vincea1906 Reviews

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

1st movie in years that I'll see in the theater more than once...

[8/10 · 15 May 2003]

Don't smack me, but I was not a big fan of the first Matrix (some of you guys are cult-like about the first movie.) I saw it the first day it opened (like I did with Reloaded) and I had a lot of problems with it. However, it had the most spectacular action I had ever seen in a movie.

Well, this edition fixed everything that I had a problem with in the first movie and surpasses the action of the first as well. I won't go into any spoilers, I'll just say that this movie is 1st rate entertainment!!! Some laughs, incredible action and the stunts are unbelievable to say the least. Not to mention the story is much more linear now that we know what the Matrix is.

I think that some of the dialogue was not the easiest to follow, but that's the cleverness of the movie. Some of the characters are saviors and God-like (Neo, Morpheus and the Oracle), some are cartoonish (the French guy was pretty interesting) and some are programs (or are they? - like Mr. Smith and the Architect) Pretty close to perfect for me 3.5 out of 4.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

I could not have watched the same movie as everyone else...

[4/10 · 18 January 2002]

I'm moved to write my second comment about this movie, due to the fact that I must have missed something. Everyone is saying how great the special effects were. LOTR and The Mummy Returns have got to rate as the 2 worst big-budget CGI movies I've ever seen. I don't know which scene looked crappier, The Scorpion King at the end of the Mummy Returns or the breakdancing Wizards in LOTR.

The scenery was great, but I could have watched the Discovery Channel for landscape scenes. The story sucked, the action sucked, the special effects sucked and length was excruciating. I watched the Green Mile, Apocalypse Now and other 3 hour films with no problem. This movie felt like torture after a point.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Did I see the same movie everyone else did...

[4/10 · 23 December 2001]

I left the theater before the movie ended (as did others before me.) I was with my wife and best friend who disliked the movie more than I did. I enjoy action, adventure, etc., but I didn't care what happened to any of these characters, so I had no problems leaving the theater.

I think the reviews and ratings here are saturated with fans of the book and I'll be interested to see if this movie rates #1 in 3 weeks when fewer fans of the series cast their vote. I gave it 4 out of 10. I've seen worse, but I've seen far better.

Vertical Limit (2000)

This is what DVD and home theaters were built for.

[9/10 · 17 September 2001]

This is a great "leave your brain at the door movie." If you have a DVD player with a decent home theater system, this movie is for you. Anyone looking for something to think about should watch Memento, Traffic, or something that requires a neuron.

If you didn't enjoy this movie at home you must be watching it on a VCR with a 19" TV. Its fun people - no reason to pick it apart - just enjoy the ride...

The Way of the Gun (2000)

Just plain bad...

[3/10 · 13 January 2001]

I rarely stop to comment on a movie unless I really like it or really hated it. I really hated this movie. Its unfortunate that the relatively good performances here are wasted on this pointless plot. The dialogue in this movie was so boring I had to sit up to make sure I didn't fall asleep. With 30 less minutes and 20 less plot twists, this could have actually been a decent movie.

For everyone who raves about the final shootout - what a bore! If anybody thinks that old guys with six shooters and shotguns makes for a great shootout, I guess they haven't seen Heat w/ Pacino and DeNiro yet. 3 out of 10

The Big Hit (1998)

If you think the movie was supposed to be serious, you missed the point...

[8/10 · 13 January 2001]

I had absolutely no idea that this movie was supposed to be a silly, spoofy action film when I saw it at the theater. The first 10 minutes makes this perfectly clear. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie for just being "guilty pleasure" escapist entertainment. Yes the movie is silly and corny - but that was the intent of the film.

Its more than understandable that this movie isn't for everybody, either you love it or hate it. However, if you watched the movie and took it seriously (ie the breakdancing during the first 'hit'), then you definitely missed the point. 8 out of 10.

Hollow Man (2000)

I've seen worse...

[6/10 · 7 January 2001]

I agree with the "hollow film" jokes that have been made throughout the user comments, but I've definitely seen worse movies. I had absolutely no expectations for the film, so I didn't have anything to lose. The characters here are thin, but compared to Dracula 2000 and other 0-star movies - this film makes for a fair rental. Special effects team pulls off some interesting tricks. Leave your brain at the door and watch it on a rainy day - 6 out of 10.

What Lies Beneath (2000)

This movie was horrible...

[1/10 · 20 December 2000]

(**Minor Spoilers That Don't Give Away The Plot**) Question - A killer is after you and there are two phones in the house. The cell phone(1) is on the table and the cordless phone(2) is under the killer (who's knocked out at the time.) Which phone do you go for, the cell or the cordless phone under the killer?

Well, in this movie Michelle Pfieffer goes for the cordless phone. Just one of many idiotic moves that took suspension of belief to an undesirable level in this less-than-thriller. Watching a terrible movie with potential is worse than watching just a bad film. This movie had potential, but it doesn't come close to realizing it.

I've seen worse movies, but I rate this movie a 1. Its so stupid that its insulting to the viewer.

Parting shot - If you have two cars and two sets of car keys, do you make sure you have the right set when you run to the car to get away from the bad guy? Again, not in this movie...