The Phantom:
This is an older film that we rented.  It is based on an old 30s superhero and is one of the better comic book action adventure films.   The 30s superheroes have a sort of innocence that makes them endearing and fun to watch.  You can get lost in the innocence of their crusade to fight evil, and in this case piracy as well.  The film matches the innocence of the characters with a visual pallette that is vivid and simple.  The purples, reds and browns help to create a story that is easy to sink into and enjoy as a pleasurable and entertaining adventure.  This movie does what it does very well.
 **** Four Stars!

Bride and Prejudice:
This is a pretty good adaptation of the Jane Austen Classic.   It is set in contemporary India, Los Angelas and London.  The characters in the film are great and lots of fun - they also correspond the traits of the original quite well.  The plot, too, follows the original well, and so, there is little to fault to find there.   The setting is adequately adapted, but the film is too short to fully develop the parallels and we are left relying on the original to fill things in.  Then there is the singing and dancing....  well it can be amusing and often it is annoying.  
*** Three Stars

Constantine:
Here we have another comic/superhero movie.  It is a stark contrast to The Phantom.   The scene is dark and gothic the characters are deeply flawed.   The story is interesting, though not too engaging.  The story is driven by characters we don't ever get to know.  That means that the supervillain isn't very active there is nobalance to the hero.  That hero, Keanu Reeves doesn't put up the greatest performance - nor do any other actors.   It's a decent  attempt and is entertaining.  You'd be surprised - it isn't a total waste of money.
** Two Stars

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