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mr_walsh
Reviews
Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011)
Somewhere in China...
...an engineer is firing his newly designed motor...or building a factory...or perfecting the ability to pour concrete for a new power plant. Somewhere in India some young entrepreneur has set up shop making something and can't wait to hire workers and move product out the door. These guys are seeing achievement brought to life and seeing wealth emerge from minds and hands.
In Atlas Shrugged you, for a brief time, get to experience what that must feel like; to enrich the lives of people with transportation, oil and steel while battling for the right to do so against the parasites that seek to control and manipulate it all.
'Looters', those who take people that create things for granted, will - correction - *do* hate the film; we see single digit critic review scores and very high viewer reviews. Roger Ebert expects people to believe the movie isn't worth seeing because there's too much drinking and business language, completely overlooking the awe-inspiring panoramas, unforgettable characters and spot-on (if archetypal) representations of the wealth producers vs. their 'entitled' enemies. Ebert & co. seem to hope to paint the picture as an artistic failure in hopes it will be missed. I sure hope they fail - I loved it.
Juno (2007)
Decent acting, but over-hyped
I enjoyed the performances by all the actors. 'Bleeker' in particular came across as completely authentic. The dialog had its moments, though I didn't understand how a teenager would know about such ancient obscure things like 'Soupy Sales'.
But like 'Lars and the Real Girl' I felt like the movie felt incomplete somehow. Almost in the same vein as 'Dazed and Confused', except that it *unintentionally* was a fairly unexciting recount of a few days in the lives of a few people as they deal with a fairly novel situation.
And I have to say that I can't really enjoy a movie that glorifies people like Juno and 30+ year old teenagers like Mark but belittles responsible 'grown ups' like Vanessa and the abortion protester. I guess movies like this appeal to a society that would like there to be no shame for anything.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Visually stunning, but left me unsatisfied
Without a doubt this movie is a joy to look at, particularly the scenes in the 50's college town. And there were some intriguing ideas in the plot. But in the end, movies are about people and their stories, and this movie neglects the 'people stuff'. Maybe the stunts were so fantastic that you stopped thinking of the people as human beings. I've got to say things like the groundhogs shattered the Indy genre to me. Or maybe the pacing during the action scenes was so rapid that it left no room for my own imagination to become invested. Or perhaps the basic goal of the story didn't work for me as it did so brilliantly in RotLA or IJatLC.
All I can say is just as I walked out of 'Star Wars Episode I' basically un-entertained yet undeniably impressed with the technical achievements, I walked out of 'IJatKotCS' with my senses pleased but just not particularly entertained.
I wouldn't say this is a terrible movie...but it certainly falls far short of being a classic like 'Raiders'.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
Complete Trash
I walked out of this movie wishing I had my 2 hours back. The movie started out so-so and got steadily worse. This kind of shock-value, low-grade humor makes Airplane II look like Shakespeare. How Roger Ebert could give this a 'B' is beyond me. The only thing more disturbing is knowing that they will have to try and top this with yet more shock value and wondering what else they could pile on - this movie has poop, every English vulgar word, full frontal male and female nudity and graphic depictions of decimated people. Awful.
I have to wonder about the people that made this film. Could you really go to the premier of this thing, smiling and proud you were a part of this? What were you thinking Jenna Fischer?!? Who would let their kids act in this thing and say such vulgarity? I'd be ashamed to have my name in the credits on this one. I'm ashamed just to admit I went to this movie.
The Fountain (2006)
Unsatisfying
I have to give the makers of this film credit for creativity and visuals. But the movie comes across to me as lacking in the human element. Maybe that's why it's so lauded by internet-ish folks on IMDb.
Many have commended the acting, and I suppose it was well acted, but if I don't care about the characters, how can I care about the acting? For example, the quality of the dialog simply didn't reflect the intended intensity of relationship between husband and wife. The emotions are instead expressed with elements including several too many outbursts of anguish by Jackman/Tom. I mean, while it is clear that Tom is upset about Izzi's condition, you don't sense that he actually knows her as a person.
As to story...I still really couldn't for the life of me explain the point. I won't give away the ending, but how can one reconcile the buildup and the conclusion? What are we supposed to take away from it other by being dazzled by cosmic spectacle and some vague connections? In the commentary, Aronofsky stated that he writes by taking a pile of interesting ideas and trying to find a way to meld them together. And that's what you get in this movie. Lots of good ideas, but not one cohesive, complete, satisfying story.
Road to Perdition (2002)
One-dimensional
Even though I believe this is based on a graphic novel, This movie looks like the result of someone who enamored with the 20s who wanted a vehicle for Hanks/Newman. There wasn't enough action to be an action film, there's not enough surprises to be a suspense film, and not characterization to care about the characters - particularly Michael Junior. All the tender moments with piano seemed like someone was trying to emulate Frank Darabond a bit too much. I guess I just sensed a profound lack of depth - nothing provoked any thoughts for me. Cinematography was excellent, though, as were Hank's and Newman's performances.
Circus (2000)
Poor entrant into the British Gangster drama
Entertaining, but not in the same satisfying way as 'Snatch', 'Lock Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels' or '7ayer Cake'. I love twists, but I can only suspend my disbelief so far.
A hallmark of this genre (invented by Tarrantino?) is to have people with incongruous-to-gangster traits...I guess these connect the audience to otherwise abhorrent killers/thieves. In this regard they were really trying a bit too hard...the bookie Troy who expresses himself with 80s pop songs...the tender yet brutal Moose. To me it seems like these were the result of an engineered effort to create 'Pulp Fiction-' or 'LS&2SB-' like characters.
But I did like Leo's character.
Cars (2006)
Stunning visuals, terrific story
Pixar has taken lighting, simulation and rendering to a new level. The neon, the chrome, the sunlight, the nighttime highway - the realism is amazing and stunning. The cars somehow look anthropomorphic AND realistic. You really wonder how they can ever trump this. Then again, there is the translucent bleu cheese in the the Ratetoui trailer...
I sure wish there were more movies like this...it's clean, funny, engaging, universally appealing and a spectacle all at the same time. I find myself skipping 99% of the junk that comes out anymore. It's no wonder than just about all the Pixar movies are on the top100 list on IMDb.
Meet the Fockers (2004)
Sort of Funny
This is one of those movies where you know there's been a joke and you're supposed to laugh, but you kind of have to make yourself do so. There are a couple of surprises but most of the gags can be seen a mile away unless you force yourself not to look. I think the performances were all pretty good but the writing just didn't deliver. Maybe it'd be funnier if I wasn't conservative, because the moral of the story is that conservatives, even national heroes like DeNeiro, are intolerant jerks that ruin the world for everyone else.
Anyway, unless you have a lot of free time for somewhat funny fluff with lots of poop jokes and exploitation of babies who have been taught to swear, watch something worthwhile instead.
Lathe of Heaven (2002)
Barely worth watching
I've recently seen both the PBS and this version, in that order. Personally, I didn't fall in love with either one. I know there are a ton of you who are fans of the PBS version, but I would suggest that its innovation (a for-TV produced cereberal Sci-fi drama 30 years ago) made a bigger crater than the actual production itself.
That said, the PBS version was better in all respects save the visuals. And even then, the A&E version *still* seems like a poor-man's sci-fi film as it tries to use futuristic-like but unmodified outdoor buildings and scenery. The costumes were pretty well done though.
Sadly, though, to me both films are either too abstract for me or logically complete. Maybe that's the problem with a plotline where you give a character transcendent, unlimited, unexplainable powers. I mean, realize I'm a huge Philip Dick fan, and enjoy thought-provoking, open-ended endings. But both the A&E and PBS versions leave me with that incomplete, unsatisfied feeling.
Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
Entertaining Movie of a Tough Subject
Just as Green wants his readers to get a glimpse of life as a Jew, I assume the director of this film wanted the same thing for the audience. This same mechanism worked brilliantly in Schindler's List, where we saw a character transformation in Schindler as he too goes from being an indifferent outsider to one very close to the Semitic plight. We can relate to Schindler, and so we get sucked in to the story. Yet I can't relate to Peck's character. It doesn't help that he has that Keanu Reeves-like blankness to his emotions to begin with (which didn't work in The Fountainhead either). He just seems out of place as an overzealous, predictable preachy guy from nowhere. The Jewish characters are the most interesting, and yet they are in the background. Last but not least, the film bleaches God out of the entire equation to the point where the religions seem little more than social clubs.
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
Very innovative, but ending somewhat tarnished it.
(Spoilers, kind of)
I may seem overly conservative, but while I really enjoyed this movie, the ending left a bad taste in my mouth. Here, we have this delightful, playful main character of Amelie. But at the very end, her love is expressed by immediately jumping in bed with the person she's been pursuing, with a big smile on her face. That to me seemed out of character for her. I mean, this seems to happen more and more in movies anymore. A movie which could have been a great PG / family movie gets bumped into the adult category because of a small amount of sex / language / nudity that adds nothing to the movie.
And Now for Something Completely Different (1971)
For Devoted Fans Only
Maybe it's the film format or the lack of an audience, but the sketches just aren't lively and funny here. There are a few great moments, and it is interesting to see them film in actual locations (e.g., a real pet shop for the parrot sketch). But overall I recommend sticking with the TV versions.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Entertaining but Shallow
Appropriately, many large trucks haul the terminators and co through this movie. I say 'appropriately', because this movie contains an inordinate amount of holes which such vehicles could drive through.
Clearly, Cameron had sewn his movie shut with no intention of a sequel. We all remember him saying 'T3 without me!' some years back. Like Alien3, the allure of $$ drove the writers to open up what the creator wanted shut. Most people couldn't care less about this sort of thing, but to me it makes it hard for me to suspend my disbelief.
T3 lacks continuity from the characters of its predecessors. This John Connor to me just doesn't fit - he's wimpy, seems to have forgotten what he did in T2, and doesn't have the hard edge he had in T2. The absence of Linda Hamilton, or perhaps any strong human character, diminishes the entire human/robot dynamic.
And while the humor in prior T* movies stemmed from plausible situations that a terminator would run into, you can see right through each of the staged jokes in T3. You find yourself laughing, but it feels like 'Airplane' humor.
But in spite of all this, T3 certainly gave me a couple hours of entertainment. I can't get enough of robots destroying things, quite honestly. Yes, as an engineer I cringe each time I see how easily the movie sidesteps such issues as the weight of a Terminator, the need for amazing amounts of friction between their feet and the ground, and how a clearly visible metallic backpack buckle somehow ignores magnetic forces.
So, while I clearly enjoyed the entertaining action and eyecandy, I missed the depth of the T* films which transcended a cheap action movie.
Brazil (1985)
Most excellent
...SPOILERS AHOY! Turn back now if you haven't seen this...
This movie strikes a cord with we members of our increasingly beaurocratic and technologically INconvenient world - in which machines become so complex that they work less reliably than their predecessors, and where the management of information becomes a beast in and of itself. And like in real life, the 'winners' are those who know how to "play the game" to get "a whole lot more out of life" as so clearly explained by Mr. Helpmann in his opening interview on television. If you go against the grain, 'the system' takes a patchwork of everything you've ever done and destroys you. All this horror get tempered by wonderful irony and tremendously funny moments.
Both Blade Runner and Brazil rank in top 10 favorite films. They have striking similarities:
1) They both start with 'B'
2) They take place in a ruined, dark retro-futuristic place
3) Both have many 1940's motifs
4) Both have an unattainable, hunted love interests (Jill vs. Rachel)
5) Both Deckard and Lowry risk their lives to exonerate said love interests (or put another way, it takes the love interest to make them wake up from their buy-in to their world)
6) Both center around hunting down 'enemies of the state'
Kôkaku kidôtai (1995)
Visually stunning, a bit disappointing
Great production and animation; though sometimes I think the 'slow panning over a painting' gets a bit old.
(minor spoilers ahoy)
As one other poster said, this film borrows a ton from Blade Runner: it's in Hong Kong, we've got implanted memories, and artificial sentient life issues. The antagonist is very much Roy Batty - and we get too little exposure to him apart from a couple of speeches. The ending seemed abrupt and anticlimatic.
The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988)
Extremely Entertaining
Though not a huge fan of 'Hulk' I caught this show and found it extremely funny and entertaining. Yes, this is far from fine drama, but I found it to be a cut above shows of its type and wish I could watch it again.
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Great, but so close to being classic
(Spoilers ahoy!) This movie spoke to me as someone entangled in a competitive and cold profession who through only partly his own will finds himself placed right in the face of becoming a human being.
Cuba Gooding Jr. steals the show - wonderfully acted. Zellweger too gave us an outstanding and compelling character. Cruise too did well but I found one critical flaw. After Jerry marries Dorothy, we immediately can tell the intimacy isn't there - this Cruise played so well I noticed it before it's really emphasized by the viewing of the wedding video. But at the end, when he decides he does love Dorothy he doesn't make the switch to truly loving her. There's just such a mismatch between Zelweger's convincing devotion and Cruise's almost forced plea for her. In fact, looking back at his scenes with Preston (ex-fiancee) show more electricity.
Stylistically, this film has great, swift pacing. Only thing I noticed: there's just too much music. It almost becomes a cliche having the scene start with an apropos 70's tune commence shortly afterward. Personally I like when the actors set the audience's reaction without the music - ala Kubrick.
Apart from these minor things, this is a must-see.
Bicentennial Man (1999)
Aesthetically great, but unconvincing
(spoilers ahoy) I have to admit this must have been a tough movie to make. Williams had to be robotic yet also human. This balance was tough, and admirably played, however something just didn't click. The Asimov books do a much better job at portraying robots that become as human or more so than real humans in character. 'Andrew' got more human through physical augmentation and more overt emotions, but never really seems to cross the 'Pinocchio Transformation Line' so it's hard for his love affair to be believable.
I can see why this movie didn't do so well; it was too watered down for die hard sci-fi buffs and not believable enough to draw the chick-flick crowd.
On the other hand, stylistically and aesthetically you've got to admire this movie, from the interiors to the futuristic San Francisco. It's almost worth seeing for the eye-candy factor. And it also has the ring of the more logical, scientific world of the future that so characterizes Asimov books.
Twister (1996)
Eye Candy, not Brain Candy
(Spoiler warning)
This movie typifies elements of Spielberg and Crichton. Some interesting science, formulaic characters and plot (though the absence of the Spielberg 'smarter than adults' snotty kids was refreshing) a few nice touches like 'Dorothy'. The superb special effects leave you with a lasting impression that you've really chased a tornado. The long distance shots of barns decimated by the storm had an almost surreal quality.
(BTW, did anyone else wonder whether the radio transmitters in the little globes would be able to operate amid the debris that the tornado was carrying? Especially since TV reception evidently ceased? They also didn't explain how the storm chaser's vehicles were untouched when all buildings and other vehicles in the entire town in which they were parked were summarily destroyed.)
But, as I said, this is a movie to feast your eyes, not your brain upon.
The husband/wife situation of 'The Abyss' was copied, though not half as effectively. Of course you have the zany but lovable scientific rag-tag group versus the evil, clinical corporate sponsored group. It kind of bothered me how they senselessly killed off the leader of the 'corporate' group. I guess you need a villain and they figured moviegoers need to seem him killed off. Personally I thought it was pointless.
Sam and Max Hit the Road (1993)
Classic. A Must Play for Adventure Fans
Wow, what a game! Great puzzles. Some of the funniest moments in video game history reside here - like the "Edu-tainment" interlude. Great music too; my favorite is the "world's largest ball of twine" song. On a great general midi card this sound WONDERFUL.
The only problem is that it's a pain to get this game to run anymore; it really works best on a DOS-only platform. But you can probably get it to work with some effort, and it's worth it believe me.
I have a question: WHERE IS THE SEQUEL!?! Could there be a more beloved universally liked adventure game?
Full Throttle (1995)
Excellent entertainment.
Although not my absolute favorite LucasArts game (that has to go to Sam and Max/Monkey Island) this is a winner too. The artwork is outstanding. So is the music. And your main biker character is just plain fun to walk around as he continually embarasses himself. Only complaint: I wish the game lasted longer.
The Dig (1995)
Decent, worth playing
I liked this game quite a bit; the sounds and artwork created the right mood. I even went out and bought the soundtrack CD. There are some pretty tricky puzzles here, especially when you find those alien devices. It's tough I suppose to make stuff look different than what earth people would build yet make it intuitive as to its function.
One thing I'd improve: too often you want to interact with the other characters, and they say "I'm busy, leave me alone". This was handled much more naturally in other LucasArts games like "Fate of Atlantis" and "Sam and Max".
Trainspotting (1996)
Outrageous, but that's about it
This movie had many moments that shocked me, some funny moments and had convincing actors. I have to disagree with the other reviewers in that I don't see the brilliance here. Sure, I liked the 'toilet scene' but there's something missing needed to make this a great movie in my book.
Unbreakable (2000)
Thoroughly Entertaining
Of course many will compare this to "6th Sense", and there is indeed more than one similarity. If you liked one you're sure to love the other. I actually prefer 'Unbreakable' because the greatness spread across the entire movie, not concentrated on the ending as in "6th Sense". Excellently written by which the fantasy and wonder of comics became believable plot elements in a brilliant way. Great acting all around, and wonderfully filmed.
A Bruce Willis note: I like Bruce Willis. Ever notice his best roles ("6th Sense", "12 Monkeys", even "Die Hard") feature him as a misunderstood outcast. I understand in Hollywood he's a bit on the outside especially due to his rare republican beliefs. Could he be drawing on this rejection by his peers?