kaiser44 Reviews

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Just didn't do it for me

[6/10 · 16 January 2005]

I really wanted to like this movie. Sometimes Peter Sellers makes me laugh and sometimes I just think the way he plays the characters are too OTT.

This movie is currently No.16 of all time and I just don't get it. Yes I know its a black comedy and your not necessarily supposed to be laughing out loud but for pity's sake a black comedy is still supposed to be funny.

The first 30 minutes of the film passed without any comedy at all in my opinion. It then turned slightly more comical but an all time classic. Not for me. The only line that I can really recall was the 'no fighting, this is the war room'. That raised a smirk.

Maybe this film worked well 41 years ago when it would have been controversial indeed but in these days there's just not enough there.

The Dr. Strangelove character was worst of all. I felt like I was watching an episode of The Young Ones or something.

Overall an okay way to spend a couple of hours, but oh so disappointing.

I score it a 6

12 Angry Men (1957)

Classic Movie

[9/10 · 15 January 2005]

They certainly don't make films like this anymore. For a start they wouldn't have anything to spend the huge budget on and where would they use the compulsory CGI.

I thought I was going to like this and I was right. Despite being set in the one room for the majority of the film the tension keeps your eyes on the screen and the story keeps your mind active trying to make up your own mind as to whether or not the boy was guilty.

As some others have mentioned the only problem I have is that I still felt the boy was guilty at the end of the film and that it was a bit unrealistic how some of the jurors suddenly caved in and changed their vote (especially the one who couldn't recall some detail from days ago, so that proved the boy could be telling the truth about not remembering the films he supposedly saw. Doh!) Nevertheless, I tried to suspend this feeling of annoyance at the somewhat liberal preaching attitude of the film so I could appreciate its finer points which are many.

I do wonder though, whether a darker ending where we see a closing shot of the accused with a kind of smirk on his face walking out the court insinuating he was guilty after all would have satisfied me more though and given more food for thought.

I score a 9 though as its as classic as they get.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Wonderful

[9/10 · 15 January 2005]

This is such a great feel good movie and although not a x-mas movie it just feels even better watching it at that time of year.

There are only one or two movies that I have seen in my life that I will score a 10 so to give this a 9 is high praise indeed.

After watching it the first time I would have scored it a 7 or 8, but this film more than any other I have ever watched stands up to repeat viewings. It is rare that I watch a movie more than once or twice but I have seen this four or five times and always enjoy it as much as the first time.

This I find amazing as the film itself shows the same day over and over, you would have maybe thought the opposite and that you would get bored second time around.

Maybe I find it so enjoyable because you put yourself in his shoes and wonder how you would deal with the situation, only to see the film cover every angle until finally the secret is found (though were never quite sure what it is other than 'be good') and the next day dawns Bill Murray is perfect for the role and I don't think it would have worked so well without him.

Scores a 9

Dreamcatcher (2003)

Disappointing

[4/10 · 15 January 2005]

I wasn't expecting much, but maybe a bit more than what I got.

The film has some good ideas behind it and it starts off with some promise, but from about the time Morgan Freeman turns up it starts going downhill (not his fault).

After some initial tension I couldn't make up my mind whether I was supposed to be scared, laugh or cry. I decided in favour of laughing every time the 'alien' spoke. I never realised before that evil aliens had a posh English accent.

Too many plot holes and unexplained events. I couldn't get over that if the aliens sole purpose was to kill everyone and they were advanced enough to get here etc, etc, then why didn't they just land in the city in the first place. These aliens have been coming here for 25 years and they cant land in a populated area; jeez.

Well, I'll score it a 4. I gave it a five for the first 45 minutes but took one off for the alien fight at the end...

Cabin Fever (2002)

The worst film I have ever seen

[1/10 · 15 January 2005]

Well what can I say. After using this site for many years to check out whether a film was worth watching or to challenge my views on it I sat down to watch Cabin Fever.

90 minutes later and I think I would rather stick pins in my eyes than watch this again. Yes I did expect it to be bad from reading the reviews but not THAT bad.

This film is so bad that it has inspired me to register with IMDb so that I can post my first ever score and comment. If I stop just one person from watching the film, then my life has not been in vain...

Oh yeh, about the movie: The characters were so unlikeable that I was glad when they all died. There was no tension, no build up, nothing except ludicrous (why are they doing that) situations. What was the deal with the dog eating people, why didn't he die? Why do I even care.

And the ending, well that just about put the cherry on top.