Manchui Reviews

Road to Perdition (2002)

Not an epic, not even a great film...

[4/10 · 18 September 2002]

I missed all the hype about this film, so I managed to go into the cinema without any false hopes or impressions of the film.

I was, however, expecting a better film. Especially after all the names flashed before me during the opening credits - Paul Newman, Jude Law, Tom Hanks, Sam Mendes, and most notably Conrad L. Hall. All of them disappointed me, except for Hall, whose cinematography was as excellent as it has been in his other films. Newman and Law were simply too flat - well, there was at least some development in Newman's character (unlike the two-dimensional-snuff-you-while-you're-sleeping-because-I'm-truly-evil Law). But I never felt anything for him, no anger or sympathy. Perhaps I wasn't meant to, but nothing in this film really gripped me.

I've read a few reviews about what an epic film this was. No, it was a lengthy film about Tom Hanks going on a killing spree, with long periods of non-epic slow-talking and short bursts of unnecessarily violent gun-battle, finished off with a dull, morose ending. The start of the film was too revealing, and didn't add to the film, as perhaps the start of American Beauty did.

If you're expecting an epic, go and watch Cinema Paradiso instead.

4/10.

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

Someone stole Mike Myers mojo...

[4/10 · 28 July 2002]

What a disappointment.

I went to the cinema to see Minority Report but ended up going to Austin Powers 3, expecting an afternoon of laughs. How very wrong I was. Whereas in two prequels you needed someone by your side to stop you from laughing, this time you needed someone to jolt you into a stream of laughter.

Sure, there were a few good gags with more risque shadow antics and Mini-Me getting kicked around the room, but on the whole it was just lame. Goldmember was a potentially funny character who never brought a chuckle to my mouth, and the 'mole' gag(s) needed a whole bag of pre-emptive "SHH!".

I kept wondering when the movie would get going...and I still am. Bring back Austin 1 and 2 with a funny Dr Evil and the Austin puns that we all know and miss (like 'That's no way to get ahead in life').

4/10.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

How Raquel Welch got back on the wall

[10/10 · 18 September 2001]

[e-mail] asked: "Finally, can someone please tell me how he got that poster of Racquel Welch back on the wall after he climbed frontways into that tunnel?"

For someone who was apparently closely observing this film, you should have noticed how it was attached to the wall. It was hanging from above. Thus Andy Dufresne would only have to lift it up (like a flap) and it would flap back down behind him.

Watch it again if you don't believe me. I believe this is shown twice, if not more.

The Matrix (1999)

Good but not "The Greatest Film Ever Made"

[7/10 · 10 September 2001]

Ok, I'm getting sick of comments saying stuff like "The Matrix is the greatest film EVER MADE!"

That's complete and utter bullturd. Yes, it had great cinematography and effects, yes it had a great soundtrack but NO WAY was the acting superb and NO WAY was the storyline great.

Take that storyline and stick it in any other action movie and you would leave feeling disappointed at the end. It's major selling point was "What is the Matrix? You have to see it for yourself." Come on, the only plot twist was that thing to do with Cypher, and that wasn't greatly unforeseeable, there's things like that in every frigging action movie.

The thing that set it apart was the ground-breaking camera effects, gnarly special effects and a funky soundtrack, as well as the costume design bit, with all that leather and expensive sunglasses. Without this stuff, all you would be left with is your average action movie.

I'm not saying it was a bad film at all, just not one of the greatest. Highly entertaining, great to watch with your mates, definitely one of the most interesting films in recent years. But give me The Third Man, Memento or the Usual Suspects any day.

7/10

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

One of the classics

[10/10 · 10 September 2001]

This is definitely one of the greatest films of all time.

I watched it again for the second time last night, and was thrilled to see some scenes which I'd completely forgotten about.

The story is gripping, and it's superb how it unfolds. The acting can't be faulted, and the music really gives it a monumental feel. Brooks is a great character, as are all of the characters really, but if I had to pick one out, Brooks is the man.

Not only is it entertaining, the subplots are great and there are some classic lines. Like the warden at the start: "There are two things I believe in; discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord; your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank."

A classic.

Memento (2000)

Can't believe my eyes. This is the one. Watch it.

[10/10 · 9 August 2001]

I must say, after pestering my friends for two weeks to go see this film, I was not disappointed (and thus did not have a group of angry pitchfork-wielding friends, blaming me for wasting 2 hours of their life). Some of them thought that they were going to be more confused than a dog in a birdcage, but by the end all but one had understood what was going on.

I actually found that my favourite parts were the few comical scenes, which although scarce in number, they made up for it with a plentiful supply of humour. Add to that an extremely well-made film, which takes you backwards through a couple days or so in this man's hunt for his wife's killer - it will have you trying to place the characters, often wrongly.

I thought this was the best film I had seen in a long while, go out and get it NOW! 10 out of 10.