Not being a fan of love stories, and running away from anything schmaltzy, I knew what to expect when I watched this. In what is probably all of the main actor's defining roles, they produce a film that is quite good. It's the best love story film that I have seen, but admittedly, I haven't seen many. Its strong point is its central theme of Patrick Swayze as a ghost, trying to save his lover from danger, involving murder, theft and betrayal. Being a ghost, he has to try and help out without being able to touch anything, and be invisible except to other ghosts. As plots go, this isn't bad. However, as a spirit, he can conveniently interact with things in the real world. He can walk on floors and sit in chairs, and initially has a problem in going 'through' doors. Then he learns how to knock things over, and finds out that he can be heard through a medium. I expect that when this was initially being written, they probably reluctantly had to make him do these things in order for the story to work. I'm still not sure about the door thing though. The effects are pretty mediocre. Even at the time it was made, I'm sure they could have been better, especially when a 'baddie' dies. Cartoony wraiths come out of the ground and drag them away. It's all very unconvincing. It's not just a straight love story. There are elements of other genres as well, and they work. All in all, a rather good film.
Reviews
6 Reviews
Alien vs. Predator
(2004)
Please, no rematch.
27 October 2004
Warning: Spoilers
<This review contains some spoilers>
It might have seemed at one point, an interesting idea, brought to effect in a computer game, but no further. Fox obviously saw an opportunity to meld together two iconic alien creatures in one film and have them face-off. That'll get the fanboys wet with excitement. You can bet someone thought that at one point. However, greenlight it they did. Like they were ever going to say no. In order for them to have an excuse to battle, a credible storyline had to have been produced for it to happen. It didn't, and what we get is some nonsense about the predators teaching humans to build and us worshiping them as gods. So a type of initiation rite meant them proving themselves by fighting aliens in a pyramid in the Antarctic. Humans are lured there to act as hosts. That's about it really. It dosen't really get any more complicated than that. It's basically an excuse for them to battle.
Up until the point where they eventually see the pyramid beneath the ice, the film is, I suppose, quite interesting, but then the predators arrive, and you can see the rest of the film mapped out. Humans trying to survive with the predators and aliens about. Then it reaches a point where there is only one predator and one human left, and guess what? Yes, they team up. I felt that at this point, it was trying to impose some sort of empathy with the predator. Are we meant to feel sorry for it against these nasty aliens? It doesn't work, and the predators themselves simply come across as men in costumes. Its hard to think of them as aliens.
Towards the end, where the alien queen is up on the surface, she reminded me of the T-Rex in Jurassic park. The effects were great. However, that's the best thing I can say about it. With today's standards in cgi and puppetry, you wouldn't expect a cheap, straight to video or made for TV film. It's a pity the film itself couldn't match the effects for quality, but come across as simply an excuse for these aliens to face-off. This is film I cannot recommend.
It might have seemed at one point, an interesting idea, brought to effect in a computer game, but no further. Fox obviously saw an opportunity to meld together two iconic alien creatures in one film and have them face-off. That'll get the fanboys wet with excitement. You can bet someone thought that at one point. However, greenlight it they did. Like they were ever going to say no. In order for them to have an excuse to battle, a credible storyline had to have been produced for it to happen. It didn't, and what we get is some nonsense about the predators teaching humans to build and us worshiping them as gods. So a type of initiation rite meant them proving themselves by fighting aliens in a pyramid in the Antarctic. Humans are lured there to act as hosts. That's about it really. It dosen't really get any more complicated than that. It's basically an excuse for them to battle.
Up until the point where they eventually see the pyramid beneath the ice, the film is, I suppose, quite interesting, but then the predators arrive, and you can see the rest of the film mapped out. Humans trying to survive with the predators and aliens about. Then it reaches a point where there is only one predator and one human left, and guess what? Yes, they team up. I felt that at this point, it was trying to impose some sort of empathy with the predator. Are we meant to feel sorry for it against these nasty aliens? It doesn't work, and the predators themselves simply come across as men in costumes. Its hard to think of them as aliens.
Towards the end, where the alien queen is up on the surface, she reminded me of the T-Rex in Jurassic park. The effects were great. However, that's the best thing I can say about it. With today's standards in cgi and puppetry, you wouldn't expect a cheap, straight to video or made for TV film. It's a pity the film itself couldn't match the effects for quality, but come across as simply an excuse for these aliens to face-off. This is film I cannot recommend.
Saw
(2004)
What I saw, was good.
19 October 2004
I thought this would just be another average horror film, going for scares rather than story, and was pleasantly surprised as the story itself was the main strength of the film, and didn't need to resort to shock tactics. Without a credible plot, this would have collapsed, and even though the story is rather unrealistic and, I suppose, far-out, it is after all, fiction, and is allowed to be. This is one of the most enjoyable horror films I've seen in a long time. It wasn't too gory, and the performances were decent, and more importantly, it was kept fairly simple. There's no convoluted plot lines to fathom. These films are rare these days, although that's not for the want of trying, it's just that a lot of them are just average, basically, trying for scares rather than plot. Saw goes for story, and is much better for it. Certainly recommended.
Street Trash
(1987)
Not quite garbage.
8 July 2004
I wasn't expecting much when I watched this, but what I was expecting was a melt movie. An ordinary horror film with a plot centred around the viper drink. What I saw was a badly acted cop versus bums film, and in some parts, there was a bit of melting to justify the video cover. I suspect they couldn't afford much of the gore, so only had a few bits of melting. The part where the man exploded wasn't too bad, and nor was the first melting, on the toilet. I think that scene was probably the most expensive in it. It's the type of film that made me want to take a shower after viewing it. I didn't mind it. I've seen worse, but I was expecting a melt movie, and didn't really get it.
Speed
(1994)
A classic action film.
2 June 2004
In what is certainly Jan de bont's best film, and Keanu's best role before Neo, this has earned its place as one of the best action films ever. Good action films have good story lines to justify the explosions and violence. There is no exception here. The story is a simple one, which sets up the scenes for plenty of tension and action. If I was to make one criticism, I think it was in the part played by Dennis Hopper. He didn't come across as entirely convincing, but the rest of the film made up for this and it seems alright. It's a pity that de bont thought he could do it again in speed 2, and another pity that Sandra bullock agreed to be in it. Keanu made the right decision to not appear in this, as this seems a polar opposite to the first film. Ignore the second, the first is, to me, a classic in its genre.
Scent of a Woman
(1992)
Good, but not great.
25 March 2004
This is quite an interesting film with a simple premise. There isn't much in the way of a plot. A blind, ex-army colenel takes thanksgiving weekend to taste the good life, and he needs a guide, a helper, but there's also a sub-plot involving college friends being threatened with explusion. The whole essence of this film is carried solely by Pacino's performance. There are not many other actors who could have done just as well. (Imagine Van damme or Seagal, sorry). Yet, I think Chris O'Donnell is seriously miscast. There are plenty of other actors who could have done a better job. Sometimes he seemed confused, not knowing what to do. I don't think it was scripted. Not a bad film though, but without Pacino to keep it afloat, this simply would have sank.
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