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Reviews
Highlander: Something Wicked (1996)
"Dark Quickening", WTF?
I really don't get what they were thinking when they wrote this one. What the hell was so different about any of the bad guys that Coltec killed (and ultimately turned him evil) than some of the other bad guys that Duncan or any of the good guys would have had to kill over the centuries and millenia? So Korland and Kant killed for pleasure... and Caspian and Chronos didn't? We didn't see Duncan turn evil after killing either of them. Methos didn't have to take him to the magic spa again after those two quickenings (maybe the first visit hadn't worn off yet and he was still protected).
I know that finding plot holes in the Highlander-verse is like shooting fish in a barrel, but this one has bothered me for some time.
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Brilliant, hilarious
This movie is fantastic. It starts with a hilarious premise (that a London "Supercop" is transferred to the quiet countryside b/c he makes his colleagues look bad). Then, w/o giving away too much, it becomes unpredictable (amazingly so) and even manages some convincing action moments thatrival those from the flicks that it somehow manages both to parody and emulate at the same time. The cast is phenomenal. Even the minor players are funny and convincing. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are great. I've only seen them in "Shaun of the Dead" but they have pulled off incredibly different roles from one film to the next. Pegg successfully switched from the unassertive slacker who rose to the occasion in "Shaun" to the uptight, ultra straight-laced super cop who learns to lighten up without losing his edge in "Hot Fuzz". Frost's roles weren't quite as different but he transitioned well from a very likable (albeit crude) Ed in "Shaun" to a lovable and immature Danny in "Hot Fuzz" who finds a new hero and best friend in Pegg's character.
Highlander: Endgame (2000)
The latest installment in the ultimate revisionist back-story franchise
Cinematically speaking, I think this deserves about 6 or 7 stars in the alternate reality where I had not seen the previous Highlander films, only the series. The original Highlander with Christopher Lambert was a classic. Highlander 2 was an abomination, riddled with internal (with regard to its own storyline) and external (with regard to the storyline of the original) inconsistencies; WORST SEQUEL EVER (move over Godfather 3) but still a pretty good flick in the alternate universe where I hadn't seen the first. Highlander 3 at least tried to reconcile itself with the original but still fell short of the original. When the TV series started, I kept wondering how they were going to stay true to H1; was the series going to end with Duncan going to meet his death at the hands of the Kurgan? Obviously not as revealed in the "Watchers" episode. Nevertheless I grew to like this new guy and the series although I stopped watching in season 4 (I've heard it really jumped the shark in season 5). I knew b4 I had even seen Endgame that the younger, hunkier one would survive...typical, shallow, predictable Hollywood outcome. At least it's clear there are still other immortals at (least one lesson was learned from the previous films).
Joe Dirt (2001)
A decent comedy with some heart.
I wouldn't put this movie on a par with other over-the-top comedies like Zoolander (one of my favorites) but Joe Dirt has more than just a few low-brow laughs to offer. The main character is the very likable, albeit pathetic, Joe Dirt. The movie isn't just about the random cross-country meanderings of a clueless white trash janitor - as the promos would lead you to believe. Joe has a good heart and an upbeat attitude that have helped him through times that would have crushed most people. He's searching for his family (from whom he was separated during a trip to the Grand Canyon at age 8) and does some pretty good detective work to find them, while along the way inspiring some other "lowlifes" to do better by themselves. The story is told in the format of a radio interview that catapaults Joe into the hearts of the audience members. This movie can actually help you suspend disbelief temporarily and believe in the kindness of strangers without being overly saccharine and sappy (we can thank some of the raunchy humor for that).