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myerman
Reviews
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Hmmmmm...also mixed emotions
I think Jeff Shannon has hit the nail on the head....I would have liked to have seen a lot more of Darth Maul then Jar-Jar Binks and his idiotic slapstick John Ritteresque comic relief. I thought that the climactic lightsabre duel was awesome, but there were other parts of the movie that lacked any sense of timing whatsoever. I know that this first movie needs to get some very serial balls rolling, but Jeezus, how much time do we need (in a Star Wars movie otherwise devoid of emotional charge) to see Anakin walking away from mommy? Sheez.
The pod race was excellent--and so were the Tusken Raiders. And the political intrigue, that was pretty cool. But I have to say, it could have been a lot better simply by dropping out one character: Jar-Jar Binks.
The Matrix (1999)
A sophisticated SF treat!
This movie has everything you'd want in an SF spectacular: a great story, incredible special effects, and strong performances from Laurence Fishburne, Keanu Reeves, and Carrie-Anne Moss (hubba hubba). The theater we watched it in was packed to the gills, and everyone reacted to the film's polychromatic emotional effects: funny, wired, violent, and with eye-popping FX.
Wing Commander (1999)
Oh, I'm sorry! I threw up on your shoes!
What a piece of crap. Hey, everyone, it's the cast of Scream/I know what you did last summer jammed into the cockpits of world-war II style fighter planes in space! And hey, can you tell the difference between the bad guy ships and good guy ships? I couldn't. It brings new meaning to the term "friendly fire". Kee-rist. The worst SF movie since Godzilla.
Godzilla (1998)
Whatever happened to the Godzilla we knew and loved?
The folks at Tojo Pictures are probably still crying over this one. It's Ferris Bueller meets the World Gym Iguana (with the help of some _Lost World_ FX). No intelligent storyline. Why should this lizard go all the way to New York when other metropolises are closer--say Tokyo or Melbourne, Australia? (Or even LA). And why is it that in one scene, the lizard outruns Apache attack helicopters, but in the finale, can barely keep up with a NY taxicab?
The only solid performances were from Hank Azaria and Jean Reno. And the extras. When they screamed, you honestly believed they were screaming for mercy.... "Please, please, Godzilla, stomp me flat so nobody sees me in this film!"
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
A very engaging remake of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew
I enjoy wry comedy a lot, and this movie did not fail to please me. There are quite a few bust-a-gut scenes in this movie (especially when the guidance counselor tells Kat that she's known as a "heinous bitch") as well as a good plot in which various characters grow and learn from their experiences.
There are a few plot holes--what happened to Kat and Bianca's mother? Why is Kat such a bitch? (I didn't buy the explanation, as it seemed flat compared to the multidimensionality of the rest of her character.)
P.S. The "Letters to Cleo" band really rocks--they do an excellent cover of Cheap Trick's "I want you to love me" (not to sure if this is the name of the song--I'm not good with song titles) :)
A great date flick.