Reviews

I rented this movie with no prior knowledge of it. I simply saw Carly Pope in the cast list and thought, "How fun. I remember her from 'Popular'." I thought this was going to be a funny movie, not a depressing flick about depressing people and their depressing lives. I love movies in which families get together for holidays or events (ie. 'Eulogy' or 'Home For The Holidays') and you witness their personal insanities and eccentricities. But I like them because they portray these families in a light that reminds us of our own relatives and allows us to remember that families are insane yet normal. This movie does not do that. It simply removes any faith you may have about commitment, fidelity, love or happiness. I am not a hopeless romantic or blind optimist, but the problems in these peoples' lives did not warrant the amount of infidelity and self-pity that was portrayed. The only characters I enjoyed were the mom, Carly Pope's caterer/bartender and Dylan (only for his quirkiness, his home-wrecker side really bothered me). Basically, this movie is not funny and would have more success if it presented itself as a drama.

I found this movie to be absolutely hysterical. I laughed so much it was unreal. The "one-line summary" I gave this review may lead many to believe I did not enjoy Rob Schneider in this movie, but that is not true. I was simply trying to let potential viewers of the movie know that though we have seen Rob Schneider "as" several things thus far (ie. an animal, a gigolo, etc.) it in no way detracts from the humor of it. Standouts clearly are Anna Farris (from Scary Movie and Scary Movie 2) and Rachel McAdams, who has since proved herslef as not only a beautiful woman but a very good actress (ie. The Notebook, Mean Girls and Red Eye, all of which she is fantastic in), McAdams is absolutely wonderful in her portrayal of an older man inside a "hot chick". Also, you simply have to love Anna Farris' dopey yet truly adorable character. Overall, I would have to say this is definitely a step up from the Rob Schneider movies I have seen recently, and I do recommend it.

OK. The plot is weak. Very weak. The explosions were plentiful and there were good fight scenes, particularly the fight between Lucy Lui and Ray Park, but that did not sustain an entire movie. That fight scene alone was the only reason not to walk out. Basically, the plot was too forced. Simplifying this one would have been a step in the right direction. The makers of this movie tried too hard to make an intricate, structured storyline and came up with a mess of disconnected story threads that poorly weave themselves together at the end. So to recap, other than a really good fight scene, easily one to miss.

Without a doubt, this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The dialogue is horrendous, the characters are woefully under-developed and nothing was believable about the entire movie. The best way to describe this movie is that it is movie with cars upon which someone tried to add a plot. However, they failed miserably. The ending is absolutely implausible, for there are no reasons to justify it. We have no reason to accept the behavior of the main characters or their reactions/bonds with each other. I do like the various actors that had the misfortune or lack of common sense to be in this picture, but that is just not enough. So many people loved this movie and while it is possible to restrain myself from arguing with them, I find it very difficult and taxing since this movie was total garbage. I am sure I like movies they do not like, and to each their own, but for me, it just doesn't get much worse!

As a huge fan of the original Bruce Timm Batman cartoon, I was rather skeptical of the "Batman Beyond" series when it came out, so I never watched it. I was woefully unaware of what a cool series it was. I have since seen the DVD of the first 5 episodes and the "Return of the Joker" movie. Let me say wow! The darkness of the original series is well-maintained and the animation, as always, is superior. Voice casting is another great bonus! Now, as for "Return of the Joker", you have to see it on the re-release 2002 DVD. There is no other option. With a pg-13 rating and much better extra features, there is no comparison. The plot points are better and the dark secret between Batman, Robin and Batgirl is much more sinister and believable than the VHS, which tones down the violence for a younger audience. Also, there are actually deaths on screen. No alluding to it, no hinting at it, just flat out killing! It may sound harsh, but that makes the movie all the better for people do actually die in the comics, so why not in the movies too! Overall, I have to say that I was blown away by this movie and believe it to be a staple in the collection of any Batman fan.

This is one of the best political dramas I have ever seen. The characters were so very well developed and the plot was intriguing and held my interest throughout. The best component to this movie is the brilliant portrayal of Senator Hanson given by Joan Allen. I have been a fan since I saw "The Ice Storm" and "Pleasantville", but this is her best work that I have seen to date. She absolutely embodied the grace under pressure that was key to the character. All hail the mighty Joan Allen. I also felt the ending was wonderfully executed. Without giving anything away, let me just say that I was highly satisfied with the outcome. All in all, I gave this one a 10.

When I saw this movie in the theater, I left a bit disappointed, which is hard to say because I love Julia Roberts. For some reason, it just did not click. However, when it came out on video, I watched it again and I laughed so hard I couldn't believe it was the same movie. It just worked so much better at home on the small screen. So my advice to anyone who saw it in the theater and was not struck by it, try it again as a rental and you may be surprised. And of course, if you haven't seen it, I do recommend it, for it is a fun movie and is actually quite entertaining, especially if you like the stars, which most people do.

I was very disappointed when the release date was pushed back for "Big Trouble", but I must say, it was well worth the wait. It has been a while since I have heard an entire theater of people laugh throughout an entire movie. The plot was fun, the actors were fantastic and the entire experience was truly enjoyable. I highly recommend this movie to ANYONE! Do yourself a favor and go see it.

My entire reason for bringing this film home was the cast: Christina Ricci, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro and Johnny Depp. Each of the actors are phenomenal and have talent in spades, and to see them all together in a film with such great characters was a delight. However, this is one of those movies where there is no fast-paced, witty dialog, no car chases and no gratuitous sex. It is about the characters. Therefore, many will find its plot slow and dull. This movie was not made for mass appeal. Many will find it to be beautiful and meaningful, while others will not sit through the first half hour. With that said, I will now say how much I loved this movie. It was visually stunning, superbly acted and has a score to match. While I have always enjoyed Christina Ricci and found her to be quite attractive, I have never seen her look as beautiful as she does in this film. Cate Blanchett is as wonderful as she always is, proving once more she is one of today's most versatile and convincing actors. Johnny Depp and John Turturro are also both excellent in their roles. Overall, I would have to recommend this to anyone who enjoys good character development/superb acting.

Watching "Enemy at the Gates" is like watching multiple movies at one time. Rather than just being about World War II snipers, the film has been interjected with plots of romance and friendship, loyalty and betrayal, self-doubt and self-realization, heroism and cruelty, cowardice and bravery. Each of these themes is weaved carefully upon one another, and while integral to one another, remain self-sustaining. No matter what genre the viewer is partial to, there is something in this movie that will reach out to them and connect. The ever-brilliant Jude Law is wonderful in his performance as Russian sniper Vasilli and is surrounded by an array of astounding actors, such as Joeseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins and Ed Harris. "Enemy at the Gates" is an emotionally charged movie that also delivers on its promise of action, a rare find in today's collection of mindless action movies and character-driven plotless films. My favorite surprise in this movie was the acting ability shown by Rachel Weisz, who most will recognize from her role in the popular movies "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns" as Evelyn 'Evie' Carnahan. Having seen her in mostly small roles, she more than met the demands of her character. Overall, I would have to say this is a well-made movie with both a great plot and great acting; a movie of mass appeal and substance.

Being a fan of the three main stars (Garofalo, Wood and Cook) led me to sit down and enjoy the movie which is "The Bumblebee Flies Anyway". Though not a movie I believe would appeal to mass audiences, the brilliant performances by all the actors involved made for a great film. Set in a ward for terminally ill children, the mistake of allowing for caricatured and melodramatic emotions/relationships was thankfully not made once. The basic plot: Barney(Elijah Wood) is a volunteer for an experiment run by Dr. Harriman(Janeane Garofalo) with no memory of his past. Being the only non-terminally ill kid in the clinic, Barney is warned to remain detached, but obviously that does not happen. He develops relationships with several of his fellow patients, and those are what make this a good movie. His romance with Cassie(Rachael Leigh Cook)is especially nice for its subtlety and lack of overt sexuality. Janeane Garofalo does a wonderful job with her role as the doctor who struggles with her own advice of detachment. Any person who claims to be a fan of her's needs to see this movie, for it allows us to see just how truly capable of an actor she is. I take away from this film the following question: is a peron's identity made up of the memories we collect throughout our lifetime or the relationships we make throughout and is life worth living without a sense of that identity?

When I first saw the preview for Memento, I thought, "Wow, what a good cast and interesting concept!" Then I saw the movie and thought, "WOW, what a PHENOMENAL cast and INGENIOUS concept!" The movie is about Leonard, a man with no short-term memory due to a violent "incident" in his past, and his search for the man who killed his wife. To compensate for his very rare and odd handicap, he takes Polaroids of people and places he needs to remember and, for those truly necessary facts, tattoos them upon his body. This alone would have held my attention throughout the movie, but director Christopher Nolan shoots the movie in segments starting at the end and working its way to the beginning. Sounds pretentious, but it truly creates an environment where the viewer feels the confusion and struggle that Leonard feels. This style of editing makes Memento's characters the hardest to decipher of nearly any movie I have seen. The two main supporting characters are played wonderfully, brilliantly, powerfully, intelligently and eerily by Carrie Anne-Moss and Joe Pantoliano. Each plays a character with such varying motives and actions that the viewer cannot find the line between truth and manipulation. The ending is a real kicker(don't worry, I won't spoil it) and I could spend a lot more time talking about this film, but I will leave it at this and simply say, "One of the year's best...without a doubt! Kudos to everyone involved with this movie, it rocks!"

Before stating my personal opinion of this movie, please note it is NOT a mind-challenging film that everyone should see for personal growth. Also, the movie is riddled with cliches, yet they do not hurt its' appeal. It's intention is to entertain, and it does! Fairly formulaic, yet still fun, I would recommend this movie to anyone who in search of a good laugh. Reese Witherspoon plays Elle Woods, a seemingly two-dimensional character with more depth than people give her credit for, wonderfully. Movie comes complete with feel-good ending and enjoyably ditzy characters and should leave its viewer (properly prepared to NOT pick it apart) well satisfied! I liked it, and I hope you do too.

Josh