This is the case where IMDB can betray a movie...

So, I was going through one of my favorite sites, the http://www.metacritic.com/film, and what did I see but reviews for Changeling. Now, I've usually enjoyed the last couple of Clint Eastwood flicks. Letters from Iwo Jima is on my top 10. Now, a good film is a combination of writing and directing. Eastwood alone made me kind of want to see this movie, that was until I looked at the writer and got rather scared. This is where IMDB can fail you. This is what I saw on his IMDB writing credits:

1. World War Z (2010) (announced) (screenplay)
2. Silver Surfer (2009) (announced) (writer)
3. They Marched Into Sunlight (2008) (announced) (writer)
4. Ninja Assassin (2009) (post-production) (screenplay)
   
   
5. Changeling (2008) (written by)
6. Babylon 5: The Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark (2007) (V) (creator) (written by)
   ... aka Babylon 5: The Lost Tales (USA: short title)
7. "Jeremiah" (34 episodes, 2002-2004)
   - Interregnum: Part 2 (2004) TV episode (creator) (written by)
   - Interregnum: Part 1 (2004) TV episode (creator) (written by)
   - The State of the Union (2004) TV episode (creator)
   - The Face in the Mirror (2003) TV episode (creator) (story) (teleplay)
   - The Past Is Prologue (2003) TV episode (creator) (written by)
   (29 more)
8. Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers: To Live and Die in Starlight (2002) (TV) (writer)
   ... aka Legend of the Rangers: Babylon 5 (USA: promotional title)
9. Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For (2000) (TV) (written by)
   
   
10. "Crusade" (10 episodes, 1999)
    - Each Night I Dream of Home (1999) TV episode (writer)
    - The Visitors from Down the Street (1999) TV episode (writer)
    - The Needs of Earth (1999) TV episode (writer)
    - The Memory of War (1999) TV episode (writer)
    - Racing the Night (1999) TV episode (writer)
    (5 more)
11. Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (1999) (TV) (creator) (written by)
    ... aka A Call to Arms
12. "Babylon 5" (104 episodes, 1994-1998)
    ... aka B5 (USA: promotional abbreviation)
    - Sleeping in Light (1998) TV episode (creator) (writer)
    - Objects at Rest (1998) TV episode (creator) (writer)
    - Objects in Motion (1998) TV episode (creator) (story) (teleplay)
    - The Wheel of Fire (1998) TV episode (creator) (writer)
    - The Fall of Centauri Prime (1998) TV episode (creator) (writer)
    (99 more)
13. Babylon 5: The River of Souls (1998) (TV) (creator) (written by)
    ... aka The River of Souls
14. Babylon 5: Thirdspace (1998) (TV) (creator) (written by)
    ... aka Thirdspace (USA)
    ... aka Thirdspace: A Babylon 5 Adventure (USA: promotional title)
15. Babylon 5: In the Beginning (1998) (TV) (creator) (written by)
    ... aka In the Beginning
16. "Walker, Texas Ranger" (1 episode, 1993)
    ... aka Walker (Australia)
    - A Shadow in the Night (1993) TV episode (writer)
17. Babylon 5: The Gathering (1993) (TV) (creator) (written by)
    ... aka B5 (USA: promotional abbreviation)
    ... aka Babylon 5 (USA)
18. "Murder, She Wrote" (7 episodes, 1991-1993)
    - Final Curtain (1993) TV episode (writer)
    - The Wind Around the Tower (1992) TV episode (writer)
    - To the Last Will I Grapple with Thee (1992) TV episode (written by)
    - Incident in Lot #7 (1992) TV episode (written by)
    - The Committee (1991) TV episode (written by)
    (2 more)
19. "Jake and the Fatman" (5 episodes, 1990)
    - Goodbye: Part 1 (1990) TV episode (writer)
    - Goodbye: Part 2 (1990) TV episode (writer)
    - Danny Boy (1990) TV episode (writer)
    - I Ain't Got No Body (1990) TV episode (writer)
    - Who's Sorry Now? (1990) TV episode (writer)
20. "The Real Ghost Busters" (21 episodes, 1986-1990)
    - Russian About (1990) TV episode (writer)
    - The Haunting of Heck House (1990) TV episode (writer)
    - Janine, You've Changed (1990) TV episode (writer)
    - The Halloween Door (1989) TV episode (writer)
    - The Ghostbusters Live! From Al Capone's Tomb! (1989) TV episode (writer)
    (16 more)
    
    
21. "The Twilight Zone" (12 episodes, 1986-1989)
    ... aka The New Twilight Zone (Australia)
    - Special Service (1989) TV episode (writer)
    - Rendezvous in a Dark Place (1989) TV episode (writer)
    - The Wall (1989) TV episode (writer)
    - The Mind of Simon Foster (1989) TV episode (writer)
    - Something in the Walls (1989) TV episode (writer)
    (7 more)
22. "Nightmare Classics" (1 episode, 1989)
    - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1989) TV episode (story "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde")
23. Captain Power: The Beginning (1989) (TV) (writer)
    ... aka Captain Power: Against the New Order (USA)
24. "Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future" (14 episodes, 1987-1988)
    - Retribution: Part 2 (1988) TV episode (writer)
    - Retribution: Part 1 (1988) TV episode (writer)
    - Freedom One (1988) TV episode (story)
    - The Eden Road (1988) TV episode (writer)
    - A Summoning of Thunder: Part 2 (1988) TV episode (writer)
    (9 more)
25. "Spiral Zone" (1 episode, 1987)
    - Mission Into Evil (1987) TV episode (writer) (as Fettes Grey)
26. "She-Ra: Princess of Power" (9 episodes, 1985)
    - Magicats (1985) TV episode (writer)
    - Darksmoke and Fire (1985) TV episode (writer)
    - The Price of Power (1985) TV episode (writer)
    - Enemy with My Face (1985) TV episode (writer)
    - Into the Dark Dimension (1985) TV episode (writer)
    (4 more)
27. "Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors" (13 episodes, 1985)
    ... aka Jayce et les conquérants de la lumière (France)
    - Dark Singer (1985) TV episode (writer)
    - Appointment at Forever (1985) TV episode (writer)
    - A Question of Conscience (????) TV episode (writer)
    - Do Not Disturb (????) TV episode (writer)
    - Dreamworld (????) TV episode (writer)
    (8 more)
28. "CBS Storybreak" (1 episode)
    - The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek (????) TV episode (screenplay)
29. "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" (15 episodes, 1984)
    ... aka He-Man (USA: short title)
    - Battle of the Dragons (1984) TV episode (writer)
    - Double Trouble (1984) TV episode (writer)
    - Journey to Stone City (1984) TV episode (writer)
    - Mistaken Identity (1984) TV episode (writer)
    - Origin of the Sorceress (1984) TV episode (writer)
    (10 more)

Now, any man with writing credits to He-man and She-ra episodes might be good in my book, but I have to say that I'm really sceptical. This guy has written a ton of TV. The last movie I saw with a writer who had done mostly TV, was the dreadful Mummy IV (Tomb of the Dragon Emperor). Everything from episodes of Jake and the Fatman, to Murder She Wrote (Angela Lansbury, what the hell!?). Then, I checked out one of his movies in post. That link to an already classic, Ninja Assassin. Here's the plot synopsis of that movie!

"Ninja Assassin follows Raizo (Rain), one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge.

In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi (Rick Yune), to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan."

Now, I know full well what most people are thinking. "Terence, just because he did umpteen episodes of Babylon 5, doesn't mean that his writing sucks", and for the most part you're correct. He could be very capable. However, if he's real good, he's been in the game since '84, and he hasn't written a feature length movie until now? Just food for thought. I might end up going to this movie because of a few friends might want to see it, and it might be decent because of how Eastwood does his films. However, it's more of a shot in the dark than one would think.

UPDATE: On a side note, I started looking at Eastwood's filmography and saw a movie trailer and movie that I want to see. Gran Torino is another one of his movies that will probably be released in January. It's about a Korean War vet who has some Hmong neighbors move in, and has to combat some local gangs as well as befriend the Hmong kid that tries to steal his 1972 Gran Torino. The film, from the trailer, looks pretty good. Eastwood plays the quintessential old bigoted vet.