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chrysalis_reborn
Reviews
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Gratuitous violence for it's own sake...and that's all
Lame. I could only watch about 20 minutes of this, give or take. If I had paid to see it in a theater, I'd have walked out.
Sure, it's got snappy dialog.
So what? The whole "Deadly Viper Assassination Squad" thing is just so contrived. It sounds like it's from a comic book. A bad comic book.
Where is a character one can identify with? Certainly not the one played by Uma Thurman...who kills a child's mother in front of her, then sort of apologetically says, "She had it coming..." This film has no redeeming social value whatsoever. I can't believe anybody would finance this drivel.
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)
This is proof that you can make G rated movie that has some depth
This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Dustin Hoffman is fantastic, as usual. Great story, great feel to it. Loved the Toy Store, it was was a character in the movie too, and definitely had the wonderful feel called for in the title.
Very well written. I loved Mr. Magorium's dialog especially.
Yeah, no profanity, no sex, no violence. Some might find the lack of those three often cheap, sensational elements to be boring. I found it to be refreshing. Zach Helm is a director to watch.
Perhaps it may be classified as a kid's movie. Maybe. I am a 47 year old male and I was entertained.
I don't often buy movies. I will buy this one.
Jumper (2008)
They should have used the story in the book.
When I first saw the previews for this movie, I didn't pay all that much attention, my initial reaction was YES!, since I had read the book and loved it.
Then I read a review and realized they had totally screwed up the original story. I wasn't gonna see it, but then changed my mind.
In spite of the fact that they only used a few elements of the original story, it wasn't as bad as I expected. However, I think if they had stuck with the story as written, they would have had a better movie. However, in some ways, the movie did have some of the "spirit" of the book.
In the book...there is only ONE jumper. There is no war. There is only this kid with this power, and he decides to use it to help people. The opposition is the government, which, surprise, wants to control him.
There is also a sequel to the book, entitled Reflex, in which his girlfriend suddenly discovers that somehow, with all the jumps she has made with him, his power has "rubbed off" on her and she is able to jump as well. It comes in handy when he disappears and it appears that someone has kidnapped him.
Which...by the way, is another gripe I had with the movie. In the book, he couldn't jump if he was physically connected to something. I.e., if he is handcuffed to a light pole, he can't just jump out of the cuffs. The scene at the end when he jumps an entire section of a building along with him and his girlfriend would not have been possible given the original premise in the book.
Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
Not what I would call a kids fantasy movie
Okay...I rated this movie low, in spite of the fact that it was very well done. The problem is, the trailer is NOTHING like what the movie was really about. My kids and I spent probably the first 20 minutes waiting for something to happen. Finally it became obvious that this movie was NOT a fantasy movie as was depicted in the trailers. Definitely not for little kids, maybe for older kids. For what it was, it was well done. For what you expected it to be, it was a total wash out.
Neither I nor my kids had read the book. And, at least for me, having seen the movie, I wouldn't bother to read the book (I am 46, but I read quite a bit and don't feel that reading "children's books" is beneath me from time to time.) I already know life sucks and is a royal PITA, I don't need either a book or a movie to remind me of it or help me get down in there and wallow in it. I read or go to the movies to be entertained, to escape from life for a little bit, not to be reminded of how crappy it can be.
My kids didn't cry, but they did think it was sad and I expect they were disappointed. Heck, we probably should have gone to see Ghost Rider instead, in spite of it's PG-13 rating. At least we would have known what to expect.
Bis ans Ende der Welt (1991)
Snooooooorrrrrrrreeeee
I am a fan of William Hurt, so I was expecting something at least marginally good from this movie. I was grossly disappointed. It was utterly boring. I watched a rented version, which was presumeably not the full 4+ hour version mentioned elsewhere. However, I really can't see another two hours improving this dog. I spent the whole movie waiting for SOMETHING to actually happen. Nothing ever did. Just draggy, boring dialogue and suffocatingly ordinary characters. Don't waste your money on this one. Maybe this film is supposed to have a MESSAGE (which for me is a strike against it from the get go), if it is, it is one that is most probably not worth hearing.
The High Country (1981)
A fun little film
This is actually one of my favorite movies. No, it isn't some epic blockbuster, no it doesn't have Oscar grade acting (though I think Linda Purl does an excellent job of portraying the female lead). It is just a fun, feel good sort of a movie. I have seen it something like three or four times, which is unusual for me, I rarely see a movie more than once.
One of the other comments here mentions something to the effect of "there is too much hiking". I didn't really notice all the hiking. The story unfolds during this time and gives a chance for the relationship between Bottom's character and Purl's to develop. Again, if you are looking for "high art" film-making (which I personally find deadly dull), look elsewhere. If you go to the movies to be entertained, then this is worth seeing.
Legends of the Fall (1994)
Incredibly lame movie
I guess it just goes to show. I and another person went to see this film. The other person walked out of the movie going "That was INCREDIBLE!", while I thought it was one of the stupidest movies ever made. The only character in it that wasn't a complete idiot was the one played by Anthony Hopkins. I suppose it could be argued that it had a (slooooooowwwwww) plot, with twists, etc., but so what? I go to a movie to be entertained, to escape from the general crappiness of life, not to watch a movie that gets down in there and wallows in it. I'm like "Gee, thank you for reminding me that life sucks and then you die." I can figure that out on my own just fine, than you very much, and that realization didn't cost me $6.75 for a movie ticket.
Yes, the scenery was attractive, but it didn't save this dog of a film.