Hidalgo (2004) – PG-13, Historical Adventure

Director:  Joe Johnston

Writer:  John Fusco

Starring:  Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif, Zuleikha Robinson

What’s worse than a bad movie?  A pretentious bad movie with a broken Aesop.  Horse movies do have a tendency to be bad in the first place, but there’s no excuse for this. 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) – G, Historical Drama

Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

Writers: Victor Hugo, Tab Murphy

Starring: Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony Jay

There’s one scene in this movie that you need to see: the villain’s magnificent musical number.  Other than that, although it has its highlights and a decent story, this is a movie you can pass up.

Edward Scissorhands (1990) – PG-13, Fantasy

Director: Tim Burton      

Writers: Tim Burton, Caroline Thompson

Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall

Worth a watch.

Although its premise is simple, this film is difficult to categorize the traditional way.  The general consensus appears to be that it’s fantasy, and while it is permeated with a tone reminiscent of that genre, it lacks many of its common accoutrements. 

Contact (1997) – PG, Sci-Fi

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Writers: Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, James V. Hart, Michael Goldenberg

Starring: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Skerritt

Should you watch it? No.

Mishandling a false dichotomy with bumbling insults to the intelligence of scientists and as well as religious folk, this movie tries and fails to be profound, and overall it feels better suited to a mindless action-adventure premise.