Dreamgirls: George loves splashy musicals! However, he realizes the limitations. Some of them work really well (Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Evita) and some fall terribly short (Rent, Phantom of the Opera, Damn Yankees). For one thing, you will never satisfy everyone.

I mean, hell, if Grease was anything like its stage version, it would have been terrible... The musical just isn't strong source material. Cabaret is alright for what it is, but it doesn't hold up terribly well next to a superior stage version (and an even better revival). The Rocky Horror Picture Show is criminally blown off as a cult classic; that gets seats filled, but not much respect.

So, Dreamgirls comes brimming with notable and commercially viable black talent, from veterans (Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover) to hot-new-thangs (Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson) and at least one hit song ("And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going"). It has a pop star as a lead, and that's rarely a good start, but she's actually really good in it... the music pops, the pacing is strong, and the actual acting is top notch. This is a strong drama that happens to also be a musical; it is precisely how most musicals should be approached, in fact. Pippin, take note.

The film belongs to Jennifer Hudson, who even if she doesn't win the Academy Award, has thoroughly drenched herself in the role where she even suffer for it in the long run. Unless we get a bevy of movie musicals (yay!!), and she proves she can sustain a non-singing role as effortlessly, she might be screwed. But award-laiden.

Best moments: "It's All Over" and "And I Am Telling You..." make up a strong 10 minute segment; Beyonce getting her nerve when she leaves Jamie Foxx; Eddie Murphy is indellibly charming.

Grade: A-

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Arthur and the Invisibles: It's a fun trifle of a film that should please younger fans of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. The voice talent (Madonna, Snoop Dogg, Harvey Keitel, David Bowie) fade into their parts; they are not distracting... they could be anyone, really. The story isn't the strongest (a young boy decides to follow his missing grandfather's instructions to get to a mythical land below ground just so he can find treasure that will help save the family farm), but it has a genuine charm. Some of the lines are hysterical (if not terrible memorable) and while it ties itself up pretty tightly for no reason (Bowie's villain is all too easily defeated), it's a good time. Unfortunately, it seems destined for obscurity.

Grade: B

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Catwoman: It's not as bad as you heard. Really, how could it be. It was a huge mistake to ever get off the ground, but since it's here, it doesn't really hurt anyone. Catwoman will rise again. That said, Berry isn't as awful as Patience Phillips (gag on that name) as you've been led to believe. Hell, Berry as Catwoman isn't that awful, either. It's that in-between character that Berry straddles for a half hour that is deplorable.

Once she sets her teeth into it, it's all fun and games, though incredibly silly and disjointed (like a 60's Batman episode that thinks it's directed by Tim Burton). Benjamin Bratt and Frances Conroy suck. Sharon Stone plays a Botox'd supervillain... and really, at that point, she could be wailing "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" and it'd be worth the watch.

Most curious moment: Yeah, I get it; she gets all these cta senses. Woohoo. That doesn't mean she should be invulnerable to being hit repeatedly with a steel pipe. This is Catwoman, not Supergirl.

Grade: C+

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Elaine Stritch At Liberty: A great one woman show captured on DVD... Stritch is compelling throughout. She sings, she dances, and spins a terribly funny yarn. Her pipes aren't the most genteel, but the extended monologues on fucking up auditions, traveling from show to show within the same night, and conquering addiction, more than make up for it. Now if only contemporary Bea Arthur's Just Between Friends CD had been given similar DVD treatment.

Best musical numbers: "I'm Still Here," "I Want a Long Time Daddy," "There Never Was a Baby Like My Baby," and of course "The Ladies Who Lunch" (long considered Stritch's signature number) come out the best.

Grade: B+

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The Devil Wears Prada: I really, really enjoyed this. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt all give stellar performances. In what could have become a contrived parody of the fashion world (the same way the fabulous but campy Death Becomes Her became a parody of the aging actress), is actually a strong comedy/drama. These are all well-developed characters, despite apparent entire backstories discarded from the novel, so I've read.

Streep is more than the boss from hell, we learn and we don't even have to forced into sympathy for her. The filmmakers treat their audience better than that; we're not thunked with a "she's hard because she has to be in this man's world!" and instead are treated to a tour de force of bitch goddess like we rarely see.

Most interestingly, this film is also not a morality tale. Jokes about Hathway's size 6 and by the end of the film, she becomes a size 4. There's no judgement on this, really, and any other film would risk alienating their audience with Hathaway getting a scolding for being satsified with the weight loss. Instead it's a fact and Tucci gives her a playful squeeze of support. Character changes do happen (even if we'd be just as satisfied with Hathaway staying on the dark side rather than go back her humdrum boyfriend), but they aren't forced or stupid.

Miranda Priestly (Streep) is one of the best characters screen has seen this decade.

Grade: A-

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Pink Live in Europe: Bawdy (a superhot "Oh My God") to downright obscene ("Lady Marmalade" with blow-up dolls) to defiant, both quietly ("Eventually") and loudly ("Last To Know"), Pink puts on a great concert. The snippets of songs sometimes sail by a bit too quickly (we're given only tastes of "My Vietnam" and "Misery" and a Janis Joplin montage), and the format requires most of the singles to pop by in the order of release rather than thematic license; but all-in-all, a worthwhile concert preserved.

Grade: B

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Christina Aguilera: Stripped... Live in the UK: Tame in comparison to the Pink concert, Aguilera may pull some of the more raunchy punches (surprisingly), but she also puts on a good show. She overuses her "hah" that see does almost as a nervous twitch (and is extremely distracting during her otherwise capable "At Last") but she comes through with strong performances of "Genie in a Bottle" and "Can't Hold Us Down," and "Fighter." Not as iconic as Madonna, racy as Britney, or explosive as Pink, this one still holds a lot of potential... Can't wait for a Back to Basics live set.

Grade: B-

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My Super Ex-Girlfriend: In reality, I should be so dumbstruck by how dumb it really was, but the fact remains that not only did it capture amusing performances by Uma Thurman and Eddie Izzard but it's so far a film that didn't make me want to smack Luke Wilson. It deserves at least a C for that!

Grade: C