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I know some of these movies are pretty old, but I haven't had much time to see the newer ones... yet. And don't take my reviews too seriously. I'm pretty much just writing about what I liked and didn't like. Heck, what do I know?
I've been waiting for this movie for a long time. And I mean a long time. Probably like 6 years. Ever since I first logged on to the internet, I've pretty much known about this movie. Spielberg and Cruise, that was enough for me, but in the same breath with "Sci-Fi Action Thriller"??? I just knew this would have to be something. I liked everything about this movie, and was only bugged by 2 things: the ending, and the level of technology shown in this future just 50 years away. The ending isn't bad, but just seems to be dragged on a little too long, and could have been shortened or made more exciting in some way. As for the technology, it's just blows my mind how much cool stuff they put in this movie, but the skeptical side of me just couldn't stop saying, "This could never be there by 2054!" Apart from these 2 minor aspects (and one scene with a gardening lady who talks a little too fast for me), the film is very much entertaining and stylish. It's good fun, and not just for nerds!
'Tis the season for teaming up people who have succeeded making good movies together. There was Unbreakable with M Night Shyamalan and Bruce Willis, now comes Cast Away, which reunites Tom Hanks and Director Robert Zemekis who made one of my Top Ten movies, Forrest Gump. Cast Away doesn't involve a sophisticated story or script or dialogue. Instead, it works a lot with action. Tom Hanks' FedEx Airliner winds up running into a heavy storm, followed by a heartstopping crash, probably the best one I've seen (The Perfect Storm is nothing compared to this crash sequence). What follows is a dedicated performance by Tom Hanks as a lone man on a desert island. It all doesn't sound too original, but to me, it didn't matter. Just watching Hanks figure out at first how hard it'll be to get food and water is really interesting. You just want to yell at him: "Just get a knife or something!!!" But then it dawns on you that he doesn't have one. And that's how the movie plays out: what happens when you lose everything and have to start from nothing? What's important now that wasn't before? Hanks does a good job as a one man show and the cinematic aspect of this film is truely breathtaking. Some parts almost got me crying. Take the family to se it... now!
M Night Shyamalan's new film, starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, is a different kind of movie, something I had not expected it to be. But this is good. So often, we watch the typical drama, epic, comedy, thriller or action movie played out to us over and over again, and Unbreakable breaks out of stereotypes and gives us a kind of picture we haven't seen before. Jackson is Elijah Price, a high-end comic book collector with a brittle-bone disorder who wants to find out if the sole survivor of a disastrous train crash (Willis) is the man he has been looking for, a man who is... unbreakable. It's a creative and intriguing plot that's out of the ordinary. Though I was a little disappointed at first about how the story unfolded (I, too was sort of "misled" by what I saw in the trailer), I came to realize that it's a good movie, with great style and tone. It gets a 9.5 from me for camerawork and the long cuts that were left entact. Plus, the title theme is cool and the story is simple to follow. I liked it a lot, unlike many others who might have felt they'd been cheated out of their money. It stands out to me with its remarkable creativity and plot.
Lots of people have high hopes when they think of supercool Tom Cruise hooking up with top notch action director John Woo to make a sequel to Brian DePalma's Mission: Impossible (a favourite of mine). I was one of those people. But somehow, I knew something would not work, and I was right. M:I-2 just doesn't seem like a spy movie, especially when Cruise gets down to some man-to-man punching and kicking with the villian (Dougray Scott). Come on. If I wanted that I'd play some combat-type video game. And guns. Sorry, but I don't think secret agents don't use their guns that much. Of course, the movie has some good parts that partially make up for this stuff. The various slow motion shots give some style and a lot of characters rip masks off (these were my favourite parts in the first movie), but sadly, the last few are quite predictable. Bottom line: Needs more action without guns and violence.
(No review yet)
"We may be through with the past, but the past isn't through with us." This is a recurring line spoken by several characters in Magnolia, which sums up the plight of the nine major characters in the film. No one in this little community is able to run away from their past, be it a dying television mogul, a down-on-his-luck former boy genius, a game-show host with a family falling apart, or a self-help guru carrying a vendetta against his own father. The stories are rather simple, but the way they are presented is what makes Magnolia stand out. Just when you think you've got it figured out, something totally unexpected comes along and hits you right in the face. The music and prologue are the best "inserts" into what would otherwise be a typical drama. It's definitely a worthwhile three-hour watch.
Not bad for Lucas & Co. This new addition to the series delivers a lot for the fans, but maybe too much. The special effects are breathtaking, with tons of detail being put into one scene, like a great oil (or rather, electron) painting. I have to say that I got a little irritated because these scenes are only on screen for a length of 10 seconds at most, meaning there's a lot of stuff to miss. But apart from that, the film is great. Action and drama are evenly balanced, though the action is a lot more interesting to watch, especially the lightsaber duel. Can't wait for Episode II...
Interesting story, cool look. It's a sometimes violent cyber-adventure in parallel dimensions. I heard the plot was too complicated before seeing it, but it all made sense to me. Most of the movie is spent on explaining the storyline, but this doesn't leave out too much time for some really good action scenes. Though most of the stunts are done with computer graphics, they pack some great action into the movie. The good guys look rad, and the bad guys look bad. It's a great way to spend a couple of hours this summer.
I wasn't really eager to see this one, but it is pretty good to watch, probably only once. I heard it was supposed to be funny (it was nominated for Best Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes), but I didn't find that many really good jokes or anything, though Ben Affleck and some of the "Gwyneth as a man" scenes bring a little laughter out (however Will himself, being the genius that he is, doesn't mangage to add any good jokes into the flick). The look of the movie is well done, but the costumes worn in the plays, especially Will's, seem to be more suitable for ballet or something. One interesting thing I found about Shakespeare was how the ending was different from what I expected, even though it had to end that way, or else it would have to be "historically inaccurate".
Neat concept and fun. Ever since Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and The Cable Guy etc., Jim Carey had been slipping into the cracks of complete stupidity. But in this picture, he manages to bring himself back into the light. The plot is truly unlike any other. The REALLY neat part is where we get to find out just what exactly is going on behind the curtains of the Show, and Carey's gradual discovery of the truth contains the best parts of the movie. So if you're looking for something funny (but not wacky funny) and entertaining, go and see it.
Last Updated: July 8, 2000.
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