mcw2112 Reviews

The Newsroom (2012–2014)

IMDb has been compromised!!

[1/10 · 10 July 2012]

It's obvious from all of the June 26th glowing reviews that IMDb had been compromised by studio plants once again. This is the dreadful "Dark Shadows" scenario all over again.

It should be apparent to anyone with a brain that from here on out whenever some crap gets forced upon the unwitting viewer it will be accompanied by a plethora of 10 star reviews right out of the gate.

This show is just more of HBO's grotesque left-leaning drivel that wants the youth of America to think like the ultra-liberal Hollywood power-players want them to think. America is bad! The political right is comprised of evil, corporate America shills that don't care about the poor, the old and the down-trodden.

This show is just like all of Sorkin's other one-sided, preachy offerings. Skip this garbage and watch a good action flick - it'll do you just as much intellectual good!

Inception (2010)

If this is brilliance, then we are so screwed!

[4/10 · 4 January 2011]

First off, it's clear that these IMDb ratings are no longer valid. This film was just 'ok' by anyone's standards, except maybe the plethora of teenagers that love anything that includes lots of gun fire and 'splosions. The plot was unnecessarily convoluted and chock full of lazy writing. I have really liked Chris Nolan's work, so this is not a personal attack on him; it's just nowhere near as slick as others have claimed. The biggest symptoms of lazy writing are: constant exposition in the guise of conversation, constant changing of rules set up earlier in the movie and supposedly brilliant people making illogical choices, when the plot demands it. Many have said that those of us who didn't like it were just clueless and didn't "get it". What's to get? The plot was not difficult to understand, just difficult to accept as anything that made any sense. A dream with a dream within a dream. Big effing deal! I bought this film on DVD and couldn't wait to see it as so many people had hailed it as the best thing since Citizen Kane. I was left feeling empty and ripped off, then again, there is an entire generation that claims "Transformers" and "Independence Day" are two of the best films ever made. I fail to understand how this over-blown, over-hyped film could garner such high ratings unless the people doing the rating have never seen a movie over 20 ears old. The concept was high-minded but the execution was pure popcorn-munching tripe. While I'll admit the cinematography was gorgeous and the acting was fairly well done, it was just so empty. As others have pointed out, when it's all just a dream, there's not a lot of tension when faceless people are shooting at you. Just plain silly, I say. (as an aside, South Park did a very funny dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream years ago!)

The Hurt Locker (2008)

This thing beat Avatar? Not in my book!

[5/10 · 26 April 2010]

I truly wanted to love this film, but alas, 'twas not to be. Not to get off on a tangent, but the fact that this film beat James Cameron's Avatar simply boggles the mind. It had to be some kind of political force to make that happen.

The Hurt Locker is a tedious, unrealistic and plodding film about an EOD (bomb squad) team in Iraq. According to this film, these squads work completely independent of the rest of the military, make up their own missions and don't really answer to anyone for foolhardy, illogical actions in the field. Simple common sense was thrown out the window at nearly every turn in this movie and the characters did the stupidest, most irrational things that defied explanation. This was not a true testament to the men and women who serve the United States in a military capacity.

The story, if you can call it that, revolves around three members of the EOD team: Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), an adrenalin junkie cowboy, Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), a by-the-book man that keeps his emotions in check at all times, and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) a rookie who constantly looks to his superiors for guidance and is obsessed with death. We follow these three men on mission after mission, trying to discern what the hell is going as we look on through the myopic lens of the almighty shaky-cam, a little cinematic trick to try to make things look edgier and more realistic; this is a trick I grew tired of long ago. There was just too damn much camera movement and too many nauseating close-ups for my taste. I felt like I was watching Hancock all over again - but without the entertainment value. The loose excuse for a plot leaves us meandering through one tense little situation after another until the tension was non-existent and I just didn't care anymore - not that I cared to begin with. The characters are all stock cliché's and the development of those cardboard cutouts was practically nowhere to be seen. They just were.

The entire film boiled down to the main character, Sergeant James, being ridiculously foolish and being completely dismissive of the guidelines for his job. He had no problem putting his team into unnecessarily dangerous situations just to fuel his own needs for...whatever his need were. His was uncharacteristically nonmilitary in his thinking and seemed to care only about himself. Military men do not think that way, and if they did, wars would be a lot shorter and much more bloodier.

There were some glaring inaccuracies regarding the way in which the military functions and these guys would have been court-martialed on a daily basis. Other reviewers have covered the worst problems with this film but I'll just repeat that there didn't really seem to be any direction to their missions and things just seemed to happen. The actors all did fine jobs, but I implore anyone who wants to watch this film to not think that this is how the military really is. 'Cause it just ain't so. My grade: D

Star Trek (2009)

Mixed feelings...

[7/10 · 6 January 2010]

I use to watch the original series with my father back in the '60's and I watched it in syndication most of my adult life. I was not opposed to a reboot, but the time travel/ alternate reality thing has been done to death. While I enjoyed the film, there were some troubling plot holes here and there. Here's a few I noticed: (1) Vulcan is minutes away from being destroyed and Spock decides to beam down to save his folks. He goes to the turbo-lift and heads to the transporter room. Kirk and Sulu are falling without a chute and Chekov gets up and runs around a few corners and into the transporter room. He beams up Kirk and Sulu and THEN Spock comes walking in. Where did he go? (BTW, how come Chekov could beam up Kirk and Sulu when they were falling but not Spocks mom when she was falling?)

(2)Cadet Kirk convinces Capt Pike that they are 'warping' into a trap. Pike orders the shields to be raised and when they arrive at Vulcan, the ship gets hammered by debris. Shields do not deflect debris?

(3)Black holes either destroy things OR can be used to time travel. It just depends on the needs of the story.

(4)Why could no one detect the supernova heading towards Romulus? Spock was supposed to stop it, but it consumes the planet before anyone knew what happened?

(5)As others have pointed out, one doesn't need to drill any holes in a planet if you can create a black hole.

Although he doesn't come off quite as 'cool' as a younger Nimoy, I still liked the casting of Zachary Quinto as Spock and the casting of Karl Urban was inspired. The "Bones" McCoy character was a true embodiment rather than a cheap imitation. Zoe Saldana was fine as Uhuru although the Spock/Uhuru romance was a bit too out of character for Spock. Simon Pegg was amusing as a younger, higher-energy Scotty and John Cho filled the Sulu role adequately. The portrayal of Chekov was over the top and quite annoying to me. Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike injected just the right amount of gravitas and confidence into the role. I enjoyed every minute that he was on the screen. And that brings us to Chris Pine as Captain Kirk. As a fan of the original series, I found this Kirk to be lacking charm and grace. That 1960's Shatner had a swagger and was a master chess player in space battles. I'm not sure if it's the way it was written or his performance, but Pine plays Kirk as a class-A jerk with a bad attitude. The joy of the characters as they were originally written was the triangle of Spock, Kirk and McCoy. McCoy would loudly make his voice heard to the captain in one ear, with virtually no check on his emotions and Spock would be in his other ear, coolly stating the facts with no emotional bias. Kirk would take all of this input and more and invariably make the right choice. Pine's Kirk seems to get by on brashness, cockiness and determination.

(BTW, who had the awful idea of making a beer brewery into the Enterprise's engine room?)

The shaky cam bugged me a few times but the effects were very good. Overall, I enjoyed the film and was able to overlook many of the flaws because it was a great popcorn flick. 7 out of 10 stars

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

Still holds up well today

[8/10 · 23 December 2009]

Robinson Crusoe on Mars is a fun, imaginative journey through the eyes of a lone, stranded astronaut (Paul Mantee). Commander Christoper "Kit" Draper gets marooned on Mars with only a space-faring monkey, Mona, to keep him company and a very limited supply of air, food and water. Draper keeps a recorded log of his daily struggles on a 1960'a era tape recorder and as his life support supplies begin to dwindle, he starts to make some deductions about his surroundings that might help him to survive. He comes across a type of stone that can be burned like coal for heat, and has the added bonus of giving off oxygen. Next, he uses his monkey companion to find water by depriving the creature of water for a day or so and then turning her loose to find water while Draper follows close behind. Not only does Mona find water, but also a type of vegetation that grows in the water and can be eaten. After traveling on foot a bit, Draper comes across another humanoid, a native American-looking being that turns out to be a slave on the run. At night, the alien ships come to look for slaves as Draper and the man look on from behind rocks and cave walls. The ships are rehashes from "War of the Worlds", but here they are used to better effect. They move in quick thrusts and darts, making them all the more alien-looking.

Draper and the man whom Draper calls "Friday", become friends and begin to trust one another; depend on each other for their survival, although Draper is clearly from a more advanced civilization than Friday.

This film has the slow pacing of many films from that era(you can almost hear the director say "Take your time,... take your time."), but it's all done with an eye towards scientific accuracy and good storytelling. The film also has the look of many other films from that time period; the colors are a bit muted and the lighting is soft but still very clear. To me, many of the flaws of older films, particularly science-fiction films, seem to make them more surreal as time passes. Film-making was quite advanced but not quite perfected, especially when dealing with special effects shots. What seems cheesy in one decade ends up looking very dream-like and artsy a decade or two later. Go figure.

A fun film for the whole family, as they say, and while is would nearly kill the average ADD teenager, most anyone else could appreciate this laid back little offering.

The Guardian (I) (2006)

Cliché' ridden but still not bad...

[6/10 · 9 August 2009]

The Guardian is a formulaic film, make no mistake about, but does that mean that it has to be bad? In a word, no. Kevin Costner plays Ben Randall, a salty, gruff and fiercely determined Coast Guard rescue swimmer that is getting a little long in the tooth, but is still at the top of his game. He lives and works out of Kodiak, Alaska, and has the sea coursing through his veins. He lives and breathes his work but is unable to split his devotion between 'the job' and his marriage to his wife, Helen (Sela Ward). Just as his marriage falls apart, his rescue chopper goes down and he ends up being the sole survivor of the crash. After this horrendous bout of bad luck, Ben is shipped down South to the Coast Guard's "A" School in Louisiana, where he will teach the best of the best Coast Guard swimmers the tricks of the trade. Randall holds all of the Coast Guard's swimming records and is practically a legend in the service. He is a no-nonsense, stern taskmaster, even pushing the limits of a few of his own instructors. He is extremely hard on his students and will send an inadequate applicant packing, without so much as a second thought. He knows what it takes to remain calm in the most perilous situations and he will either break the cadets or make them into successful rescue swimmers. It takes nerves of steel to jump out of a perfectly good helicopter into high, choppy seas, and then rescue some hapless yacht owner. You have to know that you have that special something before you make that plunge.

Enter our cocksure, brazen wunderkind, Jake Fischer, played by Ashton Kutcher. He boldly takes on and exceeds at all of the instructors challenges and seems destined to break some of Randall's old records - maybe all of them. Kutcher manages a modicum of intensity, and looks plenty fit enough to handle the physical aspects of the job, but his character,Fish (he's aptly nicknamed), can't seem to please Senior Chief Randall, no matter how hard he tries. Jake has the obligatory romance with the obligatory local girl, but at least it wasn't too overdone or over-serious.

The story is pretty boilerplate stuff, and the characters are of the type that we've all seen before, but it was none-the-less done well. Kevin Costner plays Ben Randall as a highly competent man that truly wishes that he could do 'life' as well as does 'work'. He has a trunk load of regrets that he carries squarely on his shoulders, but he reckons that he can at least do some good - professionally speaking. Ashton Kutcher plays Fischer as a guy with a lot to prove, but he, like Randall, has some psychological baggage that he's toting around. Baggage that he just can't quite sort out. The two men have the usual instructor/instructee battle of wits and determination, and life lessons are traded back and forth, to the eventual benefit of all involved, for the most part. Randall runs Fish ragged and then he runs him ragged again. Fish takes it all and asks for more. In the end, both men have earned each others respect. Again, it is an all-too-familiar story, but what the hell, it's still fun to watch if it's done properly.

After graduation, Fish is, of course, assigned to Kodiak and he soon teams up with his former instructor to jump out of helicopters in the icy seas around Alaska. After a harrowing rescue of two guys in kayaks that nearly goes wrong, Ben decides to hang up his swim fins and call it a day. He froze in a critical situation and that just won't do. He is a man that has been beaten by the sea and longs to make peace with his estranged wife - and himself. The ending too, is very much boilerplate, but suffice it to say that Ben is called upon after retiring to help out in a desperate situation. We see it coming but are compelled to go along anyway.

To tell the story of Coast Guard rescue swimmers and the amazing chopper pilots that work with them, it is necessary, mostly through CGI, to show just how dangerous the ocean can be. The landscape that the rescue swimmer works in, is one of a see-sawing indigo blue monster; giant swells and freezing temperatures and God-only-knows what lurking beneath it all. These people work in bad visibility, high seas, violent storms and typhoon conditions. Director Andrew Davis knows how to do 'BIG' and here it is imperative to show just how BIG and scary the ocean can be when it's at it's worst. We get a real sense of just how brave these servicemen and women are and the director went to great lengths to make it realistic. Where the story lacks in originality, it makes up for it in honoring the daring and selfless acts of the Coast Guard rescue teams. Check your cliché' monitor at the door and enjoy it for what it is. Over and out!

Valkyrie (2008)

Good film...Cruise should do more like this...

[10/10 · 9 August 2009]

Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, is the true story of World War II German army officer, Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg, one of many German army officers who saw that Hitler's war was not only a suicidal one, but one that could ultimately bring about the destruction of the whole of Europe. Von Stauffenberg, like many of his fellow conspirators, believed that if Hitler could be assassinated, the Allies could be negotiated with and perhaps Germany could be saved from defeat and hopefully, untold destruction.

It is 1943 and the German army is taking a pounding from all sides; losses of life and machinery are piling up and the Allies are showing no signs of weakening. Stauffenberg is in cahoots with several officers; Major-General Henning Von Tresckow(Kenneth Branagh), General Friedrich Olbricht(Bill Nighy), and the nervous, reluctant General Erich Fellgiebel (Eddie Izzard), along with retired General Ludwig Beck (Terrance Stamp) and The hopefully soon-to-be new leader of Germany, Dr. Carl Goerdeler (Kevin McNally). The plan is to sneak a bomb into one of Hitler's high-level meetings, kill the Fuhrer, round up the SS with the troops serving as the reserve guard, and with any luck, put a new government in place before anyone knows what has happened. It would be a very risky coup' and everything had to fall into place in order for it to be a success. One major stumbling block is General Friedrich Fromm(Tom Wilkinson), who is the man that would have to give the order to put Operation Valkyrie into effect, essentially mobilizing the in-country reserves and taking control of the government and the armed forces. He is aware of the plan but is quite on the fence about the whole matter. There is a scene where he tells Von Stauffenberg and General Olbricht in no uncertain terms, that he will stand on whatever side the victors are on. He will not sacrifice life, limb or his position unless the deal has already gone down and the conspirators are successful. This puts the pressure on the entire rest of the plan going off without a hitch, and most notably, Von Staffenberg's ability to makes sure Hitler is in fact dead.

It goes without saying that the plot failed in the end, but that does not diminish the tension of the story and even though we know how things come out, the sheer fact of the risks these men were willing to take, makes for a riveting film. These men are, and should be, remembered as heroes; men who were far more loyal to the nation of Germany than to the chain of command that of course ended with Hitler at the top. They were true patriots that believed that the fate of the fatherland was doomed if Hitler remained in control, and were intent on stopping a madman from taking everyone down with him. Von Stauffenberg has been a loyal soldier, even losing an eye, his right hand and several fingers of his left hand in battle, but he knows all too well that if his children are to ever know peace in their lifetimes, Hitler must not be allowed to continue his self-destructive rampage into oblivion.

Valkyrie is a well made film, focusing on the mechanics of the plot and the passion of the conspirators. These are men that have an abiding love of their country and know that if they fail, they will all certainly be executed and their families would be in peril as well. Cruise, while not my favorite actor, does two things very well in movies: he does cocky well and he does intense well. Here he is required to be intense and pulls it off well. Cruise plays Von Stauffenberg as a man who cares deeply about his family and the future of his country. He is a man that has given a lot to his country, including bits of his body. The one thing he will not part with, however, is his soul. He knows that in the grand scheme of things, his life is a small price to pay to bring his beloved Germany back from the brink. Cruise plays Von Stauffenberg as a cool customer; professional and reserved and determined.

Branagh's Von Tresckow is seen only periodically throughout the film, but he is one of the key conspirators. Branagh plays Von Tresckow as a confident, thoughtful man, who like Von Stauffenberg, is close enough to Hitler's inner circle to see his insanity and to fear it. After placing a bomb concealed in a drink bottle on Hitler's plane (a bomb that does not go off), he calmly retrieves the bomb from one of Hitler's aides, saying it was given to him by mistake. Not knowing if anyone was wise to him, he plays it as smoothly as if he were in no danger at all.

Bill Nighy's General Olbricht is scared right out of his wits about the whole plot, but bravely pushes forward, showing that he is a man of honor, but still just a man.

The sets are as much of a character as any of the actors and everything looks stately and grand, just as it did in the 'glory' days of the Third Reich. This is a very authentic looking film, and the uniforms look more like uniforms than costumes, something you don't always get to see in movies. Also, David Bamber did a chillingly creepy version of Adolf Hitler, maintaining the presence of a complicated, detached madman.

Director Bryan Singer has portrayed these men in a very honorable, ethical manner and has done real justice to their memories. The plot unfolds with time line titles and clear direction. We collectively hold our breaths watching the events unfold, understanding what is at stake and what is to come. These truly were honorable men, and although they failed, history would bear them out to be the heroes that they were.

Frost/Nixon (2008)

Good film...but

[6/10 · 2 May 2009]

This was an enjoyable film for the most part, thanks mostly to Frank Langella's performance as Nixon, but be warned, if you have one single conservative bone in your body, steer clear of the bonus features. Without going into a whole political diatribe, I fail to see why these Hollywood drones have to inject their own political views into everything. Just let the damn thing speak for itself for once! Throughout the cast and crew interviews, nearly everyone involved felt it necessary to constantly label G. W. Bush a liar and compare him with Nixon, and state and restate the standard mass-media B.S. that we've all heard again and again and again. Opie seems to forget that while every president does things that upset both opponents and supporters, this nation is still a 50/50 split. This guy's been a filthy rich TV and movie star since he was a kid, so I guess I can understand how he would be disconnected from most of society.

And speaking of disconnect, I understand the need for drama, but I wish that Hollywood would stop over-dramatizing of just plain making things up when dealing with factual events. Frost/Nixon is loaded with inaccuracies and made-up parts; parts that only exist because this film was adapted from a play. I think in most situations, as in "Apollo 13", the fact is every bit as dramatic as the fiction.

Anyway, the film was well made and engaging and while it couldn't help but trumpet the "we got Nixon GOOD!" angle, it nonetheless was entertaining. That's all I have to say about that.

The Prestige (2006)

Dark, moody, but fun!!!

[8/10 · 2 May 2009]

I really enjoyed this film and Christian Bale turns in yet another solid performance in Christopher Nolan's capable hands. I'll admit that it didn't take me very long to figure out most of the Jackman side of the plot but I freely admit that I never considered the 'twins' twist. I barely recognized Scarlett Johansson and Michael Caine did his usual seamless work.

I was confused for a bit but when the story threads started to come together, I began to really get into it. The story was fascinating and David Bowie as Tesla was an inspired casting choice, adding just the right touch of murky mysteriousness. The sets were just awesome and the cinematography was spot on, conveying a dark but not oppressive mood.

I usually judge a film by the impression that it leaves (or doesn't) on me hours or even days after viewing it, and this one had me running through all of the puzzle pieces in my mind for some time afterward. It was dark and somber but not enough to make one feel like it was a 'downer' experience. It did, however, leave me in a contemplative state of mind--and that's a good thing. This was a smartly written, solid piece of entertainment on all fronts.

***-As a side note, I wish that Chris Nolan would get another sound designer---I'm sick of all of his movies having dialogue that you can barely hear, even with your sound system cranked up, only to have the next scene rattling the windows!***

El Dorado (1966)

One of my favorite John Wayne films

[9/10 · 2 May 2009]

This film was a joy all the way through. Witty dialog, beautiful women and plenty of gun play, just like an old-fashioned western should be. All of the actors turn in solid performances and the story telling was very smooth and fluid.

Anyone that enjoys westerns will enjoy this one. The cinematography was top-notch and like all of John Wayne's films, there was no shortage of great characters.

I won't rehash the story but suffice it to say that the Duke, along with Robert Mitchum and James Caan, gets the job done in the end. Ed Asner looked a little out of place but otherwise, a fun cowboy movie right down the line. It's so rare these days to see character-driven films like this and there is a lot to be said for the old classics. I gave this film 9 out of 10 stars, deducting one star for a few examples of blatant racism. (I really didn't need to see Jimmy Caan doing a bad impression of a Chinese person)

If you like seeing the Duke do what he did best, this one is not to be missed!

Open Range (2003)

Excellent character-driven film

[10/10 · 30 March 2009]

Just about the time I thought that Hollywood had run out of original ideas, Kevin Costner wheeled this puppy out and proved me wrong. This film is way above average in many departments including the direction by Costner. The actors all turn in wonderful performances, even the ones with bit parts. The true joy of this film, however, is the writing. It is a very tight script that avoids so many common pitfalls.; the dialogue is believable, there are no b.s. subplots and the flow of the storytelling is right on. The audience gets to know the characters through the story itself without it beating us over the heads with cliché'-ridden monologues.

I put this film in the same ranking as "Pale Rider", "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Unforgiven", three of the best westerns ever made. The characters stayed 'in character', their motivations were believable and their actions all made sense. It takes a real pro to make an entertaining film with virtually no special effects, no car chases and no gratuitous sex. I wish that more film makers would focus on good storytelling and only use CGI to further the story instead of relying on it to 'wow' the audience whilst letting the plot a a back seat. Kudos to Costner and company for an instant classic!!

When Worlds Collide (1951)

Great flick!!

[8/10 · 28 March 2009]

No spoon-fed CGI here, folks, just good old-fashioned story-telling and character development. This is a sci-fi classic and it still looks great today! You gotta love the fifties fashions and set designs and the actors are all top- notch. This is pure Saturday afternoon entertainment with 1950's values and cheesy special effects. I'll take these old gems over the ham-fisted, dumbed- down garbage Hollywood routinely pumps out these days any time.

If you can't stand the slower pacing of older films or the lack of gee-whiz computer graphics, then watch one of the million new crappy films that assault the senses on every level and avoid this one, BUT if you like effective story-telling, this is a very cool treat!!

The Dark Knight (2008)

Not bad...not great, either...

[8/10 · 27 December 2008]

I was terribly torn between liking this movie and not, but it was so hard to shut out the hype surrounding the whole Heath Ledger performance. It WAS an incredibly nuanced performance and quite creepy to boot, but I did have a problem with the script a time or two.

CONS: Apparently anyone can move untold numbers of large barrels filled with explosive materials with ease into hospitals, ports,...etc. Many of the characters seemed to be clairvoyant; knowing exact movements and reactions of everyone. The whole bullet/fingerprint scenario made absolutely no sense. The Joker was an incredible accidental planner. Too little time spent on Two-face. The soundtrack was downright annoying at times. You have to really strain to hear some of the dialogue but the action sequences bordered on too loud. (when watching at home, I have to keep the remote in hand so that I don't bother my neighbors). Bruce Wayne seemed very one-dimensional. Car chases are becoming so routine that it's hard to get excited about them anymore!

PROS: Maggie Gyllenhaal was quite an improvement over Mrs. Cruise. The tone and pacing were right-on and the film looked gorgeous. The mob heads were very well cast, especially Eric Roberts. The whole Hong Kong sequence seemed contrived just for the action sake but was very well done. Great supporting cast all-around. All in all, it was a very entertaining film, but while I completely bought into "Batman Begins", here I couldn't fight the feeling that Christopher Nolan was just trying too hard to wow everyone and went a little too far. I couldn't quite figure out if it was supposed to be gritty and realistic or fanciful fantasy. I certainly hope that the next installment goes back to a character-driven piece like the first one.

Iron Man (2008)

Now that's how you make a fun film!!!

[10/10 · 30 November 2008]

I can not say enough good things about this film. The story, the writing, acting, direction, casting, production design,...etc, were ALL top-notch. This is the film many Summer films aspire to be.

Robert Downey Jr. struck just the right note with this character making him a bit of a playboy cad, but still immensely likable. The audience was rooting for him from the word 'go'. (Note to Mr. Spielberg: Remember when you used to create likable characters instead of annoying overly-flawed morons? War of the Worlds ring a bell?)

The sexy Gwyneth Paltrow was spot-on and Jeff Bridges showed how years of acting experience can bring such weight to a role that in hands of a lesser actor most certainly would have come out as over-the-top.

There were no superfluous subplots or wasted shots and the character development was adequate and came in the course of the storytelling rather than being heavy-handedly shoved down our throats. The pacing was just right and all of the action sequences were directed with a competent hand; none of those 'what the hell is happening now?' moments that are seen too frequently in other films where action scenes mean too many blurred shots and quick cuts that leave you confused. Mr. Favreau has made an intelligent film that actually has a heart and one can only hope that he keeps the sequels up to the standard of the original.

Watch 'the Dark Knight' for Heath Ledger's performance, skip the Hulk and don't damage your brain with 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'. Just watch this flick and actually ENJOY A FILM for once in a while. I wish that Hollywood would get it right like this more often!!!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Indiana Mutt and the Krystal dialog...ugghhh

[1/10 · 29 November 2008]

Where to begin? Let's see, an entire company of Russian soldiers on American soil...at a top-secret military installation, no-less! In 1957? Not even slightly possible, even in Indy's world. Metallic gunpowder? Since when? (that would kind of make a mess of firearms, no?) Preposterous CGI elements that didn't match up to the real action. (the rocket sled ride WAS however, pure Indiana Jones! Quite believable and fun!!)

One. Lead. Lined. Refrigerator. Why was there no virtual rain of refrigerators from the other mock-up homes and why did the blast not crush it like it did 98% of it's surroundings?! What about the heat? Ground control to Lucas/Spielberg!

The list goes on: Instantly trainable monkeys, stolen lines from--'The Hunt for Red October', 'The Mummy' and others throughout the film AND if that weren't enough, Spielberg feels the need to borrow from the previous three installments again, and again and again and again...etc....

Someone you love is sinking in quicksand, you're in a jungle; Quick, find something to help them out with. Let's see, what is there in any jungle? Branches? No, none of them around. Vines? No, none of them either. How about taking off your jacket and using that? No, no and no. Catch a snake real quick-like and use it for a rope. If I had seen it in the theater, that's where I would have walked out. But there's more!!!

A smiling Karen Allen drives off of a cliff in an amphibious car, somehow knowing in advance that a tree would catch them and gently lower them to the river below, only to plummet through THREE giant waterfalls, which at least momentarily takes the stupid grin off of Karen Allen's face. And don't get me started on Cate Blanchet's on-again, off-again accent. Hey, Cate, are you British, Ukrainian or what?

Bad, wince-inducing dialog and action scenes that go on for so long that you can help but start to think of other things.A crappy tin-foil-filled plastic, uh,... I mean crystal skull whose powers seem to fluctuate wildly when covered or uncovered by CLOTH or wood. The space between the spaces? String theory in '57? WTF?

Gone is the magic and wonderment of the previous films and to have Indy find the 'mcguffin' half-way through the film made the quest to take it back seem a little anti-climatic even with the standard CGI vortex that was bound to happen near the end.(Once again, thanks to the magic of computer graphics, we get to see a beloved character stand ridiculously close to multi- ton chunks of rock and stone flying through the air!) Gone is the witty banter that inevitably arises naturally during the course of telling a good story, and also conspicuously absent was the gorgeous cinematography of the first three films which was clumsily replaced with entirely too many green-screens.

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg need to stop pumping out fan-films and take a few years off. These guys raised the bar for big-budget studio films and changed the way movies are made, and now they are part of the same old commercial machine that they helped to change. Go back to square one!!

The Happening (2008)

M Night Shame-on-you!!

[1/10 · 26 October 2008]

Most of the reviews here have already covered this pile-o'-crap fairly well, so I'll try not to repeat any previous comments, but it's so hard when you're talking about this lame effort from the wunderkind of Hollywood.

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned is the lion-mauling scene. I was unaware that an animal can pull off a man's arm with only a slight tug, AND that man can continue to stand so that another lazy lion can coax the other one off! WTF? The plot holes are big enough to drive Jupiter through and yes, the acting was bad! Marky Marks wife, played absently by Zooey Deschanel, just comes off like someone that just drank a pitcher of Nyquil, and I was reminded of Karen Allen's demented portrayal of Indiana Jones's long lost love, smiling and laughing maniacally at the most dangerous times! There was no real suspense in this movie and the idea of people outrunning the wind is way beyond preposterous. And, as some others have pointed out, the wind would essentially dilute anything airborne and make it LESS potent!!

Mark Wahlberg constantly looked confused, but not by the events surrounding him, but by the script. (How do I act like any of this is believable? He seemed to emote)

Also, Is it believable that being inside a house will stop airborne particles small enough to not be seen by the naked eye?

I liked the first ten minutes or so and had high hopes that the film would take some of those frightening elements and take it a step further, but instead, what we got was one community-theater feeling scene after another and the characters were strangely dispassionate about the whole thing.

All in all, one boring movie. It's pretty hard to defend a film that starts out strong and gets increasingly ridiculous and confusing as it goes along. Don't waste your time, money or brain cells on this half-hearted attempt!!

Speed Racer (2008)

Could only be enjoyed if you are already hallucinating...

[1/10 · 4 October 2008]

I grew up in the '60's and as I was a big fan of Warner Bros. cartoons, "Speed Racer" was always a joke to begin with to me, but this film somehow managed to take a quaint, albeit cheaply done, early version of Anime' and turn it into something worse. The migraine-inducing visuals and the plodding, pedantic excuse for a plot leave the viewer on the edge of their seat....poised to go 'racing' from the room to avoid this train-wreck, er..uh..car wreck of a bastardization. While I'll admit to a certain fascination with the Wachowski's attempt at showing us something that we'd never seen before, this was just an all-out assault on the senses and the cinematic equivalent of projectile- vomiting a full set of fluorescent face-paints. The acting was perfunctory and I couldn't help but wonder if the kids watching this mess were as confused as I was trying to follow just exactly what time frame we were seeing at any given time. The races and racetracks themselves were just so unrealistic and the constant defying of the laws of physics just sucked all of the tension and danger from these sequences rendering them completely excitement free and moot. I didn't mind so much the over-use of the green screen if it weren't so obvious. I mean, come on movie, I want to suspend my disbelief, but you have to help me! This was a blatant wakeup call for Hollywood- if you insist on dumping truckloads of cash into rehashed ideas, you'd better check with the pre-existing fan base before you just let directors throw any old flashy crap up on the screen.

Planet of the Apes (2001)

Devoid of...everything!

[1/10 · 20 June 2008]

This clunker sucked from the word go. The make-up was impressive, but that's about where the good points end. Although I haven't read all of the reviews here, I didn't see anyone mention how all of the actors SOUNDED like they had masks on. It was painfully obvious that their speech was being impeded by the prosthetic teeth that they had to wear, which I found to be ultra-annoying. I have liked about half of Tim Burtons movies but this one knocked him down a few notches in my mind. Do yourself a favor, avoid this crappy remake and watch the far superior original 1968 film. The Charlton Heston film is better in every way, except maybe in the special effects department, but the original holds its own from start to finish against This mess. Viewer beware!

Superman Returns (2006)

Not so Super, man

[4/10 · 12 June 2008]

This movie was so bad that it hurt. Just a few points of contention for me: 1.-The plane/ shuttle scene--Did Lois Lane just get out of bed on the wrong side? They tried to make her look hard-hitting, inquisitive, it didn't work. She looked like a bitch. 2.-Superman would NEVER be a peeping Tom. 3.-Superman would not be jealous, and would probably be happy for Lois. 4.-The pacing of this movie drrrraaaaggged on forevvvvvvvvverrrrr. 5.-Why does a car seem just as heavy as a 777? 6.-Lois:We have to go back and help Superman.What?

And it goes on and on like that. Kryptonite works sometimes and sometimes not. A Pulitzer-winning reporter that can't spell catastrophic? Also, someone forgot to tell Superman what his job was. He was supposed to be fighting bad guys, not pissing and moaning over his ex-girlfriend. This movie is so bad it ranks right up there with Peter Jacksons King Kong mess. This film was not made for Superman fans, it was made for studio executives. That's all I have to say about that!

War of the Worlds (2005)

Cinematic crud

[1/10 · 3 June 2008]

This film is so bad on so many levels, it's hard to believe. As many posts have noted, there are some SERIOUS plot holes in this piece of drek, and some pretty bad writing. The performances were just okay, but if you've seen the first ten minutes, then you've seen the best parts. Just a recap of some of the stupidest parts: Annoying little Dakota Fanning needing to go ten miles to pee. A bitch ex-wife,and two, no make that three neurotic kids, if you count Ray (Tom Cruise). Selective electronics being zapped, others not. Selective people being vaporized, our star not, much to everyones chagrin.The teenage kid gets incinerated but shows up at the end, no worse for the wear. Cars dead on the freeway, but somehow ALL of them off to the side to leave a nice path for our intrepid idiots. Airplane wreckage also leaving a nice path for aforementioned idiots, and on and on and on. Mr. Spielberg forgot one the basic tenants of summer fun film making and that is, if you're going to put your characters through hell, the audience needs to CARE ABOUT THEM! Most people that saw this film were rooting for the aliens from the word go. These characters were annoying, spiteful, bitter, clueless and oh yeah, did I mention annoying? The aliens looked about as menacing as your average teddy bear and Tim Robbins' psycho character was merely an odd diversion at best. I would like to be all high and mighty and say "Ha, at least I didn't pay to see this crap in a theater!" but I instead spent twice as much and bought it on DVD. This film was a monumental waste of money, talent and time. The 1953 version while not sporting all the fancy-shmancy CGI, was far superior in every other way. If you see this film and it makes you wish you had those two hours back, you can't say that you weren't warned.

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Die Hard 4 kicks butt!!!!

[10/10 · 18 December 2007]

I normally don't care too much for action flicks mainly because in the last 10 years or so action films tend to rely too much on CGI and also tend to have extremely weak scripts, but this one has all the spirit and heart of the first one and man, oh man the stunts are jaw-dropping! This film knows when to be serious and when to wink at the audience, and the director seems to have taken to heart some of the basic tenants of movie-making that directors like Steven Spielberg have forgotten (War of the Worlds, anyone?), namely; If you're going to put your characters through hell, the audience first has to care about them, and secondly, action films should be...FUN!!! This film succeeds on all accounts and had me chuckling to myself several times at the wit of the script and the chemistry of the leads. Intelligently written, well paced, oh, and did I mention the stunts? Brilliant film-making and a good time to be had for all!!! If you like action, don't miss this puppy!!

King Kong (2005)

Over-the-top mess!

[1/10 · 14 December 2007]

It's hard to decide just where to start with this mega-bomb, simply because so much is fundamentally wrong with this film. The CGI is sub-standard, the casting is suspect and shear lack of real-life physics makes for one long, boring misadventure topped off with one too many crappy Peter Jackson fly-over shots for my taste. This steaming pile of cinematic glop spits in the viewers face at every turn in mind-numbing scenes like: A crew member being covered in giant insects only to have a another squeamish crew member shooting the insects off of him with a machine gun, with his eyes closed no less, meanwhile not even leaving a scratch on the afore-mentioned insect-covered crew member. A dinosaur chase scene that looks about as believable Fred Flinstones's daily adventures (people and dinosaur legs occupying the same physical space). A chloroformed King Kong magically ending on up a boat, one that is too small to hold him mind you. And a woman in a flimsy dress hanging out on top of the Empire State building in the middle of winter without even a little chill. AND, I don't care what anyone says, I just can not take Jack Black in a semi-serious role. How some of you can call this a good film is totally beyond me. Next thing you know, I'll hear that someone actually liked "The War of the Worlds". If you like films that are thought-provoking, tantalizing and clever, avoid this piece of drivel at all costs!

The Thin Blue Line (1995–1996)

British comedy at its best

[10/10 · 30 November 2007]

As an American I have no problem with saying that British sit-coms are light years ahead of the crap that plays well here in the U.S. After being a huge fan of "BlackAdder", I was reluctant to buy "Thin Blue Line" for fear of being let down because "Blackadder" was so incredibly good, especially "Blackadder Goes Fourth", but I was immediately taken with these characters and the crisp, witty writing. With America's lame sex-coms, uh... I mean sit-coms being so sophomoric and so completely predictable, it's always a breath of fresh air to watch a Brit-com. I'd rather watch "Red Dwarf" or "Thin Blue Line" repeatedly than most of the tripe offered on the major U.S. networks these days. Brit-coms are funnier, smarter and always more colorful. If you love brit-coms don't miss this little jewel!!

The Lost Battalion (2001 TV Movie)

Great Film-can't believe it's a cable movie!

[10/10 · 1 November 2007]

This is a great war film. It has an authentic look and feeling about it and the production values were comparable to anything that Hollywood puts out on a regular basis. Rick Schroder does an excellent job as well as the rest of the cast. I would rate this film up there with "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers" in it's realism, believability and attention to detail. If you like war films, don't miss this one! It has the feel of a large-scale production and all of the hallmarks of major studio release. There is plenty of hand-held shots to convey that 'combat footage' feel without over using it to the point of nausea like you see in less talented directors. Kudos to A&E for making a quality piece of entertainment!