REVIEW: WONDER WOMAN (2009)

Movie opens with the Amazon queen (Virginia Madsen) beheading her own son, laying out a complete origin story for her daughter who would become Wonder Woman. I admit I haven't read a comic book since I was 13, never was into DC, and wasn't too interested in these direct-to-video superhero cartoons before. But the opportunity to see the two main actors from Adrienne Shelley's "Waitress" (Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion) in yet another film directed by a female was too rare to pass up! It's got plenty of thrilling action and memorable dialog, and the filmmakers were very responsible as far as presenting Wonder Woman as a role model with added dimension. I was impressed at some of the gender issues this movie was able to tackle without being heavy handed or distracting. Definitely recommended!

REVIEW: CHOCOLATE

JeeJa is my new hero. Not only does she perform insane stunts, kicks and punches in this movie, but she also displays equally astounding skills as a dramatic actor. Think Jackie Chan meets "Ichi The Killer" and you've got some idea of what's going on here, substituting breathtakingly awesome cinematography for goofy comedy and gore. Without the martial arts craziness, this would still be a great movie, and that's saying something.