frozenbiscuits-1 Reviews

Nim's Island (2008)

it worked, for all the reasons it maybe shouldn't have ( for me)

[6/10 · 4 April 2008]

this is one of those films, that manages to walk a thin line between parody( but not with a mean streak) and true family entertainment.

my next thought might well spoil things for some, so please take caution, though I won't give away any specifics. I liked it, but for all the reasons I would normally not like a film so much... in places it does have emotional grappling hooks- yet it is a cacophony of formula, cliché, new twist on an old theme,

Evertything about it has been done, it's like all the best elements from other stories that worked have been haphazardly combined into one family movie that stops just short of parody but yet you know it kind of is . sort of a Dr. Doolittle, meets, romancing the Stone, meets, the swiss family Robinson... too many to mention. and then throw in a few scenes that can make any one who has ever been a tourist or part of pop culture that has been lured by the idea of " your own paradise" uncomfortable. ( and yes, it never turns out well for those who live there.) for all the reasons it shouldn't have worked for me, it did work, on some unexpected level. I liked it.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

the jokes both visual and verbal this time seem patronizing and Il-timed

[3/10 · 7 July 2006]

I absolutely adored the 1st movie for all the reasons that are missing from Dead mans Chest. I'm somewhat at a loss to understand why this sequel has evoked a nearly opposite reaction.

Except to say- the jokes both visual and verbal seemed somehow patronizing and ill -timed. The ingredients and timbre of the 1st film with it's blend of one liners, humor and expected pirate myths- sailing in a ship built out of salvaged parts of a host of films from several genres and vintages has lost it's compass here. If it is the same formula- then I have no explanation for why I liked the 1st film to begin with, or why it worked magic at the box office. It may well be that those who did not like the original, may like this one very well. It is also likely that fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean; Curse of the Black Pearl may well embrace this one as well- for all the reasons I find it forced, and way off course They may find it entertaining. I also think it gave in to some common "rules" and lazy ones at that. ( It was how they broke all the rules in Curse of the Black Pearl that made it so fresh and charming) Dead Mans Chest is doing the fashionable- kiss the sexy pirate- divide the lovers with the lowest common denominator, and roll so much video -game action that no has time to think if any of it is actually truly enjoyable storytelling.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Iwanted to like this film, but disappoints on several levels

[5/10 · 13 November 2005]

I wanted to like this film, but in the end found it disappointing on several crucial levels. I don't expect word for word dialogue from Jane Austens' book, but I did expect the clever satire to remain in tact. The anachronisms within this adaption both of conversation and environment lead me to believe maybe both Deborah Maggoch and Joe Wright didn't truly understand the material or chose to ignore it. ( screenplay & director, respectively) If what's gone before can't be improved, then at least show us something new. There is neither here. The performances were good, given the canvas they had. But I was frustrated that this film had some moments and hinted at some potential to be very good. I have a much deeper appreciation for the work Emma Thompson did in adapting Sense & Sensibility. You had your romance, but the humor and sport making of society was not lost in it. Pride & prejudice is not just a romance. Both Darcy and Lizzy have certain prejudices ( so to speak) that must be demonstrated and overcome, by their actions and conversation. interpreted badly, and they become just a pair of spoiled brats. here is my argument about Direction and screenplay. Darcy and Lizzy must engage each other in a sort of verbal sparring match that exposes each of their flaws in a polite but pointed manner. Darcy must be shown in such a way that we believe his words & actions might possibly be misunderstood by Lizzy. He's elite because he believes the elite deserve their station. where Lizzy must demonstrate that she has qualities of deportment that would make Darcy consider her despite her not being among the elite class. here in this film, Darcy just comes across as snobbish and Dull Lizzy as impertinent with a sense of over entitlement. It's not believable, and all the subtle humor and caricature of class system is washed away for an attempt at grandeur and realism, and we are left to be told this is how it works out. instead of shown how it works out and why. It's not the cast at fault here, it's the adaption.

The Last Shot (2004)

Highly underrated

[10/10 · 15 May 2005]

If you expect to see this film knowing nothing about it , don't read on. That said, I can see where the Last Shot is not a film that will appeal to everyone. but it will appeal to those who don't take Hollywood seriously. I didn't get to see it in the theatre because it never was offered here and that is a shame. It has every Hollywood cliché',rumor,perception,and is Hollywood,as well as what we hope Hollywood is not. If true that it is based on a true event, then It is all the funnier. It is Funny! It takes some very pointed jabs at everything Hollywood is and everything movie goers think it is. It's over the top, albeit you may laugh uncomfortably at things you know are true and some you know are not (or hope not anyway.) Just the thought of using the production of a film by the FBI as a sting operation is intriguing enough. But add in that the "director" and a few others are not aware the "film" is not real and you get the point. at times painfully funny. because I was laughing at everything I had come to believe about movie making. In the end, there you have what might be truth... everyone wants to make a movie. Even the FBI agent/producer. For him the line between the objective and the movie getting made becomes thin. Highly underrated and under-appreciated to my thinking. Very funny but with some sharp edges.

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

romanticism and more, the stage play is now a motion picture

[10/10 · 23 December 2004]

I adored the stage-play of Phantom, so I admittedly was going to be hard to please. I fell into that chasm of romanticism all over again. From the first notes of Andrew Lloyd Webbers' score as the chandelier is drawn again to the ceiling and we are swept back in time and into the story. I had hope that this production would be even an echo of the play. Bravo! It has the same spirit. At first I was worried that the phantom( so critical to the musical) was not going to take us where we need to go for this to work as a movie. However, by the 3rd act ,he had me. maybe even in the 2nd act. It is so important to feel a certain ambiguity toward the phantom, or you'll never feel the pure romanticism Phantom Of The Opera is as a musical legend.

If you have not heard the score, or seen the play , Even if you have - and have not heard it in a long while, Webbers' score is haunting, and ultimately is what carries you. You'll remember. the film succeeds in that it is true to the original stage musical. There is only one Micheal Crawford.. true But , this phantom comes as close as possible without being a blatant imitation. Are you a romantic or are you not? If you are you'll love this film for it's richness and music if nothing else.

Finding Neverland (2004)

Nice film but not quite a great film

[5/10 · 11 November 2004]

I liked this film somewhat but I had a few issues. It never quite developed into the rich biopic it was hyped to be. something is missing.This film does have it's moments though. maybe it's that it is a bit too restrained, and hints at what it could have been. It's a nice film but not a great one. If you are a Johnny Depp fan you'll probably like this , even though you may not love it. I wanted to be shown the story not told it. Maybe it was a script weakness that did not allow any of the characters to go somewhere with their character. the cast did a good job with what they had to work with is my feeling. I think it could have been done better. I wanted to be shown "Neverland" and never really was.