Rowan-4 Reviews

The Opposite of Sex (1998)

Dreadful insipid trite trash

[1/10 · 25 January 1999]

Sorry dears, but this film does *not* live up to its press.

If I could have voted it 0 stars, I would. I'd rather see one of the "Troma" films than see this again. Heck, I'd rather see a whole *festival* of bad films before seeing this again.

No redeeming features whatsoever.

The End of Violence (1997)

A plate of Spaghetti

[29 October 1998]

Just like the freeway interchange that is one of the focal points, this movie is full of ideas and plot lines going everywhere, but nobody gets off.

There are at least 4 different and potentially fascinating movies here, unfortunately, we only get to see portions of each of them. Worth seeing as inspiration for characters, and some interesting cinematography, but otherwise, it's a loser.

The Avengers (1998)

Who let the air out?

[18 August 1998]

Uma Thurman's catsuits aside, "The Avengers" is one of the flattest movies to come down the pike in a long time.

The failing Sean Connery isn't really the villain in this movie, the true villains are a director who thought he could "improve" on the original, and an editor who really shouldn't have been let out of film school.

Fiennes and Thurman do an adquate job with what they were given, which wasn't much, and then the editor took half of that away.

Connery got one half-choked off rant, (all of which you see in the trailer) and then hid in the leftover set for the power supply from the floating city in "The Empire Strikes Out" (Er -- "Back"). A pathetic effort from a formerly stellar actor.

Eileen Atkins was rather fun as Alice, Steed's minder, and the guest appearance by Patrick Macnee was somewhat amusing.

As for the writing, well.... I think (despite the credits) they actually gave the job to a couple of public school lads who rather thought that they were being clever.

Overall, not worth the money spent to make it, nor the $6 I paid to see it. One star, mostly for some rather nice, if somewhat generic, cinematography.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Very Good, but flawed film about WWII

[30 July 1998]

OK. It's one of Hank's best performances. It has lots of realism. It took more risks (graphically) than most mainstream Hollywood flicks have done. I cried in anger at the waste of lives because of lessons not learned at Dieppe and Anzio.

But...... Ultimately the film to me seemed edgeless and empty. Typical Spielberg: all surface and no content. Things were too clean, too neat, too "packaged". The biggest directorial risk he took was in presenting the film as a thread snipped at both ends...we didn't see what came before, and we don't get to see what happens after. The two present -day sequences that open and close the movie are just pretty bookends.

The opening was spectacular, and full credits to all for an incredible production. It is as close as any of us are likely to get to war, and the senselessness of the slaughter that is mass war was (as it should be) appalling. Unfortunately, once we moved off the beach, the movie got lost in its own metaphors and cinematic history. I saw too many pieces of older movies and cliches presented. I will admit I didn't see too many gaffes (but why did that paratrooper have a full beard?), and that is good, but lack of goofs does not compensate for lack of imagination. By "edge", I mean taking risks. For example: "Apocalypse Now" had an edge, and too much imagination. Portions of "Platoon" had an edge and imagination. "Titanic" had no edges, but a lot of imagination. "The Crying Game" had lots of edges, and some imagination.

So. The opening half-hour gets 4+ stars, the rest, 3. Awards for special effects, Hanks, and cinematography; but that's all.