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Reviews
The Fugitive (1993)
A well-written adaptation and film
Truth be told,the job of a vascular surgeon is not the most pleasant job that there is to be found out there. But,for vascular surgeon Richard Kimble(Harrison Ford),life could be better. This is due to Richard Kimble being a rich,successful,and respected vascular surgeon. On top of that,Richard Kimble has a beautiful wife with whom he has a loving relationship with,Helen (Sela Ward). This has made Richard Kimble's life perfect,and given Kimble what most people dream for/of.
But,one night,everything perfect and wonderful in the life of Richard Kimble suddenly comes to an end. This is when Richard Kimble comes home,only to discover that his beloved Helen is being murdered by a man with a prosthetic arm. And then,before Richard Kimble knows it,he is falsely convicted for the murder of his wife. The result? Kimble being sentenced to Death Row.
However,one night,a stroke of "fate" steps in for Richard Kimble. This stroke of "fate" allows Richard Kimble to escape imprisonment,and allows Kimble to return to Chicago(his hometown)to solve the murder of his wife. Richard Kimble has several loyal,trusted and respected friends/colleagues. Because of this,Kimble has a very strong chance at solving the murder of his wife,and bringing the people who are responsible for it to justice. But,the Chicago Police and the United States Marshals have a tight watch over Richard Kimble. This complicates Kimble trying to solve the murder of his wife and bringing the people who are responsible for it to justice. On top of that? The man leading the case against Richard Kimble is Samuel Gerard(Tommy Lee Jones),a United States Marshal who's determination and obsession in finding Richard Kimble is aided by his intelligence.
The only things that will tell who is able to win the whole "case" between Richard Kimble and his friends/colleagues and Samuel Gerard and his team of United States Marshals,alongside the Chicago Police Department? Time,decisions,and intelligence.
The script for "The Fugitive" is a bit unarranged,and could have been easily fixed by director Andrew Davis before its release. But,other than that,"The Fugitive" is a well-written film and adaptation. Based off of a 1960's television series created by the late Roy Huggins (RIP),"The Fugitive" succeeds in taking the television show that it based off of,and keeping several elements of the show,remaining true and original without recycling the show. There are a lot of original elements to "The Fugitive",which helps it out a lot,at the same time. And,despite the fact that the script for "The Fugitive" happens to be a bit unarranged,it does a good job at documenting Richard Kimble trying to solve the murder of his wife,and the case being lead against Kimble. The way that everything leads up to another is perfectly arranged. At the same time,"The Fugitive" successfully takes crime drama,action,and plenty of chemistry,alongside a small amount of humor,and blending it all together in one.
There are also a lot of strong performances that are to be found in "The Fugitive". In Harrison Ford's performance as Richard Kimble,Ford turns in a richly executed performance. This is by Harrison Ford understanding how his character of Richard Kimble is feeling,and bringing Kimble's feelings to life. The beauty of it? Harrison Ford's performance as Richard Kimble does not find Ford portraying Kimble as a big,tough guy who's enemies better look out for themselves. Harrison Ford's performance as Richard Kimble paints a picture of Kimble as a smart and laid-back man,who is just trying to solve his wife's murder and bring the people responsible for it to justice. What makes this performance tick is viewers seeing that Richard Kimble is no tough guy whatsoever--letting the plot and script have an interesting and creative "twist" to them. In Tommy Lee Jones's performances as Samuel Gerard,Jones understands how Gerard feels about the case of Richard Kimble,and Gerard's determination and obsession to find Kimble,alongside the intelligence of Gerard. This keeps "The Fugitive" moving along well at a well-structured and constructed pace. It helps viewers of "The Fugitive" clearly know and understand the two sides of the story. Anytime a scene in "The Fugitive" calls for humor out of Tommy Lee Jones' performance of Samuel Gerard,Jones takes the humor and brings it to life,allowing the humor to be worthwhile and viewers of "The Fugitive" have a few laughs. All of these elements all work not only being blended together,but also for the scenes in this film that feature both Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones and the scenes with action (the action here is well-mixed in with the script;it is fitting and suitable,but does not push itself a mile to being an action film,on behalf of the way it is arranged in the script for "The Fugitive" and the performances in the scene with the action).
It is also worth noting that even though you will only find Sela Ward through a small half of "The Fugitive",Ward's performance as Helen Kimble is one of the film's highlights. Why? In Sela Ward's performance as Helen Kimble,Ward puts a good amount of compassion into her scenes,and even though very little,emotion when it is called for (You'll know what I mean.....). Sela Ward's performance of Helen Kimble contribute to "The Fugitive" being as good and successful as it turned out to be. It also succeeds in allowing viewers of "The Fugitive" know how Richard Kimble feels as they watch Richard solve Helen's murder. All of this allows "The Fugitive" to fully come together,and be the good and successful film that it turned out to be.
Overall,whether you have or have not watched the television show that "The Fugitive" is based off of,if you enjoy crime drama films and enjoy a film with a good cast and good acting (most of the cast here is obscure,but they are all great actors who are perfect in their roles here),"The Fugitive" is the film is for you.
9/10
First Blood (1982)
A well-written adaptation and film
Sure,"First Blood" is known by people who have not seen it as a "bang,bang,shoot 'em up" action film. Yet,don't let what others think of it trick you. As said by another reviewer,"First Blood" is a classic.
Based off of the 1972 novel by David Morell,"First Blood" is about a former green beret of the Vietnam War,John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone). Despite the fact that John Rambo gave a strong service to America during the years that he fought in Vietnam,lately,Rambo finds his life falling apart. This is something that has personally torn John Rambo apart.
And then,one day,things take a turn for the worse. This is when John Rambo is arrested by a sheriff in a small Alaska town(Hope),Will Teasle(Brian Dennehey)for vagrancy. Shortly thereafter,before John Rambo knows it,his patience and mental state are being put to a test. The result? John Rambo escaping from the police and launching a one-man war against them and the national guard. The only person who can help everyone get through it all? Colonel Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna),a close friend of John Rambo who served with Rambo in Vietnam.
Let's talk about "First Blood" on the whole. Similar to 1988's "Die Hard" and 1993's "The Fugitive","First Blood" is one of the most well-written and adapted films (despite the several differences between the film and the novel). Not only is the action in "First Blood" perfect for any action film,it is quite suspenseful. It is not in the script just for the sake of being there. It is in the script because it needs to be there. The action in "First Blood" works well into the script,and is only to be found where it belongs.
There is a lot of good drama and chemistry in "First Blood",as well. On top of everything that John Rambo has gone through in his life being richly executed drama that fits in well with the action in "First Blood",the scenes with the action are not just action scenes. They are scenes that contain action,drama,and chemistry. This is due to viewers of "First Blood" being able to watch John Rambo fight the Police and the National Guard with not only his weapons,but at the same time,his mind. The acting is in top shape,also. All of the actors in "First Blood" succeed in understanding their characters and bringing their characters to life with their performances. Especially Sylvester Stallone. Will Stallone ever have the presence and respect in Hollywood that actors like Paul Newman,Al Pacino,and Robert De Niro,plus several others,have earned and achieved? Surely and probably,no. But,in his performance as John Rambo,Stallone executes the drama that his performance requires. At the same time,Stallone does not fail to let the action in "First Blood" to be entertaining. He gives it the kind of action you would expect to see in any film that is reminiscent of "First Blood" ("Lethal Weapon","Die Hard",etc.). All of this is what helps "First Blood" fully come together,and make it the great film that it is.
Overall,a must see-film for fans of not only action films,but for fans of crime drama films,as well.
10/10
Die Hard (1988)
A classic action film
To this date,Hollywood continues to produce and release several great action films. This is something that Hollywood has been great at for several decades. And,one of those films happens to be "Die Hard". Not only is "Die Hard" great as an action film,is a great part of film history that all action film fans,as well as film fans in general,do not want to miss out on.
Based off the 1979 novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" by the late Roderick Thorp (RIP),this film starts off with going into the life of John McClane (Bruce Willis). McClane,an off-duty New York City police officer,has the perfect Christmas holiday planned:he is going to spend the holiday out in Los Angeles,with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia)and their two children,who Holly brought to LA with her after taking a promotion as a stock broker at LA's Nakatomi Building. Not only do John and Holly have a lot of great plans made for their Christmas holiday together,they also have the holiday as a strong opportunity to save their marriage from problems that they have been struggling with recently.
Then,before John and Holly McClane can have a nice Christmas together,a large amount of trouble arises. This is when a group of German terrorists,lead by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)and his assistant Karl (Alexander Godunov)seize complete control of the Nakatomi building,while holding the rest of the Nakatomi employees who are left in the building hostage. The reason as to why this large group of terrorists have taken over the Nakatomi Building on Christmas Eve? A reason that is largely unknown to all of the hostages (including Holly). But,once John McClane has slipped away from the terrorists,the terrorists find their own plans changing,as well. This is due to John McClane not only launching a one-man war against the terrorists,but also bringing the LAPD in on the situation,which leads to several twists and turns in "Die Hard".
Not only does "Die Hard" provide all of the entertainment that one would want out of an action film,it also has a lot of great chemistry in it,as well. I won't give this away in hopes to not spoil the film,but the great chemistry that is used throughout "Die Hard" does a strong job at bringing several dramatic issues into this film. This is something that makes "Die Hard" more interesting and not just another "bang,bang,bang,shoot 'em up" action film. At the same time,the drama and chemistry in "Die Hard" make DH suspenseful and entertaining,while it leaves its viewers wondering what will happen next,as well. As for the performances,Bruce Willis is perfect as John McClane,and gives a very strong and tough performance as McClane,with a lot of emotion and intensity. And,besides Bruce Willis and Bonnie Bedelia working great alongside each other in "Die Hard" with the suspense and chemistry,it is also worth noting that Alan Rickman's performance as Hans Gruber is both suspenseful and chilling. All of this is what helps "Die Hard" fully come together,and make DH the good and successful film that it is.
Overall,if you have not seen "Die Hard" yet,what are you waiting for? 10/10
The Departed (2006)
A mob film at its best
Hollywood has welcomed several great directors. And,out of all those great directors,one of them happens to be,by far,Martin Scorsese. Despite the fact that Martin Scorsese does not have the versatility of Ron Howard and has not won Oscars the way that Steven Spielberg has,Scorsese's intelligence with crime drama films has brought Hollywood several great films of that genre. So,how does the most recent Martin Scorsese film,"The Departed",measure up? Read on for my review of this:
Based in Boston,"The Departed" is based around several different characters. It is best to begin my review of "The Departed" with a depiction of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in the film,Billy Costigan. Billy Costigan,a young man who has had a rough life,decides to make a change. That change is by Billy Costigan re-entering the Boston Police Department,and being given a good job as a police officer. That job? Posing as a criminal and going undercover into a Boston mob that is run by a dangerous mob boss by the name of Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). While Billy Costigan is able to do well with the job that he has been assigned,will Costigan be able to successfully bring Frank Costello down,with Costello being so hard to catch and a deadly secret existing within the Boston Police Department? The only things that will tell are time,decisions,and intelligence.
Let's talk about "The Departed". Not only does it work excellent as a crime drama film,it successfully blends two stories (the story of the good characters in "The Departed",and the story of the bad characters in "The Departed")into one entire film. Yes,this may be hard to do,but Martin Scorsese makes it appear to be a piece of cake and does a richly executed job with it. The script for "The Departed" is very well-written,and brings this film's plot to life with twists,turns,and surprises along the way. Sure,"The Departed" is hard to follow throughout some of it,while it is a very long film (close to the amount of time that "JFK" and "The Good Shepherd" were). Yet,"The Departed" being hard to follow and being as long as it is is not the film's script losing itself. It is the film being headed in the right direction that it needs to be headed in,and being well understood by its director. And,with all of that,alongside the powerful performances that are to be found in "The Departed" and the great cast that "The Departed" holds (DiCaprio,Nicholson,Matt Damon,Mark Wahlberg,Martin Sheen,and Alec Baldwin),"The Departed" comes together as one of the most brilliant films ever made. Whether you are a fan of crime drama films or happen to be just a film buff,"The Departed" is one film that you do not want to miss out on.
10/10
Mötley Crüe: Carnival of Sins (2005)
An excellent comeback for Motley Crue
Let me start off my review of this DVD with the simple and honest truth:I have been one of the biggest Motley Crue fans ever since I have been big into hair metal. And,while it may be disappointing that the hair metal era may no longer be popular,it is great to see Motley Crue back together. Their most recent DVD,"Carnival of Sins-Live",is a reminder of the good times that Motley Crue gave their fans in both the 80's and today.
Truth be told,while this DVD needed a little fixing up before its release,it is still solid and well put together. Right here,you get to see the original line-up of Motley Crue (Vince Neil,Nikki Sixx,Tommy Lee,and Mick Mars)performing live in Grand Rapids,MI in 2005 on their "Carnival of Sins" reunion tour. This DVD is a perfect return for Motley Crue--Vince Neil,Nikki Sixx,Tommy Lee,and Mick Mars are all in jovial moods during the concert that is on disc one of this DVD,and they bring back their on-stage personalities and on-stage antics from their 80's concerts on-stage to the concert that is on this DVD. The song selection of Motley Crue songs that are performed on the concert that is too be found on disc one of this DVD is excellent,and it is nice to see Motley Crue performing both old and new hits,ranging from "Dr. Feelgood" to "If I Die Tomorrow",along with underrated Crue material such as "Ten Seconds To Love" and "On With The Show". It was excellent thinking on the parts of Vince Neil,Nikki Sixx,Tommy Lee,and Mick Mars,and it helps make this DVD (moslty)complete. It would have been nice had Nikki Sixx put more effort into his bass solo that was included here and if Tommy Lee had done the same thing for/with his drum solo,but the rest of the concert that was filmed for this DVD is excellent. It is nice to see that Motley Crue can still play rock and roll,despite the fact that they are all getting old now.
The bonus features that are on disc two of this DVD,which include several behind the scenes segments for this tour,a movie called "Disaster" which was based around Motley Crue's "Carnival of Sins" reunion tour and this DVD,as well as Motley Crue's three new music videos (a time lapse video for "On With The Show" off of the "Too Fast For Love" album,and the new videos for "If I Die Tomorrow" and "Sick Love Song",which were written and recorded for Motley Crue's "Red,White and Crue" anthology album)are very entertaining and exciting. Motley Crue sure do know how to make their fans happy--and this whole DVD is proof of just that!!!!! One of the best concert DVDS that has ***ever*** been released,and an excellent supplement to the history and music of Motley Crue.
Kiss: Rock the Nation - Live (2005)
Not totally complete,but an awesome DVD--another excellent supplement to KISSSTORY
Let me start off my review of this DVD by stating the honest truth:I have been one of the biggest KISS fans on this planet ever since I was eleven years old. And,as disappointing as it may be to see that Ace Frehley and Peter Criss have both departed from the group for the second time,both Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have done a great job at carrying KISS on,despite the absence of Frehley and Criss. Despite all of the line-up changes that have occurred within KISS over the years,KISS has always been able to put on a great concert--and their most recent concert DVD,"Rock The Nation-Live",is proof of that sentence.
This is a two disc set DVD,and while it may be controversial to some hardcore fans of KISS,it is still very well put together and very entertaining. Here,you get to see the new line-up of KISS (Gene Simmons,Paul Stanley,Tommy Thayer,and Eric Singer) perform live in both the District of Columbia and Virginia Beach,VA,on their "Rock The Nation" tour that they shared with Poison. The concerts that were filmed for this DVD show KISS performing a selection of their best material from the early 70's right up to the early 90's,and not only is the song selection excellent for what it is and by itself (considering the fact that KISS have had several hit and fan favorite songs ever since the 70's,that it is hard for the band to perform all of their hit songs and fan favorites in just one night),the performances here are excellent,and have new,original life to them. The performances of "God Gave Rock and Roll To You II" and "Rock and Roll All Nite" are very patriotic and nostalgic,while they do a good job at documenting the spirit of KISS that several people tend to not recognize about the group sometimes. If you always wanted to see a KISS concert with stage effects from the 1970's and new stage effects to the concert,you will find what you are looking for here. And despite both Ace Frehley and Peter Criss being absent from this DVD,Tommy Thayer does a really good job at stepping in for Frehley on this DVD while Eric Singer does a really good job at stepping in for Criss,and with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley bringing the energy that they brought into 70's era KISS shows into the shows that were filmed for this DVD,alongside the bonus features here,make this DVD an excellent supplement to KISSSTORY,and proves that KISS can still be a good band,even if Ace and Peter aren't with the group anymore.
Overall,a very well put together DVD,and a nice treat for both hardcore KISS fans and KISS fans who missed KISS on their "Rock The Nation" tour that was supporting this DVD.