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Reviews
Ghostbusters (2016)
Writing lets this movie down
Watched it tonight after avoiding it for the longest time. I liked the original but I found this version to be just okay. My opinion is that the writing and the jokes were lazy. In the original the characters took the job seriously and they had to work to just capture one ghost. In this one they were slaying ghosts right and left, making a mockery of the storyline. The acting was decent, given the script. But there is no overcoming the poor writing.
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Very well done...
This is a well done version of Ghost in the Shell that keeps true to the original basic theme. It is visually stunning, has an engaging story, and has excellent pacing. It engaged me from the start to the end.
Many hard-core fans are decrying the lack of philosophical debate and the deep dive into cybernetics and morals of the original mature Anime series and movies. I'm willing to bet that those in this camp had such high expectations that no movie would have met what they expected.
This is an origin story. It's meant to give people who have no idea about the characters and the underlying themes a background without making it overly complicated. Personally, as a huge Ghost in the Shell fan, I enjoyed every moment of the movie.
Babel (2006)
Just a waste of time....
With all of the glowing praise found here you would think that this was the best film in history. Personally, I thought that it was a horrible film.
All of the characters do stupid things and get into trouble all by themselves, irrespective of nationality or race. It's then up to the police, border guards, etc. to get them out of their predicaments.
There are three main story lines. They are so loosely intertwined that you spend most of the time shaking your head wondering how one story is related to the other. The dark scenes are excruciatingly long. I'm not sure if the director thinks that his audience is brain dead, but I was left talking back to the TV saying "okay, I get it, move on..." during numerous scenes, and I am a relatively patient guy.
In many ways it was well shot and could have been an interesting movie. However, the plot had so many holes that it collapses on itself.
David
The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975)
Only worth watching for the views of Mount Everest
If you are looking for a movie with beautiful shots of Mount Everest, then you may enjoy this movie. Just skip ahead to the views of the mountain.
(Spoiler Alert) However, if you, like me, believe that lives are precious and not to be wasted then this movie will leave a bad taste in your mouth. 6 people died, 5 Sherpas and a member of the Japanese party just so that one man could attempt to ski down Mount Everest.
The question is raised in the movie about whether the continuation of the expedition to meet his personal goal was still worth the cost in lives, and he answers an emphatic "Yes".
The part about skiing is in the last 15 minutes. He skis for a short time, then falls the rest of the way until he comes to a stop in the snow.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Stunning...
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the last movie in the Lord of the Rings triology. It continues where the The Fellowship of the Ring left off and contains the same stunning imagery and special effects as the first two movies. Anyone who enjoyed the first two will not be dissapointed.
David
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Stunning...
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the last movie in the Lord of the Rings triology. It continues where the The Fellowship of the Ring left off and contains the same stunning imagery and special effects as the first two movies. Anyone who enjoyed the first two will not be dissapointed.
David
The Mangler 2 (2002)
Very Bad....
This is a story about a teenager who deliberately downloads a virus to take down the new school computer security system. What she doesn't realize is that it is out to kill everyone.
Where this film goes wrong is in everything that has to do with the physical universe. A combo of wires and mechanical doors moving by themselves, cold water pipes suddenly becoming scalding hot (for those who don't know, cold water pipes, especially sprinkler pipes, are physically isolated from hot water pipes in every building), and a computer turning a human into a cyborg.
Most of these are forgivable in movies that involve possession or paranormal. But these have no place in a computer/virus horror movie. The only believable scenario involves an electric fence. Though, why anyone would install an electric fence around a school is beyond me.....
All of the characters make the usual horror movie mistakes: splitting up, going back for more, not pulling the plug, etc. The acting is okay, considering the script...
Only watch this if you are totally bored out of your mind. This would be a perfect film for Mystery Science Theatre 3000 to lampoon....
David
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
What a great ride....
And I thought that my new Nissan Murano was a great ride....The Matrix Reloaded is almost as good (no spoilers).
The Matrix Reloaded is the second of three movies starting with The Matrix and completing with Matrix Revolutions (to be released in Nov. 2003).
The film, for the first 45 minutes, starts slowly by trying to develop the storyline and characters. There are some scenes here that could have easily been dropped on the cutting floor without affecting quality or the story line.
The rest of the film is just one wild ride after another with Kung Fu, an AMAZING car chase, and special effects. I have to say that while the special effects were hardly revolutionary they have been polished to near perfection.
The worst part about this film is the ending. It leaves so many plot lines hanging that I just can't wait to see where we will be taken in Matrix Revolutions........
David
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Good Action Flick, Nothing like the book.
In anticipation for this movie I read the book "The Bourne Identity" by Robert Ludlum. The book was highly entertaining and well written.
Unfortunately, other than the title and the main character, the movie bears no resemblance to the storyline of the book. Being a Canadian, I was hoping that they would at least leave in the very intelligent and beautiful Canadian Economic Ambassador, Marie. It seems that all they kept was the name.
The story moved well, the pacing was good, and the action sequences (most of the movie) fit into the storyline and were, except for some of the hand-to-hand combat scenes, believable.
This is good summer action movie to see on a summers night or a rainy day. If you haven't read the book, see the movie first. Save the book for your summer vacation on the beach, but do read the book...
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Not a thriller as advertised, kinda weird
I thought that this was a murder mystery / thriller movie based on the trailers. It is neither, it is more like a bad Alfred Hitchcock film. This could have been a very good movie if it wasn't for the ending. If you hate movies that end badly by not having an ending, wait until this one is on cable....
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Visually stunning, chunky storyline, Read the book FIRST!!!
The movie was visually stunning. Middle earth was created in great stunning detail. I also enjoyed the characters. The casting crew did an excellent job for this film. The computer animation was very good, except for certain scenes.
Now for the problems...
Four of us went to see this movie myself, my sister, and my two cousins. One of my cousin's and I had read the book, he had read it over 5 years ago and I had read it recently. Both he and I were able to fill in the missing pieces as certain references were made without any foundation. Also, the character development was next to non-existent.
My cousin and I spent at least an hour after the movie answering questions about things that made no sense to someone who hadn't read the book but which were thrown into the movie in an attempt to appease the fans. One example of this is the whole "Bill" scene when they are standing before the mine entrance. There is absolutely no foundation laid for this scene. This reference could have been easily dropped from the film without sacrificing anything. Unfortunately, the film is riddled with these "what just happened?, who is that?" type of questions.
This is great film for fans of the book and people who have read it. Unfortunately, I would not recommend the film to someone who has yet to read the book.
Read the book first, this is one film where Coles crib notes just won't do.....