Reviews

It was great. People eaten by wild animals, poisonous snakes, chases through the juggle, primitive rituals, happy tribes, quicksand, raging rapids, lots of spears, rocks and arrows.... I felt like I was 10 years old again watching a cheesy Tarzan movie at the Saturday afternoon matinée, but this adventure film was far better. Great production values, first rate scenery, and elegant direction made this B thriller a bit more than it could have been. Forget about learning anything about Pre-Columbian history. This movie is just not very accurate even though it tries just hard enough that it acquires a veneer of respectability. If you want history, watch the History Channel. If you want a fun run through the jungle, with good guys and bad guys, lots of action, and pretty scenery this movie is for you. The blood and gore is there, but the reviews seem to overstate it. If you can watch Saving Private Ryan and Scarface, this will not stress you.

I am a big fan of "end of the world" films and on Romero's work, so I was expecting a lot from this film. It was good but not great. I liked the small cast and the edgy tension that developed and the London scenes were wonderfully shot. Acting was above average. The plot was predictable (remember Dawn of the Dead?) but so what, it is a classic plot. I did not like the digital filming. Some say it added "realism" but I found it distracting. The ending was.... safe. I would have preferred more ambiguity. And I missed the more graphic assaults that one sees in most of these films. Nothing like Tom Savini for this kind of work.

All in all, it was a decent trip to a cool theater on a hot afternoon but not all that I had hoped for.

OK, so it will never receive an any film awards. And it has a plot the requires massive suspension of disbelief. And the script could use some work. But even with all of this being true it was a lot of fun. Decent actors, good special effects, and tongue firmly planed in cheek this movie makes for a rollicking good time.

I am an Ivan Reitman fan, but this was not his better work. It had the potential to be a lot of fun, but seemed forced at many points. My kids liked it, I found it tolerable. It may be OK for a hot day when you must find a cool theater and nothing else looks better, but I recommend waiting for the video release.

In an era of "let's spend more on special effects and lavish sets", it is so delightful to see a smart, well made, elegant, and moving film like The Pledge. The acting (particularly JN, of course)is wonderful. The direction is skillful. The script and score are great. It is such a pleasure to see a movie like this at multiplex theaters. It is a challenging film on a difficult topic and it has painful moments. It has subtle complexities that could fail in the hands of less competent direction, but there is not a mistep in the film. It reminds me a lot of a more ambiguous "One False Move" sort of film. Don't miss it!

Starship Troopers is unique. Great special effects, wonderful action, a bit of humor and an echo of WWII movies. If it was John Wayne fighting the bugs, my parents would recognize it immediately (except maybe for the coed shower scene). A great rental and the DVD version is crisp with a solid soundtrack.

I just saw it again on DVD (must be my 50th viewing) and still love it! It is a wonderful early film for any director. The Blair Witch got a lot of hype for very little substance. This is a really scary film. It is not a typical slasher film. There is limited on screen, graphic violence (Hooper hoped for a PG rating) but it is sooooo creepy. Really captivating, even after 25 years.

There are scenes in this movie that I want to see over and over, and with DVD I can. It is fun, well acted and really over the top. If you are looking for a subtle film, this is not it. In spite of all of the far out edges of the film (and they are far out), it is well paced, smart and never loses its heart. It is one of my favorite comedies ever.

I tripped over this film while cable surfing. The location shots were beautiful and I watched for awhile...and then watched all of it. It is predictable, but the casting is solid, the dialogue believable (for the most part). It is pretty lightweight and kind of sappy but it was fun to watch. I am glad that I did not spend $8.00 on a ticket or even $4.00 on a rental but for a low key evening with a bit of time on my hands it was a nice find.

King can tell a story and The Green Mile is a good story. If you can suspend disbelief about the unflagging civility, kindness and insightfulness of the 1932 southern prison guards, the movie works well. It is about 90% the same as the book. It lacks the energy, edge and clarity of The Shawshank Redemption, but so do most prison movies. It is at least 30 minutes longer than it needed to be, but it holds your attention. Worth seeing.

A predictable boxing movie, but a lot of fun. The cast is pretty strong. Cuba Gooding Jr. is particularly good in this early role. It is not Raging Bull, but it is better than Rocky! It is worth a rental and if you are cable surfing and find it, it is worth stopping.

I rented it again this week and it reminded me why I saw it 4 times the weekend that it was released. Exceptional performances by the cast, exceptional direction wonderful, edgy and creative screenplay, great soundtrack. It is a true original and it catches De Niro, Scorsese, Keitel and Schrader at the top of their games. If I had one movie on a desert island, I would wish it to be this one. I can't wait for the remastered re-release.