Movies I've seen lately

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Mon Jun 24, 2002 6:47 am

Rut ro' raggy!

Scooby-Doo!

Review A:
If you don't like the old Scooby-Doo! cartoons, you'll hate this movie. It's absolutely horrible. The "plot" is bad, the "acting" is bad, the "dialogue" is bad and the cinematography is bad. It's like porn without boobs. Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar are the completely wrong people to play Fred and Daphne, and the CGI Scooby is not very well-executed. The high points of the movie are Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Velma (Linda Cardellini), who absolutely steal the show and Rowan Atkinson as the owner of the Spooky Island Amusement Park. Still, this movie has no redeeming social value.

Rating: 1.5 out of 10; Yes, it's horrible, but there are worse movies to spend your money on (Rollerball and Spice World, for example)

Review B:
I love Scooby-Doo and the gang from Mystery, Inc. I grew up with them and even after having my eyes opened to their counter-culture exploits, Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? is one of my favourite TV shows. The cartoon was campy and cheesy and the movie is no different. As long as you know that and accept it, you will enjoy this mvie. The in-jokes are many, but severely toned-down (for instance, there are no references to Velma being a lesbian, although the shot of smoke pouring out of the Mystery Machine with "Pass the Dutchie" playing in the background and Shaggy saying, "Talk about toasted!" is priceless). Judging this movie on a serious scale is pointless; either you love Scooby-Doo and will enjoy this movie, or you don't like Scooby-Doo and you will feel like you've wasted your money and an hour and a half of your time.

Rating: 8 out of 10; they past up a lot of chances at some really good jokes to make it more "kid-friendly" but it is still far better than recent cartoon-to-movie adaptations (ie-Josie and the ****ycats).

Morlock · Post by **Morlock** » Mon Jun 24, 2002 10:34 am

Originally posted by Mr Sleep

*grabs anti Elijah soapbox*...

I never understood British humor, so excuse the stupid question

Is that a positive or negative remark?

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Mon Jun 24, 2002 11:12 am

Originally posted by Morlock
I never understood British humor, so excuse the stupid question

Is that a positive or negative remark?

It can be confusing, it is usually aimed at the Python surrealism

It was a negative, mostly directed at Georgi, she appreciates i don't have much time for Elijah Wood or LoTR

The Z · Post by **The Z** » Mon Jun 24, 2002 11:17 am

Thoughts on Minority Report:
I found it more on the mystery/thriller side, rather than action, simply because there is much more suspense than people getting killed. It's a rather thoughtful movie, and I was guessing until the end to who was who, and what was what. Much more interesting than I thought as well. I'm not really sure how to explain how it was, because I'm still trying to piece together my impressions of it. As it stands, I'd give it 3.5 to 4/5 stars.

leedogg · Post by **leedogg** » Mon Jun 24, 2002 11:48 am

Personally- I can't wait to see the scooby movie. I think when I get back in next hitch, my son and I will go see it. I also want to see MR. Deeds.

I know I am gonna get ripped about the sandler movie, but I think he is hilarious! You guys seem to like the realistic movies, but I deal with the real world day in and day out(like everyone) and I like to see stuff that make my side hurt from laughing(something I don't do enough of).

Morlock · Post by **Morlock** » Mon Jun 24, 2002 5:27 pm

A couple of (hopefully) short reviews:

Mission Impossible:

I've found that this movie, although hailed as being hard to understand, does a good job of explaining itself. Although it takes several times for everything to make sense. I've seen it many times before, but still find new stuff every time.

Stuff I still find puzzeling:

How does Hunt all of a sudden figure it out that Phelps was the mole? out of nowhere he imagines the whole thing!

How does the bible enter into the factor? It seemed to be a big deal that the bible in the hotel room was from the same hotel Phelps claimed to have stayed in in Chicago. So what? There were no secrets about it!

Does the movie purposley make a big deal to show the chair fall when Phelps gets up? since they focus on it for a moment. Or was that just a way to make sure that we know it's the same room.

I think Jon Voight's character was not done well. I mean, he was great in the begining, but in the final big sequence, it really doesn't fit to have this actor of 60+ years in a cool looking complicated suit, and then to have him fight and be very physical.

IMO the best scene in the movie, one which I only fully understood lately, was the one in the resturaunt. It was really done well, especialy with 'follow me around the room' part.

It is also very compelling to have the last, climactic sequence on a single train. Since you have the hero (Cruise), his partner (Ving Rhames), the threatening bad guy (Voight), the unthreatening bad guy (venessa Redgrave), the bad guys wife (Emmanuelle Béart) and the guy who is at times bad, but prevailes a good guy (Henry Czerny) all around the same area.

Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles

First of all, I had no idea that Queen of The Damned was based on a sequel to this book/movie.

I didn't think the movie was very good.
I always found Pitt's way of talking very irritating, and I was always led to believe that Cruise was the main character.

I thought the early scenes with Kirsten Dunst were awfuly like 'The Addams Family'. Just turning death into a slapstick joke.

I must say that Ann Rice, the author of the screenplay and book (which I've never read) did excell in one way- her choise on names. This is going to sound very strange, but the part I liked most about the movie is the name Lestat. It simply says so much, even if you have no idea what the book is. It really tells you that it's talking about a vampire, a particulaly cunning, charismatic and evil one at that.
I honestly think that the fact that the character is like that had no influence on my judgment, it was just the name.

Two other things I liked-
The makeup on Cruise after he returnes from the swamp, it looks like it should be special effects, but it's not. It is simply very convincing.

I also liked Stephen Rea as Santiago. Although he gets a little weird in the play, he was great when he was first introduced as a sort of mime.

Don't you think there is enough evil in the movie without giving Pitt the symbolism of the Grim Reapers weapon?

It felt to me like the producers were doing product placement for the inspiration of the movie.

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Tue Jun 25, 2002 3:27 pm

Minority Report

I just saw Minority Report last night, and I think it is the best movie yet to come out this year.

1) Plot: The plot is very engaging and suspenseful. (forgive the spelling) It has a lot of twists and turns, and what sets this apart from most summer blockbusters is that the movie really makes you think. The movie also raises philosophical questions on paradoxes, preventing the future, etc. Issues that are not usually raised in a summer blockbuster movie. The plot will keep you on the edge of your seats going, "Who done it?" and it grabs you every single second of the movie.

2) Action: The action sequences in this movie is probably Spielberg's best since Raiders Of the Lost Arks. The chase in the car factory, the vertical freeway, the spider scene, etc. All of them are executed extremely well.

3) Detailed world: The world created by the movie is very detailed. Advertisement calls people out by their first names, computers are operated in midair with orchestra conductor-like gestures of the hand. Futuristic skyscrapers co-exist with 19th century monuments in Washington D.C. These are just some examples

4) Acting: I didn't really care about Cruise's performance, but I guess it's okay. The really good actress in this movie is the actress playing the female precogs. Her acting is very emotional and very convincing. I can just feel the pain and the anger in her acting and talking.

Over all, I loved this movie. It combines both serious thinking and exciting action sequences together in a movie. Although there are some problems like plot holes, poor ending, etc, the overall movie is fantastic. If you are a Spielberg fan, then you should definitely love this movie. If you are not, then I think you should be able to enjoy this movie too.

Rating: 9.3/10

Morlock · Post by **Morlock** » Tue Jun 25, 2002 4:10 pm

Re: Minority Report

Originally posted by humanflyz
I just saw Minority Report last night, and I think it is the best movie yet to come out this year.

Rating: 9.3/10

Thanx alot for your review!!!

That (hapily) seems to be the general consensus.

The just goes to show Georg.... all you sceptics that with Spielberg, one movie (AI) hardely means his downfall!

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Tue Jun 25, 2002 8:56 pm

@Morlock:

Glad to be of help.

Can anyone give a review of A.I. because I never had the chance to see it. I just wanted some reviews before I rent the DVD or the VHS.

The Z · Post by **The Z** » Tue Jun 25, 2002 9:40 pm

A.I

Plot: The plot was intriguing, and dramatic. Like a good book it keeps you attentive.....until the end. Spielberg kept the story going a little to long, and the last 15 mins. or so, are rather pointless and pretty much is there just so then the movie doesn't end on a sad note. However, sometimes tragedy is better than drama......

Action: As suspenseful as drama can get. There are a couple somewhat thriller-like sequences, but don't expect robots with guns walking around.

Setting: Very realistic. Most things are where they should be. Convincing enough to make you believe it's in the future. Not completely changed to the future though. Some things remain a little bit in the present.

Acting: Riveting performances by the actors (I can't remember their names). Everyone plays their part well. People seem genuinely "in-character". Yet, I didn't find that there was much character evolution. The main person doesn't seem to learn that much, if anything, and although that may be a turn-off to some, it's the way the movie was supposed to be. The character *is* a robot.

Overall: A great film. Not excellent but possibly one of the only drama-based films I found I couldn't turn away from.

Rating: 4 STARS

Morlock · Post by **Morlock** » Tue Jun 25, 2002 9:57 pm

About AI- I didnt like the movie, but I respect it. It was made for Kubrick, and, something which Spielberg pointed out, it did no worse than any other Kubrick movie when it was released.

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Wed Jun 26, 2002 3:03 am

Originally posted by humanflyz
Can anyone give a review of A.I. because I never had the chance to see it. I just wanted some reviews before I rent the DVD or the VHS.

Overblown, pretentous and boring. I believe i have reviewed it before, i will try to find a link, i say avoid it, AI is one of the only films i have actually nearly walked out of

I really should have...it just got worse and worse.

The Z · Post by **The Z** » Wed Jun 26, 2002 10:35 am

Yeah, I'm rather biased towards most movies I see. I can't slam them for anything, even though I know I've seen much better movies. All my ratings are 4 and above

ThorinOakensfield · Post by **ThorinOakensfield** » Thu Jun 27, 2002 7:39 am

Minority Report

Great movie. The story is amazing. Those trailers are deceptive with certain info (for me they were). There were a few things I didn't like about it. More like the technology they had then, ie. robots knowing your name. And there was some blatant advertizing by a few companies. Some producers are getting really cheap.

. There are alot of twists and turns.

Overall: 'A'

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Thu Jun 27, 2002 8:01 am

Re: Minority Report

Originally posted by ThorinOakensfield
And there was some blatant advertizing by a few companies. Some producers are getting really cheap.

I thought that was more of a commentary on the "Big Brother" nature of the future rather than product placement for the purpose of raising money for the film; the complete loss of privacy for use in sales and by the government, obstensibly for our own "protection" or for "personalisation".

Silur · Post by **Silur** » Thu Jun 27, 2002 12:49 pm

Just to honor my fantasy football team, I saw a movie called Mimic. I can usually watch the worst kind of junk as long as it's labeled Science Fiction, but this one reeks so bad it was an accomplishment to see the whole thing. If your life is at the point where nothing matters anymore, I'd still avoid this one. It has a predictable plot, predictable characters and all the stereotypes you can imagine. Rating

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Thu Jun 27, 2002 1:28 pm

I recently rented Planet of the Apes (last year's version). I was prepared to see a cut-rate version of the original, but I was completely unprepared for how thin the plot was and the total lack of character motivation. They really missed many opportunities to make social, political, or emotional statements, but never did. No amount of special effects, guest cameos, or eye-candy will make up for an infantile and unrealized script.

Morlock · Post by **Morlock** » Thu Jun 27, 2002 5:32 pm

Originally posted by Gwalchmai
I recently rented Planet of the Apes (last year's version). I was prepared to see a cut-rate version of the original, but I was completely unprepared for how thin the plot was and the total lack of character motivation. They really missed many opportunities to make social, political, or emotional statements, but never did. No amount of special effects, guest cameos, or eye-candy will make up for an infantile and unrealized script.

The movie was terrible in every way, except for one- in which it is the best in any movie ever.
That is the makeup.
The great makeup by six time oscar winner Rick Baker exentuated every single contortion or movement in the faces and was the most convincing job I've ever seen. He was actualy the first person to recieve the oscar in that category ever, as it was only introduced in 1981.

Otherwise the only thing I liked was the David Warner (Irenicus) cameoish part.

In the past few days I've seen two movies:

American Beauty
I saw this before, and didn't like it then, but now for some reason I really like it.
Probably because since I saw in 1999 I've seen The Usual Susrects and grown to love Kevin Spacey, who delivers a great performance here.
I always remembered that it was Annete Benning who shoots him, not Chris cooper. I guess this is because you assume it's her until you actualy see Cooper's staind shirt.

One of my favorite effect of the movie is the few scenes in which you see two thing at once. The movie gives you both sides of the same shot in one shot. It has Ricky using his camera, and on the TV behind him you see the object of the picture.

Again, Spacey was great. I loved the way he says 'I rule!', I rewinded that part 3 times just to see him say that. It's hillarious.

One noticable similarity to The Usual Suspects is that they both end with a voice over by Spacey, which continues by one line into the black screen of the credits.

7.5/10

The second movies, one of my favorite is a classic-
The Great Escape

I don't have many specific thing to say, except that it's a great movie with an amazing ensamble.

The entire first half is great for it's inventiveness and comedy, the entire second half is great for it's action and chase scenes, sprinkled with some great comedy- like the scene in which the French resistance gun down the Nazis in the resturaunt.

I use the word comecy just for lack of a better word. What I mean is scenes which make you laugh the first time get at least a big smile out of you every viewing. Scenes which are just pleasurable.

I love the scene in the train station when you see about a douzen groups of individuals and couples of the guys who escaped, none of themtalking to each other, just casualy walking by them and making eye contact.

The music by Elmer Bernstein is great, perfect for the film, and IMO much better than his score for The Magnificent Seven which seems to be more well known.

10/10

Robnark · Post by **Robnark** » Fri Jun 28, 2002 12:09 pm

7.5 for american beauty? wha? that's a damn fine film, and at least an 8.5.

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Fri Jun 28, 2002 8:46 pm

I just saw Men In Black 2 in a private screening yesterday, and here is my review.

Men In Black 2:

If you liked the first one, (like I did), then you are probably not going to like this one as much. If you didn't like the first one, then you are definitely not going to enjoy the sequel, as it is pretty much the same thing as the first. I liked the first one because it was funny to see two drastically different people trying to work things out, and humor is derived through their interaction and misunderstandings. (That's why I liked Rush Hour) The sequel pretty much tried to create the same kind of humor, but ultimately fails because it's been done before in the first movie. The boss fight is also very disappointing. However, there are some genuinely humorous moments in the movie that are truly hiliarious. The special effects are good, but doesn't really do much to enhance the movie. The makeup, however, is exceptional. (I believe Men In Black 1 won the makeup award in the Oscars three years ago)

The bottom line is, if you liked the first one, then you should go see it, but expect a little repetiveness. If you didn't like the first one, you shouldn't go see it because it's pretty much the same.

Overall rating:
6.6/10