Sibling rivalry, real or imagined, can sometimes come out at the most inopportune times and brings out more strain on the relationships. This is one of the focus points of Woody Allen's film Hannah and her Sisters, the interactions between the characters are so real and authentic that its like watching your own family functions. Because this story, and many others that he's done, strike so close to home it gives the audience a common place with the characters, a recognition that is felt in the heart as well as the soul.
The interrelationships between Hannah and her sisters, and everyone else who comes into contact with them, just fuels the fire of everyone's neurotic behaviors. Shooting this film entirely in New York City keeps the story grounded in reality, and with the open ending to the movie the audience truly believes that the story continues on after the credits. All of the characters are played out so well that they seem to be members of your own family, and some of the dialog between them sounds like it came right from those same people that we call our loving relatives.
One of the things that I have learned over the years is that there are people who either love or hate Woody Allen films, not that all of his films are successes with the audience but there is something in each story that is endearing and can be taken to heart. Some of the issues that are brought out in the story are things that some of us haven't had to deal with, but some hit so close to home that it leaves you wondering, did I or didn't handle things the right way. The best way to watch this story is with someone that you attend family functions with, that way the familiarity of the situations become even funnier when you start pointing at each other and say "That is so you."
Monday, February 28, 2011
Lawnmower Man & Jobe's War/Beyond Cyberspace
There are a number of movies out on the market that deserve to have a sequel made of it, and then there are some that a sequel was a natural move but when it came time to make it the powers that be screwed it up from the get go. This series is a perfect example of that situation, the first movie is left open with a perfect ending for a sequel but the actual movie that was made has very little to do with the first film, other than a vague concept of the original. The first movie also is an example of what a film studio can do to a writers original work and alter it so far that it doesn't resemble the initial concept.
Lawnmower Man - A scientist trying to boost the mental capabilities of chimpanzees starts to experiment on a mentally handicapped man with results that go beyond his expectations and may destroy the world. The best part of this film is the use of the new computer generated effects at the time; to create the virtual reality world that Jobe receives his learning. Some of the new and inventive ways that were developed to kill people in this world were quite unique, the best of them is when Jobe breaks the men down to their molecules and lets them fly apart. The effects are a little plain but for 1992 they were cutting edge.
Lawnmower Man 2: Jobe's War/Beyond Cyberspace - A conniving businessman resurrects Jobe in order for him to create an all-powerful computer chip to rule the world. The scraping of the original story lead in for the sequel hurts this film from the very beginning; the story itself is hurled into the future, far beyond the aging of the characters that are brought forward from the first film, which makes the story difficult to connect with the original.
Not that the first movie was any great piece of work, it did have a playful story that used the old adage of "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The way that the first film ends we're left with a perfect finale that leaves the story wide open for the sequel. But where ever the conflict came from, the second movie got completely away from that idea and struck out on it's own which brought about it's failure. One of the other problems that the second film has is an identity crisis; this movie is listed with two different titles and just doesn't know what it wants to be known as. The first film is enjoyable, the second leaves a bad taste in your mouth, so avoid the sequel under whatever name you find it.
Lawnmower Man - A scientist trying to boost the mental capabilities of chimpanzees starts to experiment on a mentally handicapped man with results that go beyond his expectations and may destroy the world. The best part of this film is the use of the new computer generated effects at the time; to create the virtual reality world that Jobe receives his learning. Some of the new and inventive ways that were developed to kill people in this world were quite unique, the best of them is when Jobe breaks the men down to their molecules and lets them fly apart. The effects are a little plain but for 1992 they were cutting edge.
Lawnmower Man 2: Jobe's War/Beyond Cyberspace - A conniving businessman resurrects Jobe in order for him to create an all-powerful computer chip to rule the world. The scraping of the original story lead in for the sequel hurts this film from the very beginning; the story itself is hurled into the future, far beyond the aging of the characters that are brought forward from the first film, which makes the story difficult to connect with the original.
Not that the first movie was any great piece of work, it did have a playful story that used the old adage of "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The way that the first film ends we're left with a perfect finale that leaves the story wide open for the sequel. But where ever the conflict came from, the second movie got completely away from that idea and struck out on it's own which brought about it's failure. One of the other problems that the second film has is an identity crisis; this movie is listed with two different titles and just doesn't know what it wants to be known as. The first film is enjoyable, the second leaves a bad taste in your mouth, so avoid the sequel under whatever name you find it.
The Simpsons Movie
Having your favorite TV characters on the big screen is always something that most fans crave for, and most of the time when it does happen it falls flat and those same fans are disappointed. But here the love and admiration to the Simpson clan is so over powering that we, as a collective audience, are given a treat to one of the funniest adventures that they've had in their long lives. On the large scale nothing was changed to accommodate the move from small to large screen, all of the jokes, innuendo and crassness of the characters remain. Other than a few swears and a little nudity this is just another Simpsons adventure that is fun and amusing from the opening credits to the closing scenes.
When Homer contaminates the water supply in Springfield, the government seals off the town with a glass dome before any mutations can escape, but the most unlikely of heroes saves the day. The story is just like any other Simpsons chronicle, craziness and stupidity abound, but with the longer format and the added depth to the tale, the characters have a longer opportunity to expand and develop. Other than a few instances of computer animation the entire film is done in the same 2-D animation format as the TV series, and that keeps the charm and likeability of the characters and situations in the audiences hearts. Matt Groening's brain child of The Simpsons has come a long way from its early days on The Tracy Ullman Show, but with this break through onto the big screen the lovable characters that were once just fillers for time have become multi media giants that appeal to the multitudes.
This movie is so much like the TV series that the hour and half that it runs flies by without the audience realizing the time that's gone by. All of the characters that people have grown to love are present and that alone is a good thing, the audience can identify with their favorites and enjoy their exploits. Its not surprising that this film was made, the surprising thing is that it took so long to be made and with the success that it has shown I'm sure there will be others in the future. Other than the few crude moments this could be watched by audiences of all ages, as long as the younger members of that audience is aloud to watch the original at home, it's basically the same atmosphere of story.
When Homer contaminates the water supply in Springfield, the government seals off the town with a glass dome before any mutations can escape, but the most unlikely of heroes saves the day. The story is just like any other Simpsons chronicle, craziness and stupidity abound, but with the longer format and the added depth to the tale, the characters have a longer opportunity to expand and develop. Other than a few instances of computer animation the entire film is done in the same 2-D animation format as the TV series, and that keeps the charm and likeability of the characters and situations in the audiences hearts. Matt Groening's brain child of The Simpsons has come a long way from its early days on The Tracy Ullman Show, but with this break through onto the big screen the lovable characters that were once just fillers for time have become multi media giants that appeal to the multitudes.
This movie is so much like the TV series that the hour and half that it runs flies by without the audience realizing the time that's gone by. All of the characters that people have grown to love are present and that alone is a good thing, the audience can identify with their favorites and enjoy their exploits. Its not surprising that this film was made, the surprising thing is that it took so long to be made and with the success that it has shown I'm sure there will be others in the future. Other than the few crude moments this could be watched by audiences of all ages, as long as the younger members of that audience is aloud to watch the original at home, it's basically the same atmosphere of story.
The U.S. vs. John Lennon
Sometimes when a documentary is made about an event or time period in history it comes across dry, and even though there may be good information in the film the audience just becomes to bored with the story. But with this film David Leaf draws the audience into the world and psyche of John Lennon, from his early beginnings in England through his involvement in the anti-war movement of the 60s and 70s to his death in 1980.
Through his songs John Lennon brought a message to the people, but not everyone loved him for that, the U.S. government tried to silence him, yet they failed at every turn they continued to make his life frustrating. Even though Lennon's music is one of the main focuses of the story it is not used overly much and does not bog down the pace of the narrative. The examination of the clash between the U.S. government and Lennon is laid out so completely that your left wondering if they could get away with something like that in today's society. With interviews from people that knew him, admired him or opposed him the audience is given a complete picture of the man and his beliefs about world peace. The use of newsreel footage, home movies and TV interviews immerses the audience into consciousness of the nation at the time.
Being a fan of Lennon for most of my life I was extremely interested in seeing this film and after watching it I was amazed at the lengths that the government went to in order to suppress his voice. Seeing the over all effort that the Nixon administration put into trying to get rid of Lennon, you wonder that if he wasn't there what would they have been trying to get away with. Yet as history shows us they were trying to get away with a lot more than they wanted us to know about. This is an interesting pro-peace film with view points from both sides of the aisle that leaves you wondering what Lennon would be saying today about the current U.S. and world situations.
Through his songs John Lennon brought a message to the people, but not everyone loved him for that, the U.S. government tried to silence him, yet they failed at every turn they continued to make his life frustrating. Even though Lennon's music is one of the main focuses of the story it is not used overly much and does not bog down the pace of the narrative. The examination of the clash between the U.S. government and Lennon is laid out so completely that your left wondering if they could get away with something like that in today's society. With interviews from people that knew him, admired him or opposed him the audience is given a complete picture of the man and his beliefs about world peace. The use of newsreel footage, home movies and TV interviews immerses the audience into consciousness of the nation at the time.
Being a fan of Lennon for most of my life I was extremely interested in seeing this film and after watching it I was amazed at the lengths that the government went to in order to suppress his voice. Seeing the over all effort that the Nixon administration put into trying to get rid of Lennon, you wonder that if he wasn't there what would they have been trying to get away with. Yet as history shows us they were trying to get away with a lot more than they wanted us to know about. This is an interesting pro-peace film with view points from both sides of the aisle that leaves you wondering what Lennon would be saying today about the current U.S. and world situations.
The Greatest Game Ever Played
In the genre of sports films there are very few that an entire audience can agree whether the movie is good or bad, and most of the time the only way the story can be received favorably is if it's a comedy. Yet there are some that take a serious tone and try to show the emotion of the game and the heartfelt feelings of the characters. Disney has always been able to tap into the emotional side of a story, whether its an animated feature or a live action movie, they always give the audience something to enjoy and think about.
A fairly unknown amateur golfer, Francis Ouimet, plays in the 1913 U.S. Open against the British champ Harry Vardon, and brings it down to a final shoot out to win the Open. With the two young lead actors here, Shia LaBeouf and Joshua Flitter, we given a commanding performance where their characters come across so strong that you are left wondering what will they do next. To show the moments of the feelings of solitude of the golfers on the course a unique use of special effects melted the spectators and other props out of the shot.
Given that the story is about the sport of golf, and the best golf movies have all been comedies, it's refreshing that Disney was able to develop this story into a drama and keep the comic relief to a minimum. With Bill Paxton at the helm, we're given an example of his ability to direct which is as good as his acting talents. And where this is such a fell good movie based on a true story hopefully we'll see more of this type of work from him in the future. Like so many sports films if their done the right way your left with the feelings that you would like to try your hand at the sport and see if you could do it. This movie does that and more, not only do you want to play the game afterwards but if your not that good just like Ouimet in the film you can get better with some practice.
A fairly unknown amateur golfer, Francis Ouimet, plays in the 1913 U.S. Open against the British champ Harry Vardon, and brings it down to a final shoot out to win the Open. With the two young lead actors here, Shia LaBeouf and Joshua Flitter, we given a commanding performance where their characters come across so strong that you are left wondering what will they do next. To show the moments of the feelings of solitude of the golfers on the course a unique use of special effects melted the spectators and other props out of the shot.
Given that the story is about the sport of golf, and the best golf movies have all been comedies, it's refreshing that Disney was able to develop this story into a drama and keep the comic relief to a minimum. With Bill Paxton at the helm, we're given an example of his ability to direct which is as good as his acting talents. And where this is such a fell good movie based on a true story hopefully we'll see more of this type of work from him in the future. Like so many sports films if their done the right way your left with the feelings that you would like to try your hand at the sport and see if you could do it. This movie does that and more, not only do you want to play the game afterwards but if your not that good just like Ouimet in the film you can get better with some practice.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Fido
The classic story of a boy and his dog is given a new twist when this imaginative tale of a boy and his zombie blends the innocence of "Leave it to Beaver" and the zombies from "Night of the Living Dead" together. With the different elements from 1950s America that are shown throughout the film the audience is given a portrait of a society with the same values but with flesh eating zombies in the mix. Setting the story in the past gives the tale better dimension within the plot than if it was to take place in today's world or in the future.
Years after the Zombie Wars have taken place science has been able to domesticate some of the zombies into slaves and pets, but when Timmy's pet-zombie Fido kills a neighbor he goes into damage control to cover up the incident. The love and tenderness of the relationship between the Timmy and Fido comes across as genuine, with Billy Connolly doing his best Lassie impression when Timmy is in trouble. With background information about the society given through newsreels, the audience gets the feeling that this is an authentic story that happened in some deep secret past of American history.
This movie was enjoyable from the beginning sequences to the final fade out; any one who found Shaun of the Dead to be fun and hilarious will love this movie. The jokes about the life styles and value system of the 50s is so blatantly funny alone but when the issues of zombie invasion and the American ingenuity to deal with it are added into the mix some of the jokes are superb. With all the zombie films being made now there was bound to be a few the are decent enough to watch, but when a gem like this comes along it stands out among all of them on its own.
Years after the Zombie Wars have taken place science has been able to domesticate some of the zombies into slaves and pets, but when Timmy's pet-zombie Fido kills a neighbor he goes into damage control to cover up the incident. The love and tenderness of the relationship between the Timmy and Fido comes across as genuine, with Billy Connolly doing his best Lassie impression when Timmy is in trouble. With background information about the society given through newsreels, the audience gets the feeling that this is an authentic story that happened in some deep secret past of American history.
This movie was enjoyable from the beginning sequences to the final fade out; any one who found Shaun of the Dead to be fun and hilarious will love this movie. The jokes about the life styles and value system of the 50s is so blatantly funny alone but when the issues of zombie invasion and the American ingenuity to deal with it are added into the mix some of the jokes are superb. With all the zombie films being made now there was bound to be a few the are decent enough to watch, but when a gem like this comes along it stands out among all of them on its own.
Evil Dead Trap & 2: Hideki
In the way of filmmaking nobody blends sex, violence and the supernatural into a story like the Japanese can, there have been some very interesting things put onto film over the years and these two are no different. These two films also show that the Japanese have the same problem of making bad sequels as their American counterparts, when they stray from a good set up your bound to fail. Its easy to see the draw that horror fans have to the first film, everything from the acting to the atmosphere of the sets comes across so believable that your left with a haunting feeling by final role of credits.
Evil Dead Trap - When an anonymous videotape of a murder draws a film crew to an abandoned military base they discover that the evil goes much deeper than one murder. The biggest thing about this film is that once the first murder is revealed on the tape the story is kept on a high intensity charge. The audience is lead from one scene to the next with shear fear of not knowing what is coming from around the corner. With the use of basic special effects and camera angles that leave the audience at times in the dark about what's going on, its easy to understand why this is a cult favorite.
Evil Dead Trap 2: Hideki - A serial killer that is murdering women in Japan, is also being haunted by the ghost of a child that may or may not be real. The stepped up effects in this film doesn't help it in the least, the story is so weak that it appears that the name of Hideki character from the first film was injected just to tap into the fan base of that movie. With so many pathetic characters that don't seem to have a real purpose in the story, this tale of horror just drags on to the point of becoming an insipid misuse of time and money.
The two movies are so different that they don't even deserve to have the same title connection, the sequel is such a pale and poor comparison that it should never have been made. Because the second movie is so bad, it makes the first one look like an Academy Award winner in comparison. If you enjoy your horror with a lot of bite then the first movie is just for you, but avoid the second one it's a waste of time and effort. Unless you're into torture and then this is right up your alley, by the end your going to want to tear your own eyes out of their sockets.
Evil Dead Trap - When an anonymous videotape of a murder draws a film crew to an abandoned military base they discover that the evil goes much deeper than one murder. The biggest thing about this film is that once the first murder is revealed on the tape the story is kept on a high intensity charge. The audience is lead from one scene to the next with shear fear of not knowing what is coming from around the corner. With the use of basic special effects and camera angles that leave the audience at times in the dark about what's going on, its easy to understand why this is a cult favorite.
Evil Dead Trap 2: Hideki - A serial killer that is murdering women in Japan, is also being haunted by the ghost of a child that may or may not be real. The stepped up effects in this film doesn't help it in the least, the story is so weak that it appears that the name of Hideki character from the first film was injected just to tap into the fan base of that movie. With so many pathetic characters that don't seem to have a real purpose in the story, this tale of horror just drags on to the point of becoming an insipid misuse of time and money.
The two movies are so different that they don't even deserve to have the same title connection, the sequel is such a pale and poor comparison that it should never have been made. Because the second movie is so bad, it makes the first one look like an Academy Award winner in comparison. If you enjoy your horror with a lot of bite then the first movie is just for you, but avoid the second one it's a waste of time and effort. Unless you're into torture and then this is right up your alley, by the end your going to want to tear your own eyes out of their sockets.
Stealth
Science fiction stories have such a far range of subjects that it's very easy to take a very reality based piece and inject a little speculation into it and it becomes a sci-fi tale. Here we have a very real storyline involving the U.S. Navy, the fight against terrorists around the world and the tools that are used to combat those terrorists. With three powerful stars, (Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel, Josh Lucas and Sam Shepard) in the lead roles its surprising that the film didn't do better in the theater when it first came out, but now that it's out on DVD it should have a stronger life.
When an experimental computer controlled fighter jet is struck by lightning and decides to take military matters into it's own hands, it's up to the pilots working with the jet to bring it down one way or another. Some of the effects that are used in this film are so good that you truly can't tell the difference between reality and CGI, which makes story even more believable. The flight sequence of the chase after the renegade jet through a valley of canyons is breathtaking and at times a little disconcerting. The visual effects for this chase happen so fast that it's amazing that it's not real.
This story blends two successful 80s films (Short Circuit and Top Gun) together in order to come up with a very well done sci-fi action movie. With a strong story and strong acting this is a film that can be watched over and over again, some of the action moves so fast that you just have to see it again. The ideas and issues that are presented in the story are well founded, is this, the direction that we would to be headed in, automated warfare. If there is no real sacrifice of life and limb will nations go to war more freely and not think twice before going, that my friends, is the true issue. As an action film this great entertainment, but its also a shot of reality, in the ways of warfare we should be thinking before we act, not pushing a button and sitting back waiting for the results.
When an experimental computer controlled fighter jet is struck by lightning and decides to take military matters into it's own hands, it's up to the pilots working with the jet to bring it down one way or another. Some of the effects that are used in this film are so good that you truly can't tell the difference between reality and CGI, which makes story even more believable. The flight sequence of the chase after the renegade jet through a valley of canyons is breathtaking and at times a little disconcerting. The visual effects for this chase happen so fast that it's amazing that it's not real.
This story blends two successful 80s films (Short Circuit and Top Gun) together in order to come up with a very well done sci-fi action movie. With a strong story and strong acting this is a film that can be watched over and over again, some of the action moves so fast that you just have to see it again. The ideas and issues that are presented in the story are well founded, is this, the direction that we would to be headed in, automated warfare. If there is no real sacrifice of life and limb will nations go to war more freely and not think twice before going, that my friends, is the true issue. As an action film this great entertainment, but its also a shot of reality, in the ways of warfare we should be thinking before we act, not pushing a button and sitting back waiting for the results.
Dragon Wars: D-War
The ever-expanding use of CGI in science fiction and fantasy films has brought the audience amazing and exciting experiences from new and old sources of the literary world. We've seen mythical creatures come to life where the only vision that was possible was either what the audience had in it's mind's eye or bad special effects in a film. Here we're given an opportunity to see a fantasy come to life in modern times, with the battling creatures from legend alive and walking on the streets of Los Angeles.
The ancient battle between good and evil comes alive in modern day Los Angeles when Buraki a 200-meter long evil Korean serpent tries to become all-powerful before his nemesis arrives. The acting is a little stale but that doesn't take away from the true stars of the film and that's the dragons and the other fantasy creatures. Some of the sequences are done so well that its hard to see where the CGI begins and ends, and for a movie like this that is exactly what the audience looks for. With the CGI effects as good as they are you may get the feeling as you walk away that some of what you had just seen could have been real, that's how believable it looks.
The only draw back that this film has is that for people that don't like subtitles some of the characters and story are done in the Korean language, so there are subtitles for those parts. For me, I think it enhances the story into the realm of believability. Other than that this is a very enjoyable and fun ride, with outstanding effects and action sequences that will leave you wide eyed this deserves a lot more buzz than it's gotten so far. If you like fantasy films with mythical creatures this is right for you, and hopefully if this movie is successful we'll see some of the other great stories of legend come to life.
The ancient battle between good and evil comes alive in modern day Los Angeles when Buraki a 200-meter long evil Korean serpent tries to become all-powerful before his nemesis arrives. The acting is a little stale but that doesn't take away from the true stars of the film and that's the dragons and the other fantasy creatures. Some of the sequences are done so well that its hard to see where the CGI begins and ends, and for a movie like this that is exactly what the audience looks for. With the CGI effects as good as they are you may get the feeling as you walk away that some of what you had just seen could have been real, that's how believable it looks.
The only draw back that this film has is that for people that don't like subtitles some of the characters and story are done in the Korean language, so there are subtitles for those parts. For me, I think it enhances the story into the realm of believability. Other than that this is a very enjoyable and fun ride, with outstanding effects and action sequences that will leave you wide eyed this deserves a lot more buzz than it's gotten so far. If you like fantasy films with mythical creatures this is right for you, and hopefully if this movie is successful we'll see some of the other great stories of legend come to life.
Fantastic Four / Rise of the Silver Surfer
In the past when our comic book heroes have been brought to the screen it has either been in the guise of a low to medium budget film or a developed project for TV. But then with the success of Spider-Man the floodgates were opened to explore a whole new realm of stories with big budgets and state of the art special effects. So with forty years of storylines 20th Century Fox picked up The Fantastic Four and began to put together a franchise that could last quite a while. With characters that are as familiar as Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent, the audience is given a treat to see some of the most famous super heroes in the comic book universe.
Fantastic Four - After being exposed to cosmic radiation in space four astronauts are given amazing powers that they must learn to use to defeat a super villain bent on world domination. The CGI effects are so beyond what most people were expecting that when the characters breakout with their new powers its totally believable. The origin storyline is altered a bit but with bringing this story to a whole new audience the alterations aren't so bad, and the integrity of the original story is kept within sight. All five characters are played wonderfully by this cast of actors, Jessica Alba (Sue Storm-The Invisible Woman), Ioan Gruffudd (Reed Richards - Mister Fantastic), Chris Evans (Johnny Storm - Human Torch), Michael Chiklis (Ben Grimm - The Thing) and Julian MacMahon (Victor von Doom - Dr. Doom).
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - As Reed Richards and Sue Storm prepare for their wedding, a silver being from space arrives on Earth and prepares it for its destruction. Bringing in one of the more loved characters from the comic series to life in the Silver Surfer was a tough under taking, some of the coolest effects are wrapped around the Surfer and his board. Even though most of the first movie was used to set up the characters and their powers, here with the Surfer in the mix they're tossed a curve ball and must reexamine how they can interact with each other. There's a little bit more action in this film but with the introduction of a new character it usually drives the storyline into a new direction, and this film is no different.
Seeing these characters come to life on the big screen is a wonderful and breathtaking thing to watch, the actions that these individuals go through in order to defeat their enemies were amazing in the comic books but now that they're life-like it's just like; wow. I've always been a huge FF fan and was overjoyed when I heard that a big budget version was going to be made. I was also hoping that it was going to be better than the low budget version done by Roger Corman in the 90s. But I'm happy to say that these two films are just as much fun as the comics and the characters are just as free spirited and playful.
Fantastic Four - After being exposed to cosmic radiation in space four astronauts are given amazing powers that they must learn to use to defeat a super villain bent on world domination. The CGI effects are so beyond what most people were expecting that when the characters breakout with their new powers its totally believable. The origin storyline is altered a bit but with bringing this story to a whole new audience the alterations aren't so bad, and the integrity of the original story is kept within sight. All five characters are played wonderfully by this cast of actors, Jessica Alba (Sue Storm-The Invisible Woman), Ioan Gruffudd (Reed Richards - Mister Fantastic), Chris Evans (Johnny Storm - Human Torch), Michael Chiklis (Ben Grimm - The Thing) and Julian MacMahon (Victor von Doom - Dr. Doom).
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - As Reed Richards and Sue Storm prepare for their wedding, a silver being from space arrives on Earth and prepares it for its destruction. Bringing in one of the more loved characters from the comic series to life in the Silver Surfer was a tough under taking, some of the coolest effects are wrapped around the Surfer and his board. Even though most of the first movie was used to set up the characters and their powers, here with the Surfer in the mix they're tossed a curve ball and must reexamine how they can interact with each other. There's a little bit more action in this film but with the introduction of a new character it usually drives the storyline into a new direction, and this film is no different.
Seeing these characters come to life on the big screen is a wonderful and breathtaking thing to watch, the actions that these individuals go through in order to defeat their enemies were amazing in the comic books but now that they're life-like it's just like; wow. I've always been a huge FF fan and was overjoyed when I heard that a big budget version was going to be made. I was also hoping that it was going to be better than the low budget version done by Roger Corman in the 90s. But I'm happy to say that these two films are just as much fun as the comics and the characters are just as free spirited and playful.
The Last Man on Earth
When a strong and powerful story is written and it grabs the imagination of the audience and just will not let go, its quite natural that it will be turned into a film. The short novel "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson was written in 1954 and has gone through three film transformations, The Last Man on Earth, The Omega Man, and the Wil Smith film, I Am Legend. Even though all three follow the basic story this 1964 version is closest to the original book. With Vincent Price in the lead role, one of his best from the 60s, and the film shot in black and white the creepiness of the tale is enhanced
After a plague has wiped out the global population and turned them into vampires, one lone survivor fights to live and stave off insanity. With the way that the movie was shot you continually have the feeling that someone is watching you, with the dissertated streets and empty buildings you get the sense that there has to be somebody there. The only problem with the film is the use of the vampires, they act and respond more like zombies than vampires, not that it's a big issue but you'd think that the director and producers would have altered the creatures a little bit more. The one thing that is evident throughout the film are the social and political overtones, the idea of one man against the system, society being invaded from within and the militaristic quasi vampires certainly look like Fascist storm-troopers.
It's a breath of fresh air watching some of these old black and white horror films, more atmosphere than gore to carry the story. Also some of the sources that these stories came from were fresh, new and unexplored at the time, yet now they seem old hat since the ideas have been repeatedly rehashed over the years. That's not to say the newer versions of these stories aren't as good or that the older ones are campy and cheesy, its just that most of these films are a reflection of the times and film technology in that era. This is an enjoyable film to watch, with Price at his best and the strong story from Matheson it's well worth the time to find a copy and see for yourself.
After a plague has wiped out the global population and turned them into vampires, one lone survivor fights to live and stave off insanity. With the way that the movie was shot you continually have the feeling that someone is watching you, with the dissertated streets and empty buildings you get the sense that there has to be somebody there. The only problem with the film is the use of the vampires, they act and respond more like zombies than vampires, not that it's a big issue but you'd think that the director and producers would have altered the creatures a little bit more. The one thing that is evident throughout the film are the social and political overtones, the idea of one man against the system, society being invaded from within and the militaristic quasi vampires certainly look like Fascist storm-troopers.
It's a breath of fresh air watching some of these old black and white horror films, more atmosphere than gore to carry the story. Also some of the sources that these stories came from were fresh, new and unexplored at the time, yet now they seem old hat since the ideas have been repeatedly rehashed over the years. That's not to say the newer versions of these stories aren't as good or that the older ones are campy and cheesy, its just that most of these films are a reflection of the times and film technology in that era. This is an enjoyable film to watch, with Price at his best and the strong story from Matheson it's well worth the time to find a copy and see for yourself.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Shoot 'em Up
Action films have become more and more reliant on special effects in order to step up the action and keep the audience glued to their seats. But once in awhile a movie comes along with the old style of action where its one man against an army and then just blows the audience away. This film has got some of the best choreographed fight sequences outside of the Asian cinema, and with strong acting from Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti we're given a high powered story that never stops until the credits role at the end.
After the mother of a newborn baby is killed a mysterious lone gunman is thrust into non-stop gun battles until he can figure out why they want the baby dead. There is a little CGI work done to enhance the effects but most of it is so minimal it's not bothersome to the story and doesn't draw away from the live action. With Owen and Giamatti playing opposite each other we're given glimpses into like characters that just chose different paths to follow, and because they are so similar every time they meet the action is explosive.
I was totally taken a back by how fast and how good this film turned out to be, the action starts right from the very beginning of the story and never lets up until the very end. This roller coaster ride brings the audience through some of the best sequences that have been put to film in years. The main character that Owen plays is basically John McClane, James Bond, MacGyver and Eastwood's Man with No Name all rolled into one. You'd think that with that much going on the character would fall apart and the story would unravel, but with the strength of the performances it would destine to become an action classic.
After the mother of a newborn baby is killed a mysterious lone gunman is thrust into non-stop gun battles until he can figure out why they want the baby dead. There is a little CGI work done to enhance the effects but most of it is so minimal it's not bothersome to the story and doesn't draw away from the live action. With Owen and Giamatti playing opposite each other we're given glimpses into like characters that just chose different paths to follow, and because they are so similar every time they meet the action is explosive.
I was totally taken a back by how fast and how good this film turned out to be, the action starts right from the very beginning of the story and never lets up until the very end. This roller coaster ride brings the audience through some of the best sequences that have been put to film in years. The main character that Owen plays is basically John McClane, James Bond, MacGyver and Eastwood's Man with No Name all rolled into one. You'd think that with that much going on the character would fall apart and the story would unravel, but with the strength of the performances it would destine to become an action classic.
Severance
Having companies send departments out to team building weekends was something that became very popular in the 80s, but it truly didn't work when the bosses found out that the people that were being sent out didn't like each other. With this movie shows all the aspects that would be found on one of those weekends and then some. With Christopher Smith at the helm of this film the audience is taken on a mundane business trip that turns sour in the blink of an eye.
A global weapons manufacturer sends a sales group to a lodge in Hungary for a team-building weekend, but when a small group of vengeful killer commandos enters the scene survival becomes the main priority. The story keeps moving so that nothing gets stale and then when the killing starts everything is stepped up another notch. From the dark humor to the uncanny likenesses to real life the audience is given more parallels to real life than it can believe. The characters alone are so real to life that many people will recognize some one in the group that they either work with or personally know, which makes some of the situations even funnier.
Trying to come up with new ways to use the slasher idea in a film is becoming harder but when an idea takes an old concept in a new direction it deserves a chance. Having a group of people isolated for the killer to have a field day isn't a new idea but if the group, and situations, that you're dealing with are different you're bound to have some fun. If you like dark humor this is a movie for you, it has just the right amount of realism to make you wonder if there isn't some truth in the story.
A global weapons manufacturer sends a sales group to a lodge in Hungary for a team-building weekend, but when a small group of vengeful killer commandos enters the scene survival becomes the main priority. The story keeps moving so that nothing gets stale and then when the killing starts everything is stepped up another notch. From the dark humor to the uncanny likenesses to real life the audience is given more parallels to real life than it can believe. The characters alone are so real to life that many people will recognize some one in the group that they either work with or personally know, which makes some of the situations even funnier.
Trying to come up with new ways to use the slasher idea in a film is becoming harder but when an idea takes an old concept in a new direction it deserves a chance. Having a group of people isolated for the killer to have a field day isn't a new idea but if the group, and situations, that you're dealing with are different you're bound to have some fun. If you like dark humor this is a movie for you, it has just the right amount of realism to make you wonder if there isn't some truth in the story.
DOA: Dead or Alive
Martial arts and video games have been together almost from the very beginning, and together have created some of the best-known games in the industry. And like those games some of these titles have been transferred into movies that have been putting the action back in action films. With this latest incantation we're given a mostly female cast that can kick ass at every level of competition throughout the story. There are some familiar faces in the film but with such a flimsy plot there isn't much call for any great acting, but how much great acting do you really need for a good martial arts movie.
The top talents in various fighting styles are brought together for a chance to win 10 million dollars, but when they discover that there is more going on than meets the eye, they have to fight for their lives in order to survive. The biggest part of this film is the fight sequences, the choreography is at times breathtaking and some of them are so fluid it's like watching a very intense ballet. The acting is not stellar but for a story like this one that's not what the audience is looking for, quick action and a lot of martial arts fighting and most of the people that watch this film will be happy.
The one thing that this story has to fight against is that it's too much like Mortal Kombat, and doesn't breakout of that mold enough to be its own entity. But lets face it, the draw here, like the video game, is the female fighters clad in bikinis and underwear, and there's more of that than you can shake a stick at. This is a worthwhile addition to the new era of martial arts films that have been coming out in the past few years, and having the woman jumping around half naked doesn't hurt it any either.
The top talents in various fighting styles are brought together for a chance to win 10 million dollars, but when they discover that there is more going on than meets the eye, they have to fight for their lives in order to survive. The biggest part of this film is the fight sequences, the choreography is at times breathtaking and some of them are so fluid it's like watching a very intense ballet. The acting is not stellar but for a story like this one that's not what the audience is looking for, quick action and a lot of martial arts fighting and most of the people that watch this film will be happy.
The one thing that this story has to fight against is that it's too much like Mortal Kombat, and doesn't breakout of that mold enough to be its own entity. But lets face it, the draw here, like the video game, is the female fighters clad in bikinis and underwear, and there's more of that than you can shake a stick at. This is a worthwhile addition to the new era of martial arts films that have been coming out in the past few years, and having the woman jumping around half naked doesn't hurt it any either.
Cloverfield
Hype can truly destroy a movie, making the target audience hope for the best and when the film finally comes out the studio is the one with egg on its face. This isn't such a bad film but the hype made it seem like it was going to be the next best thing to sliced bread. Now after seeing it, sliced bread is a much better invention. With the talent J.J. Abrams guiding this story we get the complete atmosphere that was intended, from the very beginning your left in the dark in the way of the plot but once things start happening you get swept into the tale.
While a going away party is taking place a member of the party starts videotaping and captures the partygoers as well as the invasion that destroys New York City. The monsters that are in this story are just the way they need to be, not a lot of direct camera shots, which leaves the audience in the dark about what it truly is. Between the monsters and the battle sequences there is nothing wrong with the film, what the big draw back is the way it was filmed. To give the audience the feeling of being a part of the story the entire thing is told through a hand held video camera, the same way that the story "The Blair Witch Project" was done. Unfortunately here there is so much jostling of the camera there are scenes that just don't work and then by the end some of the audience is left with the feelings of headaches and nausea.
If it wasn't for the camera work, this could have been a huge blockbuster, and considering that the story is left with some definite plot gaps that would be filled in by the sequel, many moviegoers are wondering if there will be a second part to this fiasco. In the way of monster films I think this could have definitely been what Abrams wanted it to be, an American Godzilla-like series of stories. But with such a weak beginning this could be the sighting of this creature, unless the studio wants to take another chance at it and fix the mistakes from the first one.
All That Jazz
Good and watchable musicals are hard to find and when one comes along that completely captures the subject that it's describing it becomes a classic before you know it. One of the greatest talents to ever to attach itself to the Broadway stage is Bob Fosse, and with his flair and showmanship he gives the world a look into his life, and afterlife. This semi-autobiographical story shows the raunchy side of show business and how it slowly becomes acceptable. Leading the cast in this completely enjoyable, and sometimes shocking, story is the late Roy Scheider, with all the energy and stamina that he had in the prime of his career.
Driving himself over the edge in his career and life Joe Gideon starts a downhill slide in his personal life and health, which culminates with a visit from the Angel of Death. From beginning to end this film has the feel of a life spiraling down to a crash that is unavoidable, and with the musical numbers spread throughout the tale you'll wonder if there'll be a musical number for the end of your life. With all the dancing and music it's hard to believe that you completely forget that this is a musical. One of the best roles of this film is the portrayal of Death in the guise of a woman named Angelique who is played by Jessica Lange. With some stylish costumes Lange plays a very sympathetic and at times loving Death, but the air that is around her does have a sense of finality.
This film has one of the best finales for a musical; to have the death of the main character set to a jazzy number that leaves your toes tapping is great. After watching this film your left with feelings that start you wondering just how your life is going to end. If we're given the opportunity of reliving our lives at the end then we could only hope that it's all set to a choreographed montage by Fosse himself. We all hope that we'll be remembered for the things we've done for others and not how we've screwed up along the way, but since none of us will ever know for sure we should all work for the best results.
Driving himself over the edge in his career and life Joe Gideon starts a downhill slide in his personal life and health, which culminates with a visit from the Angel of Death. From beginning to end this film has the feel of a life spiraling down to a crash that is unavoidable, and with the musical numbers spread throughout the tale you'll wonder if there'll be a musical number for the end of your life. With all the dancing and music it's hard to believe that you completely forget that this is a musical. One of the best roles of this film is the portrayal of Death in the guise of a woman named Angelique who is played by Jessica Lange. With some stylish costumes Lange plays a very sympathetic and at times loving Death, but the air that is around her does have a sense of finality.
This film has one of the best finales for a musical; to have the death of the main character set to a jazzy number that leaves your toes tapping is great. After watching this film your left with feelings that start you wondering just how your life is going to end. If we're given the opportunity of reliving our lives at the end then we could only hope that it's all set to a choreographed montage by Fosse himself. We all hope that we'll be remembered for the things we've done for others and not how we've screwed up along the way, but since none of us will ever know for sure we should all work for the best results.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Teachers
Some of the best comedies out there are the ones that reflect real life and when they touch a place in your consciousness they become even funnier than anticipated. The education systems in American during the 80s was at times a complete shambles, and even though there were quite a few films made to reflect the climate at the time, this movie gives an honest and unwavering examination of an urban public school. With Nick Nolte and Judd Hirsch leading the cast the audience is taken on a ride through a much to common high school in the mid-80s, with all the laughs and tears that most of us remember.
While the teaching staff circles their wagons for a law suit life goes on at JFK High, with all of the guns, drugs and insanity that one school could offer. From the veteran actors to the new comers every role is filled with enough emotion and realism for the audience to believe that what is happening on the screen is something that could be happening in their local schools. The story itself covers issues that to this day are being dealt with by the students in our schools, from violence to drugs to teen pregnancy this story doesn't shy away from any of them.
This is one of those films that if you didn't see when it first came out, or when it was on videocassette, it just fell through the cracks of obscurity. With strong performances from everyone involved it's surprising that it didn't receive more notice from the viewing audience. Having lived through the education system that is portrayed in the film I can a test to the fact that just about everything that you see in the story is what was really going on. Ultimately it's a good story that at times is a strong drama and at others a comedy about real life, if you've never seen it before check it out it's a fun walk down memory lane.
While the teaching staff circles their wagons for a law suit life goes on at JFK High, with all of the guns, drugs and insanity that one school could offer. From the veteran actors to the new comers every role is filled with enough emotion and realism for the audience to believe that what is happening on the screen is something that could be happening in their local schools. The story itself covers issues that to this day are being dealt with by the students in our schools, from violence to drugs to teen pregnancy this story doesn't shy away from any of them.
This is one of those films that if you didn't see when it first came out, or when it was on videocassette, it just fell through the cracks of obscurity. With strong performances from everyone involved it's surprising that it didn't receive more notice from the viewing audience. Having lived through the education system that is portrayed in the film I can a test to the fact that just about everything that you see in the story is what was really going on. Ultimately it's a good story that at times is a strong drama and at others a comedy about real life, if you've never seen it before check it out it's a fun walk down memory lane.
Bob Roberts
Movies that are made about our political process are usually one way or another, their either way to serious to be taken as genuine fact or they take the comedy route and then no one takes it seriously because it's to funny. Here Tim Robbins gives us a portrait of a fictional candidate for the U.S. Senate, but the character and the situations that's he's a part of smack of the real world. Even though this is a self proclaimed "mockumentary" there is so much realism in the story that you wonder if there isn't some truth to it.
Bob Roberts' rise to the U.S. Senate is documented showing the grass roots campaigning that drives the conservative hearts of a nation into the patriotism of the future. The mix of parody and prophecy is at times hard to watch, since this was shot in the early 90s many of the things that they talk about in the story have come to pass. Using historical events and archival footage we're given a view point of the campaign trail that many of us never see. Robbins as Roberts is superb, from the folk songs that he sings to the political rhetoric the character is so believable that you wonder if we're watch this election now.
This film needs to be seen by any one who takes part in the election process in this nation, not only does it give you an inside view of the campaign process but also the workings into how to sabotage an opponent. This is a movie that should be watched not only for its comedic value but for the air of truthfulness that rings throughout the story. After watching the story unfold you'll ask yourself who are you really voting for and why, is it for the common ground that the candidate stands on with you or is it for the way you've been manipulated into thinking that their the best possible solution.
Bob Roberts' rise to the U.S. Senate is documented showing the grass roots campaigning that drives the conservative hearts of a nation into the patriotism of the future. The mix of parody and prophecy is at times hard to watch, since this was shot in the early 90s many of the things that they talk about in the story have come to pass. Using historical events and archival footage we're given a view point of the campaign trail that many of us never see. Robbins as Roberts is superb, from the folk songs that he sings to the political rhetoric the character is so believable that you wonder if we're watch this election now.
This film needs to be seen by any one who takes part in the election process in this nation, not only does it give you an inside view of the campaign process but also the workings into how to sabotage an opponent. This is a movie that should be watched not only for its comedic value but for the air of truthfulness that rings throughout the story. After watching the story unfold you'll ask yourself who are you really voting for and why, is it for the common ground that the candidate stands on with you or is it for the way you've been manipulated into thinking that their the best possible solution.
Who's Your Caddy?
Most of the time when a movie is remade, the powers that be keep the original title in order to capitalize on that movies success and then fall flat on the delivery of something decent to watch. But here we're given a treat with this up to date version of Caddyshack, that competes with the original laugh for laugh. With a strong supporting cast Jeffery Jones and Outcast's Big Boi tear up the links of a high class country club faster than Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. The similarities between the two movies are quite evident but this golf comedy is a strong successor for a new generation.
When rap mogul C-Note decides to join the local country club he must fight against the unfair practices of the club's board and its president. Some of the jokes that are in here are a little old but put into a new light some of them seem fresh and new. Big Boi comes across as a well seasoned comedian here, for some actors playing the joker and the straight guy is a difficult role to fill yet in this film he does it with an expert flair. The supporting cast helps carry this story to comedy levels that transferred well on to the screen, and every step of the way you can see that they were having fun with the whole thing.
From the opening scenes to the final credits there are very few parts that don't leave you laughing and cheering for C-Note and his posse. I wasn't expecting to much from this film, figuring that it was going to be a bad remake of a classic movie. But with the talent that is gathered here you can't have anything other than fun. It will be interesting to see if Big Boi goes on to do other films where he can grow and develop as an actor in the comedy genre.
When rap mogul C-Note decides to join the local country club he must fight against the unfair practices of the club's board and its president. Some of the jokes that are in here are a little old but put into a new light some of them seem fresh and new. Big Boi comes across as a well seasoned comedian here, for some actors playing the joker and the straight guy is a difficult role to fill yet in this film he does it with an expert flair. The supporting cast helps carry this story to comedy levels that transferred well on to the screen, and every step of the way you can see that they were having fun with the whole thing.
From the opening scenes to the final credits there are very few parts that don't leave you laughing and cheering for C-Note and his posse. I wasn't expecting to much from this film, figuring that it was going to be a bad remake of a classic movie. But with the talent that is gathered here you can't have anything other than fun. It will be interesting to see if Big Boi goes on to do other films where he can grow and develop as an actor in the comedy genre.
Superbad
Reliving your past through other people's experiences has become a big business in the film industry, going back to relive the good and bad times can fulfilling and disheartening at the same time. Here we have another entry into this growing genre that includes some very big hits, and this one ranks right up there with the group. This film works on so many levels that its staggering, from the writing to the directing to the acting everything works seamlessly.
Believing that if they can supply a classmates party with liquor and get with the girls of their dreams, two friends go out of their way to accomplish the task with two completely different agendas in their minds. Some of the situations that are setup throughout the story are at times a little exaggerated, but that just lends more to the feelings of familiarity. All of the different cliques from high school are represented in the story and some of the characters are even recognizable from the past. The two lead actors, Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, play off of each other so well that you walk away believing that their relationship is true and believable. Some of the jokes are crude and tasteless but isn't that how things were in high school.
There will always be a call for this genre of film, people are always looking back at the earlier periods of their lives and reminiscing about the past. So with strong stories like this one most of us will have be able to sit back and laugh at the exploits that we remember. After a few years of film making it will be interesting to see where all of these talented people end up, from the writing to the acting there just isn't any missed beats.
Believing that if they can supply a classmates party with liquor and get with the girls of their dreams, two friends go out of their way to accomplish the task with two completely different agendas in their minds. Some of the situations that are setup throughout the story are at times a little exaggerated, but that just lends more to the feelings of familiarity. All of the different cliques from high school are represented in the story and some of the characters are even recognizable from the past. The two lead actors, Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, play off of each other so well that you walk away believing that their relationship is true and believable. Some of the jokes are crude and tasteless but isn't that how things were in high school.
There will always be a call for this genre of film, people are always looking back at the earlier periods of their lives and reminiscing about the past. So with strong stories like this one most of us will have be able to sit back and laugh at the exploits that we remember. After a few years of film making it will be interesting to see where all of these talented people end up, from the writing to the acting there just isn't any missed beats.
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Beatles: Help!
Movies that spoof other movies, or even whole genres, have become a big money making machine in recent years and they don't even try to hind what their doing. In 1965 at the height of The Beatles popularity this comedy was made as a parody to the spy films that were becoming all the rage in the 60s. With a wonderful British cast and some new songs the Fab Four take the audience on a journey around the world in their own whimsical style. Bringing back the director that did their A Hard Day's Night film, completed the successful formula that was discovered in their debut film.
When Ringo is marked for a religious sacrifice by wearing a ring that he received as a gift, the boys band together to save him and get their new album recorded. With locations like the Austrian Alps and the Bahamas as back drops to the Beatles whimsical high jinks this story is just pure fun from beginning to end. Some of the characters are way over the top, the evil scientists, religious fanatics, etc. but when they are placed against the fun loving musicians they seem almost normal. There are only a few places that its obvious that stunt doubles were used in the action, but that doesn't take anything away from the story or the action. The one thing that drives this story along with the plot is the music, with some of their most memorable songs the audience is taken on a ride that they soon wont forget.
This film is one of my favorite movies and I was so happy that it was finally released on DVD, with the great music and the comic situations that are throughout the film you can't do anything but enjoy yourself. Considering that this film is over forty years old it has held up remarkably well, it has aged but not to the point that its become tiresome or stale. With the combination of music, action, and humor that starts from the opening scenes the audience is given a treat, there aren't that many musicians out in the world today that are willing to have fun with their celebrity status.
When Ringo is marked for a religious sacrifice by wearing a ring that he received as a gift, the boys band together to save him and get their new album recorded. With locations like the Austrian Alps and the Bahamas as back drops to the Beatles whimsical high jinks this story is just pure fun from beginning to end. Some of the characters are way over the top, the evil scientists, religious fanatics, etc. but when they are placed against the fun loving musicians they seem almost normal. There are only a few places that its obvious that stunt doubles were used in the action, but that doesn't take anything away from the story or the action. The one thing that drives this story along with the plot is the music, with some of their most memorable songs the audience is taken on a ride that they soon wont forget.
This film is one of my favorite movies and I was so happy that it was finally released on DVD, with the great music and the comic situations that are throughout the film you can't do anything but enjoy yourself. Considering that this film is over forty years old it has held up remarkably well, it has aged but not to the point that its become tiresome or stale. With the combination of music, action, and humor that starts from the opening scenes the audience is given a treat, there aren't that many musicians out in the world today that are willing to have fun with their celebrity status.
The World at War (TV series)
In resent years the documentaries about World War II have become a dime a dozen, most just rehashing information that was in other documentaries. But back in 1973 this series set the standard on how the true stories of the war should be told, and told well. To think that the whole war could be told in just 26 episodes is a little hard to believe, but with the talent that stands behind this series it couldn't be anything but award winning. Everything from the writing to the directing to the voice over narration by Sir Laurence Olivier, this is the most in depth examination of the war in Europe.
Through the use of archival footage from the Allies and Axis powers the story of World War II is told in a no holds barred realism. Two of the best things about this series is that 1) there are no re-enactments of battle scenes, all of the footage that you see is real and you see things happening just as the soldiers and civilians did, and 2) there are no professors or specialist talking about what had happened, all of the interviews are from people that were actually there at the time of the event. There are no punches pulled when it comes to the film that is used to tell the stories, the death and destruction of the human masses and the countries that they inhabited. With Olivier doing the narration his voice lends a haunting aspect that could not have been captured by any one else at that time in the 70s.
This is a powerful series and some of the images that are in the archival footage are a little unnerving, but this is what war is really like, its not pretty and the pictures will stay with you long after you've finished watching the show. Where this series was produced by a British film company it focuses more on the European involvement in the war, on the continent and in the Pacific, but it doesn't leave the American story out, it's just not the focal point. Through the footage that is used you get to see the lengths that man will go to against another man for the idea of racial purity, which to me is one of the most disgusting reasons that people use to kill another human being. This is definitely a must see for those people that are out there who must know all that they can about one of the most devastating and heroic times in the history of man.
Through the use of archival footage from the Allies and Axis powers the story of World War II is told in a no holds barred realism. Two of the best things about this series is that 1) there are no re-enactments of battle scenes, all of the footage that you see is real and you see things happening just as the soldiers and civilians did, and 2) there are no professors or specialist talking about what had happened, all of the interviews are from people that were actually there at the time of the event. There are no punches pulled when it comes to the film that is used to tell the stories, the death and destruction of the human masses and the countries that they inhabited. With Olivier doing the narration his voice lends a haunting aspect that could not have been captured by any one else at that time in the 70s.
This is a powerful series and some of the images that are in the archival footage are a little unnerving, but this is what war is really like, its not pretty and the pictures will stay with you long after you've finished watching the show. Where this series was produced by a British film company it focuses more on the European involvement in the war, on the continent and in the Pacific, but it doesn't leave the American story out, it's just not the focal point. Through the footage that is used you get to see the lengths that man will go to against another man for the idea of racial purity, which to me is one of the most disgusting reasons that people use to kill another human being. This is definitely a must see for those people that are out there who must know all that they can about one of the most devastating and heroic times in the history of man.
Rush Hour Trilogy
Finding a good comedy team that works well together doesn't come along every day so when actors click together the studios try to take advantage of it. Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, who were both successful actors in their own rights, were teamed up together in 1998 to do a fish out of water movie involving police officers, one from America and one from Hong Kong. All three stories are a little hard to believe but that's the best thing about movies like this, the audience for a short period of time is able to suspend their reality and live out the fantasy of an action hero.
Rush Hour - When the Chinese Ambassador's daughter is kidnapped Hong Kong's best inspector is teamed up with Los Angeles' worst detective to save the day. The chemistry between these two very talented actors comes across without very little effort. The jokes that Tucker hurls at Chan's straight guy character comes away looking like some of the old Abbott and Costello routines, funny but they seem to be worn.
Rush Hour 2 - While on vacation in Hong Kong Lee and Carter are drawn into a case involving the murder of customs agents. Here Chan is at his best in the way of stunts, some of the things that he pulls off are amazing to see and then when they run the gag reel at the end of the film you get to see the effort that went into some of them. With moving the story to Hong Kong we're given the other side of the coin with Tucker being the odd man out, but even here it seems to be a rehash of the first film.
Rush Hour 3 - Once again drawn together after the attempted assassination of the Chinese Ambassador, Lee and Carter must travel to Paris to catch the killer and stop the international criminal organization known as the Triad. After having each of the characters play their fish out of water scenarios in the first two movies, dropping the two of them into a situation that is alien to them both was the only route left for this series. One of the best highlights of this film is when Carter shows how much he has learned about martial arts in one of the final fight sequences.
As buddy films go this series ranks right up there with other action series, even though its more comedy than action but with the likes of Jackie Chan in the mix you can't have nothing but fun. Some of the stunts that Chan pulls off in these movies is very reminiscent of his Hong Kong series of films, but with an American flair added to the story gives him the opportunity to pull off some one of a kind feats. Even though all three films are funny and the way Chan and Tucker play off of each other works a lot of the jokes are telegraphed and stale, which gets the laughs but leaves the audience wanting more. So all in all it's a series to watch and enjoy, but there just isn't enough fun to draw an experienced audience back repeatedly.
Rush Hour - When the Chinese Ambassador's daughter is kidnapped Hong Kong's best inspector is teamed up with Los Angeles' worst detective to save the day. The chemistry between these two very talented actors comes across without very little effort. The jokes that Tucker hurls at Chan's straight guy character comes away looking like some of the old Abbott and Costello routines, funny but they seem to be worn.
Rush Hour 2 - While on vacation in Hong Kong Lee and Carter are drawn into a case involving the murder of customs agents. Here Chan is at his best in the way of stunts, some of the things that he pulls off are amazing to see and then when they run the gag reel at the end of the film you get to see the effort that went into some of them. With moving the story to Hong Kong we're given the other side of the coin with Tucker being the odd man out, but even here it seems to be a rehash of the first film.
Rush Hour 3 - Once again drawn together after the attempted assassination of the Chinese Ambassador, Lee and Carter must travel to Paris to catch the killer and stop the international criminal organization known as the Triad. After having each of the characters play their fish out of water scenarios in the first two movies, dropping the two of them into a situation that is alien to them both was the only route left for this series. One of the best highlights of this film is when Carter shows how much he has learned about martial arts in one of the final fight sequences.
As buddy films go this series ranks right up there with other action series, even though its more comedy than action but with the likes of Jackie Chan in the mix you can't have nothing but fun. Some of the stunts that Chan pulls off in these movies is very reminiscent of his Hong Kong series of films, but with an American flair added to the story gives him the opportunity to pull off some one of a kind feats. Even though all three films are funny and the way Chan and Tucker play off of each other works a lot of the jokes are telegraphed and stale, which gets the laughs but leaves the audience wanting more. So all in all it's a series to watch and enjoy, but there just isn't enough fun to draw an experienced audience back repeatedly.
The Ten
One of the earliest things that we're taught in life is that there's rules that we must follow and abide by, whether their laws of man or of God, they are there to help us. In the Christian/Jewish faith the Ten Commandments are the end all and be all of rules and laws, and for more than two thousand years we've pretty much kept to them, or have we. This movie attempts to show how in the modern day the laws that God set out for us to follow still apply but have been twisted and flipped upside down in order to work in today's society.
Ten interconnected stories, inspired by the Ten Commandments, are presented in modern situations to show how we still follow the laws of God. The concept for this set of stories is interesting but the problem that arises is that the stories just aren't funny enough to hold the attention of the audience. Even with an all star cast that includes Oliver Platt, Winona Ryder and Jessica Alba, just to name a few, by the end of the movie your left wanting something for the time that you put in watching these tales. The integration of the stories to make them connected is weak but noticeable, but without strong connections you start to lose interest quickly.
This is one of those movies that I saw the trailer and thought that it was a pretty good idea and from the looks it was going to be funny, boy was I wrong. So much of the acting is strained and forced to the point of breaking that before you get half way through your wondering just how much your going to be able to stand. All I can say is that not every good idea on paper transfers well to the screen and this film is a perfect example of that statement.
Ten interconnected stories, inspired by the Ten Commandments, are presented in modern situations to show how we still follow the laws of God. The concept for this set of stories is interesting but the problem that arises is that the stories just aren't funny enough to hold the attention of the audience. Even with an all star cast that includes Oliver Platt, Winona Ryder and Jessica Alba, just to name a few, by the end of the movie your left wanting something for the time that you put in watching these tales. The integration of the stories to make them connected is weak but noticeable, but without strong connections you start to lose interest quickly.
This is one of those movies that I saw the trailer and thought that it was a pretty good idea and from the looks it was going to be funny, boy was I wrong. So much of the acting is strained and forced to the point of breaking that before you get half way through your wondering just how much your going to be able to stand. All I can say is that not every good idea on paper transfers well to the screen and this film is a perfect example of that statement.
Take the Money and Run
Bungling criminals have been a source of good and bad entertainment over the years and there are some of these movies that are bad enough to leave a horrible taste in your mouth. Woody Allen has don't some very inventive movies, whether it's the story or the style that the film was shot in he usually has some different way to convey the plot. Doing a fake documentary about a fictitious character is not something new, and Allen will later do it successfully in 1983 with Zelig. But unfortunately here the humor is so dry its brittle, and the story just doesn't capture the viewer's attention.
The life of Virgil Starkwell is examined from his early criminal career through his botched hold-ups and into his outlandish jailbreaks. The story itself is slow to start and regrettably doesn't pick up enough to carry the rest of the plot, which is unfortunate because some of the situations that Starkwell gets into would be funny in the right frame work. Some of the scenes come across so bad that its hard to believe that these were the final shots that were used to complete the movie. The only bright spot in this film is hearing Jackson Beck, the renowned newsreel narrator and voice over actor, recount the story from the documenters point of view.
I usually like Allen's work and over the years have grown to love some of the films that other people just couldn't grasp or enjoy. Here he seems to bungle along making the film as much as Starkwell does in the story, with just about as much success. If your looking for an early film of Allen's to watch and enjoy don't bother with this one, you'll thank yourself afterwards.
The life of Virgil Starkwell is examined from his early criminal career through his botched hold-ups and into his outlandish jailbreaks. The story itself is slow to start and regrettably doesn't pick up enough to carry the rest of the plot, which is unfortunate because some of the situations that Starkwell gets into would be funny in the right frame work. Some of the scenes come across so bad that its hard to believe that these were the final shots that were used to complete the movie. The only bright spot in this film is hearing Jackson Beck, the renowned newsreel narrator and voice over actor, recount the story from the documenters point of view.
I usually like Allen's work and over the years have grown to love some of the films that other people just couldn't grasp or enjoy. Here he seems to bungle along making the film as much as Starkwell does in the story, with just about as much success. If your looking for an early film of Allen's to watch and enjoy don't bother with this one, you'll thank yourself afterwards.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds
We've all become aware in resent years about the damage that we, as the dominate species on the planet, have caused and what the future consequences could be for generations down the road. Since we're technically talking about the future its only natural that the science fiction genre of filmmaking has given us some of the best storylines to describe this future. This Japanese anime film blends science fiction and fantasy in a way that doesn't over shadow either side of the tale, and gives us a look into a bleak future where man has reaped what he has sown.
With the planet's resources dwindling down to the end Nausicaa rallies her people together to fight against an evil queen and the toxic bugs and forest that is slowly closing in on their valley. The visual representation between good and evil with the vibrant valley and the poisonous forest is very striking and pushes the realm of reality just enough to make the story a little fantastic. This movie like many other anime films has a strong lead character that just so happens to be female, and with this character comes some common sense about how the other characters in the story should be acting and the direction they should all be working in. The voice talent in this film is high quality between Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart and Edward James Olmos, we're given a treat to watch and experience.
The Japanese have been able to successfully transform the strong lead action roles from male to female characters, even though these films are animated doesn't really seem to matter, they are solid stories with very realistic characters. This is just another film in the large library of movies done by Hayao Miyazaki, and joins the best of company with such titles as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. The blending of current issues about the environment with the fantasy world of the future leaves you wondering afterwards just how much have contributed to the current problems in the environment.
With the planet's resources dwindling down to the end Nausicaa rallies her people together to fight against an evil queen and the toxic bugs and forest that is slowly closing in on their valley. The visual representation between good and evil with the vibrant valley and the poisonous forest is very striking and pushes the realm of reality just enough to make the story a little fantastic. This movie like many other anime films has a strong lead character that just so happens to be female, and with this character comes some common sense about how the other characters in the story should be acting and the direction they should all be working in. The voice talent in this film is high quality between Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart and Edward James Olmos, we're given a treat to watch and experience.
The Japanese have been able to successfully transform the strong lead action roles from male to female characters, even though these films are animated doesn't really seem to matter, they are solid stories with very realistic characters. This is just another film in the large library of movies done by Hayao Miyazaki, and joins the best of company with such titles as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. The blending of current issues about the environment with the fantasy world of the future leaves you wondering afterwards just how much have contributed to the current problems in the environment.
Eastern Promises
Having actors play characters that are either foreign to there nationality or to their faith, shows the versatility and ingenuity of their craft. There have been many actors that have transformed themselves into roles that take on a persona all their own. Here Viggo Mortensen does a fantastic job as a Russian gangster in England, with all the mannerisms and language nuances that go along with a character like that. With David Cronenberg behind the helm this story is so gritty and realistic that you walk away afterwards thinking that you've just watched one of the best gangster films to be made in years.
Nikolai Luzhin is a Russian gangster working in London and goes out of his way to save his "family" from business and personal embarrassment, but is he doing it for the "family" or does he have his own agenda. Cronenberg sets up this story so well that there are times that the audience doesn't see what's coming, and with scenes like that throughout the film the drama and suspense just keeps mounting. There isn't a lot of gore in this story so in that instance it's not your regular Cronenberg film, but the action that is laid out is everything that you would expect from one of his movies. With a supporting cast that includes Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel we're given a rare opportunity to in seeing that next stage in the gangster genre of film making.
I've always had a soft spot for this genre of film, and when there are new avenues that studios, or directors, decide to take, it interests me to see how authentic they can make it seem. I've enjoyed some of the more classic films like "Angels with Dirty Faces" and "The Roaring Twenties" up to "The Godfather", "Miller's Crossing", and "Casino" but with this film we're tossed into a more modern story that is both captivating and entrancing. It's a shame that Mortensen didn't win the Oscar for this role, he is so immersed in the character that you believe every step of the way that he is a Russian mobster.
Nikolai Luzhin is a Russian gangster working in London and goes out of his way to save his "family" from business and personal embarrassment, but is he doing it for the "family" or does he have his own agenda. Cronenberg sets up this story so well that there are times that the audience doesn't see what's coming, and with scenes like that throughout the film the drama and suspense just keeps mounting. There isn't a lot of gore in this story so in that instance it's not your regular Cronenberg film, but the action that is laid out is everything that you would expect from one of his movies. With a supporting cast that includes Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel we're given a rare opportunity to in seeing that next stage in the gangster genre of film making.
I've always had a soft spot for this genre of film, and when there are new avenues that studios, or directors, decide to take, it interests me to see how authentic they can make it seem. I've enjoyed some of the more classic films like "Angels with Dirty Faces" and "The Roaring Twenties" up to "The Godfather", "Miller's Crossing", and "Casino" but with this film we're tossed into a more modern story that is both captivating and entrancing. It's a shame that Mortensen didn't win the Oscar for this role, he is so immersed in the character that you believe every step of the way that he is a Russian mobster.
Bend It Like Beckham
There are some cultures that just seem completely foreign to us mainly because we're not exposed to the inner workings of that culture. So when two completely different cultures come together we sometimes have a very entertaining story that brings us closer to the understanding of ourselves and others. Using the sport of soccer to launch this heartwarming comedy gives it a universal base that any audience member can at some point connect with. The young actresses that team up in this film are Kira Knightley and Parminder K. Nagra, and together they deliver two wonderful roles of adolescent girls with the same interests but from different societies.
Growing up to be a proper Indian girl does not include playing soccer like her idol David Beckham, but when the opportunity arises to play she must work at balancing family traditions and playing the game she loves. Strongly character driven this story gives the audience a chance to see how some young women have to work against traditions in society in order to do they want to. With Nagra and Knightley playing with and against each other through the story we see that the time and effort that is put into playing sports is sometimes difficult, but not just from the game side of the story, from the family members that don't want them to participate as well. The story moves along at a good pace and doesn't really slow down, and with the injection of the family conflict it gives the story a little bit of drama to keep things moving.
Some of the comedy that is throughout the story has to do with the Indian culture adapting into the Western society that they live in, but there is also some comedic sexual tension mixed in when some of the characters' orientation comes into question. All of the jokes and situations are done in good taste and there are no vulgar overtones, so that there are no embarrassing situations if the family watches it together. Where this tale isn't a straight sports story, and more about the a family's blending of tradition and modern society, the audience is taken on a journey of discovery and life fulfilling dreams.
Growing up to be a proper Indian girl does not include playing soccer like her idol David Beckham, but when the opportunity arises to play she must work at balancing family traditions and playing the game she loves. Strongly character driven this story gives the audience a chance to see how some young women have to work against traditions in society in order to do they want to. With Nagra and Knightley playing with and against each other through the story we see that the time and effort that is put into playing sports is sometimes difficult, but not just from the game side of the story, from the family members that don't want them to participate as well. The story moves along at a good pace and doesn't really slow down, and with the injection of the family conflict it gives the story a little bit of drama to keep things moving.
Some of the comedy that is throughout the story has to do with the Indian culture adapting into the Western society that they live in, but there is also some comedic sexual tension mixed in when some of the characters' orientation comes into question. All of the jokes and situations are done in good taste and there are no vulgar overtones, so that there are no embarrassing situations if the family watches it together. Where this tale isn't a straight sports story, and more about the a family's blending of tradition and modern society, the audience is taken on a journey of discovery and life fulfilling dreams.
The Wild Bunch
Nobody looks forward to retirement least of all people who enjoy what they do, even if the road you've traveled has labeled you a desperado. This is one of Sam Peckinpah's greatest films, from the camera shots to the outstanding acting the audience is presented with a slice of life from the closing days of the wild west. With a cast of characters lead by William Holden the long ride into the sun set isn't and easy or happy one, from being chased by U.S. authorities and getting mixed up with an evil Mexican general, these outlaws don't seem to want to go quietly into that good night.
A gang of men have come to the end of their run as bandits and start to talk about retiring to south of the border, but making a clean break is going to be tough to do and its going to take a lot of money. With the on location shooting the feel for the vastness of the old west and the on coming of the tamed west is completely evident from beginning to end. One of the best scenes to show the passing of time is when an automobile is driven into a small Mexican village and the desperados talk about how they had never seen one and that they even have a version that fly's in the air.
Having the entire story told from the view point of the gang, you're able to see that these men were just trying to live day to day by what ever means necessary. With all of the authentic costumes and sets and a strong story to match, this is a western not to be missed. Not only are the actors at the top of their game, but you can't help but feel for these men as their way of life is slowly bleeding out in front of their very eyes.
A gang of men have come to the end of their run as bandits and start to talk about retiring to south of the border, but making a clean break is going to be tough to do and its going to take a lot of money. With the on location shooting the feel for the vastness of the old west and the on coming of the tamed west is completely evident from beginning to end. One of the best scenes to show the passing of time is when an automobile is driven into a small Mexican village and the desperados talk about how they had never seen one and that they even have a version that fly's in the air.
Having the entire story told from the view point of the gang, you're able to see that these men were just trying to live day to day by what ever means necessary. With all of the authentic costumes and sets and a strong story to match, this is a western not to be missed. Not only are the actors at the top of their game, but you can't help but feel for these men as their way of life is slowly bleeding out in front of their very eyes.
War
Bringing together two very popular actors should, if the stars are aligned correctly, be a powerful and fun movie to watch. But the one thing that most people in the industry don't understand is that you need an engrossing story to go along with the actors, or the audience is going to get bored rather quickly. Which brings us to this film, with actors like Jet Li and Jason Statham, both of whom have outstanding careers in the action genre, you'd almost believe that this would be a blockbuster of a movie. But you can't have everything you want, because if you did every movie would be a success and there'd be no failures. We can't have that now can we, we'd never know what was truly good.
A year after his partner is killed, FBI agent Jack Crawford is still searching for the killer known as Rogue and he's determined to go through who ever he has too to find and kill him. The fight sequences that in the film are very well choreographed, and in some ways very reminiscent of the action films of the Asian cinema. Yet the confrontation between Li and Statham's characters is limited and very short, you'd expect since the whole story is about their confrontation there would be a little bit more effort in the final battle. The complex story that is presented here is very well thought out, with all of the twists and turns of a good drama and fight scenes that come up just when their needed, you're left with a pretty decent film.
Li has more elaborate fight sequences in this story where Statham plays a more dramatic role, this set up slows the story down and it seems to take forever to get to the final battle. This film is by far not a bad movie, it's has all of the elements that an action film needs and twists in the story to keep an audience's attention. The biggest problem is the confrontation between the two main characters, the battle is to short, not complex enough, but most of all by the end of the story your left wanting and for an action film that's not a good thing.
A year after his partner is killed, FBI agent Jack Crawford is still searching for the killer known as Rogue and he's determined to go through who ever he has too to find and kill him. The fight sequences that in the film are very well choreographed, and in some ways very reminiscent of the action films of the Asian cinema. Yet the confrontation between Li and Statham's characters is limited and very short, you'd expect since the whole story is about their confrontation there would be a little bit more effort in the final battle. The complex story that is presented here is very well thought out, with all of the twists and turns of a good drama and fight scenes that come up just when their needed, you're left with a pretty decent film.
Li has more elaborate fight sequences in this story where Statham plays a more dramatic role, this set up slows the story down and it seems to take forever to get to the final battle. This film is by far not a bad movie, it's has all of the elements that an action film needs and twists in the story to keep an audience's attention. The biggest problem is the confrontation between the two main characters, the battle is to short, not complex enough, but most of all by the end of the story your left wanting and for an action film that's not a good thing.
Hot Fuzz
Keeping a good, strong comedy team together in today's film industry isn't as easy as it may seem, between prior commitments and money, sometimes you only get to see a team-up once and that's it. After the success of Shaun of the Dead the two lead actors, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, join together with director Edgar Wright to do too the police-action films what they did to zombie films. From beginning to end this is a comedy that doesn't pull any punches, picking fun at everything from British society to the parodying of action film sequences.
When a straight laced London officer is promoted, and transferred to a small sleepy village he begins to uncover a series of gruesome accidents that maybe foul play in disguise. The mystery itself is set up quite well with all the twists and turns of any great story, and with the way that the characters deal with the "accidents" helps the story progress at a nice pace. With the change of Pegg's character we see the transformation the by the book cop who finally realizes that sometimes you have to push the envelope in order to get people to see the truth and to solve the case. Even though some of the sequences are reminiscent of some of the great action films of the past thirty years, here they have the feel of being fresh and new.
This film is as fun as Shaun and has the same snappy lines and situations that keep the audience interested in the story and the characters. This is another one of those films that won't get a lot of play time because there are still so many people that just don't get British comedy. But if you give it a chance it goes far beyond just the British side of comedy and with the jokes about American action films your left with two hours of fun and laughs.
When a straight laced London officer is promoted, and transferred to a small sleepy village he begins to uncover a series of gruesome accidents that maybe foul play in disguise. The mystery itself is set up quite well with all the twists and turns of any great story, and with the way that the characters deal with the "accidents" helps the story progress at a nice pace. With the change of Pegg's character we see the transformation the by the book cop who finally realizes that sometimes you have to push the envelope in order to get people to see the truth and to solve the case. Even though some of the sequences are reminiscent of some of the great action films of the past thirty years, here they have the feel of being fresh and new.
This film is as fun as Shaun and has the same snappy lines and situations that keep the audience interested in the story and the characters. This is another one of those films that won't get a lot of play time because there are still so many people that just don't get British comedy. But if you give it a chance it goes far beyond just the British side of comedy and with the jokes about American action films your left with two hours of fun and laughs.
Pirates of the Caribbean (Pearl, Chest, & World's End)
Sometimes coming up with new ideas for movies companies and producers have to turn to some of the most unlikely of places. Here the original source was a theme park ride, that really didn't have a story to go along with it to begin with, but with the two things that Disney is best known for, ingenuity and imagination, one of the greatest film franchises was born. With a strong cast from the first movie to the last we're taken on a ride that just doesn't stop, and as each movie closes you get the feeling that there is no way they can out do themselves next time. But when the special effects bar is set higher each time the next chapter appears the audience is the ones that benefit from the amazing visual artistry that at times takes your breath away.
Curse of the Black Pearl - Captain Jack Sparrow fights against the crew that stranded him and stole his ship, but with Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan's help they must battle with the demons the crew has become. Beyond the special effects that are pretty amazing for a Disney film this story is fun from the moment the movie starts. Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow is so beyond anything else he's ever done that the viewer is blown away by the performance. With a supporting cast that includes Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush, the audience is transported to a time where high adventure and free spirits are all that was needed to live.
Dead Man's Chest - After reacquiring his ship the Black Pearl, Captain Sparrow must battle against Davy Jones and his demon crew for the blood debt that he owes. Bringing to life three figures from ancient mariner's tale, Davy Jones, the Kraken and the Flying Dutchman, was a daunting task for the animators at Disney, but with the latest technology in computer animation they pull it off with flying colors. Throughout the film there are times that your left wondering what you just saw, and with the feeling of how did they do that. Having this second film end with a cliffhanger was perfect and left the audience chomping at the bit for the story to continue, and all they had to wait was one year.
At World's End - Will and Elizabeth team up with Captain Barbossa and ally themselves to rescue Jack from Davy Jones' Locker and fight against Jones and the British Navy, who are trying to end the pirates reign on the sea. As a finale to this trilogy the third film pulls out all the stops in order to entertain and amaze the audience, from far reaching special effects to plot twists that leave you stunned this movie has it all. Even though this is the final film the new characters that are introduced have important parts to play in completing the legend that is as rich as any historic tale from this time period.
The three films are so complete that they come across as real stories that we would have heard sitting around a bar with sailors in the 1700s. The cast is so well designed in these movies that if it were possible they could continue with this franchise as long as they had good stories to keep the actors and audience glued to their seats. Unlike most movies with subsequent sequels Disney hit a home run with Black Pearl, and then continued to hit them out of the park with the two follow ups. I for one was amazed with each film in this series, between the rich story, that after watching all three films its hard to think of them as separate movies now with a story that's so interconnected, and the action sequences, that seamlessly used special effects and live action to create some of the best action on film.
Curse of the Black Pearl - Captain Jack Sparrow fights against the crew that stranded him and stole his ship, but with Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan's help they must battle with the demons the crew has become. Beyond the special effects that are pretty amazing for a Disney film this story is fun from the moment the movie starts. Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow is so beyond anything else he's ever done that the viewer is blown away by the performance. With a supporting cast that includes Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush, the audience is transported to a time where high adventure and free spirits are all that was needed to live.
Dead Man's Chest - After reacquiring his ship the Black Pearl, Captain Sparrow must battle against Davy Jones and his demon crew for the blood debt that he owes. Bringing to life three figures from ancient mariner's tale, Davy Jones, the Kraken and the Flying Dutchman, was a daunting task for the animators at Disney, but with the latest technology in computer animation they pull it off with flying colors. Throughout the film there are times that your left wondering what you just saw, and with the feeling of how did they do that. Having this second film end with a cliffhanger was perfect and left the audience chomping at the bit for the story to continue, and all they had to wait was one year.
At World's End - Will and Elizabeth team up with Captain Barbossa and ally themselves to rescue Jack from Davy Jones' Locker and fight against Jones and the British Navy, who are trying to end the pirates reign on the sea. As a finale to this trilogy the third film pulls out all the stops in order to entertain and amaze the audience, from far reaching special effects to plot twists that leave you stunned this movie has it all. Even though this is the final film the new characters that are introduced have important parts to play in completing the legend that is as rich as any historic tale from this time period.
The three films are so complete that they come across as real stories that we would have heard sitting around a bar with sailors in the 1700s. The cast is so well designed in these movies that if it were possible they could continue with this franchise as long as they had good stories to keep the actors and audience glued to their seats. Unlike most movies with subsequent sequels Disney hit a home run with Black Pearl, and then continued to hit them out of the park with the two follow ups. I for one was amazed with each film in this series, between the rich story, that after watching all three films its hard to think of them as separate movies now with a story that's so interconnected, and the action sequences, that seamlessly used special effects and live action to create some of the best action on film.
The Kingdom
Terrorism has been around for centuries and the means to the terrorist plots have just become unique and involved, and with the new technology of communications we learn about them almost as soon as they happen. Here we are given an opportunity to see the depth of which these men live, from surrounding themselves with their loved ones so that if their attacked civilians will be killed, to infiltrating government agencies to get information for attacks. This story has all the makings of a great action film, the good and bad guys are so real they leap right off the screen, and the plot is so suspenseful and realistic that your left wondering if it was a piece of fiction. The actors that make up the FBI team, and do a convincing job at it are Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. With these four leading the way the rest of the cast do nothing but their best and it shows on the screen in each and every scene.
After a terrorist bombing that targets civilian Americans in the Middle East, a specialized group of FBI agents are sent to help with the investigation before the next target is attacked. The story moves so fast your amazed at how quickly the time has gone by, once things start moving it's a rollercoaster ride to the end. The high intensity of emotions that are throughout the film just bleeds off the screen and you can't help but feel drawn into the situations that are on the screen. Foxx is outstanding in his role here, it is a glimmer of how much of a movie star he really is.
The story alone is a powerful tale, but brought to life on film turns up the intensity of not just the emotions of the Americans but also the Saudi's that are working with the FBI. This is a wonderful movie to watch, with the current state of affairs between America and the Middle East, this story shows that even in the midst of disaster there is some common ground that we can all work from. I wish I had seen this movie earlier, the story and the action is so good that it stays with you long after the films over and after watching the whole story you won't soon forget it.
After a terrorist bombing that targets civilian Americans in the Middle East, a specialized group of FBI agents are sent to help with the investigation before the next target is attacked. The story moves so fast your amazed at how quickly the time has gone by, once things start moving it's a rollercoaster ride to the end. The high intensity of emotions that are throughout the film just bleeds off the screen and you can't help but feel drawn into the situations that are on the screen. Foxx is outstanding in his role here, it is a glimmer of how much of a movie star he really is.
The story alone is a powerful tale, but brought to life on film turns up the intensity of not just the emotions of the Americans but also the Saudi's that are working with the FBI. This is a wonderful movie to watch, with the current state of affairs between America and the Middle East, this story shows that even in the midst of disaster there is some common ground that we can all work from. I wish I had seen this movie earlier, the story and the action is so good that it stays with you long after the films over and after watching the whole story you won't soon forget it.
Bang the Drum Slowly
Tragedy and baseball seem to go hand in hand, over the decades there have been some very influential people that have been struck down with some very disabling diseases. Here we're given a fictional story that could have been any number of players on any one of a dozen teams, and from beginning to end it tears at your heart strings. With Robert De Niro and Michael Moriarty in the lead roles the rest of the cast follow along in a high emotional state that draws everyone into performing at their best.
When a catcher for the New York Mammoths discovers he has Hodgkin's disease, he and his pitching buddy work against the odds to keep the information from the team and the owners. For an early De Niro role you can see his stardom just waiting to burst out on to the screen, throwing himself into the role of this sick ball player you truly believe that he is dying. The friendship that builds between De Niro and Moriarty's characters is so strong that when the end finally comes its not surprising that Moriarty's character is the only one to acknowledge the passing of his friend.
The only drawback to this film is that it comes across as a made for TV movie, there's so much sharing of feelings that you'd think that you were watching the Lifetime Channel. Yet in today's air of openness about cancer, Hodgkin's, and other serious diseases its hard to think back to a time when things weren't so accommodating for athletes. Other than the style it was shot in, and the fact that the death scene has a huge build up with no pay off, it's a decent film it shows the true life of ball players in the early 70s and how hard they had to fight for their jobs, whether they sick or healthy.
When a catcher for the New York Mammoths discovers he has Hodgkin's disease, he and his pitching buddy work against the odds to keep the information from the team and the owners. For an early De Niro role you can see his stardom just waiting to burst out on to the screen, throwing himself into the role of this sick ball player you truly believe that he is dying. The friendship that builds between De Niro and Moriarty's characters is so strong that when the end finally comes its not surprising that Moriarty's character is the only one to acknowledge the passing of his friend.
The only drawback to this film is that it comes across as a made for TV movie, there's so much sharing of feelings that you'd think that you were watching the Lifetime Channel. Yet in today's air of openness about cancer, Hodgkin's, and other serious diseases its hard to think back to a time when things weren't so accommodating for athletes. Other than the style it was shot in, and the fact that the death scene has a huge build up with no pay off, it's a decent film it shows the true life of ball players in the early 70s and how hard they had to fight for their jobs, whether they sick or healthy.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Bebe's Kids
Having comedians routines turned into either movies or TV series has become big business in recent years, some have become quite successful and others have failed. With this film we’re shown the animated world created from Robin Harris’ routine about Bebe’s kids, a group of rambunctious kids that seem to be able to get away with just about anything. Even though Harris died before the project really got going, the skillful talents of Faizon Love, as Robin, Bruce Smith, as director, and Reginald and Warrington Hudlin, producing, bring the world of Bebe’s Kids to life for all of us to enjoy.
Robin tries to get to know Jamika a little better, which means he has to survive the day with Jamika’s son and the three children that she’s watching for a friend. With the voice over talent, which includes Tone Loc and Nell Carter, gathered here the fun begins with the opening scenes and carries all the way to the very end. The animation isn’t CGI so that it has a feel for the old school cartoons, with the mannerisms of the characters and the environments that they live in. Some very modern day issues are discussed throughout the story and are done in such a way that it leaves the audience laughing but also leaves you with a sense of conscience about the issues.
It’s a shame that Harris died before he was able to see his creation come to life, this fun and entertaining film opens a door on a way of life that we’re only exposed to briefly. I’ve enjoyed this movie repeatedly over the years and I think it’s aged rather well, some of the issues that are discussed in the film are still current problems and with an animated spin on it their a little easier to swallow. Even though it’s rated PG-13 I think that the entertainment for the most part is family oriented, and may actually start the family talking about the world around them.
Robin tries to get to know Jamika a little better, which means he has to survive the day with Jamika’s son and the three children that she’s watching for a friend. With the voice over talent, which includes Tone Loc and Nell Carter, gathered here the fun begins with the opening scenes and carries all the way to the very end. The animation isn’t CGI so that it has a feel for the old school cartoons, with the mannerisms of the characters and the environments that they live in. Some very modern day issues are discussed throughout the story and are done in such a way that it leaves the audience laughing but also leaves you with a sense of conscience about the issues.
It’s a shame that Harris died before he was able to see his creation come to life, this fun and entertaining film opens a door on a way of life that we’re only exposed to briefly. I’ve enjoyed this movie repeatedly over the years and I think it’s aged rather well, some of the issues that are discussed in the film are still current problems and with an animated spin on it their a little easier to swallow. Even though it’s rated PG-13 I think that the entertainment for the most part is family oriented, and may actually start the family talking about the world around them.
Fort Apache, The Bronx
The life and duties of a street cop have always been the toughest job around, and in the 70s and 80s it was worse with internal and external corruption running so rampant the ordinary citizens of society didn’t know where to turn. With a story based in toughest borough in the Bronx, where the police station is known as "Fort Apache," the audience is given a first hand view point of the situations that were far to common in this time period. Heading the cast in this story of corruption and redemption is Paul Newman and Ed Asner, with these two powerful actors the film is given an air of believability that is as strong as saying that this was a true story.
Reaching the end of his rope after two rookie cops are killed, Officer Murphy witnesses a fellow officer kill an unarmed man and must battle with himself and the department on what to do about it. Three members of the supporting cast give outstanding portrayals of their characters, they are Pam Grier as the Killer/Hooker, Danny Aiello as the murdering cop and Ken Wahl as Murphy’s young partner. The true grit and feelings of the characters are played out honestly, from every citizen on the street down to the last officer on the force. Shooting this story on location in the Bronx helps keep the story grounded in reality, and also helps the audience believe that given the opportunity the right decisions and actions will be taken.
Cop dramas are hard to find, it seems that the majority of films that are out there are either action or comedy nothing with a real bite of what life is really like for an officer. Realism like this isn’t found on the screen anymore, the viewing public wants more action than what really happens in a normal day. But stories like this give us a chance to see how hard it is to make even some of the simplest decisions at the most trying of times.
Reaching the end of his rope after two rookie cops are killed, Officer Murphy witnesses a fellow officer kill an unarmed man and must battle with himself and the department on what to do about it. Three members of the supporting cast give outstanding portrayals of their characters, they are Pam Grier as the Killer/Hooker, Danny Aiello as the murdering cop and Ken Wahl as Murphy’s young partner. The true grit and feelings of the characters are played out honestly, from every citizen on the street down to the last officer on the force. Shooting this story on location in the Bronx helps keep the story grounded in reality, and also helps the audience believe that given the opportunity the right decisions and actions will be taken.
Cop dramas are hard to find, it seems that the majority of films that are out there are either action or comedy nothing with a real bite of what life is really like for an officer. Realism like this isn’t found on the screen anymore, the viewing public wants more action than what really happens in a normal day. But stories like this give us a chance to see how hard it is to make even some of the simplest decisions at the most trying of times.
Meet the Robinsons
Over the years Disney has shown that they can role with the punches, whether they have a hit or a flop they will bounce right back and come up with something that hit’s the right cord with the audience. Most of the time the hits that have been generated are girl oriented stories, and very few have been out right for boys. Here we have a very thought out story that is completely geared towards young boys and still has all of the flair and fun of the earlier hits by Disney.
After having his invention stolen by a mysterious man in a Bowler hat, Lewis teams up with a young boy named Wilbur, who takes Lewis into the future to track down his invention. Here again Disney shows that they can make movies that are completely CGI, and make the story enjoyable. With some very recognizable voice talent, each and every character seems familiar and friendly to the point that you get the feeling that you’ve these people for a very long time.
Filled with more science jargon and theories than most kids are exposed to and understand, deep down this is a very well done feel good story. With enjoyable characters and situations every step of the way, there is an air of fulfillment by the end of the movie and you walk away with the thought that there is hope of every young child left behind. I enjoyed this edition into Disney’s movie library, taking some of the best known stories from literature, here Time Machine by HG Wells, and giving it a twist for a younger audience is what they do best, and this is far from a disappointing adventure.
After having his invention stolen by a mysterious man in a Bowler hat, Lewis teams up with a young boy named Wilbur, who takes Lewis into the future to track down his invention. Here again Disney shows that they can make movies that are completely CGI, and make the story enjoyable. With some very recognizable voice talent, each and every character seems familiar and friendly to the point that you get the feeling that you’ve these people for a very long time.
Filled with more science jargon and theories than most kids are exposed to and understand, deep down this is a very well done feel good story. With enjoyable characters and situations every step of the way, there is an air of fulfillment by the end of the movie and you walk away with the thought that there is hope of every young child left behind. I enjoyed this edition into Disney’s movie library, taking some of the best known stories from literature, here Time Machine by HG Wells, and giving it a twist for a younger audience is what they do best, and this is far from a disappointing adventure.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Exiled
When modern filmmakers try to capture the essence of a particular genre of film, most times they fall flat, or in trying to hard they become a mockery of what they were trying to revere. There have been some very good movies done in the style of the old Spaghetti Westerns and of those the best have come out of the Asian market. With this thriller Johnny To does an expert job at combining the old western style of story with the Hong Kong gangster genre.
When two hit man teams appear at an associates house one set to kill him and one set to protect him, the resulting shoot out drives the five men together into a fight for their lives through the criminal underworld. Along with the high powered action that goes on throughout the film, is the haunting music that seems to carry the in-between scenes from action shot to action shot. With a cast of characters that would be hard pressed to lose at a poker game, we’re given a glimpse into a world that seems to be a powder keg waiting for someone to light the fuse. This is a dark film from the very beginning and seems to take on a life of it’s own, so that every time there seems to be a chance for the story to hit a bright point, the main body of the story overpowers it and continues on its merry way.
The one element that helps this film stand out from the rest of the movies that are shot in this style, is that the action is so quick and fast paced that your left amazed by the gun fighting ballet that is done so well, and nowhere is it done better than in the Asian cinema. Movies like this are what draws me back to the Asian cinema, no one does action films the way they do them in the Far East. That’s not to say there aren’t good action films from other countries, but there just isn’t any director or production company that can reach the level of the film makers from that region of the world. If you like the old Spaghetti Westerns from the 60s, I think you’lll be surprised by this film and enjoy it just as much.
When two hit man teams appear at an associates house one set to kill him and one set to protect him, the resulting shoot out drives the five men together into a fight for their lives through the criminal underworld. Along with the high powered action that goes on throughout the film, is the haunting music that seems to carry the in-between scenes from action shot to action shot. With a cast of characters that would be hard pressed to lose at a poker game, we’re given a glimpse into a world that seems to be a powder keg waiting for someone to light the fuse. This is a dark film from the very beginning and seems to take on a life of it’s own, so that every time there seems to be a chance for the story to hit a bright point, the main body of the story overpowers it and continues on its merry way.
The one element that helps this film stand out from the rest of the movies that are shot in this style, is that the action is so quick and fast paced that your left amazed by the gun fighting ballet that is done so well, and nowhere is it done better than in the Asian cinema. Movies like this are what draws me back to the Asian cinema, no one does action films the way they do them in the Far East. That’s not to say there aren’t good action films from other countries, but there just isn’t any director or production company that can reach the level of the film makers from that region of the world. If you like the old Spaghetti Westerns from the 60s, I think you’lll be surprised by this film and enjoy it just as much.
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)
Reviving some of the old time science fiction serials, whether from the radio or movies, has been repeatedly done over the years. Regrettably with more failures than successes, we as a viewing audience have been subjected to some very interesting adaptations of these classic stories. For all of it’s missteps this series had the most promise to become a success, and unfortunately the producers and writers didn’t learn from their mistakes as they appeared. Gil Gerard and Erin Gray starred in this short lived series that brought the 1928 character of Buck Rogers into the modern age of science fiction. Glen A. Larson, who gave us Battlestar Galactica, produced this series, borrowed not only props and effects, but some storylines that just seemed to familiar to the audience who most likely saw both series back to back.
After launching into deep space in 1987, Captain Buck Rogers is frozen in his ship for 500 years and returns to a world, and universe, that he must acclimate himself to all over again. Casting Gerard as Rogers worked so much that his personality and physical build fit the persona of the character that most viewers thought Buck should look like. The stories themselves were creative, but on the down side they weren’t creative enough for an audience that was starving for more of what Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica had shown them in the way of tales about space. The first season stumbled when the only alien races that the humans dealt with looked just like them, and then in the second season the changes to the main storyline were to extreme to hold on to small viewer ship that it had created.
Even with all of the reused props and effects from Larson’s earlier sci-fi show, Battlestar Galactica, there is still a feeling of wonder and fun about the stories. One of the true highlights in the show is the costume design, from the inventive dresses and suits that the different characters wear throughout the series to the skin tight full body suit that Gray wears off and on in the first season, its good to know that humans kept their fashion sense after the holocaust. Although with all of the advancements in filming technology, prop design, CGI and makeup processes, the episodes do look dated and for a viewer that has been watching the more recent sci-fi television work some of the scenes and props look lower than low budget. But for the late 70s early 80s this wasn’t to bad and if you can keep that in mind as you watch the series you’ll enjoy the stories, and their inventive way of looking at the human issues that we seem to always have to deal with no matter how far into the future we go.
After launching into deep space in 1987, Captain Buck Rogers is frozen in his ship for 500 years and returns to a world, and universe, that he must acclimate himself to all over again. Casting Gerard as Rogers worked so much that his personality and physical build fit the persona of the character that most viewers thought Buck should look like. The stories themselves were creative, but on the down side they weren’t creative enough for an audience that was starving for more of what Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica had shown them in the way of tales about space. The first season stumbled when the only alien races that the humans dealt with looked just like them, and then in the second season the changes to the main storyline were to extreme to hold on to small viewer ship that it had created.
Even with all of the reused props and effects from Larson’s earlier sci-fi show, Battlestar Galactica, there is still a feeling of wonder and fun about the stories. One of the true highlights in the show is the costume design, from the inventive dresses and suits that the different characters wear throughout the series to the skin tight full body suit that Gray wears off and on in the first season, its good to know that humans kept their fashion sense after the holocaust. Although with all of the advancements in filming technology, prop design, CGI and makeup processes, the episodes do look dated and for a viewer that has been watching the more recent sci-fi television work some of the scenes and props look lower than low budget. But for the late 70s early 80s this wasn’t to bad and if you can keep that in mind as you watch the series you’ll enjoy the stories, and their inventive way of looking at the human issues that we seem to always have to deal with no matter how far into the future we go.
The Mist
Over the years monster movies have become more of a joke than anything even resembling terrifying, unless of course you think that slasher films are monster movies, which their not. But true monster films have pretty much gone by the wayside, and the stories that examine this genre are left to the author’s imagination where just about anything is possible. This story was originally written by Stephen King back in 1980 and became an instant classic with his readers. Adding his own flair for the fantastic with the genre of monsters, the short novella drew the attention of Hollywood almost immediately. Now 27 years later, with Oscar nominated director Frank Darabont at the helm, the tale of spine chilling tale of survival and the unknown that has lived for years in the hearts of King fans comes to life with stunning realism.
After a pounding thunderstorm leaves a small town without power, a dense fog engulfs the town bringing with it deadly creatures that trap a small group of survivors in the local grocery store. All of the right elements that make a good horror movie can be found in this story, from the mounting terror inside and outside of the story to not being able to see the creatures in the mist. Thomas Jane plays the normal every day Dad that is thrust into the most extraordinary of situations with his young son along for the ride, and he plays the role with such believability that its heart wrenching watching he deal with the crisis’ as they arise. One of the other things that works in favor of the spine-chilling way this movie unfolds is that film makers gave the story a strong, shocking ending where King left it open ended for the reader to use their imagination.
Watching this story come to life on the screen is a real treat, the whole tale, with some slight changes for the time period and character development, is told in a faithful way to the original novella. The one true element that keeps this movie on the edge of your seat is that you don’t see the monsters until their right on top of you, and when you do see them their more than you expected. This creepiness is what is usually what is missing from movies that are transferred from King’s works, but with this film, and other more recent adaptations, we as an audience might be able to finally see some of the greatest horror fiction come to life on the screen in a believable fashion.
After a pounding thunderstorm leaves a small town without power, a dense fog engulfs the town bringing with it deadly creatures that trap a small group of survivors in the local grocery store. All of the right elements that make a good horror movie can be found in this story, from the mounting terror inside and outside of the story to not being able to see the creatures in the mist. Thomas Jane plays the normal every day Dad that is thrust into the most extraordinary of situations with his young son along for the ride, and he plays the role with such believability that its heart wrenching watching he deal with the crisis’ as they arise. One of the other things that works in favor of the spine-chilling way this movie unfolds is that film makers gave the story a strong, shocking ending where King left it open ended for the reader to use their imagination.
Watching this story come to life on the screen is a real treat, the whole tale, with some slight changes for the time period and character development, is told in a faithful way to the original novella. The one true element that keeps this movie on the edge of your seat is that you don’t see the monsters until their right on top of you, and when you do see them their more than you expected. This creepiness is what is usually what is missing from movies that are transferred from King’s works, but with this film, and other more recent adaptations, we as an audience might be able to finally see some of the greatest horror fiction come to life on the screen in a believable fashion.
We Own the Night
Making crime dramas look and feel as gritty as real life has become the norm in Hollywood recently, and the more they do the better they become. James Gray does a great job at directing this cast which includes Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg and Robert Duvall, and with these three powerhouses the audience is shown how close the police have to get in order to close a case. With these three commanding performances it isn’t hard for the rest of the cast to give their best, and it shows from beginning to end.
Bobby Green who manages a hot New York nightclub and is also related to two of the best cops in the city’s narcotics division, but when his brother shot and his father killed he must decide where his loyalties lie. This story plays on the old saying "blood is thicker than water" and does it so well that at times its hard to believe it’s a work of fiction. Phoenix and Wahlberg play wonderfully off of each other, the tension that they show as fighting siblings is so strong that you expect them to come to blows at any point. As tenacious as the characters are in this story the city itself comes across as a living, breathing entity with characteristics that make it just as much a player in the narrative.
This film is as gritty and riveting as "Departed" and with all the action and drama of any of the gangster films that have come out recently. With the performance that Phoenix turns out he again shows that he is able to mold himself into what ever character a director needs, and it will be interesting to see where he’ll go next. I didn’t expect very much from this film, I figured that it was going to be a "Departed" want to be, but I was so wrong. It has a storyline that’s all its own, and even though its shot in the same style we’re given a complete different tale about the criminal element in a big city.
Bobby Green who manages a hot New York nightclub and is also related to two of the best cops in the city’s narcotics division, but when his brother shot and his father killed he must decide where his loyalties lie. This story plays on the old saying "blood is thicker than water" and does it so well that at times its hard to believe it’s a work of fiction. Phoenix and Wahlberg play wonderfully off of each other, the tension that they show as fighting siblings is so strong that you expect them to come to blows at any point. As tenacious as the characters are in this story the city itself comes across as a living, breathing entity with characteristics that make it just as much a player in the narrative.
This film is as gritty and riveting as "Departed" and with all the action and drama of any of the gangster films that have come out recently. With the performance that Phoenix turns out he again shows that he is able to mold himself into what ever character a director needs, and it will be interesting to see where he’ll go next. I didn’t expect very much from this film, I figured that it was going to be a "Departed" want to be, but I was so wrong. It has a storyline that’s all its own, and even though its shot in the same style we’re given a complete different tale about the criminal element in a big city.
3:10 to Yuma
Remaking old westerns has its own place in movie making, its not something new but the good remakes of older films are few and far between. Here we have a story that was ripe for a remake, with all the action and suspense that would be pumped into a modern story. The two stars that drive this film are Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, and with their high intensity acting there is whole new life to this story that was originally told in 1957. Director James Mangold does an outstanding job at keeping the action and tension levels high, and considering the other movies that he has made over the years this isn’t surprising he’s had lots of practice.
After agreeing to help transport Outlaw Ben Wade to the prison train, rancher Dan Evans fights his own personal demons while battling Wade’s henchmen. Many of the action sequences are fast paced, and as in most westerns there is some gun play involved, but there is nothing that is portrayed as out of the ordinary. All of the stunts and sequences are believable and that lends to the authenticity of the tale that is being told. The deeper story of good vs. evil isn’t as blatant as some but with the roles that Bale and Crowe turn out it is easy to see this interaction at its best.
From beginning to end this story grabs you and you’re left with the feelings that if you turn away your going to miss something that is very important to the narrative. I was flabbergasted at how good this film is, it kept my interest faster than most remakes do and I was completely drawn to the characters and the lives that each of them had to lead in order to accomplish what they thought was their lots in life. If you haven’t seen this film, and your in to westerns, this is one you have to check out, it has all of the action of a modern film but has a great story which is what drove the westerns of the 50s and 60s.
After agreeing to help transport Outlaw Ben Wade to the prison train, rancher Dan Evans fights his own personal demons while battling Wade’s henchmen. Many of the action sequences are fast paced, and as in most westerns there is some gun play involved, but there is nothing that is portrayed as out of the ordinary. All of the stunts and sequences are believable and that lends to the authenticity of the tale that is being told. The deeper story of good vs. evil isn’t as blatant as some but with the roles that Bale and Crowe turn out it is easy to see this interaction at its best.
From beginning to end this story grabs you and you’re left with the feelings that if you turn away your going to miss something that is very important to the narrative. I was flabbergasted at how good this film is, it kept my interest faster than most remakes do and I was completely drawn to the characters and the lives that each of them had to lead in order to accomplish what they thought was their lots in life. If you haven’t seen this film, and your in to westerns, this is one you have to check out, it has all of the action of a modern film but has a great story which is what drove the westerns of the 50s and 60s.
The Call of Cthulhu
Transferring great works of fiction have always been a difficult process, on one hand you have to keep the integrity of the story intact and on the other you have to draw out the entertainment value in the tale. There have been some H.P. Lovecraft tales that haven’t been to bad but this adaptation is the first one that approached the tale faithfully. Shot in the style of the 1920’s silent era, the black and white filming adds to the creepiness to the story and your left with a true feeling of dread.
While going through his late great-uncle’s papers, a Boston anthropologist finds documents concerning a mysterious Cthulhu cult that drives him to find out why it haunted his uncle to his death. With the use of new and old cinematic methods is what brings this powerful tale of life, and with actors that seem to fit their roles naturally the audience is taken on a ride that leaves them wanting more. Shooting the entire film in the silent era fashion was a risk that pays off completely, not pushing the story to much and keeping to the original tale is one of the strongest elements that makes this short film one of the best horror films in a long time.
Even though this film is less than an hour long, it opens the door to a cinematic style that has all but been lost in this time of technology based special effects and high definition color. I wasn’t expecting to much from this film considering that the other adaptations that I’ve seen over the years haven’t been very good. But once you start watching the story unfold your instantly transported into this world that Lovecraft created. Hopefully with the success of this film this is the beginning of more Lovecraft stories being adapted faithfully for the screen.
While going through his late great-uncle’s papers, a Boston anthropologist finds documents concerning a mysterious Cthulhu cult that drives him to find out why it haunted his uncle to his death. With the use of new and old cinematic methods is what brings this powerful tale of life, and with actors that seem to fit their roles naturally the audience is taken on a ride that leaves them wanting more. Shooting the entire film in the silent era fashion was a risk that pays off completely, not pushing the story to much and keeping to the original tale is one of the strongest elements that makes this short film one of the best horror films in a long time.
Even though this film is less than an hour long, it opens the door to a cinematic style that has all but been lost in this time of technology based special effects and high definition color. I wasn’t expecting to much from this film considering that the other adaptations that I’ve seen over the years haven’t been very good. But once you start watching the story unfold your instantly transported into this world that Lovecraft created. Hopefully with the success of this film this is the beginning of more Lovecraft stories being adapted faithfully for the screen.
The Invisible
Delving into the realm between life and death can be a perilous high wire act that is best performed by someone who knows what they are doing. Unfortunately when you perform this act you usually want a net to catch you if you fall, the net here was remaking the successful Swedish film "DEN OSYNLIGE." Director David S. Goyer teamed up with the producers of The Sixth Sense to put an American twist into the story, but even with all of their camera tricks the story still falls flat.
A high school student is beaten and left for dead, but while his life is slowly bleeding away his spirit is free to try and get help to save his life. The audience loses interest before the story really gets going, and the biggest reason for this is that the characters and the interaction between them wasn’t fascinating enough to wonder what was going to happen. Some of the camera tricks work but their not entertaining enough to carry the story and what little action there is falls apart before to quickly.
The journey that we all become a part of is long, slow, and boring and about half way through the movie your wishing that Nick would hurry up and die so that the story would be over. I started to lose interest in the storyline about 15 minutes into the film and had to fight to stay awake. This just isn’t worth seeing once, its worth avoiding completely.
A high school student is beaten and left for dead, but while his life is slowly bleeding away his spirit is free to try and get help to save his life. The audience loses interest before the story really gets going, and the biggest reason for this is that the characters and the interaction between them wasn’t fascinating enough to wonder what was going to happen. Some of the camera tricks work but their not entertaining enough to carry the story and what little action there is falls apart before to quickly.
The journey that we all become a part of is long, slow, and boring and about half way through the movie your wishing that Nick would hurry up and die so that the story would be over. I started to lose interest in the storyline about 15 minutes into the film and had to fight to stay awake. This just isn’t worth seeing once, its worth avoiding completely.
The Game Plan
One o the most popular wrestlers to come out of the 90s was The Rock, and when he left the arena to pursue an acting career a lot of people figured he would end up like so many others that left and just couldn’t make it on the outside. But with each film success he became known for his real name, Dwayne Johnson, and that he was an acting force to be reckoned with. Teaming up with Disney this time around the audience sees him in a completely family oriented story that shows his range to play more than just the muscle bound action star.
Even though Quarterback Joe Kingman is totally focused on winning the NFL championship title, what completely throws him for a loop is the arrival of a 7 year old daughter he didn’t now he had. Young Madison Pettis plays the 7 year old daughter who seems to be wise beyond her years and very imaginative once her scheme about Joe is revealed. Using a real football stadium, like Gillette Stadium in Foxborough Massachusetts, lends to the realism to the story, and with this realism the game sequences are a lot more believable.
This is a entirely candy coated story with a happy ending that is so Hollywood, but where this is a Disney film what else would you expect. The whole story is cute with life lessons for children and adults throughout the film, but the most adorable scenes are the ones that Pettis is involved in and everyone she’s in she steals the show. Just like any other Disney film after watching this story your left with a warm fuzzy feeling inside, but what would expect its suppose to be a feel good movie for kids and adults alike.
Even though Quarterback Joe Kingman is totally focused on winning the NFL championship title, what completely throws him for a loop is the arrival of a 7 year old daughter he didn’t now he had. Young Madison Pettis plays the 7 year old daughter who seems to be wise beyond her years and very imaginative once her scheme about Joe is revealed. Using a real football stadium, like Gillette Stadium in Foxborough Massachusetts, lends to the realism to the story, and with this realism the game sequences are a lot more believable.
This is a entirely candy coated story with a happy ending that is so Hollywood, but where this is a Disney film what else would you expect. The whole story is cute with life lessons for children and adults throughout the film, but the most adorable scenes are the ones that Pettis is involved in and everyone she’s in she steals the show. Just like any other Disney film after watching this story your left with a warm fuzzy feeling inside, but what would expect its suppose to be a feel good movie for kids and adults alike.
U Turn
Have you ever had the feeling that if you had just turned right instead of left things would have been different, and possibly better. In this story Oliver Stone takes us on a journey that explores that idea and drags us kicking and screaming to an end that no one would want to be a part of. Leading the diverse cast, which includes Nick Nolte, Clair Danes, and Jennifer Lopez, in this ride into a personal Hell is Sean Penn, who gives one of the best performances of his career.
On his way to pay off a gambling debt, Bobby’s car blows a radiator hose and when he decides to stop in Superior to get it repaired his entire life is tossed into the grinder and he can’t stop the bad things from happening. Some of the camera angles and techniques that Stone uses are reminiscent of his work on Natural Born Killers but here it lends more to the creepiness of the surroundings than to the storytelling as it did in Killers. The supporting cast around Penn is marvelous but the stand out actor here, even though the role isn’t that big is Joaquin Phoenix. The performance that he turns out shows how much of a up and coming star he was to become.
The story within the town alone is a condensed version of the outside world where all of the problems are the same even though the characters seem a little odd. With all the hits and misses that Stone has produced over the years your never quite sure how one of his movies is going to turn out. So I can truly say that I was completely amazed at how good this film is, with a strong story and a cast that just doesn’t quit, Stone and Penn take the audience on a ride that you soon won’t forget.
On his way to pay off a gambling debt, Bobby’s car blows a radiator hose and when he decides to stop in Superior to get it repaired his entire life is tossed into the grinder and he can’t stop the bad things from happening. Some of the camera angles and techniques that Stone uses are reminiscent of his work on Natural Born Killers but here it lends more to the creepiness of the surroundings than to the storytelling as it did in Killers. The supporting cast around Penn is marvelous but the stand out actor here, even though the role isn’t that big is Joaquin Phoenix. The performance that he turns out shows how much of a up and coming star he was to become.
The story within the town alone is a condensed version of the outside world where all of the problems are the same even though the characters seem a little odd. With all the hits and misses that Stone has produced over the years your never quite sure how one of his movies is going to turn out. So I can truly say that I was completely amazed at how good this film is, with a strong story and a cast that just doesn’t quit, Stone and Penn take the audience on a ride that you soon won’t forget.
Epic Movie
When parodies of movies are done there is usually enough laughs to tie the story together so that the audience feels like their enjoying themselves. With this lampoon of big budget films and their larger than life situations, what we're left with are jokes fall flat and some that take to much brain power to figure out. You'd think that with the success of films like Scary Movie, Date Movie and a number of others that just to numerous to mention, that by now these writers and producers would know what to do to make the audience laugh.
While four orphans are trapped in a chocolate factory they discover an charmed wardrobe that whisks them to the land of Gnarnia where they must battle the White Bitch with the help of a peculiar pirate and some student wizards. One of the biggest problems that this film has is that the movies that they start to lampoon they story moves away from it before a good joke could be established. The jokes that are in the film are about 90% telegraphed so when the punch line finally does come it's a let down and you really don't care. There are some jokes that have really good set ups but then don't follow through and unfortunately it happens to often to not be a factor in the film failure.
I was hoping for so much more from this film, yes some of the jokes left me laughing but there were to many running jokes that weren't funny to begin with and then some of the gags fell so far from the mark that your left wondering what happened. I do understand that spoofing movies is a difficult thing, and to do it successfully is even tougher, but when you try to hard to pull it all together maybe its time to sit back and wait a while. So if you want to see good spoofing of movies don't watch this mess, you'll feel better about yourself for it.
While four orphans are trapped in a chocolate factory they discover an charmed wardrobe that whisks them to the land of Gnarnia where they must battle the White Bitch with the help of a peculiar pirate and some student wizards. One of the biggest problems that this film has is that the movies that they start to lampoon they story moves away from it before a good joke could be established. The jokes that are in the film are about 90% telegraphed so when the punch line finally does come it's a let down and you really don't care. There are some jokes that have really good set ups but then don't follow through and unfortunately it happens to often to not be a factor in the film failure.
I was hoping for so much more from this film, yes some of the jokes left me laughing but there were to many running jokes that weren't funny to begin with and then some of the gags fell so far from the mark that your left wondering what happened. I do understand that spoofing movies is a difficult thing, and to do it successfully is even tougher, but when you try to hard to pull it all together maybe its time to sit back and wait a while. So if you want to see good spoofing of movies don't watch this mess, you'll feel better about yourself for it.
Hard Ball
Sometimes when a movie is released the ad campaign that the studio uses just doesn't hit the mark and the film is rejected by the audience because its not what they thought it was. Here I believe that is what happened to this movie, the adds were pitching this story as a real life Bad News Bears story when it was a whole lot more than that. Even though the storyline follows the same guide lines it has a lot more drama in it that shows the kind of life these boys had to put up with. With Keanu Reeves leading this young cast of ball players we're given a small glimpse into the infamous Cabrini Green housing projects in Chicago and how the prospect of playing Little League baseball gave them hope for the future.
When two time loser Connor O'Neill asks for money from a wealthy friend, he's coerced into coaching a Little League baseball team in order to pay off the debt and discovers through the team that there is more to life than money and gambling. With the strong performances from Reeves and Diane Lane the young boys that are on the ball field come across as honest and believable characters. One of the other things that comes across as honest is the situations that are going on around the Projects and the things that boys have to deal with on a daily basis, from the drugs to the torment to the killings everything seems realistic. With the comedy sprinkled in here and there, there is a lighter side to the story but it doesn't draw away from the seriousness of the story itself.
I think if this film had been described as a drama-comedy instead of a straight comedy then the audience wouldn't have been expecting one thing when they got another. Where this narrative is based on a true story its given a stronger sense of believability that at times is overpowering when the situations go to the extreme. I was very happy with this film, from Reeves showing how much of an actor he's matured into to the subtle comedy that wasn't to overpowering of the heartwarming drama that will stay with you after the movie is over.
When two time loser Connor O'Neill asks for money from a wealthy friend, he's coerced into coaching a Little League baseball team in order to pay off the debt and discovers through the team that there is more to life than money and gambling. With the strong performances from Reeves and Diane Lane the young boys that are on the ball field come across as honest and believable characters. One of the other things that comes across as honest is the situations that are going on around the Projects and the things that boys have to deal with on a daily basis, from the drugs to the torment to the killings everything seems realistic. With the comedy sprinkled in here and there, there is a lighter side to the story but it doesn't draw away from the seriousness of the story itself.
I think if this film had been described as a drama-comedy instead of a straight comedy then the audience wouldn't have been expecting one thing when they got another. Where this narrative is based on a true story its given a stronger sense of believability that at times is overpowering when the situations go to the extreme. I was very happy with this film, from Reeves showing how much of an actor he's matured into to the subtle comedy that wasn't to overpowering of the heartwarming drama that will stay with you after the movie is over.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (play)
Transferring stage plays to the movie scene is a tricky process and sometimes the only way to see the true vision of the play is to see it on the stage. Some of the great plays of the past few decades have been released on video tape and DVD, and when the opportunity arises your able to see the original against the movie version. Here the extremely successful stage version of Sweeney Todd starring George Hearn as Todd and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett is preformed on the London stage for an audience and film crew. With the haunting score by Stephen Sondheim the story of the demon barber comes to life on the stage and just draws you into the world of old London.
After the wrongly imprisoned barber Benjamin Barker returns to London under the name of Sweeney Todd, he begins his insane revenge on the two men who ruined his life and the populace surrounding his shop. Seeing this play in the context of the stage is a treat that you don't get a chance at very often, after plays have had their run its rare that they're viewed by an audience the same way again. Here the use of changing stage props and scenes with imaginary walls between the actors gives the audience a true feeling of how this story was to be seen. Even though the horror part of the story is pretty gruesome, the dead bodies being ground into meat pies to be sold to the public, its done in such a humorous way that your left laughing at the situations. The Sondheim score for this story carries so much of the story from scene to scene that the music becomes a living character within the tale.
The Tim Burton version that is available on DVD is based on this version of the play, even some of the songs are taken from the play. Yet here you see the richness of the story and how captivating it is from the audiences viewpoint. With top notch performances by the entire cast it is easy to see why this story enthralled so many people and became an instant success, and its surprising that it took so long for a big screen version to be made. So if you get a chance take a look at this version of the tale and see if how it was meant to be seen, on a stage with the actors pouring out the hearts.
After the wrongly imprisoned barber Benjamin Barker returns to London under the name of Sweeney Todd, he begins his insane revenge on the two men who ruined his life and the populace surrounding his shop. Seeing this play in the context of the stage is a treat that you don't get a chance at very often, after plays have had their run its rare that they're viewed by an audience the same way again. Here the use of changing stage props and scenes with imaginary walls between the actors gives the audience a true feeling of how this story was to be seen. Even though the horror part of the story is pretty gruesome, the dead bodies being ground into meat pies to be sold to the public, its done in such a humorous way that your left laughing at the situations. The Sondheim score for this story carries so much of the story from scene to scene that the music becomes a living character within the tale.
The Tim Burton version that is available on DVD is based on this version of the play, even some of the songs are taken from the play. Yet here you see the richness of the story and how captivating it is from the audiences viewpoint. With top notch performances by the entire cast it is easy to see why this story enthralled so many people and became an instant success, and its surprising that it took so long for a big screen version to be made. So if you get a chance take a look at this version of the tale and see if how it was meant to be seen, on a stage with the actors pouring out the hearts.
Nautilus
Not very often do you come across a B-movie that has some good production value and pretty decent acting that elevates the film to just above being called low budget. This tale has the makings of a good strong storyline that uses the full spectrum of sci-fi themes that could be used beyond the film. With Richard Norton and Miranda Wolfe leading the cast, the audience is given a treat that wasn't totally expected.
After years of global devastation a group of survivors from the year 2097 travel back in time to the year 1997 to stop a drilling operation that is attempting to tap into the Earth's core and unwittingly plunge the world into a catastrophic chain of events. With a better than average production this film uses a blend of the more interesting aspects of sci-fi fiction, and works them together to a point of seeming to be as natural as anything else. The acting that most direct to DVD, or low budget, films have is usually over the top or completely stale so that the audience is either laughing or looking for the exit to escape the story. But here we're witness to a cast that steps it up a notch to give the film, and story, more than it probably would have normally.
I completely expected that this film was going to come off as a bad low budget movie and I was going to praying for the end to come. But with acting and production that was above the standard your left with a story that is at time very captivating and enjoyable to watch. This movie shows that you can't always go by the way a film is marketed as a straight to DVD release, and the term low budget doesn't always mean that its going to be a bad film. You should always take a chance, you might be surprised at what you find.
After years of global devastation a group of survivors from the year 2097 travel back in time to the year 1997 to stop a drilling operation that is attempting to tap into the Earth's core and unwittingly plunge the world into a catastrophic chain of events. With a better than average production this film uses a blend of the more interesting aspects of sci-fi fiction, and works them together to a point of seeming to be as natural as anything else. The acting that most direct to DVD, or low budget, films have is usually over the top or completely stale so that the audience is either laughing or looking for the exit to escape the story. But here we're witness to a cast that steps it up a notch to give the film, and story, more than it probably would have normally.
I completely expected that this film was going to come off as a bad low budget movie and I was going to praying for the end to come. But with acting and production that was above the standard your left with a story that is at time very captivating and enjoyable to watch. This movie shows that you can't always go by the way a film is marketed as a straight to DVD release, and the term low budget doesn't always mean that its going to be a bad film. You should always take a chance, you might be surprised at what you find.
Hitman
The films that have come out based on video games has been hit or miss, they're either right on target or they miss by a long shot. Here we're given an opportunity to see one of the more popular games come to life with a story that has so much prospect your left at the end wondering what the film makers are going to do next. With Timothy Olyphant in the lead role the cool headed persona of the assassin comes across as completely natural and totally believable.
Agent 47 is a hired assassin that has just become involved in a political takeover that to him doesn't feel right, and when he starts to question the operation he becomes targeted by the very people he works for. With location shooting that included Bulgaria, Istanbul, St. Petersburg and London the audience gets a true feeling of having to globe trot in order to solve the mystery wrapped in the enigma which is the basis of the story. With all of the other credits to his name, Olyphant is so dominating on the screen as the Hitman that this will probably be the role that he'll be remembered for in years to come.
This was a great leaping off point for this franchise, and there should be no doubt that there will be further movies to follow, the character development was great and there was not to much revealed about the main character's past which in turn leaves the audience wanting more. It will be interesting to see where this storyline continues, with the actors and production staff that were involved in this film its hard to shoot for the stars when your already there.
Agent 47 is a hired assassin that has just become involved in a political takeover that to him doesn't feel right, and when he starts to question the operation he becomes targeted by the very people he works for. With location shooting that included Bulgaria, Istanbul, St. Petersburg and London the audience gets a true feeling of having to globe trot in order to solve the mystery wrapped in the enigma which is the basis of the story. With all of the other credits to his name, Olyphant is so dominating on the screen as the Hitman that this will probably be the role that he'll be remembered for in years to come.
This was a great leaping off point for this franchise, and there should be no doubt that there will be further movies to follow, the character development was great and there was not to much revealed about the main character's past which in turn leaves the audience wanting more. It will be interesting to see where this storyline continues, with the actors and production staff that were involved in this film its hard to shoot for the stars when your already there.
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