M&J Reviews

Skyline (2010)

Watch it alone. It will be a guilty pleasure.

[6/10 · 25 February 2011]

It started off creepy, suspenseful, and I liked how it didn't try to explain the why's and how's of everything. It described the events from the character's perspective. I've heard complaints about the dialog, but honestly, I thought it was well written, realistic, dialog. The acting was pretty good too. I also liked how the humans really never had a chance. These aliens have probably done this sort of thing thousands of times before. Everything the aliens did was streamlined and the human race was just meat for the grinder. They should of run with that theme: pure hopelessness. But what Hollywood studio would let that fly? I think the main complaint people have with this film is the plot. It was a beautifully simple plot that they muddled up in the end. Also, the film had plenty of golden opportunities to latch on to certain themes and run with it: helplessness, teamwork, chaos vs order, and the afore mentioned utter hopelessness in the face of certain doom. Instead, they let these moments go and just fed us more special effects. The mother-ship scenes showed promise, but then they introduced some ludicrous plot twist in the final seconds.

Still, I've seen worse... a lot worse. (Battlefield Earth, just about anything by M. Night Shyamalan) The film was actually fun. I'd see it again if it was the Sunday morning flick and I felt like being lazy.

You know, if the producers of the film had involved the indie sci-fi blogs more, this film would probably be considered B-Movie gold instead of comic-book-guy's "worst picture ever" label. I think the criticism of this film says more about the importance of good buzz than anything else.

See it if you've got nothing else to do and you like sci-fi. Watch it alone. It will be a guilty pleasure.

Shiloh Falls (2007)

Plot: Interesting. Acting: Fine. Production: Amateurish

[7/10 · 22 January 2011]

I stumbled upon this film early one Saturday morning. Maybe I was feeling especially receptive that day, but I instantly wanted to find out what was going on. The plot is interesting and the various story arcs make you want to care about the characters--something a lot of big-budget films lack. Unfortunately, the budget and production value prevented me from becoming fully absorbed in the film. The quality of the video is really great--for a home movie. For a professional film, this is worse than most mediocre made-for-Syfy creature flick. Cars in the background, doors from modern times. Corrugated metal roofs on buildings. Graves with names drawn on them with sharpies. If this film had a proper budget, it might of done well. I guess it says something that the plot and acting kept me wanting to watch even though the budget short-falls. It's akin to building a mobile home on top of a foundation for a mansion. Really nice foundation--but you only had enough money left to truck in a used mobile home and park it on top. I gave this one a 7 out of 10.

Skinwalkers (2006)

Evidently, werewolves are horrible shots.

[4/10 · 24 August 2009]

I just saw the opening sequence. It involves a shootout in a small town between two groups of werewolves. And I have to say, it was so bad, it made me laugh. It was like a town of Mr. Magoo's trying to hit the broad side of a barn.

The fight begins when the bad guy and a good-guy, who also happens to be a little-old-lady, unload unnecessarily huge handguns a mere 10 feet from each other. They shoot a half dozen shots and only manage to graze each other. Then, a whole town worth of good guys pours out with handguns, high powered rifles, and machine guns. In an attempt to hit 4 bad guys who are basically standing in the middle of the street. Bullets fly, and even though the main bad guy is standing completely stationary behind a glass and wood door, a whole town can't hit him.

The funniest part is when some lady in the back of a truck gets out a machine gun and empties it at the bad guys and manages to hit NOTHING! Worst shootout ever. Then I gave up on the movie.

Knowing (2009)

Sci-Faith Flick That I Liked

[9/10 · 12 July 2009]

SPOILERS First off, the director of this movie also did a little flick called Dark City in 1998. That movie never hit it big in the box office but became a huge cult classic in rental stores among sci-fi fans, and rightly so. In that movie, director Alex Proyas presents the audience with a gripping, intriguing yet pretty standard hitchcockian thriller for the first part of the movie. Then, blam! Aliens! The entire city is located in space! The hero has psychic powers? And the prophecies, oh the prophecies! Knowing has a lot of similarities to Dark City. First off, the sun plays an important part in both flicks. Knowing, like Dark City, starts off as a gripping and thoroughly spooky thriller. The first time I saw the "whispering people", I got chills. The mystery of the numbers had me glued to the screen. Then the disasters started--and I have to say, they use some of the most realistic special effects I've ever seen on film. They were horrifying, and simultaneously beautiful to watch--and they had a purpose. Without them, the main character would not have the motivation he needed to complete his character arc.

Then the aliens are revealed. Strange, disconcerting, out of left field--all this is true, but then again, that's the point! All of this was also true of Dark City and the sci-fans all liked that twist. Here, people think its jumping the shark? The only thing I can think of is that the special effects are so good in Knowing, that sci-fi fans blame the studio or re-writes or big budget bloating for the alien ending. Meanwhile the same twists in Dark City were pulled off on a smaller budget, and everyone thought it was genius.

Unlike Dark City, this movie deals with faith, predetermination, and religion. This may of turned off a lot of people in on both sides of the religion fence. Science minded people may have resented the role of religion in the film, and religious people may have resented the inference that the four horsemen of the apocalypse were aliens, and that the aliens looked like they had halos and angel wings. I didn't mind the blending of science and religion, which is why I feel I could better appreciate the film.

The inevitable final disaster was absolutely flooring, and again, the cinematography and special effects were stunning. It conjured up references to Superman and the end of Krypton--or of the 1950's classic, When Worlds Collide.

I thought this movie was simply fantastic. It plot wasn't standard by any sense of the word, and that may have upset some folks. It's a journey, that's for sure. But I, personally, enjoyed the journey. 9/10 (better than 90% of sci-fi out there: better than Indiana Jones IV's alien ending, better than Star Wars Episode I, way better than the directors other flick--I Robot, better than day V for Vendetta, Better than Cloverfield)

Jack of Hearts (1999)

Low Budget Film Noir w/ Lots of Familiar Character Actors

[5/10 · 9 June 2009]

This is a hard-boiled, film noir crime fiction drama that is big on ambition, but low on production budget. There are a ton of familiar character actor faces in this flick: M. Emmet Walsh (The Jerk, Raising Arizona, Blade Runner), Richard Edson (Platoon, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Strange Days), and Nick Mancuso (Under Siege, Total Recall 2070, Wild Palms) to name a few. The movie is set in Las Vegas, and coincidentally, a large chunk of the actors have also appeared in CSI Las Vegas. The plot is complicated, everyone has a quasi-New-York-tough-guy accents, the music is incessant, and the movie seemingly spent all of their budget on a few explosions shot in ultra slow motion. So much so, that I guess they didn't have enough money left towards the end of the movie to pay for fake blood or squibs, instead settling on gunshot noises and close ups of people's faces as they are shot. Aerial shots of Las Vegas are shaky, as if they didn't have the cash for a steady cam rig, or could only afford the low budget stock footage. Car chases seem to go on a little too long, as if they are there solely to fill time. Production issues aside, I thought that this is the perfect sort of low-budget movie to watch on Showtime or Cinemax late at night when you can't get to sleep. You can surf on your computer or do other stuff while the movie enters slow spots, and occasionally give the film your full attention during a shoot out or sex scene. This, like so many other movies in the Film Noir genre, would have greatly benefited from an increase in budget. I've seen episodes of Walker Texas Ranger with higher production values. But, they did the best with what they had. I wouldn't rent or buy this flick, but if it was on late at night and I couldn't sleep, I'd watch it. Hey, I just did. :-)

Legionnaire (1998)

Not bad at all! Who Woulda Thunk It?

[7/10 · 22 April 2009]

Saw this on USA Network one afternoon while home sick with the flu. I was actually surprised. It wasn't half bad and it had an unusually brave ending. It's not an action flick, per-se. You'll see no flying kicks to the face from across the room. No, instead, this is a war film produced and co-written by Van Dam himself. The film takes place in the 1920's, with decent production, set design, wardrobe, etc. While the movie avoids many action cliché's it manages to stumble into some war cliché's. With a little more money, time, and some more script revisions to amp up the movie's already gritty undertones, this could have been a classic. Unfortunately, it *Just* misses the mark. 7 out of 10. Still, I enjoyed it for what it was. I would recommend it for a rental.

The Nanny Diaries (2007)

A "Devil Wears Prada Knock-Off"

[4/10 · 20 December 2007]

As I watched this film for the first time, I couldn't help but feel that I had seen it before. The Nanny Diaries is a high-quality knock-off of The Devil Wears Prada. If you have never seen the Devil Wears Prada, then you will most likely enjoy this film. If you have seen the Devil Wears Prada, then this film may look good to you on the rental shelf, but ultimately feel cheep once you get it home, as most knock-off's do.

The main character in The Devil Wears Prada is a personal assistant. In this film, the main character is a nanny. In the Devil Wears Prada, the climax takes place in Paris. In this film, the climax is in Nantucket. That is pretty much where the differences between the two movies stop. Both positions described in these movies are those of the "hired help." Both characters discover their self-worth. Both characters discover that their mean bosses were forced to be that way in order to survive their respective lots in society. Both movies state that a life of luxury has a hidden price. Both characters elect to be happy with the middle-class. Both characters have the opportunity to marry rich. Both stories take place in New York. Both characters have unique cell phones. Both have jobs that essentially dictate that they carry a cell, and so on, and so on, and so on, ad nauseam.

Tin Man (2007)

Seems like it was dialed in...

[6/10 · 11 December 2007]

This series is chock-full of great actors. However, I've seen more believable performances from a sack of potatoes. Everything seemed stiff, like they were acting in a vat of oatmeal. No real dynamics, no real emotion, and hence, no real connection to the characters. They could have done the whole show with sock puppets and gotten the same sort of performance.

I've seen all these actors and actresses in other films. I know they are capable of more. I guess I have to blame the director for not inspiring the actors. Or perhaps it was a rushed schedule and these folks are so used to doing movies that they couldn't adjust to TV. Alan Cummings did the best job, IMHO, followed closely by Kathleen Robertson. Either the actors didn't care or the director completely bungled some incredible acting talent.

They should have reduced the number of locales and spent more time trying to make an emotional connection with the audience. They should have reduced the number of CGI shots and focused on increasing the quality of the remaining ones. This series had a ton of potential. Too bad it felt like watching paint dry.

6/10 D.

Spirited Away (2001)

Brilliant, but I can understand why some people get "confused"

[24 May 2004]

This is some of the best hand-drawn animation you'll ever see--period. Unfortunately, the plot seems to befuddle a lot of Americans and I don't know why. Why can't American audiences grasp that this entire film is simply a parody of Alice in Wonderland translated for eastern audiences. If you liked Alice in Wonderland, with all of it's bizarre characters and nonsensical plot diversions, then this movie should be somewhat familiar to you. Also, in the east, cartoons are not just for kids. That's slowly becoming true in the USA as well, thanks to Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. The only cultural hint some Americans might need to completely understand the film is this: There is a Chinese legend in which some dragons decided help out human farmers by bringing them rain clouds and for this, the dragons were punished by the Jade Emperor. The dragons escaped, and decided to become rivers so they could help human farmers forever, safe from the Jade Emperor. --there, that hint should make the ending of the film a bazillion times more logical for you Americans who don't know anything about eastern cultures. The rest of the film is straight forward fantasy.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Good, but not great.

[27 March 2004]

I saw the original film years ago and admired it for it for the suspense and for the social commentary it made. It was much more than just a gore film. I only wished that it could have been better acted and have a bigger budget. This remake is much slicker than the original could ever be thanks to CGI and just-plain-better actors. However most of the social commentary and satire found in the original has been replaced by video-game style gore. The original contained many jabs at America's consumer-driven society. This film misses that boat entirely and is much shallower than the original. In my opinion, 28 Days is much scarier and more suspenseful BECAUSE of the social commentary it makes. You end up caring much more for the characters in 28 Days. In this remake of Dawn, you do end up caring very much about some of the characters, but there are too many people to keep track of and for that reason, some of the gore scenes miss out on the added emotional punch that existed in the original flick. This remake of Dawn of the Dead is not a stinker by any means. It's entertaining, I just think it could have been a lot more than what it was. I wish someone would remake this again, only better.

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

I liked it. (Don't shoot me for doing so)

[8/10 · 9 November 2003]

Wow, I read a lot of the comments and was surprised by the amount of people who thought this movie sucked. I for one liked it. Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith) was amazing again. He's such a dynamic and captivating actor. All of the Matrix films have showcased his talent as an engaging villain. If anything, I think he's wasted on Lord of the Rings.

I was riveted to my seat during the battle sequences. I felt for the characters fighting an impossible fight and the visual affects only enhanced those feelings. I didn't mind the philosophical dialog in any of the films, including this one. People who showed up for the action seem to be particularly irritated by all the chatter. True, the W Brothers are no Shakespeare or Cohen Brothers for that matter. The dialog *could* have been better, but I've seen a lot worse in many other films. I'd say that this Matrix is better than the second Matrix but I have to agree with most that this film can't hold a candle to the first Matrix.

I think the thing that hurt the W Bros was their reliance on their video game and the Animatrix for providing a lot of back-story missing from the second and third film. I can see why some people who didn't rent the anime and the game would get confused about what happened to the Oracle, why that kid keeps following Neo around, etc. They took a gamble and judging from all the people stating they were confused, I don't think it paid off the way they were expecting.

I've bought the second Matrix on DVD and watched it a few times now and as a result, I've caught a lot of things that I've missed. This Matrix, I have no doubt, will have a similar affect on me when I buy it on DVD. The W Bros should take this as a sign that they need to learn a better way to explain their epic stories to an American viewing audience that needs it handed to them on a platter with a note and lit sparklers sticking out of it. The movie is surprisingly deep, full of amazing visuals, and nearly wraps up all the lose ends but not all of them. Why not? Judging from the past, the W Brothers may continue the Matrix story in other mediums like comic books, games, or even more anime. I don't think they're done yet, and perhaps that is why some people didn't like this movie. It's not a completely open and shut book. It's an ending with question marks that only some people can see, depending on how aware of the matrix they have become :-)

Overall, I give the film a B+

Underworld (2003)

Dialog Optional

[5/10 · 23 September 2003]

Beautiful sets, great atmosphere, nice uniforms, pretty people, but then that is what you would expect from this film's director, who was the art director for the movie Stargate. Never during the entire film were we encouraged to really care for any of the main characters. Whenever Selene or her beau would get into danger, my immediate response was "Oooo... pretty, but who cares?" The film is comprised of visuals and action, a plot that could have used some more attention, and characters as shallow as a piece of cardboard. Whoever played the villain, Kraven, acted like he was on a Mexican soap rather than in a movie. I never once believed this guy would be in charge of a the vampire valet parking lot let alone a whole coven. What a whiney bad guy! Ick. Kate Beckinsale did a fine job acting, but then again, the script didn't have her act very much. She broods well, but the lack of substantial character development outside of flashbacks meant that I couldn't really feel for her character at all. If you mute the sound, you'd get just as much out of watching this flick. Hence, this movie would be excellent projected on the wall of a noisy Goth club or behind a Goth band during a show. You could easily turn it into a drinking game. Chug every time someone kicks in a door! See the movie and you'll understand the joke. Better yet, wait for it on cable. Better yet, wait for it on TBS. It will be on after or before the next Witchblade marathon.

Donnie Darko (2001)

Like DUH, it WAS in the 80's

[9/10 · 13 March 2003]

This comment is in response to some of the people who thought the movie failed or was in some way lacking because it had an 80's vibe. All I have to say is, the movie WAS SUPPOSED to look 80's, use 80's music, and have an 80's vibe because it takes place in the 80's. If any of you paid attention, you would have picked up on this during the various references to Dukakis running for president! But hey, hardly any of us ever pay attention to presidential politics anyway, right. I mean, one of the smallest percentages of the population in election history managed to get off their butts and vote in the last election so I should expect such oversights. Geeze, more people need to vote.

Anyhow.

History lessons aside, I heard a lot of good things about this movie. So I rented it on DVD and was happy to say that it lived up to its reputation. Its more of a sci-fi thriller with non-linear story telling than a horror flick. Although, it is definitely spooky enough to make you want to sleep with the night light on.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes dark films that make you think.

Die Another Day (2002)

Possibly Best Bond Film to Date...

[1 December 2002]

This Bond film has a couple great things going for it the most important being a slight hint of believability in the plot, but only a hint. Pierce Bosnan does an excellent job of adding a very human element to James Bond. The opening segment of the film shows James Bond captured by the North Koreans for a failed assasination attempt. During the credits he's shown enduring torture as gracefully as he can. It was a shocking and a very nice twist on the character to show the down side of being Bond. No wonder why he tries to sleep with every woman he meets, he could be stuck in a foriegn jail for 14 months. It almost makes sense now, almost. The screenwriters and director did a great job of parodying real life spy situations in order to add an air of believability to all of it while maintaining the fantasy. This film will hopefully finally convince Hollywood that you can have over the top escapist action flick wrapped around a core of semi-believable or at least challenging plot points. Look at the Matrix, great plot idea at its core (is our world real or not) wrapped in a blanket of kung-foo action. This film continues the tradition of "smart" action flicks. Oh, this flick is still cheesy as ever, and there are some conversations between Bond and his potential mounts that are comprised entirely of double and triple entendres that even Hellen Keller would pick up on, but hey, what do you expect from our cultures favorite very heterosexual male spy? The only potential drawback was the length of the movie. It's a long flick, but I think it needed to be long in order to keep the film from being reduced to just pure silliness. The serious bits make you appreciate the action and vice versus. Although some people in the audience were supprised by the length, I didn't mind. This Bond film is destined to be one of the all time classics. Go see it!

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

D+ or C- at best. A let down.

[6/10 · 28 July 2002]

I liked the first two Austin Power movies a lot and I consider myself a level headed Myers fan. I didn't let all the hype on TV, the net and fast food cups whip me into thinking this film would be anything more than another perfectly mindless yet extremely funny Myers film. I was looking forward to seeing it.

However, it pains me to say that I was disappointed with the film. I was really hoping Myers would continue his streak, but this could be the end of Austin Powers.

The film starts off with an incredibly funny barrage of surprising cameo's and comedic gems. I liked the bit with him, the Japanese twins and his TO DO list. I also like the MOLE jokes. And there were other bits that occurred so quickly that all I can remember is that I nearly started to cry from laughter. At first, I thought the film would surpass the first two in cleverness and raunchiness.

But then, wham! The film gets mired in mindless, non funny filler sketches. In fact, this entire movie is nothing more than a series of sketches. Myers probably wanted this quality in the film to make it plain to the audience that we shouldn't take any of what was going on too seriously. However, this isn't SNL and the film became so disjointed and so unbelievably silly that its silliness became too distracting. There was also too much circular comedy. The previous two movies spoofed spy films and the 60's in general; however this movie spent too much time spoofing itself. These "inside jokes" should have been limited to only one or two of the sketches, but instead they became a major part of the entire film, and unfortunately, it wasn't all that funny.

Plus, I didn't like all the musical numbers. I'm not a big fan of hip hop or Britney Spears, and neither are a lot of my friends (we're all musicians), so the 30 plus minutes of gangsta rap lifestyle parody's fell flat. I don't think the emphasis on money and bikini clad women that is so prevalent in every hip hop video today is all that funny to begin with. It's sad, actually. I could tell that Myers was trying to satire the hip hop image but it wasn't scathing enough. The Britney cameo, which came early in the film, seemed so forced and unnatural that I don't think even Myers liked it. But he was probably forced to keep it in the movie by Pepsi, Taco Bell, Britney's agents, and whatever other demons Myers sold his soul too in order to promote the film. As a witty comedic writer, I'm sure Myers was foaming at the mouth to let Britney Spears have it but the worst insult he could lob at her and have stick was to get her head explode in a ball of flame. I caught the real joke in that, I just wish it could have been a little more in your face so that even the Britney fans could realize it.

The movie picked up again with some mini-me sketches that occur right before the finally 10 minutes of the film. But by just when I started laughing again, the film became unfunny for a second time. There are some more cameos and Myers revisited some jokes from the previous Austin flick, but the laughs were less than cheap. I couldn't get into it. The credits contained some outtakes that should have been left out. In fact the slow motion Burt Bacorack (sp) outtake actually so unfunny that it killed all of the remaining laughter in the theater. Everyone in the audience was like "oh well, what was that?'

Yeah, all in all, this film was the lamest of the bunch. It just barely gets an average grade. The first two movies were well paced and there was a memorable quote or hilarious sight gag every few minutes. This film is just too lopsided and disjointed. Wait for the DVD and skip the bits that don't make you laugh. The plot is hardly necessary. So watching the DVD in this manner will probably make the film more enjoyable to watch.

This movie is D+ funny. 6/10

Insomnia (2002)

Great Acting - Average Plot.

[8/10 · 14 July 2002]

Evidently this film is a Remake. I didn't know it. And I'm betting that the director of this film, Christopher Nolan (Memento), is banking that most Americans are like me; oblivious to the history of the film.

Memento was a very original film which won over the critics, but unfortunately didn't fair well with mainstream America at the box office. Memento found its audience on pay per view and as a video and DVD. It is now a cult classic with educated movie fans and film students. There are a lot of folks who now WISH they would have seen the flick on the big screen. Hind sight you know.

I mention all this because Christopher Nolan is a smart man, who probably wants a long movie career. Very few directors experience the level of critical success on what was only their second major movie ever. So here is Nolan, on the crossroads. He's won the minds of Americans (the critics, cultural elite, etc) now he has to win over the hearts of Americans. How, by making a relatively safe film that is accessible to most Americans.

What's more "American" than Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and serial killers? Not much.

Insomnia is a good film. But it's a safe and predictable film. It's also a very commercial film, unlike Nolan's previous 2 creations. He's proven to the studios that he can make art, now he has proved that he can make money.

It's your standard cops and robbers flick, but what makes the film stand out are the actors. Who would have thought that Robin Williams would succeed in his role as a very convincing killer? He did a very good job which is almost worth the ticket price alone. And Al Pacino... man, they made him look 20 pounds too heavy and 30 years older--on purpose. He's supposed to be ragged looking and they do a great job. You can sum up the film as great actors, do great jobs in an average script. They did so well, that it saves the film. Anyone else, and this film would have fallen flat on its face because only the acting, and not the directing, kept it afloat.

It's a slow film, not an action flick. But it is suspenseful. It gets a 8 out of 10 from me.

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Be Prepared to Think.

[8/10 · 14 July 2002]

I like this film because it makes you think. It is in no way a standard feel good film or action flick in the traditional sense. The trailers for the film are rather misleading because none of them mention anything besides the fact that Cruz, Cruise, and Diaz are in it.

A lot of critics hated this film because of the plot. Perhaps that's why the studios didn't advertise it. However, judging from the reviews of other people on this site, this film has found an appreciative audience.

Vanilla Sky challenges the viewer to figure out what is real and what is not. Its plot is a close cousin of films like Jacobs Ladder, The Others, Mullholand Drive, Fight Club, Lost Highway, The Matrix, The Sixth Sense. All of these films play off the concept of alternate realities. If you like films that make you wonder if you're living a dream, then check out this film.

My only personal qualm with the film is that, if you take it literally, you have no reason to fear death and therefore can do horrible things to others, and to yourself, and somehow be a better person because of it. That is... IF you have enough money. I don't think this something the director or writer was purposefully trying to portray, but that's what I got out of the film, among other, less selfish things. All this means that the director didn't have a concise vision for the film.

Vanilla sky is a spooky, eerie, thought provoking film. But because of a jumbled vision, the film will not be a classic. It COULD have been better but it's not bad at all. I give it 80% out of 100%. Better than average but not A material.

Minority Report (2002)

Nearly Perfect.

[9/10 · 23 June 2002]

My wife and I saw this film twice. We live in rural Appalachia and unfortunately, a lot of the people in the audience just didn't `get' this movie. I saw three couples get up and leave about half way through. One man mumbled `What a rip-off, this is boring' on the way out. Another couple plotted to break into Scooby Doo. That's more of a comment on the poor taste of rural Appalachians than of the quality of the movie. This film required thought to watch and some people just don't like to think.

MILD SPOILERS (not too many details, like a movie trailer)

My wife and I both found the move totally thrilling. It is definitely not a mindless a `Triple X' or `Mission Impossible 2' type action flick. In fact, Spielberg's film is only part action. It also contains equal measures of sci-fi, and murder mystery. Much to our delight, the film succeeded on all three fronts. So many Sci-fi pictures fail because they don't paint a believable image of the future. Spielberg creates a very plausible future universe that is *ALMOST* devoid of annoying plot holes. The holes are so minor, that I didn't even notice them until the next day. His vision of the future is one segregated by classes, where the rich live in new, completely automated luxury apartments and cruise on elevated highways far above the old city. The middle class are still living in vinyl sided or brick faced two story houses in bland suburban neighborhoods. The poor are huddled into government build apartment complexes. Advertising has run rampant. Everyone has their eyes scanned whenever they walk by a talking billboard, shop at the GAP, and even when they get on the Subway. I take it the subway sends them a bill based on their retinal scan. Personal privacy in Spielberg's future world has been compromised to a believable degree. And that in itself is kind of scary.

As far as action, there are plenty of cliff hanging, high speed chases. But the highlight was a fight on the conveyor belt or a 100% automated LEXUS plant where Cruise's character escapes by driving off in a car that ends up being built around him. That's clever! Most people were caught off guard by the resolution of the mystery, but they didn't complain. The mystery plot, like the rest of the film, was not all that far fetched, and a delight when finally revealed.

Some of the scenes are quite beautiful. Drenched in brilliant white light or grey industrial skies, every scene from start to end is pure eye candy. The female `precog', Agatha, is freaky to behold while lying in her `soup' bath (you'll understand) and even weirder when on the lamb.

There are so many GOOD things about this movie, so much attention to detail, that I can't possibly list everything that this film managed to do well. But there is one consistent fault Spielberg that he can't seem to shake--his incessant and predictable use of the `Hollywood ending.' In my opinion, it is the only thing holding Spielberg back from being a timeless director. In my opinion, the ending could have been way better. The film would have made more of an impact if it stopped twenty minutes earlier in the prison. The ending as it stands almost seems tacked on. I can't help but think that Spielberg did end the film where I thought it should end, but it didn't `test well' in group, so he re-wrote it. Perhaps a redneck or two at the screening test got up and walked out because it wasn't to their liking. Ah, well. All I can say is if the ending had been a little less predictable, I would have liked this film even more than I did. It gets a nearly perfect 9 out of 10.

Alien Cargo (1999 TV Movie)

A Pleasant Surprise!

[8/10 · 20 April 2002]

It's a lazy Saturday and I'm at home, not expecting to find anything worth watching on the tube when I stumbled upon this movie. I have to say that I was very surprised by this film. It's really pretty good. The problem with a lot of sci-fi pictures today is that they fail to create a believable fantasy world. Bad sci-fi flicks suffer from gaping plot holes or scientific impossibilities that anyone who paid attention to 4th grade science could figure out. This film doesn't suffer from such ailments. The writer and director painted a believable picture of a future where humans live on Earth, Mars, and mine the moons of Saturn and interplanetary shipping of cargo is a high pay / high risk job. The two lead characters awake from hyper-sleep 10 months past their scheduled date only to discover that the ship has been ravaged by the two members of the previous shift... both of whom are missing. The suspense starts from there continues to build for remainder of the film. It was pretty suspenseful flick. A lot of that is due to excellent acting jobs by Missy Crider (Frailty, Powder, the TV series The Others) and Jason London (The Rage: Carrie 2, Safe Passage) and a script by Carla Jean Wagner that didn't sacrifice accuracy for an abundant amount of official sounding techno-babble. Put the acting and writing together and you actually end up caring about the lead characters. If this movie a larger budget for props and special effects, it could have ranked up there with films like Alien, or Blade Runner. The ending isn't typical, which only adds to the class of this film. The only problem I can see with the flick are the external CGI shots of the ships... they are good for television, but still obviously generated by computer. Regardless, I still recommend this film. Enjoy!

Starship Troopers (1997)

Glitz on the Outside / Deep and Interesting on the Inside.

[9/10 · 20 April 2002]

On the surface, this film seems like another pointless Hollywood action flick. The actors are plastic and shiny, the explosions are big and shiny, the special effects are bright and shiny. Everything and everyone is perfect looking. However, a few minutes into the film, I realized that all the glitz was there for a reason. After I realized that, other layers of meaning became apparent. Starship Troopers turns out to be surprisingly deep and satirical film which brings up several interesting philosophical questions. Why do states go to war? What form of society is more productive, a democracy or a totalitarian state?. The hero's in the film dress like Nazis and watch US style war propaganda on television. Is war propaganda basically brain washing? Men and Women are equal in this militaristic utopian society... however freedom of thought has been subverted. They are taught by the state in school that Might = right. Strength = Morality. Religion, Ethics, Pacification = Weakness which is therefore immoral behavior. The film paints a bittersweet image of the future which forces us to analyze our own past and look at it in a different light. Our are schools basically the brainwashing branch of our Capitalistic society. Are we taught lopsided history lessons like the students in the film? Does a society based on aggression need to keep it's war machine churning even if the enemy doesn't want to fight, or didn't want to fight in the first place? WOW. I've seen the movie a dozen times and I am still finding new layers. Starship Troopers is probably the best picture any of its actors will ever be in for a long time. The acting was great at some parts and darn cheesy at others… which is what you expect from a film made by the same guy who made Robo-Cop. Not even the occasional overacting could ruin a great story and plot. This film will be a classic. Heck I could even see some university philosophy professor doing a lecture on it. See the film. And bring your thinking caps.

The Cell (2000)

Surprisingly, Not All That Bad

[8/10 · 19 August 2000]

An "eye-candy" suspense movie with a somewhat plausible plot to back it. If you liked Jacob's Ladder, you'll like this. Strange, dark, spooky, scary in the not-so-usual way. Go see it. Vincent D'nofrio proves what once again that he is an often overlooked yet talented and versatile actor.

Titan A.E. (2000)

Excellent Animation - Poor Plot / Editing

[7/10 · 9 July 2000]

The excellent artistic vision, fantastic animation, and impressive detail put into the animation of this movie kept hold of my attention. Unfortunately, the poorly written, hole-laden plot kept distracting me from the animation. I couldn't tell if this movie was for adults or children. The director included partial nudity, and the grusome death of a cricket-like alien... but then has fuzzy moments throughout the film... you can almost see Dont Bluth making the deals with the toy manufacturers... All in all, if the script would have been written for Adults, and a few things re-writeen, this film would have been a classic. As it is, the compromises in plot and demographic-targeting are too evident and too distracting. All in all, the film ended up being average. It's not the first time an "effects" movie has fallen into this trap. It's a shame it had to happen to this film too.

Chicken Run (2000)

Animation eye-candy with a real plot everyone can enjoy.

[10/10 · 9 July 2000]

One of the best full length animation films I've ever seen. Not only is the animation fluid, impressive, and pretty to look at, but there is a compelling plot behind it. It's thrilling, yet suitable for kids, and not cheesy like most Disney films. The writers of Titan AE should take a lesson on script writing from these guys. Chicken run gets a 10.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Over-hyped!

[7 August 1999]

With all the hype this movie is getting, you'd think this film would be the scariest movie ever created! Yes, it was suspensful in many parts and I appreciate that. Its a very rare quality among horror films these days. However, the ending was so dissapointing that I considered asking for my money back. As a general rule, suspense should eventualy resolve into something substantial, otherwise you just p**s people like me off. All I kept thinking was, "I paid $6.50 for that ending... that sucks" Do yourself a favor, wait till this one comes out on Video. I imagine it won't take long before it ends up in the dollar discount rental section. In the mean time, rent Evil Dead part 1 instead. It's better in my opinion.