Change Your Image
nadiamerrill
Reviews
Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty - Concept Short (2018)
Looking forward to the full-length version
We were so excited when we heard about this concept film and the goals of the filmmakers, we eagerly contributed to the Kickstarter project. The finished concept short only disappoints in that it leaves you wanting to see the whole movie.
The short starts in 420 AD with Captain Moroni's namesake and the final writer of the Book of Mormon, Moroni (Darin Southam), a great Nephite warrior, taking his final stand against King Aaron (Ben Cross) and his warriors, lead by Eugene Brave Rock and Karina Lombard. They are hunting and killing all Nephites who will not deny Christ, and Moroni will not deny his Savior.
The final moments of the short take you back to 73 BC to see Captain Moroni raising the Title of Liberty before his cheering forces. It's a stirring scene and leaves you hoping that the filmmakers will make the full-length feature soon so you can see it.
Corpse Bride (2005)
An amazing gift from Tim Burton
I found Tim Burton's _Corpse Bride_ more accessible than _The Nightmare Before Christmas_. This film is beautifully rendered, wonderfully voice-acted, and full of eye-catching visuals that will keep both adults and children entranced for the entire movie. Johnny Depp is perfectly unassuming as the ill-fated groom of two brides. Helena Bonham Carter gives the title character a wonderful sense of wonder. And Emily Watson is delightful as the original bride who must come to terms with what is happening around her. Burton has also gathered an amazing group of veteran British actors to bring the supporting characters to life. Danny Elfman's music fits the proceedings like a glove. The skeleton song brings to mind his old Oingo Boingo days, and the underscoring music soars and floats as needed.
The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)
What were they thinking?
I understand that this play has already been filmed several times before, the best perhaps being the 1952 version. However, the liberties taken for this adaptation with flow and characterization were beyond what I could enjoy. A previous comment mentioned that the words were virtually uncut, but I beg to differ. With a running time of slightly over 1 1/2 hours, there was far too much cut. I don't believe I've ever seen a production that was shorter than 2 hours. I can never really understand how people can laud a playwright and then change his/her work. If you really think that Wilde holds up well today, why the need to "fix" his plays? And then there's the flashback at the end of the film involving Lady Bracknell that was way over the top. P-lease.
Spider-Man (2002)
F/X fun
_Spider-Man_ is an f/x laden rollar coaster ride that is very reminiscent of the comic books that it's based on. The director obviously had a deep affection for his source material. Fast paced and witty, a "must see" for the summer.
The Other Side of Heaven (2001)
This side of wonderful
_The Other Side of Heaven_ is a movie about faith, love, and sacrifice. Although the main character is a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormon), the themes of this film are not exclusive to people who practice that faith. While the leads are believable and do a wonderful job, the supporting cast, made up almost entirely of Polynesian actors, is beyond wonderful. I came to truly care about these people. The scenery is beautiful, and the storm scenes are exciting. Also, this is a movie you could take your entire family to without the risk of embarrassment.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
They've done it again.
I decided to go see Monsters, Inc. before others started talking about it and the reality didn't live up to the hype. I don't think that could've happened with this movie. Pixar has done it again. As with their previous collaborations with Disney (Toy Story 1 & 2 and A Bug's Life), they've got everything going in the right direction: amazing animation, great writing, and wonderful performances from both the voice actors and the CG characters. I can't wait to see what they do next.