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Reviews
Lockout (2012)
Pearce for the Win
This movie was hackneyed and full of clichés and a pretty terrible chase scene early on in the movie. However, Guy Pearce was excellent in his sarcastic and eternally exhausted role as Snow. He was worth the watch alone. The rest of it was eye candy that shouldn't require too much thinking because your head might explode. Good rental.
Besson clearly meant this film as an homage to Carpenter's Escape from New York. However, the film seems to verge on theft rather than homage. However, even though Kurt Russell was an icon in Escape, I prefer the sarcastic Snow in the hero role.
Overall, enjoy the ride.
The Way We Get By (2009)
Moving piece about much more than war
Most people who reviewed this movie seemed to like it. One guy felt it was about old people and the other thought it was pro-war. This movie is about getting old and wanting to feel like you're making a difference and not just waiting for death. There's a quote that fits this from the movie, "You'll rust a lot faster than you'll wear out." And so you follow these three people as they get up at all hours of the night to meet troop planes.
There was a husband and wife team who made the film and the guy's mother is Joan, which I guess is how they got to be known. And I'm glad they were. Documentaries are amazing because they give you access into people's lives that you would never have otherwise gotten. Closer than you are to your friends. In one scene, it feels like you're watching Bill sleep. Getting so close to people makes you feel like you want to help them and know more about them, and I wish they had more on the website with updates. Especially on the niece of the director who is a helicopter pilot. And an attractive one, at that.
Shallow Ground (2004)
No Sense....
I love the Sci-Fi Channel movies, and most of them are of equal caliber. I recently saw Shallow Ground and now I'm scratching my head. This movie had some pretty poor casting, terrible dialogue, and some of the worst character development I've ever seen.
This movie revolves around two plots. There's the naked bloody kid who has apparent supernatural powers. Then there's the mysterious disappearances of many people in the town. Incidentally, everyone is leaving the town because "the dam is completed." I took this to mean that the valley would be flooded. But then, I'm pretty sure everyone HAS to leave.
The movie starts off weak and ends with a whimper. It tries to be more than your average thriller and instead it comes off much worse.
Wedding Crashers (2005)
Strong Start....mediocre finish
I too heard all of the hype surrounding this movie. Everyone around me seemed to be quoting this movie, and it was on my Netflix queue so I waited. I saw it tonight and I liked it....but.
This was a great comedy. Wilson and Vaughn were great. Christopher Walken is a treat in any role, and Rachel McAdams was charming and beautiful. However the writing that made the beginning and middle a gut-busting comedy, soured during the dramatic "romantic comedy" ending. I feel like it followed the basic "Old School" format in that regard. It also felt a little drawn out. Some of the lines were instant classics and I'm sure I will be playing the quote game with my brother for days.
I just miss the time when comedies were comedies, with some sex or romance in it. Ghostbusters, Spies like Us, Animal House, Blues Brothers....these were comedies. They didn't fall into the trap of trying to appeal to all people. I miss those movies. Maybe that's why Hollywood is hurting so much.
Hostage (2005)
Decent, but sooo typical
This movie, which is essentially a Bruce Willis vehicle was fine as action movies go. It had gunfights, and blood, and fire. Plenty of fire. However, I must admit to being tired of this format. Here comes the spoiler: So his family gets kidnapped by the badder guys and he has nowhere to turn. So he needs to take care of the Smith family, and rescue his own.
I guess I'm just tired of this one man vs. all evil concept. In real life, this guy would have used his FBI contacts made during his time in L.A. to help his family. He would have let the Sheriff Captain in on it, and they could have worked together. But in Hollywood, no one works together, except in cop buddy films. It just becomes to predictable after a while, and gets old. Not to mention that Bruce is getting old. This is just my .02, but I'd like to see a scenario where the hero plays it straight and uses his friends and contacts to help him. I guess that wouldn't make much of an action film though, huh?
Cheerleader Ninjas (2002)
God Awful...
The most important thing to remember here is that this is not a well done movie. Now, I've seen bad films, like Ghost Ship, and Dark Waters, but this is different. It's almost like it is a high school student making this film with all his friends and neighbors in it. I was glad I saw it, as it has set the benchmark for years. Rent it if you want, but realize that the title is the best part about it.
I too wanted to give this half a star. Oh, and this Kevin Campbell guy is amazing. The fact that RCN carries this in On Demand is some sort of coup.
I think 10 dollars, a polaroid and some of my worst enemies could make a better film than this.
Light It Up (1999)
Blechh...
I found this movie to be preachy and unrealistic. It tries to be a movie showing kids fighting against the system, but it doesn't even present a positive solution. I guess I didn't feel really for the kids. I totally can understand what their gripes were and I know how poor the state of schools are, but I found their solution and the way the outside dealt with it to be a big bunch of phooey. If this comes on TV, don't waste your time. Watch Short Circuit again for the 235th time.
Hostile Force (1997)
Not bad....
Don't rent this movie, and I doubt it ever came out in the theaters, but if it's 4 in the morning and you're a little drunk and it comes on, give it a chance. If only to see how far Andrew McCarthy has fallen and to see how no one's career went anywhere after this movie. Fine 4AM flick though.
The Cider House Rules (1999)
This hit the spot.
First of all, I just saw this movie and I loved it. I don't understand that last comment about Miramax buying oscars. Today I saw a film which made me cry and laugh and think. Sure, I predicted some things, but I was pleasantly surprised by others. It gave me faith in the human spirit. Many people believe that they have to deconstruct movies and find their weaknesses. They need an incredible plot and they look at things like accent lapses and messages in the film to criticize. This is a movie. You go because you want to be entertained. Michael Caine doesn't really run an orphanage and he's actually British. You go to the movies to believe and to experience different things.
See, I loved this and hated American Beauty, which I know you can't say now seeing as how it's everyone's favorite movie. But it was a too disturbing and disjointed. If you like picking apart movies and finding symbolism in everything, then maybe that was a good movie. On the other hand, if you like seeing a good movie and just watching and letting your emotions take control, then enjoy Cider House Rules.
American Beauty (1999)
I wanted so bad to love it.
I heard all the hype. I saw my friends go to the movie over and over. And yet as I sat in the theater and enjoyed another fine performance by Kevin Spacey, I wasn't blown away by this movie. It was troubling and well acted, but it was disjointed and seemed to almost be a caricature. I despise suburban living as well, but I really don't think that this movie spoke volumes about the 'burbs. Nor do I think that just because there was a heavy influence of symbolism, that it was a good movie. The best part was the acting, but overall I thought this movie was confusing and disturbing. And just because it disturbed me by bringing up feelings of kiddie porn does not make it artsy or intellectual.
The Bone Collector (1999)
Scary, but could have been better
This movie did have chills. But you needed to suspend disbelief entirely to enjoy the movie. I won't go into it that much, but I was dissapointed especially since one of the producers was Bo Dietl, a highly decorated NYPD Detective and the subject of a terrible movie, One Tough Cop. The movie was okay, but a total renter.