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MissSmithNYC
Reviews
Raising Victor Vargas (2002)
don't waste your money
This movie sucks. It is about a Latino teenager whose plight is that he is discovered having sex with a fat girl, and spends the movie trying to win the heart of a pretty girl so that he can restore his pride. Raising Victor Vomitus is in the league of Better Luck Tomorrow - another film which attempts to reveal the intricacies of a cultural group - but which really only makes everyone look stupid. My conclusion after seeing these two really egregious films is that if you are curious about Latino or Asian youths - the best way to satisfy that curiousity is to meet some of them, read a book, or wait until a good movie comes out. However, if you want to waste money, be bored, and learn nothing - get a pedicure. At least you will have something to show for it.
Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)
puke
This movie is the suburban nightmare version of "Kids," but with an Asian cast. However, unlike "Kids," "Better Luck Tomorrow" carries no message other than that it is alright to commit crimes, do drugs, and have sex with prostitutes if one can swear it off at the end of the movie and walk away from it as if nothing had happened. None of the characters seem to have any semblance of morals, except for one character who attempts suicide after he has assisted in the murder of another teenager. As for the main character, he comes to the conclusion at the end of the movie that he does not know what tomorrow will bring as he drives off with his new girlfriend in her new sports car. This movie was marketed as an insider's view to Asian American teenagers who are pressured to achieve high grades and succeed; however, the role of any parental figures is wholly absent, and the teens in the movie are quite mindless. Better luck next time Mr. Lin.
The Hunted (2003)
Rambo what?
This movie is the 2003 version of Rambo. However, where Rambo had originality, plot, and depth, Benicio Del Toro's character is not a victim, but a psychopath who has most likely been pushed over the edge by his training as a special operations soldier for the army, but with an underlying psychotic condition. So, Rambo yes - The Hunted no. If you want to see a movie with lots of violence, The Last Samurai is an excellent bet AND has a plot.