Moviewise, my summer is nearly complete. Just need to see Land of the Dead. I don't care about War of the Worlds or Sith, or Fantastic Four.

Speaking of comic-book movies, it was nigh-impossible to go into Batman Begins with any expectations whatsoever, given what a vortex of suck the live-action franchise had become. So I'm still surprised at how much I enjoyed Batman Begins. The villainous monologues had K giggling now and then, but I was pleased that the baddie roles weren't overplayed. That was the problem with the previous ones -- even when Burton got the tone right, and Keaton was doing good stuff, there were still Nicholson-sized bite marks all over everything.

Katie Holmes wasn't the liability I thought she'd be, though she still looks way too young to be an ADA. I especially liked Gary Oldman, and didn't recognize him 'til the end credits, though his Sgt. Gordon is so beaten down it's a wonder he'll live long enough to become Commissioner without eating his service revolver. Gotham looks great...Chicago mixed with Shanghai.

Given that the Fantastic Four looks like it'll outdo the Corman version only in budget, a hack supreme has been handed X-Men 3, and I was one of the few people disappointed by Spidey 2, this could be the cream of the comic-book movies for a while.

On the other hand, my expectations might have been a shade high for Howl's Moving Castle. If you have the option, see the subtitled version. Billy Crystal's shtick really took me out of the film. It was suggested to me that the Japanese actor in the role was probably just as broad. But since I don't understand Japanese, nor would I recognize him as the guy who wrecks the Japanese Oscars every other year, this hypothesis is moot. Also, the ending was a bit rushed. For a 2-hr movie with pacing that is non-American, you'd think that would be enough time to develop things so the ending didnt feel so deus ex machina.

Much to enjoy here all the same. The film is gorgeous, of course; particularly the castle and strange flying contraptions. Sophie's age shifts take some getting used to, but are a sophisticated device and the best divergence from the book. I enjoyed Joe Hisaishi's score more than that of Mononoke or Spirited Away. Still. . . I don't know. I'll be seeing this again; the problem may be me.