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Reviews
Gangster No. 1 (2000)
Untouchable
One of my favorite types of movies are crime dramas. However, Italian Mafioso films have left me rather ragged (Casino was better than Goodfellas in my book, and the Godfather was a big disappointment -- second one was better). However, I've been constantly surprised and overjoyed with English crime dramas, and Gangster No. 1 is no exception, having completely blown me away.
Slightly similar but mostly unlike the fellow films made by popular director Guy Ritchie, Gangster is the story of an absolutely madman of a gangster known as Gangster 55 who steals the reins of power away from his previous boss. But when this man is released from prison, 55 recalls his rise to power before he's forced to deal with the present.
Gangster No. 1 is my first foray into the world of underground filmmaking. For a while now, I've only paid attention to well-rated movies out of mainstream (Scorsese, Kubrick, and the like), but with Gangster No. 1 starts a new path in life. This flick is well-acted, well-paced, and is pumped full of lots of enjoyable violence. Have a ball as you watch.
The In-Laws (2003)
Deserves a 7, and will probably get one once more votes are cast
I had the pleasure of watching this flick without any outside criticism, and I can say that I laughed a lot throughout the whole thing. Forget the critics and the nay-sayers -- 600-700 voters isn't enough to weigh your judgement on. It may be a remake, and it might be a little predictable, but there's a lot to it that makes it memorable.
Haven't seen the original though, so I won't compare them. Just pop it into your VCR and have a ball.
Behind Enemy Lines (1997)
An Opus of Badness
I couldn't believe a movie could be so gawdawful, but it seems I'm wrong. Like you might be led to believe, this is one of those movies that have an old tired plot, lots of pointless action, and characters you could really care less about. It's as if the Movie God just decided to hunker down one day and pass this digested, festering turd of a movie in His great toilet and flush it into the sewers known as the "Straight to Video" market we harbor here on Earth. If you want to watch a great movie about Vietnam, try Apocalypse Now, it's brilliant. However, if you like this movie (!), try Platoon. It's got a larger budget and it's more well-known, but it's nearly just as stupid.
Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999)
All I can say is....
...it's strangely like Cowboy Bebop (an obvious influence on me if you got my location) in the fact that each episode has its own soundtrack and feel. The "Tower of Dr. Zolast" episode has the mad scientist scheming to the sounds of low choir haunts, while the "Human Habitat" episode has three different sounds: Deep riffs on the electric guitar that make the whole thing sound very despairing, the jet-ski chase new-age song (you may hear it elsewhere), and the very annoying "It's Doc Gerbil's world" chant. Also, each villain and episode has the atmosphere of one of those old cheesy horror flicks: very scary, but yet we can still see the zipper on Godzilla's back...
Believe you me, when a show comes along promising such variety, we shouldn't take it for granted.
Braceface (2001)
A delightful look at problems most experienced by teens
Braceface is the story of Sharon Spitz, a naive teenager who lives in your everyday town and experiences everylife teen experiences. The premise is to give insight on the most common situations younger people can soon find themselves in and have fun while doing it. It's an enjoyable show, and I like the vivid colors used for animation. All in all, I give it 3 licks of flame out of 4.
Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)
It really depends on the audience...
First off, there's a big difference between people who liked this and people who didn't, as you can see by Kung Pow's average rating. I think I can tell why.
This new kung-fu spoof interestingly combined a 1970's kung-fu flick with a new soundtrack, new voices, new sounds, and actors inserted by green screen. On my reaction, this method'll probably get pretty popular sometime or later, and that's good in my book, but it means only doom for the despisers of this movie.
About the comedy: Well, there's all sorts. Intelligent, gross, romantic, spoof, bizarre, etcetera. Kung Pow is one of my favorite types of movies: weird, bizarre, and never taking itself seriously. For most, this is a bad thing. But by the (extremely limited) trailer, were you expecting much brains?
Probably not. I liked it because the comedy was simple, and enjoyable. In fact, I was laughing so hard, I nearly sprayed my two water bottle and medium soft drink's worth of urine on the floor. Want witty? Go watch something else. Stand aside, for Kung Pow takes its place as one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time.
Deadbolt (1992)
All you need to know is...
Just a real bad clone of Misery, just the genders switched around. Now the psychopath movies are getting cliched. Baldwin is the dime-a-dozen psychopath, and he's locking his love in her room whilst murdering off her only points of contact. Now she's trying to get out, while he cuts away every attempt. Please, just watch Misery. Same thing, just a lot creepier and enjoyable than this.