It. has become vogue to defend Godather part 3 as not that bad. If anyone tells you that, never ever listen to their opinions about movies again. The writing is corny, the acting is stiff, the music is melodramatic and the action is amateurish.
Reviews
9 Reviews
Gave it a 10 for the 3D
22 November 2010
Don't listen to the 3D snobs, the 3D on this film is wonderful. My kids watched it in Thai while I listened to tunes on my I-Pod (because I can't speak Thai). Amazing. If you're a teenager looking for fart jokes, glib one-liners, sexual innuendo, or pop culture references, you'll be disappointed. But if you can just relax into the outdoor and underwater and nature scenery you'll have a great time. The 3D pops out at you like the old traditional style on steroids. During the scene where the turtles are hatching, it actually feels like you're leaning over a hole on the beach. Snakes and piranhas jump out of the screen and and tiny fish hover at your nose.
I do agree the story seemed kind of cliché. But if you are looking for a kind of thrill ride of 3D with wonderful art direction, you'll love it. So glad I have kids or might never have experienced the best 3D I have personally experienced.
I do agree the story seemed kind of cliché. But if you are looking for a kind of thrill ride of 3D with wonderful art direction, you'll love it. So glad I have kids or might never have experienced the best 3D I have personally experienced.
Please Vote for Me
(2007)
Democracy at it's Worst
23 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is the most fascinating documentary I've seen in a long time. The subject matter may sound stale, but the action, drama and raw emotions are fresh and real. It's less a story of the baser elements of democracy and/or the human spirit, as some reviewers superficially assert, as it is about how parents affect they children. For all the benefits of parental involvement in their children's academic and emotion success, this film make you stop and question yourself as a parent.
Are parents who become overly involved in their children's classroom and socialization with other children doing more harm than good? Especially when they are teaching their children dirty tricks and tactics that actually work. In this documentary, we witness children turn from naive and benevolent to manipulative and under-handed. We watch as the clean and dirty campaigns alike both lose out to the candidate who has the most money to buy votes. Money, gifts and trips outstrip both intelligence and friendliness.
In the end, the students make a choice not necessarily in their own personal benefit. On one hand, that seems altruistic. On the other hand, it seems ignorant. But, despite all of this, you can't help but emotionally bond with these young people and start to care about them.
This same documentary could be made in town in America, though the topic would probably be sports or cheer leading.
Are parents who become overly involved in their children's classroom and socialization with other children doing more harm than good? Especially when they are teaching their children dirty tricks and tactics that actually work. In this documentary, we witness children turn from naive and benevolent to manipulative and under-handed. We watch as the clean and dirty campaigns alike both lose out to the candidate who has the most money to buy votes. Money, gifts and trips outstrip both intelligence and friendliness.
In the end, the students make a choice not necessarily in their own personal benefit. On one hand, that seems altruistic. On the other hand, it seems ignorant. But, despite all of this, you can't help but emotionally bond with these young people and start to care about them.
This same documentary could be made in town in America, though the topic would probably be sports or cheer leading.
Alien Autopsy
(2006)
Lower your expectations...this is actually a good movie
27 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I marked this comment as containing a spoiler, but I don't really believe it does. But I got scared by the "blacklist" threat, so I thought I'd cover my tush.
This low budget British buddy flick is actually quite interesting and fun to watch. As unlikely and unbelievable as the plot is, it actually pulls you in to its world and works on several different levels.
Sure, it borrows a bit from other genres, i.e, suspense, heist, con-artist, and British gangster flicks. This is a low-key comedy and even most of the gags have been done better and funnier in other films. It doesn't matter, though, because the lead actors are likable and charming and the movie doesn't try to hard.
Even at the end, when you're prepared for anything to happen, and if you're in the spirit of the movie, you actually find yourself on the edge of your seat. This movie doesn't end in a big bang. Your world won't be turned upside down. You won't look at existence any deeper than you do now.
But you may actually feel yourself wanting to believe. You may experience what it might be like to be tempted to believe in the impossible. By not taking itself too seriously, the movie very casually lowers your defenses and makes you root for the truth to be revealed. The only question is, Is it? Is it really?
This low budget British buddy flick is actually quite interesting and fun to watch. As unlikely and unbelievable as the plot is, it actually pulls you in to its world and works on several different levels.
Sure, it borrows a bit from other genres, i.e, suspense, heist, con-artist, and British gangster flicks. This is a low-key comedy and even most of the gags have been done better and funnier in other films. It doesn't matter, though, because the lead actors are likable and charming and the movie doesn't try to hard.
Even at the end, when you're prepared for anything to happen, and if you're in the spirit of the movie, you actually find yourself on the edge of your seat. This movie doesn't end in a big bang. Your world won't be turned upside down. You won't look at existence any deeper than you do now.
But you may actually feel yourself wanting to believe. You may experience what it might be like to be tempted to believe in the impossible. By not taking itself too seriously, the movie very casually lowers your defenses and makes you root for the truth to be revealed. The only question is, Is it? Is it really?
A Civil Action
(1998)
John Travolta's Best Movie
19 December 2007
If I were John Travolta, and someone were to ask me which film I am most proud of, this movie, Civil Action, would be my answer.
You won't find the kind of climatic courtroom scenes that exist in the fantasy world of typical courtroom dramas. You won't find a chase scene. You won't be mystified by CSI experts. You won't even get to bathe in the Protagonist's heroic rhetoric as he puts Goliath in his moral place.
Instead, this movie is all about the little moments. Every actor in this film, including Travolta, takes a script that is good but slightly nondescript, and creates nuance and intrigue in every line, every motion, every action of every character, in every scene.
If there were an Oscar for "Best Performance by a Cast", this film would have received it.
The director and everyone in this film plays this movie true to life and straightforwardly. And yet, it still manages to capture your spirit. It may not get your blood pumping, but it will inspire you. And as good as the other actors are, it's Travolta, believe it or not, who carries this movie.
In place of Travolta's normal swagger and scientological ability to seem like he's winning when he's losing, John allows himself to look silly, feel awkward, appear despondent, and even seem weak. He literally allows himself to be upstaged in more than one scene by admittedly great actors but by actors whose persona's are usually, shall we say, less charismatic than his own.
The scene where he must meet with the VP president of the opposing law firm is difficult to watch the first or second time you see it. It just isn't funny. But, it's actually quite comical in later viewings when you're not as invested in the plot of the movie.
You won't find the kind of climatic courtroom scenes that exist in the fantasy world of typical courtroom dramas. You won't find a chase scene. You won't be mystified by CSI experts. You won't even get to bathe in the Protagonist's heroic rhetoric as he puts Goliath in his moral place.
Instead, this movie is all about the little moments. Every actor in this film, including Travolta, takes a script that is good but slightly nondescript, and creates nuance and intrigue in every line, every motion, every action of every character, in every scene.
If there were an Oscar for "Best Performance by a Cast", this film would have received it.
The director and everyone in this film plays this movie true to life and straightforwardly. And yet, it still manages to capture your spirit. It may not get your blood pumping, but it will inspire you. And as good as the other actors are, it's Travolta, believe it or not, who carries this movie.
In place of Travolta's normal swagger and scientological ability to seem like he's winning when he's losing, John allows himself to look silly, feel awkward, appear despondent, and even seem weak. He literally allows himself to be upstaged in more than one scene by admittedly great actors but by actors whose persona's are usually, shall we say, less charismatic than his own.
The scene where he must meet with the VP president of the opposing law firm is difficult to watch the first or second time you see it. It just isn't funny. But, it's actually quite comical in later viewings when you're not as invested in the plot of the movie.
Help
(2005– )
delighted
19 November 2006
When I first moved to Thailand, I checked out BBC America a few times on satellite UBC and frankly was always disappointed by how stodgy all the show were, except for such classics as Red Dwarf, The Office, and Coupling. But this year I've discovered a lot of cool shows by just flipping through. Anyway, I don't have a lot to say about this show except that its brilliant. The acting is spectacular and the writing clever. I'm not really sure why I have to comment with ten lines of text when I've already said everything I wanted to say about this show, because I just started watching it. Anyway, ten lines seems a bit arbitrary, hold on, I need to count my lines before I continue typing...yep got it.
Young Cassidy
(1965)
Sean O'Casey is famous!
24 July 2006
I thought I was going to see a Western, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a movie that actually got me to learn about something. Apparently, I had a glaring hole in my college education because I had never heard of Sean O'Casey until I watched this movie. AND I TOOK AN IRISH history class. That class unfortunately was all names and dates and timelines...this movie along with a Internet search on this movie told me more about O'Casey than that 3-credit course at a major university. Yeats loved him so that was enough to make me wonder why. I did a quick Internet search and you can read about O'Casey many places. I really found this article the most interesting though: www.threemonkeysonline.com/article2.php?id=279
Night Watch
(2004)
Conspiracy Theory
24 April 2006
This movie does not steal from the movie Conspiracy Theory but that is probably the only movie it doesn't "borrow" from. I honestly don't understand why there are so many extremely positive reviews about this movie. Is there a conspiracy by the people who made the movie to post positive comments? I could understand Luke-warm appreciation for this movie I suppose - 6 even 7, but 10s? Give me a break. The only other explanation is that vampire movies have really weird fans who will like anything as long as it's prepared RARE. Well, to keep the puns going, its RARE to see/hear anything original in this flick.
I watched this movie before reading these reviews. And I knew the movie was in trouble the moment I saw the scene with the runaway bus/train early in the movie, complete with chaotic rock music. I thought I was watching Highlander II! Highlander II was another awful movie produced by foreigners (Costa Ricans) - perhaps another conspiracy angle?
p.s. I actually like foreign films, just not ones that steal.
I watched this movie before reading these reviews. And I knew the movie was in trouble the moment I saw the scene with the runaway bus/train early in the movie, complete with chaotic rock music. I thought I was watching Highlander II! Highlander II was another awful movie produced by foreigners (Costa Ricans) - perhaps another conspiracy angle?
p.s. I actually like foreign films, just not ones that steal.
Primer
(2004)
Sundance is a Joke
19 October 2005
How does trekkie-on-steroids silliness like this win a "major" award from a prominent film festival while important films like Crash get nothing? The tech-nonsensical jargon is so contrived in this film it reminded me of those "popular" "something's broke let's fix it" episodes on Star Trek. But the voice over is what is really annoying...basically 95 percent of this film is two people talking...constantly talking talking talking about nothing that makes sense and the payoff is just as obscure, which would be forgivable if it was in the least bit interesting. I must admit the film's first 15 minutes pulls you in because it's done so unconventionally that it's interesting from a film geek's perspective but you soon realize it's never going to stop... the talking never stops...ever...not even when it's over...you will hear this monotony in your sleep.
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