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The journey of the Ring enters the middle stage. Characters passing through more trials and adventures. Beaten down, worse for wear, but the obstacles overcome, mettle tested, and with new strength and determination to move forward to the third and final part. This film is gorgeous to watch even at the most ugly portions of epic battle scenes. The battles were so exciting there were a few moments I even wanted to say xyzzy. Smeagol is becoming one of the most tragic and complex characters of the film. Neither good nor bad, but the promise of each. Frodo's fate or his redeption? Overall Score = A |
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A terrific addition to the Star Trek canon, but a tearful ending to the Next Gen cast. I was surprised at how sad I was when I realized they really did kill off (no I'm not going to tell you who). Lots of Easter eggs in the script for fans, lots of great action and explosions, random Shakespeare and shots of redemption. Covered all the bases. Think I might see this one again in the theatre.... Overall Score = B |
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A fun filled romp through the continuing comic book adventures of James Bond. A man who knows that all you need to eliminate the effects of 14 months of merciless torture is a bubble bath, a shave, and a bottle of champagne. A man who now has the unnerving ability to digitalize himself and perform stunts while literally in a computer game (Pierce must have learned that trick from his experience in the film, "The Lawnmower Man.") I loved the fact that even James was visibilly impressed with how cool his new disappearing Astin Martin was, and he even managed not to lose it, although I don't think there was a whole lot left to give back to Q after he played bumper cars while in a melting ice palace. Dialog was flat, even for a Bond film. Supporting cast were all dynamic and looked like they were having fun. Overall score = B |
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If year two is less of a delight than year one, it's only because the initial thrill of newness has rubbed off a bit. "Chamber" is thoroughly engaging, I can't remember the last time I had so much fun losing track of where two hours went. The special effects were terrific, even Dobby was far less annoying than I was anticipating. The worst part for me was the slug spitting up, whoever did Ron's make-up should get an Oscar, he was sooooo green! It was also really cute to see that Harry had sprouted up and is now a good 2.5 inches taller than Ron, and has pimples (only really noticible in the tight close-ups during the final confrontation sequence). Kenneth Branaugh does just eat up his scenes, especially all the hamming of his portraits, which must have been just a scream to shoot. Overall score = A- |
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Just a treat, sort of the Japanese version of Alice in Wonderland, only in this rendition, "wonderland" is a bathhouse where the spirits hang out. No Cheshire Cat, but lots of other characters, river spirits, living radishes and soot balls....and some things I'm still puzzled about. Her one big quest is to turn her parents back into human form (and not get turned into an animal herself), but there are lots of small and large hurdles to get over along the way. Watch out for the shadowy figure in the garden that Sen lets into the bathhouse, like many of the other spirits, he's not what he seems. Top notch animation, only a few parts where the CGI was annoying. Overall score = A |
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This is a film is a tragedy because almost every scene cries out that it could have been more. The story is totally compelling but it's buried under the weight of all the overlooked details. The guy who played Roland should have been handed a razor (I winced every time he wanted to kiss poor Gwenyth), and the fact that you notice that both leads have there ears pierced while they are kissing tells you how little chemistry there is in the love scenes. Having said that, the story was great, just begging to be told. But this adaptation left me begging for more. Answers to questions such as what happend to Blanche's paintings, how did Ash find the cave the first time, why did Ash never sleep with his wife, what was the fairy project they kept referring took, and what the heck was up with that bizzare meeting later on at a sceance? I guess I'd better go get the book, or wait for a remake. Overall score = B- |
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The Austin Powers series is all set up and forgets that we need a punch line. Goldmember depends too much on existing audience affection for the characters, to the point where the writers felt they didn't really need for them to do anything other than just be characatures of themselves. Meyers phoned this one in. It's sad when the funniest sequence in the movie is the opener with famous movie stars doing imitations of Michael Meyers imitations. If this was the first in the series, there wouldn't have been any sequels. Rent it if you must, but it's not even worth the price of a matinee. Overall score = D |
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This restored print of Fellini's 1965 classic is more than a movie, it's a rite of passage. This is pure indulgent excess as only the Italian master can offer it. The plot is simple enough, a middle-aged woman discovers her husband is cheating on her and finds her resources; family, religion, and friends, all failing her. The joy is that each aspect of Juliet is symbolically represented as a spirit or dream image so that the film crosses the line deliciously into technicolored surrealism. The grotesques that Fellini is famous for are all present, from the hermaphrodite clairvoiant to the embodiments of female sex itself. A masterpiece that is better than ever. Overall score = A+ |
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Hugh Grant plays a wealthy person, who by his own accounts does nothing and is phenomenally shallow. By nothing he means watching Xena, playing pool, having his hair done, and working very hard to get laid. Much to his shock, though not to any one in the audience who is familiar with the formula, all of this changes when a very, very strange 12 year old boy decides that he wants a nuclear family so that there is somebody else around to help him take care of his mother. The movie climaxes with Hugh on stage at talent show performing "Killing Me Softly" to a bunch of Junior High School kids. This alone is worth the cost of admission. So if you're ready for a break from the Summer action genre, this light comedy is worth checking out. Overall score = B |
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Spielburg finally got it right and made a film for grown-ups. Great combination of intelligent plot, solid acting, terrific action, with only one "Crossing Over"-ly sentimental breakdown scene. He couldn't help himself folks but it is mercifully short. Like any movie dealing with determinism it is pretty easy to end up in a mobius strip type paradox, you can read more about that here. And I'm going to help you out, the part where they are going to "fix" his eyes...they don't show anything so don't feel you have to look away. A few technology problems but nothing that will worry you until after you walk out of the theatre. Ooooooh, and I can't wait for the future so I can play with the virtual reality glove computer interface. Yummy. Overall score = A- |
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Boy this was fun. Very well paced, lots of action, great chase scenes. It's "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" meets "Mission Impossible" meets "Run Lola Run." Small side-note, the CIA should triple check their psych profiling to weed out agents who are overly sentimental around children and have irreisistable impulses to throw themselves from windows. Sorry, but that scene was more Austin Powers than James Bond. Great summer popcorn flick. Overall score = B+ |
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I don't want to ruin the movie for those who haven't seen it yet, but I can tell you that the big moral to the whole story is never send a man to do a muppet's job. Better than Episode I, heck, I'd even say better in many ways than Return of the Jedi, this installment has intense action sequences, romance, and dark foreshadowings (they got a lot of mileage out of the Dark Vader theme music). There were some real creepy moments, like watching Anakin work on droids in the same garage where Luke worked in the original. Biggest problems is that the Jedi all seemed like real suckers, I mean, you'd have to be a total stoner to not see the set up with empowering the clone army. And it was disappointing to see as strong a character as Padme fall for someone who is so apparently a fascist-in-training. Love him all you want, he'll never change - not on Earth, or in any other galaxy far, far away. Overall score = B |
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Ahhhh, there is nothing quite like the sweet joy of the summer action flick. And films like these remind us of just how it should be done. Lots of fun-filled fights with virtually no gore, humor poking in at just the right moments, the hero gets the girl and the villian dies in a moment of flashy effects that provides the catharsis needed to put the revenge quest to bed. The acting is better than usual for this genre and they kept the CGI to a low roar. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun at a movie with no nudity. The Rock is obviously saving those butt-shots for his oft-spoken-of wife. I had a blast, and I think you will too. Overall Score = A- |
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Panic Room is a "rule" movie. Great rule movies create an internal logic that they never stray from (Sixth Sense), and truly phenomenal rule movies allow the audience to figure out the rules for themselves as the film unfolds (Memento). Average rule movies detail all the rules in contrived scenarios right at the beginning, and then break the rules anyway. You guessed it -- Panic Room. I won't spoil it, but if you've seen it and didn't notice where they had to break their own rules in order for the narrative to unfold, click here. Having said that, there should be a special "nameless" Academy Award for whoever gave Jodie that little black top she had on for almost the whole thing. The film was suspenseful, but not outrageously scary or gory and I had a lot of fun watching it. But no matter how great Jodie or Forrest's performances were, rule factor applys and I can't give any higher than a.... Overall Score = B |
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If you are a humongous CGI fan this is probably worth your while. I mean, even I was impressed with the jumbo aquarium behind the police chief's desk. But boy does this film lag. The eye-candy just wasn't enough to capture my attention while the story line was going nowhere. Case in point, Geoff actually fell asleep for a few minutes in the middle of it. The ending is very good -- a bit hard to watch in light of 9-11, I don't want to spoil it, but it was violent and abrupt, and poetic. Overall Score = C- |