TheTransfan Reviews

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Don't listen to the negatives

[1 December 2001]

Let's face it, this movie is a classic. Don't listen to that Dick (excuse me "Richard") that hates 80's movies; Aliens ROCKS. Hoosiers ROCKS. The Back to the Future series ROCKS. Plus, who can forget The Terminator? That's only a few movies out of many films I can name that are good that came out of the 80's.

For this classic, you might not want to pay too much attention to the plot. It's the characters and their development that highlights this gem. Judd Nelson is the best here, and with good development too. Also, not only is it funny, but there is great perception here (questions such as why do jocks have to act "cool" around each other?). My advice: at least rent it.

GoldenEye (1995)

I must have been a fool...

[28 October 2001]

A long time ago I gave this movie a bad review. A couple years later I bought it and watched it again. I must say that I was entirely wrong in my review. It has every Bond element that has made the others so wonderful. Pierce Brosnan is excellent in his first outing as Bond, while Sean Bean is equally as good as his former ally Alec. The action never flags; the only fault in the movie is Eric Serra's very poor music score.

Aliens (1986)

Outdoes the original in every way!

[28 October 2001]

Alien was an excellent movie. A bit slow-moving, but a good horror film. Aliens is even BETTER. Sigourney Weaver is even better here as Ripley and the action and horror never flag. Classic, filled with action and horrific aliens, it's no wonder this movie remains the best mix of horror and sci-fi today. Way to go James Cameron!

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Diamonds and some rust

[28 October 2001]

This caper was noteworthy for bringing back Sean Connery into his famous role and director Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger). This is a peculiar Bond; While it pushes all the right buttons, it is also a very unsettling Bond. Connery does his most wooden performance ever ("for the money, not for the art") and there's an odd sense of unpleasantness surrounding this one. The action sequences still fair, however, and the cool blend of action, romance, and humor is still present. If you haven't seen it, see it... but don't expect another Goldfinger.

Dr. No (1962)

Somewhat dull, but good overall

[28 October 2001]

The first Bond movie was somewhat dull in its action scenes. However, Dr. No can not be dismissed. Connery is excellent as usual, and there is a good supporting cast consisting of Jack Lord, Ursula Andress, and Joseph Wiseman as the title villain. It might be a bit rough compared to later Bonds, but it's still a classic.

What Women Want (2000)

Not bad

[22 January 2001]

As much times I have heard this bashed, this movie wasn't bad at all. Even though the ending seemed rather rushed, the movie was still very enjoyable. Expecting to come out with some insight into the woman psyche is absolutely ludicrous, since the human brain in general is a VERY hard topic to explore. I thought Mel Gibson was fabulous, and who can forget Alan Alda (Hawkeye from "M*A*S*H") in a small but memorable role?

I recommend at least viewing it once. Kind of short than expected, but the movie did have its moments (some of them owed to Mel). Give it a shot.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

The Best Star Trek movie!

[10/10 · 22 January 2001]

Of all the Star Trek movies, this one remains my favorite. The only thing I would've wished from this film: Kirk and Khan should've had more interaction. Other than that, this film is near perfect! William Shatner does his best here as James T. Kirk, and the humor and sci-fi action\adventure scenes are fantastic. Plus, the Spock death scene was very dramatic. This one, Star Trek IV, Star Trek VI, and First Contact will remain as the best Trek movies.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Excellent sequel!

[12 January 2001]

This movie was really good, with Arnold playing the good guy this time around. I can't say if this is better than the first one... this one has some great special effects (especially the liquid metal), spectacular action sequences, and Robert Patrick... but it wasn't nearly as intense as the first one. Go figure, though, because you have Arnold as the good Terminator.

Arnold has that menacing look that really convinces you that he's evil. Robert Patrick is a great actor, but he doesn't look evil. It's the special effects that makes him look evil.

On the plus side, this one is much funnier and the relationship between the Terminator and John Connor is hilarious. I especially liked it when John was teaching him not to kill anyone. Also, the ending was very touching and sad, it made you not want Arnold to die.

I guess it depends on what you like in the Terminator movies. The first one has intense action and a fresh look at science fiction... the second one has great relationships between Arnold and Sarah and John, while possessing special effects that will knock your socks off. For me, I love them both. =)

The Terminator (1984)

One of the greatest sci-fi movies ever!

[12 January 2001]

Exciting action\adventure\scifi film! This movie was very, very good in every aspect. Even if the special effects are outdated (The Terminator effects were stop-animation), it is still a classic movie. Arnold was perfectly casted as the Terminator, which (ironically) would've gone to Lance Henriksen, but Arnold pushed to have the part. Great movie, I highly recommend this one!

Never Say Never Again (1983)

Great (sort-of) Bond movie.

[12 January 2001]

This non-Broccoli Bond is actually quite decent. Sure, the music score (and the title song noteably) and the script weren't that great, but Sean Connery's performance and some action sequences save this film from being a total failure. It's not that bad actually... I found A View To A Kill and (don't shoot me) Dr. No worse than this one.

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

excellent Bond film, better than most recent ones

[25 October 2000]

James Bond is back, and Pierce Brosnan really belts his performance in this one. Unlike the previous two Brosnan Bond films, James Bond portrayed here is more cynical and determined, much like the early Sean Connery ones. Pierce Brosnan is the best Bond next only to Sean Connery.

Challenge of the GoBots (1984–1985)

Hanna-Barbera series about transformers

[25 October 2000]

This series was around the same time as the popular "Transformers", but its toys were predecessors before them. The series involves Guardians (the good guys, led by Leader-One) and the Renegades (the bad guys, led by Cy-Kill). The story line is pretty much like Transformers, and I have noticed plenty of similaraties. I can't tell if this series ripped off Transformers or vice-versa, but I will say that if the Transformers did rip them off, they did it MUCH BETTER. This show I remember watching it and loving it; upon buying a used GoBots tape, I cringed at the inferior plotlines compared to my childhood love, the Transformers. This is strictly kid-stuff. The Transformers were much cooler and more interesting.

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

highly underrated Bond film

[25 October 2000]

Moore's second Bond movie is pretty cool. It is a highly-underrated film. Sure, the Bond girl in this one is not the best, but Guy Hamilton's direction and Roger Moore's acting more than makes up for it. Christopher Lee also puts in a fine performance.

Goldfinger (1964)

Great Bond movie!

[25 October 2000]

This is a proven, Sean Connery is the best Bond. James Bond is excellent in this, and Guy Hamilton's direction makes this a must-see. Also, for those who do not know this, this was the first time the Golden Gun appears... and it is very brief.

From Russia with Love (1963)

One of the best Bond movies!

[25 October 2000]

This movie ROCKED. Sean Connery puts in a fine performance, and this movie also features some spectacular action sequences (including the helicopter scene and Bond's struggle with Grant). What really shocked me was Robert Shaw's appearance as Red Grant. I NEVER KNEW he was that buff!

RoboCop 3 (1993)

Slightly worse than RoboCop 2.

[15 October 2000]

Just when you thought they couldn't make an even worse RoboCop sequel than the second one, THINK AGAIN. This one is almost complete c**p. They killed off Ann Lewis(played by Nancy Allen) from the previous RoboCop movies, Peter Weller is replaced by Robert John Burke to play RoboCop, and the violence and language was toned down CONSIDERABLY (this was Fred Dekker's "contribution."). There was more plot in this one, but it is worse because of poor acting and idiotic robot ninjas as villains. Even the crack robot in the second one was more hideous and cool! The only saving grace of this movie is the excellent music score by Basil Poledarius (who also did the first one), which is ten times better than Leonard Rosenman's score for RoboCop 2.

RoboCop 2 (1990)

Bad sequel

[15 October 2000]

This was a HORRIBLE sequel to a GREAT movie. RoboCop is no longer "showcased" as he was in the first movie (that may be because Weller hated wearing the RoboCop suit) and the plot was very thin. Peter Weller is still, of course, excellent, but he had very minimal screen time. I admit that the first fifteen minutes were fantastic, but after that, it went EXTREMELY downhill. If you're a RoboCop fan, then see it. If not, skip it and watch the first one. The first RoboCop is a classic.

RoboCop (1987)

One of the greatest sci-fi movies ever!

[15 October 2000]

I saw this movie recently and I have to say, this movie ROCKED. The uniquely written storyline was excellent, the special effects great, and Peter Weller's portrayal as RoboCop\Alex Murphy was great. Also, I was blown away by the relentless use of the "f-word" and the extreme violence present in the film. Let's face it: Paul Verhoeven created a masterpiece of entertainment.

Mega Man (1987 Video Game)

Games will never top this... ever.

[20 July 2000]

Mega Man was one of the Nintendo games I grew up. This will remain as one of my favorites. Despite the fact that it was an 8-bit game, the graphics, gameplay, and sound\music were much better than most Nintendo games of that time. I especially love the "de-dit" sound that Mega Man makes every time he lands on the ground!

Ronin Warriors (1988–1995)

Like many other users, this was my first exposure to ANIME.

[20 July 2000]

Before Dragonball Z and Robotech, THIS was my first ANIME experience. It was quite cool and beat the pants right off Power Rangers. Still an awesome show, but after Ryo rescued all the other Ronin Warriors, it got a little old. I especially didn't like the last episode, for it totally discarded the purpose of the series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987–1996)

One of the greatest shows of all time.

[20 July 2000]

As a kid, this was one of the greatest TV series of all time. Everything about it was fresh and original; nowadays, cartoons (and other TV shows) copy other shows. Leonardo was always my favorite because he was the mature, leadership-involved turtle. I miss it not being on the air. This show, the Transformers, G.I. Joe, and X-Men were the best cartoons.

Dragon Ball Z (1989–1996)

Perhaps the greatest ANIME in existence.

[20 July 2000]

This show's so awesome and everything about it is excellent! The characters, plotline, and animation were all well executed. I especially like Krillen! My only complaint is that some episodes tend to "Drag-On" (which the series earned its often-used nickname, "Drag On Ball Z") but sometimes, it adds to the tension. I can't understand people who think the dub destroyed the show. I'd rather watch it dubbed than subtitled. Who'd wanna look down at the screen to see the letters?! I'd rather watch the characters talk and the tension.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)

better than II.

[20 July 2000]

This movie is NOTHIN' compared to the original movie, but it is a definite improvement over II. Even though the plot is pointless and the violence is mild, the characters act like they're supposed to and there is some character development here. Also, no Turtle is in the spotlight; the story revolves around them faithfully and fairly. Leonardo is portrayed as the leader, Mikey is the fun-loving turtle, Donatello is actually SMART for a change, and Raphael shows a soft-spot for kids. Unlike the others, this one has a moral and it teaches it to kids. So, don't completely discard this one as it isn't that bad.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)

The lowest of the TMNT movies.

[20 July 2000]

A lot of people will disagree with me on this one; I'm darn sure of it. In my opinion, this TMNT movie was the lowest. This was the movie (and the only movie) to adopt the nicknames ("Raph", "Donny", etc.) which (I think) were idiotic. Donatello didn't even ACT like he was supposed to and Raphael actually mouthed off towards Splinter, which the first movie established that he would never do that. It does have its high points, though: Paige Turco makes a better April than Judith Hoag, Rayzar and Tokka make pretty good baddies, and this movie happens to be the most hilarious of the three. Otherwise, however, this is the worst TMNT movie.

G.I. Joe (1985–1986)

childhood pleasure!

[20 July 2000]

G.I. Joe has always been one of my favorite shows and still is. I didn't really have a favorite character on the show, I pretty much liked everybody. However, I still think Transformers is better, but I like this show nonetheless.