Reviews

Considering the success of "Men in Black," Buckaroo should have at least been a moderate hit, in that it is no more or less strange and entertaining than that later sci-fi-alien-invading human cartoon. Buckaroo even has a better storyline (Orson Welles War of the Worlds broadcast of 1939 being genuine). Would Will Smith have made the difference? Perhaps a little more bathroom humor, a huge helping of added gratuitous violence, a female slapping all the men around, some thinly-veiled pejorative references to drug and tobacco companies, considerable sexual depravity and a homosexual hero would have elevated Buckaroo Banzai to the level of a neo-classic, a la Pulp Fiction.

OK, the movie is cute, with some clever lines, but, among the top 120 movies of all time? Please... you haven't seen enough movies! I personally got a little bored with all the witty diatribe, sort of the way I felt after watching three episodes of Moonlighting with Bruce Willis's eternal cuteness. Too much of anything is not very good. This is a good movie with which to pass a pleasant rainy afternoon or even to watch with a first date, but it only masquerades as a classic and only then with the teen (or thereabouts) set. I liked the Inigo character, and Andre even did an acceptable job as an actor. But I felt no compassion for Robin Wright as the bride. And isn't that what the whole story was about?

A good plot, as far as Bond films go, and I do think Pierce is the

best Bond since Sean, but… the action (violence) gets downright

corny and overdone, which I assume is what sells today. Let

Bond's charisma and the plot carry the film and leave the special

effects more in the background – perhaps it will then seem more

like a movie and less like an Xbox game. Some of the stunts

were… well, damn silly! I guess I expected more from the series at this point. Can't they

hire a decent writer for these films anymore?

This is a movie about sheer violence and power, yet it's presented

in such an intelligent way that today's popular fare of overdone

gore is non-existent. If you're looking for boobs, blood and

brawling, look elsewhere. You need a brain and a hunger for a

good story to enjoy this film.

The movie does a great disservice to Farmer's series of novels.

The book's interesting story line is morphed into a series of martial arts choreographies for TV - typical 21st century emphasis on cartooning over substance. And how did an 18th century female slave from Africa learn Bruce Lee's moves? Forget the screenplay; read the book.

And very violent. It's one long, (occasionally boring) assault on the

ears. It works well as a special effects vehicle, but I didn't care

about the characters, and indifference is a true sign of a mediocre

movie. Harry Potter held my interest (and that of my children) more.

It's amazing to me how many young reviewers fail to understand

this film (or film in general). They ask, "Who is Rosebud?" I ask,

"Did you watch the damn flick?" The character study of CK is flawless. If you can't figure out the

development of the main characters, then you are probably

enamored with the senseless perversion of Pulp Fiction or

endless special effects of a living cartoon, like Lord of the Rings. This movie was made before I was born and I didn't see it until I

was in my 30s, but I was astute enough to recognize its greatness

even as I watched it. No serious film maker denies its spot at or near the top of any

meaningful movie list.

Matheson's novel is far superior to the movie, and that is in large

part because Ronald Bass's screenplay hardly resembles the

thoughtful story that is Matheson's novel. The clever and insightful

book is turned into a human cartoon by Bass, doing nothing more

than utilizing the myriad special effects available. Robin Williams

over-acts and two of the main characters (the writer and Chris's

brother) are not even in the movie. If you want to experience the

true (it is supposedly based on true testimonies) story, read the

novel. It is considerably more interesting than the film.

If you enjoy spending time sitting in a well-used and ill-kept

outhouse, you'll probably enjoy this movie. I didn't need two and a

half hours of retrospective about growing up poor in depression-era Ireland to convince me it must have been a rough

time. This picture absolutely bathes itself in just about every

disgusting bit of detail that the Hollywood of today can't get

enough of – urination, masturbation, defecation, fornication,

vomiting, brutality… it's all here, folks, overdone for your motion

picture pleasure. My parents grew up dirt poor in depression era

Philadelphia and I've heard all the stories many times. I don't know

how they were able to survive, but their's was a terribly strong

generation. We don't need to witness the depravity over and over

again to get the picture. But then Hollywood would have missed

the opportunity to show more of the urination, masturbation, etc.

that they so love.

The story is paradoxical. An alien being comes to earth to warn us

that we are getting too dangerous for our (and the aliens') own

good since we have developed nuclear power and the technology

to reach into space. He stops all power on earth for one hour to

demonstrate his seriousness. Now I wonder why any civilization

that could arbitrarily stop power all over our planet would fear us. He then demands that we submit to the totalitarian power of the

race of robots that rule his world. Our alternative – to be

incinerated if we refuse to submit. And this guy comes from a

peace-loving culture? Who's the real violence-prone civilization

here? At least we're not threatening the alien with the destruction

of his planet if he doesn't go along with our wishes. A good story,

but hypocrisy seems to be at the foundation of this alien's

benevolence.

Ever since the idea of "Political Correctness" became stylish, I've

warned that it was just the beginning. Such manipulation only

leads to an increasing loss of individual freedom. It's a stealthy

process that takes over the political organism the way a cancer

takes over a physical one. The end result of such a "politically

correct" process is clearly illustrated in Harrison Bergeron. The

plot is simple, yet chilling in its display of cavalier inhumanity.

Watch the movie for its unhidden message; enjoy it for its plot and

turn of (tragic) events, but above all, learn from it – ideologies such

as political correctness and its first cousin, affirmative action, are

inhumane at their foundation, insidious in their progression, and

decidedly real in their ultimate danger.

It's difficult to grade this picture. If you grade by quality, it's a one. If you're grading by entertainment value, it's a 10! It's certainly less

painful to watch than some movies that masquerade as art, such

as The Swimmer. Or those that masquerade as action, such as

Pulp Fiction. This is entertaining as a production, not as a plot. If

you can watch an "artsy" picture more than once to see what you

missed the previous time(s), why not watch Plan 9 over and over

again to see what mistakes you missed the first time around? It's

more fun.

Entertaining...that's what this film is - the reason you go to the movies in the first place.

If you like mysteries, this is among the best. The clever use of cameo appearances only makes it better.

It was so magnetic, I had to see it again almost immediately. The plot is second to none.

Next to Burt Lancaster's, "The Swimmer," this is the worst movie I've ever seen. If you like two hours of non-stop profanity, senseless violence and a story that has no beginning, no middle and certainly no conclusion; and if you like an underlying theme of inhumanity and perversion, then I recommend it.

It you want a story that is well-acted and well-thought out, don't waste your time. This is a movie geared for an audience that is very young (if only in mentality) and very unexperienced in life.

Recent events cause us to look at the message in Red Dawn with a new seriousness. This is one of those movies that drives those on the far left a little crazy. They nervously dismiss it as "right-wing fantasy," because of its anti-socialism/totalitarian theme, but events in real time have proven them wrong once again.

After all is said and done, it's also a pretty good action flick, with decent dialogue.

I thought the book was overdone and corny when I read it in 71; and I thought the movie was overacted and bordered on fantasy when I saw it in 72.

Having spent 22 years in a major city's police department, I had occasion to deal with these mob types now and again. They are nothing like those portrayed in the film. They are hollow shells of men who somehow know their bravado is a sham.

There are some good action scenes in the picture, but I find the constant atmosphere of universal admiration of thuggery to be aimed at the juvenile patron.

A movie like this can never be dated, especially if one studies a bit of history. Set in World War II England and on board a ship bound for ?, Between Two Worlds is an entertaining enough fantasy that is thought-provoking to all but the hopelessly misanthropic.

If it doesn't at least make you think about how you've spent your life thus far, then you're probably in the same boat (pun intended) as the George Coulouris character in the story.

The message is timeless.

The cliche is apt here: It's so bad, it's good. If it wasn't for the entertainment value of the total lack of professionalism that went into the making of this film, it would deserve a rating of one. But it is comical (though not supposed to be). Still, it's better than Burt Lancaster's bomb, "The Swimmer" - another film that's so bad, it's enjoyable.

My Italian father introduced me to "The Quiet Man" in the 1950's and I've been a fan ever since. It was the first movie I owned on VHS. It's a beautifully entertaining (and beautifully filmed) picture that has a sub plot to please everyone: romance, comedy, drama, and one of the best fight scenes of all time. It sits at the top of my 10 best list, just above "Citizen Kane."

It takes a lot of effort to make a movie this bad, but The Swimmer produces. I've seen the movie many times (It's so bad you can't take your eyes off of it.), had friends view it with me (Agreement is always unanimous.), and have even read and re-read the John Cheever short story from which it is taken. To have this many notable actors work in a film this insipid and nebulous is a true triumph. I've studied film and lit in college and have reviewed for print media, so my background is more than just a disgruntled video renter. The Swimmer is so bad, that it has become a cult classic, not unlike Plan Nine From Outer Space. The difference is Ed Wood (Plan Nine) was admittedly a lousy film maker, whereas The Swimmer masquerades as quality theater. I believe it's the worst movie I've ever seen.