http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/celebrities/gallery/1376/whos-a-good-boy#photo0

Yahoo! Movies lists their "Top 20" movie dogs. While it's hard to argue with some of the choices (Lassie, etc.), some others are just, uh, incomprehensible. It's not just that the movies were bad (Underdog, Scooby-Doo), it's...well, let's be honest. It's that the movies were bad. So here's my top 10 dogs, weighted toward dogs with a major role in good movies.
( And reflecting my animation bias... )

[Malin] Offering my thoughts on the movie meme...

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times: Groundhog Day
2. Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in a theatre: Star Wars (7, 8 counting the re-release)
3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie: Edward Norton
4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie: Ashton Kuchter
5. Name a movie that you can quote from: Hudsucker Proxy ("Pants!")
6. Name a movie musical that you know all the lyrics to all the songs: The Sound of Music
7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with: The Wall ("who let all of this riffraff into the show?")
8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see: Searching for Bobby Fischer. A couple rough spots, but the kid does a great job, plus: Joe Mantegna, Joan Allen, Ben Kingsley, Laurence Fishburne, and Laura Linney, David Paymer, Austin Pendleton, and Dan Hedaya in small parts... it's a great film.
9. Name a movie that you own: Throw a rock. Seriously. Um... Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops: Madonna--for Evita, mostly.
11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in?: Yes. (Bambi)
12. Ever made out in a movie?: Not in a theater...
13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't gotten around to it: Rocky (being from Philly and all...)
14. Ever walked out of a movie?: Foul Play (because I was, like, eight, and my sister was five, and we didn't know there was going to be violence--so we walked into Heaven Can Wait, which was less violent but not really a trade up).
15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theatre: West Side Story
16. Popcorn?: I usually nibble on Rolo's.
17. How often do you go to the movies?: 2-3 times a month.
18. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?: Bolt!
19. What is your favorite/preferred genre of movie?: I don't think I can pick one. It depends on my mood. I love comedy-adventures, like most animated movies tend to be; I love a great pure comedy; I love a well-done drama; I love a good thriller or mystery; I love a good romance, too. The movies I watch over and over again tend to be adventures or comedies, but that's more because they hold up better to repeat viewings. My favorite movies would include Groundhog Day, Searching for Bobby Fischer, The Truman Show; Watership Down; Ratatouille; The Iron Giant; Ocean's Eleven; The Apartment; American Beauty; Chasing Amy; Sunset Boulevard; His Girl Friday ... I dunno, what do all those have in common?
20. What was the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?: Pinocchio
21. What movie(s) has/have changed your life?: The Fox and the Hound and Robin Hood--probably responsible for my love of furry critters. Clerks--made me realize that we had arrived in an age where we could make our own movies. I don't think any other movies had that large an impact.

We feel a quick need to post just because it's getting so thoroughly panned. "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" is not that bad a movie for what it is! In fact, we enjoyed it more than the second Mummy movie (Anubis warriors notwithstanding; this one has some pretty nifty-looking yetis). Rolo said he liked it more than "Indiana Jones and the Ponderously Mystical Father-Son Rapprochement Parable."

Look, it's a "Mummy" movie. There are not amazing martial arts fights, even between Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, which I suspect (not having read reviews) is part of what got people all upset about it. There are cringe-inducing dialogue bits ("we mustn't let Alex drift too far away from us"). But there's also a lively sense of humor behind it all, a recognition that this whole premise is goofy, and the feeling that the filmmakers had some fun with it when they could (look in the background of some of the scenes between the fighting undead armies). Catch a matinee, toss back some popcorn, and relax. It's fun.

Iron Man vs. Hancock (spoiler-free)

Here we have two superhero movies, both with charismatic leading men (Robert Downey, Jr. vs. Will Smith) and able supporting cast (Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow vs. Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron). Hancock's trailer has the edge over Iron Man's, highlighting its quirky story and acting talent, but when it comes down to it, Iron Man wins hands-down.

Downey, Jr. has had a renaissance since his career-threatening drug conviction. He's terrific in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and he brings the perfect cynical persona to the role of Tony Stark. What makes him great in that cynical role is that he has a heart. He tosses off his lines as a joke, while underneath it he believes in the goodness of the world. Will Smith has made a career out of a similar persona, if a bit gentler. He'll make fun of you, and with a wink, let you know that you're in on the joke, not the butt of it. In Hancock, he plays a character reviled by the city he's trying to save. It's clear that he knows why people don't like him; it's just too much work for him to do anything about it. If the movie were entirely about that aspect of his character and his journey toward respectability and understanding, this category might be more even. As it is, Smith does a terrific job with his character, but for a good portion of the movie, most of that is lost. Downey, Jr. manages to keep our attention and sympathy even when hidden inside his iron suit.

Hancock's real weakness is its story. Where Iron Man wasn't particularly original, at least the story was tightly plotted. The movie rarely dragged, rarely felt forced, and often surprised (in a good way). Hancock went for originality and went too far. If it were only the story of Hancock being accepted and learning to work with the people he protects, it would have had the potential to be a great movie. But sadly, that wasn't enough, and the additional material is confusing, takes Smith out of the role to some extent, and on top of it all, doesn't make sense on a number of levels. Sometimes it's better to do a formulaic movie well than to break formula for the sake of breaking formula.

So far, there's a clear winner in the superhero movies this summer, and he's the guy in the iron suit.