an illuminating torch. Blanchett’s soon-to-be-legendary performance is not a stunt, it’s some kind of miracle. Playing the skinny, androgynous Dylan in his electric years — when his hair stood on end to match his fried nerves — Blanchett extends the possibilities of acting. You won’t see a better example of interpretive art this year by man or woman.

First Sunday

I have to admit, I have a very strong bias against Ice Cube, at least as an actor - if someone made a list of actors that will ruin a movie just by being cast in it, he’d be on it. Lucky for this movie Tracy Morgan and Katt Williams are here to save it. After Ice Cube’s ex tells him she’s moving his son to Atlanta because she can’t afford the rent at her beauty shop, he and Morgan come up with a not-so-brilliant yet comical plan … to rob a church. Unfortunately for these new criminals, someone beat them to the punch. To figure out where in the world the money is, the bumbling duo is forced to spend the night in the church. I’m not sold, but I’m willing to bet I’d laugh at least twice.

Over Her Dead Body

Wow, this movie went to DVD quickly! It appears Eva Longoria can’t carry the big screen crowds the way she does with “Desperate Housewives”. Quick synopsis: Eva Longoria dies on the day she’s supposed to marry Paul Rudd. The spirit talker falls for Rudd and tries to help him get over the loss, but Longoria’s ghost is there to haunt her every step of the way. There’s a reason I haven’t seen this movie yet - it was almost universally panned by critics. One reviewer so bluntly puts it,

Over Her Dead Body will find its best audience on airplane flights, where viewers will be unable to get up and leave without parachutes.

Ouch.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

There’s quite a selection of new DVD releases this week. Another Oscar contender is making the transition from silver screen to small screen, as well as a few other movies that look interesting. Here are your DVD releases for April 15, 2008. At least there’s something to take your mind off the fact that it’s tax day.

Juno

Juno

Everyone remembers “Juno” from Oscar season, and if you missed it, here’s your chance. A clever comedy about love and hope in the world of high school, which sometimes isn’t so lovely or hopeful, “Juno” tells the story of a pregnant teen dealing with her newfound situation. Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, and Jennifer Garner star in this instant classic which also features music by the Moldy Peaches (a great band). Set your Netflix queue people, because I’ve only met one person who didn’t like this movie, and those are pretty good odds.

Lars and the Real Girl

Oh, Ryan Gosling, where have you been all my life. He is an amazing actor who can go from playing a self-loathing Jewish teen (”The Believer”) to a drug-addicted basketball coach (”Half Nelson”). Now he’s a boy who is struggling with some personal issues, and he copes by dating a blow-up doll named Bianca, who he met “on the internet”. When the his therapist convinces everyone to just go along with the charade, it makes for an interesting movie. And this is the only movie I’ve ever seen that didn’t have a bad review on Rotten Tomatoes.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

When two brothers find themselves strapped for cash, they come up with a plan to solve their problems. Unfortunately, the jewelry store they target is their parents’, and the whole thing goes horribly wrong. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, and Marissa Tomei star in this dramatic thriller that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. The New York Times calls it “a chronicle of destruction … [without] a single decent human being in the whole movie.” And even though that’s the case, the reviewer loved it.

Also releasing this week on DVD is “Alien vs. Predator”, which I feel no need to tell you about it. Because if you don’t know what it’s about, then you shouldn’t be seeing it anyway.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

The new DVD releases run the gamit from Oscar winning, to suspense thriller, to mockumentary comedy, to family film, to political commentary. And here they are, your new movies for the small screen that are releasing tomorrow, April 8, 2008. There’s almost too many to count.

There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood

The Oscar-winning movie “There Will Be Blood” was interesting and entertaining, but it left me hanging a little when I saw it in the theater. Nonetheless, Daniel Day-Lewis was completely deserving of his Best Actor Oscar. Because honestly, no one drinks your milkshake like Daniel Plainview. See one of the funniest SNL skits of 2008 after the jump, where the oilman drinks everyone’s milkshake.

Oh, the plot. Day-Lewis is an oilman in the early 1900’s whose quest for money and power shakes the lives of everyone in his path. When he is tipped off to the possibility of oil in Little Boston, Plainview and his son H.W. head west, and along the way tell the story of love, hope, community, belief, family, power and greed.

Reservation Road

Also on the dramatic side, “Reservation Road” is a film about two men’s reactions to a horrible accident. After Mark Ruffalo hits Joaquin Phoenix’s son with his car, he leaves the scene as the boy dies. During the course of the movie, Ruffalo’s character has to come to terms with what he’s done, while Phoenix’s character has to come to terms with the loss of his son. The movie follows the quest of Phoenix’s character as he seeks the man who killed his son and didn’t let anyone know about it. Although it sounds intriguing with some power-hitters in the line up (not only is there Ruffalo and Phoenix, but Jennifer Connelly joins the cast), the reviews were generally on the down side, calling the film “disappointing” and “clanking”, to name a couple.

Lions for Lambs

Another movie with an all-star cast is “Lions for Lambs”. This political drama stars Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. Redford plays a professor trying to inspire a young university student by telling him the story of two of his brightest alumni. Meanwhile, across the country, Cruise is a senator who thinks he’s found a way to make peace in the Middle East. Streep is the reporter who is sent to break the story. Their three worlds become entwined as the story unfolds. A movie to make you think, and a refreshingly different take from the myriad war films coming out these days.

Walk Hard

In the comedy arena this week, there’s “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”. John C. Reilly plays Dewey Cox, a musical man who makes his way to fame and fortune while overcoming some humorous misadventures along the way, which include sleeping with 411 women, marrying three times, and having 22 kids and 14 step-kids. It’s sure to inspire at least a laugh or two.

Also releasing this week are “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep”, a family film about the Loch Ness monster, “The 11th Hour”, Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary on the environment, and “Resurrecting the Champ”, a movie about a washed up boxer who sells a good story, starring Josh Hartnett and Samuel L. Jackson.

See the trailers of the movies below and the SNL millkshake skit.

Videos

In 1987, Steven Spielberg began filming an adaptation to J.G. Ballard’s autobiographical account as the young English son of a diplomat and his fight for survival when Japan occupies China during World War II. It was the first American movie shot in China since the 1930s. Spielberg had to choose among 4000 kids to play the leading role of Jamie Graham. The movie was Empire of the Sun, and the actor Spielberg chose to star in his epic movie was a thirteen-year old by the name of Christian Bale.

Bale has grown up since Empire, and the kid handpicked by Spielberg has matured into one of our generation’s finest and most daring actors. In 2000, Bale gave an unforgettable performance as Patrick Bateman in the cult classic, American Psycho. He lost almost 70 lbs to play a neurotic Trevor Reznik in The Machinist (2004). He brought back the Dark Knight with some serious attitude in Batman Begins (2005), transformed himself into a U.S. fighter pilot shot down and captured in Laos in Rescue Dawn (2007), gave what I thought was one of the finest and most underrated performances of the year in 3:10 to Yuma (2007), and took a chance playing one of the many Bob Dylan inspired characters in I’m Not There (2007) to round out the year.

His complete and sometimes frightening devotion to the characters he plays force you to pay attention to his every move and mannerism. Bale’s performances are typically accomplishments of total mind and body. As seen below, it is obvious that Bale has an extraordinary physique and astonishing discipline. When you watch him on the screen, you get the feeling that he exists through these characters, and his performance is a matter of survival. If anything, you could say that Bale is at times too serious. There is definitely an element of humor missing when I compare Christian Bale to some of my favorite actors. However, I admire and enjoy his performances because he never fails to entertain.

Christian Bale’s performance in Empire of the Sun is nothing short of amazing for an actor of any age. But again, this is a 13 year old playing the lead role in a Steven Spielberg epic. Throughout the film, Bale has to mature from a spoiled rich brat into a street smart, admirable, courageous boy who is more capable and resilient than any of the grownups around him. In the hands of a less-than-great actor this would be an impossible task, but you never doubt this transformation for a second. Steven Spielberg may be the greatest director of all time, but his ability to pick this tremendous talent out of 4000 children is just another sign of his dedication to great filmmaking and his genius. In the case of Spielberg and Bale, I guess it just takes one to know one.

Click below for a look at the trailers for Empire of the Sun, The Machinist, The Dark Knight, and an interview on the Today Show.

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