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Reviews
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Great film and great end to trilogy
This was a great film on its own and as part of the trilogy. If you thought Fellowship and Two Towers were amazing prepare to be blown away. Not only is this film bigger and more ridiculous, it also ties up the story and manages to do it while paying homage to the source material. I think if Tolkien were alive today he would be happy with the trilogy after seeing this film. Fantastic work all around from the cast to the set designers, the programmers...Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens. Just extraordinary work all around. If you liked the first two films then you will love this one. An oscar is definitely deserved.
Willard (2003)
Crispin Glover, rats and overall decent movie
I went to see Willard soley due to the trailer. I had no recommendations from anyone. I'll start with the negatives of this movie and then I'll tell what I liked.
One of the things that hurts this film is the pace. There are lots of shots of Crispin Glover doing absolutely nothing which could have been used to further the plot. They could have possibly worked on a romance between him and Catherine (Laura Elena Harring). We could have been given a flashback of his father's suicide which would have given the movie a somewhat more serious feel. The scenes with the mother could have been a little more prominent to show more of how Willard's relationship with her was not so good due to her illness. We could have been given more scenes that show why he arrives to work late instead of just showing him arriving late at the office. Anyway that is what hurts this film. Onto the good things.
The rats in this movie are great eye candy, even when they're computer generated they look great. For the part of Ben they use an African Gambian giant rat and it is perfect. Crispin Glover's over the top performance is perfect for a film which is pretty much a parody of the original and its sequel entitled Ben. The website of the film www.willardmovie.com is evidence enough as it features a music video of the song "Ben" sung by Crispin Glover. This isn't a movie to be taken seriously, it's a rat swarm movie with odd characters that should be enjoyed. Is it demented yes, is it fun yes. I recommend you see it at least once unless you're afraid of rodents. Even then you can look at it as a horror movie.
I give this movie 8 out 10 for being an interesting movie which is only hampered by bad pacing. On a star system I give it *** out of 4.
Daredevil (2003)
Marvel's movies are becoming mediocre.
I just saw DareDevil and I must say I cannot recommend it. The dialogue is pathetic, the fighting scenes way too over the top, and the plot is so thin you could see right through the screen. Now I understand this is a comic book film, but the reason these movies became popular was because films like X-Men raised the standards and added plot and convincing characters.
Marvel seems to just be in this one for the cash as this movie is missing all depth. It is pure eye-candy and I don't even know if it's candy my eyes want to try. Besides the Matt Murdock/DareDevil (Affleck) the rest of the characters are wooden and basically just set up to provide an environment. The villains aren't even interesting. Bullseye (Colin Farrel) is despicable as he should be but his role is too short to be of any consequence or for his character to save this film. Oh and don't get me started on the music which is purely repulsive and consists of horrid pop songs. For some reason the film makers decided it would be good to throw in a song during every action scene. This is a sad way to commercialize music and unfortunately it is used too much these days as it is prevalent in most action movies. The positive things about this film would be Ben Affleck's performance and the fight scenes which are very well coreographed. The problem also lies in that these scenes are too over the top that at one point I was wondering whether I was watching a Jon Woo film.
Hopefully The Hulk will go back to the X-Men/Spiderman formula of good characterization and stronger plot and redeem themselves. After seeing this film I am very unsure if I will go to see another Marvel inspired film in the theatre. I'll wait for the DVD thank you very much.
** and that's more than it deserves!
Wizards (1977)
It made me want to cry
This movie was horrid. The animation is sub-par even for 1977 and the characters are shallow and horribly acted. Why is rotoscoping used simultaneously with animation. All this does is make things confusing, rotoscoping a horse onto a two legged beast just does not work. Ralph Bakshi not only did you ruin Tolkien with your bad LOTR adaptation, you ruined fantasy with Wizards. I wanted to cry after seeing this.
Red Dragon (2002)
A good addition to the series by Brett Rattner
I went in to see this film with very low expectations. I was not sure whether the man who brought us the Rush Hour series would be able to make a serious movie about serial killers, let alone a prequel to the great Silence of the Lambs. While there are flaws this film is definitely worth seeing. Edward Norton is right on as a detective with a gift for getting into the heads of killers. Anthony Hopkins presents a decent performance as Lecter. His heart seemed more in the role when he did Silence of the Lambs. I have not read the book so I'm not sure if the movie is accurate. The movie does present a very straight forward style and shows us all the characters with no mystery as to who the toothfairy character is. The psychological aspect of Dolarhyde's character are interesting, but they have been done before. Psycho was the first film to present us with the abused killer and he is presented here. Brett Rattner unfortunately goes for the cheap noise scares which drops this movie a notch below Silence of the Lambs. Visually it is a standard film which unfortunately makes it pale in comparison next to the stunning visuals of Hannibal which itself had the problem of being a beatiful film to watch yet leaves the audience with nothing to think about. I recommend this movie to fans of the series and to anyone who did not like Hannibal this one may make up for that.
Ghost World (2001)
An intelligent and funny film for the open minded.
Ghost World is an excellent movie. It is about teenagers yet in no way is it a typical teen movie. It is the story of two best friends, Enid (Thora Birch) and Becky (Scarlett Johansen). The film takes place the summer after the two girls have graduated from high school. Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clause are a great writing and directing team. The two girls are well developed characters and we see them change and grow after their graduation. The audience is shown life through the eyes of a young confused, intelligent teenager. Steve Buscemi is excellent as Seymour a middle-aged man whom Enid befriends through a personal ad. There are many kinds of moments in this film and many of them are humorous. There is a num-chuk wielding, mullet sporting hooligan who hangs out at the local quickie mart who is hilarious. The film mocks a lot which may make it seem offensive to some, but it is truly funny and original. Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansen are wonderful as the two young friends. I highly recommend this movie to younger people and any open minded person who would like to see a different sort of film about teenage life.
Signs (2002)
a sign of a great new director
Signs is a very well made film. In his previous films M. Night Shyamalan with reflections, silence and sounds to move the audiences emotions. He has perfected his craft in Signs as all these things are present. His script is also amazing as the lines delivered by the actors are very believable and realistic. The supernatural and science fiction look of the film are only the surface. Beneath is a realistic story of a loving family. Shyamalan shows his mastery of film making by blending scary, sad and humorous to create a real life environment on film. The story may seem like it forshadows a lot, but that is done on purpose. Shyamalan duplicates a lot of scenes from classic horror films. He seems to be showing that he respects these films, but he is also trying to tell us that this is his original take on the horror alien movie. The special effects are perfect and utilized in just the right way. The actors are also amazing. Mel Gibson is back in great form, playing the somewhat reserved father and minister perfectly. Joaquin Phoenix is also good and shows a knack for comedic talent as his character is a mix of many different emotions. The children were wonderful and hopefully continue to act in films in the footsteps of Haley Joel Osment. Rory Culkin was wonderful and shows a true talent. Abigail Breslin gives a wonderful performance and was as convincing as any veteran actor. I give this film a 9 out of 10. It is a great film and a sign that Shyamalan will be with us for a long time.
Insomnia (2002)
Good Film
Insomnia is an interesting film. The plot is not extremely original, but I don't think the plot was what Christopher Nolan wants his audience to focus on. The most interesting thing about this film was the motivations of characters and how they interact with each other. Al Pacino gives a superb performance as a tired insomniac detective and Robin William's character is a perfect counter to him. Robin William's character also gives a wonderful performance that shows his versatility as an actor. The shots and picture in this film are fantastic and are starkly different from Nolan's earlier film Memento. Insomnia is a good film to see for any person who likes mysteries, thrillers or psychological films. I give it 3 and half stars out of 4. Excellent film.
Gattaca (1997)
A great movie that happens to also be a sci fi movie
Gattaca is not only a good sci fi movie, but also a good movie. The story is set in the future, genetics have advanced, cars are fast and we can explore deep space in this movie. The thing that grounds this film in our reality is that it is about humans. The people inhabiting this world may be genetically perfect but even they have problems and dreams. Jerome (Jude Law) has dreams that have been dashed and si a deep character. The film follows the struggle of Jerome/Vincent (Ethan Hawke)who plays the role perfectly. The film concentrates more on the idea of Jerome/Vincent's struggle to attain his dream rather than showing us wonders of the future world. The idea of genetics and how identifying people by their dna hits close to home in an age when we have things like the human genome project. This film shows us how human spirit and sheer will to attain dreams are more important than our physical selves. This movie may be a sci fi movie but unlike other sci fi movies out there it does not stoop to the level of being a mind numbing action film or a piece of special effects eye candy. It is a film that is meant to be viewed more than once for the ideas it presents and for the beauty of its shots and sets. This is how the sci fi genre should be approached in film.
Spider-Man (2002)
Another good super hero film
Spider-Man is a good film. It is good because much like X-Men and Tim Burton's Batman it takes itself seriously. The story is very close to the comic book which should please fans. The film presents us with the familiar story of an underdog who is subjected to extraordinary circumstances. My only gripe was with the character of the Green Goblin. His suit seemed a bit ridiculous at times and it seemed as if the character should have been developed a bit more before becoming the movie's villain. The dialogue is lacking in some parts and seems to have been hastily written. But these are only small problems as the film is put together rather well. It is highly recommended for people of all ages.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Better than Phantom Menace, yet still lacking
The biggest expectation for this movie was to be better than its predecessor The Phantom Menace. It has fulfilled that expectation yet in all other aspects this movie lacks greatly. Star Wars fans may have been dreading the love story. Their dread is well-founded especially considering the love story is built upon poorly written dialogue, sub-par acting from good actors and special effects that are not so special. The computer generated backgrounds are definitely not up to par with the old movies which is a shame. The fighting sequences involve way too many people and a ridiculous amount of quick cuts and panning. The film moves along sluggishly and spends a long time unsuccessfully trying to convince us we should care about the Anakin and Padme love story. The last half hour is probably the only redeeming aspect of the film as plot and action finally start moving. The best light sabre fight scene takes place within this half hour and is probably also the most surprising scene. The end made me wish the movie was longer while the beginning made me wish the movie would end. This is by no means a horrible movie, but by the same token it is not a good one. George Lucas should use the help of Lawrence Kasdan and anyone else who may want to lend a hand for the next one if he expects it to be up to par with the original trilogy.
Run Ronnie Run (2002)
A fun comedy!
Run, Ronnie, Run is a fun slightly raunchy comedy. Fans of David Cross's intelligent stand-up should not expect the same from this movie. Run, Ronnie, Run is pure goofyness that is made to make you laugh and not have to think too hard for 86 minutes. There are even a couple of references to David Cross's stand-up jokes that fans may be able to spot. I recommend this movie to anyone who is not easily offended by raunchy humor.
rating 8