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Reviews
Beauty and the Beast: A Latter-Day Tale (2007)
Nice try....I guess.
Overacting to the extreme from both of the main characters. The plot is useless and I'd say that just about every other movie I've seen is better than this thing. Some of the camera shots are very awkward. The choice for Belle wasn't very good, considering that she's supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the story. The beast is always yelling, but in such a way that its sounds forced every time. The change in the Beast is literally overnight, without any kind of transition. And this is only the start of the complaints I have about this movie.
I've seen a lot of bad movies, I wouldn't waste your time unless you just want to see for yourself how bad movies can be.
The Book of Mormon Movie, Volume 1: The Journey (2003)
Worse Movie Ever Made
I have been thinking all day about reasons why this movie was NOT bad and I can't think of anything. The clothes look like they were just out of the cleaners: new, bright, unwrinkled. The interior home set looks just like a modern home, with modern walls and paint. In fact, I'm 99% sure its just a room from someone's real home that was working on the film. The script is miserable, the acting is corny and poorly dubbed, and the metalwork looks like its brand new as well. And don't even get me started on the "camels." I think they're just alpaca's that someone dressed up. And you can definitely tell. I couldn't even endure the first hour of this horrible movie. Don't waste your time.
Casino Royale (2006)
Different from the others.......and AWESOME!
Wow. WOW. WOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!
This was certainly a departure from the earlier 20 bond films, but man did I love it. My fiancée said that it was quite violent and bloody to her, but I did not find it graphic personally. The plot is simple, yet complex. The twists and turns I expected, but could not see coming, so I was never bored. The explosions and chases and everything were wonderful. There was only one scene that I remember where the CGI bothered me, and it was a background on a yacht. I would certainly recommend, even return to view this movie myself, 100 times. It was just absolutely wonderful and so different that I could not get enough of it. I look forward to any other movies that follow this "return to the books" feeling of James Bond.
I almost never give a movie a 10 out of 10 rating, but I was so surprised to delight that I have to give this movie the highest rating. If you haven't seen it, you better leave your house right now and go wait for a showing to start.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
There was promise, but its just too dirty for me.
So there is a lot of cult movie hype about how great Kill Bill is.....well, the first scene was just a shot of Uma Therman's incredibly beat up face which put a bad taste in my mouth. I gave it some time to get going, but all in all, this, even in its edited form, was such a violently grotesque movie, that I quickly decided it was not for me. I even had TiVo-ed Vol. 2 of the series, but if its anything like the first volume, I don't want anything to do with it. Sure there are plenty of violent movies, but this is just plain gross. So if you ask me, I wouldn't ever ever ever recommend it. I doubt there will be a cleaner version of it too, because it appears that the whole movie is going to be grossly violent.
Who likes to look at Uma Therman, anyway? She freaks me out without portraying a white trash assassin in a movie.
Of course I can see how this is very much a homage to the old-school 70's era martial arts movies, but I just cannot get past the blatant violence. I'm all for realism, but do I really need to know exactly what it is like to see hundreds of people killed all in different ways? The answer is no, thank you.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Hilarious, but crude
It was not surprising that this movie was crude, with bad language and lots of sexual references, so be prepared going in to feel like you are watching Saturday Night Live.
The movie was so funny, I could not stop laughing throughout the movie. I had been really looking forward to the release of the movie for several weeks and was not disappointed by what was presented. I felt the movie kept progressing so that I did not feel bored. I usually find myself going into a movie, looking at my watch at some points to see how much time is left, but that didn't happen here.
As for acting, the cast is great. Once again, it is a Saturday Night Live flavored movie, which is definitely apparent by the type of humor. There were several scenes from the previews that were not included in the movie, so I am looking forward to an Extended Edition DVD release in a few months. All in all, I'll definitely be seeing it again and again.
S.W.A.T. (2003)
Definitely a guy movie.
S.W.A.T. is a pimpin movie, I don't care what its been rated for. I think Jim Street (Colin Ferrell) is an awesome character. It is definitely a guy movie, because there is not much of a plot and there is about 5 total minutes of drama in the movie. But the tactics, accuracy of the teams and the action is sweet. Oh yeah, I would watch this movie again it was so great. The supporting actors (and actress - you go girl!) to a great job as well.
Complaining...I don't know what I could really complain about. The movie was what it was and that was all there is to it. Like I said though, I really liked it and there was some cool plot turns and action going on throughout the movie. No sexiness from Ferrell(gasp), maybe that is why the movie did not do well with the ladies.
History of the World: Part I (1981)
Funny, but dirty.
First off, I've always been very appreciative of the hilarious genius of Mel Brooks, and this movie is no disappointment. Now, I didn't really know anything about it other than everyone has told me it is funny. So we watched it in my Honors-3 class this morning and there was some amazing genius in it. I especially love how Brooks, in all his movies, plays several different roles. I figure, if you want it done right, sometimes you just have to do it yourself.
However funny it might be, there are definitely some raunchy parts. Which were pretty uncomfortable in a class setting, especially when we had several young folks in the room. I found out when I got home today that it was rated R. Woops. There is no way that it would be rated that today though. There isn't any nudity, its just a WHOLE lot of sexual jokes. It wasn't any worse than the play version of The Producers that I saw in New York last August, if that's any measure.
Glory (1989)
Second best Civil War movie of all time.
I am a great fan of history and especially of the different war stories. However, my favorite movie about the Civil War is "Gettysburg." Now I can say that my second favorite movie about the Civil War is "Glory."
There is a long tradition of every war-based movie being very lengthly and seeming to last forever, but Glory didn't pass the "patience" line to where I am looking at my watch all the time and wondering how much longer the movie will last. This is the first look at the contribution of black soldiers to the Civil War, that I know of, and is finely accomplished.
Colonel Shaw (Mattew Broderick) is the only actor I didn't like. He doesn't seem to fit the role very well and his mustache and/or facial hair is often falling off of his face. Maybe Broderick should have grown out his hair a little longer. All of the other actors do a very fine job and are very impressive. No complaints other than that. Very good movie, it is edited down to PG, so there is hardly a scene one can complain about while watching. No gory battles where limbs go flying every direction, but there one hospital scene where the implied result of war wounds is VERY vivid.
Les Misérables (1998)
This non-musical adaptation is amazing.
Les Miserables is one of the best musicals of all time, in my opinion, but this movie is not a musical, it is the book version. I have not seen an adaptation without the music, but this is a wonderful drama especially with Jean Valjean (Liam Neeson) as the lead actor opposite Inspector Javert (Geoffrey Rush). These two were perfect choices for the hatred that is so essential to show in this story. Dare I say that the acting makes me want to actually read the book (gasp)!
There is one scene where Cosette (Claire Daines) breaks down and cries before her father tells her the truth about himself, but her reaction is so forced and undeveloped that it is bothersome to have in the continuity of the movie. Fantine (Uma Therman) also annoyed me, but I am not personal fan of Uma Therman, in any movie, so that was most likely the reasoning for my distaste of her character.
This is a great movie, without any bad language or overt sex or anything. There is one solicitation for sex given by Fantine to her landlord, but nothing after that. Not even a passionate kiss of any kind. So for an amazing story about forgiveness and redemption from many different people, this is a perfect example.
Spy Game (2001)
Spying without the usual "spying."
Spy Game is a great twist on the usual James Bond type of movies about spies. There are no cool gadgets, no handful of dirty women to sleep with, no amazing cars to drive around. In fact, most of the movie takes place inside an office as Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) tells a story about Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) and himself when they used to do spy stuff together between Vietnam and the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
Great plot, interesting turns in it, and both Redford and Pitt play well together. I especially like how Nathan takes Tom under his wing, like a father figure, while he teaches him everything that he knows about being a spy. There is quite a realistic portrayal of the violence and death that is involved with that field of work as well. It's not as glamorous and cool as most movies make it out to be.
My only complaint about the movie is the fact that Bishop, who supposedly serves as a sniper in Vietnam under the command of Muir, looks exactly the same age, forty years later, during the "current event" timing of the movie. He doesn't age at all and it was very noticeable and annoying while I was viewing the film.
Oh, not sure what was edited out for the TV version, other than some language, but the original has language and content to make it R-rated, FYI. The TV version wasn't bothersome at all.
Gladiator (2000)
Gladiator vs. Evil Emperor....oh yeah, this movie rocks!
Oh man, Gladiator is the best movie I have ever seen that takes place in the era of the Roman Empire. It's not just because I am a guy and there is lots of fighting and killing and manly stuff. The tension and dynamics between Maximus (Russell Crowe) and Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) is so think you can taste it. Phoenix is such an awesome evil character in this movie and Crowe epitomizes the ideals of a military republican, dedicated to his country and leaders, fighting for what is right.
The only thing that I could complain about is I'm not sure how gore-laden nor vulgar the non-TV version is, but I'd definitely watch the edited version because who needs all that extra junk that makes the DVD R-rated in the first place?!
I could write for days about how many great things are included in this movie, but I'll just keep it short and say that it ROCKS!
The Great Gatsby (1974)
True to the book, but artistic license would have been nice.
The different camera filters and changes in film and film speed are quite noticeable. Sometimes the film was sped up to look more entertaining, I guess, but it was very distracting. I haven't seen many movies from the early 70's, but these cinematic changes were very bothersome.
The Great Gatsby was a good movie, mostly because of its closeness to the book. The same awkwardness and mystery of the book is transferred to the film, whether by accident or design, it is there. That does not mean that the movie is incredible or all that interesting to watch. If I hadn't been such a fan of the book, then I wouldn't have sat through all 2.5 hours of it. It's a very rough film, so I hope you like the book because it isn't that entertaining. The acting isn't impressive either, but you can't expect much from the early seventies.
My favorite part of the movie was definitely the portrayal of the roaring twenties. The clothing, the attitudes of the people, the cars, the houses, the giant parties, all the aesthetics of the period were there.
Scarface (1983)
It really didn't do it for me.
What's the big deal with this movie? I read about it and heard about it all my life, but I have finally taken the time to watch it. Thankfully it was edited, but basically that just meant that the "F-word" is blanked out, although there is definitely no imagination as to what is being said. Talk about violent, holy snap. I really don't see any reason why I would waste my time watching this movie again.
So plenty of people say this is a very revolutionary film. How? There are plenty of good points, I just don't see how they are worth it. All the gangsters and the Hollywood stars love the movie too. I just think its all hype and no show. There are a unlimited amounts of poor effects and graphics. After two hours of this movie, I couldn't wait for it to end.
Okay, enough of tearing the movie down. The gangster mentality from Tony Montana (Al Pacino) and the showy character is awesome. He definitely pulls it off like no other could. He rages constantly and just blows up if anything happens at all. It's nice to see that by the end of the movie, Tony loses and is destroyed by himself. His Cuban portrayal is pretty good, I'll have to admit, although his accent isn't all that good. All of the supporting characters do very well in reacting to Tony, especially in fear. Eventually, Tony basically kills everyone in the whole movie, so he gets what was coming to him.
Oh yeah, the houses are really cool too. Money can buy you anything is such a great theme for a gangster movie.
Superman (1978)
Great start to the legendary comic series!
What a classically sweet movie. Christopher Reeve, in his hay day, was an awesome Superman. The effects in this first movie were quite a sight to see as well, as I discussed with my father. Unlike many older movies that I watch, Superman isn't as corny as the usual flick. Even with the less advanced graphics and special effects that make things much more realistic in today's movies, Superman still holds a special place in my heart and this movie follows suit.
The contrast between Clark Kent, the nerdy reporter, and Superman is great to see, although I believe the second Superman movie does a slightly better job of portraying the stark differences in the double-sided character. I do like the portrayal of Clark's parents as slightly older folks, which make the heart-attack his father experiences and the longing for a child more grave. There's really not much else to say about this flick. It's awesome, its inspiring, its cool....it's Superman!
Meet the Fockers (2004)
Not much of a story, but the humor makes it worth it!
This film was SO stinking hilarious, I loved every minute of it. Although there are some people I definitely would not feel comfortable watching this movie with because of the many sexual jokes and references, it was hilarious watching it with my dad. I was amazed that De Niro could keep his mouth clean for the whole movie without saying the "F-word" even once. I was almost shocked, .
I have always been a fan of Stiller and his comedy, but the complement of other actors works so well for the movie. They play off each other and the running jokes throughout the movie are very entertaining. My favorite part of the movie was how De Niro, as the dominant male of the movie, takes control of everything and tries to manipulate everyone to do what he wants. He also tries to make everything around him, including the young child and his cat, all super-spy's to follow in his path.
So buckle down for some seriously funny sexual humor and you are in for a hilarious ride with Meet the Fockers. What else would you expect from a character named Gaylord Focker, who is a nurse?
Troy (2004)
Nice interpretation of the poem by Homer.
I mostly was interested in watching this movie because I am supposed to be reading the Odyssey right now in English. Troy is all about two things: Achilles (Brady Pitt) and war. Which also means two other things are featured in this movie: gore and sex. Now first off, there isn't any sex going on in the movie. You get plenty of shots of Pitt's butt and of the girls he sleeps with wrapped in sheets, but there isn't anything that bad. However, the gore is definitely there. I'd say it isn't as intense as a movie like Saving Private Ryan, but there are plenty of dead bodies. What would you expect from a ten year long war?
The movie had some interesting artistic interpretations involved with it. Some things the screenwriters portrayed were completely different from anything that I had previously conceived in my mind, which still did not detract from the story. I would love to see these folks do a continuation of this story connecting with the Odyssey. The effects are great, especially in the rendering of the massive armies as they fight. I wasn't completely thrilled to have nothing but Pitt featured in the movie, but he is the hero who falls at the end of the movie, so I can understand why it is that way.
All in all, its a good movie, even at the almost four hour length. You might need a short break in the middle of the movie to survive it, but if you are watching it on TiVo, then you don't have to worry about pausing the movie. Since it runs along the lines of Gladiator, I don't see how the TV version could differ much from the DVD.
Ray (2004)
Great documentary of this musical legend!
I really liked this movie and was very surprised at how well Jamie Foxx did in executing the role of Ray Charles. I had only seen Ray Charles in concert one time before he passed away, but Foxx did a great job of copying his mannerisms and singing along with the audio tracks from Charles. I did not know a lot about the life of Charles, so this movie was also an eye opening experience to his hardships and journey in life, though the womanizing and drug addiction was definitely not a surprise to me. I really liked the recurring nightmares that Charles experienced through his life about his younger brother who died as a young boy.
So its pretty much a documentary, being a biographical movie and all, and is a very good depiction of it. Once again, Foxx amazed me with his acting and the mannerisms of Charles which he copied almost flawlessly. Great movie for anyone!
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005)
It's not as bad as most guys would expect, trust me.
Girl Power! What else would you expect from the sequel to the popular Miss Congeniality? This one goes for the white cop opposite black cop idea though, which is a change from the first movie. It's a cute movie where Gracie (Sandra Bullock) is back in New York and trying to continue with her law enforcement career. She ends up becoming the face of the FBI doing publicity work to improve the image of the bureau when she finds one of her best friends has been kidnapped in Las Vegas. After some interesting plot turns, she ends up saving her friend and winning another friend in the process.
I definitely enjoyed the movie because it was still funny, especially the outtakes. There weren't any girlie parts where everyone is crying, so that was an improvement on the first movie. The addition of Diedrich Bader was definitely the best part of the movie as well as the classical addition of William Shatner acting like a complete idiot. Dolly Parton even does a short cameo in the film, though her acting, as always, is a nightmare. Sick back and laugh a bit, it's not that bad of a movie!
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
Great sci-fi flick with great action scenes.
I really liked this movie. Some knock it for its plot and characters, but of course Vin Diesel is no actor extraordinaire, he's in a movie for fighting, and fighting is what The Chronicles of Riddick does well.
This movie has a feeling like Dune; the science fiction, futuristic genre. I love the story as it is a sequel to Pitch Black, which I have not seen yet. Riddick, hunted by mercenaries, ends up on a planet that is soon overrun by Necromongers, a half-dead army bent of taking over the universe by force. So, Riddick (Diesel), ends up taking on the entire army by himself, bringing several people along with him during his journey, one of which end up being his sister.
Riddick then takes on the "god" leading the Necromongers and wins in their duel. Riddick then becomes the leader of the Necromongers and the viewer is left wondering what might happen in the future, which means a third installment in the Pitch Black series is probably coming sometime. A third story has been released already, but it was in animated form, so perhaps a movie will be released sometime.
All in all, I really liked this movie and was happy to see that the needless cussing was cut out for the official release, although there is an unrated version as well. There isn't any sex at all, so I guess that the unrated version just has some better killing and lots of the "F" word in it?
Fathers' Day (1997)
A good movie, but nothing special about it.
Father's Day is a cute movie with a few cameo appearances from Hollywood personalities. Sugar Ray plays several songs and Mel Gibson is a body piercer. Two men find each other as they search for a young boy who might be either of their sons. The son ends up getting in trouble as he follows Sugar Ray around to different cities and is saved from his problems by Dale (Billy Crystal) and Jack (Robin Williams). By the end of the movie, it turns out that neither of the men are the father of Scott and that Scott's mother was only using Dale and Jack to find her son for her. Both men return to their lives, happier and they both have their own women to share their future with. Its a happy, feel good movie with some good humor from Crystal and Williams.
Pretty good movie, but nothing amazing to go out of your way to view. Its pretty much a Saturday afternoon sit down, relax, and have lunch kind of movie.
Office Space (1999)
Stick it to the man with Office Space!
I would absolutely LOVE to see Ron Livingston on an episode of The Office. Office Space has to be one of the best tech comedies of the decade (90's). Even at seven years old now, a special edition DVD was just re-released during the Christmas season.
Peter (Ron Livingston) is an unhappy software developer for Initech, which is helping banks make the famed Y2K conversion with their computer software. Peter goes to a hypnotherapist who hypnotizes him (big surprise) into a relaxed attitude about his life. Peter starts not caring about work and ends up being promoted in his "not lazy, just unmotivated" job. Before two of his coworkers are laid-off, Peter masterminds a plot to steal money from the bank accounts. After the plan goes bad, Peter and his friends fear for their futures until the software company burns down, destroying all of the evidence that convicted the three conspirators.
I love the characters and especially relate to Michael Bolton, the white computer nerd who thinks he is a gangster. The humor is great as well, especially to those familiar with the corporate scene and techys alike. While somewhat crude at times, the TV version cleans up the bad language and besides that, there is only one scene that might make a conservative viewer a bit uncomfortable.
I love it and have to watch it every time it comes on TV again. Its classic comedy that expresses what most of us wish we could do at our jobs. Stick it to the man!
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
It's old and a little lame, but it's entertaining because of it.
Not that this movie is GOOD or anything, but for being twenty years old now, it has some high quality entertainment value. It reminds me a lot of the old Ninja Turtles Movies; I wonder if some of the same people were involved in the two.
So the writing is horrible, the plot is lame, there's even a big rat monster. Its not based on fact at all, so the "supernatural" themes can't be faulted that much. So with all of these things that are lame, why is it even entertaining. Well, back to the twenty year old thing. Back in 1986, when this film was released, this movie was on top of its game. You know what? It even has some Ghostbuster and Indiana Jones feel to it as well. Kurt Russell was the heartthrob of every woman on earth at the time, which was probably why this movie was so successful as well. Some of the martial arts scenes are amusing, while you can see plenty of unrealistic moves, but there really hasn't been any realistic martial arts action since good ol' Bruce Lee. Current actors are very showy and entertaining, but they always go past realism to be like Superman, which is a shame sometimes.
So if you are sick like me, or just want some plain good childhood entertainment, then go ahead and enjoy yourself some Big Trouble in Little China.
Bruce Almighty (2003)
"You wanna see a miracle son? Be the miracle."
"You wanna see a miracle son? Be the miracle." That is the premise of Bruce Almighty. Although I was somewhat hesitant about what I have heard of this movie at first, it turned out to be pretty darn good. Bruce (Jim Carrey), an aspiring TV anchorman, goes through life struggling and blames all of his misfortunes on God. Bruce then meets God (Morgan Freeman) and is given his powers for a time. Bruce then uses these powers to his own advantage to raise himself, but ends up losing his girlfriend, Grace (Jennifer Aniston), in the process. It is only after losing the woman that he loves so much that Bruce realizes what he really wants in life and gives in to the will of God. Then he regains the love of Grace and succeeds in his work life as well.
At first, this movie seemed somewhat sacrilegious as Bruce goes around doing whatever he wants in the world, but the movie ends up having some very true, and very strong lessons to it. I especially like the play on words with Grace being the name of Bruce's girlfriend, but also being the only thing that he wants from God by the end of the movie. The line about being the miracle is especially true as many people thing that all they have to do is sit back and everything will be taken care of the way they would like it. So get up, do something, and make your life what you want it to be!
Bruce Almighty is a good movie that is funny, but also solemn when appropriate. The TV version has some extra editing to it, which kept it a little cleaner as well, which I liked.
The Incredibles (2004)
The Incredibles is another wholesome movie from Pixar.
The Incredibles was a good old fashioned family computer generated graphics movie. The target audience for the film is easily identifiable, but that still does not take the humor and enjoyment away from us older folks.
Mr. Incredible does a great job with never letting go of his desire to be a big buff manly man and so becomes the hero of the movie, but how his entire family becomes involved with him in the process is pretty creative. I will have to say that the very end of the movie was a bit dumb, however.
Pixar is totally, obviously, no doubt at all, hoping that this movie will offer a sequel in the near future with an emphasis placed on the developing powers of the youngest child of the family. However entertaining this might be, and there definitely is some potential for it, they did not have to make it so blatantly obvious in the movie.
It is a bit different judging a movie when the merits of the actors are basically dependent on the abilities of the graphics designers to convey feeling and fluid motion. I have not seen a bad movie from Pixar, and my expectations were not let down this time either. Its just a plain good movie, fun and funny throughout, with nothing bad for the little kids to see.
The Majestic (2001)
The Majestic is a fabulous, warm, feel good, family movie.
This movie is a great early departure for Carrey. Getting away from his characteristic "funny-man" mystique, Carrey pulls off his dramatic very well, I think. Set in the 1950's days during the Marxist witch hunt in Hollywood, Carrey ends up in a small town where the locals think him to be a returned war hero, although he has no idea where he has come from because of a trauma wound to his head. Donned "Luke" by the locals, he goes through the motions, trying to remember his life and reclaim his position in the community. Luke struggles as he helps to rebuild the local theater named "The Majestic" which boosts the spirit of the town. Luke later begins to remember who he really is and struggles with how to break the truth to the small town, especially the girl that he has learned to love.
The Majestic is a wonderful family movie for the whole family. Dealing with the loss and regain of life, love, and happiness, The Majestic is a movie about never losing hope and what a community can accomplish when they come together. What one man loses, he regains, while what one man regains, he later loses as well. There are some wonderful role reversals of several characters throughout the film. I really enjoyed how the town was so eager to turn against Luke as he was implicated by the incoming FBI agents, which is so characteristic of human nature. The politics of this historic event (blacklisted Marxists in Hollywood) in our past are clearly depicted. Especially as the newly self-identified "Peter Appleton" rises to the occasion and stands for what is right as he puts down his false-accusers. As the end of the movie comes full-circle, the viewer is left pondering on many of our current social issues. "When bullies rise up, the rest of us have to beat them back down, whatever the cost" says Luke, in a love letter to his girlfriend. The Majestic is a beautiful movie that I would recommend to anyone.