Planes, Trains and Automobiles

The feeling that your life is rushed has always been a problem for many people around the holidays, and the people that have to travel for their jobs its even more so. Hence the perfect situation of an Abbot and Costello kind of comedy, and playing the two comedic leads, Steve Martin and John Candy. Both at the height of their careers at the time, this movie showed that both actors could play a drama role and still keeps the audience interested in the story. When his flight home for Thanksgiving is canceled, Neil Page must grin and bear it with his new loud mouthed traveling companion, Del Griffith. The main two characters are like oil and water, but that doesn't them from becoming life long friends. The acting is pure genius, Martin and Candy play off of each other so well its like watching old friends who have known each other for years. The situations that the two are thrust into are a little extreme but completely believable, right up to the driving the burned out car down the highway. Almost every mode of travel is used in this film short of bicycles and horse and buggy, but what do you want its winter and its snowing.
Its sad that Candy died, it would have been nice to see these two come together again and do more films, whether it was comedy or drama. This is one of the few movies that I enjoy watching at Thanksgiving time, not just for the hilarious comedy but to remind myself that in the long run I don't have to travel for the holidays. But the underlying story is about the love of family and the lengths that we go too to be with them.

The Birdcage

Most of the time when an American movie is remade from a successful foreign film there are more failures than winners, but this is one of those winning moments that go down as a great film. The original French film was titled "La Cage aux Folles" and was so successful it spawned two sequels that were just as good. The remake, starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in the two lead roles, was sheer genius; they play off of each other as if this was all second nature. The situations that are presented in the film are, in some cases, over the top but they all come off as believable and, pardon the pun, straightforward.When a gay couples son comes home and announces that he's getting married, from there the disasters and the fun are just beginning. The characters that are used in this comedy were altered very little from the original French versions; making them American was probably the biggest change. Gene Hackman as the straight-laced politician trying to save his career plays great against Williams and Lane, and Lane dressed up as the mother is perfect, you almost forget that it's a man in drag. The make-up that was done for this movie is almost flawless, almost every man that is in drag for the film without a doubt looks like a woman, and that makes it work even better.
I'm sure that most people that have seen this film have to agree that its one of the best comedies from the nineties, and unfortunately a sequel was never made. But in the long run that just makes this film even more enjoyable, with the uniqueness of being the only one. If you're looking for something to laugh about this is definitely the movie to watch, whether you've seen it before or not, the laughs just don't stop.

Kelly's Heroes

In the long list of war movies that are on the market, this one is in the top ten of WWII films that was made for pure enjoyment. The idea that personal gain would win over the minds of fighting men in a war is the complete premise for the story, and as you follow along you begin to wonder if you could have made the same choices as our heroes. Having a cast of stars from movies and television didn't hurt the film in the least, and with a strong story, and very authentic effects, this comedy comes off as a great action film.What would you do for 16 million dollars in gold, a platoon of men in World War II believe that thirty miles behind enemy lines isn't to far at all. With a cast that includes Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland and Carroll O'Connor this war story is a ride that fun from the word go. From the opening scenes to the closing shots you can't help but smile and enjoy the flair and ingenuity of Eastwood's character. Seeing these stars in their prime, doing what they love, is great, all of the characters seem as natural as can be. If the American army had actually worked like this, it would have been amazing that any of our fathers and grandfathers came home at all.
This film came out the same year that Sutherland starred in M*A*S*H, and I'm sure that the popularity for the idea of a war comedy carried over. When you think of the top Eastwood films that have been made this one is in the top of the list. After all these years, and watching it a countless number of times, the movie is still enjoyable and funny. The one thing that this movie shows above anything else and that's when given the opportunity an American soldier has the imagination and ingenuity to get done what needs doing, no matter the obstacle.

Jabberwocky

You know what its like when you've seen just about everything from a director, or actor, that you love and then you hear about an early work that you've seen before. Its like, great I'll be able to watch something from the beginning of their career and see how the process was blossoming in the early stages. Well I'm here to tell you that if you're a Terry Gilliam fan, as I am, don't watch this film, its slow, and boring and it deserves to be left in the Dark Ages where it belongs. When a young apprentice named Dennis is forced out on his own from his country home to the city, he finds that life can be crueler around every turn. The only nice thing that I can say about this film is that they spent a lot of time to make sure that the sets and props that are used look complete authentic. So that's about it, the pleasantries are over, I'm sorry to say that I hated this movie, its about an hour and a half long but it makes you feel as if you've been sitting in front of the TV for an ungodly amount of time. The scenes are dragged out, the dialog is slow, and at some times confusing, and then there's the acting. Michael Palin became a very good actor in later years but what you see here is someone trying to carry a story that is to far gone before it even gets going.
I honestly thought that this was going to be an early gem that I would fall in love with and be able to tell people that, if you've never seen or heard of this movie, you got to check it out. But I wouldn't lie to you; I don't see how recommending a bad film does anyone any good. So don't rent or buy this movie its not worth the time or the money that would be wasted. The only thing that could help this film out is that since it takes place during the Dark Ages, if everyone contracted the Plague and died before the movie really got going then it would be a better film.

The Incredibles

The marriage of Disney and Pixar have given us some of the best animated stories in a long time, and with each new release they set the bar for the next movie just a little higher. But with The Incredibles, they grabbed that bar and threw it as high as a superhero could send it. With an all-star cast of voices, this movie moved past even some live action films with a hero theme. The action just never stops and keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way to the end. When the superheroes are sued for damages, during a rescue, they retire and start to lead normal lives but that doesn't last long and they must save the world once again. With names like Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone you can't do any thing else but fall for the comic book inspired characters. Seeing them save lives and do things that are completely natural to them makes this an enjoyable and breathe taking ride. The addition of regular family problems helps bring this group closer to the audience and also expands on the idea that even people, who seem to have everything, still have problems just like the rest of us. The likeability of the characters and the financial success of the film would almost guarantee a sequel, but so far nothing is in the works.
This movie is geared towards both sides of the audience, the children who love the animated action films and the adults who love them too. The one added feature that is on the DVD is the short film called Jack-Jack Attack, which fills in the story of what happens while the baby is with the sitter, its funny and its great as an added bonus. If you've never seen this film because you had no interest in seeing an animated movie, or you think that it's just for kids, you should give it a try it is well worth the time and effort.

Broken Arrow

Action films have their very own die-hard fans, and with those fans there are directors that just bring out the best in the actors that they work with. Here John Woo shows that with the right story, and the right actors, you can spin gold from celluloid film. The magic that Woo creates on the screen is amazing, to see these action sequences for the first time your truly astonished that no one got seriously hurt. Coming off of his success in Pulp Fiction, John Travolta becomes one of the best villains to come on the screen in years. Two military pilots engage in a no holds barred battle of wits and hand to hand combat, to the victor goes the two stolen nuclear missiles before time runs out for everyone. The action sequences show why Woo is such a great director; the look and feel of the film definitely shows his Chinese background in movies. The pairing of Travolta and Christian Slater as the pilots was perfect showing the older Major being replaced by the up and coming young Captain. Some of the sets can easily be identified as sound stages, but then there are other effects that just look and feel like the real thing, so by the end of the movie, even though it's a textbook ending, you r happy with it and you don't feel cheated.
With the likes of Woo behind the camera and Travolta in front it surprising that they only collaborated on one more film and that was a hit in it's own right, Face/Off. Hopefully somewhere done the road Travolta will be given another villain role that will strike fear into every ones hearts. I'm not sure how many times I've watched this film but it just gets better and better every time.

Time Bandits

With the blending of history, reality, and fantasy this movie takes us from the heights of Creation to the depths of Evil and every step of the way the comedy is straightforward and hilarious. This film is Terry Gilliam at the top of his game, with the help of some Monty Python alumni, John Cleese and Michael Palin; Time Bandits goes down as a classic adventure/comedy of all time. Even years after its release the comedy is still fresh and funny and just doesn't seem to get old. With the idea that the Supreme Being botched the job with creating the world in six days, you begin to wonder if its possible that maybe there is a reason for all the strangeness around.With a stolen map of the holes in time, a band of would be criminals take to robbing history one item at a time. With music by ex-Beatle George Harrison this film has some great situations that role into each other and seem to be totally believable. The effects are a little crude by today's standards but it fits like a glove and helps the film keep its believability. The two guest appearances of Shelley Duvall and Sean Connery helped draw an audience to this unlikely adventure, but once the audience was hooked that was it, they were reeled in and never wanted to leave.
The ideas from the Monty Python show were everywhere in the film and the characters from history were all dragged into a new light. From Robin Hood to Napoleon to the Ancient Greeks no one is safe from these bandits. The humor is relatively clean and the situations are not graphic, so it's a movie that you could sit down with the kids and watch and have some fun.