Lethal Weapon (9/10) [16 February 2005 on DVD - repeat viewing, kept vote at 9 ]
Taxi (5/10) [15 February 2005 on DVD]
Disappointing buddy film. There was no chemistry between Jimmy Fallon and
Queen Latifah. When you pair two comedians, you need a straight man to
carry off the one-liners. In this film, Fallon and Latifah were jostling
for the funny-man role. The only decent casting for this film was for the bank robbers -
four beautiful models. The opening and closing segments fall far outside the
realm of credibility. The plot had potential. The action sequences were usually
engaging, including the mad dash car chases along crowded New York City streets.
I watched the Extended version on DVD.
The School of Rock (7/10) [16 November 2003 at the cinema]
Jack Black has a style of humor that can be dorkish yet charming at the same
time. This film is all about Jack Black; the premise is not important.
In short, Dewey (Jack Black) is fired from his band, just weeks before the big
Battle of the Bands contest which could lead his dream - a record contract. Now,
with no job and no money, and through desperation and an absurd sequence
of events, Dewey finds himself a substitute teacher for 4th graders at a private
school. Dewey intends to just get by until he can earn some money to pay rent, but when
Dewey learns that music is one of the subjects, he schemes to use
his students to form a new band for the big contest. Instead of Mozart and Beethoven,
the kids are schooled in Led Zepplin, AC/DC and other rock bands. The film is silly
and formulaic at times, but it grows on you. The principal (Joan Cusack) adds a great deal
as a bumbling but sympathetic foil to Dewey's plan. Thankfully, the kids do not behave as
miniature adults. I had a good time and was well entertained.
Elf (8/10) [15 November 2003 at the cinema]
Funny without being absurd or obscene.
The Matrix Revolutions (4/10) [13 November 2003 at the cinema]
I was very disappointed with this final chapter in the Matrix trilogy. I wanted so much to
The Matrix (chapter 1) was original. It made you think. The action sequences were
stunning. The dialogue was perfect. I have watched the film repeatedly,
and each time I catch something I missed on the previous viewings.
Everyone was talking about it, and many movies have tried to imitate it.
The Matrix Reloaded (chapter 2) was a bit of a let-down. The plot development was stunted
compared to the first. But still, the scenes with the Oracle and the
Architect, as well as the Merovingian did provide some of the denouement
that one expected. More layers of the onion are revealed. There were
more over-the-top, extended action sequences which were thoroughly
entertaining. Rarely do sequels exceed the excellence of the original.
So, although I was somewhat underwhelmed, I did not regret watching the film.
But The Matrix Revolutions (chapter 3) was horrible. What did we learn? Nothing. There
were no surprises; the Hollywood happy ending was predictable and boring. The acting and
dialogue was painful at times. The film editing was also disturbing. The action scenes
with special effects were great and the only reason I give this film a 4 instead of
a 1 or 2. I will probably pick up the DVD to look for a few more tidbits.
Kill Bill: Vol 1 (7/10) [21 October 2003 at the cinema]
This film is ultra-violent. Expect a lot of blood, a high bodycount and over-the-top
fight scenes with martial arts and samurai swords. I enjoyed the storytelling and
action sequences. Tarantino borrows heavily from elements of
Japanese films and
comic books (anime). As with his previous films, Tarantino's storytelling is done
in chunks, mixing the scenes of the present and past. You learn how everything
ends at the very beginning of the film. The enjoyment comes from watching the full plot slowly
disentangle. So, why did I give this film only a 7 out of 10? The dialogue was
too campy, cheesy, dispassionate, etc. Mix the dialogue of the 60's tv show
Batman or Green Hornet with the phrasing of a dubbed Japanese
monster film from the 50's, and you get Kill Bill. This was only Volume 1.
The second volume comes out next year. I may watch Vol 1 again to see if
it rates higher after a second viewing.
Sidenote: The soundtrack is very good. I've listened to it at least a dozen times so far.
The Ring (9/10) [21 September 2003 on DVD]
"Have you heard the story about this weird videotape that kills you
when you watch it? When you watch it, it looks like someone's nightmare.
After you watch it, your phone rings. You pick it up and the voice on the
other line says "YOU WILL DIE IN SEVEN DAYS." Is it an urban legend?
The Ring has all the great elements of a mystery, thriller and
horror film. I was totally engrossed. Nothing was predictable.
And the ending..! Naomi Watts plays Rachel Keller, a single mother
working as a journalist in Seattle. She is following up on the mysterious
death of her niece, and three other teenagers, who all died in separate
incidents at the same time on the same night. Her investigation leads
her to the videotape. The editing was perfect, but the deleted scenes do make
the DVD a worthwhile purchase, as they fill in some blanks that make you
think "oh, yeah". There is also a hidden feature on the DVD.
Look it up on the web. The Ring is a US remake of a Japanese film,
Ringu.
Sling Blade (9/10) [14 September 2003 on DVD]
"Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade.
It's got a long handle kinda like an axe handle, and a blade shaped like a banana."
Karl Childers has been in a mental hospital for twenty-five years since the
age of 12 when he killed his mother and her lover. In the film, people call
Karl retarded, but I got the impression he suffered from Asbergers Syndrome.
Karl has served his sentence and has been declared "well", so he must leave
and enter the real world, returning to the small southern town where
he was born. Karl has a talent fixing lawnmowers and such,
so the hospital psychiatrist helps him get a job in a repair shop. An accidental
encounter leads Karl to befriend a young boy, Frank (played by Lucas Black).
The conflict of their growing friendship and the shadow of Karl's past
unfolds over two hours that you don't even notice. It is simple, honest
and painfully human. Billy Bob Thornton not only wrote and directed this film,
but he played Karl, a role for which he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar
(lost to Geoffrey Rush in "Shine"). It was a truly outstanding performance.
There is no lack of great acting, young or old, in this film: Dwight Yoakum,
J.T.Walsh, Lucas Black and John Ritter. I will certainly watch this film
again. I hope a special edition DVD is released with commentary, extra scenes,
etc. Maybe then, I will give it a 10.
Kissing Jessica Stein (8/10) [14 September 2003 on DVD]
I was expecting a silly romantic comedy, as it was promoted back in 2001, but
this film is thought-provoking and charming and sometimes sad. Jessica Stein
and Helen Cooper (Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, respectively,
both of whom wrote the script) are two single straight women looking for love
in New York City. Helen on the advice of two gay friends decides to give
women a try and advertises in the Village Voice. Jessica is desperate
after failing to find the right guy in the NYC dating scene (the more
comedic scenes of bad dates are shown in the beginning of the film).
Her loneliness is exacerbated by her Jewish mother, her best friend and
a brother is getting married. So Jessica on a whim answers Helen's ad.
We then get to watch as both women explore the physical, emotional and
social elements of their relationship. I highly recommend this film.
I am not sure yet if I liked the ending. It could have gone another way,
and so I am reserving a point or two for future viewings.
Swimfan (5/10) [13 September 2003 on DVD]
Very predictable thriller. In a small town, a high school senior Ben
Cronin (played by Jesse Bradford) has a chance for a scholarship at
Stanford because of his swimming talent. It was swimming and his
girlfriend Amy (played by Shiri Appleby) that lead him from a youth
of crime and drugs. In comes a transfer student Madison Bell (played by
Erika Christensen) - attractive, sexy and new - and this leads to a
dangerous one-night stand. This is a teenage "Fatal Attraction" with
elements of "All the Right Moves", but this movie has too many plot
holes to be taken seriously. There are a few sweet and clever
moments, and the movie keeps a decent pace (thanks to the slew of
deleted scenes available on the DVD).
Ice Age (6/10) [6 September 2003 on DVD]
This animation film was mediocre. The storyline was a retread - animals
come across a lonely human baby and protect/return the baby to the parents.
There are no limits on the absurd for cartoons, so we get a talking
Mammoth, Sloth and Sabretooth (voices by Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and
Denis Leary) as the unlikely trio who take on this journey. Ice Age is not
a terrible film, but my threshold for good and great animation is higher.
There are many scenes that are highly entertaining - particularly those
with the squirrel, rhinos and when the trio trek a glacier. I did not enjoy
the voices-to-characters matching in this film. The adult human computer
animation was ugly. The scenes which combined the humans (who never talked)
and the talking animals was almost silly. The ending was inappropriate
and brought my vote down from a 7 to a 6.
Monsters, Inc. (8/10) [31 August 2003 on DVD]
All the trailers and advertising had lead me to expect a silly animation.
Instead, the film was plucked at all of your emotions. The world
of the monsters is powered by the energy of childrens' screams which are
obtained by the monsters jumping from the bedroom closet doors and scaring
the sleeping children. The monsters are forbidden from making
contact with any child or bringing anything back to Monsters, Inc.
Through a technical glitch, the lead character, Sulley (voice by John Goodman),
accidentally brings a human child to the world of monsters.
There are several animation sequences that are just
plain stunning, the pinnacle being the door-chase scene. Watch out for
a few parody scenes - some from film, others from earlier cartoons.
There are a few elements of the storytelling that are a bit formulaic,
common with a Disney film, and the computer animation can feel too perfect
at time, both of which are reasons I didn't give this film a 9 out of 10.
The DVD provides some excellent bonuses. The idea of animation "outtakes"
is so silly, yet works so well, again parodying "real" film outtakes.
There are also a couple of shorts, including the 2001 Oscar winning short
"For The Birds".
Pearl Harbor (8/10) [30 August 2003 on DVD]
I was apprehensive about watching a three hour film which has a mediocre
IMDB rating of 5.5
as I write this. Add to this that I am not a big fan of Ben Affleck's acting.
I will stand my ground and say that Pearl Harbor is a very good film.
The three leads - Rafe (Ben Affleck), Danny (Josh Hartnett) and
Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale) - form a tragic love triangle which is the hook
to pull us into the pre-war America, the impending massacre
at Pearl Harbor and the entry of the US into World War II. There are
strong supporting performances including
a surprising one by Jon Voigt playing President Roosevelt. The extended sequence
of the attack on Pearl Harbor was thorough and amazing and terrible and
heart-wrenching. I think the film portrayed the Japanese honestly, and not
as evil caricatures. What I
felt most horrifying about the attack was the bullets strafing the waters
as American soldiers tried to swim for safety away from the sinking ships.
Was not the bombing of the destroyers and battleships and airplanes enough?
As I mentioned, the film is three hours long, but I didn't notice. The
film could have ended at a little over two hours with the "Day of Infamy"
speech, but Pearl Harbor is ultimately a love story, and three is a crowd.
The bonus features were not as interesting. No doubt they are saving those
for the extra special deluxe three disc edition.
Almost Famous (9/10) [25 August 2003 on DVD]
I was truly entertained by Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical story of
his life as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine during the early 1970's.
15-year old William Miller (played by first-time actor Patrick Fuget)
is a precocious youth inspired by rock music. He writes record reviews for
his school paper, and submits them to a rock critic of Creem magazine.
This gets him the attention of Rolling Stone magazine who hire him to write
a piece on the the up-and-coming rock band Stillwater. William travels
with the band, befriending the the band's leader, Russell (played by
Billy Crudup). Included in the mix, are a group of young women, Band-Aids, fans of
the band and their music, including Penny Lane (played by Kate Hudson). We
see everything, and it is not all glamourous. William finds conflict in being
honest with his Rolling Stone piece without injuring his new-found friends.
The band Stillwater and the tour that William follows is an amalgation of
Cameron Crowe's experiences with the Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Peter
Frampton, The Eagles and The Who all of whom were interviewed by Crowe
in the mid-1970's. The music, cinematography and editing all add to Crowe's
beautifully written and directed script. The choice and performance of the
actors was perfect. I highly recommend this film. I reserve my top rating (a 10) to
see if the film loses any of its appeal on repeat viewings.
The Tuxedo (4/10) [26 August 2003 on DVD]
Jackie Chan plays a taxi driver named Jimmy Tong who becomes a secret
agent - sort of. Jennifer Love Hewitt plays Del Blaine, the accidental
female partner. However, this buddy film is boring. There is no chemistry,
and the use of mistaken identity is too contrived. Even the famous Jackie Chan
action sequences are dulled - either by plot or by Hewitt. If you watch this
on DVD, you can at least skip around to the handful of scenes worth watching.
Van Wilder (6/10) [24 August 2003 on DVD]
My expectations were pretty low for this film, another in the National Lampoon series,
more silly pranks, gross-out jokes, gratutious nudity, etc. So, I was suprised to
find an entertaining, albeit formulaic story. Van Wilder (portrayed by Ryan
Reynolds, most well-known as "Berg" on Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place).
Van has become the perpetual student (seventh year without a degree), well known, liked
and respected by all the student body. He is a big brother, problem solver, and party planner,
and it is the latter that drives one of the two major storylines. Van's father cuts him off
financially, so Van resorts to selling his services to pay for tuition. A love triangle
including Gwen (played by the talentless Tara Reid) is all you need to know about the other, tedious,
storyline. Missing from the film is a nemesis worthy of Van which keeps me from giving this
film a 7. Warning: there is one gross-out scene involving pastries that could truly make you vomit!
On the DVD, there is a second disk full of hit-and-miss special features.
Spun (6/10) [23 August 2003 on DVD]
I purchased the Uncensored Director's Cut. The film plays out more like a music video.
This is not surprising, as the Swedish director, Jonas Akerlund, has directed
dozens of music videos.
The title Spun refers to the drug-induced, sleep-denied state of the main characters, Ross and Nikki (played
by Jason Schwartzman and Britanny Murphy). Movies with graphic drug-use make me uncomfortable.
Spun was no different, and I had to stop the film half-way through to take a break.
I did enjoy the dialogue, the kinetic action of the camera, and the music soundtrack (Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins).
Lots of great acting by John Leguizamo, Mickey Rourke and Mena Suvari. There is a very awkward (and graphic) storyline where
Ross leaves April (played by Chloe Hunter) tied naked to his bed for three days. I say awkward as the scenario seems so
contrived. I was unsatisfied by the ending, and I think the version of the film I watched was about 10 minutes too long,
largely due to an extended, slow and uninteresting scene with the least-watchable characters, Ross and Nikki, taking a
road trip.
Last modified: Sun Sep 27 11:06:28 CDT 2009
Web page by Alan L. Stone:
alstone@fnal.gov