toddinvestor Reviews

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Slight spoiler near end of review with warning: Star Wars is still a saga

[8/10 · 25 December 2016]

Firstly, if you're not a fan of Star Wars already this episode is not likely to win you over. Otherwise, I think it continues to set the bar of emotional intensity that hopefully upcoming episodes will match.

The visuals remain great: fantastic landscapes while continuing to blend reals sets and locations with CGI so one rarely gets that annoying 'my video game looks better' vibe. The big screen and 3D are once again the venue needed to take it all in.

I think this is significantly different film than "The Force Awakens" which I thought was a long overdue fantastic continuation and reboot of the Star Wars series. "Rogue One" is grittier, darker and really not family friendly. I could say it is the antithesis of "The Return Of The Jedi". Like others have reviewed, I would tend to call it a war drama, one that increases in intensity with war torn looking characters as the movie progresses. Every member of the rebellion is not a clear cut hero for the first time as well.

No spoiler in saying that the plot is retrieving the secret Death Star plans, and Episode IV already revealed of course they were successful. But this is still a standalone film in all other ways, even if an imperfect one.

I personally like characters that are expressive and complex, and for the first part of "Rogue One" I felt like I wasn't getting it. By the end I did.

Slight spoiler ahead not in plot but in my opinion why the character portrayal made perfect sense towards the end of the movie. As one learns more about the variety of 'protagonists', it becomes evident that every main person in the crew including the lead is traumatized. My understanding of traumatic response is one can lose their emotional affect and not have the normal range of highs and lows. These seem like real rebels: disturbed by their pasts, steadfast to their cause and resigned to their fate. If you never really hated The Empire and Darth Vader before, you likely will after this films ends.

For the first time in a long time, I will be going into future Star Wars episodes with high expectations of a poignant, complex and visually stunning journey into a galaxy far far away. Hard to imagine how they can keep it all going. If they do it should be amazing. Just no more Death Stars please.

Capote (2005)

Slow But Interesting

[6/10 · 28 February 2006]

Capote comes highly recommended, so I went in with big expectations. I cannot say they were met. Capote moves along slowly taking its time to develop its characters, plot and rhythm. Philip Hoffman is a highlight with a commanding performance lead. His ego, insecurity, ruthlessness, pride and regret all mix together in this complex and believable character. The center of the murders, Clifton Collins Jr, is portrayed with potential. How could such a mild man be a savage killer. Yes, the ingredients are all there. But somehow Capote manages to ring shallow. The inner workings of the accused are never fully explored. The background, motive and capacity to kill all have to be taken for granted. And Capote himself rings scripted. His inner workings are also not deeply revealed. Add to this a really slow pace, and I see a movie laced with dramatic opportunity which never comes around. Worth watching, yes. Disturbing, yes. But acclaimed, no.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Gripping

[10/10 · 11 February 2005]

With the close of 2004, looking back "The Passion Of The Christ" stands out for me as the best picture of the year. In my opinion, The Passion deserves Oscar nominations for both best director in Mel Gibson and best actor in James Caviezel. It received neither of course being out of the loop of the Hollywood empire. The Passion is also amazingly polarizing. Viewers tend to give it either a 10 or a 1, opposite ends of the scale. Nothing in 2004 gripped me from start to finish, mesmerized me with intense emotion or left such a visual and emotional impact as "The Passion Of The Christ". And this is from someone who was hesitant to see it at all. This is not a typical bible story. Believer or not, the suffering of Christ is a charged event brought to life by Mel Gibson's stellar efforts. If you are not sure whether or not to take this movie in, just see it! Yeah, maybe you will give it a 1, but is it not worth the risk that you might find instead a 10 out of 10? How many movies have that potential? They are few and far between.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Not funny

[4/10 · 8 January 2005]

Love it or hate it. I am in the latter group. "Napoleon Dynamite" just does not deserve its rating of over seven out of ten on IMDb. I do not get it. I kept wondering while watching this film, is it time to laugh now? Slow. Very slow. All of the characters are deadpan. No expression. No humor. No nothing. The subplots involving Napoleon's uncle and brother are extremely boring. As for Napoleon himself, I will admit there are a few redeeming moments in his journey through high school. Napoleon is almost likable. The idea of making a movie about nerds and misfits has potential. "Dumb and Dumber" did it right. "Napoleon Dynamite" misses the mark. 4/10

The Clearing (2004)

Not so bad

[7/10 · 2 January 2005]

After all of the negative reviews I read about this movie, it was with reluctance and groaning that I agreed to watch it when my wife picked it out. I fully expected a bomb. What a pleasant surprise. "The Clearing" is, as many have pointed out, a slower moving film. Just because there is no action does not mean a film is bad. "The Clearing" is a drama with two story lines moving along in parallel. There is interesting dialogue building up to an uncertain climax. "The Clearing" held my interest and developed suspense. With an only 90 minute running time, I kept wondering how they were going to wrap everything up. And that is the strength of this movie. It is not formulaic. You will not guess the ending. All of the loose ends in both plot and character development come to a conclusion in the final minutes. All in all, much better than expected and well worth renting. 7/10

Ray (I) (2004)

An Oscar level performance from Jamie Foxx

[7/10 · 1 January 2005]

I am not personally a fan of Ray Charles. So I went into this film not expecting too much. A pleasant surprise. "Ray" is a fine biography with a captivating and impeccable performance by Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles. The successes and turmoil, genius and vices, are all portrayed in believable detail in this Ray Charles story. To its credit, "Ray" manages to begin and end with a sense of completion to the Ray Charles character. We know why he is like he is, why he struggles like he does, and how he comes to deal with his personal demons. In short, "Ray" succeeds in building empathy for its main character. "Ray" is a convincing film with fine acting and solid musical deliveries. If I was a fan of Ray Charles, I would undoubtedly rate it even higher. 7/10

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

That classic soundtrack on the big screen

[7/10 · 1 January 2005]

"The Phantom Of The Opera" is all about the music. Needless to say, this film is entirely a musical completely based on the stage play. If this is what you are looking for, you should be more than satisfied. The period costumes and sets are fantastic, and so much more detail can be shown on screen than on stage. The singing and soundtrack are also captivating. So what is not to like? Well, one cannot escape the sense that this is a stage play , not a movie. It feels like it is meant to be seen live, not on a screen. In fact if you do see it, take in the big screen because DVD will not deliver. "The Phantom Of The Opera" also lacks the dark side the movie should be able to give it. The phantom is simply not that scary. And the love story does seem a little contrived. My overall sense is that this movie comes across as a video take of a stage play rehearsal. Not that this is a bad thing. If you cannot see "The Phantom" live, then the movie is still the next best way to take in that classic soundtrack. 7/10

The Aviator (2004)

Flies high but not an epic

[8/10 · 1 January 2005]

"The Aviator" is an engaging drama which may be the best film of 2004. Then again, 2004 was a rather lackluster year at the movies. Like most viewers, I am not informed in detail about the actual life of Howard Hughes, so I cannot say how revisionist "The Aviator" is. The strengths of the film are the excellent acting roles by the leads Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett, vivid period sets, seamless special effects and an interesting story to tell. Howard Hughes is portrayed as a complex larger-than-life character with bizarre instability offsetting his genius. In itself, the movie is a captivating walk through a portion of his life. But that is also its weakness. Without a distinct starting point or ending, the story lacks a sense of purpose. Sure, it is fine to watch, but after all is said, so what? "The Aviator" might win Oscars, but it certainly will not become a cultural phenomenon like "Titanic" did. On that note, "The Aviator" also lacks a memorable soundtrack. Probably about as fine a depiction of Howard Hughes as one could ask for. But ultimately somewhat hollow. 8/10

National Treasure (2004)

for kids yes; for adults no

[7/10 · 15 December 2004]

"National Treasure" is a suspenseful, gripping, action packed, fast moving treasure hunt that holds your attention from beginning to end. That is, if you are ten years old. My ten year old nephew was leaning forward making the odd comment of awe throughout the film. I can say "National Treasure" is a fine family film for older children to enjoy with their parents. But from an adults point of view, much of this movie is plain silly. I won't provide spoilers, but within 15 minutes into "National Treasure" you will know what I mean. I agree with other viewers that this movie is an Indiana Jones wanna be. It is not "Raiders". Nicolas Cage, for whatever reason, provides a rather flat performance falling well short of Harrison Ford. The clues are also really far-reaching and formulaic. Connect the dots. Yet, "National Treasure" has redeeming value. It is family friendly, moves along at a brisk pace and has some excellent visuals. for kids: 8/10 for adults: 6/10

Finding Neverland (2004)

A moving film; that moves slowly

[7/10 · 15 December 2004]

Sometimes it is best I guess not to go into a film with such high expectations. Such it was when I ventured into "Finding Neverland". I expected a lot. On the plus side, all of the acting by the main characters was solid. The cinematography was also fine. The letdown was in the story itself. It simply moved along too slowly. Johnny Depp's persona reminded me of Jim Carrey in "The Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind." A rather silent character that always seems to be quietly thinking about something, though what it is we are not too sure. Although Depp's performance is convincing, I feel it needs to be more verbal and expressive. Freddie Highmore is excellent, but his part seems too small in the overall story. Children would probably fall asleep watching "Finding Neverland". For adults, however, the slow pace is at least offset by a fine visual expression and the ordeal of the characters in the midst of tragedy, not to mention the creation of Neverland itself. 7/10

To End All Wars (2001)

Worth watching

[7/10 · 4 December 2004]

"To End All Wars" may not be a classic or a great war film. It starts slowly, and the numerous characters make it a bit confusing. This is not "Saving Private Ryan". However, the movie gets more interesting, intense and meaningful as it goes along and concludes with a satisfying ending. "To End All Wars" is a film worth hanging in there past the first half hour to get to the more involved parts of the plot and characters. There is more than just a POW camp war tale here. There is an entire subplot about the prisoners motives, character growth, attitudes and eventual heroics that is worth waiting for. Most war films start and end with shooting and battles. "To End All Wars" looks at the human side of conflict. Add to all of this the basis on a true story, and this film makes for a worthwhile two hours. 7/10

The Incredibles (2004)

a good movie, BUT ...

[7/10 · 30 November 2004]

... not incredible. Perhaps I went in with expectations too high. For sure, Pixar comes through with another brilliant animation display. The neverending variety of scenes, many at high speed, are enjoyable to watch on the big screen. Character development is also good. Each Incredible is given a decent amount of screen time though Mr. Incredible is the featured hero throughout. I enjoyed Dash, the young boy flying around at incredible speeds. So, what is not to like? Well, as good as the movie is, it drags with a 2 hour running time. There is humor here and there but not enough to compensate for the lengthy dialogue sequences. "The Incredibles" carries itself like an adult drama too often, and the kidlets in the theatre I was in were getting restless. It is like an animated James Bond, with all the chase scenes to go with it, and talking too. Too much in fact. Though I enjoyed it, I did not leave feeling compelled to see it again. Neither did my 10 year old nephew. That makes "The Incredibles" good, but not great. 7/10 Note: wouldn't recommend it for younger children, too intense and scary for the young ones

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

can you say, "CHEESE!!"

[2/10 · 22 November 2004]

"The Day After Tomorrow" has to be one of the most ridiculous films ever made. How did this script ever get approved? Almost every line is a banal predictable insult. Every moment of tension is unbelievable. Far-fetched times one hundred. The special effects are not horrible, but not great either. For the most part we have seen it all before whether it be "Twister" or "Deep Impact". I could go on with spoiler after spoiler about each improbable, unrealistic and downright hokey moment in the film. They start at the beginning and just keep coming. It is hard to believe that so much money was spent on such poor material. Where will I be the day after tomorrow? Watching something much less silly than this. 2/10

Touching the Void (2003)

Vividly detailed

[8/10 · 15 October 2004]

A great film! And more than just a mountaineering film. "Touching The Void" is an incredible story of survival. Like Shackleton's odyssey, you would not believe Joe Simpson's saga if it was not true. For a documentary, this movie does everything right. The mountain footage is fantastic. The climbing shots are gripping. The narration follows the story line by line and scene by scene. Every aspect of this harrowing epic is brought to life and fully explained. It is like reading a book on screen, full of detail and imagination. The acting is fine and continually complements the narrative. This true story blows away Hollywood tripe like "Cliffhanger" and "Vertical Limit". Forget for once the sappy plot lines and ridiculous far-fetched feats attributed to most adventure films. This amazing story is true! My only contention would be that "Touching The Void" is after all, a documentary, and therefore might come across as methodically slow at times. All the same, go see it! 8/10

The Terminal (2004)

A pleasant surprise

[8/10 · 27 August 2004]

Now really, what can one expect from a film that entirely centers around a foreigner stuck in an airport terminal? Well, in this case it turns out to be quite a lot. I had low expectations for "The Terminal" and was pleasantly surprised. First of all, the set is great. This film looks and feels like a living terminal. Spielberg comes through as director as well. How do you make filming inside an airport terminal interesting? Spielberg manages to do just that. But all of this would not matter if there was no story or characters to base it on. And without providing spoilers, lets just say Tom Hanks once again pulls off a film sustaining role. It helps that he is given a quality script to work with. Add to all of the above an unexpected group of protagonists, and antagonist and a little romance, and what more could one ask for from a night out at the movies. My only qualm is that "The Terminal" is over sentimental at times. And of course, it is a drama - no action here. A fine film nevertheless. 8/10

Spartan (2004)

No No No

[2/10 · 23 August 2004]

How did this film possibly end up with a vote over '7' on IMDB? David Mamet has managed to put together nothing more than a confused jumbled mess. Oh, and throw in a beating or shooting every few minutes to try and distract the viewer from this confused jumbled mess. I'm personally a fan of Val Kilmer and have enjoyed every film I have seen with him starring. Not this time. Is Kilmer's career stalling? How else to explain his presence here. "Spartan" jumps around from one unbelievable plot point to another with no coherency and never draws the viewer in. It is a violent film that goes nowhere. I found myself just waiting for it to end. One of the worst movies I have seen in a long time. AVOID. 2/10

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

Disturbing content

[2/10 · 19 August 2004]

"The Manchurian Candidate" may have had strong acting and a measure of suspense throughout. I thought Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep and even Liev Schreiber all provided convincing roles. The movie also maintained an ongoing creepy air adding to its 'thriller' status. But unlike "The Sixth Sense", for example, which emphasized story and characters over blood and gore, "The Manchurian Candidate" relies too heavily on disturbing visuals for impact. In addition to the entire story being based on a brainwashing, violence in this film includes drownings, asphyxiations, torture and point blank shootings. Such material could have been implied rather than vividly shown. It becomes the focal point of the film detracting from everything else. That is not what I go to the movies for. 2/10

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Big disappointment

[3/10 · 26 July 2004]

After enjoying "The Bourne Identity" and hearing some good reviews about this film, I went in expected to be impressed. Instead, what a letdown! "The Bourne Supremacy" is an instantly forgettable film not even worth renting never mind the price of admission. This boring movie fails to produce a plot, character or theme worth caring about. The story is unoriginal, slow moving and far fetched. One of the most ridiculous repeated scenes is Matt Damon always magically ending up in the antagonist's house, bedroom or adjacent window. How he gets there, no one knows. Be careful next time you come home. Matt Damon might be in your kitchen eating milk and cookies! Matt Damon's character Bourne is also uninteresting. He barely utters a word in the whole film. And yes, we got it already, he has amnesia. Add to all of this an annoying, blurry, rapid, shaky directing style throughout the movie. The director even manages to ruin the one exciting car chase scene. They should have ended this series after the first film. Avoid. 3/10

I, Robot (2004)

Good. Not great.

[7/10 · 19 July 2004]

Considering all the money that must have been spent on the seamless futuristic special effects and sets, not to mention on Will Smith, "I, Robot" should have been more than it was. This movie is entertaining enough but far too formulaic. Hero saves world. We've seen it a thousand times before. There is enough humor and action and suspense to keep things interesting, but "I, Robot" lacks real depth. The movie does discuss the morals of robotics interacting with humans, and puts an empathetic face on the main robot character, Sonny. Yet, this film missed the opportunity to be more clever and darker. It gets far too immersed in big scene computer graphics and lacks the intensity of a robot thriller it could have been. Worth seeing, just don't expect to be blown away. 7/10

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

???!!

[5/10 · 13 July 2004]

What was that? Sure, the sets were cool. The concept was also unique. But being artsy for the sake of being artsy can leave a project in a mess. This was one convoluted movie. I found it to be original, but certainly not brilliant. It had the potential to be a lot more. The main drawback of "The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was the sloooow deadpan pace of the film. This movie was in desperate need of more humor. In fact, the few humorous moments were the highlight of the whole darn thing. It also needed to ditch the subplots - very boring - and spend more time on the romance or in Jim Carrey's mind. Charlie Kaufmann had a great concept, but I can't say he delivered. Elijah Wood is also going to have a tough time excelling at not being Frodo. I guess I just don't relate to the awe some reviewers got from this movie. Being bizarre cannot alone a great film make. It also has to hold one's interest. To compare to another recent fantasy type film, I thought "Big Fish" was better. 5/10

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Better than the original

[8/10 · 13 July 2004]

Worked for me. "Spider-Man 2" combines great special effects, action, drama and even character development. I especially like the modest basis for Peter Parker: an average stiff with an above average task. I'm not a big fan of the superhero genre overall as it tends to be predictable and stale. "Spider-Man 2" won't exactly go down as a mystery thriller, but at least the characters have some personality and depth with an interesting enough story to hold it all together. With more action, better effects, added romance and a few surprises for the characters, "Spider-Man 2" surpasses the original. It should be a challenge for the writers to maintain the interest level heading into "Spider-Man 3" in 2007. "Spider-Man 2" seems to answer all the questions about its cast. What's left to build a story around? All in all, a fun ride for what it is. Worth my money. 8/10

Shattered Glass (2003)

A story of denial

[7/10 · 8 June 2004]

Like him or loathe him, Stephen Glass' ability to deny his crimes is an absorbing portrayal in "Shattered Glass". Also, Hayden Christensen leaves his forgettable bland "Star Wars" performance far behind in his well acted role here as Stephen Glass. This film is not a blockbuster nor is it intended to be. It takes a while to get going, and relies on a one topic story throughout. Unlike blockbusters which so often disappoint with horrible writing supporting hundreds of millions of dollars worth of special effects, "Shattered Glass" is a completely unassuming film that engages with an interesting script and convincing acting. That makes it worth seeing. 7/10

Shrek 2 (2004)

Fun flick, but not perfect

[8/10 · 8 June 2004]

"Shrek 2" is a lot of fun. There is a barrage of gags and parody for kids and adults throughout. Yet, something is missing. Maybe my expectations were simply too high. Maybe pop-culture references alone cannot a great film make. Just because there happens to be a "Farbucks" store - obvious reference to Starbucks - does not necessarily mean it's funny. "Shrek 2" perhaps relies too much on such references and loses its heart and originality. The humor is much more 'adult' than in the first Shrek, though the kids are not likely to get it. In fact, "Shrek 2" is probably funnier overall for adults than its younger target audience. For that I commend it. Please the parents while entertaining the children. I enjoyed "Shrek 2", but it was only good, not great. Worth seeing, but not a classic. 8/10