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Show WeekendDtwnions Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 o Pre-Emptive jz Critics ^ 'Phoebe in ^Wonderland' It's time for another movie that sends you back to when nothing was better than the cookies your mom had ready when you got home from a stressful day at kindergarten. "Phoebe in Wonderland/' staring Elle Fanning, will take anyone back to the days when being a Disney character seemed to be the dream any young child would have. I would enjoy any movie that a small child talks to a giant caterpillar or eggshaped man. Think about all the profound advice she could receive from just these two wonderland characters. I'm sure their conversations are a lot more useful than what any parental figure would tell her. I think anyone who enjoyed childhood will be able to relate to this movie. It takes viewers through the process in a young girl's imagination where she tries to discover who she is. Phoebe wants to be somewhere else and she uses the childhood favorite, "Alice in Wonderland" to take her to that magical land that is next door to Neverland and across the street from the seven dwarfs' cottage. If you love Disney and always wanted to be a Disney princess or prince yourself, step out of this ; cold dreary world and step into a mystical land where floating cards and pink cats are normal. Pre-emptively, I think this movie is definitely worth the time to go see. -by Courtnie Packer/courtnie.packer@aggiemail. ;. s . . ..'• usu.edu Page 5 ^Crossing Over' Watchmen Frankly, "Crossing Over" looks like a direct rip-off from Academy Award Winner "Crash." Except this time the subject matter is dealing with those people who cross the borders of the United States every day. • Like "Crash/' "Crossing Over" features a starstudded cast, headlined by Harrison Ford. I hope that "Crossing Over" is good, really, I do. I mean, seriously, anything is a step up for Mr. Ford after doing the latest "Indiana Jones" installment. Watching the trailer, you can tell there are numerous different stories that are going to be told about all nationalities that try and get into the U.S. every day, even what looks to be a story about an undocumented British couple, one of them being Jim Sturgess of "Across the Universe" fame. If "Crossing Over" does what it's setting out to do, it could start a meaningful dialogue about immigration, and hopefully it brings to light the personal stories of those who sacrifice so much to get into this country. It also looks like it is trying to show the country that "illegal immigration" isn't just about people that cross our southern border. I'm optimistic about "Crossing Over" and hope that it uses its subject material to create something that will make us think. But, if it tries to be another "Crash" by interweaving a bunch of different stories, I feel like it may fall short of getting across its important message. I pre-emptively have hope for this movie. -byAaron Peck/aaron.peck@aggiemail.usu.edu After more than a decade of rejected adaptations and legal struggles, "Watchmen," trie veritable queen mother of graphic novels, has finally made its way to the big screen. "Watchmen" is a superhero story in only the most shallow sense - it simultaneously builds upon and dissects the conventions of the genre. The novel is set in an alternate 1985 in which Nixon still controls the presidency, Cold War paranoia runs rampant and former "masked adventurers" are learning to cope with life after a congressional act outlaws their profession. When former heroes begin "disappearing, several of the characters suspect a plot, and must come out of retirement to unravel the far-reaching and frightening conspiracy. At the helm js "300" director Zak Snyder, and his visual prowess is apparent in the trailer. The images are stylized and vividly colored, and seem faithful to Dave Gibbons' original art. The characters' looks are updated, but capture the spirit of the originals. The trailer includes some important moments and lines from the book, but doesn't reveal much .about the plot. With such a cult following, Snyder should be careful about making major changes. Each character in "Watchmen" is superbly developed, and it will be interesting to see if the film will be able to strike a balance between satisfying pacing and sufficient back story. Without proper portrayal of each hero's complex psychological profile, "Watchmen" will be just another superhero movie. What makes it unique and important is how each of its characters answers the question, "What does is mean to save the world?" This gleeful fanboy gives "Watchmen" two preemptive thumbs up. -by Ben Roden/ bejo@aggiemail.usu.edu ' ' The pre-emptive critics write knee-jerk analyses of upcoming films based solely on hearsay, advance publicity and - most importantly - movie trailers. They have not seen the movies. Real message found in award winning movie The problem with living up here in the tiny city of Logan is that it takes forever for some of the more independent films to come our way. That's why I was happy to see that Academy Award Winner for best picture, "Slumdog Millionaire," had finally found its way here. With so much hype and its recent Oscar win, I had to go see it. "Slumdog" takes place in the ghettos and shanty towns of India. This is real poverty. People living in landfills trying to gather anything they can of value. Rivers so polluted you wouldn't dare set foot in them, yet they are used as the communal washroom. An amazing shot at the beginning of the film depicts exactly how widespread this poverty is. As the camera pans upward for a bird's eye view of the city, it reveals a patchwork of rusted tin roofs as far as the eye can see. One could easily get lost in a place like that, and in a way they do. These are the forgotten people of the world. "Slumdog" begins with Jamal Malik Salim and the love of Jamal's being tortured by Indian movie critic life, Latika. We find out that police. Jamal has been Aaron Peck at a young age Jamal and accused of cheating on the Salim are orphaned when widely popular Indian vertheir mother is killed. Each sion of "Who Wants to be day they have to be resourcea Millionaire." Jamal has ful enough to survive, which grown up in the slums of in most cases means stealing. India facing starvation and Salim is the stronger death almost daily. As the Grade A older brother, and Jamal movie progresses, we learn "Slumdog Millionaire" more passive. Salim takes that it is because of Jamal's control in almost every situapersonal experiences in life tion. While Salim has a deep that he knows the answers caring for his brother, at times his greed and being asked to him on the show. self-determination get in the way of what he While seated in the police station, the should do. Jamal is in love with Latika. Ever detective puts in a tape of Jamal's performance on the show. As each question rolls by we get flashbacks of why exactly Jamal knows that specific answer. It's almost as if the questions were written just for him, acknowledging all the experiences Jamal has had. The flashbacks include Jamal, his brother Reel Reviews since they were children, the two have had connection that cannot be explained here with words. But, as their cruel lives unfold. Jamal is separated from his love on more than one occasion. Whether Jamal actually wins the "Millionaire" show is irrelevant. It only serves as a way for us to get an inside glimpse into this extremely real problem in India and around the world. People live in terrible poverty, but out of that poverty something special is able to blossom. Poverty, no matter how bad, cannot damper the human spirit. That is the real message of "Slumdog Millionaire." -aaron.peck@aggiemail.usu.edu IGotCaudrt Reading I t Jose Jose Q. Jose Jose Q. is a sophomore in Computer Science and Engineering. Jose said! he loves to read The Statesman so that he can stay caught up with all that is going on. He said he feels like he can get all the news he needs, which includes worldly news, too. Jose usually reads the paper everyday inbetween classes. Jose loves computer programing and feels like Utah State has a really good program for that. Jose is the president of the Gnullinux Club on campus. Jose is glad that he got to come here from the Dominican Republic on a scholarship so that he can enjoy the university's friendly atmosphere. He loves being able to walk around campus and have people say hi to him. Jose is a big Aggies fan. Thank you Jose for reading The Statesman. Keep reading and Go Aggies!! Straigfl /Statesman l I any burger or I information gathered by Catherine Meidell photo by Kristy Jordan i sandwich with • - Logan Burgers I |j s & Sandwiches tOSS Xort/i Main. Ste 110. Lynn any burger or I sandwich with r |