The Taking of Pelham 123
Rating: 
Reviewed by: Eric Alt
Directed by: Tony Scott
The Skinny: In this remake of the 1974 film, Denzel Washington plays a haggard MTA worker whose day is ruined when a gang of crooks—led by John Travolta—decided to hijack a New York subway train. The plot soon gets thick enough to include the city's preening mayor (James Gandolfini) and an NYPD hostage negotiator (John Turturro).
The Good: It all pretty much begins and ends with Denzel. Even in his efforts to play an everyman who just wants to be left alone, he commands the room. So much so, in fact, that he basically overpowers everyone else, which renders the movie slick and well-produced, but…
The Bad: …ultimately lacking. It's not a bad movie per se, but for a heist film it's surprisingly lacking in any tension. Or action. For example: the trailer hints at some kind of climactic car chase that never actually materializes. All those crashing cop cars you see? That's just part of an utterly pointless sequence in which the NYPD tries to rush the ransom money to the station and hits everything they can along the way. So it's not a car chase, it's just shitty driving. And Travolta is in full-on "I'm a bad guy, so I'll shriek constantly" mode, and he's terrible. Watching him try and intimidate Denzel is laughable, even with Denzel sporting a paunch.
Relationship Tip: Ladies, if you're having a conversation via web cam with your boyfriend while he is lying face down on a subway car floor being held hostage by machine gun-toting crooks and he doesn't immediately say "I love you" when you say "I love you"? Deal breaker! Lock it down!
Theater, DVD or TNT in Five Years: It's a rental, but you're probably better off with the original.
Moon
Rating: 
Reviewed by: Eric Alt
Directed by: Duncan Jones
The Skinny: In the near future, the answer to Earth's energy crisis is found in mining resources from moon rock. Astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is nearing the end of his three-year run alone on a mining outpost with only computers and recorded messages from home for company. That's all you should know going in—the less that's spoiled for you, the better.
The Good: Moon reminds you that science fiction isn't all space battles and aliens—it harkens back to those 70s films like Silent Running that were about mood and ideas rather than CGI explosions and pointy ears. It's amazing what director Jones does with a tiny budget, and Rockwell is fantastic as the lonely space miner just barely hanging on to his last shred of sanity. This is the perfect antidote to Michael Bay.
The Bad: The movie asks for your patience. It's a slow-build and it may have you tapping your foot, but it's worth staying with it. Again, this is a quiet movie, and shouldn't be judged against the usual summer sci-fi fare.
"I Can't Do That, Dave": Yes, the voice of GERTY—the HAL-like robot that assists Bell—is provided by the aptly named Kevin Spacey.
Theater, DVD or TNT in Five Years: This is an off-the-beaten track theater experience worth taking. Home viewing would provide too many distractions.