robertvannsmith Reviews

The Great Water (2004)

Another World War 2 Movie From The Russian Point Of View

[9/10 · 20 July 2005]

Not many movies are made about WW2 that revolve around Russia's point of view, although this movie doesn't really focus much on the war itsself than it does the casualties of war and collateral damage.

Lem is an orphan who is captured by soldiers and put into an orphanage where he and many other orphans are being brainwashed to follow Communism. Being the new kid in the orphanage, he's forced to learn all of the routines that all the other kids already know.

After being there for some time, a new kid arrives by the name of Isak Keyten.

Now all of a sudden Lem doesn't feel so alone and tries his best to befriend the older boy.

The only way he could eventually befriend the boy was to ask the Commander in charge of the orphanage what happened to Isak's girl friend, who had been in the orphanage prior to Isak's arrival.

This movie does a beautiful job of showing how innocence can be lost rather quickly when children are forced to grow up fast in a hostile environment.

War of the Worlds (2005)

Nice Special Effects But Too Much Drama

[8/10 · 20 July 2005]

I've been a fan of H. G. Wells stories for many yeas and I was looking forward to this particular theatrical remake.

I did enjoy the movie for the main storyline and for the special effects but I thought Steven Spielberg spent too much time focusing on the drama between Tom Cruise's character and his family and not enough time on the actual alien attack.

The drama of Tom Cruise's character's life would have been fine if more time had been spent on the alien invasion. I sort of felt like Steven Spielberg cheated the audience from a good "aliens attack Earth" story to focus more on the family drama.

If he could have kept the length of the family drama but added more to the storyline of the alien attack, I think it would have made it a much better movie.

Crash (I) (2004)

Bigotry And Racism Are Everywhere

[10/10 · 26 May 2005]

I never really knew what to expect when I went to see this movie because I hadn't seen any previews or trailers for it.

I was glad to see what a great movie it was afterwards.

Being originally from Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., I was also glad to see a movie show that racism and bigotry can exist "anywhere" and not just in the southeast, as so many movies and television shows like to stereotypically depict about the southeast.

By the end of the movie, everyone has learned valuable life lessons about how they perceive other people and how a "bigger picture" needs to be adhered to.

Land of the Lost (1991–1992)

Sub Par Remake

[26 April 2005]

I have to agree with Wakener below with his comments on this sub par remake of the original show.

I wonder if the people who decided to make this show were actually fans of the original or if they were only taking advantage of the current dinosaur craze of the early 1990's.

I just hope that the people who are making the theatrical movie version of this show (starring Will Ferrell), which is supposed to stand true to the original series, won't louse it up.

I bet if Steven Spielberg or Tim Burton got their hands on a theatrical release of the original television show, a descent movie could be made.

Millions (2004)

Great Children's Movie With Hidden Morals

[8/10 · 5 April 2005]

I wasn't sure what to expect when going to see this movie even though the story of people finding money and wondering what to do with it has been around for a while.

I have to admit, Boyle did an excellent job at showing the innocence of children and how they seem to have pure hearts but get jaded as they grow older.

This can be seen between the two brothers: the younger one with his obsession with saints and doing the right thing and the older boy with his being wiser and knowledgeable about how to do things.

In the end, the brothers share a wonderful moment while remembering their dead mother.

Definitely a must see for people with children.

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Definitely Should Be A Contender For An Award

[9 January 2005]

Although I am a fan of Clint Eastwood, as well as his son, Kyle, who I saw in one of Clint's movies back when he was a kid and who wrote some of the music for this movie, I was hesitant about seeing this movie because I have never been a fan of boxing.

But, I decided to go see the movie, anyway, mostly for the story revolving around the boxing, instead, and was glad I did.

The interaction of the characters was deep as they learned many of life's lessons from each other as well as "about" each other.

I was also glad to see Clint Eastwood's granddaughter have a cameo in the movie (she's the little girl holding the dog at the gas station when Hillary Swank smiles and waves at her and she smiles and waves back).

They also touched base on euthanasia, which I have had dealings with in the past and have supported for many years.

All in all, I think Clint Eastwood has made another jewel that is highly deserving of whatever awards it can win.

The Woodsman (2004)

Starting Over Can Be Hard To Do

[8/10 · 9 January 2005]

Before I start my comment on the actual movie, I just want to say that I read some of the other comments and wanted to make some corrections on some of the comments I read.

Kevin Bacon's character isn't a "convicted pedophile".

Last I heard, being a pedophile was not illegal, just as being heterosexual, gay or lesbian is not illegal.

Kevin's character is a convicted "sex offender" who has been released from prison after 12 years and has to get his life back in order, just as all ex-cons have to do upon they're release.

The movie shows just how hard a convicted sex offender, or any ex-con, has after they have done their time and try to build a new life upon their release.

It's especially harder for sex offenders, even the ones convicted of sex crimes involving "minors".

The movie honestly shows how "people attracted to minors" are treated (and how they would not be treated) in the current society we live in. The message that "not all pedophiles are child molesters" rings thru as the story evolves.

ALthough "Walter" says he went to prison for "molesting" several girls, he said he never hurt any of them, which tells me that maybe he wasn't exactly "molesting" them since no harm was involved, but he never goes into detail about "how" he he had sexual relations them.

The other pedophile in the movie that "Walter" discovers, well, apparently "was"the type of person that "would" molest.

At any rate, I think Kevin Bacon and the others involved with this movie handled a delicate subject matter relatively nicely.

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Love Is A Double Edged Sword

[10/10 · 26 December 2004]

This could contain "possible" spoilers, especially if you've never seen any of the past movie versions or the play and are "completely" unfamiliar with the story.

As many times as I have seen one version or another of this story, I don't think I have ever gotten tired of it.

This spectacular version stands true to the stage musical, with wonderful musical renditions of "Masquerade", "Say You Love Me" and "The Phantom Of The Opera", the soundtrack is also sure to please as much as the movie itself.

For fans of the play, you should know this well told story by now. The main character, the one known as The Phantom, has been living in a local Opera House most of his life, demanding that the owners pay him a salary of 20,000 French francs per month to leave them alone.

During the time a production company is practicing a play at this opera house, the Phantom lurks in the shadow's and watches.

He eventually takes a liking to one of the beautiful understudies by the name of Christine and makes himself known to her.

Unfortunately, Christine's heart lies with another man, Raoul, she knew from her childhood.

The phantom's jealousy leads him to do things, anything, to make Christine love him.

Eventually, The Phantom has to learn that he can't "make" someone love him back, and has to learn one of life's lessons, that if you love something, you have to set it free.

A sad story love, but a story I identify with, as I am sure many other people do, to.

I felt so sorry for the Phantom. Because he had suffered so much in his life being in a circus freak show and abused when he was a boy before being rescued by a young girl on a school field trip, who helps him escape and hides him in the Opera House.

He so much wanted to be loved back.

I highly recommend this movie.

Fat Albert (2004)

Hey Hey Hey !!!

[26 December 2004]

What can I say ?

I definitely looked forward to seeing this movie for nostalgia's sake. I was, and still am, a huge fan of the cartoon.

I was glad to see Bill Cosby's involvement in the movie and was glad to see him give history behind the characters he created for the show.

Eventually, in the movie, we get to meet the men he based the characters on, with the exception of Albert Robertson, the one who Fat Albert is based on. Bill and the others get together to pay him homage at his grave, which was sort of a tear jerker for me.

I'll definitely be adding the movie and the series to my DVD collection.

Kinsey (2004)

Finally, A Movie That Talks Openly And Candidly About Sex

[7 December 2004]

I had no idea what this movie was going to be about when I went to the theatre to see it, But, now I am glad I did.

It was good to see how Professor Kinsey became a pioneer for sex education during his time and managed to educate so many people on the joys of sex.

This movie shows how religion's anti-sex stance (read "abstanence education") just doesn't add up, but it also shows how sex can be a double edged sword, since a lot of people will tie in emotions and love with sex.

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER HERE ***

The only part of the movie that sort of rubbed me wrong was the scene where Professor Kinsey and his aide were interviewing one man about his sexual past and the guy talked about how many thousands of people he had had sex with, including hundreds of pre-pubescent boys and hundreds of pre-pubescent girls and how the orgasm for a pre-pubescent boy was different compared to an older person.

Dr. Kinsey's aide got up and left the room in disgust when they were supposed to remain un-biased in their studies.

The man being interviewed pointed that out to Professor Kinsey.

Professor Kinsey then told him that they didn't agree with using "force" when having sex.

What annoyed me was the fact that the writer of the movie (and Professor Kinsey, for that matter) automatically assumed that the man had "forced" sex in some way.

I don't agree with "force", either, but what I don't get is what makes people think that just because an older person has some kind of sexual experience with a younger person that there is some kind of "force" behind it ?

If the writer of the movie was just trying to make a statement that he was against sexual "force", he should have said it to where force of "any" kind is bad, no matter what the age of the participants.

But, other than that, it was a great movie.

Birth (2004)

'Birth" Will Give Birth To Many Ponderings About Death

[10/10 · 24 November 2004]

I saw this movie at a film festival before it was released to the general public and poor Nicole Kidman got boo-ed by a lot of the people who had come to see the movie.

I eventually went to see it again when it was finally released to the general public.

I can't believe how uptight Americans can be about anything and everything involving sex and sexual situations. What are their hang-ups about such things ?

People were too worried about the movie appearing to condone child pornography instead of watching the movie for what it was actually about: a movie about death, mourning, and re-incarnation.

Since I practice Budism, I was glad to see the issue of re-incarnation brought up in such a mainstream movie. The story is very gripping and holds you to the edge of the seat the entire time.

I also liked the fact that there is very little dialogue in the movie. Sometimes, too many words and unnecessary conversations can get in the way of a great story.

Atlético San Pancho (2001)

An Older Story --- Revisited

[4 October 2004]

I never saw any previews for this movie but I noticed it was playing in a local theatre, so I decided to check it out since I like foreign movies.

"Atletico San Pedro" turned out to be quite an enjoyable movie, even though it eventually made me think it was just a Mexican rendition of the American movie "The Big Green" (from 1995).

It's basically the same story about a rag-tag bunch of misfits forming a soccer (known as football to the rest of the world) team and going from the worst team in the league to winning the championship. It's just in a different setting with different people.

It seems "The Bad News Bears" series ("The Bad News Bears" from 1976; "The Bad News Bears In Breaking Training" from 1977; and "The Bad News Bears Go To Japan" from 1978) started this trend of stories.

Later own, "The Mighty Ducks" series became a big hit and furthered the trend ("The Mighty Ducks" from 1992; "D2: The Mighty Ducks" from 1994; and D3: The Mighty Ducks" from 1996; as well as the soon to be released "The Mighty Ducks 4", due out in 2005).

A nice little flick called "Little Giants" came out in 1994, followed by "The Big Green" in 1995.

So, I guess as long as this same story format can continue to find an audience, these movies will continue to be made.

Suspect Zero (2004)

Suspenseful And Thrilling

[18 September 2004]

So, how to describe a movie such as this ?

I guess the only other movie I can compare it to would be "Hearts In Atlantis", since both movies are roughly about the same thing: the government using psychics for "remote viewing" purposes and one of the people they're using gets away.

The twist with "Suspect Zero", though, is that THIS remote viewer turns into a vigilante and goes hunting down serial killers. I had to sympathize with the guy in a lot of ways, because his gift was tearing him up inside and he just wanted it all to go away.

I'll definitely be adding this movie to my DVD collection.

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

Nicely Combined Characters

[14 August 2004]

Most movies I have seen that are based on video games have turned out to be brain fodder with the exception of "Resident Evil" and now "Alien vs Predator".

I thought they did a very nice job combining the two alien creatures into one movie, although I think I noticed on glitch in their time line.

If the "predators" only visit earth every 100 years (1904 to 2004 was 100 years) as described in "Alien vs Predator", then what were they doing here in 1987 and 1989 ? Are we dealing with two different "sects" of predators who alternate their visits to Earth ? Or what ? It was never explained in the movie.

Other than that, I loved the way the movie flowed and the way the characters eventually interacted with each other in the end. The predators, with all their advanced technology, eventually had to cooperate with us lowly humans to achieve a common goal.

I guess the moral of that would be that we should ever assume that we're superior to less advanced civilizations because we never know when we'll become dependant upon those lesser civilizations for their help or for knowledge we need.

The Village (2004)

"The Village" ? Or "Village Of The Damned" ?

[14 August 2004]

This is my second attempt at typing up some comments for this movie. Hopefully the attempt will be fruitful, because I sure didn't think watching the movie was very fruitful.

I have enjoyed M. Night Shyalaman's movies --- up until now. I went to see the movie expecting it to be something it wasn't and I was majorly let down. The movie turned out to be something quite different.

If you want to know, I was expecting it to be a movie about Sasquatch (or Big Foot, or Yeti, or whatever your culture calls it).

Instead, it turns out to be a movie about a group of people tired of living in a world they no longer like to live in and deciding to live a life similar to the Amish, where the founders of "The Village" are keep a dark secret from the rest of the dumb m-asses.

Okay, nice try M. Night, but you should have stuck with the alien movies and the ghost movies and left the monster movies to someone else.

Maria Full of Grace (2004)

A Movie Definitely Full Of Grace

[10 August 2004]

It took me a couple of weeks to get around to seeing this movie after it's release date of 16 August 2004, but I am glad I got around to seeing it. There have been a few good movies to come out of Central and South America over the last few years and this one proved to be yet another good one.

The movie portrays the trials and tribulations many of us go thru during our lives as we strive for a better life and also and goes on to show that the choices we make in life affect not only ourselves, but many people around us.

The main part I didn't like was that after Maria gets pregnant by her boyfriend, she doesn't want to marry the guy, even though he was stepping up to take on the responsibility.

The Village (2004)

Disappointing Follow-Up To "Signs"

[10 August 2004]

There may be possible spoilers here, so don't read any further if you don't want to .

Well, guys, as much as I have enjoyed M. Knight Shyalaman's movies in the past, I have to say that this one turned out to be the down-side to a climax in his career. In my opinion, he topped himself with "Signs", but "The Village" turned out to be a disappointing follow-up, maybe because I was expecting the monsters in the movie to be something quite different.

I mean, the previews made it seem like it was going to be a movie about Sasquatch (or Big Foot or Yeti, whatever you call it) and even throughout the movie it seemed like it was leading in that direction and seeing as how I have been an avid fan of Big-Foot-related movies and programs in the past, I was looking forward to seeing this movie.

Man, what a huge let down.

This basically turned out to be a movie about some people who decided they disliked the way the world was and wanted to create some sort of Amish-style society and to keep people from wanting to leave the village, they have some crappy story dreamed up to make them scared of entering the woods.

Oh well, I guess one lump of coal in the middle of a basket of diamonds ain't so bad.

I, Robot (2004)

I, Robot --- Robot Thriller Or Will Smith Blockbuster Vehicle ?

[17 July 2004]

In some ways, I Have to agree with "the Unemployed Critic" with his view of the movie, below.

There have been many takes on Isaac Azimov's "I, Robot".

This one wasn't a bad movie and the special effects are wonderful, but you can definitely tell it was designed for and revolves around Will Smith.

I do, however, like the way they brought to life the main robot in this particular movie. But, "robot" is technically the wrong term to use for these things. Technically, they're "androids".

I'd give it a 6.5/10 stars.

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Great Special Effects Movie

[12 June 2004]

Okay, so, I went to see the movie because it seems as if natural disaster movies have become quite the rave over the last six or seven years --- from earthquakes ("Earthquake") to tornadoes and volcanoes ("Twister", "Dante's Peak" and "Volcano") to comets and asteroids ("Deep Impact", "Armageddon", and "Asteroid") to even the earth's core acting all crazy ("The Core").

"The Day After Tomorrow" doesn't have much of a story line but the special effects are terrific. It basically shows what could very well happen if man-kind doesn't stop polluting the atmosphere.

But --- let's be honest here --- large industrial countries like the U.S.A. really don't give a damn about Global Warming. I mean, yeah, they pay lip service to it, but nations like this one are built around individuals owning and driving their own vehicles. They "seem" to care about Global Warming but people aren't about to give up the luxury of being able to drive their own cars, no matter how much the environment suffers.

Someone is going to have to mass produce vehicles that run on water --- and stop pumping out these fossil fuel guzzlers --- if they want people to stop polluting the air with carbon monoxide. Plain and simple.

Saved! (2004)

Hallelujah ! Amen !

[8 June 2004]

That's about all I could say at the end of this movie.

I was skeptical about seeing this movie when I decided to see it, but since I have been a fan of Macaulay Culkin and Jena Malone's for many years now, I though I would give it a try.

Yeah --- the movie was chocked full of "Christian" cliches --- just as I thought it would be. I couldn't help but laugh at much of the humourous exaggerated cliches during the movie. But, the movie didn't end like I thought it would.

The characters all finally learned that even though many Christians try to make the Bible "black-and-white" and "cut-and-dry", the thing is, it can be taken either way. The Bible has gone from being "black-and-white" to being full of grays.

Or, at least, people's "interpretations" need not be so "black-and-white".

It's time many Christians wake up and see the light and stop being so judgemental and condemning.

Maybe this movie will teach a few of them this very lesson.

Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)

So I Didn't Like The First One Very Much -- The Sequel Rules !!!

[20 May 2004]

The only reason I went to see this one is because I saw the first one.

As I stated in my comments about the first movie, I didn't like it very much, although I thought the Creeper "Bat Out Of Hell" character was not a bad idea.

This sequel to the original turned out to be much better than the original, much to my amazement. It's rare that sequels ever out-do the original movie. This was one of the rareities, in my opinion.

So, we have a new "Freddy Kruger" type killer on the loose. That's the main thing that runs thru my mind when I see these two movies.

I just wonder how long it will take them to make a movie that has Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhies, and The Bat Out Of Hell together in one movie.

8 Mile (2002)

I Gained A News respect For Eminem After Seeing This Movie

[20 May 2004]

Okay, so, I was never much of a fan of Eminem from the beginning. Probably the only song of his I even closely cared about was "Thank You, Stan", a song he teamed up with Dido to do. I'll be honest, I only went to see this movie because I was bored and wanted something to do.

Afterwards, I have to admit, I gained a new respect for Eminem and his music, as well as for rap music in general. Maybe rap isn't completely a "black thing", after all.

The movie doesn't stand out as one of the best movies around, but it isn't that bad as a chronical or documentary of a young aspiring rapper's life.

It's just a shame that so much of today's rap is gangster related. Give me the Fat Boys or Run DMC, any day.

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

"B" Movies Are Back ???

[20 May 2004]

I went to see this movie because, let's face it, I'm a horror nut.

Little did I know it was going to be a "B" movie in every way. It seemed like Victor Salva was only testing the waters with this one just to see where he could go with it.

The demon, later to be know as "The Bat Out Of Hell", was probably the best character in the whole movie. Albeit he only gets to "come alive" every 23 years to "feed for 23 days". (What the heck was up with the number 23 anyway ?) The rest of the characters were flakey and cheesey, to say the least.

The movie had promise, but, let' face it, it fizzled in the end. It was almost like a re-hash of the "Freddy Krueger" movies.

I had no idea there would be a sequel, until the sequel was released.

There is no way this first movie can be compared to the second one, though. Once you've seen this movie, don't give up, okay ? See the second one. You won't be disappointed. Trust me.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Definitely A Masterpiece -- Albeit I Have Mixed Feelings

[20 May 2004]

Alright, so, the movie was quite a touching story of a mentally disabled man telling his life story at a bus stop to whoever will sit next to him and listen. I guess, in a way, it goes to show that life can be full or surprises, in many ways.

But, the thing I don't think I liked very much about the movie was the way it seemed like Forest had nothing but blind luck all of his life. I mean, it was to the point of being comical. I only "wish" I had a life filled with the blind luck like Forest seemed to suffer from, as I am sure many other people do.

But -- one thing remains true -- and it was said many times thru the movie and has become an icon for all to remember the movie by --- life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.

Steel Magnolias (1989)

Very Good Movie

[20 May 2004]

1989 seemed to be the year for quite a few good movies, from "Steel Magnolias" to "Parenthood" to "Driving Miss Daisy".

"Steel Magnolias" was definitely an emotional roller coaster well worth it's weight in gold. The mega-star cast worked very well together and brought out the characters and their lives for all to enjoy.

I do think the movie was way better than the stage play, as it is with most movies based on stage plays, in my opinion. At least with a movie, they can get it right and save it to film.

I would be tempted to add this movie to my DVD collection, one day, eventually. It's worth saving, for prosperity.