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Reviews
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
What a Great Ride!
Thank you Len Wiseman and Bruce Willis for an outstanding, traditional summer blockbuster action film! Live Free or Die Hard is a blast -- both literally and figuratively. This movie is action packed from beginning to end with clever writing and stunningly-effective cinematography.
Willis' Detective John McLane is every bit as effective (deadly and funny) as in the first Die Hard movie. Willis is simply outstanding. Justin Long is an excellent techie sidekick for Willis. Mary Elizabeth Winstead does an excellent job playing Detective McLane's daughter. Winstead channels the McLane fire and spirit in the heat of battle, but is also able to express love and care through some very lovely brown eyes.
Timothy Olyphant is the weak link here -- not convincing as the lead bad guy. His eyes simply do not betray the intelligence or gravitas one would expect in a high-tech criminal mastermind. His sidekick (and kick she does) Maggie Q is excellent as the no-nonsense martial arts killer. The other computer geeks on the bad guy's team perform well.
Kevin Smith is entertaining as one of the most talented geeks -- and was in my view under-utilized.
The stunts are fantastic. The cinematography is brilliant. The writing is terse and clever.
BRAVO!
Knocked Up (2007)
Coarse & Crude
Knocked Up is offensive in almost every way. The writers -- vocabulary-challenged -- resort to using the F-bomb throughout the movie, along with other language that confirms that our country's educational system has been dumbed down, severely dumbed down. It's really too bad because the basic story line would offer great potential to truly talented writers (e.g., keep the baby vs. having an abortion; physical & emotional changes caused by pregnancy; accept or run from responsibility). Funny and serious would not be mutually exclusive when handled by writers of good ability.
Both men and women are the subject of assault in this film. The men are drug and sex- crazed; or weak, immature or brain-fried. The women are petty, shallow and shrewish (although Miss Heigl escapes this movie without damage (other than guilt by association)). Children are not spared either. The director uses his own children in this film and even has them reciting lines about genitalia.
Don't think that the coarse script is the only offense. The movie is also visually offensive -- directed and filmed to give life to the crass and crude script.
If you want to see Miss Heigl, watch her on the small screen in Grey's Anatomy, or rent "Love Comes Softly," a touching, well-written period film. As for "Knocked Up," don't waste your time or your money.
Nailed (2001)
Better than expected
This movie starts slowly but becomes quite engaging. It tackles the difficult question facing many expecting, but unwed couples -- abortion or not. Brad Rowe is excellent as the somewhat free-spirited son of a "traditional" family. Rachel Blanchard is outstanding as the "new age hippie chick" from a very broken home. Harvey Keitel is good as the frustrated father who sees his son in trouble, but can't do anything to help him -- because the son doesn't want his help. As the movie goes on the character development is quite good and I found myself genuinely interested in all of them. The movie is well-written and well-acted. I recommend it.
Man of the House (2005)
Light entertainment
Tommie Lee Jones does the best that he can with a script that is a comic twist of the Harrison Ford film Witness. Rather than living among the Amish, Jones is a dour Texas Ranger living temporarily among five perky University of Texas at Austin cheerleaders. The cheerleaders witnessed a murder by a rogue FBI agent and Jones' job is to protect them. The storyline is predictable -- quite formulaic and lacking in originality. However, it is good, light fun and a nice afternoon diversion. The cheerleader characters play their fluffy roles with enthusiasm and light humor, especially Kelli Garner & Christina Milian. Vanessa Ferlito, who resembles Angelina Jolie a bit, is quite empathic. The one sour note among the cheerleaders was the foul-mouthed blaring trumpet Therese, played by Paula Garces. Miss Garces is lovely to look at, but was difficult to listen to -- at least with the script she was given to recite.