Change Your Image
db3
Reviews
Monster-in-Law (2005)
Not as good as I had expected, though not bad, either.
From the trailer you get the basic idea of this film. Jane Fonda, as the psycho mother of Michael Vartan wars with Jennifer Lopez in an all-out effort to prevent the Vartan-Lopez marriage. The ongoing battle escalates, taking on the dynamics of a Road-Runner cartoon.
I found the movie mildly entertaining. The plot and character development are both a bit thin. While we do gain insight into Fonda's emotional state, there is little to show why Lopez and Vartan like each other. As such, I was distracted by details unrelated to the story line: Jane Fonda's smoking wrinkles. Michael Vartan's constant 3-day beard (how is this possible?).
But the movie is not BAD -- it's just not as good as I hoped. Its premise is cute, and some of the bits are entertaining. But the story does not seem believable or draw you in as much as it could have. That said, Roadrunner cartoons don't provide much character development either, but are entertaining on their own merits. So all-in-all, MONSTER IN LAW is no classic, but is probably worth seeing once -- especially if you like Roadrunner.
Are We There Yet? (2005)
3 out of 10. There are better ways to spend nine dollars.
It's a comedy based around a bachelor carrying two children on a road trip. The kids have an attitude. The film could be titled TRAINS, PLANES, and AUTOMOBILES but that title was already taken, And frankly I'd recommend you watch PT&A instead. ARE WE THERE YET contains numerous episodes not unlike a ROADRUNNER cartoon. But again ROADRUNNER is much better. The trouble is, the scenes and episodes in AWTY are disjointed and do not realistically lead to the next plot turning point, much less the movie's ultimate conclusion. Thus you must be willing to suspend your disbelief to a greater extent than the film justifies. There are a number of cute bits, but if you've seen the trailer, you've seen the bits. The film is so slow in overall pacing that it may qualify as the longest 5-reel movie I've ever watched. As I was squirming in my seat awaiting the exciting climax, I kept saying to myself ARE WE THERE YET? As far as I'm concerned, we still aren't.
Silver City (2004)
Not exactly brilliant...
SILVER CITY did nothing to impress me. Except maybe show occasional views of beautiful Colorado scenery. It's a low-budget political / environmental statement thinly disguised as a homicide investigation. Unfortunately it plods along in a somewhat disjointed manner, such that the viewer never really understands what is happening, or why. The actors appear to be simply walking through their parts (for which I blame the director). Eventually the investigation reveals that the death which started this investigation was not even a homicide. So the film ends with an unsatisfying whimper. Oh, there's an occasional glint of humor or truth, but certainly not enough to warrant spending $9 and 2 hours on it.
Rating: 3 out of 10.
Speaking of unsatisfying, what's the deal on IMDb taking so long to get these reviews posted? I understand you get a LOT of reviews and have a limited staff, but every time I post a review I learn that you are even FARTHER behind. This is a shame, because the main use I have for these reviews is to look up brand new films to determine if I want to see them. If a review is not posted for a couple weeks, the film may not even be in theaters by then.
So I'd like to make a suggestion: Work on TODAY's reviews first. If you have time available, work on yesterday's, followed by the day before that. True, not all reviews will be read, but the ones which are will be posted in a timely fashion. Under the current system, NO review is being posted in a timely manner.
Thank you. dave
Wimbledon (2004)
A fine date flick.
Saw WIMBLEDON tonight. It's boy-meets-girl with a tennis background. Bit of a simple story, and there was never any question where it was going. But the film is quite well put together and I enjoyed it. First movie I've seen in months which could be appreciated by an adult. A good date flick. 8 out of 10. Saw
WIMBLEDON tonight. It's boy-meets-girl with a tennis background. Bit of a
simple story, and there was never any question where it was going. But the film is quite well put together and I enjoyed it. First movie I've seen in months which could be appreciated by an adult. A good date flick. 8 out of 10. Saw WIMBLEDON tonight. It's boy-meets-girl with a tennis background. Bit of a simple story, and there was never any question where it was going. But the film is quite well put together and I enjoyed it. First movie I've seen in months which could be appreciated by an adult. A good date flick. 8 out of 10.
De-Lovely (2004)
A disjointed downer...
High production values can't save a movie which is basically a
disjointed downer. I love musicals, and looked forward to
DE-LOVELY. But its flashback style, using Cole Porter's own
songs to illustrate scenes from his life, is confusing and fails to do
justice to either his songs or his life.
Some of the musical numbers were quite well done, but others
were not, or were cut short. Meanwhile, because of the chosen
flashback style, finer points of the story of Cole Porter's life are lost
-- or at least misplaced. I would have prefered a more simple style,
telling the story in linear fashion, and hopefully a bit more upbeat
manner.
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Greatest overuse of 'Jiggle-Cam' since BLAIR WITCH PROJECT!
Essentially a two-hour long, very high-energy chase with enough
plot twists to keep you from becoming bored. Many parts of the
chase are quire creative. The film covers some beautiful European
locations -- what you can see of them.
Over 90% of the film is shot with an intentionally shaky handheld
camera, for the apparent purpose of adding reality and immediacy
by giving it a home-movie or news camera look. If you are prone to
motion sickness, this film will make you toss your cookies. Best
bet: Sit as far back from the screen as possible. The audience
close to the screen is going to be sick.
Dave
School of Rock (2003)
This film is cute!
I doubt the plotline will surprise anyone. Jack Black does an amazingly credible job as a substitute teacher with a mission. And the kids are a joy to watch.
No car chases or explosions. This is a good film!
American Wedding (2003)
Surprisingly good!
This is a surprisingly original addition to the AMERICAN PIE series. While there are a number of bouts with bathroom humor, the character development and story line actually seem plausible. I felt as though I was visiting with old friends. Some good laughs, and it left me with a warm feeling.
Spider-Man (2002)
A light and airy approach to depicting a superhero. Fun!
SPIDER-MAN ***_ Action, Comedy, Romance / Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst
A perfectly ordinary (even geeky) high school student discovers he has special powers after he is bitten by a genetically altered spider. He uses these abilities to fight evil.
The first half of the film introduces and fleshes out the characters. I especially enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek style of humor as SPIDER-MAN teaches himself to use his new found abilities. He gets up to speed just in time to save New York City from a succession of two-bit hoods and one evil mastermind.
What separates SPIDER-MAN from most action/special-effects movies is this one has a well thought out script! Special-effects are used to illustrate the story rather than the story being written to showcase the latest special-effects. And there's plenty of humor to go around. I really enjoyed this light and airy approach to depicting a superhero. This will likely be the beginning of a long series.
National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002)
Another college life comedy -- nothing outstanding.
VAN WILDER *+__ Romantic Comedy / Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid, Kal Penn
Van Wilder is a professional college student. He loves college life, and is popular with both students and faculty. But he's been in college for seven years, and hasn't graduated. Then Van's father cuts off the money.
This ain't ANIMAL HOUSE. It's just another college life comedy -- nothing outstanding. Though it is very gross at times, it has a moral at the end. Both Ryan Reynolds and Tara Reid turn in fine performances. No car chases or explosions.
The Sweetest Thing (2002)
Cameron Diaz looks great!
SWEETEST THING *___ Romantic Comedy / Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Selma Blair
In San Francisco, three gorgeous ladies search for the ideal man. Cameron Diaz finds him in a bar, and it's love at first fight. But she fails to get his address and spends the rest of the movie wishing she had.
What do you get when you mix a couple of not so bad looking guys, three attractive ladies, a bunch of crude sex jokes, and place it in San Francisco? You get a beautiful Cameron Diaz vehicle which lacks any meaningful story line. Therein lies the problem. I'm a fan of Cameron Diaz, and I WANTED to like this film. But SWEETEST THING consists mainly of unrelated sight gags and attempts at comedy tied together by the weakest possible thread. At under 90 minutes in length, it still felt too long. No car chases or explosions.
Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)
A well-done little film.
KISSING JESSICA STEIN **+_ Drama / Jennifer Westfeldt, Heather Jurgensen, Tovah Feldshuh
A Jewish girl in New York City experiences a succession of blind dates from hell. One day she chances across the Personals ads for lesbian encounters and decides to give it a try. The movie chronicles how that works out.
Written by the two co-stars, KISSING JESSICA STEIN is filled with fairly authentic characters. From Jessica's family to her co-workers, to a couple of men at a bar, we watch as each comes to grip with couple's non-standard relationship. And there's a fair amount of Jewish humor thrown in for good measure. The fact that most of the camerawork is handheld (without Steadicam) and some of the sound is less than perfect makes me think it's a 'little' film. But it's well done and worth watching. It reminds me of Woody Allen. Zero car chases or explosions.
Big Trouble (2002)
Outright, prolonged laughter! Highly recommended.
BIG TROUBLE ***+ Comedy / Dir: Barry Sonnenfeld / Written by Dave Barry / Tim Allen, Omar Epps, Dennis Farina, Janeane Garofalo
Take a pair of professional assassins, a couple of stupid criminals, two policemen, an ad agent and his son, Russian bar owners, a family, Jesus, a nuclear bomb, a cane toad, and a truckload of goats, shake well, and turn them loose in Miami. That's what Dave Barry has done in this clever, frantic farce comedy.
There are so many main characters it's a little confusing at first. But BIG TROUBLE is so chock full of gags, humorous circumstances, and one-liners it's still funny even when you don't understand it. The preview audience I saw it with experienced outright, prolonged laughter on many occasions. Good clean entertainment. Highly recommended. One explosion.
Death to Smoochy (2002)
A biting dark comedy worth seeing again.
DEATH TO SMOOCHY ***_ Dark Comedy / Dir: Danny DeVito Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, Robin Williams, Danny DeVito
When Rainbow Randolph (Williams) loses his popular kids' TV show after being busted for taking payola, the network searches for a squeaky-clean replacement. Enter Smoochy, the Rhino. He has high ideals, but...
What happens when you turn Robin Williams and Danny DeVito loose on a film about the inner workings of TV? In this case, you come up with a fast-paced cynical story filled with plot twists, visual splendor and biting wit. In one throw-away line, Robin Williams calls Smoochy as "a bastard son of Barney." There were two others in rapid succession, but I was laughing so hard at the first I missed them. SMOOCHY bears watching more than once.
I can't help thinking this would make a great double-feature with A THOUSAND CLOWNS. No car chases or explosions. Occasional foul language. Intense color.
Sorority Boys (2002)
A lame attemp at combining ANIMAL HOUSE and BOSOM BUDDIES.
SORORITY BOYS *___ College Comedy Barry Watson, Harland Williams, Melissa Sagenmiller
Three college men are thrown out of their fraternity and decide to join a Sorority instead. The men soon learn to appreciate women's point of view and ultimately help the women to right some wrongs perpetrated by their former fraternity. You could characterize SORORITY BOYS as "ANIMAL HOUSE meets BOSOM BUDDIES." That's a fine concept. Unfortunately, the writing is uninspired and this film lives up to neither. The plot line is thin, and mainly consists of attempts at humor deriving from men saying and doing things only women ordinarily do. There's a fair amount of sexual humor (or attempted humor), but overall I thought SORORITY BOYS was harmless. No explosions. No car chases. Just lame.
Ice Age (2002)
A fine movie the whole family can enjoy!
ICE AGE **+_ Animated Adventure Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Jack Black
At the onset of the Ice Age, a Mammoth, a Sabretooth Tiger, and a Sloth form an unlikely alliance in an attempt to return a lost human child to its tribe. If you were to compare ICE AGE to SHREK, the Mammoth takes the part of Shrek, while the Sloth takes the part of the won't-stop-talking Donkey. The squirrel you've seen in the trailers is actually a transitional character added mostly for comic relief between scenes. He adds a Road Runner style to the film.
Filmed in three-dimensional computer animation (similar to SHREK) the film is visually quite good. While SHREK played well to audiences of all ages, ICE AGE is aimed more towards kids. But adults will love it too. I found the final scene (featuring the squirrel) worth the price of admission. No explosions, no car chases.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Cute entertainment for the entire family.
E.T. **__ Sci-Fi / Family Dir: Steven Spielberg Dee Wallace-Stone, Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore
In California, several children pool resources to protect a cute alien and help him return home. I believe 'cute' is the operative word here. Most of the action occurs outside at night, with fog wafting through for mood. There are definitely some memorable scenes, but there are also giant holes in the plot. Not the least of which was why was E.T. dying? And why did he recover? Such pickiness aside, the film is cute entertainment for the entire family. No explosions. One slow-speed car chase.
We Were Soldiers (2002)
If you want to know what the VietNam war was really like, this is the film to see.
WE WERE SOLDIERS ***_ War Drama Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear
In 1965, 350 US troops arrive by helicopter at Landing Strip X-Ray in VietNam. They soon learn they have landed virtually on the doorstep of 4000 North Vietnamese soldiers.
The movie is based on Lt. Harold Moore's book about an actual event in the early days of US involvement in VietNam. Zillions of explosions, but explosions are not out of place here. It's very well done and believable. The film is extremely graphic in its depiction of the violence and futility of war. If you want to know what the VietNam war was really like, this is the film to see.
John Q (2002)
Well done, and produces a tear-jerker ending.
JOHN Q ***_ Melodrama Denzell Washington, Robert Duvall, James Woods, Anne Heche
Denzell's son needs a heart transplant, but he's getting the
runaround by his insurance company and by the hospital. Rather
than just watch his son die, Denzell takes over the hospital's
Emergency Room and holds everyone in it hostage. But he's a
hostage-taker with a heart, and even the hostages love him.
The author's message is 'We need a national health care system'
and 'HMOs are evil.' That said, the film is well done, and produces
a tear-jerker (if melodramatic) ending. No car chases or
explosions. Worth seeing.
Hart's War (2002)
Definitely worth seeing.
HART'S WAR ***_ Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell, Terrence Howard
In a German prison camp during WWII, a law student is forced to
defend a black prisoner in a Court Martial. HART'S WAR offers a
gritty and (I suspect) a pretty accurate view of life on a German
POW camp. What starts out as a remake of GREAT ESCAPE or
HOGAN'S HEROES takes a sudden turn to new territory when a
murder is committed inside the POW compound. There are
enough plot twists to keep you guessing right until the closing
credits. No car chases. A few explosions. Very well done. Definitely
worth seeing.
Queen of the Damned (2002)
The WORST movie I've seen in over a year.
QUEEN OF THE DAMNED 0___ Stuart Townsend, Marguerite Moreau, Aaliyah
A 2400 year-old Vampire returns to earth and starts a heavy-metal rock band. Then things get strange. Lots of special effects. Lots of noise. Lots of explosions. No car chases. It could definitely have used a good car chase. This is the WORST movie I've seen in over a year.
Collateral Damage (2002)
Give it a miss!
COLLATERAL DAMAGE +___
The story is poor and difficult to swallow. The acting is mediocre. But there is lots of gunplay and explosions, if you like that sort of thing.
I didn't, and found myself laughing out loud at some of the plot points.
The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
A very good thriller which held my interest throughout!
MOTHMAN PROPHECIES ***_ Thriller / Sci-Fi Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Debra Messing
While driving from Washington DC to Richmond VA, Gere inexplicably finds himself on the West Virginia / Ohio border. Residents of this small town have recently reported sighting a strange, paranormal creature. Even stranger, it appears to be the same creature Gere's wife sketched two years earlier. So he decides to stay around and investigate.
Based on actual events in West Virginia, this is not a thriller or horror film in the usual sense. Anyone looking for blood and gore would be disappointed. Yet the direction, cinematography, and writing work skillfully together to weave a tense and very engaging tale. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. No explosions. No car chases.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A heartwarming film. Recommended!
A BEAUTIFUL MIND ***_ Drama / Dir: Ron Howard / Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris
In the 1950s, a Mathematical genius develops an innovative new
theory of economics. The film follows John Nash's life through four
decades -- from college, through bouts with schizophrenia,
marriage, career problems, and finally to his winning the Nobel
Prize in Mathematics.
BEAUTIFUL MIND is very well done. It chronicles the high points
as well as the many low points in Mr Nash's life, without dwelling
too heavily on the negative. No doubt some facts were glossed
over to prevent the film becoming too depressing. The audience
gets a first-hand look at John's fantasy world as well as his
attempts to control it. The film is never boring, and surprisingly
upbeat.
One car chase and one small nuclear explosion. Definitely worth
seeing.
Gosford Park (2001)
An enjoyable merge of UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS and ORIENT EXPRESS.
GOSFORD PARK ***_ Murder Mystery, Drama / Dir: Robert Altman Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith
In 1932, a group of aristocrats meet for a weekend quail shoot at an English country estate. One of them does not survive. The film merges UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS with an Agatha Christie style mystery. We meet and get to know all the guests at the estate, as well as their servants.
To my eye, the film seemed realistic and believable, though the film's frequent focusing on potential weapons reminded me of the game of CLUE. There are so many characters, that for the first half of the film you are swamped with information. This is a character driven film, and the characters are, for the most part, well developed. The police inspector may be the greatest exception. His main purpose seems to be providing comedic relief.
There are no car chases or bomb blasts. Somewhat slow-paced, but an interesting movie.