What a less-than-memorable year in film it has been!  But Crosswalk.com's movie critics have managed to find something good to say about what has hit the silver screen in the past 12 months.  Find out which films they thought deserved a ticket in 2005. ...


BATMAN BEGINS

• Release Date:  June 15, 2005
• Rating:  PG-13 (intense action violence, disturbing images, thematic elements)
• Genre:  Action/Adventure
• Run Time:  141 min.
• Director:  Christopher Nolan
• Actors:  Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Ken Watanabe, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, and Rutger Hauer

If you want to see a star-studded, action-packed, dark-and-scary adventure movie, "Batman Begins" is it. As with the last "Star Wars" film, here the producers have done an excellent job of taking us to the beginning and creating a fun, semi-realistic back-story to the campy adventure series we’ve come to love.  With special effects throughout that just might win an Oscar, "Batman Begins" is clever and fun. The star-studded cast is amazing, and the talents of the new Batman, Christian Bale, are commendable. While the violence and scariness are over the top in some places, the movie’s worldview, however, is basically biblical  and a good platform for discussion on the topics of justice, revenge, compassion, bravery, and overcoming fears.

Click here for a full review.

BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE

• Release Date:  February 18, 2005
• Rating:  PG (thematic elements, and brief mild language)
• Genre:  Family
• Run Time:  Approx. 106 min.
• Director:  Wayne Wang
• Actors:  AnnaSophia Robb, Jeff Daniels, Dave Matthews, Eva Marie Saint, Cicely Tyson  

Based on the Kate DiCamillo book of the same of name, “Because of Winn-Dixie” tells the story of Opal (AnnaSophia Robb) and her preacher dad (Jeff Daniels), two lonely characters who gradually discover that the small town of Naomi, Fla., is full of others who are broken and hurting, too.  The potentially sappy scenario skirts the boundaries of maudlin melodrama, but screenwriter Joan Singleton and director Wayne Wang overcome their stutter-step start before hitting their stride in the second act, ultimately delivering a sweet film about the power of community and the ties that bind.