Movie scores - by Everlasting Films
A score of five or better indicates a movie worth seeing. In our humble opinion, of course.
|
Title |
Date reviewed |
Score |
|
Toy Story 3 |
June 21 2010 |
7 |
A remarkably adult story can be found here amid the cute, fun little toys; growth, abandonment, passing of the torch. All wonderfuly done, and still managed to keep the spirit of the original movie fresh. Unlike some others, these people know how to do sequels, even if there is a long wait for it.
|
Shrek Forever After |
April 17, 2010 |
6 |
Sometimes they just don't know when to quit. Easily the worst of the franchise, there are few laughs or even entertaining moments to be had. We didn't see it in 3-D, but from what we could tell, we're pretty sure we didn't miss much there either.
|
How To Train Your Dragon |
April 17, 2010 |
6 |
Oh, that was cute. Has a nice pace, nice laughs, and kept you interested throughout. For the type of movie this was intended to be, we think it hit its mark.
|
Alice in Wonderland |
April 5,2010 |
3 |
There's something wrong with this movie. There's no "Wonder". Instead we're given a simplistic plot and expected to enjoy it because there's an odd smiling cat bantering with (an admittedly always good) Johnny Depp. "You are not Alice". We agree. And this is not Alice in Wonderland, either.
|
The Tooth Fairy |
March 8,2010 |
3 |
If you go in expecting a great movie, boy did you walk into the wrong picture! But...if you go in expecting light entertainment, it does provide a few laughs, especially if you know (or remember) the leading actor (he doesn't qualify for the term "star") in his previous butch roles. Afternoons have been wasted on worse.
|
Avatar |
December 28, 2009 |
7 |
If you don't let a little word like "plagerism" bother you, this movie is quite good. The 3D is intrusive only a few times, the rest is used to expand the environment and for the odd nice effect. There are really only two characters in this movie, the Bad Aliens and the Good Natives, which may or may not have been intentional.
|
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince |
August 7, 2009 |
4 |
A movie of halves, neither is done particularly well from a writing standpoint. The direction is good, though the movie still comes across like a high-budget Scooby-Doo episode. Despite its length, we weren't bored, though check your logic at the door.
|
Public Enemies |
July 20, 2009 |
3 |
A vehicle to rehabilitate the image of John Dillinger, it does nothing else. Depp is a good actor, but gets very little to act in this where everyone is simply a mob-movie cipher. Little drama, no charcater development, a waste.
|
Up |
June 21, 2009 |
4 |
The background story was actually more interesting than the main story, but it was still a comfortable, entertaining piece. This is a feel-good movie. Not Pixar's best work, but good nonetheless.
|
Terminator Salvation |
June 8, 2009 |
3 |
Enjoyable, but like the Alien series, you begin to wonder how many different ways they can do the same thing. There were a couple of surprises in there, and it had some nice action sequences. Won't gain any fans, but won't lose any either.
|
Star Trek |
May 18, 2009 |
6 |
A complete reboot of the series, this breathes new life into what was a tired franchise. The plot has a really good pace to it, though character-wise only Spock comes out well, everyone else being very thin and Kirk as nothing more than a typical rebel-without-a-cause. Here is what ever movie producer wants to hear: We want more! (For Trekkies, Spock, McCoy, and Pike play their characters perfectly compared to the originals. Everyone else hammed it up too much.)
|
X-Men Origins: Wolverine |
May 11, 2009 |
3 |
Designed more to milk the franchise, this is a pretty mediocre entry. X-Fans will enjoy it, but those who aren't already disciples of the comic books may find it to be just another face in the crowd. It also asks us to believe the ridicilous even for a fantasy film. (My, that's a pretty durable motercycle Wolverine has!)
|
Bedtime Stories |
January 26, 2009 |
3 |
The stories are fun, but they have to be wedged into the plot, which tends to make the movie a bit jarring to watch. Children will like it, adults will probably nod off. A mediocre film, which is a pity as the potential was there.
|
Bolt |
December 3, 2008 |
4 |
A cute family film. Nice actions sequences coupled with heartwarming moments give this movie some excellent scenes. Not quite as good as we hoped, but not as dull as we feared.
|
The Dark Knight |
August 19, 2008 |
7 |
Ledger certainly is getting the sympathy vote, but his performance really isn't Oscar calibre. That said, the movie is dark and very full, padding out only in a few places. Like we said before, DC really knows how to deliver character.
|
Hancock |
August 1, 2008 |
6 |
It's actually a pretty solid story broken into a couple pieces and Smith does a good job delivering it. The only thing that bothers is the inconsistency as to why they lose their powers. An eye-popping surprise in the middle helps to give the movie new focus.
|
Wall*E |
July 25, 2008 |
5 |
Wall*E is actually quite cute. The first third or so of the film plays out almost Bambi-esq. The biblical references are nice even though some of the messages the movie tries to put out are somewhat sledgehammer.
|
Kung Fu Panda |
June 30, 2008 |
3 |
A very straightforward, and thus predictable, storyline. Some laughs, nowhere near enough. Except for Panda himself, everyone else is paper-thin, existing solely to...well, we're not really sure why.
|
The Incredible Hulk |
June 25, 2008 |
5 |
That's better. After the crushingly bad Hulk, this one has learned its lesson. A good pace without completely abandoning the emotion that Banner suffers. There are, however, some loose ends and not everything is written in a tidy manner.
|
Get Smart |
June 24, 2008 |
4 |
Carrel does a passable Don Adams and this movie does a passable Get Smart. Mostly delivering minor chuckles rather than outright laughs, it's pretty lightweight, but not as bad as The Nude Bomb. Johnson is nice to look at but can't act.
|
Iron Man |
June 2, 2008 |
4 |
Millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne battles bad guys with high-tech suit. Oh, that wasn't Bruce Wayne? This Batman clone is full of one dimensional characters, but manages to keep a good pace. Could have been much, much better.
|
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull |
May 27, 2008 |
3 |
Using every cliche they could think of and sometimes sledgehammer direction, this is a mediocre addition to the series. It's got a couple good scenes, but the dialogue is truly hokey, especially from the kid. Baby Boomers will wax nostalgic, everyone else will just go So What?
|
Prince Caspian |
May 17, 2008 |
4 |
Better paced than the original, it still suffers from lack of plot and virtually no characterisation save that which is forced. We did enjoy it when we saw it, but we don't think we'd see it again. Reepicheep is far better in the book!
|
Horton Hears A Who |
March 20, 2008 |
5 |
No live action here, Seuss was made for animation and it does much better. It does slow down just a bit in the middle and has a false ending, but it is charming and funny. Everyone seemed to have a good time.
|
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium |
December 10, 2007 |
3 |
No one but Dustin Hoffman could have pulled off the character of Mr. Magorium. That said, there are no other characters whatsoever in this movie; just one-dimensional beings who exist solely for whatever single purpose has been assigned to them. The toy store is indeed wonderful. Wish the rest of the movie was.
|
Enchanted |
November 21, 2007 |
5 |
Possibly partly inspired by the short-lived television show The Charmings, this movie is...well...enchanting! Very funny and very Disney, it only falls apart when it comes to the romances of Giselle and Edward. Great family movie, but minus one full point for the bad writing (which no one will likely notice).
|
Invasion |
August 27, 2007 |
4 |
Has good moments of suspense and a (small) attempt at commentary. We were interested throughout, which is always a good sign. The ending, however, has been "Disneyfied," losing the effect of one of the great movie endings that the previous version had.
|
Underdog |
August 6, 2007 |
3 |
One of the weakest entries of the summer, it barely holds its own. They do take care of the core of Underdog, with all the little references in place. But it just wasn't entertaining or engaging enough.
|
The Simpsons Movie |
August 2, 2007 |
4 |
One of the most well-paced movies of the summer. The bad news: It's a three-episode television movie with all the humour of two episodes. You do the math. A lot of people were having fun, though, so you probably will also.
|
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
July 12, 2007 |
2 |
That was really, truly boring. Even the wizard battle at the end was uninspired. Like Star Wars, these people think they can slap a "Harry Potter" title on it and people will automatically come. Bleh.
|
Live Free or Die Hard |
July 9, 2007 |
3 |
Most reviewers are saying that this is standard popcorn fare, and they're right. Good action sequences, though there needed to have been more as the movie does tend to drag in places. Far better than the last Die Hard, not better than the first two.
|
Ratatouille |
July 4, 2007 |
4 |
Well, kudos for trying a unique idea. Strange, though, the cinema was full yet was so quiet. All that not laughing, we suppose. We enjoyed it; it was cute. But for some reason wasn't as good as it made us feel, if that makes any sense.
|
Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer |
June 18, 2007 |
3 |
The first didn't deserve a sequel, and the sequel lived up to the first. Star Trek complete with "Treknobable" and unanswered questions. Doom is completely wasted.
|
Shrek the Third |
May 30, 2007 |
3 |
Average in a mediocre way. Really, except for the animation quality, you'd get the same thing on the Cartoon Network. Not that we're knocking CN. We're just not paying 8 dollars a ticket for it, either.
|
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End |
May 14, 2007 |
4 |
Well, that was long. Way long. Perhaps too long? Still, it was really nice to look at and thick with plot twists and turns. Still, though, when we see some of the audience nodding off...
|
Spider-Man 3 |
May 14, 2007 |
3 |
What happened?! A lifeless script with lifeless acting ruin what had been up until now a good run. You know you have a problem when they kill off the same bad guy more than once.
|
Bridge to Terabithia |
March 12, 2007 |
5 |
You have to wonder if the people who made the trailer actually watched the movie! Ignoring that, this is actually a good story where adults will wax nostalgic for lost childhood. Children might be bored, though in all honesty this movie could do with an extra 15-20 minutes to help with a more natural flow.
|
Epic Movie |
February 14, 2007 |
2 |
"Epic Bore" is more like it. The jokes are thrown at you hoping that something...anything will make you laugh. Sometimes you will, mostly you won't.
|
Charlotte's Web |
January 24, 2007 |
5 |
"Terrific", "radiant", and may we humbly add "charming" as well. Fern's dialogue is more mature than it should be, but that only grates a little. Wonderful story well told.
|
Eragon |
January 14, 2007 |
3 |
Ironic that a lot of people are saying this movie is a fantasy rip off of Star Wars considering that Star Wars is a rip off of so many other movies. Ignoring that, Eragon has so many other problems including an almost complete lack of characterisation. Still, though, it ends up being a fun ride and over before you know it.
|
Deck the Halls |
November 30, 2006 |
3 |
Flat and mundane, Deck the Halls is a shallow entry into the Christmas comedy genre. DiVito and Broderick themselves are uninteresting and generally unfunny. A few laughs here and there, but overall save your money by avoiding this one.
|
Marie Antoinette |
November 17, 2006 |
5 |
An interesting look at the Queen of France, though it ends before the really interesting part. Done almost in a vignette style, a bit more cohesiveness would have been nice. Still, a well done peek at a person who is generally known for a famous (and misquoted) phrase.
|
Stranger than Fiction |
November 11, 2006 |
4 |
Stuck between a comedy and a drama, it neither succeeds nor fails at both. The characters are flat, though the circumstances they're in are fun at times. Ironically, this movie which talks about great writing isn't very well written itself.
|
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause |
November 10, 2006 |
4 |
Not bad. Better than the first, may or may not be better than the second as it is more shallow but slightly more fun as well. A qualified "Maybe".
|
The Black Dahlia |
September 22, 2006 |
2 |
Using period direction, you'll understand why these techniques aren't used anymore. Slow, slow, boring, boring. Don't even try to figure out the mystery. You aren't told anything until The Revelation anyway.
|
Lady in the Water |
August 26, 2006 |
2 |
Yaaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnnnn! And the water nymph legend is a mess, too. Really, truly boring.
|
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest |
August 11, 2006 |
5 |
Moderately entertaining, but its good length makes it worth the price of admission. When Davy Jones finally appears, he's something of a disappointment. Nevertheless, the film is definitely better than a lot out there.
|
The Devil Wears Prada |
July 28, 2006 |
4 |
Streep is great as the Devil...er, boss while Hathaway pretty much relies on her charm rather than any real character. Ironic satire on the shallowness of the fashion scene as the movie has a completely shallow moment when Hathaway's character becomes competent at her job when she dresses up! Funny in a sophisticated sort of way.
|
Click |
July 14, 2006 |
3 |
Oh, this could have been so much better! But after a few laughs, it gets too serious for itself. This is one of those movies where you just want to *click* turn your brain off, but then they go and try to be (and not succeed, either) more than this film should have been.
|
Cars |
July 13, 2006 |
4 |
Nice animation, and the cars make for some cute personalities. But not a whole lot of laughs and very simple storytelling. Not Pixar's greatest work.
|
Superman Returns |
June 28, 2006 |
4 |
Some nice homages to the Reeve movies, it's okay. Just okay. DC begins to delve into conflict that Marvel handles so well. But its longer than it should be and tends to drag.
|
The Break-Up |
June 23, 2006 |
3 |
Somewhere in here is a good idea. We know, because they found it when they made War of the Roses. Here, though, they completely miss the mark. A dragged out "dramady", you have no idea who any of these people are or why they care about each other or why we should care about them.
|
X-Men 3: The Last Stand |
June 9, 2006 |
6 |
Great morality issues and drama make this the best of the series. Sci-Fi always
does well when it takes a modern issue and puts it into a futuristic setting.
A bit slow at times, but overall a very enjoyable movie
|
Thank You For Smoking |
June 1, 2006 |
3 |
Propaganda and nothing else. Barely even rates as entertaining propaganda,
the characters are all so extreme. The Day After Tomorrow was done
better.
|
Over the Hedge |
May 19, 2006 |
3 |
Mildly entertaining, the plot is pretty thin. But then, they're animals and their focus
is pretty narrow just as it should be. Some laughs. Not as many as there
needs to be.
|
Scary Movie 4 |
March 17, 2005 |
3 |
As long as there are overblown movies, there will always be someone who will
take them down a peg or three. Scary Movie
has been quite good at things like this, but some installments are funnier than
others. This one, though funny, is best left for the price of a video rental
or cable.
|
Eight Below |
March 17, 2005 |
4 |
Touching story of those left behind in the harsh Antarctic, the movie
fails only when it switches to the humans who have all the emotional
range of a potato chip. Ignore them, focus on the dogs, and it's a good
film.
|
The Pink Panther |
February 14, 2005 |
4 |
Clouseau's bumbling is so over the top that it's the joke. Martin does
a good job as the classic Inspector and there are good laughs if you're
in the mood. No mystery to solve for the audience, however, so don't even
try.
|
King Kong |
January 27, 2005 |
6 |
A good retelling of the classic story, though some of the sequences do go a
bit longer than they should. After some hesitation, we believed that Kong
was taken by Beauty. The 30's style OTT acting was a bit much. Loved the
Fay Wray joke!
|
Fun with Dick and Jane |
January 6, 2005 |
3 |
Jim Carrey in a lightweight comedy remake which, like the original, will leave
you feeling sated but not satisfied. Really, could have been a madcap romp
but instead is too genteel than what was needed.
|
Yours, Mine, and Ours |
December 15, 2005 |
3 |
This is definitely not the Lucille Ball classic. Rather, it's mindless, shallow
fluff. Not boring, but not worthy of any real investment, either. Save it
for when there's nothing else interesting on the telly.
|
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe |
December 9, 2005 |
3 |
Really slow and, in places, underdeveloped. Perhaps some "creative license"
should have been taken to pick up the pace at least. Too much in love with
itself to make a good adaption for film.
|
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
November 21, 2005 |
5 |
No wonder the bad guys always lose. They take the longest path between Points
A and B every time! Still, for those who aren't burdened by the need for
logic, it's entertaining and should keep Potter fans happy.
|
The Legend of Zorro |
November 18, 2005 |
4 |
After a nice into, it gets real slow. It finally picks up speed as things chug
along, but there's no excuse for that terrible slow down. Still, when it
gets going, it's a fun ride.
|
The Fog |
November 4, 2005 |
3 |
"There's something in the fog" so they say. Too bad it isn't a good
movie script. All shock, no suspense. "Lame" as one moviegoer
put it. The subplot itself makes no sense whatsoever since it's impossible.
|
Just Like Heaven |
October 11, 2005 |
3 |
For a movie like this to work, you really need to care about the central character
Elizabeth. Unfortunately, you don't, and so the whole movie suffers. Cute
moments, but overall you just wish she'd just pass on.
|
The Exorcism of Emily Rose |
October 6, 2005 |
4 |
Mildly creepy in places juxtaposed with some interesting -- but sometimes drawn
out -- court scenes. Tries to be balanced, but obviously isn't. Still, it
was entertaining for the bargain price we paid.
|
Corpse Bride |
September 23, 2005 |
6 |
Burton doesn't take the well-worn path with this move, and we get a good film
out of it. Macabre for the sake of being macabre in places, but the story
is strong. Nightmare Before Christmas is better written, but you'll
have a good time with this outing as well.
|
The Brothers Grimm |
September 16, 2005 |
3 |
The whole things really doesn't begin to make sense until the end, by which
time you don't really care anymore. And even then you're still left wondering
about a whole bunch of stuff. To make matters worse, the movie makes a mockery
of the real Brothers Grimm and the good works they did.
|
Fantastic 4 |
July 30, 2005 |
3 |
Flat and shallow, every character here exists solely to be a cipher. Definitely doesn't
live up to much stronger offerings like Spiderman or Batman.
Even the fight at the end is dull.
|
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory |
July 19, 2005 |
5 |
Wisely and unabashedly a retelling (so as not to compete with memories of Gene
Wilder's interpretation of the famous candy maker), Depp does a good job
as Wonka, though a bit disturbing as Tim Burton would have it. The songs
are not memorable, but everything else is there. The only disappointment
is the add-on of Wonka's family problems.
|
Herbie: Fully Loaded |
July 15, 2005 |
3 |
Those who remember the Love Bug will be washed over with memories. Those who
don't will miss out on some fun since the movie assumes prior knowledge.
Like the old ones, this should be enjoyed for what it is: fluff.
|
Mr. & Mrs. Smith |
July 12, 2005 |
3 |
Think War of the Roses if they were both trained assassins. Uninteresting,
unengaging; they think "star power" is enough to get people to
come to the cinema, because there's not a whole lot else here. Dull.
|
War of the Worlds |
June 29, 2005 |
4 |
After a very slow start with some very one-dimensional characters, it does get
better. No, really, it does. Unfortunately, these characters bog the film
down until they finally are faced with some interesting situations...eventually.
Not Independence Day by any means, a lot of things will leave you
wondering what could they possibly have been thinking???
|
Batman Begins |
June 17, 2005 |
6 |
Gone is the comic book ridiculousness of the last couple movies, this reboot
is dark and thick and everything that made Batman great to begin with.
There is more than one bad guy in this story, but they are all used very
effectively. Nothing is wasted. We look forward to more.
|
Madagascar |
May 29, 2005 |
4 |
The caricature of the animals is a bit hard on the eyes, but the dialogue
is a lot of fun. It doesn't wimp out on the fact that a lion is a lion and
will do lion things, much to the dismay of people who like to fantasise
otherwise. Fun, but definitely not "fluffy".
|
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith |
May 19, 2005 |
4 |
Horrible dialogue and laughable scenes populate the first half of this unplanned
cancellation to the saga (Lucas was originally going to do three more),
but it does finally settle down to be mediocre. The slaughter of the Jedi
was good, but Skywalker's turn to the Dark Side was shallow and unbelievable.
His confrontation with Kenobi was good, but if you're trying to hide poor
Luke, why call him Skywalker?
|
Kicking & Screaming |
May 17, 2005 |
3 |
Unsure whether it wants to be a comedy or a drama, it turns out to be neither.
Big names populate an underwhelming script and give respective underwhelming
performances. Boring.
|
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
April 29, 2005 |
4 |
Fans of Douglas Adams might be put off by what was changed or cut. Non-fans
probably won't be able to follow what's going on. It's fun, but you have
to be into this genre to really like it. The BBC series is much better.
|
Robots |
April 19, 2005 |
4 |
We think a lot of people will find this movie to be cute, and another plus is
that they didn't let Robin Williams steal too many scenes. Perhaps, though, it
was because there was no one else in the audience but us, but honestly we
weren't grabbed by this film. One of us actually fell asleep. Hmm... We're
just not sure about this one.
|
The Amityville Horror |
April 15, 2005 |
3 |
Do you know what made Alien such a great horror movie? These people don't,
instead opting for all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Even that great scene
with Jodi's eyes in the window is missing. What a waste. And what's worse,
how come our babysitters never looked like that?!
|
Hostage |
March 19, 2005 |
6 |
Great action thriller that is Bruce Willis' best since Die Hard.
The problems start out strong and believable and get more intense as the
movie goes on, just as they should. Everyone is believable.
|
The Pacifier |
March 5, 2005 |
3 |
Vin Diesel is stiff in his first comedy. And there's not a whole lot that's
fresh here in the first place to take your mind off of it. We were ready
to laugh and have a good time. But it didn't turn out that way. A different
lead would have helped.
|
Constantine |
February 26, 2005 |
4 |
Despite being a bit confusing and sometimes making you go "What?!",
this still turns out to still be quite enjoyable. Even Keanu turns in a
good performance. Maybe the world is coming to an end.
|
Hitch |
February 11, 2005 |
6 |
Charming and funny, this is a dangerous date movie. Guys will feel inadequate
and their dates will fall in love with Will Smith. But go ahead and see
it anyway. You'll be glad you did.
|
Meet the Fockers |
December 28, 2004 |
5 |
High talent helps lift this beyond what could have been nothing more than a
Dharma and Greg feature. A worthy sequel.
|
The Phantom of the Opera |
December 25, 2004 |
4 |
Some truly terrible direction and indecision on how closely they wanted to follow
the play mar what could have been the best musical of the year. Still, we
waited a long time for this movie to come, and fortunately we weren't disappointed.
However, when it's finally seen, you're left wondering what all the fuss
was really about. And we're not just talking about the Phantom's face.
|
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events |
December 21, 2004 |
2 |
"Bah ga," which probably means something like, "Blame J. K. Rowling
for poorly written books being turned into bloated movies". In this
series of unfortunate vignettes, Wednesday and Pugsley...we mean Violet and
Klaus...lead the audience on an unengaging trip as they try to escape the
clutches of Jim Carrey. Too bad they couldn't lead the audience to a more
entertaining movie. The most unfortunate event would be a sequel.
|
Finding Neverland |
December 14, 2004 |
4 |
Like Wonderland, we're treated to some fantasy images as the author profiled
weaves together his classic tale, in this case Peter Pan. Well written,
but poorly acted, everyone mumbles through their roles, taking their cue
from Johnny Depp who is continually out of his depth in anything other than
school-play acting.
|
National Treasure |
December 7, 2004 |
4 |
We're asked to believe the preposterous, including clues that not even Sherlock
Holmes in his prime could figure out. Which means the audience is a passenger
rather than a participant in this film. The acting is dreary as well, so
we're puzzled as to how this movie was able to hold our attention as well
as it did. We liked it.
|
The Incredibles |
November 9, 2004 |
4 |
An interesting idea translated into an interesting movie. Not really a whole
lot of laughs, though, which may not be helpful to this type of film. Children
may or many not find some of it boring. Still, enjoyable.
|
Ladder 49 |
October 1, 2004 |
4 |
Depending on how well you connect with the characters, this will either be an
emotional roller coaster or long in the tooth. Some of us are firefighter
families, so they connected very well. Good ending. But that PASS is so
quiet, how could anyone find him?
|
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow |
September 23, 2004 |
4 |
Okay, computers aren't ready to take the place of real sets, but B&W sci-fi
movie buffs will really like this homage to the genre'. For everyone else,
it's funny, interesting and overblown just like those B&W movies. A
good experiment.
|
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement |
August 24, 2004 |
3 |
Going so far as to actually steal scenes from the original, only die-hard fans
will probably like this echo of what came before. This movie wasn't very
well thought-out. Even what was supposed to be the crowning moment, Julie
Andrews singing again, is lost because the target audience wouldn't know
who she was.
|
The Manchurian Candidate |
August 3, 2004 |
3 |
Really dull and disjointed, we're not sure how logical it was because we really
didn't follow it. We were more distracted by the fact that this movie just
wasn't holding our attention. Greatly disappointing.
|
The Village |
July 30, 2004 |
6 |
M. Night Shyamalan
is turning into this century's Rod Serling. Not as creepy as his last two, The
Sixth Sense and Signs, but it still has that good Twilight
Zone feeling, and it gives you a lot to think about. Pacing could be
better and the fact that Bryce Dallas Howard
isn't convincing as a blind girl only slightly mars this excellent work.
|
I, Robot |
July 20, 2004 |
7 |
Nicely done. Interesting all the way through. We didn't read the book, so we
don't know what was cut out, though we can imagine a lot of the characterisation
was sacrificed due to time limitations. Nevertheless, we enjoyed it.
|
King Arthur |
July 13, 2004 |
4 |
The legend takes a beating, but is it any good? Yes...sort of. It loses a lot
of it's power in this interpretation, and takes the form of ordinary. It
has heroics, but isn't epic as Arthur should be. Some seem to like it. Others
may not. We're iffy on this one.
|
Two Brothers |
July 9, 2004 |
7 |
You'd be hard pressed to find a better movie. Wonderful story, good characters,
beautiful photography. Only some questionable direction mars what is otherwise
one of the best out there. Do yourself a favour and see this more than once.
|
Spiderman 2 |
July 3, 2004 |
7 |
Lots of good angst for poor Peter Parker is done quite well and you don't get
bored. Good action, though Dr. Octavius's change into a bad guy isn't quite
as believable as in the first movie. Bottom line: we enjoyed this outing
quite a lot.
|
White Chicks |
June 24, 2004 |
3 |
We'll buy the premise because they promised it would be funny. It wasn't. At
least, nowhere near as much as it should have been. We did laugh, but not
enough. Even the low-brow humour (a lot of it) didn't move the audience
beyond a chuckle. Disappointing.
|
Around the World in 80 Days |
June 22, 2004 |
3 |
The pacing was wrong. There should have been a lot more laughs or a lot more
action. Instead, we're put on a diet and left wanting. Poor Jackie Chan
is showing his age more and more.
|
Shrek 2 |
June 18, 2004 |
3 |
It was funny in places and dull in others. There are several big names in this
movie, but really it's not worthy of such. Even the animation is sloppy
in places.
|
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban |
June 4, 2004 |
4 |
They said this was going to be darker than the first two, but they forgot to
mention that it would be duller, too. A poor adaption of the novel, even
the Harry Potter fan among us was falling asleep. Full marks for the
director who tried, but just didn't have much to work with. Even the new
Dumbledore was boring.
|
The Day After Tomorrow |
June 3, 2004 |
5 |
Enjoyable. Keeps up a good pace, only slowing down somewhat during the last
half. As a propaganda piece, it works there, too, assuming you don't let
a little thing like facts get in the way. And if you buy what they're trying
to sell, you obviously don't.
|
Van Helsing |
May 11, 2004 |
4 |
Fanboys rejoice! Your dreams have come true. Classic monsters all together.
And bonus, this movie is not bad at all. Lots of good action. Fails on the
charactre side, though, as Helsing himself is uninteresting.
|
Man on Fire |
April 30, 2004 |
5 |
Like a good meal, this will leave you satisfied. It makes good use of it's time...mostly.
We didn't believe the deal at the end (among some other things), but it's
definitely a movie that doesn't cut itself short. Refreshing.
|
Hellboy |
April 21, 2004 |
3 |
Oh, gee. Another comic-book anti-hero battles a Big Bad Guy and can't get along
with his girlfriend. A nothing special idea turned into a nothing special
movie and gets a nothing special score.
|
Ella Enchanted |
April 12, 2004 |
3 |
There's not a whole lot that's enchanting about this movie. It's not funny,
cute, adventurous, or anything that would make anyone want to see it. It's
not dull. Just not entertaining.
|
Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed |
February 26, 2004 |
3 |
Like the original, we're just not sure that to think. We liked it, in a forced
sort of way. Not as good as the first, but passable...in a forced sort of
way. Kids will enjoy it.
|
50 First Dates |
February 20, 2004 |
4 |
Cute. It's funny, it's romantic. Both guys and girls will like it. Good date
movie, even if it has Adam Sandler in it.
|
Big Fish |
January 17, 2004 |
3 |
The individual "tales" are nice, but the theme seems to be that "Son
will be along with Father if Son just learns to lie". Rather odd morale,
if you ask us. Aside from the tales, the rest seemed boring. We left wishing
we had seen something else.
|
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King |
December 25, 2003 |
5 |
Easily the best of the three simply because they learned how to edit out all
the irrelevant stuff. It's got a good pace and enjoys charactre development
without being boring...mostly. Includes good endings that leaves you
satisfied.
|
The Cat in the Hat |
November 27, 2003 |
3 |
One-liners are the method d'art of this film. Bad enough, but coupled
with the barest remnant of a plot and it tends to drag. We did laugh,
even it a lot of it was forced. Not the best film out there, but admittedly
nowhere near the worst, either.
|
Love Always |
November 19, 2003 |
4 |
Well, well. A British film that wasn't wholly pretentious. Who'd
of thought! The different storylines are handled well, and the pace
changes enough so you don't get bored. After a very rough start, we
left the cinema glad we saw it.
|
Looney Toons: Back in Action |
November 14, 2003 |
4 |
Starts off a bit on overload much like Screwy Squirrel, but gets better. Adults
and children will enjoy it alike. Not Who Framed Roger Rabbit by
any stretch, but we had a blast nonetheless.
|
Elf |
November 7, 2003 |
3 |
Cute, in mindless sort of way. Entertaining if you have nothing better
to do. Ed Asner, much to our surprise, does a pretty good Santa.
|
Scary Movie 3 |
October 25, 2003 |
5 |
Hilarious! Every joke was laugh-out-loud funny. And that's the kind
of praise this film is looking for. See, sequels can be
good.
|
The Rundown |
October 8, 2003 |
3 |
The director was very impressed with the fight scenes he filmed. Too impressed,
we'd say, because he uses some very self-indulgent freeze-frames and other
Matrix-type effects which are more distracting than enhancing. Add
to that a lot of truly horrible dialogue and stupid plot, and Indiana Jones
has nothing to worry about from the Rock.
|
S.W.A.T. |
August 29, 2003 |
3 |
Nice actions scenes, but thin on the plot and it gets boring in the middle.
Cop-movie fans will enjoy it. Others might want to seek out better
fare.
|
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines |
July 4, 2003 |
4 |
Easily the weakest of the three, the actions sequences are nice (when you get
to them) but stretch credibility at times. It's really the thin plot and
bad direction which mar this final(?) entry to the Terminator series.
It wraps up really well, though.
|
Hulk |
June 20, 2003 |
2 |
More like Hulking Bore, there are hardly any redeeming values to this waste
of film. Half our group suffered through this whole mess while the other
half, mercifully, fell asleep. Lucky bums. Save
your two-plus hours for something more entertaining, like the plague.
|
X-Men 2 |
May 2, 2003 |
5 |
A worthy sequel, it's well paced once you get past the beginning. The
characters (those who have them) are given interesting things to do. Even
Magnito isn't wasted. The sacrifice is wholly unnecessary, though.
And the writers have taken the lazy way by simply inventing a new
mutant power whenever they need a convenient escape.
|
The Core |
April 12, 2003 |
3 |
Feeling a sense of déjà vu'? Don't be surprised. You've seen this
all before. In fact, every single scene was already done in one, and
sometimes several other, movies. Barring that, The Core, isn't bad.
Just nothing original. Or special At all. Even a
bit.
|
Tears of the Sun |
March 7, 2003 |
4 |
Gritty at times, this is rather weak for an action movie. You'll be surprised
at how bored you can actually get waiting for something interesting to happen.
Nobody is drawn deep, the characters representing facets of bigger
things instead. Some will like it, most won't.
|
Daredevil |
February 25, 2003 |
3 |
We were surprised by how disappointed we were by this film. Even for a comic
book movie, we found it impossible to believe some of the things we were
asked to believe. The characters themselves were paper-thin; only Daredevil
himself getting any kind of thought put into him. There are far better superhero
movies out there.
|
The Life of David Gale |
February 21, 2003 |
3 |
When making a preachy movie, you must remember to not have the ending totally
destroy your message. And that's only the first of many problems. So
blinded were the writers of this film by their political position, they
made no effort whatsoever to try and keep things interesting, viewers being
able to guess what's going to happen well ahead of the events. The ending,
we must admit, was a surprise.
|
Shanghai Knights |
February 18, 2003 |
4 |
Still light on energy compared to Chan's Asian action flicks, the outtakes at
the end are almost worth the price of admission itself. Film-wise, nothing
to get excited over, but not a complete waste, either. Borderline.
|
The Jungle Book 2 |
February 14, 2003 |
3 |
We weren't fans of the original, and this one didn't win us over, either. Shallow
on plot and characterization, this is only slightly better than "fluff"
status. Disney continues to disappoint.
|
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days |
February 10, 2003 |
4 |
Cute and mildly funny, it's not such a bad movie from a guy perspective. Girls
will love it. Though, when you think about it, the real "romance"
is wholly based on lies.
|
Just Married |
January 11, 2003 |
3 |
Bring your watch, because you'll be checking it frequently. Only occasionally
funny, we must admit that we really couldn't see why Sarah would want to
stay with Tom in the first place; he was a real jerk.
|
Maid in Manhattan |
January 3, 2003 |
3 |
Slow and shallow, we were quite board with it all. Ty is cute and funny, though.
In the end, we really didn't care whether she got the guy or not.
|
Two Weeks Notice |
December 27, 2002 |
3 |
We're always searching for good romantic movies. Unfortunately, we're still
searching. Grant's charm comes solely from his silly quips. The plot is
strictly by the numbers so much so that you can tick it off on a chart.
Two weeks is exactly how long this movie will feel it lasts.
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers |
December 18, 2002 |
4 |
Unlike the first, everything is relevant. However, like the first, the filmmakers
were so lost in the grand scale that this movie still is longer than it
needs to be. It's a little difficult to follow in the beginning as it expects
you to remember everything from the first movie, but settles in and is quite
enjoyable. We never got bored.
|
Star Trek: Nemesis |
December 13, 2002 |
4 |
After a promising start, it really gets slow for a while, but finally picks
up. Galaxy-sized plot holes are very annoying. Points for handling the Picard/clone,
Data/clone parallels very well. Not as good as the first few, better than
the last several, this one does something that no Trek movie has done for
a while . . . leave you wanting more.
|
The Hot Chick |
December 6, 2002 |
3 |
The only concern you'll have with this movie is if it will make you laugh. We
laughed, but some of it was forced, as we were bound and determined to have
a good time for the price we paid to see it. This one might be better if
you wait for the video.
|
Treasure Planet |
November 30, 2002 |
5 |
Enjoyable, but don't expect too much. After all, Disney is still re-learning
old skills after several terrible movies. The animation, however, is almost
back to the good old days. Shouldn't B.E.N. be in silhouette somewhere making
snide remarks about bad movies?
|
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets |
November 17, 2002 |
5 |
Plot holes, stick-figures for characters, and all the explanations dumped on
you in one ball at the end is an exact carbon-copy formula from your typical
Scooby Doo cartoon. But somehow it still all works and we enjoyed
it. They didn't dwell on the "wonder" in this sequel, wisely,
since we saw it all in the first one. You'll have a good time.
|
The Santa Clause 2 |
November 1, 2002 |
4 |
Just as good as the original. So if you liked the first one, you'll definitely
love this. If you didn't, you may feel this sequel to be lacking as well.
Some very cute scenes, the Secret Santa was the best.
|
Tuck Everlasting |
October 25, 2002 |
5 |
A great story, gently told, we can't think of a better way it could have been
done. Some of the threats seemed a little weak, but that won't stop you
from enjoying this classic tale. The ending really had you on the edge of
the seat, wondering how it was going to turn out.
|
Sweet Home Alabama |
September 29, 2002 |
3 |
It accomplishes everything it sets out to do. The problem is, it doesn't try to
accomplish much. Plot wise, it's "been there, done that". The
ending we didn't buy at all.
|
Simone |
August 28, 2002 |
5 |
A hilarious look at the absurdity of Hollywood and the entertainment media.
Al Pachino is well cast in his role; he makes it very believable. Ironic
that the person playing Simone, though, has all the acting ability of a
computer programme.
|
Signs |
August 2, 2002 |
5 |
Directed in the style of Night of the Living Dead, this movie allows
its story and direction to entertain the audience. A rarity for Hollywood.
Signs does very well, only getting slow a few times. We'd watch
it again.
|
Insomnia |
July 21, 2002 |
4 |
No one will suffer from insomnia during this movie. We were falling asleep after
the first hour. Though it is interesting to see how Hoffman and Williams
try to outmaneouver each other, it's all rather boring in the end.
|
Eight Legged Freaks |
July 17, 2002 |
5 |
Everything you loved about sci-fi B movies, but with better special effects,
this movie is very funny and highly entertaining. Reminicent of the night
scene from Gremlins, you find yourself almost rooting for the spiders.
Great fun. Check your brain at the door.
|
Reign of Fire |
July 13, 2002 |
3 |
Very little thought was put into this script as everything is a carbon copy
from something else. The post-apocalyptic world, the band struggling to
survive, the renegade (American) soldier. Blah, blah, blah. And, like Tri-Star's
Godzilla, you don't even get good destruction. Reign of Fire instead
opting to skip uninteresting stuff like that and jump right from modern
day to The Day After. Hello! Destruction is what we came for!
|
Men in Black 2 |
July 6, 2002 |
3 |
They say sequels are never as good as the original, and this one is no exception.
Serving primarily as a vehicle to bring back characters from the first movie
and little else, we were actually bored for a long while before it even
remotely began to get interesting. Pity. Could have been much better if
it wasn't so self-indulgent.
|
Minority Report |
June 28, 2002 |
6 |
A very well done thriller which keeps you interested the whole way. We blinked
and must have missed something, though, as we didn't quite understand how
some of the plot worked out. The bad guy, unfortunately, gets no real build
up, so you have no chance of figuring out who it is until he is revealed.
|
Scooby Doo |
June 14, 2002 |
4 |
A very difficult movie to judge. It was interesting...kind of. It was funny...sort
of. The villain was believable, once we stopped rolling our eyes. Shaggy
was great, but the rest leaves you mixed.
|
The Sum of All Fears |
May 31, 2002 |
6 |
A nice plot, but the tension level isn't very high. For some reason, you'll
leave the cinema wanting. Still, there's enough to keep you interested the
entire time.
|
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones |
May 17, 2002 |
4 |
Better than The Phantom Menace, but that wasn't exactly hard to do. The
conspiracy is thick and worthy, but Skywalker's angst is flat. R2D2 and
C3PO are washouts from the Abbott and Costello school of comedy. There are
surprisingly few battles. Promising for the future, but still several steps
back from the original.
|
Spiderman |
May 10, 2002 |
7 |
Having never read any of the Spiderman comics, we were able to walk
in with an open mind, and we were impressed. The plot kept us interested
the whole time, and the two major characters got good characterisation.
The bad guy had believable motivation and was even sympathetic. Only a few
times was there anything cheesy or unbelievable.
|
The Scorpion King |
April 19, 2002 |
3 |
Great action, okay acting (not that anyone had to do any stretching or anything
like that), and a plot from the bargain bin of K-Mart. Saturday morning
matinee fare.
|
High Crimes |
April 13, 2002 |
3 |
The only high crimes in this film are the gaping plot holes, including the hole
which supposedly starts the whole mess in the first place. You are kept
guessing, though, who the bad guy really is, so we supposed there is some
redeeming quality to this Matlock meets JAG para-whodoneit.
|
The Time Machine |
March 14, 2002 |
3 |
A very disappointing film which does not take advantage of any of the possibilities
that were available to it. There were some nice homages and fun jokes, but
this story of time travel really dragged. Can we go back in time and prevent
this film from being made?
|
Collateral Damage |
February 5, 2002 |
3 |
There is surprisingly very little action in this action flick. We were actually
checking our watches wondering when someone was ever going to get killed.
It's not like we're asking for plot or three dimensional characters from
this film. Just that something happens once in a while! Sheesh!
|
Snow Dogs |
January 24, 2002 |
2 |
Don't believe the blatantly misleading trailers, the dogs are hardly in this
movie at all. The story, actually, is rather a formulaic adopted-son-searches-for-natural-father
plot that is shallow even by Disney standards. A waste of the talent involved.
Not only do we want our money back, but we want the two hours of our lives
back that we wasted on this flick.
|
Beauty and the Beast: Special Edition |
January 2, 2002 |
9 |
What should have been the Oscar winner for Best Picture still is amazing after
ten years. The new song, Human Again, fits right in. Though the IMAX
experience really doesn't add anything to the movie. Probably because it
wasn't designed for it in the first place.
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring |
December 19, 2001 |
4 |
Lovinging faithful to the book, but way, way too long! You could literally
chop one hour out from the middle and still lose no story points. Amazingly,
in all the almost three hours, they still found no time for characterisation.
Disappointing.
|
Monsters, inc. |
November 30, 2001 |
6 |
Very well done. The computer animation was excellent and the plot had a good
pace to it. Lots of jokes to keep everyone laughing.
|
The Princess Diaries |
August 9, 2001 |
4 |
Cute, but could have used a little more edge to justify the length. All in all,
a nice family film, but not one to take the boys to.
|
Planet of the Apes |
August 2, 2001 |
5 |
Very interesting remake of the classic, but it all falls apart at the end. The
battle which they have no chance of winning, the surrender that came far
too easily, the twist ending that made absolutely no sense. We actually
left the cinema irritated.
|
Atlantis |
July 26, 2001 |
3 |
The art was so bad we thought it was a joke until we realised it wasn't going
to get better. The characters were so stereotypical, the cook was a coot
from the Old West whose name was...you guessed it..."Cookie".
And there was nothing awe-inspiring, either. We though awe was supposed
to be the point. Very mediocre from Disney which is rapidly losing it's
relevance in the animation world.
|
Cats & Dogs |
July 7, 2001 |
5 |
Off the charts when it comes to cuteness, it could have used just a few more
laughs. But don't get us wrong. This is a very funny movie. Animal lovers
will lap it up especially. If you don't like animals...well, who cares?
You don't like animals.
|
Dr. Dolittle 2 |
June 26, 2001 |
4 |
Eddie Murphy is charming as the good doctor, but this movie was quite disappointing.
Not very many laughs, and the cuteness factor of the animals is minimal.
|
Evolution |
June 15, 2001 |
3 |
Insipid characters and a script so unfunny that it has to resort to pratfalls
for cheap laughs. Everyone gives a universally terrible performance. If
there ever is a sequel, perhaps it will evolve a sense of humour.
|
Pearl Harbor |
June 3, 2001 |
5 |
The romance was better than we thought it would be, but boy did it take a long
time! The special effects, as expected, were great, but the final battle
was greatly disappointing. Shame, shame on Disney for using a stutterer
for cheap laughs! The person we sat next to was a stutterer and she found
nothing funny about it at all.
|
A Knight's Tale |
May 19, 2001 |
6 |
A really fun tale with fun principal characters. The jousting is great, although
you can see the knights pull back so they won't hit the good guy. The only
problem is the modern music which clashes, rather than compliments, the movie,
unlike it did in Ladyhawke.
|
The Mummy Returns |
May 6, 2001 |
5 |
A sequel that's actually good??? Amazing! This movie seems to have improved
somewhat from the original, though they overindulge somewhat with the romance
bits. The Rock turns in an underwhelming performance, but everyone else,
even the kid, is fun.
|
Bridget Jones' Diary |
April 29, 2001 |
4 |
Wherever did this notion come from that "Because it's British, it must
be good"? Girls will love it, guys will be owed a movie for taking
their girls to it. Mildly interesting, there's not a single fresh idea in
it. Since when was it written that romantic comedies can't be original?
|
Left Behind |
February 26, 2001 |
2 |
Christian films have a poor reputation, and this movie won't help. Poor writing,
leaps of logic, and little action make this a film that not even the blood
of Jesus could save. When the rapture hits, this movie will definitely be
Left Behind.
|
Thirteen Days |
January 29, 2001 |
4 |
Questionable direction choices and horrible accents hamper this already mediocre
film. Yes, there was some good tension as the crisis built, but we felt
cheated as little to no attention was paid to those outside the White House.
The History Channel provided a more entertaining (and broad) perspective,
and in less time, too.
|
What Women Want |
December 31, 2000 |
4 |
Slow and self-indulgent at times, this is actually a pretty good romantic comedy.
Mel Gibson is very funny, but the ending is so unbelievable that we left
the cinema angry.
|
Dungeons and Dragons |
December 9, 2000 |
2 |
Like the game, the movie goes from one quest to another with little in the way
of plot, characterisation, or acting. The dragon war was good, but certainly
didn't make the film worth the price of admission.
|
How the Grinch Stole Christmas |
November 17, 2000 |
8 |
An amazingly faithful adaption of the classic tale by Dr. Seuss, it only slows
down occasionally. Jim Carey does a great Grinch! Everyone should see this
film at least twice. Don't ask us where the "PG" rating came from,
it's definitely a "G" film.
|
Godzilla 2000 |
August 23, 2000 |
4 |
There's actually an interesting plot here! In a Godzilla movie, that's surprising.
If you're not a fan, you won't like it, but those who love the king of B-movie
monsters will cheer this as one of the best Godzilla films. Forget that
Tri-Star fiasco, this is the Godzilla we know and love!
|
What Lies Beneath |
July 30, 2000 |
4 |
Zemecks' tribute to Alfred Hitchcock, there's very little ghost in this ghost
story, instead opting to be a rather uninteresting whodunit. Well, it might
have been more interesting if there were actually spooky stuff happening
like we were promised.
|
The X-Men |
July 14, 2000 |
5 |
Very faithful to the comics, X-Men gives great characterization to Wolverine
and Magneto. Too bad everyone else is paper-thin, existing only for the
aforementioned to talk to. The conflict between human and mutant is well
set up. X-Men receives a passing score...barely.
|
Scary Movie |
July 7, 2000 |
6 |
The funniest thing we've seen since The Naked Gun! Watch out for crude
humour and some nudity. Remember, it does carry an "R" rating.
|
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle |
July 1, 2000 |
4 |
Corny, corny, corny. If you can handle a 90 minute Rocky and Bullwinkle
episode, you'll have a lot of fun. Anyone else might find it boring.
|
Chicken Run |
June 23, 2000 |
4 |
Great claymation, but not as funny as we thought it should be. Don't get us
wrong. All the jokes were funny, there just weren't enough of them.
|
Titan A.E. |
June 16, 2000 |
4 |
Excellent mix of computer animation mixed with traditional ink and paint, it
only jars with each other occasionally. Unfortunately, the rest of the
movie is unengaging and only gets interesting during the last 15-20 minutes.
Major, major plot holes.
|
Dinosaur |
May 23, 2000 |
4 |
The next generation of animation! Unfortunately, the plot is unworthy of such
effort. Thin, and stolen from The Land Before Time, Tarzan,
and The Lion King, children won't find too much to keep them interested.
|
U-571 |
May 9, 2000 |
5 |
Great war flick with some tense scenes in the sub. Only very minor attempts
at characterization, though. Das Boot was better, but you won't regret
this one if you like these kind of movies.
|
The Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas |
May 3, 2000 |
3 |
Not as good as the original, but still good fun. Excellent recasting of the
main characters, except for Kirsten Johnson who plays Wilma a little too
blandly. Watch out for wholly inappropriate behaviour by Betty for a children's
movie.
|
The Skulls |
April 5, 2000 |
4 |
We were kind of disappointed by this movie. We thought that it would be much
more suspenseful than it actually was. In reality, it was not at all that
interesting, except that you're wondering until the very end who is manipulating
whom. Glad we didn't pay full price.
|
Final Destination |
March 17, 2000 |
5 |
Creepy! Really, really creepy! The acting is nothing to call home about, and
they resort to some toilet scenes purely for puritan shock value, but these
are small minuses compared to how much this movie will leave you creeped
out by the subject matter. Don't be surprised if you find yourself examining
your surroundings more closely once you've seen this flick.
|
Drowning Mona |
March 5, 2000 |
4 |
Underrated, this movie is actually rather funny. But this isn't Ruthless
People even though both DeVito and Midler are in it. And don't try to
figure out who the murderer is. It isn't that type of movie, so you won't
be given the clues needed for cinema sluthes to work it out. Just enjoy
it for the premise, and you'll have a good time...if you're in the mood
for it.
|
Pitch Black |
February 26, 2000 |
4 |
The problem with these types of movies is that they will forever be compared
to Alien. Fortunately for Pitch Black, it compares very favourably.
They even make some attempts at character development. It's grafted on,
but it was still a commendable attempt. All in all, we enjoyed it.
|
Scream 3 |
February 14, 2000 |
3 |
Unscary, unfunny, uninteresting tripe carbon-copied from the same cheap horror
script Hollywood hacks have used throughout the years since they first discovered
it in a box of Cracker Jack. In the end, you really don't care who
the killer is. The "3" in Scream 3 vastly overestimates
the number of times you'll be scared.
|
Stuart Little |
January 25, 2000 |
5 |
Not large on plot, but really cute. The animation of Stuart himself is great!
Animal lovers will really enjoy this.
|
The Green Mile |
January 19, 2000 |
7 |
Who'd have thought? A Stephen King movie that's actually good. And not just
good, but great! The drama alone will keep your attention the entire three
hours. The acting is icing on the cake.
|
Man on the Moon |
January 10, 2000 |
2 |
Jim Carrey does a great Andy Kaufman, but that's not enough to save this snorefest.
If comic genius is defined as being completely unfunny, Kaufman is the King
of comedy. Don't expect any laughs in this film. And even as a docudrama,
you'll be checking your watch with great frequency wondering how long before
it mercifully ends.
|
Galaxy Quest |
December 25, 1999 |
4 |
If you're a sci-fi fan, you'll really appreciate the satire on OTT fandom. Trekkies
are the main target and we couldn't stop laughing! Problem is, if you're
not a fan, you'll probably be bored. Why did Sigourney Weaver go blonde?
|
Duece Bigelow: Male Gigolo |
December 22, 1999 |
3 |
Locker room humour and cheap laughs is pretty much all this film has to offer,
but if you're in the mood for that, then you'll get some good laughs. This
is probably a take-it-or-leave-it film.
|
Sleepy Hollow |
December 6, 1999 |
4 |
Nice and spooky, but Johnny Depp is absolutely horrible as Crane. So clichéd
is everyone's acting that it must have been planned that way. Sigh. Ruined
an otherwise great film. Still, the horseman is fun to watch.
|
Toy Story 2 |
November 30, 1999 |
6 |
Not as good as the original, but that's like saying Disneyland isn't as good
as Walt Disney World. Who cares? Toy Story 2 is a great film with
plenty of laughs to keep even jaded adults interested. James Earl Jones
really needed to play Lightyear's nemesis for the Star Wars joke
to work, though.
|
End of Days |
November 27, 1999 |
3 |
There is a difference between being suspenseful and just being slow that the
director of this movie hasn't figured out. When things finally do begin
to pick up, End of Days devolves into a formulaic action flick with
nothing new or interesting to keep the audience interested. Satan gets some
great lines, though!
|
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc |
November 16, 1999 |
7 |
Involving period drama that starts off a touch slow, but really picks up the
pace when Joan of Arc starts to liberate France. The last third slows down
a bit too much too quickly after the fast pace of the battles, but watching
Joan descend into madness keeps you on the edge of your seat.
|
Random Hearts |
October 8, 1999 |
3 |
Hard hitting when it comes to portraying the effects of adultery, none the less
not even that can save this dull talk-a-thon from itself. Just when you
think it's going to end, something else comes up which forces you to endure
another 20 minutes...then another 20...then another. Major re-write required.
And get rid of that by-the-numbers get-together as well.
|
Stigmata |
September 25, 1999 |
3 |
The soundtrack is grating and the visuals, intended to be disturbing, are just
annoying. It finally gets its act together by the last third of the film...almost.
But by then you're just counting time. The story itself is uninvolving.
Biblically, they didn't get that right, either.
|
Mickey Blue Eyes |
September 14, 1999 |
4 |
Less of a romantic comedy and more of a mafia comedy. Hugh Grant does a good
job of someone caught up in the chaos of it all, but there really isn't
enough chaos to keep the pace going. A bit too slow for its own good.
|
Mystery Men |
August 11, 1999 |
2 |
You won't find many laughs here. Pity, as the subject is ripe with opportunities.
All in all, a big yawn.
|
The Sixth Sense |
August 9, 1999 |
6 |
Full of plot holes and in need of some tightening, Sixth Sense nevertheless
is quite good. There's some good characterization and great moodiness, though
Bruce Willis plays it a bit too much. Like Blair Witch, nowhere near
as scary as the hype, but the ending is really a surprise.
|
The Haunting |
July 28, 1999 |
4 |
Good, but not great. After starting with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer,
it gets nice and creepy when the house starts doing what its supposed to.
But when Elinore finds out who she is, she starts acting in a wholly unbelievable
manner, and creepiness is abandoned.
|
Inspector Gadget |
July 25, 1999 |
4 |
Cute but unmemorable. Broderick has found his niche playing cartoon characters.
At only 75 minutes, don't pay full price.
|
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. |
June 27, 1999 |
5 |
Better than the original, but a good number of the laughs have to do with sexual
innuendos. The spy-spoofs are great if you get the reference. The scenes
where they try to delve into family relationships fall flat.
|
Tarzan |
June 22, 1999 |
5 |
Good, but not great. The animation is spectacular and the songs again award-winning
(except for Rosie O'Donnell's self-indulgent prattle), but things tend to
slow down a bit when Jane appears. In the end, you're left unconvinced as
to why she stays behind.
|
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace |
June 2, 1999 |
3 |
Plod, plod, plod. Does anything happen in this movie? Lucas must have
figured out that Star Wars fans will watch anything, because here
we are presented with a whole lot of nothing. Even the battles (what there
are of them) are agonizingly uninspired and predictable.
|
Notting Hill |
May 28, 1999 |
3 |
A by-the-numbers romantic comedy where even the jokes are predictable. Julia
Roberts' dialogue is the absolute worst. Though there is a line where she
says, "One day my looks will go and people will discover I can't act".
Never were truer words spoken.
|
The Mummy |
May 17, 1999 |
4 |
Poor writing is the main sticking point of this Indiana Jones wannabe.
But the action sequences, of which there are many, will keep your attention
even if some of them are obviously put there for no other reason than to
have an action sequence.
|
The Matrix |
April 4, 1999 |
7 |
Complex enough to be engaging but not so much that you leave the cinema going
"Huh?", The Matrix will hold your attention almost the
entire two hours. Not to say that it couldn't stand a little tightening.
Keanu Reeves continues to give the only performance he ever does in any
of his movies.
|
The Prince of Egypt |
December 18, 1998 |
7 |
Excellent animation (with only one or two exceptions), great story with brotherly
conflict well handled, and a great score. Minuses, some polishing is needed
on the art and music placement. Not much for kids here, either.
|
Star Trek: Insurrection |
December 11, 1998 |
4 |
Better than the last several, ST: Insurrection takes the time to develop
its characters and ideas, but not enough to satisfy. The jokes are funny,
and the story worthy of Trek, but once again the space battles are disappointing.
All in all, not bad...for a first draft.
|
Enemy of the State |
November 25, 1998 |
7 |
A well paced political thriller that will keep you glued to your seat without
being so overly complex that you need a map to follow the story. Both Will
Smith and Gene Hackman turn in good performances. Very satisfying.
|
The Siege |
November 11, 1998 |
5 |
A nicely paced thriller that will gain notoriety because of the Arab boycott.
After watching the movie, however, only a racist would find this film to
be racist.
|
Antz |
October 3, 1998 |
6 |
A good movie that is also a great commentary on the evils of liberalism. Don't
know if they intended that, though. Some bad language and a violent battle
are things to watch out for if you take the little ones.
|
Mulan |
September 28, 1998 |
7 |
Disney does it again! A wonderful story which will keep your attention. It runs
out of steam towards the end, but still a great yarn. The songs, the comedy,
the art, all praiseworthy.
|
Rush Hour |
September 19, 1998 |
3 |
Very disappointing. Jackie Chan, one of the all time great physical comedians,
isn't even allowed to do his stuff until the very last fight of the movie.
Chris Tucker is just plain annoying.
|
Presumed Innocent |
September 11, 1998 |
5 |
Pat Proft does it again with a very funny spoof of The Fugitive. All
the jokes work; we laughed through the entire movie. If you're in the mood
for something to laugh at without being cerebral, this is it. Only drawback
was those endless metaphors Neilson kept spitting out.
|
Armageddon |
July 3, 1998 |
7 |
A nice, intense action flick that will keep your attention for the whole 2 1/2
hours. Laugh at the jokes and you'll have a great time. Only thing to watch
for is a seriously irritating cliché in the middle of the movie.
|
Doctor Dolittle |
June 27, 1998 |
6 |
A really cute family movie (if it weren't for some unnecessary bad language)
which shows Eddie Murphy can still do good comedy. What makes Eddie stand
out, however, is that he can keep his own while surrounded by cute animals
(who normally steal scenes from less-competent actors).
|
The Truman Show |
June 5, 1998 |
7 |
Very entertaining satire of entertainment with Jim Carrey doing a passable job
at some drama.
|
Godzilla |
May 20, 1998 |
2 |
We liked the physical and psychological remake of Godzilla, but insipid characters
and hardly any carnage all add up to a terrible waste of time. Very, very
disappointing.
|
Deep Impact |
May 9, 1998 |
3 |
This movie takes forever to get started. What they seem to consider
buildup is really just boring. When the human drama finally starts, even
that drags out. It isn't until the last 20 minutes of the film when you
really get interested. The 1960's film When Worlds Collide is
a better movie.
|
Lost in Space |
April 10, 1998 |
5 |
A nice update of the 60's television series. It will keep your attention until
the last third of the movie where it starts to dull a little. The Major
and Judy get the best lines, while Will is a Wesley Crusher wannabe. Penny
took vocal lessons from Fran Drecher. Rocking theme music at the
end!
|
L.A. Confidential |
March 29, 1998 |
4 |
A complicated plot and a movie overflowing with clichés turn what could have
been an exciting two hours into a seven-dollar-a-ticket Dragnet episode.
|
Krippendorf's Tribe |
March 25, 1998 |
6 |
A lot of fun! Get past the first 10 minutes of the film and you'll have a wonderful
romp as things go from bad to worse ala Fawlty Towers style. Dryfuss
and Tomlin are wonderful! The characters are all one-dimensional, but you're
not here to see heavy drama, anyway.
|
Titanic |
January 6, 1998 |
8 |
Everything is wonderful about this movie. The dialogue, the music, the direction.
At three hours, you may think it is a little long, but this is a film that
definitely needs to be indulged in.
|
Mouse Hunt |
December 23, 1997 |
3 |
Fans of Home Alone might enjoy this film. The mouse is cute, but
it's hard to spare him too much sympathy as the antagonists aren't really
bad guys, just down on their luck. Mindless entertainment.
|
Alien Resurrection |
November 27, 1997 |
4 |
Weaver is wonderful as the resurrected Ripely. But, no matter how hard you try,
you can't escape that nagging "Been there, done that" feeling.
I guess there's only so many ways you can be chased by aliens. Still a wonderful
romp for those who enjoyed the series.
|
Starship Troopers |
November 25, 1997 |
4 |
Not the most gripping movie ever made, but the bug battles are certainly worth
it. And they even managed to make the characters develop in the believable
manner. The only downside is that, if you've seen Aliens, you've
really seen this movie, too.
|
Devil's Advocate |
November 4, 1997 |
4 |
It's The Firm as run by Satan himself. Only mildly interesting, but Satan
gets a great speech towards the end, though his ultimate motivation and
methods for achieving his end are somewhat unbelievable. Keanu Reeves reprises
his role from A Walk in the Clouds, however unintentionally.
|
Kiss the Girls |
October 3, 1997 |
4 |
The characters are a little bland except for the villains who could use a little
more explanation with regards to method and motivation. But the story is
an interesting psychological thriller and the girl can actually do more
than stand there and scream.
|
The Peacemaker |
September 26, 1997 |
3 |
A good concept poorly handled. George Clooney and Nicole Kidman are your typical
stock heroes. But it does get somewhat interesting during the last third
of the movie.
|
Kull the Conqueror |
September 5, 1997 |
3 |
Formulaic, but will hold your interest if you're into this genre. Kevin Sorbo
is passable as Kull.
|
Conspiracy Theory |
August 19, 1997 |
2 |
Mel Gibson has his moments, but the plot is generally boring and predictable.
|
Event Horizon |
August 15, 1997 |
4 |
Basically a haunted house movie set in space, a closer kin to The Legend of Hell House than Alien. Definitely not for those who dislike gore. Very disturbing as you walk out of the cinema, but can be seen later as generally unoriginal. Nice to see Sean Pertwee, though!
Last update: Monday, July 5, 2010