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Reviews
The Gift (2000)
I wish I had a gift. (It's almost my B-day)
I've been reading through some of the comments that people are leaving and I have to disagree with most of them. I thought the movie had a very strong plot (which is what most are saying it doesn't have) I really liked the story that was written (By Billy Bob at best, which I didn't know until I seen the movie) and the acting was par none. I even liked Keanu Reeves. That sames something because I think he's the worst actor on the face of the planet... behind Stephen Seagul that is.
It's probably because I'm a HUGE fan of thrillers that I liked this movie so much. I just love when a movie keeps you guessing. This movie did that well. It introduced all the characters and then made you believe that every single one of them could have been the criminal. Very well done.
I wouldn't put this movie in my top 10, or maybe even top 50 list of movies I love... but I do say that it's very enjoyable. Of course, there are hardly any movies that I hate...
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
O Brother.. why did I wait so long to see this movie?
Okay... so I waited and waited and waited to see this movie? Why? I'm not sure. I just kept on getting something else above it I guess. That crappy thing is.. the movie is fantastic. Does that make sense? Crappy... fantastic? Anyway...
It wasn't until I sat down to watch this movie that I learnt it was adapted from Homers epic poem... which is Brilliant in itself. And what a terrific adaptation it was. Every single character that were created were wonderful and the actors that portrayed them were brilliant. George Clooney especially. I really think he should stick to these off beat roles and stay far away from Batman and characters similar to that.
The story itself is a tale of 3 somewhat stupid people caught in a huge amount of misadventures. This leads to a bunch of hilarity and a story line that'll keep you watching and interested.
Do I even have to mention the soundtrack? I dont' think so, because if you seen it.. you know. If you haven't yet... you will when you do. Beautiful sounds and a great use of old time songage (is that a word? I don't think so.. oh well).
Fantastic movie... in all aspects.
Blow (2001)
Cinimatically brilliant
This movie (Well, I can't really say that it's just a movie, because it's more of a story... a tale... based on true life events) takes a man who brought 90% of the cocaine market to the states and then makes you feel sorry for him. What a world.
I have to say that this movie (this tale) was great. Yes, it was very long and sometimes dragged out (not a lot) but it really had it's great moments throughout. I found it too be a great new tale because it took the life of a criminal and made you like him. Johnny Depp portrays the crook and again shows the world just how good he is. Penelope Cruz is amazing in this movie. She really portrays her character quite brilliantly... if I do say so myself.
The acting and story aren't what made this movie so enjoyable for me though. The directors vision is what did it. There were some really great shots and scenes throughout this movie. Cinimatically, it was brilliant. I remember one scene that stuck me now. Johnnys character was in prison for the first time and he meets his would be partner. The scene fades from Character to character as they both lay in their beds talking. Great scene. I loved it and it will always stick in my mind. There are pletty of grea quality shots that should take away from this movie if you see it.
Spare the couple of hours to see this one. I trust you will like it. I did.
Instinct (1999)
Gripping... and I dont mean Hopkins hands on Goodings neck
It's a tale of a man who is predetermined to be insane because of the murder of two people in the wilderness. And what a tale it is. The movie stars two great actors (Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding Jr) who live up to thier stardom, once again, with some brilliant acting.
The only bad notes that I have of this movie is that I found the first 30-40 minutes to be somewhat boring... but that changed, and I'll get to that in a second. The other note that I have is that Anthony Hopkins character's story because very easy to figure out early on. You knew why he killed before he ever said why. I did anyway.
As the tale advanced in plot, it became very gripping. By that I mean that you just had to figure out what was going to happen. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen and my ears from the words they were saying. I just had to know what was going on. There are some great jolts in the film too which is great to see in a non horror/suspence movie. I jumped a few times. You'll know what I'm talking about if you never seen it.
Trust me. If you rent this one an get past the first 30 minutes... the last 90 will be a great experience. It was for me. I can't believe I waited this long to see it.
Don't Say a Word (2001)
The Trailer got me
I was sitting home reading a new Maxim Magazine one day when all of a sudden the music and images of this movies trailer popped up on my TV. After seeing that, I had to see the movie. And I did. I went into the movie with some mixed thoughts because I found the trailer to be great, but a lot of people were saying that the movie wasn't. Of course, I never listen to another persons reviews. Everyone has an opinion and rarely is it like mine.
So, what's my opinion you ask? The movie was good. I found it to have a great story line and most of the acting was top notch. The only acting that I didn't enjoy actually was Michael Douglas and his little girl early on. I found that to be too cheezy. On the other hand, I do understand why it was necessary for the story though. Dont' get me wrong though. It was only in that little section that Douglas' acting wasn't top notch... as usual... and that's only in my opinion.
The movie itself was a terrific Psychological Thriller at it's best. I'm sure if your here on IMDB, you know what it's all about, so I won't waste time talking of the storyline. I will say however, that the story line was very good. The character development was great too. I loved all the characters and how they mixed in with each other. I have a soft spot for these types of movies because I love it when you don't have a clue what's going on... until the end. Movies like that are great and I will forever love them.
This one did a great job of making a type of movie I love. I suggest going to see it if you haven't already.
Dungeons & Dragons (2000)
"Dung and Drag on" would have been a better title
I remember looking at the previews for this movie and thinking "I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT". Being an avid D & D player in my youth, this movie seemed like it would be a great tale of a game I used to enjoy so very much... but I was wrong. It wasn't a great tale at all.. and in actual fact, the story sucked a whole bunch. Well, not so much the story because I found that to be quite interesting. The script is what sucked. Bad lines with some equally bad acting. That doesn't go for all the characters though. Justin Whalin (Ridley) did a great job in his lead role and with the fight scenes. I really enjoyed The Wayans Brother (It doesn't really matter which one does it?... okay, okay... Marlon) as Snails because he added some great comic relief to an already cheezy film. I also liked Kristen Wilson as the Elf.. but only because she really looked like an Elf.
On the other hand, I didn't think that Thora Birch (Empress Savina) suited the role (and I personally can't believe she went from American Beauty to this... goodness) and Jeremy Irons (Profion) overacted the whole time. I also think that one of the mages were from Brooklyn. If you watch it, listen to his accent.
The special effects were OBVIOUS computer animations and the script was bad. Let alone that, half the actors sucked emensly. When you get through all of that.. you have an enjoyable movie... but only if you know anything about D & D.
Outbreak (1995)
Not a horror, but Scary indeed.
It's rare to find a movie that doesn't involve topless teenages getting chopped up or Freddy haunting your dreams but still the story will haunt you. This is the case for "Outbreak". Although the movie isn't a horror flick I still find myself a little scared when I watch it. Why? Because it's a story that can possibly happen. Viruses are deadly and ones that are this deadly have popped up in the world before. Think of the Black plague. This story takes a look at a new deadly virus that could possibly wipe the world out in a matter of days.... and the measures people in charge will take to stop that from happening. What a great story!
The cast in this movie do a great job of portraying the very important characters. Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Kevin Spacey, Cuba Gooding Jr, Morgan Freeman and Donald Sutherland all work together to tell a great tale. The movie starts off with a bang and builds to a very exiting climax towards the end... which is what all good movies do. This one doesn't fail in being a good... no, scrath that... GREAT movie. I suggest that if you readers have not seen this, then rent it soon... because you never know what can happen in the future. Maybe a virus will get you... and you will never see it. Who knows.
Iron Will (1994)
Will. That's all it takes.
A definate family movie for the young and old. This tale will break your heart, fill you with hope and keep your eyes glued to the screen... even if you watch it at 3 in the morning... like I did.
The movies plot was fascinating and very well developed. I did find however that the opening half hour wen't by very quickly. On the other hand, I was able to grasp the story. I guess that's all that matters. The heart pounding action and suspense that is created in the actual race is brilliant. My hats off to Disney once again... and also the the wonderful cast that gave so much to a wonderful story.
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
I like surprises.
It's great to be surprised and this movie was a very big surprise for me. It was very hesitant on seeing this movie what it was in theatre becaue I heard through the grape vine that it was a horrible movie. Now that I've seen it (and I'm very happy that I went to the theatre TO see it) I have to say that it is far from horrible...and probably one of the best horror flicks I've seen in a while.
I really enjoyed the characters that existed in the movie, and the fact that there wasn't a whole lot of them really was a bonus too. It's great that the two leads were a brother/sister duo instead of two sex crazed teens in love. You never see anything but that... ever... until now. The "bad guy" was a great new creation as well. Something original.. something new... something fun. I didn't however like the Psychic woman because I thought that bit of the storyline was too contrived... but necessary for the progression of the movie maybe.
The movie itself had great use of sound instead of visuals. Yes it did have some gore... but not all that much because like I said.. it was the sounds that made this movie what it was.
The ending was brilliant. Simple as that. It's an ending that you just dont' see in any horror movie, ever. It's an ending that I've been waiting to see for a long time. Because let's face it. The traditional movie plots that we're all used to seeing just isn't real. This movies ending was. And it was fabulous.
American Pie 2 (2001)
Could have waited until Video
In my town there is one movie theatre, that show one movie a week. This movie came earlier this summer and I didn't get to see it. Last week, it came back again and I finally got to view a movie that I was looking forward to seeing. Now that I have all I can think is that I should have waited for the video. I hate it when you look forward to a movie so much and when you finally get to see it, you're disapointed. I really liked the first one because it was new and fun... but this one evidently tried to hard to be good. I liked the fact that Sean William Scott (Stifler) had a bigger role in this one though, and in fact if it weren't for him, this movie would have just sucked. They really should have waited a couple of more years to put this movie out. Give people time to forget the original so that when they did come out with the sequal, eveyrone could remember how good the first one was. That's just my two cents.
The Musketeer (2001)
The hype? Screw the hype.
The Musketeer was hyped to be a very exciting sword weilding movie. Although the movie did have some (maybe 3) great fight scenes, it lacked everything else. The acting was horrid. The script was un-developed. The Characters were stupid. The movie was bad. So... what else is there to say? Not much. I really liked Tim Roth in this roll.. but that could be biased becasue I like Tim Roth. I'm not sure yet. The last fight was very well done. Unbelievable... but well done.
Final thought. If you taken out all the crap in this movie, you would have had 3 sword fights and a naked Mena Suvari. That's it.
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
"Video doesn't lie. Film does... but video doesn't"
When I watched this movie last night (for the 3rd time) I finally caught on to a very important line; "Video doesn't lie. Film Does... but video doesn't"... but I'll get back to that in a moment.
In my travels, I have have realized something about the poeple that I talk to about this movie, or rather, the Blair Witch Francise. Everyone who liked the first one, didn't like (or didn't even watch) the second one. Anyone who didn't like the first one, loved the second one. Me? I didn't like the first one all that much (note: the last 15 minutes were BRILLIANT, but the rest of the movie lacked...um.. anything) But the sequel, "Book of Shadows", was very well done. Now, I have to admit that the acting in the movie was nothing that will get any awards... ever... but the concept and delivery of all those visuals was brilliant.
The movie itself had a twisted story that you really don't have a clue what is going on until the very end... like any good movie should do. Screw with the audience until the conclusion. Beautiful. The main reason why I loved this movie was because of the Visual were brilliant, and the Aurels were even better. I loved the sounds they used (including the soundtrack, which was great) and if you watch it again, I suggest paying particular attention to those sounds I am promoting. They freaked me out.
My opening comment on "Video" is a very important one to this movie because the film we say lied. The video never did. I loved that concept.
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
I'm 23 and I still LOVE this movie
Disney has done it again with a FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY (how many funnies is that? 4?...not enough) FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY (you get the point) movie.
Picture this. 2 friends and I walk into a local movie rental shop and start arguing over the NEW releases. Horror movie? No. Slasher flick? No. Drama? No. Etc, Etc, Etc. Finally, as if it were fate, we all walk into the Disney/Children section of the shop. One suggest "Emperors New Grove". The rest automatically agree... and we weren't disapointed.
David Spade is brilliant as the voice of the Emperor in this movie. His humour was definatly evident throughout the entirity. Speaking of the humour... it was funny. Ha, ha. Ain't I a kidder? Seriously though, I have to say that this is the funniest Disney movie that I've ever seen... and it's definaly because of the cast... who were brilliant in all their roles. There was a lot of adult humour in this one though. Nothing gross or sexually oriented or anything, but just grown up... intelligent... making it a fabulous watch.
If you haven't seen this, then I suggest you do... and soon.
Drop Dead Fred (1991)
Memories of my own Imaginary friend
Watching this movie again recently, after years of forgetting about it, has made me remember my own childhood... and my own imaginary friend. Although mine wasn't as distructive as Fred, he still held on to the traits that all imaginary friends do; always being there for you. "Drop Dead Fred" is a hilarious movie. Simple as that. I've actually forgotten how funny a movie that it is. Yes it's cheesy, yes it's a story of an imaginary friend, and yes it has a bunch of actors who really aren't that big now... but despite all that, it's a darn good movie. Rik Mayall is fantastic in the roll of Fred. He is consistantly hilarious throughout the whole movie and I found myself laughing out loud dozens of times (which doesn't happen to me that often... I'm an innner laugh kinda guy) The rest of the cast held true to their characters and all played well opposite the screen stealing Fred. Watch this movie if you want to laugh. That's all I can say.
See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
When two become one
"See no evil, Hear no evil"; a perfect title for an hilarious script that was brilliantly portrayed by Gene Wilder (Dave) and Richard Pryer (Wally). The tale of two "handicapped" (as Dave remarks at the end of the film, "I'm not handicapped, I have you") individuals who come together to be ones eyes. The hilarious duo get caught in a crime they did not commit and do everything in thier power to rid them of the accusation.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie tremendously. I remember watching it when it first came out in 1989 and thinking, "wow...what a funny flick". Being only 11 at the time, I didn't really understand the hilarity of all the jokes that was in it. The reason why I watch it again now... 13 years later is because of one Kevin Spacey (Who plays Kirgo, the crook). I'm in the process of collecting all of his movies... and this one just happens to be one in that list. I'm glad that it is. I find the script to be wonderfull, the acting brilliant and the time spent watching it a definate fun time. Great movie!!
Rocket Gibraltar (1988)
Old Time Family Film
A family of many come together on one special day to celebrate Levi Rockwells (Burt Lancaster) 77th birthday. That's the main basis for the story, but the idea is so much more. I found the film to me very light hearted and touching at times. The cast did a wonderful job of portraying a family that were all very different from one an other, but still loved each other all the same. The storyline was very entertaining...not surprising... but entertaining none the less. The reason why I say that it wasn't surprising is because you can tell throughout what was going to happen. I don't really want to give any spoilers here, but you know (or I did anyway) what is going to happen once the movie is set. Overall, the movie was a wonderful family movie that is uplifting. I found the acting to be good... but some of the script to be to contrived. You'll know what I mean when you see it. Macully Culkin being psychic? Anyway... I suggest a family watch this movie.
Hurlyburly (1998)
Talk is NOT cheep
In a HurleyBurley world with HurleyBurley people, talk is NOT cheep. Cocaine, Marijuana and alcohol give the briliantly portrayed characters the power of speech. No... this movie is not about drugs and alcohol. This movie is about ideas and theories on life. I myself have to admit that not all of what was discussed in this movie was not understood by ME, but on the other hand, I think that's the beauty of the script. Who knows the secrets of the world? No-one knows all, yet we all have theories on our own existances... or existance as a whole.
Joel Siegal from GOOD MORNING AMERICA notes that "This Cast makes you wish they gave an Oscar for ensemble acting.". I totally agree with this statement. A wonderful cast has come together on this movie and I have come from it blown away by their abilities. It takes a tough mind and will for an actor to spend a whole movie talking, and by that I mean, no car chases or things blowing up. No special effects or thrilling scenes of aliens and monstars. It was speech and these actors spoke brilliantly. It was wonderfully casted and these people brought this original script to life. I can't wait to watch it again... and again... and again... and I can do that because I own it myself.