30 Days of Night

The Plot: After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month, it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires.

The Pros: This movie is extremely scary. I found myself physically leaping out of my seat at times. The imagery is beautifully horrifying, as is the sound, and the blood is abundant. This film accomplishes its mission: it is scary as hell.

The Cons: Sadly, the story is basically non-existant. A few moments of meaningless chatter between the vampires serves as the bulk of the plot, but otherwise it's merely a montage of scary scenes.

The Bottom Line: Unfortunately, 30 Days of Night ends up being a bunch of scary moments gathered together to form a film. But, I'll be damned if those scenes aren't executed flawlessly. The sound is intense, the visuals are absorbing, and endless gore floods the scene red. This is a scary movie, but if you're looking for something with substance, watch 1408 instead. 

The Score: 6.5 / 10

3:10 to Yuma

The Plot: A small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who's awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher.

The Pros: The acting done by Crowe and Bale is admirable. These two foreigners can pull off a western quite nicely. The action is just as intense as it needs to be, and the story rings true. The cinematography can be technically astonishing.

The Cons: Sometimes I felt that, if the film slowed down during certain parts, it could have been much more mezmerizing. The soundtrack was far too generic for a modern western.

The Bottom Line: 3:10 to Yuma is an adrenaline-filled western with a fine modern reproduction. The action is tons of fun (expertly filmed, I might add), and the acting is top-notch. If only the soundtrack was more fitting to the atmosphere and certain shots were filmed with more patience, this could have been one of the year's best action movies.

The Score: 7.5 / 10