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keithw84
Reviews
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Intriguing action movie.
In an era when thoughtless, mind-numbing, action movies are everywhere, this movie was a welcome departure from that formula. I am a huge fan of the James Bond series, and it disappoints me when films try to rip-off the James Bond formula. The makers of this movie were wise in not trying to replicate James Bond, and instead creating a different type of spy thriller. Fans of the original TV series have complained about how little resemblance there is between the two. However, I think the movie deserves more credit.
While many characters are new or have been changed (I won't give away anymore!), the movie is still about a team of covert operatives. I realize Tom Cruise, as the star, was often on his own, but he wouldn't have been able to succeed without the help of his crew - particularly Ving Rhames. The plot is also full of twists and mysterious characters which make the movie more thrilling than more action sequences could. I give credit to Robert Towne, one of Hollywood's greatest screenwriters, for being able to construct an engaging story that was full of intrigue, surprise, and tense moments. It may take more than one viewing before you can really put together what is going on (similar to Towne's masterpiece, Chinatown).
The acting is good from all the leads and character actors. Although Jon Voight is underused, he plays his part very well and adds a new twist to the sophisticated Mr. Phelps character. Emilio Estevez was also amusing in a small part.
At times, the slow motion was tedious, but overall, the action scenes are excellently done and come together well.
*** out of ****
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Original
When this movie came out in 1941, it was many "firsts". The movie was John Huston's directorial debut. It was also Humphery Bogart's first lead role as a hero and it set him down the road to get roles like Rick Blaine & Philip Marlowe and become one of Hollywood's greatest screen legends. It's hard to imagine anyone else in the lead role (Sam Spade) and yet, George Raft almost played the part.
This could also be seen as the beginning of the film noir movement that really picked up later in the decade. This low-key mystery used mostly indoor sets and got by on a minimal budget, but its style, cynicism, and darkness set a precedent.
The Maltese Falcon was also the definitive detective movie and created the formula for every detective movie to come. If you compare movies from the film noir era as well as Chinatown, made a whole generation later (with John Huston playing an old man), you will find many of the same elements: a doomed femme fatale, sneering henchmen, well-meaning but meddlesome cops, and sophisticated villains. Kiss Me Deadly also uses the formula, with the lurid twist of turning the private eye's secretary into a sex kitten.
The acting in this film is terrific. From Bogey himself, on down to the ineffective Wilmer Cook, every character is played convincingly with subtle nuances that make them legendary. No one can forget the steadfast secretary, Effie, or Iva, the jealous mistress, and of course, Brigid, Cairo, and Gutman, an unholy trinity of deceit and immorality.
A definite classic. **** out of ****
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
One of the last World War II epics.
Probably as a result of the Vietnam years, an era was coming to an end. The days of the big budget Hollywood epic that focused on historical events were giving way to more personal anti-war movies. Like The Longest Day and Tora Tora Tora, A Bridge Too Far is a mostly true account of one of World War II's major battles. By late 1944, the outcome of the war was not in question, but the way it would be achieved and at what cost still were. Hence, the Allies tried to make a quick push that would break the German Army. Their plan was to seize a major road over several rivers, but as history proved, the plan went "a bridge too far".
That said, this movie is very well-made. It has good production values and seems fairly accurate (very accurate for Hollywood). The all-star ensemble cast is very good with standout performances by Anthony Hopkins as the trapped British commander and James Caan as a American sergeant who won't go back on his word. The cast is rounded out by Dirk Bogarde and Edward Fox (the architects of the operation), Hardy Kruger and Maximillian Schell (German generals), Sean Connery and Michael Caine as a British general, Laurence Olivier as a doctor, Liv Ullman as a Dutch civilian, Gene Hackman as the leader of the Polish brigade, and Elliot Gould, Robert Redford, and Ryan O'Neal as American officers.
The movie has some very suspenseful moments but its ability to compel wavers at times. The movie is also just a little overlong. Some viewers may have a hard time looking past the stars and getting more involved in the plot. Overall, these minor flaws don't detract from the film which is definitely worth seeing, especially for World War II buffs.
*** out of ****
Midway (1976)
Mediocre war film can't live up to predecessors.
Like "The Longest Day" and "Tora! Tora! Tora!", "Midway" follows the true story very closely and features an all star cast. And like the Longest Day, it features Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, and Robert Wagner. However, whereas the first two are war classics, Midway falls short in many departments.
For one, the movie seems to have no sense of building suspense. In the Longest Day, the paratrooper landings and the scenes of bombardment vessels creeping toward the shore let you know that all hell is about to break loose. Likewise, in Tora! Tora! Tora!, scenes of anxious commanders, desperate analysts, and the oblivious Hawaii residents are separated by scenes of approaching Japanese bombers to hike the suspense factor. Yet, despite the fact that Midway was the most decisive naval battle in modern history, we don't get a true sense of how important the pilots' jobs are or how grave the implications of the battle are, except for from titles before and after the movie. Where were the scenes of planes prepping for takeoff or of pilots, wary but dutiful about a mission that may be their last?
The battle sequences are another problem. First off, most of the footage is actual war footage or stock footage. The stock footage works fine for the bombing of Tokyo (since the shown footage is actually about that event) but is a little less convincing when the footage shown is supposed to be of Hawaii's Hickam Field but is passed off as Midway Island. Worse than the presence of stock footage is the editing. While maps of the ocean are shown repeatedly so that we know where the action is taking place, it's hard to tell what's what when we're away from the maps. We see planes crash into water and bombs explode, but most of the battle sequences could use a little more coherence. Had the makers of this movie shot a little combat footage of their own, even if only to make the battle scenes less jump, the movie would have benefitted.
For the most part, the cast is pretty good and fares well with only occasionally trite dialogue. However, only Heston, Holbrook, and Shigeta stand out. Many of the other players are simply not given enough time to make an impact. Coburn, especially, has little to do.
The flaws of this movie notwithstanding, it's still watchable, and it gives you a pretty good idea of the events and decisions leading up to the battle, as well as the errors and luck that went into the battle itself. And when you can't figure out what's happened from the uneven visuals, at least Nimitz (Fonda) or his at-sea commanders are there to describe what happened and add some perspective.
** out of ****
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Excellent Action Movie!
I am a huge fan of the Indiana Jones movies and this installment is my least favorite. However, I hate to say the word "least" when 3rd place among the Indiana Jones movies is still way better than almost any other film.
Many people seem to dislike this movie because it is not Raiders and it is not Last Crusade. Personally, I applaud Speilberg and Lucas for making each of the films unique, all adding to the many facets of Indiana Jones. For one, if the heroine in Temple of Doom had not been a little spoiled and whiny, she would've either been a boring bystander or a tough Marion Ravenwood-type. Marion was a great character but there was no use rehashing her. I think the Willie Scott character was a great foil for Indy and the two definitely worked well together onscreen.
Temple of Doom is an engaging adventure film with one exciting action sequence after another. Like Raiders, Temple starts with a thrilling, nonstop action sequence that lets you know what's in store. The movie continues to deliver with a sinking, spiked ceiling, a mine car chase, and a rope bridge among others. On the lighter side, there is great interaction between Indy and his sidekick, Short Round, as they play cards, and between Indy and heroine, Willie, in the temple. All around, the humor and action combine to make a great movie, even if it is darker than the other two.
Definitely worth seeing!
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Awesome!
This is one of the most entertaining movies ever made. I am a Bond fan, but even outside of the series, this movie stands alone as a masterpiece. The Spy Who Loved Me is nonstop fun from beginning to end. The makers found the perfect balance between humor, action, and suspense.
The Spy Who Loved Me follows Britain's best secret agent as he tries to find the source of a submarine-tracking system that is on the market and discover why British and Soviet subs are disappearing. The culprit turns out to be reclusive shipping magnate Stromberg (Curt Jurgens) who has his own plan for world destruction. Richard Kiel plays his steel-toothed assassin, Jaws, a hardy adversary for Bond.
After two shaky Bond movies (Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun), Roger Moore finally found himself in the role of 007. He has some rather serious scenes and his acting is very believable.
Barbara Bach is a great heroine as the beautiful but deadly KGB agent, XXX. She proves to be Bond's equal, matching Bond blow-for-blow as they both try to get to the bottom of Stromberg's plan.
In the same vein as Goldfinger, this movie is big in every sense of the word - lots of gorgeous women, terrific action sequences, a great musical score, memorable locales, and legendary set pieces, not to mention the opening stunt that caps off the series' best teaser ever. The plot is also lavish, but doesn't get stupid and cheesy as in this movie's follow-up, Moonraker.
Worth seeing many times!