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dpriven
Reviews
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Ehh.
I saw the flick at midnight with family and friends. I even let my 12-year-old daughter stay up to see it with us. At the end, we talked about the experience: Midnight screening. LOTS of goofy fans in costumes. Evil looks at the joker that asked if this one had Picard or Kirk. Incredibly loud, obnoxious people in the theater who catcalled every preview and then became utterly reverent when the film started.
When it was over, we barely talked about the film. That says it all.
Insignificant observations:
Obiwan's development into the best warrior in the Galaxy seemed rather abrupt.
R2's continually expanding powers suggest that someday, he would make the most power Sith of all....
(Stagger... stagger...) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Man, did that scene flop. What - did James Earl Jones price himself out of a job?
Why the heck did Yoda decide to send OB1 off to fight Vader alone, instead of teaming up vs. the Emperor?
Are the Red State people looking to put Lucas on an enemies list for creating a parable about the USA?
P.S. Dear IMDb - sometimes, people actually use brackets to, you know, bracket stuff. How 'bout not making me change 'em to parentheses?
The Cat in the Hat (2003)
Terrifying to Three Year Olds
I got this movie from the library. My three year old son watched it with the babysitter. I knew it was PG, but based on the reviews I'd read, thought the rating was because of off-color jokes. At three, he'd never notice them. When we picked him up, he was SCREAMING and crying in an absolute panic, saying over and over how scary it is. He tried to throw the movie away and now, six hours later, is clinging to my wife most pathetically. This is not his nature. I haven't even seen the movie, though I'm dying to know what spooked him so. I can say this though - think twice before letting a child to whom you read The Cat in the Hat see this movie.
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Ten screenwriters = abomination
If you've read the books, this movie is a wretched butchering of Mr. Alexander's work. If you haven't read the books, gently put this awful movie away and read the books instead. They're by Lloyd Alexander and any library will have them. Two of the five books received Newberry Awards (for excellence in children's literature)
It is possible to change a book and still have a great movie - witness The Shining or The Lord of the Rings. This film, with its TEN screenwriters, is a testament to just how awful an adaptation can be.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
My 10 year old and I liked it.
I read the book when I was a kid and enjoyed it quite a bit. When I saw the DVD at the library, I picked it up. I hadn't planned on making my daughter watch an old movie with me, but when she wandered through the living room, she plopped right down and we had a fun time.
The pacing was fine, the actors read their lines well, the music was exciting, and the DVD is very clear - it could have been made last year, as far as the print is concerned. I saw two bits used in Raiders of the Lost Ark - the giant boulder rolling toward our heroes, and a ray of light leading the way at a certain time and place. I'm sure there are other scenes from this movie that were aped in more recent adventure films.
One commenter really went off regarding the Freudian aspects of the film - I noticed too, but it didn't bother me - EVERY film is about sex if you let it be.
The only special features were the original trailer - which actually expected audiences to read! and a comparison of the old unrestored prints to the new one. If you only saw the old fuzzy print, you haven't seen the movie.