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Reviews
Memphis Belle (1990)
Entertaining but cliched (minor spoilers)
I've watched this movie 3 or 4 times since it was released and enjoyed it each time. I would echo an earlier poster in saying this was an example of a true ensemble cast, no one really stood out as the "star" but there were several good performances. The story bumps along a bit at first but the last half hour or so are gripping. The aerial scenes are well done and visually stunning, especially on a big-screen TV.
MEMPHIS BELLE is the story of a bomber crew on it's 25th mission, the last one before they get to go home. John Lithgow plays a PR man who wants to publicize their success, Matthew Modine is the pilot who goes by the book, and the rest of the crew is played by established actors including Billy Zane, Eric Stoltz, Sean Astin and several others.
So what is wrong with the movie? Besides the historical inaccuracies detailed elsewhere, it is ridden with cliches and becomes predictable. Some samples:
Best performance by a dog awaiting a plane: As the base personnel anxiously await the Belle's final return, we see the dog (who belongs to a crew member) moping, looking sad, etc. The whole base appears to throw in the towel and goes off to have a PBR but wait! The dog suddenly perks up his ears and looks excited! Can you guess what he saw(or heard)?
Best performance by a non-physician: Billy Zane's character claims to a doctor but owns up he was lying. When called upon to save Stoltz's life, he is told "you may not be a doctor but you're all we got"! Do you think he will be able to save his patient?
Best performance by a damaged landing gear: Early in the movie we see a plane crash due to a damaged landing gear. Later we find the Belle is faced with the same problem, will the plucky crew get the wheel down in time?
In the Commander Really Does Have a Heart category: After being accused by Lithgow's character of caring only about putting planes in the air, the commander dumps a drawerful of letters on the desk and demands they be read. Personally the Lithgow character is so obnoxious I was hoping the commander would whack Lithgow on the head with the drawer, but hey, the commander does have a heart after all!
Overall it's worth a watch (or 3 or 4), the performances are great (except for Lithgow) and it's fun to watch despite the fact that you know what's coming a mile away most of the time.
Rat Race (2001)
Unexpectedly funny
Unlike some other reviewers who liked the trailer then were disappointed at the movie, I had the opposite experience. When I saw the trailers, I thought it looked like a bad rip-off of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", so when I saw the movie itself my expectations were relatively low.
I was surprised to find that I was laughing all through the movie. The gags and jokes come fast and heavy, much like "Airplane" which Jerry Zucker also had a hand in. Sure, some of the jokes fall flat but there is always another one coming soon.
The first 15 minutes or so are basically devoted to setting up the plot and introducing characters - I was asking myself when is something funny going to happen here, but in retrospect this was necessary in order to make the later gags work. Often times a joke will be related to something that happened much earlier in the movie, so there is a constant element of surprise and recognition that makes it that much funnier. Characters who are "set up" as nice normal people are revealed to be maniacs; this is a recurring theme and is very funny (I especially liked Amy Smart's pilot character).
No, not everything works. The ending is pretty hokey. I didn't care much for Whoopi Goldberg's and Rowan Atkinson's characters but there is so much else going on that it doesn't seem much to matter. A final comment is that this is a movie I could watch with my kids and not feel uncomfortable. There is some foul language (though not as bad as what my daughter hears on the school bus every day, she assures me) and you see the side of a woman's breast but otherwise most of Rat Race is G-rated.
La vita è bella (1997)
Outstanding
Life Is Beautiful is the rarest of films, literally making you laugh one minute and cry the next. Having said that, this is not a "downer" of a movie, but inspiring like no movie ever made. Don't be afraid to see it because it is a foreign film and involves the Holocaust; you'll be missing an experience that will stay with you forever.
I have the DVD version and watched it three times in 24 hours. I am NOT particularly sentimental I don't get choked up easily but this film drew me in and still hasn't let go.
The folks who trash this movie because it dares to place humor and the Holocaust in the same picture have allowed their bitterness and grief to block their understanding of the message of Life Is Beautiful, and I pity them for what they have lost and have missed.
The movie is not perfect. The first half involves the courtship of the main characters and drags a bit at times. Sometimes the humor is a little too broad for American tastes. It does set up the second half very well though, and the second half is as good as film-making gets. I would agree with other posters that while the two halves are extremely different, the constant is the attitude and love for his family of Roberto Benigni's character.
You will find yourself replaying every scene in your mind for a long time. Go rent it, buy it, whatever - just see it.
Warriors of Virtue (1997)
Ninja Kangaroos?
This movie is like the little girl with the curl - when it's good it's very very good, when it's bad it's horrid. The sets are great and there are some neat effects, but for some reason whoever produced this decided to use five Ninja KANGAROOS as the heroes. I can just see the production meeting: "Hedgehogs? Noo. How about beavers? Noo. Kangaroos? Yeah, kangaroos!!".
The guy who plays Komodo (the head baddie) seems to have some talent and presence, but the director has him alternately mumbling, whining and screaming in a random pattern. The rest of the actors are an odd mix of caricatures and straight acting.
The plot and "message" are good but have been done before many times. Mr. Miyagi, oops I mean Yoda, er Obi-wan Kenobi, no I mean Master Chung keeps cropping up to spew some platitudes and even comes back after death to encourage Luke Skywalker, oops I mean Ryan, the boy hero.
This movie is not all bad and there's worse ways to waste an evening. The viewer ends up wishing, however, that the producers would have shifted some of their money away from sets and special effects and into a script and direction.
Swingers (1996)
Very Funny "Guy" Movie
A "guy" movie that doesn't involve machine guns and cars blowing up - actually I believe it would be entertaining to men and women alike. I found myself laughing out loud in several spots, and grinning like an idiot. Though I'm dangerously close to middle age, the feelings and conversations of the characters in this movie were similar to those I had in my twenties, and most adults will be able to identify with the plot. This movie is not without an edge, though. If you, like I do, wince a bit every time you hear the F-word you may have a problem with the language. This movie is not for young children. All in all, though, very entertaining and I expect I'll be watching it again.