how could a fistfight be romantic?

Saw a couple of movies over the weekend. I should get back in the habit of seeing at least some movies while they're still in the theaters. I like it.

• The Golden Compass -- 2 1/2 stars -- This was about what I was expecting: really very pretty eye candy with a truly deplorable screenplay. I am a big fan of His Dark Materials, and I have considered the challenges of adapting the story of this book to the screen (and they are many.) But even so, they could have done a better job. It opened promisingly enough; the scene with Lyra hiding in the cabinet and preventing Uncle Asriel from being poisoned was about right. Then it descended rapidly into a strange forced march through the pertinent plot points.
  
  If you aren't familiar with the book I'm sure it made no sense, and even if you are you likely noticed how off the rhythm was (I certainly did.) They plowed blithely through the climax and then lingered on an anti-climactic scene that went on so long I briefly thought they were actually going to carry on through the ending cliffhanger of the book (which would have made no sense, but that was pretty much a lost cause.) And then it just stopped.
  
  Good eye candy, though. Hooray for anbaric airships and polar bear fights.


• Charlie Wilson's War -- 3 1/2 stars -- This one was much more satisfying. It was strangely relieving to see an Aaron Sorkin screenplay on any sort of screen. Although Tom Hanks can't deliver the Sorkin dialogue properly, something about the cadence is just off, so it drags rather than popping. Could be a fault with the direction, I suppose. Oh well. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was the understated star of the show as far as I'm concerned. The story bobbed along, with funny beats in all the right places; it kept me interested and entertained through to the end, not in a spectacular way but certainly in a good one. And the ending quote was made of win and awesome and also truth.
  
  Also? Now I know what somebody was talking about. Tom Hanks nipples are offensive.

Juno is still on my list of films to see. sleetfall has already beat me to it, and that's just unacceptable. But I feel as though I ought to round up an actual crowd of friends with whom to go see it, which may take a little doing.