I just returned from a whirlwind tour of an amazing island nation. Look for a user video to come soon. The surprise of the trip was not how long the flights were, but how good the movies were.

I have never seen good movies on plane flights. Well, the 21st century is here and on-demand movie watching solves the problem of long-term boredom during marathon flights. What did I watch?

Mission Impossible III - It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Philip Seymour Hoffman lifts this popcorn flick to dramatic status. He's just so. . . nefarious.

Nacho Libre - It was a beautiful movie. Not quite as quirky of a comedy as Napoleon Dynomite, but it was fun, and it had heart. If Jack Black had been replaced by Philip Seymour Hoffman or Christopher Walken, it would have been stellar.

Inconvenient Truth - As much as I like conspiracies, and as much as I respect the occasional politician, I was nowhere near being interested in a documentary about a global warming PowerPoint presentation. Personal biases aside, Gore adroitly defines a problem and challenges the sheeple of the world to flex their power. The science is understandable and the content is amusing, solid, and fairly well substantiated.

X-Men 3 - I refused to pay money to see this film in the theater, but on a $1,000 plane flight, it still felt free. Thus, it was the perfect price. Aside from some wicked plot holes and misuse of talent, it makes a case for a popcorn indulgence . . . as long as someone else is buying.

The Sentinel - I understand 24 is a hot show these days, but Kiefer Sutherland should be expanding his range as an actor, not limiting it. The storytelling was poor. I felt no attachment to the characters. The situation portrayed has been done better. If I wasn't couped up for 12 hours I would have abandoned this B-movie long before the story crashed, or failed to take off. Sadly the only visually appealing part of the film comes in the form of Eva Longoria, and she is hardly enough to save poor storytelling.

The Da Vinci Code - Ron Howard creates a visually interesting version of an arguably sacriligious work of fiction. The twists, turns, and puzzles are interesting, but could have been deeper. The cast delivers compelling performances all around, but I found the end to be somewhat of a letdown.