RichWS

War Horse reviews are really flooding out. No big surprise, but it's a sure-fire lock for a ton of nods. It's the kind of film that leads the pack with 10 or so nods. Unless Dragon Tattoo or Extremely Loud really knock us out, I'll say it comes down to War Horse vs. The Artist. My ranking: 1. War Horse 2. The Artist 3. The Descendants 4. Midnight in Paris 5. The Help 6. Moneyball 7. Hugo 8. The Tree of Life 9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I'm keeping Dragon Tattoo and Incredibly Close at the bottom of my 10 until they start screening.

Hugo is a technical marvel. The sets and costumes are stunning, the cinematography rich. I should note that this was my first 3-D film since Alice in Wonderland, and while it doesn't seem to serve a purpose other than to make extra bucks, Scorsese works it to full effect and the result is wonderfully immersive. The vast difference between a master director shooting in 3-D and a fast conversion. This is going get a whole bunch of technical Oscar nods, and it'll probably win a few.When it comes to the story, I wish I had a little more love to give. This is a movie that simply takes a long time to get going, kinda like the engine of a car in the winter. There's also a rigidity that I felt made everything slightly stuffy. That's not to say I didn't enjoy myself; I was particularly fond of the romantic flirtations between the train station's characters. I loved Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Cohen. It really comes alive in the last 20 minutes, which are a film lover's feast. I only wish the prior 100 or so minutes were on the same sublime level.Grade: B

Happy to be a Dragon!

Variety is saying $22 million for Happy Feet. I was WAY off on that one. I did not think it would open that low.

I love watching you get so defensive about Harry Potter. I just imagine a 10-year old flailing his arms, screaming "NO! NO! THAT'S TRUE!". I also enjoy your insinuation that you know far more about cinematography than anybody else here.

Not to be a contrarian, but Hellboy 2 entertained me more. Dark Knight is all about Ledger. Without him, people would pick at this movie's flaws so much more than they do.

This is a tale of two movies in one. One's a terrifically charming story of young kids growing up. The other is a alien story that always feels like it shouldn't be there. I liked the first story. Not so much the second. Seriously, what was the deal with the alien?

I loved the icy visual look.

It's all leading to a down weekend for these films. Everything's going to have a big drop.

Great number. $150M is looking good.

I think the deadline should be noon ET on Friday. With midnight numbers already out, that's a huge help to where the weekend is going.

It's John Williams's year. Probably War Horse.

Loved the episode.

Prisoner of Azkaban.

Half Blood Prince is my visual favorite. I would've been okay with it winning the Oscar.

I gave it a C+. It hits some nice moments and it's atmospheric enough, but it doesn't stand as its own film. It spins the wheels and gives us no payoff, with the second act being painfully slow. Ultimately, I don't want half a film.

Fiennes was the easy highlight. He hit his Voldemort high note in this one.

How can you not feel many of the camping scenes in Deathly Hallows are incredibly repetitive, both in the film and book?

I've read every book more than once. I'm a big fan. First off, I stopped constantly comparing the book and movie when Azkaban came out. It's a waste of time. The movie can't be the exact book. I know it's tough to accept but it's true. The filmmakers talked about keeping the movies about Harry. That's the spine. That's how you adapt 700-page books. As for saying there are only two pointless chapters or subplots in the WHOLE SERIES...well, I'm kind of flabbergasted. I understand you're a mega-fan but there are huge portions of Phoenix and Deathly Hallows that are a waste of time.

Well, maybe now NBC realizes putting it directly against Big Bang Theory wasn't such a good idea.

It cost $80M. They have to make that back.

Immortals held pretty well. It could have taken a bigger tumble.

That's a massive drop. PSA of $294. The floor has already collapsed beneath it.

Early thought is $220M. Smaller opening, followed by terrific legs.

I'm shocked at how negatively everybody sees Phoenix. I think it's Yates's second best Potter.Half-Blood Prince is damn anticlimactic. It has no beginning or end. The story didn't translate on-screen.