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Reviews
Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire (2004)
What a moving film.
It's not often that I get to review documentaries (and I'm not sure that Michael Moore counts) but I was fortunate enough to see the excellent film 'Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire' this afternoon. Daillaire was picked from the Canadian Army to lead the UN Peacekeeping mission in Rwanda as the genocide of Tutsis (by another tribe the Hutu) was about to begin. The film goes into the history of how the hatreds began, and how there was a real failure from the world to intervene in time. At every turn Daillaire was thwarted by his so-called superiors to do anything. For the most part his men were left to watch as the country destroyed itself. As this was all happening in the spring of 1994, the world was obsessed with one OJ Simpson and his bloody glove. Watching the film I was sickened by the first world's apathy toward Africa. Bono once said that this generation will be remembered for standing by with water while Africa burned. This film only reinforced the statement. Afterwards the director, Peter Raymont, had a Q&A with the audience (there was also Dallaire's assistant from that period in Rwanda - his name escapes me), and he said that in Canada it will be playing on the CBC in the new year. I saw it as part of the Vancouver International Film Fest, and it's played at Toronto already, and will be at Berlin and Sundance next year. Please check this film out! It deserves to be seen by one and all.
Mission to Mars (2000)
The Horror. The Horror. Not ever Kurtz could imagine schlock as bad.
I must warn everyone to stay away from Mission To Mars. What a silly movie. It was trying to be the next 2001 or Close Encounters of the Third Kind and it failed. Brian DePalma may have some neat special effects but he ain't no Kubrick or Spielberg. It was godawful. Dumb ending and even stupider lines. How could those fine actors do some schlock like this? How? I am so devastated over it I deserve to be arrested for wasting two hours last night watching it...As Colonel Kurtz said in the way finer Apocalypse Now: "The Horror. The Horror." The whole message aspect of this movie was very pointless and trivial. If I wanted an explanation for evolution I would have paid attention in biology and at least I would not get an alien seeding theory. Boring all the way to the bank. I hope Red Planet can improve on this one.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
It is awesome to this 17 year old boy
Don't worry I admit it, I'm a STAR WARS freak. A big one. I worship the movies. Ever since George Lucas said to Leonard Maltin four years ago that he was writing Episode I, II and III I have waited. So Four years later, after countless trips to Star Wars websites, countless viewing of the Original Trilogy, a night in line for tickets and the purchasing of various action figures I can say with a big smile "It was worth it!"
In an age where Star Wars gets backlash rivaling GODZILLA's bad reviews (which deserved bad reviews) I Dan Revill bring you the positive review of the century. This is a magnificent movie. A beautiful movie worth multiple viewing at your local Famous Players (shameless job plug) in glorious THX.
I might as well say there are flaws in this movie. The dialogue is weak (always has been), Jar Jar Binks is sometimes in the wrong place at the wrong time and yes, physics does prove that Watto can not really fly. But that isn't the point of STAR WARS. Those to say the least are trivial facts. The magnificence of this movie lies in other areas.
First off the cinematography in this movie is amazing! I saw things that I had never seen before on the silver screen. After the pod race (it's not childish) I wanted to jump up on my seat and yell "Did you see that!!!?" The lightsaber duels were beautifully choreographed and shot. The planets from Naboo to Coruscant are to say the least WOW! Lucas has taken a universe that we knew and expanded upon it tenfold. Oh and the Senate scene is awesome. Yes that was ET and a couple of his buddies hanging out there. And Wookies too!
As for the story and characters, well they are there. Lucas has crafted a good story full of action, adventure, intrigue, humour, drama and yes-even politics. You may have heard that the talented actors are wasted in this film and I think they are not. You have to remember that this is setting up relationships with different characters for the rest of the trilogy.
Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn is noble, defiant and brave. This is his movie and he does a good job of it. One of his best performances. Ewan McGregor brings new life to Obi Wan Kenobi who will perhaps be one of the most tragic characters of this trilogy, for it is he who eventually loses Anakin to the Dark side. Ewan is magnificent to say the least though. Now little Anakin Skywalker all Galaxarian kid. Jake Lloyd brings us a child who is heroic and gentle. It sucks to be him. As for Anakin's future wife, Queen Amidala, Natalie Portman plays the role(s) very well. She has the beauty of a Queen who is trying to do what she feels is right.
This universe is also populated with other unforgettable characters including old faves and new ones like Jabba the Hutt, Master Yoda, Master Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), Jar Jar, Sebulba, Boss Nass and a girl with braces (no joke!).
Oh did I mention the bad guys? We got them too. Greedy Trade Federation and battle droids! Darth Maul and his master Darth Sidious bring some extra spice to this universe also. Maul was not in it for much of the movie but when he is, it is cinematic glory. Ray Park did an excellent job of portraying a Jedi (a Dark one no less) in his prime. What a tour du Force.
I won't bother telling you the story because you probably heard about it or read about it many times. It's a good deal and that's just what we need. How does it rate with the original trilogy? Well I think it's up there but my theory is that you can't have one without the other so this is a very welcome addition to the STAR WARS saga.
So is this movie for you? If you are expecting classic trilogy Star Wars then this will be a shock. This is a reinvented Star Wars. It's made for the nineties ten-year-old. IT was made for kids and dreamers and not pessimistic people and cynics. But to say the least THE PHANTOM MENACE is for anyone looking to recapture his or her youth. It's time to have fun again and remember what made the original trilogy so thrilling. For everyone it is different. As for me? It's the scene in A NEW HOPE where Luke watches the sun set. It is there where wonder and discovery are melded together into cinematic beauty. That's what STAR WARS is all about. Discovery.