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Reviews
Crocodile Hunter (1996)
Everyone's waiting for that one time...
The Crocodile Hunter, aka Steve Irwin, has to be the craziest man on Earth. In any given episode, you'll see him trapping pissed off crocs, holding highly venomous snakes by the tail as he points out their colorations, or just feeding the inhabitants of the Queensland Zoo by dangling a chicken leg inches from their tooth filled maws.
Half of the show's appeal is the knowledge he displays with each animal he finds, explaining everything he knows about them to the camera. The other half is watching as he stares down some creature, hoping this is the time he gets bitten or eaten, knowing that if it happens, his last words will be, "Crickey! Keep the camera rolling, and...." The best moments so far have been the numerous close calls, from crocs attacking the camera, to being sprayed down by spitting cobras. More interactive than any given National Geographic special, he risks life and limb each episode, all because he loves his job so much. In my opinion, this show is better than some unknown dude sitting half a mile away watching a lion eat a zebra. You know Steve would be kneeling a few yards away, smiling to the camera. That's why he's the best host on any nature show. I rate this show 8/10, and I'll keep watching until the day he gets too close.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Good, but not great
Pearl Harbor is not a war movie. If you want a movie about the attack on Pearl Harbor, rent Tora! Tora! Tora! and save a few bucks. If you want to see a movie about a love triangle that develops between two pilots and a nurse that just happens to be set in Pearl Harbor, this is your movie. For those of you willing to sit through 90 minutes of this just to see the attack, the wait is worth it. The attack scenes are spectacular, but just a little too PG-13 instead of realistic. After the attack, the two pilots are sent on a top secret mission to bomb Tokyo. Again, if you want to skip the love stuff, rent Thirty Seconds over Tokyo.
I didn't hate this movie, not by a long shot. I'm no fan of the Jerry Bruckheimer/Michael Bay team, but I thought that I could put up with their melodrama in exchange for a good, but not great, war flick. Don't forget to bring your "Bruckheimer Checklist" if you do see this movie.
The Bruckheimer Checklist:
1. A group of the movie's heroes are walking in slow motion. 2. The camera follows someone's line of sight as they watch planes flying overhead. 3. American flags displayed prominently. 4. Kids playing in, again, slow motion, as someone says something important. 5. Lots and lots of melodrama.