Recently, I realized that it has been quite a few months since my last post or even my last review of any movies. Perhaps the culprit is the fact that going back to school and working full time has a unique way of sucking a person’s free time away. Fortunately, I have the ability to take a little time away from the rigor of online college courses and with some of that time decided to finally post a few thoughts about at three highly anticipated films released over the last four months.

Avatar had to be the most anticipated movie of 2009 and I was no different in my own excitement to see it. In my mind, the film instantly became a classic and will now be listed among director James Cameron's best films. Even by the third time viewing the film I could not help but be pulled into the world that Cameron created with its lush and awe inspiring visuals and storyline that parallels so many of the issues that exist out here in the real world. For this film enthusiast, there was no surprise in Avatar's win at the Golden Globes. This is one title that I will certainly be adding to my home collection.

2012 was another film that was slated to be a huge hit at the box office, which it was and rightfully so, the special effects were nothing short of breathtaking as we watched Los Angeles literally fall to pieces and Yellowstone explode and yet, as I watched an epically gargantuan wave crest over the Alps and overwhelm a Buddhist monastery, I couldn’t help but wonder if this film was really about the disaster being depicted, or if it was more about survival of the human race. Without a doubt, the effects drew in the audience and may have been part of why we all remained glued to our seats, but it was the story of a family already struggling to survive having to overcome their differences and come together in order to escape what appeared to be certain death, that makes the film worth seeing.

The third film I’d like to mention is Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. The film itself has earned a few mixed reviews; mostly from critics and that is perhaps due to the fact that the film is not a direct interpretation of the famous Lewis Carroll stories Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Instead, we are given a story about a much older Alice who is now on the cusp of becoming a woman in society at the age of nineteen whom, when presented with the prospects of her expected future, takes a “moment” which turns into an adventure in Wonderland. Despite the mixed reviews, Alice in Wonderland is a spectacular film and Tim Burton as always, creates a unique vision of a world and invites us all for a ride and the 3D effects only help to immerse the audience in the experience that is Wonderland. If you have not seen this yet, go. It is well worth it.

With spring upon us and summer just a month or two away, I look forward to what the cinema has in store for us with such films as Prince of Persia, Avatar: The Last Air Bender and Robert Rodriguez’ Predators as well as the re-envisioned Nightmare on Elm Street. Hopefully, there will be much fun to be had at the movies this year.