Although starting well with a stellar cast and very decent script, the end result is quite empty. Not to say that this film is boring and the beautiful scenery is a compensation too. But both Hopkins and Baldwin have almost nothing to dig their teeth into. It's well directed by Lee Tamahori, although he should have gone for a more intense character study. The two stars are very watchable but don't expect anything too challenging.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Tomorrow Never Dies
(1997)
the most un-original James Bond movie in the world--ever!
4 April 2000
Goldeneye was good. The plot wasn't very strong, but then after 16 previous Bond excursions we must have been getting used to it. But after waiting 6 years and being served a reasonably good film, and thinking that all Bond's troubles were over (off-screen, obviously), then came along Tomorrow Never Dies.
Um, well, what can I say?
PLOT - mad business tycoon wants to start World War III for personal gain: (Come on! We've seen this at least 3 times before, and I think James Bond must think there's a conspiracy theory against him or something.)
CHARACTERS - James Bond, the suave, sexy secret agent (immortal by the looks of it too); Wai Lin, his tough, PC sidekick (has a pretty good pair too); Elliot Carver, mad, ruthless, delusional, low IQ (thinks he can kill Bond); M, James Bond's commanding officer, always finds James Bond annoying; Stamper, a cut-down Hans (remember Hans - he's the big, blonde, muscular, silent, Nordic bloke who James Bond had a little tiff with near the end of You Only Live Twice).
PRE-CREDIT SEQUENCE - James Bond rudely interrupts a terrorist bring-and-buy sale. (Pierce Brosnan is the only person who gives a good performance here, Judy Dench is quite bad and everyone else is bad!)
JOKES - the first joke: bad. And they just get worse, until, finally we think we've heard them all and at the end Bond makes the worst pun ever.
Q - James Bond's scenes with him are the only ones worth watching.
Oh I give up. Just don't watch this. Better was yet to come.
Um, well, what can I say?
PLOT - mad business tycoon wants to start World War III for personal gain: (Come on! We've seen this at least 3 times before, and I think James Bond must think there's a conspiracy theory against him or something.)
CHARACTERS - James Bond, the suave, sexy secret agent (immortal by the looks of it too); Wai Lin, his tough, PC sidekick (has a pretty good pair too); Elliot Carver, mad, ruthless, delusional, low IQ (thinks he can kill Bond); M, James Bond's commanding officer, always finds James Bond annoying; Stamper, a cut-down Hans (remember Hans - he's the big, blonde, muscular, silent, Nordic bloke who James Bond had a little tiff with near the end of You Only Live Twice).
PRE-CREDIT SEQUENCE - James Bond rudely interrupts a terrorist bring-and-buy sale. (Pierce Brosnan is the only person who gives a good performance here, Judy Dench is quite bad and everyone else is bad!)
JOKES - the first joke: bad. And they just get worse, until, finally we think we've heard them all and at the end Bond makes the worst pun ever.
Q - James Bond's scenes with him are the only ones worth watching.
Oh I give up. Just don't watch this. Better was yet to come.
Primary Colors
(1998)
just a first impression
4 April 2000
Um, well. Looking at what everyone else rated it as, I'm not sure what I can say.
Well, anyway, I only saw the first half hour, which was so tedious I left the living room and went did some homework instead. Maybe I left too soon, and maybe the rest of the movie is pretty decent. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. But with a first 30 minutes like that to keep looking back on, I don't think I'll ever sum up the stamina to see the whole film through.
From what I saw here is what I think of the main points of the movie:
JOHN TRAVOLTA - OK EMMA THOMSON - sorry, couldn't stop thinking of period dramas (especially Pride and Prejudice) OTHER CHARACTERS - pretty boring STORY - what? 30 minutes and we didn't see the "main" storyline yet
Don't take my word for it (you're not going to anyway are you?). Go see it and it might turn out OK.
Well, anyway, I only saw the first half hour, which was so tedious I left the living room and went did some homework instead. Maybe I left too soon, and maybe the rest of the movie is pretty decent. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. But with a first 30 minutes like that to keep looking back on, I don't think I'll ever sum up the stamina to see the whole film through.
From what I saw here is what I think of the main points of the movie:
JOHN TRAVOLTA - OK EMMA THOMSON - sorry, couldn't stop thinking of period dramas (especially Pride and Prejudice) OTHER CHARACTERS - pretty boring STORY - what? 30 minutes and we didn't see the "main" storyline yet
Don't take my word for it (you're not going to anyway are you?). Go see it and it might turn out OK.
Batman Forever
(1995)
just one question
4 April 2000
Just one question: Does Batman know how to use doors?
Batman and Batman Returns were both good movies. Mostly because if you took away the dark, sinister atmosphere of those two, you're left with something like (urgh!) this, or (AAAAH!) Batman and Robin: two cartoonish films with an action hero that looks like a cut-down Superman (just without the superpowers).
I much prefer the first two.
Oh and Michael Keaton was much better than Val Kilmer (who tries his best) and an infinite improvement over George Clooney (please).
Batman and Batman Returns were both good movies. Mostly because if you took away the dark, sinister atmosphere of those two, you're left with something like (urgh!) this, or (AAAAH!) Batman and Robin: two cartoonish films with an action hero that looks like a cut-down Superman (just without the superpowers).
I much prefer the first two.
Oh and Michael Keaton was much better than Val Kilmer (who tries his best) and an infinite improvement over George Clooney (please).
Fright Night
(1985)
offbeat, cool, sexy and very 80s vampire tale (my favourite yet)
3 March 2000
Before I first watched Fright Night, I admit I was unsure about what to think about it. All I knew about it was from what I had been told from my Dad (though his likes/dislikes are generally on par with mine, they sometimes border on plain stupid). But when I saw it to the end, I was almost totally converted.
Although the beginning is a bit cheesy and reminiscent of stereotypical horror B-movies, it soon becomes clear that this is part of what makes Fright Night so original. All the typical horror film genres are there: horror, romance, comedy (well maybe comedy isn't a typical horror element); but what makes this horror flick stand out a mile-and-a-half from the rest is that it's a very offbeat tale. It's creepily cheesy but gets away with it because it's atmosphere is so good.
All this and I haven't mentioned the acting or special effects yet. Sarandon seems to give such an effortless performance as the vampire and as a result is almost perfect. I had thought of what a modern day vampire would be like before I saw Fright Night; but Jerry Dandridge just blew all these ideas away and has to be the coolest (and I don't often use that word) and sexiest vampire ever, and is one of my favourite movie villains. Roddy McDowall can't hold a candle to Sarandon but is still very good, and Stephen Geoffreys is one of the funniest and memorable movie characters ever to grace a film screen too.
The special effects are good for 1985 and unlike where in modern films the SFX are the main point in the movie, here they add to the already present chilling atmosphere. And although on the one hand, Fright Night is quite dated, it also captures the atmosphere and the essence of the 80s. The soundtrack is excellent for the film, but paradoxically not very memorable (apart from one or two good songs).
[I wish I'd been born before 1981 (maybe 1961) so that I could have lived in the late-70s and 80s, and would have memories of the best music from that time, and not the boybands/Beatles clones/dance ditties (not decent tunes mind) we have now.]
All in all an (almost) perfect film: watch it and you'll (most likely) enjoy it and watch it again and again.
Although the beginning is a bit cheesy and reminiscent of stereotypical horror B-movies, it soon becomes clear that this is part of what makes Fright Night so original. All the typical horror film genres are there: horror, romance, comedy (well maybe comedy isn't a typical horror element); but what makes this horror flick stand out a mile-and-a-half from the rest is that it's a very offbeat tale. It's creepily cheesy but gets away with it because it's atmosphere is so good.
All this and I haven't mentioned the acting or special effects yet. Sarandon seems to give such an effortless performance as the vampire and as a result is almost perfect. I had thought of what a modern day vampire would be like before I saw Fright Night; but Jerry Dandridge just blew all these ideas away and has to be the coolest (and I don't often use that word) and sexiest vampire ever, and is one of my favourite movie villains. Roddy McDowall can't hold a candle to Sarandon but is still very good, and Stephen Geoffreys is one of the funniest and memorable movie characters ever to grace a film screen too.
The special effects are good for 1985 and unlike where in modern films the SFX are the main point in the movie, here they add to the already present chilling atmosphere. And although on the one hand, Fright Night is quite dated, it also captures the atmosphere and the essence of the 80s. The soundtrack is excellent for the film, but paradoxically not very memorable (apart from one or two good songs).
[I wish I'd been born before 1981 (maybe 1961) so that I could have lived in the late-70s and 80s, and would have memories of the best music from that time, and not the boybands/Beatles clones/dance ditties (not decent tunes mind) we have now.]
All in all an (almost) perfect film: watch it and you'll (most likely) enjoy it and watch it again and again.
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