Reviews

Christians will get it. They will understand that the subplots, twists and turns of life are intricately woven into a careful masterpiece that we call life. When we went into the theater, I was not anticipating much. Based on other movies that do not connect multi-plots well, I decided this would be a "feel good" story that would relay a good message to the youth group I was with. Thankfully, and much to my surprise, I was wrong. The movie was seamlessly interactive. The characters were developed well enough to convey an "everyman" message, about people from all walks of life and how we can all affect one another, in a positive or negative way.

The movie is not about winning an Oscar, it is about winning people over, by providing hope with inspiration for all to change for the betterment of all humanity.

An amazing story of home and redemption in a time when the world is flooded with media images of disaster and destruction. While the story line has some Christian bible derived items, and tells of an amazing journey of faith, it is still a fictional work and not to be thought of as a bibical prediction of the end of the world. The soundtrack of the movie is a must have. The music is perfectly matched to the movie and inspiring. If you are looking for a Christian friendly movie, then this is it. If you are looking for the glitz and glam of Hollywood, then this is not your movie. This is not a movie for critics. This movie is about faith and spirituality, not camera angles and things being "normal". The acting in the movie is realistic and true. The nature scenes are beautiful. This movie may be to dramatic for immature or young audiences without bibical explanation.

Trading spouses is a mediocre attempt at recreating the exciting "Wife Swap" show. Though I don't like the title of either, I do enjoy watching the dilemmas unfold. The title is misleading - it sounds like a swinger show, which is the reason it took me so long to watch it. I only watched it after a friend explained that it was not about sex. Another problem with Trading Spouses, the one I watched had 10 minutes "getting to know" the prima donna real estate agent that was being traded with. She was obnoxious, had loose morals and she was very rude. Two or three minutes TOP would have been enough to learn about each person that was switching. The show seemed to draw out single individual incidents rather than show a variety of daily living action shots. Friday night is not a good time slot for this show. A better time slot would be 9pm Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. I probably will not watch this show again.

OK, I really should rate this as awful, it was a bit scattered, kind of weird, and really crazy. But hey! I used to hang out in Hollywood now and then, and this baby hits the nail on the head! Everything about this movie is SO Hollywood. From "Trust Me" to Gay Perry, everything rings so true that you'd have to have seen some of it to believe that this could actually happen. Most definitely for a mature, discerning audience, "Kiss, Kiss" will draw you in like an ugly puppy, so ugly it's cute and you have to love it. Rated low for the language, but overall an accurate picture of what things can be like in the real world. This could actually be a documentary I think.

Rarely will I sit through a movie longer than two hours at home, but Heat was truly a movie that deserved my attention. Intricate plot details had to be caught in order to fully understand this movie. I fell in love with Chris (Val Kilmer) and his warm, dedicated love for the woman he loved. Robert De Niro enthralled me as Neil, he was sexy and strong, with an air of sophistication not usually associated with a cocky crook. Pacino was a "spirit of the law" cop that knew he had a job to do. "Heat" blurs the line of good guy/bad guy, yet continually instills a sense of right vs wrong through real life structure in the movie. A real movie, not relying on graphics and garbage, but acting and emotions, Heat is an excellent movie, especially for a rainy day.

I NEVER watched Western movies. When they came on TV, I would have rather pulled weeds. "Tombstone" takes a classic plot, a little bit of history and a lot of action to pull you in. Kilmer's performance as Doc is beautiful. His palid complexion is by no means an indication of his performance. Doc puts heart into the old west, and gives tenderness to the harshness of what was. Kurt Russel made Earp come to life for me. Sam Elliot was perfectly cast, as he has the perfect rugged, western look. Though Tombstone was loose in the interpretation of fact (as Hollywood always is), it opened up the reality of what the wild west was to a whole new generation. It put Westerns back on the books and intrigued me to learn more about the interesting life and times of some of the earliest contributing members of our western United States.

"Top Gun" has a fabulous sound track. Very few from the 80's generation don't get their heart racing when they hear about the "danger zone". Tom Cruise delivers a good performance, but Val Kilmer's performance was more notable in my opinion. The movie blends the thrill of aviation with the challenge of military life mixed with the heated emotions of young "guns". These guys are just like military guys I met when I was young; dedicated to their profession, but always ready for a thrill. The girls are always looking for these guys, and the plot is true to the drama and reality of what it is like to be a man in uniform, excuse the old-fashioned reference, but the comment embodies the spirit of the movie.

Real Genius is a hilarious political commentary of the 1980's. Mix greed, government corruption, college pranks and a truly talented cast, and you have the movie "Real Genius". This movie is a family favorite for us, and with good reason. Clean language, developed plot, and fun, the "Real Genius" is great for the family collection. There are scenes in this movie that will stick with you long after you have seen the movie. Kilmer is upbeat and charming in the lead role as are all of the supporting actors/actresses. The lighthearted movie is brought to real-life with the reality of laser technology and the influence of greed which infiltrates every aspect of life - even college campus'.

Val Kilmer in Salton Sea is about as close to home as anything for me in this movie. He looks like just another guy on the streets of So Cal back in the 80's, looking for a quick high, with no idea of consequence. Salton Sea is a beautiful location that many don't know of. Kilmer's performance carries one through the movie effortlessly. From the intricacies of the actual life he portrays to the unshown details of the tenderness of the characters heart, "Salton Sea" delivers a complete package of salty and sweet. I would have never rented the movie had it been any other actor. The only reason I was drawn to the movie, was the title, because so few people know of the hidden gem in the California desert, and I had been there as a child. The theme was a place that I unfortunately also visited and I feel that the movie delivers a compelling reason for people to think before the act. To realize that there is always more than meets the eye.

Our whole family loved "Willow". From the adorable, yet mischievous Brownies, to the wicked queen, this movie had every element of a life lived in it. As always the chameleon, Val Kilmer, was splendid. His acting is altruistic and heart-warming. He is like a prodigal son in the movie, but that's enough info, I would not want anyone to not watch this because they think they know what it is about. It is nice to see a movie that shows, especially to the younger generations, that what we take for granted, food, clean water, freedom, has not been, and is not always something so easily gained. The good vs evil is a wonderful classic plot theme, especially for younger audiences. The movie is simple yet the complex themes and sceneries make it easy to watch 2 or 3 times, if not more. An excellent family movie. We have watched it many times before, and will continue to watch it in the future.

Wife Swap was not something I was ever going to watch. I thought it was about sex. A friend said she watched it, explained what it was, and that piqued my interest. I enjoyed the fact that the families "traded" moms for 2 weeks. It gave enough time to see how everyone was doing things, and then implement the changes. I especially like the way the husband and wife teams talk after the show. The follow up is terrific, it is so uplifting and encouraging to see people's lives get better once they learn to appreciate what they have, and change what is wrong in their lives. I don't think any extra drama is needed. On one episode a knife was brought out and "Stu" the rabbit's life was under threat. I think this was dramatized a little to much, probably as a result of director intervention. I do not think this is necessary. What I like about the show is it is REAL, it is helpful to the parties involved and it is unique to American TV.

In the movie "Sahara" it wasn't just the sand that was hot in this movie! Matthew "McHottie" McConaughey gave a steller performance. The movie continued to keep me in suspense, not easy, as many movies are predictable. Loved it so much I bought it. Just don't let this guy take your boat out and do a "Panama"! The actors in this movie were perfectly put together. The movie would not have been the same without Steve Zahn, a hottie in his own right. Moving, intriguing, non-predictable and a glorious southern bell ringer. With the title Sahara, I had no clue what this movie was about. The language was clean and the scenery in the movie was fabulous. I have watched the movie 5 times. Haven't done that since the days of "Indiana Jones". This movie is a MUST OWN!