MaxLange Reviews

Hitch (I) (2005)

Ho Hum

[6/10 · 4 July 2005]

I rated this a 6 out of 10 because ...

We like romantic comedies, sometimes. Hitch started out funny, clever and very watchable, but turned predictable and boring. The acting was fine, but the script was pretty much a rehash of a romantic novel. Too bad the writers couldn't keep the feel of the movie's premise going for the full 2 hours.

ALERT! The following comment may be considered by some to be a spoiler.

If you rent Hitch, watch the first half or so. You will know when the movie turns old and predictable. When that happens quit watching, skip to the ending credits (they're fun) -- you already know the ending.

War of the Worlds (2005)

Very nicely done

[9/10 · 3 July 2005]

With all of the less-than enthusiastic hubbub swirling around this flick, I wasn't sure what to expect; indeed, I was very interested in seeing if Spielberg and Cruise could make a movie as bad as some of the critics were saying.

Well, I am pleased to report that I can genuinely give "War of the Worlds" a 9 out of 10 vote. This is a very nicely done retelling of H.G. Wells's tale. I can recommend this film to nearly every audience that does not contain young kids.

I am not recommending that you keep your younger kids away from this film because of the standard Hollywood fare of gratuitous sex and excessive profanity because there are no such scenes in the film. On the other hand, I found the film to be very intense at times and I suspect that there are some kids out there who might be adversely affected by the intensity.

Overall, the special effects are excellent, the script is good and the acting is exceptional. Tom Cruise played his part nearly perfectly and Dakota Fanning is superb. This is one of those rare films that is worth the price of admission.

Batman Begins (2005)

Worth the price of admission except ...

[9/10 · 24 June 2005]

"Batman Begins" is worth the price of admission. The visuals of Gotham were outstanding, better than the first Batman movie. The story was an interesting explanation of the genus of Batman and Christian Bale and Michael Cain were inspired choices for the lead roles.

The only complaint I had with the making of the newest incarnation of Batman was the "shaky camera" action scenes. In my opinion this technique is nothing more than a sign of producers and directors who don't want to spend the time and money to choreograph the action scenes. They throw a couple of actors on the set, have them run around a bit and shake the camera. Toss in some music and they have a action scene. It is a technique best employed by a high school film club not a professional movie maker.

I still recommend this film to fantasy/action fans (who isn't?), I just wish Hollywood would get back to real action scenes and dump the shaky camera.

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Good Story, Terrible Direction

[3/10 · 27 July 2004]

We were looking forward to this movie for quite some time as we are all big fans of the "Bourne Identity"; however, I cannot recommend this film.

The script is far better than average for a spy/thriller flick and the acting was fine. The only problem with the movie is that the director decided to use the "shaky camera" technique (remember how "Speed 2" was ruined in just this manner?). This makes for a very unpleasant viewing experience and is probably done to save money on the action choreography.

The film has a chase sequence that could have ranked up in the top ten chase sequences of all time, but unlike those in "Bullitt", "The Seven Ups" and "The Peacemaker", this chase sequence is ruined by sloppy direction, shaky camera work and blurry transitions.

I can only assume that either the producers were too cheap to film the movie correctly or the director was too incompetent to film the movie correctly. Either way, the film is a waste of your time and money, don't bother going to the theater to see it, wait for it to come to the 99 cent video store, you'll thank me for saving you some money.

The Order (2003)

Save your money

[1/10 · 6 September 2003]

This movie looked to be interesting; however, it turned out to be slow and boring. The sound track is nearly unintelligible in places and the story line is too predictable. The potentially decent story suffers from a poor script; however, the female lead, Shannyn Sossamon, is attractive enough to raise my rating of the movie from two-stars to three-stars.

Hearts in Atlantis (2001)

Rambling story, wait for it to show on HBO

[6/10 · 5 July 2002]

I actually saw a pre-release version of this film, maybe some of its weaknesses were corrected prior to its release; however, in general, I found the movie to be a pretentious, rambling bit of film making.

BUT, the casting and acting are fabulous! If you can believe it, Anthony Hopkins' performance was outdone by two kids: Anton Yelchin as the young Bobby Garfield and Mika Boorem as Carol Gerber. You might just rent this movie to watch two very talented young actors; otherwise, take a pass...

6/10

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

I love this movie!

[10/10 · 5 July 2002]

My family and I are all BIG Harry Potter fans -- we have read the books and listened to the audio adaptations by Jim Dale all many times. Prior to going to the see the movie we were very curious how they were going to put the all of the "Sorcerer's Stone" into a two-hour film, there is so much there. Well, the bad news is that the film makers did not put all of the story into the movie; the good news is that they did an excellent job crafting the two and a half hour movie!

The characters are all VERY well done, every one of them is well-cast and well-acted. Perhaps the weakest of the lot are Fred and George Weasley, but only in comparison to the rest. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, McGonagall and especially Hagrid are all a treat to watch and they make the movie a joy to watch.

The effects are also well-done even though I would have liked to see more Quidditch than was shown.

I can't recommend this movie enough ...

10/10

Battlefield Earth (2000)

Great Special Effects

[7/10 · 14 May 2000]

This movie ranks at the top of the list for great special effects. Additionally, it is an action-packed SciFi thriller, practically from the opening gun. I didn't give it a rating of 10 simply because I felt that it could have been a bit truer to the book, which I loved. I recommend Battlefield Earth to everyone who enjoys SciFi thrillers, you won't be disappointed.

The Prophecy (1995)

An easy movie to hate

[8/10 · 22 January 2000]

"The Prophecy" draws a picture of heaven that many viewers will NOT like, perhaps because it conflicts with the teachings of childhood.

Before viewing the film, look up the definition of "angel" in any good dictionary and then pay attention to the contrasting image of "angel" as drawn by Christopher Walken. I enjoyed the contrasting imagery, though I can guarantee that many folks will not.

If you like dark suspense tales and are able to not get stuck in the iconoclastic imagery of heaven and angels, I think you will like this film.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

A very well-crafted movie

[9/10 · 28 August 1999]

"Sixth Sense" is one of the better movies I have seen in quite some time. It is blessed with an excellent script, excellent directing and excellent acting. Haley Joel Osment deserves an Oscar for his very excellent performance. On top of all of that, it has a surprise ending -- happy viewing!

The Sandlot (1993)

Great sleeper!

[9/10 · 15 April 1999]

I love everything about this movie, and who would have believed it from its less-than-enthusiastic promotion and run at the box office.

"Sandlot" is easily one of the top ten baseball movies of all time and easily one of the top ten "growing up" movies of all time. It makes me want to relive those years over again every time I watch the movie.

The Quiet Man (1952)

The best John Wayne movie EVER!

[10/10 · 14 April 1999]

The entire movie is full of wonderful actors giving wonderful performances -- all set in the beautiful Irish countryside. There is something for almost everyone in this film, one of the best films ever made.

Vampire in Venice (1988)

This may be the worst movie ever made.

[1/10 · 7 April 1999]

This is an extremely boring version of the classic Dracula legend that should be removed from the shelves of the video stores. Save your $2.95 and rent Bela Lugosi's "Dracula" or Christopher Lee's "The Horror of Dracula".