Reviews

To put it bluntly, this film rips off 2001, Apollo 13, The Abyss, Contact, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, to name a few? So why did I like this movie so much? Probably because it was entertaining yet informative at the same time, a rare breed of movie. The cast was excellent, and they do fine with sometimes generic situations & lines. Jerry O'Connell in particular did a good job in a somewhat "comic relief" role. The special effects were very good, especially in some of the weightless scenes with the crew members. Overall, a good sci-fi movie that keeps your attention throughout. FYI: Even though this film is rated PG, it may be too sophisticated for younger children.

8/10

I thought the original Toy Story was great. I went to this movie hardly knowing anything about it. Toy Story 2 exceeded my expectations; it's better than the original Toy Story. This movie works on two levels. It's aimed at younger kids, who will love the wackiness of the characters and the situations they find themselves in, though some of the jokes might sail over their heads (but they'll laugh anyway). It's also aimed at adults, who, when I saw it, laughed louder than the kids at some points. The voice work is excellent, especially Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, reprising their roles from the original. The supporting toys (Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, et al.) have much bigger roles this time around.

This movie has everything: Andy's new dog Buster; two dueling Buzz Lightyears; partying Barbie dolls; three 3-eyed aliens from the original; even the Evil Emperor Zurg! I can't emphasize enough how great this movie is and I highly recommend it for kids and adults.

10/10

This movie was NOT as bad as all the critics said it was. It was actually entertaining in a good way. The special effects are pretty good. Many people have said that there was no chemistry between the leads, Will Smith and Kevin Kline. While that is true in some parts, the banter between the two is enjoyable enough. If you're looking for an enjoyable way to spend two hours, try checking this one out. 7/10

Being a fan of MST3000, I've seen plenty of really bad movies. But this one blew me away by how unbelievably bad a movie can be. It's hard to imagine that the makers of this film were trying to make a serious movie. It's a Japanese film from the '50s, telling the story of invaders from the planet Krankor, and Prince of Space, the "hero" who tries to defeat them. I knew that this movie was going to suck when I saw the "villain"--The Phantom of Krankor (better known as simply Krankor.) What possessed the film-makers to think that a space invader dressed like a chicken could be taken seriously? Then there's the Prince of Space, who wears a mask that appears to be a piece of laminated construction paper. There's plenty of other horrendously bad stuff in this movie that you can laugh at (the Giant Guardian of the Planet Krankor is an example), but there isn't enough space to list it all. This is one movie that truly deserves a 1 out of 10.