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danielshumway
Reviews
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
Poorly written, unimaginative, cheap Jumanji rip-off
Don't bother with this. What a waste of time. Maybe 6 year olds could be entertained, but adults with any intelligence will wish they had never "played the game." Peace out.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Sins of the Father (1990)
Most honor bound stng
If you really believe in the honor of the Klingon Empire at its hard and if you really trust and care about the Star Trek next Generation Enterprise Captain Picard you will realize this episode is one of the most touching moving amazing episodes ever!
Amadeus (1984)
Review of a Review
I was going to write a detailed review, but then I read Alec-11's review entitled "A rare masterpiece." Read it. 'Nuff said.
50 to 1 (2014)
Really Enjoyable
I'm the kind of movie fan that appreciates art and genius in film. This is not art. But, for its genre, it is a well-made wonderful, heart- warming, true story. I found out afterward, the film is quite faithful to the true story, which I appreciate. I enjoyed all the acting performances, I felt the actors' emotions, so I think they really put a lot of soul into it. I didn't know the outcome or the story at all so it made it really fun for me. I look forward to more movies with these actors and by the writer and director. If you like horse racing, you'll really enjoy it. It has a neat surprise (this is not a spoiler) in that one of the actors was actually involved in the true story. I read some tough reviews from professional critics. I really don't see what they were so critical of. I highly recommend it.
Dennis the Menace (1993)
If you don't find this hilarious, you don't appreciate genius
Nick Castle's directing is amazing. The timing, the perfect camera angles, the rapport between the cast, and much more, are just remarkable. This little boy, Mason Gamble (who won the Young Artist Award for Best Youth Actor Leading Role in a Motion Picture Comedy in this film) is amazing at such a young age. This movie brings the comic strip alive MUCH better than the old TV show ever did. Jerry Goldsmith's music is perfect, Walter Matthau perfectly portrays the grumpy old Mr. Wilson in a way he couldn't even achieve in Grumpy Old Men. In fact, I have no problem proclaiming he has never been funnier. Christopher Lloyd is pure genius as an evil thief. I won't spoil it at all, but trust me when I say that Dennis the Menace manages make life miserable for Mr. Wilson and others, and comes out squeaky clean, as a child hero like him must. WATCH IT, BE IN A GOOD MOOD, AND YOU WILL LLOOVVEE IT! (Of course, if you naturally just don't like one of the actors in the movie or come with some other sort of bias, I can't help you.)
Return from Witch Mountain (1978)
I TRIED to like it. I really did. But...
This review may contain SPOILERS.
One praiseworthy note before the coming necessary diatribe: Christopher Lee, who played the antagonist, succeeded admirably in this movie; despite wading through the cinematic muck, he came out clean.
For true fans of this movie's actors or admirers of the original movie (Escape to Witch Mountain), this sequel may be worth watching. MAY. For anyone else, uh...no. This sequel is all about the "How could theys." How could Disney have approved such a lame script (the dialog sounds like it could have been thought up by the actors on the set)? How could director John Hough have gone from applying fine skills in working with children, in the original, to practically ignoring them and focusing on his classic camera angles (on the DVD commentary, he's full of praise for his "brilliance")? And how could the formerly delightful Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann (who, in all fairness, was asked to be unconscious or silent through most of the movie) have gone from riches to rags in acting ability and cuteness? (Could the answer be...acting lessons?) The answers to all of these questions are truly beyond me. But, the root of the problem might lie in Disney's choice of producers: they must have been the lamest, most inept, and least caring in the history of Disney. And that's saying something! There's more: Bette Davis. What a shame that Disney would disrespect her by surrounding her with garbage and expecting her to dress it up. Instead, this brilliant actress unavoidably "rose" (read "fell") to the level of her cast, director and writers.
A brief synopsis of the "plot" (it can hardly be called that): Tony (Eisenmann) and Tia (Richards) are back from the mountain. They have undefined plans, run into trouble, and, well, they survive it. You'll find this summary more interesting than the movie. But...I'll tell you why I can review it. I watched it all the way through. You see, I am, indeed, a true fan of the original. Can't you see the teardrops of disappointment on this page?