mike704 Reviews

Doctor Who (2005–2022)

Love this show!

[26 September 2005]

Some American network needs to pick up Doctor Who. Thanks to the internet I was able to see and enjoy all 13 episodes.

Christopher Ecclestone's Doctor was fantastic! The range of emotions and development of the the characters kept me watching.

Many years ago PBS ran Doctor Who in the US so I knew a little bit about the premise. Sadly I really only glanced at it then.

Why is American Tevelvision seen in Brittan but we see so little British TV here? We should not be so isolated. I would like to see more! The production values and acting were so good I could imagine it being a major motion picture.

I understand Christopher Ecclestone did't want to be typecast by playing the Doctor. Hopefully he will come to realize as the crew of the USS Enterprise have that it might not be such a bad thing. Even with the age difference between the actors Christopher and Bille there was magic there that doesn't come along very often.

As for Rose being a bit ordinary in the beginning that was part of the character development to see her grow and learn with each challenge. There was also a comment about not realizing that her boyfriend was plastic in the first episode. It might have been because she was so caught up in finding The Doctor that she was too distracted to notice. It was played for laughs I kept wondering when she was going to catch on! The show made me think of how different things were in WWII between our two countries. We here in the US have never had to deal with bombs falling in our cities. Even Pearl Harbor was remote for most of us. 9/11 was the closest thing to an attack on our country. The war was horrible for the English. We here in the US lost family members but the war was remote. It makes me understand why the Beatles were so anti-war.

American networks need to take notice. Dr Who is a bit of fresh air and I would bet there is more where that came from! Mike Miranda

American Dreams (2002–2005)

NBC Has a Winner in American Dreams

[20 June 2003]

American Dreams is one of the best reasons to own a TV set.

It's "Must See TV" in our house. This is what life was like before the cynical '70's. I can't believe all the negitive comments I have seen here about this show. Brittany Snow shines like a diamond as a girl discovering the world as she tries to find her place in it. So far her character Meg has shown an interest in the inner workings of "Bandstand" so you think maybe one day she will be a TV producer or director. Then you see how she views social injustice, she might take that on as a cause. There is a lot of room for growth here and I hope they get a chance to do it. The rest of the cast is perfect, I wouldn't change a thing. Each character has their own hopes and dreams as they go through their day to day lives. The music is a very big part of the story line and evokes a feeling, especially for those of us who remember the songs the first time around!

The one scene where everyone is grumping around on their way to midnight mass (hey a show about a CATHOLIC FAMILY WOW!)and then Helen hits Jack with a snowball which breaks the tension and lightens the mood was classic. So simple yet brilliant because it was so believeable.

I'm really disappointed in the negitive reviews here. Maybe that's why "The Osborns" and so called reality shows are so popular. As long as NBC keeps this show on, I'll be watching. It's one show I'm not embarassed to watch with my daughters.

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Long but never a dull moment

[8/10 · 23 August 2002]

This movie gets unfairly compared to "Titanic" because of this I delayed watching it. The movie stayed unwatched on my TiVo for weeks. Finally when I had enough time to commit to it I started watching with the idea I could stop it if the movie didn't hook me and maintain my interest. I was probably hooked in the first 5 minutes. To me the reality of Pearl Harbor is intensified when it involves people we know and like. On the negative side some of the "love story" dialog did get a bit mushy but I don't think the romance aspect got in the way of showing what happened on December 7th 1941. I don't always believe the critics, watch this one for yourself. I think this movie will grow in stature after a few years.

Mad About You (1992–2019)

Brilliant TV

[18 April 2002]

The bottom line is I know these people are playing fictional characters but I find them believeable, interesting and I really like them. I could site some really humorous episodes but that wouldn't do the show justice. There is also a warmth to the show which allows it to be so much more. I do have a life though and started to drift away from "Mad About You" after the baby was born. Then I got Tivo and found the show was on a local station at 4AM. I selcted it and found the season finale which has to be one of best final episodes of all time. After I saw it I just couldn't stop thinking about it. A true commentary on life, very touching and filled with emotion. This show probably edges out one of my other favorte sitcoms "The Dick Van Dyke show" as my all time favorite. I think years from now it will be just as appreciated, at least I hope so!

Xanadu (1980)

An Audio/Visual Delight

[10/10 · 18 February 2002]

It's a shame this movie didn't get the credit it deserves. That's what happens when you take chances and stray from the mainstream. The gamble paid off for us, the entire family loves Xanadu. Just to see Gene Kelly one last time was a treat, not to mention Olivia Newton-John. It's a fantasy with plenty of stunning video to keep you interested. The music from ELO, Olivia Newton-John and The Tubes worked for me. As for the entire 40's meets 80's thing I think as I get older I understand that young, old, it really doesn't make allot of difference, we're all people. We had looked at this movie for years on an old VHS tape I made. Tonight seeing it on a brand new DVD was awesome! The colors and sound came alive... My only complaint about the DVD is the multichannel sound sometimes had a bit too much echo for me, otherwise it was great. If you are into realism or drama this is not your movie, but this doesn't mean it's bad. If you enjoy musicals with plenty of dancing and sappy love stories like I do, you will enjoy Xanadu!

Death Becomes Her (1992)

Ugly little annoying story

[1/10 · 28 July 2001]

I had High hopes for this movie but if you have seen the trailer you have seen the best parts. I loved the special effects and hated everything else. Special effects alone are not enough. It might have worked better for me if it had been a silent movie. I found the characters one dimensional and very annoying. It would have been great to see a character with at least one redeeming quality. Weak, vain, petty and stupid is how I would describe them. Basically I would have been happy to see all of them die. I guess the actors did what they could for this dud. I'm very fond of Goldie Hawn but she couldn't begin to save this film....0 stars for this one, I'd give it a minus star if that was possible.

V.I. Warshawski (1991)

Beauty, Brains, Story and Great one-liners!

[28 July 2001]

I keep thinking the other people who have commented on this movie saw a different movie than I did. I totally enjoyed it, Kathleen Turner delivers a wisecrack better than anyone and her mocking laugh in the bathtub scene is too much! She shows her vulnerable side yet you know that V.I. can take care of herself when she has to. The foul mouthed little girl made me cringe a little with her first words in the movie. The chemistry between V.I. and the girl works for me. Randy Edleman's music for the movie really delivers as well. My test of a film really centers on the characters. If I like the characters and care about them that's usually enough. This film has a story which is more than I can say for other more popular films. I would give it 4 stars out of 5.

Miss Congeniality (2000)

A movie the entire family will enjoy!

[9/10 · 24 June 2001]

After just viewing Miss Congeniality with the family tonight my confidence in Hollywood is restored. A funny, suspenseful movie which doesn't have to resort to crude humor to deliver the laughs. I was not embarrassed to sit and watch it with my daughters and we all enjoyed it!