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scandrett2000
Reviews
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
the biggest anti climax since the phantom menace
****spoilers ahead******
I am furious, never has a movie disapointed me so much since the 'power rangers movie' otherwise known as 'the phantom menace'. Lets make this clear, spiderman 2 is not a bad movie, it is a good movie...but...we are not looking for good here, we are looking for superb. The first spiderman was well scripted, acted, shot, edited, scored and left the audience with a feel good factor that lasted days no matter how many times before you had seen it before. In a word it was superb.
Now spiderman 2 is good, the action sequences are cool and the train fight is some of the best effects ever seen...but...the acting is at times awful (toby seems to have given up trying and also seems to be aging VERY badly, Dunst looked bored throughout, Franco was okay but was given little to do except look angry and the only one holding the lot together was Molina and he even seemed to be struggling with the dialouge). The story was boring and the message so expertly crafted in the first movie was simply repeated (over and over) in this one till it go boring. This movie does not have an ending, it has three, all too long and badly paced and DeFoe pops up for a cameo in which he has none of the fire he had in the first. Spiderman reveals himself alot in the movie!!! In comic book film the hero being unmasked is a big thing, it happens four times in this one, i mean come on Raimi!
This film is supposed to be the middle of three so obviously the story needs to be left open for the third...but...a little sub plot that concludes in this one would have been nice, a least a good one. I only hope they do better in third or the magic of the first film will forever be tainted by the other two. Please replace Maguire, he clearly has no dedication to the prioject(s).
Donnie Darko (2001)
What's it all about...whatever you want it to be!
***Possible spoilers ahead***
Well Donnie darko...the most sucessful independent movie ever (at the time this was written) and so it should be.
You sit down to watch this movie and expect what you always get which is a film with a point that is explained to you (the audience) through the story and you (still the audience) get to the end and say "Ahhhh I see what they are trying to say with this film" and you either like it or you don't.
Well boys and girls this film will leave you (thrice the audience) going, "what the hell was that about?" and then you will watch it again and still the message of the movie will not be apparent. You will go to your friends and discuss the movie and then you will find each of you will have a different messagew this movie gave them, each of you will have found a different meaning to the film and each of you will have got something different from it.
This is because the writer has clearly put the point of the movie to one side and simply told a story, the basis of all film is the audience take a journey and experience things through the characters and then are educated and/or entertained. Most movies these days are trying to bombard us with super objective (that's the message of the movie) and sometimes movies suffer for this. This film doesn't, you watch it and then you get whatever you want or need to get from it.
Spider-Man (2002)
Nearly the best super hero movie ever
****Spoilers Ahead****
Ahhh 'Spiderman', well what can you say. Well some say this is the greatest super hero movie ever made and it isn't. That title goes to the original Superman Movie starring Mr Reeve as the man of steel. What you can say about this movie is it is a damn fine second place and suprisingly is a movie with a message.
The movie is a strong character piece and the story flows like a river, the action sequences are slick and stylish. DeFoe gives a performance second only to Hackman's Lex Luthor and the other cast follow his lead and do some of their finest ever work.
There was an out cry at its release as some claimed it to be the most violant movie ever aimed at children, this may or may not be true but people don't realise that this is a movie for 21st century children and the time they are being bought up in is, I believe, one of the most violant times in our history. This movie gives the kids everything they want, it tells the story of a misunderstood boy from a 'broken' home who wakes up as the strongest, most powerful man in the world. He gets to punch the bad guy and save the girl who falls in love with him...perfect. Under the surface Raimi has also added the message that this 'power' means he has to be responsable. One of his characters even says "just because you can beat someone up, doesn't mean you have to" bravo Sam, if only all kids films taught them this, the world might be a better place
Powder (1995)
This film should never have been allowed a cimena release
Quite simply powder should never have been allowed to be released in the cinema or on video. The fact that the director is a convicted child molester is so blantent in some scenes it is sickening. In fairness it has to be said that no-one knew this until after the film had been made and the likes of Goldblum and Henrikson would not have touched this project with a ten foot pole had they. The whole film is directed to show the 'beauty' within this young boy and the scene where Goldbulm is stroking the side of Flannerys face has such obvious sexual undertones it makes me feel physically sick. Powder was an interesting story that had originality, however the whole movie is just a very sick mans fantasy about what he would feel if he met a 'perfect' boy in every way.
Ghostbusters (1984)
one of the funniest movies ever.
***POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD***
ghostbusters was and still is arguably one of the funniest movies ever made. The story is silly, but wonderfuly silly. The script is full of classic one liners (and occasional dialoge that only Arkroyd seems comfortable saying). The cast are perfect for their roles, its ironic the Murry was only brougnt in due to the death of J Belushi who was originally cast as the lead as his performance is the best of the four. What this film benefits from most is physical comedy, the old rule that something is funnier shown rather than said can be proved simply by watching this film. When Egon comes across the guest watching him in the hotel corridor while looking for 'slimer' and he gives the guest a little 'prod' before he carries on to check he is real still makes me fall off the sofa laughing twenty years on. Ever funny moment is backed up by four great comedians who know that to make someone laugh its not just what you say it's the way you say it and what you do while saying it that really counts.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
ONE OF THOSE MOVIES THAT WILL LIVE FOREVER!
*******SPOILER AHEAD, TURN BACK NOW UNTIL MOVIE HAS BEEN SEEN**********
THE USUAL SUSPECTS is one of 'those' movies, it has that certain 'something' that makes a movie great. No-one knows what it is, and if they did they would be rich off making their own movies, but it is there just the same. 'HIGHLANDER' had it 'AMERICAN BEAUTY' had it as did others, it is that 'something' that makes a low budget movie that really should not work into a low budget movie that does. That something is style and this movie is dripping with it. Everyting from the performances to the score, the the cinematography and even the lighting gives this movie so much style it leaves those of you who shop at next and cut their hair as short as possible wishing you had this much style in one finger as this film has in one second.
Even eight years on this film does not look dated because the costumes were based around style rather than fashion and while fashions come and go style remains constant. The actors deliver their lines with style and this is why no matter how ludicrus the plot gets (and it does) we forgive and love the cast all at once. How else could you deliver the line "the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist" and keep a straight face? the answer is simple you do it with style, and lots (and lots) of it.
Simply the usual suspects is a silly script acted out in a silly way and directed to a silly vision but all are done with so much style that we (film fans the world over) will be debaiting it for decades to come.
Arlington Road (1999)
how dare you call this film names...how little you know
*****WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD, DONT READ UNTIL MOVIE HAS BEEN SEEN******
I was reading some of the user comments for this movie and have to add one of my own...all you people who claim this master piece of movie making a bad film are wallowing in your own beds of ill educated movie melonchly. I suggest you stick to your big budget action thrillers and your romantic comedies, this is a real movie only to be enjoyed by real movie fans.
The reason you can't deal with this movie is it doesn't follow the traditional movie formula watched over the years. We start out with a good guy who has been robbed of his wife and left to raise his son alone, you say "well he will live to the end and beat the bad guy(s)" then we meet his georgeous girl and you say "well she will need to be saved by the good guy and live to the end" and finally we meet the bad guy and you say "he will get got by the good guy and be taught the error of his way just before he dies". Then after this set up Pellington does a real mind job on you and before you know it the girl is dead, the bad guy lives to the end and walks off with a smug smile on his face and the good guy is disintergrated and his memory is trampled on as he is considered to be responsable for the bad guys actions.
Now you feel cheated, you watch movies because movie world makes sense to you, everything comes to a natural conclusion and you feel better about the messed up real world we have to live in. This film (despite the slight suspention of disbelief you have to give to ALL films) is closer to real life than in its conclusion than you can handle. Sometimes the good guys get shafted and things don't work out for the best (sorry to have to break this to you)...but hey...never mind...I hear 'pretty woman' is on TV tonight. Just watch that and forget all this bad stuff goes on in the world and escape to fantasy world for a while..you'll be safe there.
Armageddon (1998)
don't take it so seriously
I read a few comments on this movie and i think that some of you are taking it far too seriously. This film is pile of american patrotism, some very cool special effects, some very famous faces and some incredibly bad dialouge. However I think that is all it was ever supposed to be, none of the cast take it seriously in the film and seem to be having a good laugh rather than acting in most scenes. Why else would the gifted likes of Bushemi, Thornton and Tyler ever appear in a film of this type? This film has the 'die hard' thing going on, great film to look at, you will gasp, laugh, root for the good guys, cheer when the bad guys (or asteroid) get got, the only thing you won't do is think but that is okay sometimes. Imagine a world where the only movies ever made had the emotional depth of 'the shawshank redemption' or the twist ending of 'the usual suspects' we would all go mad, desperatly searching the earth for a piece of entertainment was mindless and just fun, that's all this movie is...fun.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
brilliant, brilliant, brilliant
shortest comment going;
cast are fantastic (Connery and Ford were born to work together and bounce of each other perfectly)
script is intelligent with pin sharp humour (J Boem was a god)
Direction was inspired (I rate it as one of steven's finest films)
The idea of doing a fourth is the worst I have ever heard and will break my heart (have you learned nothing from Star Wars Lucas?, if Ford is having a mid life crisis just give him a cameo in episode 3!)
Children of the Dog Star (1984)
one of the best of its type for the time
I saw this show back in 87 at the tender age of 11 and was hooked from the beginning to the end. Okay so the effects are laughable by todays standard but this liitle low budget show had the one thing that almost all since have lacked, a good story and if you have that all else is forgivable.
The score was amazing and the plot gripped like a vice. Its a shame that there have been no repeats of this show for at least ten years, I would love to sit and watch it again. I won't give too much of the story away for the people who never got to see the last episode(s) but needless to say it was very, very cool!
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
One of the best movies ever made.
WARNING, SPOILER AHEAD! DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU HAVE SEEN THE FILM.
This film is one of the most hotly contested films ever made. Some, like myself, love it and it takes pride of place in their video, DVD collections. Others detest it and I think the reason for this is that they have completely missed the one point Mr Darabont was trying to make.
The prison in the film is a representation of life itself, Andy didn't choose to be there he was put there by circumstances beyond his control. This is supposed to mean that in life sometimes thing happen to us, partners leave, jobs are lost etc. that are beyond our control and we simply have to deal with them. Andy makes the best life he can for himself in the situation he is in and makes a friend in Red. He then, through his ability to maintain a level of hope that things will get better, inspires those around him by teaching Red the value of hope and teaching the ill fated Tommy to read etc. In the end he escapes from prison and puts all that is wrong within it right.
You can tell Darabont, like many of us, has had times where life seemed pointless and everything was against him. What he tried, and succeeded, to say is no matter how bad things get if you believe that things will get better they will.
I recently read that Tim Robbins frequently gets members of the public coming up to him in the street and telling him how important the film was to them. How it helped them get through a time in their life they where truly miserable and, as his character said in the film, gave them hope.