flickjunkie-3 Reviews

28 Days (2000)

Alot better than expected.

[7 March 2001]

Boy, it has been some time since Sandra Bullock has made a good movie. Speed 2: Cruise Control and Forces With Nature were both serious flops with critics around the globe, and she hasn't been very well respected for a long time. But, this will be the film that puts her on track. 28 Days is a well-made and thought-provoking film that is much better than it looks, and it deserves a wide audience.

Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock) is a New York writer who just can't say no to drink or drugs. After crashing her sister's wedding car and ruining her wedding cake, Gwen is ordered into a rehabilitation centre, where she spends the next 28 days. At first she doesn't have much respect for the centre and tries to escape, but as her toxic levels come down, she gradually realises that maybe she can turn her life around.

The plot may sound lousy, but it isn't. It deals with human emotions properly and in a moving way, and 28 Days is able to put a smile on your lips and make tears come out of your eyes. Bullock is a stunner in this film, she is perfectly cast as Gwen, while Steve Buscemi is as brilliant as he always is, no doubt about that. Azura Skye, who co-stars as a friend of Gwen's, lights up the screen in an ignored performance which deserves praise. Susannah Grant, scriptwriter, seems to have a thing for making good actresses come back to their great standards. In the same year of release as 28 Days, Grant wrote Erin Brockovich, a brilliant legal drama that made Julia Robert's get the career-best nod. Now she can fix Sandra Bullock, and this could very well be Bullock's best film.

It has it's problems, some major ones, but 28 Days remains a worthy watch for all ages.

I rate 28 Days 7 out of 10.

Almost Famous (2000)

Almost Perfect

[15 February 2001]

I, naturally, was intrigued to see Almost Famous after seeing the director's (Cameron Crowe) first feature, the awesome Jerry Maguire. I was pretty overwhelmed at how good Almost Famous was, and it would easily earn a place in my top 100 films of all time. It was even better than Jerry Maguire!

William Miller (promising newcomer Patrick Fugit) is a 15-year-old aspiring music writer in the 1970s. Given the dream assignment of going on the road with rock'n'roll band Stillwater for a Rolling Stone feature, he embarks on the trip with enthusiasm, much to the chagrin of his mother, Elaine (Frances McDormand). Once on the road, he finds his life changing forever.

The cast is of first-rate, it includes the wonderful Billy Crudup as least singer Russell Hammond, the delightful Frances McDormand as William's over-protective mother, Elaine, New Zealander Anna Paquin in a sexy role that tells us she is trying to do many different things, and she juggles this character well, while Fairuza Balk is repeatedly watchable as a groupie rocker. But, the real talent here is Kate Hudson. She is undoubtely Oscar material and her performance is quite simply a brilliant show-down of romance, drama and love. I will never forget her performance, and I will never forget this film.

I have seen this film twice now, and both times, it was almost perfect. A must-see!

I rate Almost Famous 9 out of 10.

Shortland Street (1992– )

NZ's most successful and daring show.

[15 February 2001]

Shortland Street was first judged as a half-a***d, no-brainer of a show. However, over the years, it has become almost impossible to miss. Everyone in NZ will have their TV's switched on to watch New Zealand's most daring, successful and brave show.

The thing that makes Shortland Street such a winner is it's creativity with it's characters. Take Beanie for instance, she's a tattoo-covering-body-piercing-hair-shaving tomboy who also manages to have a largely interesting emotional side and men are attracted to her. Then there is Caroline, the nurse who we've all come to know and love as a straight and guy-attracted girl, turns out to be a lesbian when girl-getter Catalin comes along in 1999. One of the biggest stand-out characters so far has been Oscar Henry, a frightening, raping, but good man who you never know if you love or hate. The writers are always thinking up imaginative ways to get new characters and let the old ones leave, and most of the scripts written for this show are quite fascinating and intriguing. Although it has it's bad side, Shortland Street is able to deal with death, romance and several other mature elements and do it in a completely professional and believable way, making it one of the most valuable doctor-hospital-nurse TV shows in history.

All said, Shortland Street is a near-perfect TV show that sometime's goes off-track, but always manages to grab your attention when you least expect it.

I rate Shortland Street 9 out of 10.

Bedazzled (2000)

Gently Amusing.

[5 February 2001]

Let me start this review by saying Bedazzled is a Brendan Fraser vehicle. All of his films are enjoyable, but none of them have or never will be classics. This is another one of those one's, enjoyable at the time, but definitely no masterpiece.

Elliot Richards (Brendan Fraser) is a nice but lonely guy. He is madly in love with a co-worker, and one day plucks up the courage to speak to her, only to be embarrassed when she doesn't recognise him and walks off. Thinking that he will never be able to make it with a girl like that, along comes the Devil, in the shape of Liz Hurley, offering him seven wishes in exchange for his soul. He accepts, but discovers that his wishes backfire with unforeseen consequences.

Mariah Carey lookalike Frances O'Connor makes for a nice supporting gal, and Brendan Fraser is watchable as always. But, here Liz Hurley really steals the show as the wish ruining devil. She is extremely watchable and steals most of the movie's highpoints. Another bonus is her in some mouth wateringly revealing clothes. Each time Elliot asks for a new wish, the Devil makes a creative and gently amusing way to ruin it, which gives the film an imaginative and hilarious side to boot. However, Bedazzled suffers from some flaws; the Devil's nightclub scenes are pointless, the sunset crying from Fraser becomes irritating and some of the scenes aren't half as funny or imaginative as they could've been. And the ending is a bit disappointing, although not as immediately predictable as you may think.

Bedazzled is forgettable and quite silly, but it makes for some fun entertainment on a Friday. Better than you'd expect, but not MUCH better.

I rate Bedazzled 6 out of 10.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Amazing

[10/10 · 30 January 2001]

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had mixed reviews and I hadn't seen many non-english flicks before this. I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. Enjoyment is not quite the word for this film...breathtaking would be a more accurate description.

Set in 19th century China, a 400 year old sword called the Green Destiny is given away as a present by Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat), a legendary warrior. However, the same night it is stolen from its new owner by an impressive young female fighter who has been trained by the infamous Jade Fox. This leads Li Mu Bai and his companion on a quest to recover the sword and reveal the truth about the thief.

It's simple - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is flawless, making it easily the best foreign film ever made, the best action movie ever and simply one of the best flicks overall. The performances from the largely unknown cast shine, Chen Chang should be a sure Oscar contender, Michelle Yoeh is a great heroin and Chow Yun-Fat digests his character and is a very watchable main man. The visuals are amazing and literally breathtaking, every minute of the movie I just had to remind my heart to keep pumping the blood around. Ang Lee is simply one of the most assuring directors around, this is his best film by a long shot, but all his films are crowd-pleasing and all demand continuous viewings.

Incredible, intriguing, memorable and utterly brilliant, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a deluxe achievement.

I rate Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 10 out of 10.

What Women Want (2000)

Sadly, it's just O.K....

[23 January 2001]

This looked like a pretty cool movie from the trailer. Okay, I laughed a bit and there is some pretty cool things about this movie, but overall, What Women Want is nothing short of a letdown.

Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson), Playboy and Hot Shot in advertising, thinks he's God's gift to women. After a little accident, he discovers that he is suddenly able to hear what women really think. First, Nick is pretty disappointed when he discovers that his beloved macho behaviour does not exactly contribute to being desired. Then, his upcoming dream position in the company is being given to a new team member: Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt), not only a woman, but a man-eating one, also is a very talented ad expert. So, Nick decides to sabotage his new boss by reading her thoughts and selling her ideas as his own. Unfortunately, love gets in his way.

Mel Gibson is very watchable as a guy getting in touch with his feminine side, and the idea is original, but the love story is too soppy, making this far too romantic and not enough of a comedy. It also has an over-long running time which seems to drag on for longer than the 126-minute running time which I was told by IMDb. Still, there's always the interesting characters and a very good first hour to keep you intrigued. (let down by a lazy second hour). Oh, I must mention one stand-out in the first 60 minutes; it's when Nick hears what a female poodle is thinking ("Misuer! I need to poop!")

A great disappointment, which is, thank God, not as bad as Mel Gibson's earlier 2000 film, The Patriot, but it isn't extremely far off the mark, either.

I rate What Women Want 6 out of 10.

The Patriot (2000)

Big Disappointment.

[5/10 · 22 January 2001]

I expected this to be a good war film, and it had excellent reviews. Unfortunately, this wasn't to my taste. I wasn't pleased at all...

Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) is a hero from a previous war, but having lost his wife and with seven children to look after, he is reluctant to get involved in the American war for independence. However when one of his children is killed in the conflict and his home is set on fire by the British, he reluctantly joins the Continentals in battle.

He sets up his own militia army which brings fear to the British by fighting dirty and ambushing them in the woods rather than fighting them like gentlemen on the battlefields.

Mel Gibson portrays Benjamin properly, and Heath Ledger is perfectly watchable, although he has chosen the wrong movie to start his 'blockbuster' career. The battle scenes are well-filmed and all, but the history is inaccurate and the story is a shambles, moving at the pace of a turtle's walk. This and Godzilla all tells us Roland Emmerich obviously has trouble making a good movie. This could've made up for his past mistakes, but it is an addition to his list of awful films.

Over-long and boring at 160 minutes, The Patriot is an overrated and effortless attempt a blockbusting war film.

I rate The Patriot 5 out of 10.

Topsy-Turvy (1999)

Turvy Quibbles, But Overall Topsy!

[21 January 2001]

I had heard Topsy-Turvy was a brilliant masterpiece. Well, well. It was far from such high standards, but Topsy-Turvy was satisfying enough.

For nearly a decade, Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) and Sullivan's (Allan Corduner) collaborations have delighted and entertained the English. But, Sullivan has become disilliousend and longs to create more "serious" music. The two reach a creative impasse, barely able to agree on anything. It's only when Gilbert's wife drags him out to a Japenese exhibition that the exposure to a different culture sparks the inspiration for what will eventually become one of their biggest successes, The Mikado.

Many people will say Topsy-Turvy is boring and trashy. But, I disagree. This critically-acclaimed gem, is, yes, over-long and reasonably lazy at 154 minutes, but Topsy-Turvy is a treat on the eye, with marvellous costumes, breathtaking set pieces and delicious make-up. However, the best thing about this memorable and historical piece of work, is, surprisingly, the two actors who portray Gilbert and Sullivan, Jim Broadbent and Allan Corduner. I have not seen any of their work until this one, and their two astounding performances made me want to see more of their work. I actually believed they were Gilbert and Sullivan, which is pretty amazing.

Two spellbounding performances in a film which may have some turvy boringness about it, but always manages to bite back with topsy moments of hilarity.

I rate Topsy-Turvy 8 out of 10.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

One of the worst films I have EVER seen.

[21 January 2001]

I wanted to see more cult horror flicks, so I thought Killer Klowns from Outer Space might be a good one. Well, anyone who says Killer Klowns from Outer Space is good...must...be...killed...immediately...

In the sleepy college town of Crescent Cove, Mike and Debbie (played by two horrid unknowns) are on a date at the make-out point when what appears to be a falling star, plummets to Earth. Upon investigation, they discover a weird glowing circus tent a few miles away; the Killer Klowns have arrived - armed with downright pathetic popcorn guns, exploding candy boxes, and, erm, projectile cream pies. As the horrible harlequins begin their onslaught, the future looks grim, who will save Planet Earth from the STUPID KILLER KLOWNS!?!?

This film is so bad it makes me want to puke just thinking about how someone could want to be part of this film. There are just some movies that are so bad their funny, but this is no joke. I felt like I needed to be in a psychiatric hospital after seeing this. That's deadly serious. A distasty screenplay, disgusting direction effort and make-up that melts within minutes doesn't help either. It's funny, Killer Klowns from Outer Space is not only the worst film of the 80's, but one of the worst films of ALL TIME.

People screaming "cool" when the chickie babe is stuck inside a huge balloon (suffocating) basically sums up of how stupid and amateurish this picture is.

I rate Killer Klowns from Outer Space 1 out of 10

Space Cowboys (2000)

Decent But Could Of Been Improved.

[14 January 2001]

A great cast and Clint Eastwood as director made this film look very good. It was an average picture, not as good as you may expect, but enjoyable enough.

Frank Corvin (Clint Eastwood) was lined up to be the first American man in space, but lost out to a monkey. Forty years later he gets his chance when a satellite using the guidance system he designed starts to drop out of orbit. He insists on taking along his original team of old timers and NASA has little option but to accept.

There are generally more bad things than good about Space Cowboys. It is over-long, far-fetched and the two main actors, Tommy Lee Jones and Clint Eastwood, are overused, leaving the two supporters, James Garner and Donald Sutherland, with very little dialogue. Still, this is a good attempt at a sci-fi action comedy, with great art design and effects and a script that occasionally rocks the house. There are also some outstanding scenes of hilarity, including one when Lee Jones takes a teenager for a horrifying ride in an aeroplane and he ends up flying his food all over the plane.

Overall, Eastwood has directed a film that is good, but, with a little more effort, it could of been great.

I rate Space Cowboys 6 out of 10.

Deep Impact (1998)

Average, but only just.

[6/10 · 14 January 2001]

I really liked this film at the movies, but when I rented it on video, I had second thoughts.

A comet is on a course to collide with Earth, and people must cope with the fact that they will die. The President (Morgan Freeman) has devised a plan to keep as many humans alive as possible. Scientists have built giant caves big enough to hold a million people, and the government is going to have a lottery to pick 800,000 people to live in the caves along with 200,000 scientists, artists and doctors.

Deep Impact has enough depth and story to keep the audience interested, but everything takes too darn long. The story moves at an extremely slow pace, and the actors seem to tire with the script. Also, the scenes in which the bunch of astronauts try to blow the comet up are entirely unbelievable and pointless since we know that the comet is going to hit Earth anyway. Having said that, the effects rock the house, the actors do excellent jobs and many scenes will make you want to cry.

Mimi Leder could do better, but this average enough to entertain the most toughest critics and film reviewers.

I rate Deep Impact 6 out of 10.

Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)

Hilarious!

[12 January 2001]

I thought Dracula: Dead and Loving It would just be another horrible spoof like Spy Hard. But, I was pleasantly surprised by how watchable this film actually was.

Mel Brooks is out to poke fun at the Dracula myth. Basically, he took Bram Stoker's Dracula, gave it a new cast and a new script and made a big joke out of it. The usual, rich English are attacked by Dracula (Leslie Nielsen) and Dr. Van Helsing (Mel Brooks) is brought in to save the day.

I had seen Leslie Nielsen's disastrous attempt at a film, 1997's Mr. Magoo before viewing this. I thought this was going to be as bad as Mr. Magoo. But, it wasn't. It seems Nielsen works better making a spoof not a remake. But, I wouldn't really call this a spoof. It is more a mockery of British accents and serious vampire movies. It takes a montage of scenes and does them in a spoof-like way, but it isn't exactly a full-on spoof. Leslie Nielsen and Peter MacNicol are a pleasure to watch as complete idiots, while the supporting cast take the really funny moments (eg, the stake-through-the-heart and closet gags). But, I may be praising this film a little too much. The finale is bad, some of the funny moments just aren't funny and the script tires out in the middle of the film, although always biting back (literally) with something original, which still makes it get a high mark.

Enjoyable renter for anyone who is just looking to sit back and watch a downright hilarious little flick.

I rate Dracula: Dead and Loving It 7 out of 10.

102 Dalmatians (2000)

A Huge Disappointment.

[11 January 2001]

I had heard 101 Dalmatians was far better than the first, but unfortunately, this sequel managed to maintain the same low standards of the first!

Cruella De Vil (Glenn Close) is up for parole after serving three years for the dog-knapping of the Dalmatians in the first film. Her Dalmatian owning parole officer is suspiciousof her, but she manages to gain her backing by donating to a dog shelter. However, it's not too long before she's back to her evil ways and in search of material for her dream Dalmatian coat.

There are little things I liked about this film, for instance, the the title card, obviously the dogs and the opening and closing theme song. Glenn Close's performance is the best thing about the movie - she is superb as Ms. DeVil in a film that obviously doesn't deserve her. But, the story is flat, the laughs are regulary unfunny and most of the actors are horrible and talk so fast that I could barely understand them. The film runs out of ideas far too quickly, and apart from the finale of this sequel, I was bored out of my mind.

102 Dalmatians is a film you watch while you're on an aeroplane or a ferry or something, not just for your regular entertainment.

I rate 102 Dalmatians 5 out of 10.

101 Dalmatians (1996)

Nothing Special or Original.

[11 January 2001]

I can remember seeing 101 Dalmatians on the big screen in 1996, and I can remember enjoying it. I rented it a little while ago to bring back the memories, but, unfortunately, this time the memories were going to be bad.

Fashion designer Anita (Joely Richardson) and computer-game writer Roger (Jeff Daniels) meet, fall in love and marry along with their dalmations Perdita and Pongo. But the proud dogs' puppies are kidnapped by Anita's boss Cruella DeVil (Glenn Close), who is stealing young dalmations to make the coat she has set her heart on. Enlisting the help of the British animal kingdom, Pongo and Perdita set out to find and rescue all ninety-nine pups from their fearsome captors, Jaspar (Hugh Laurie) and Horace (Mark Williams).

The real problem with 101 Dalmatians is that it doesn't dream up any new ideas. The dogs all do the same thing without talking and you feel like your sitting through Disneys version all over again, making this film nothing special or original. The characters aren't developed, John Hughes, screenwriter, obviously thinks that the way to develop chracters is by their name, eg. DeVil (devil) or Skinner. Glenn Close is, as in the sequel, fantastic as Cruella, but Joely Richardson and Jeff Daniels are basically inexcusable as Anita and Roger.

Having said that, the kids will enjoy it and the dogs are watchable, but adults should keep clear.

I rate 101 Dalmatians 5 out of 10.

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

Side-Splittingly Funny and Extremely Enjoyable Film.

[10 January 2001]

Drop Dead Gorgeous looked like a clone of She's All That - which I didn't enjoy at all. But, it was not a clone of any movie, this film is extremely original and unique.

Welcome to the annual Mount Rose America Teen Princess Pageant. Tonight, Ladies and Gentleman, you will witness that best that America has to offer in young women: a backstabbing bitch, a sweet, young girl and a bunch of talentless wonders with only thing on their minds - and that isn't fair play! Yes, its all-out war on the streets of Mount Rose, and unlike some of the girls, it ain't pretty! This is one wild competition, complete with slander, murder, theft, bribery and arson.

The cast all enjoy themselves alot - Kirsten Dunst and Denise Richards are particularly watchable as the two prettiest girls in the pageant, battling for the gold. Kirstie Alley and Ellen Barkin steal the show part-time as the two witchy mothers who desperately want their daughters to succeed. The screenplay, written respectively by Lona Williams, really takes a swipe at beauty pageants, which needed to be done desperately in the film industry. The only place where Drop Dead Gorgeous falls apart is the fact that it takes to long to get to the pageant, and when it does, it is rushed, making the last 25 minutes quite disappointing. Still, you'll be laughing at the continous side-splittingly funny jokes.

An enjoyable film for a Friday night.

I rate Drop Dead Gorgeous 7 out of 10.

Fight Club (1999)

Near perfect.

[10/10 · 10 January 2001]

Many friends had recommended Fight Club to me, so when I missed it at the theatre, I was a bit p****d off. Then came the chance for video, and wow! was it an experience...

Edward Norton stars as Jack, a chronic ismoniac desperate to escape his excruciatingly boring life. That's when he meets Tyler Durden (Brad pitt), a charismatic soap salesman with a twisted philosophy. Tyler belives that self-improvement is for the weak - self-destruction is for the strong and capable. Before long, Jack and Tyler are beating each other to a pulp in a bar parking lot. To introduce other men to the simple joys of physical violence, Jack and Tyler start a secret underground Fight Club which becomes widly successful. But there is a big surprise coming towards Jack...

There are about 2 flaws which stop this film from being a complete masterpiece. It may be slightly too slow-moving for some of the crowd, and some of the things the fight club members do are wildly far-fetched. But, still, there is an array of dazzling performances, particularly from our two leads, who both play their characters realistically and with absolute honesty and passion. David Fincher goes beyond what he did in Se7en, and that is quite an achievement to beat. Jim Uhls adapts the Fight Club book perfectly, making a screenplay which is, infact, better than the actual book itself.

The first rule of Fight Club is - "You must see Fight Club."

I rate Fight Club 9 out of 10.

Wonder Boys (2000)

Has Minor Flaws, But Still Very Watchable and Entertaining.

[7 January 2001]

I absolutely adored Curtis Hanson's masterpiece, L.A. Confidential, so I was really looking forward to this. Unfortunately, Wonder Boys did not match up to the standards of L.A. Confidential, but it was still very entertaining and watchable.

Professor Tripp (Michael Douglas) is so engrossed in trying to finish his endless second novel that he has been writing for seven years, that both his marriage and his affair with the college dean are being damaged. Everything comes to a head one weekend during the college's annual literary festival when he must deal with troubled student James Leer (Tobey Maguire) who he has befriended, sort out his love interests, defend himself from a vicious dog and deal with his pressing agent (Robert Downey Jr).

Wonder Boys is a well made film with laugh-out-loud moments and an excellent screenplay. It just falls slightly short because it moves a little too slow for my liking and it isn't all that memorable. Still, clean-cut performances from a never-better Michael Douglas, the ever-excellent Tobey Maguire and the Dawson's Creek babe Katie Holmes still keep this film watchable and engrossing. Curtis Hanson's direction once again steals the day, he is seriously one of the most impressive directors around these days.

Although it has a few minor flaws, Wonder Boys deserves to be applauded for its cleverness and it's will to keep audiences entertained throughout.

I rate Wonder Boys 7 out of 10.

Best Laid Plans (1999)

Good, Underrated Cinema.

[7 January 2001]

I just picked Best Laid Plans up at the video store simply because there was nothing that looked better. Well, even though this isn't a great film, it was probably better than all those other videos in the store that day!

Best Laid Plansd is a dark crime thriller about Nick (Alessandro Nivola) who needs to raise some cash urgently to pay off some mob debts. He enlist his girlfriend Lissa (Reese Witherspoon) to seduce an old college buddy, Bryce (Josh Brolin), out of his cash and to cry rape. However, things do not go to plan when Bryce takes Lissa hostage and asks Nick for advice on what to do.

Director Mike Barker has really gone for the Tarantino side of filmmaking, which he does impressively. Surprisingly, Best Laid Plans is actually better than some of the Quentin Tarantino projects, including Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown. It is more intriguing and clever than those two films due to an excellent screenplay and some really good performances; particularly from the rather unlikeable Alessandro Nivola and the stunning Reese Witherspoon.

Not faultless, but perfectly watchable and recommendable.

I rate Best Laid Plans 7 out of 10.

Bowfinger (1999)

Funny, Original and Very Watchable.

[7/10 · 7 January 2001]

Steve Martin has done some pretty bad stuff lately, including the absolutely disastrous Spy Hard. I expected this film to be just like it, but, fortunately, it was a very good movie. It is bound to bring Steve Martin back to his high standards.

Martin stars as Bobby Bowfinger, an out of luck Hollywood film director. His latest script is given the go ahead on the condition that he manages to sign up Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) to play the lead role. However when Kit isn't interested, Bobby tries to get around this by hiring lookalikes. However when they don't meet up to expectations, he tries to capture the real Kit with hidden cameras and gets actors to interact with him on film, unbeknown to the now paranoid Kit.

Eddie Murphy is great in his role of two personalities and Heather Graham is very watchable as a complete slut! But it is Steve Martin who steals the show here, he proves he can go past his bad days and once again totally steal our hearts in a great role. His script is also loveable, well written and interestingly far-fetched. The storyline is pretty original, the film-in-a-film idea is excellent, and I can relate to some of the characters.

Funny, original and slap-up silly, Bowfinger is a definite renter.

I rate Bowfinger 7 out of 10.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Brutally Brilliant.

[10/10 · 7 January 2001]

A Clockwork Orange was probably the first Stanley Kubrick film I ever saw. Well, it made me want to see more of Stan the man's movies and I'm glad I did.

The film is about a violent teenager, Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell), of the 'future' (i.e. a dated 1970s view of the future) who goes on a brief rampage before being captured by the police. He then volunteers to take part in a scientific experiment to change his behaviour - the result is that he is transformed into a 'normal' person. He then goes around and sees the wrongs that he has done to his former victims.

A Clockwork Orange is held together by incredible direction from Stanley Kubrick, a brilliant and memorable performance from Malcolm McDowell and a haunting screenplay. Although brutal, the world of Stanley Kubrick remains a completely stunning one, all his stories and films are remarkable, and this is easily one of his best ever. Everything about it is just so ... excellent. It takes your breath away.

A Clockwork Orange is a remarkable film that deserves all the praise it gets, then some more. A masterpiece.

I rate A Clockwork Orange 10 out of 10.

Bring It On (2000)

Entirely Recommendable For All Audiences.

[5 January 2001]

Bring It On was one of my many must-see's of the year 2000. Well, I must say, I was definitely not let down by this almost brilliant teen cheerleader flick!

Torrence (Kirsten Dunst) is the new captain of a San Diego high school cheerleading team, which has won the National Championships several years on the row. Torrence is thinking they are all going great until the team discovers that its routines have been stolen from an inner-city Los Angeles school. This means that they only have a limited amount of time to come up with a new routine in order to save their embarrassment.

Kirsten Dunst was marvellous as Torrence and Jesse Bradford was a nice, charming romantic touch, but he screws his face around too much. Overall, not just for acting, Eliza Dushku was the real star. She is an underestimated actress who has done extremely well in Buffy, The Vampire Slayer and this very film, she's sexy, she's deadly, and she's one of the most talented young actresses around today. It's not just the acting or the cute script that manage to impress, but a bunch of memorable one-liners like `That's alright, that's okay, you're gonna pump our gas someday!' and `Your ass is so big it could make it's own website' also manage to win the day.

Hilarious, fun, enjoyable, clever and unpredictable – Bring It On is an entirely recommendable experience for any audience.

I rate Bring It On 8 out of 10.

Little Nicky (2000)

Dull and Unfunny.

[3 January 2001]

I was hoping Little Nicky would be a little bit better than The Waterboy, Adam Sandler's 1998 project. But it, sadly, fell along the lines as just as bad.

When the devil's mean older sons, Adrian (Rhys Ifans) and Cassius (Tom Lister Jr.) spread mischief on Earth, Satan (Harvey Keitel) begins to fall apart. Nicky (Adam Sandler), his misfit youngest son, is sent to New York City to track down his evil siblings, but he is distracted by falling in love and take-out chicken. Adrian, the devil's nastiest son, threatens to take over the universe, but a side-trip to heaven sets Nicky up to take charge.

This is basically a vehicle for Adam Sandler. Lots of unfunny jokes in a totally pointless film. Adam, buddy, your vehicle is getting worse and worse with every film you do. You should perhaps take a trip to the drama section of film and see how you go there – God knows that worked for Jim Carrey. The script is dull and annoying and consists of using the same jokes continuously and the directing from Steven Brill is totally effortless. There are some nice cameos from Reese Witherspoon and Henry Winkler, and the scenes are at most sometimes enjoyable, but that's it.

Little Nicky is a tiresome film that many actors look embarrassed to be in.

I rate Little Nicky 4 out of 10.

Shanghai Noon (2000)

Furious, Fast, Fun!

[3 January 2001]

I expected Shanghai Noon to a lot of fun and entertainment. Well, it was more than that. Shanghai Noon isn't just fun, it's clever and has a message, and although flawed, Shanghai Noon is definitely worth your time.

Chinese Imperial Guard Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) travels from China to Nevada in search of Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Liu) who has been kidnapped. With the help of train robber Roy O'Bannen (Own Wilson), who he doesn't trust, and a horse with a personality and attitude of its own, the two go up against the gunslingers of the west in a series of misadventures.

There are many great things about Shanghai Noon: Tom Dey's assured direction, Miles Manner's kick-ass script and Jackie Chan's kung-fu liveability. But Owen Wilson really steals the show as the saddle-swinging Roy, his performance is watchable and he puts in a lot of effort, showing he can go past the disastrous result of The Haunting. The film is very unpredictable, but the very last 5 minutes of the film seem slightly rushed, and the camera is all over the place sometimes, so some dialogue is hard to understand and some action scenes are hard to watch. Otherwise, this is a totally full-of-life action/adventure that you'll like a lot.

Entertaining, fast and fun, Shanghai Noon is recommended for all ages.

I rate Shanghai Noon 7 out of 10.

Godzilla (I) (1998)

Over-Hyped Nonsense.

[4/10 · 1 January 2001]

Godzilla had an intriguing trailer. But, lots of films have enthralling trailers and are bad films. Godzilla is one of them.

Nuclear testing accidentally resurrects Godzilla, a huge foot monster with a big appetite. The monster takes Manhattan, and it's up to a select group of people, including Dr. Niko Tatopolous (Matthew Broderick) and Phillipe Roache (Jean Reno), to stop the monster, and it's soon-to-be-hatching eggs, before Godzilla's destroy the whole city, and maybe even the world.

The postage-stamp-sized plot is poorly written. Everything is so repetitve! Godzilla attacks almost everyone on boats, and every time he comes to town it is raining like heck. Also, here's a question for ya. Why does Godzilla eat none of Manhatten's residents and it's babies do? There are many more questions to be answered, and mostly everything important about films has been ripped apart here. It has some slight pleasures, the monster itself is pretty well-done for special effects and the dumb acting is sometimes laughably enjoyable. But the characters are unlikeable, the plot is predictable and Godzilla, the monster itself, would suit a dancing film rather than a try-hard thriller.

A pointless addition for Matthew Broderick's once-good career, Godzilla is nothing short of a let-down.

I rate Godzilla 4 out of 10.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Something I Really Got My Teeth Into!

[9/10 · 1 January 2001]

*Warning: Possible Spoilers*

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles made a great book. No one knew what to expect from the film. Well, this well-made, clever, intriguing story is far better than anyone had the right to expect.

The film kicks off in modern day San Francisco where the 200-year-old vampire Louis (Brad Pitt) begins to relate the story of his life to a young interviewer (Christian Slater). It is a tale that begins with the death of plantation owner Louis' wife and child back in New Orleans in the late 18th Century, an event that, for Louis, effectively marks the end of his human existence. The arrival, thereafter, of a vampire called Lestat (Tom Cruise) offers him an escape from his terminable grief with the outside chance of immortality. Yet, as Louis comes to learn, this grief ultimately pales into insignificance compared with the pain that comes as a consequence of having to slaughter humans in order to feed. Initially he resists, drawing sustenance from rats and other animals, before he succumbs to his condition and sinks his teeth into Claudia (Kirsten Dunst), a young orphan. Refusing to let her die, Lestat instead fashions her into Louis' companion, and thus Claudia becomes his surrogate daughter/lover, a child-woman who remains shackled within the body of a young girl while her brain and appetites grow.

Eventually Louis and Claudia plot to kill their maker, and having escaped Lestat, they travel to Europe in search of fellow blood-suckers and meet Armand (Antonio Banderas) and many more at the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris.

Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles is a film I could really get my teeth (or should I say fangs?) into. The performances are excellent, particularly from the young Kirsten Dunst and the outstanding Brad Pitt in one of his best roles. Although Tom Cruise and Antonio Banderas are underused slightly, they are still impressive in their juicy roles. The editing is very good and the story is well-adapted from the excellent book.

Simply fang-tastic!

I rate Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles 8 out of 10.