Grade: A- | Genre: Action/Thriller
Summary: One ape you will love, in fact, you will want one of your very own for Christmas. Peter Jackson, quite simply, has done it again.

After winning three Oscars for Return of the King, or in truth for the entire Tolkien trilogy, Peter Jackson has remade the first film he ever loved and created a tender monster movie that has painstakingly fleshed out the story and characters to the max, and to top it off, this flick possesses a soulful ape that can move you to tears. What more could you ask from a movie this holiday season? At a running time of slightly over three hours, you will need to hold off on the extra-large drinks, but you will get your money's worth out of this film. While a bit overindulgent in the detail and time, Jackson lovingly refashions a tribute to his favorite gorilla, who is breathtakingly created by WETA and given humanity by Andy Serkis, formerly Gollum from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Kong is the real star of this film. Every other element of this movie fades away against the humanity in Kong's eyes. Does this film match up to the famous Rings trilogy? Well not exactly, but then the genius of Tolkien is a hard act to follow, however, Jackson gives Kong his level best. This film possesses more story than the previous Kong movies, a breathtaking, 1933 New York City, amazing action sequences, and a monster gorilla you will adore. The movie is one of the two seasonal blockbusters and should be seen on a large screen. The other blockbuster I suspect will be The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. So there you have it this holiday season for your viewing pleasure, noble monkey love and a saintly lion.

Grade: B+ | Genre: Alt-Country
Summary: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood marks Neko Case's most accomplished album recorded to date. It's fat in its maturity and drunk with its love for the music.

How many people can say they've been permanently blackballed from playing the Grand Ole Opry for being obscene? The historic venue that launched such country legends as Hank Williams and Patsy Cline slapped that distinction on one Neko Case back in 2001 when she finished her set topless. The fiery haired beauty says she wasn't trying to court controversy with her breast-baring move. A girl gets hot up there under the spotlights. Since the headlining event, Case has gone on to cement a solid solo career, singing her own unique blend of country, blues and gospel heisted from a time long past. She's also doubling up vocal responsibilities as the lead female vocalist of the super group the New Pornographers, an entity starting to make some major waves of its own. Soon Neko will probably get jammed in a crossroads where she's forced to choose between the quirky loops of the Pornographers or devoting herself completely to her burgeoning solo work. Until then we'll chug both of them down our ears and try not to loiter our thoughts too long on pondering such a day.

Grade: A+ | Genre: Drama
Summary: Finally, a drama that delivers the goods on all fronts -- a tight story, flawless direction, and powerful acting. Give yourself an opportunity to get involved in a film again and discover this mesmerizing biopic about an event and an author that defines a piece of American culture.

Capote leads the pack of fall films as a powerfully crafted movie, with a shape-shifting performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman who morphs so completely into the skin of Truman Capote, that I could hardly tell the difference between Hoffman and the odd little man I used to see on old television talk shows. Bennett Miller and Dave Futterman forge a seamless film together with not one element missing. The scent of death in this film is palpable as the audience is ushered into another time and place in America. A physical sensation of the era, and the sense of desolation of Kansas itself descend upon you as the film opens, and never actually departs until you are out of the theater thanks to the powerful cinematography of Adam Kimmel. One can thank heaven for a film that actually permits for character development on all fronts and for all the characters in this film. Finally, a complete film, and unfortunately, one of the first I have seen in the current venue of films in a year that have made grey matter an optional requirement for viewing.

Grade: B | Genre: Drama
Summary: Dreamer is a quality family film that, while formulaic and sap prone, really caters to the budding talent of Dakota Fanning and gives her a strong supporting cast to work with.

Disney's signature is their animated features, most of which are being farmed out to Pixar these days. They are also known for their goofy kiddy fare, be it Freaky Friday, Little Big League or kids going as far as imagination will propel them. There is a third kind of film they are really staring to embrace as their own, and that is the heart warming true story. These are the stories of overcoming insurmountable odds to accomplish something that no one has before, and that no one believed was possible. They did a very good job executing this formula with Dennis Quaid in the Rookie. As the title implies, Dreamer is the same slice of boundless optimism set in the sport of horse racing. While it's certainly no Seabiscuit, Dakota Fanning rescues this film from teetering into the sap heap to give us a compelling drama, illuminated by her young talent.

Grade: B- | Genre: Thriller
Summary: Don't expect much from the new thriller, Derailed starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston and you may find yourself somewhat entertained. Like a good beach read, this fatal distraction takes moviegoers on a plausibly scary ride down a dark alley of deceit and violence.

Charles (Owen) meets Lucinda (Aniston) on his morning commute to the windy city when he finds himself cash poor on the train and she casually offers to pay his way. A polite conversation soon turns to flirtation and the inevitable clandestine hotel routine. Charles should know better since he has a lovely wife and a diabetic daughter, but he's a man in the most basic sense, and thus, cannot help himself. Jennifer plays coy, but suddenly turns hot and heavy even though she has her rich husband and daughter to think about.

Grade: C | Genre: Family/Animation
Summary: Let's go ahead and get this out of the way: The sky is NOT falling. However, Chicken Little may be a sign that it is, in fact, starting to cave-in around Disney.

As the inspiration for its first full-length 3-D animation without Pixar, Disney's Chicken Little adopts the classic fable of the panic-stricken chicken that proclaimed the sky was falling. In this Disneyfied version, we see Chicken Little (voiced by Zach Braff) as he still lives under the shadow of that fateful day.

In addition to the continuous mocking from the whole town, his father (Garry Marshall) seems to have gone the way of the masses and is embarrassed by his son. But just as Chicken Little's string of bad luck seems to come to an end, he comes in contact with another piece of the "sky," and he finds himself smack dab in the middle of an alien invasion. That's right... an alien invasion.

Grade: B- | Genre: Light Pop
Summary: Birds doesn't have that magnetic single like Beautiful Collision did in "Get Some Sleep," but on the whole it shows a greater consistency as Runga continues to grow as an artist.

Bic Runga is an artist hailing from lush landscapes of New Zealand. She has literally defined the music scene in the land of Kiwi, notching two multi-platinum selling albums that set records for album sales on the isle. She's branched out from her native land to tour from the edges of the globe and has stirred up international acclaim among the music intelligenca for her low-key work. Her most recent album, Birds, is introduced as a sibling of her past work. Quiet, a bit awkward, yet beautiful in its silent touch, Birds continues the rich tradition Runga has forged.

Grade: B+ | Genre: Suspense
Summary: A History of Violence is a slowly evolving, crafty suspense that toys with your expectations.

Director David Cronenberg is perhaps best known for taking on bold and daring scripts, even if the results prove largely uneven. He's known for the TBS special The Fly, from stage to screen adaptation M. Butterfly, and the twisted fetish piece where car crashes spark eroticism, Crash. He's managed to make a name for himself with his peculiar brand of sensibilities that he introduces to his works rather than a distinctive directorial style. This was never truer than with his most successful effort to date A History of Violence. Violence is a slowly evolving, crafty suspense that toys with your expectations.

Grade: A | Genre: Drama
Summary: Good Night and Good Luck is one of the year's best releases, marking an important film about journalistic responsibility. It really makes you wish we had an Edward R. Murrow to take down our McCarthy's.

Did you know that there was a time when news organizations actually covered the news? I know this seems like a baffling concept after watching the watered down broadcasts of CNN, MSNBC and the network news, but, I assure you, it's true. There was a time when facts were king, and newsmen like Edward R. Murrow had balls made of titanium, standing up to the gross tyranny of McCarthyism. He did battle with the Senator, knowing with certainty that he'd be labeled a Communist himself. In 1950s America, that's not a tag you wanted to get stuck with. Good Night and Good Luck is the story of Murrow and his team of journalists at CBS news. They were pitching a heated battle to unveil truth and justice in the face of a dark political landscape, busily stripping American citizens of their liberties by instilling fear. Does this sound vaguely familiar? The similarities between the current political climate and the red scare of McCarthyism shouldn't be lost on anyone.

Grade: A- | Genre: Drama
Summary: 24 is a compelling drama, and these latest episodes prove no exception. This split frame storytelling interlaces punch after punch of action as the tension swiftly snowballs, keeping you completely enthralled.

My television viewing has been getting rather dim of late. With quirky cool Arrested Development busy searching for a new home and my new favorite Love Monkey let out of its cage, I've got some nice gaping holes in my weekly viewing schedule, aching to be patched up. I thought it was high time to turn my attention to one of television's most talked about dramas, 24, to see if its really all that and a bag of chips. After three odd weeks and five hours of non-stop tension, I can safely say I'm hooked on Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and his stealth counter terrorism unit. Its like Alias if Alias were good. Its like Sleeper Cell with clear coat of slick veneer; digestible for the masses. I never realized so much could happen in the span of one day. It makes me feel so unproductive.

Grade: A | Genre: Drama/Dark Humor
Summary: Just as he did with American Beauty, Director Sam Mendes finds humor within the human drama and takes Jarhead beyond the realms of the conventional war flick. Its boldness defines its brilliance and effectively displays a war of the human psyche rather than that on the battlefront.

"Welcome to the Suck." Based on Former Marine Anthony "Swoff" Swofford's best selling memoir about his experiences spent in Desert Shield, Jarhead is a wide-eyed look at what the anticipation of war can do to a group of young soldiers desperate to defend their country with the hopes of returning home as national heroes. What they never expected was that the reality of war in the Middle East would prove to be personal wars within themselves.

Jarhead is not your traditional war hero film. There are no real battle scenes and hardly a glimpse of the enemy. At the end of the day, these boys don't even get to fire guns with which they've been trained to kill. It's not about finding glory on the battle field but about how they spent their time preparing themselves for the worst when the worst isn't given time to even show itself.

Grade: A- | Genre: Rock
Summary: This was a great performance by a magical musician. Gray is a unique talent who has a very timeless quality about his music.

After a nasty bout with laryngitis sidelined David Gray back in December, he was forced to ax the final leg of his American tour, heading home to rest and recuperate. He didn't leave his core faithful hanging though, as he hopped the Atlantic and properly finished out his array of dates. Wednesday night brought him to Atlanta's Fox Theatre for a stirring performance that only a proper Welshman could give. Touring on his recent effort, Life in Slow Motion, Gray mounted the stage like a seasoned veteran, passionate in his execution and comfortable with his place in the music universe. This ease channeled through his songs that spanned his earliest days ("Shine") all the way to a new gem ("Alive") still working a place for itself in Gray's robust catalog of salient tunes.

Grade: A | Genre: Brit Rock
Summary: The Kooks debut, Inside In Inside Out is a fun record by a fun band with a fun name. They're punk with modern rock flare who don't have to hope that their music will be adored by the in-the-know masses because it just will.

Named after the 5th track on David Bowie's Hunky Dory, The Kooks are the latest and probably the most promising new Brit rock band to come out since Bloc Party. A "skuzzy fresh faced group" (so they like to describe themselves), this foursome are a highly energetic unit full of thrills and youthful vigor. Listening to these lads, you feel a sense of rejuvenation and empowered youth, and you're proud that you're still cool enough to have heard of a band that most have not.

Inside In [and] Inside out, The Kooks have a debut that brightens an English scene full of mopey rock stars with tissue paper stuffed down their jocks. Lighten up Chris Martin because Luke Pritchard (vocal, guitars), Hugh Harris (lead guitar), Max Rafferty (bass guitar), and Paul Garred (drums) are bringing it with their mix of alt rock sprinkled over punk-ish bravado.