American Outlaws

Telling an old story with young actors has been quite successful in the past, Young Guns as a matter of point, but when a movie is made and two much is borrowed from those earlier films it becomes tiresome. Here we're given a twist to the stories of Jesse James and the origin of the James/Younger gang after the Civil War, but like the old dime novel of that era there's more fiction than fact.
This film has some very well done action sequences, but falls flat in the way of story substance, there's to much similarity to the Young Guns series to say that this was an entirely independent idea. Colin Farrell as Jesse James was a good choice but the problem he has is that the story turns him into some kind of American Robin Hood instead of the villain that he was. Two of the surprising roles that are in this film are that of Jesse's mother portrayed by Kathy Bates and that of Timothy Dalton's interpretation of the real life Allan Pinkerton. Both roles are small but very powerful and with these two high caliber actors in them these characters shine , where they might otherwise have been relegated to the scenery.
Sugar coating the past has never been a good thing, when Hollywood does it badly, after the truth has been put out there for the public for years they seem to lose money in the deal. I'm not saying that Young Guns did it any differently, but there it was done in a way that the audience still saw that outlaw side of the character. Unfortunately with this story the gang members are made to look like good guys from the very beginning, and with an intelligent audience it's just to hard to swallow when you know the majority of the story's false.

Sunshine

There are many sci-fi stories that deal with the end of the world, and there are hundreds of themes that have been used to accomplished this act. Here the idea of the Sun dying out before expected isn't a new one but adding in a religious factor drives the story a little more. Yet the older problems of sci-fi films is evident from the very beginning, to much emphases is put on showing the vastness of space and the imminence size of the ship. This slows down the story to a crawl and it then becomes taxing for the audience to pay attention and hold an interest in the film.
A rescue mission is sent to the Sun when it is discovered that it only has 50 years left of life, but after a series of accidents on the ship the mission is in jeopardy. Even with accomplished actors as Cillian Murphy and Michelle Yoeh could not help this film get out of the pit that it created for itself. There are multiple times throughout the film where there are huge gaps between scenes with actors, this alone derails the pace of the story and drives the audience to boredom. There are some interesting effects that make some of the scenes worth watching, but unfortunately they are few and far between and not exciting enough to carry the film.
I had high hopes for this film, with an accomplished actress as Yoeh in the cast there was a chance for this to b something good. But with the direction that the studio and director took this story it becomes sluggish and tiresome for the audience and once a story demands to much from its audience there's more than a good chance that the film will become a flop.

Airport franchise (orig., 75, 77, 79)

One of the biggest movie genres of the 1970s was the disaster film, and these films covered a large of events. From earthquakes to fires to tidal waves, almost every subject was covered. But only one disaster created a franchise that actually stretched the entire decade. The novel by Arthur Hailey was a huge success when it hit the stands in 1968, so it was inevitable that Hollywood would come looking. So in 1970 the first Airport movie was released and audiences rushed to the theaters and ate up the story and the characters, and turned it into the highest grossing film for the year. Now in true Hollywood fashion, because this film did so well, the studio had a sequel drawn up to get into the theaters as soon as they could. The formula that was created, of the airliner in trouble and the effort to land it safely, worked on so well that it spawned two successful sequels. But in 1979, the fourth and final film the formula was changed and drew the franchise to a weak and horrible close.
Airport - During a flight to Rome a suicidal man tries to blow up the plane, a Boeing 707, with a home made bomb. With a cast the starts with Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin and ends with George Kennedy and Helen Hayes, this film involves an all star cast that doesn’t miss a beat. The seven individual stories that are laid out in the plot do not slow the action down in the least, and when it comes time for the thrilling climax, your not disappointed.
Airport ’75 - During the red eye flight from Washington DC to Los Angeles, the Boeing 747 is struck in mid-air by a small twin engine plane, tearing into the cockpit. With another stellar cast which includes Charlton Heston, Karen Black, Sid Caesar, and in her last appearance on film Gloria Swanson. George Kennedy does return as Joe Patroni, the role he plays in all four films, a small role at the beginning of the series but keeps a thread of continuity in the stories that is helpful. As in the first film the tension level is ramped up after the accident and is carried all the way to the end.
Airport ‘77 - A private Boeing 747 is hijacked for all of the art treasures that on board, and then crashes into the ocean inside the fabled Bermuda Triangle. The cast again is large, this time around Jack Lemmon, James Stewart, Lee Grant, and Christopher Lee, join the fun. The combination of the air disaster with water isn’t mind-boggling, but with the plane submerged we’re given a chance to see how fragile planes are. Darren McGavin uses the line that the plane was never designed to with stand that amount of pressure, but of course no one asked why the plane didn’t tear itself apart when it crashed into the water in the first place.
The Concorde: Airport ‘79 - When a television reporter finds out that her boyfriend has been selling arms illegally overseas, she and everyone else aboard the Concorde become targets. The big named cast is missing from this film, which diminished the audience draw. Along with a weak story coupled with bad special effects the audience is forced into believing that this plane can bend the laws of physics and aerodynamics.
True disaster films like these are a thing of the past since the events of 9/11, because most film makers think that the audiences are to sensitive to watch something that is to close to real believability. Or maybe they that plots set in reality may give someone the wrong impression. Well whatever the reason, the new generation of disaster films are on a much more massive, biblical scale and with this leap forward the disaster become unbelievable. Then once reality is taken out of the equation everyone is safe and nothing that is presented could ever happen. The hay day of the true disaster film has come and gone, but at least with home video libraries the audience can watch what they want, when they want, with as much death and destruction as they want.

El Cid

Back in the 60s and 70s epic movies about the past were the norm, and when they were done they were made with a flair that could not be matched. Some were more well known than others, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Cleopatra, but then some didn't get the fanfare like these films. Even with two big stars like Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren, this film directed by Anthony Mann is just as grandiose as the other epics but over the years this movie has fallen into obscurity.
In the 11^th century Spain was being invaded by Muslim forces, until Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, El Cid, united the internal warring factions of the nation to fight off the invaders. With cinematography that catapults the audience into the past and musical score that captivates the ear this stunning story of love, loyalty and conviction is as extravagant as any other epic that has been made. Heston is so strong in his role as El Cid, that it should rank right up at the top of the list with his portrayal of Moses and Ben-Hur. Loren with her stunning beauty shows that even in the mourning costume that her character wears, she was one of the sexiest women in the world.
Like most epic films this movie roles out at 3hr 5min, so unless you have the time this will be a daunting task to watch at one sitting. But with the strength of the acting and the skill of the directing it is well worth the time and effort to be watched. It's not often that an older film that has fallen into anonymity is worth watching but here with some of the best elements of film making you end up with a classic that can be watched for years.

Swordfish

Over the years as the moviegoer has become more sophisticated, the movies themselves have had to step up to the challenge to become more involved. The modern audience has demanded a more intelligent story and more intricate action sequences. Even though mystery and action films were quick to adapt this idea, this film was one of the first to really envelope all of the elements of the more modern action film. In the lead role we have Hugh Jackman playing a down on his luck ex-con who is fighting to stay with his child, and then on the other side of the coin there is John Travolta who again shows us that he can play a bad guy with the best of them.
Former agent Gabriel Shear comes up with a plan to steal $9 billion in stashed government money, but when he recruits Stanley Jobson for the computer work he’s bitten off more than he can chew. Once this film gets going there’s no stopping it, it’s just one thrill after the other and the action is completely non-stop. Jackman’s character shows how much he can do in a dramatic role, since there’s more drama for Jobson then action. The catalyst for this story is Travolta’s portrayal of Shear, cool, suave, and totally on point , there’s no guessing that he knows what he wants, how to get it, and will do anything to reach that goal. The flair that Travolta brings to the screen as reflected back with all of the other performers in the film, from the choreography of the action sequences to the heart pounding drama the movie is unique all it’s own.
I had heard a lot about this film before I finally saw it and everything I heard was true, it’s just surprising that with all of the action in this film the thing that most people take away from this film is the nude scene with Halle Berry. From the opening scenes at the bank to the closing credits, your left on the edge of your seats breathless and adrenaline drained. This is one of the first times that American audiences got to see Jackman in a leading role and along with Travolta’s continuing rise to the top of the A-list of actors, together they deliver a thrill ride that keeps your heart pounding and shows you what the future of action films should be.

The Assiassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

There are times that exciting stories out of American history just don’t transfer well to the screen, no matter how long you make the title. This film from an artistic point of view is very well done, with all of the open spaces of the West and the authentic costuming you’d think this movie would have been better received by the viewing public. With the main body of work adapted from the acclaimed novel by Ron Hansen, there’s to much drama and not enough action for a western to keep an audiences attention.
After being brought into the James/Younger gang, Robert Ford soon becomes disenchanted and hatches a plan to kill Jesse James in the most cowardly way, shooting him in the back. This film dies a slow and agonizing death, there is way to much set up for events and to much lag time between action sequences. Even with the stellar performances by Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, there isn’t anything that could save this film from the boredom heap. This drama loses a lot through the translation from book to film, the drama is dragged out to the point of tediousness.
I had high hopes for this film with all of the talent that was connected to the project, you’d expect at least a tolerable movie. With this, some-what, authentic telling of the final days of Jesse James there is just not enough drive in the story to keep a modern audiences appetite satisfied. This film shows again that the critics do not always know what the general public likes and wants to see. With a little more effort, a little editing and a little less straight forward translation, this film could have been one of the best new westerns from the beginning of this century.

The Fall

From the director that brought to life the visually stunning film The Cell, Tarsem Singh brings to life a story within a story. Again in this story the separation of reality and fantasy is so well structured that they both could survive without the other. The strength of the stories themselves is due primarily to the writer, with all of the action in the fairy tale and real drama that is going on at the hospital captures your attention and just never lets go.
During the filming of a stunt, stuntman Roy Walker is paralyzed after a fall, and while convalescing he meets and coerces a 5 year old girl to get him morphine by telling her a fantasy with larger than life heroes. Visually this film is of the highest caliber, with sets and costumes that rival the old time epics of yesteryear and along with the multi-roles that some of the actor perform the mix of fantasy and reality has no peer. From the beginning to end you can see Singh’s handy work, the story and the performances are so mesmerizing that you almost wish they were real. Both stories that are told here are very intricate, but like most tales that later become classics the underlying plot is what drives the characters and makes them worth following.
I heard about this film by chance and took a shot in the dark that it would be a good as Singh’s other film and I was not disappointed. From Lee Pace as Walker to young Catinca Untaru as 5 year old Alexandria the audience is drawn into the lives of these two fascinating people that deserve every ounce of attention that the audience can give. A lot tamer than Singh’s other film, the lavish coloring and exotic locations is so fantastic that you end up with a feeling of amazement and wonder just what is he going to do next before your eyes.