MovieWatch

Three Stars means pretty good in my book, these are movies I recommend (in alphabetical order).

A Bug's Life	An outstanding technical achievement, and had several very funny moments (don't miss the scenes during the final credits). The plot was a disappointment compared to "Toy Story", but still enjoyable.
American History X	Ambitious and thought provoking, but Norton's character is too uneven.  I had trouble accepting his metamorphosis.
Antz	Amazing animation, I loved the "stuck on the bottom of the gym shoe scene", but why is the same old whiny Woody Allen neurotic in this movie?
Bulworth	Clever "Network" concept. Beatty is excellent, and the dialogue is bold.
Celebrity	Amazing… I thought my wish had come true, a Woody movie without the standard "Woody" character, but he pulled a fast one on me…. A Woody impersonator!! Some funny episodes, but the ending fell flat.
Clay Pigeons	Great performances, especially Vince and Janine -- nice quirky story, good mix of some very serious topics and some very funny lines. But Roger is right on as usual, the hitchhiker & horse trailer ending just doesn't work.
Dark City	Best looking film in years, an entire new world is created.  The visuals made up for a lackluster story, but still a good time, especially in a theater with a good screen and sound.
Deconstructing Harry	Wickedly funny, on the edge even for Woody Allen.  But as funny as Woody is in his movies, he is repetitious. I wish he would write for other actors and stick to directing.
Enemy of the State	Great setup, then it bogs down into a classic Bruckheimer chase movie with way too much emphasis on the techno spy stuff. If they could hide 6 transmitters in his clothes, why not just grab him when he gets dressed? The ending showed promise until all of a sudden it became a Hong Kong action flick and everyone was pointing their big guns at each other.
Everest	A difficult moviette to rate (less than an hour long). The IMAX system and theatre are 4 stars, just magnificent! The story is just ok --- it averages out to 3 stars. Also, I still just don't get mountain climbing -- incredible risk, pain, suffering and cost ....all for bragging rights???
He Got Game	An interesting character study that didn't fall into the predictable. I loved the ending.
High Art	Brilliant performances and an interesting view of corporate reality contrasted with the underworld of heroin despair.
Lethal Weapon 4	Some great moments and a terrific (and funny) chase scene. Violence doesn't usually bother me, especially comic book style, but the final action scene was too much for me.
Life and Death on Long Island	I wasn't sure I understood it all, but it made me think and I liked it.
Out of Sight	I think this would have been a good movie but the projectionist put the reels in the wrong order, ok not really… A little more continuity would have helped the terrific individual scenes combine into a better film.
Permanent Midnight	Ben Stiller is great again, and oddly enough what hurts the story is that it is true. It is just not dramatic enough. Yup, drugs are bad….. we knew that.
Primary Colors	Very well done, but "story" is the key to a good movie. And what is the story? Is this about Clinton? Not really, and if not, then why mimic him so closely. It would have been better if they left out the cloning.
Return to Paradise	Interesting, and thought provoking. Would I go? Would I go for 6 years? By the end I was saying yes, but not for him……. for me.
Rounders	Enjoyable for me (except for some minor confusion on a key poker hand), and Roger had an interesting perspective on the treatment of the gambling addiction issue. Good food for thought.
Rush Hour	Lots of fun, and the packed house (all teens… and me) made it even more likeable.  But this movie needed a little more Jackie Chan and a little less plot.
Six Days, Seven Nights	Traditional girl meets boy, girl hates boy (boy hates girl) then suddenly ….. Love. Been done before, but it didn't bother me, I enjoyed the whole film. Can't wait to go to Kauai.
Slums of Beverly Hills	In the midst of absurdity, the proud father leads his family. Funny at times, touching at others, and Roger is right; the "groping" scene is from another movie, it didn't belong in this one.
Star Trek: Insurrection	The editing and direction left a lot to be desired, and the special effects were just this side of Flash Gordon, but it was fun, and Roger; I didn't care about the moral implications of the plot….. it's a sci-fi flick!
T. Rex - Back to the Cretaceous	Shorter (40 minutes) than Everest (and not as tall). Most will be disappointed by the lack of screen time given our hero Rex, I know I was. However, the "plot", not Mr. T, kept things moving right along. And IMAX is so cool, it makes it worth it!
The Gingerbread Man	Good Characters and great performances…and the story had a good setup, but faded in the end with typical Grisham complications. Not very "Altman-like" for an Altman movie.
The Man in the Iron Mask	A fun flick, perfect for popcorn on a Saturday afternoon.
The Mask Of Zorro	Escape from reality. Terrific action scenes, and although the story was telegraphed in the first few minutes, I bought it.
The Negotiator	The interaction between these two (Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey) is great. I liked the unpredictability.
The Newton Boys	Too slow early, but the ending made the movie. The documentary footage included in the finale brought everything together.
The Real Blonde	"Altmanesque" character circles -- entertaining… with a few major laughs.
The Replacement Killers	Roger was right on, I can't say it better than he: "The Replacement Killers is all style. It's a high-gloss version of a Hong Kong action picture…..(Killers) is as abstract as a jazz instrumental, and as cool and self-assured."
The X-Files	It looked really good, so that made up for the black holes in the plot (why was the bee house door unlocked?, shouldn't it have been dark in Antarctica in the summer?) and for once our heroes DON'T outrun the natural disaster.
Wag the Dog	The trailer was great, but the trailer IS the first 30 minutes, then the movie goes downhill. A good short story. Hoffman is great.
Whatever	AKA  "What most teenagers do when no one is looking" … A scary slice of life starring the future of tomorrow.   Was I this frightening in 1970?
Your Friends and Neighbors	Original, and the Jason Patric character was intriguing. Nice replay of the art house scene. Audience seemed to think they were at "Something about Mary" (lots of giggling, nervous laughter).