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michaeljkraemer
Reviews
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
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Predictable, ponderous, self important, loud, garish, meaningless, empty, depressing, The Matrix Revolutions managed to disappoint me despite how low I had set the bar for it after the first part of the Matrix sequel, Reloaded. Not the worst movie I've seen, it isn't unwatchable, but then, it's not worth watching either. 4 of 10
Top Gun (1986)
Didn't exactly take my breath away
A beautiful time capsule of the eighties and a hint of things to come from Jerry Bruckheimer. Unless it is enough just to look at stars and not to watch actors act, director Tony Scott wastes a good cast. I don't think I've ever seen Kilmer doing a worse job then he did in this one. The movie is shot well and has some intense dogfighting action but is hardly a great cinematic achievement. Production values are high and the simple themes, trite dialogue, and iconic characters won't tax the brain, making it an ideal action movie for the average American and a fair way to spend a couple of hours.
6 of 10 stars.
Hannibal Brooks (1969)
Best WWII, POW, zoo keeper movie you're likely to ever see
Very interesting story concept. It's worth watching for that novelty alone, however, thankfully, there are other reasons. Some decent action, comedy, and even some well performed and interesting characters exist in this slightly off beat film. If you can suspend you're disbelief enough to accept that an elephant can traipse about a countryside with little to no food for it to eat, then you should be able to enjoy Hannibal Brooks.
6 of 10 stars
Daredevil (2003)
Recommended, but just barely and only to the genre's fans
The comicbook probably deserves a better adaptation than this. Despite a few great action sequences, the movie is fairly dull and should leave many viewers wanting something more, or something different all together. The film seems to lack any real direction and many holes exist in the plot, a problem which seems to plague these sorts of action features. The romance feels forced and is poorly paced, making all the time between action set pieces drag to an almost unbearable extent. Many other elements seem too contrived, too convenient, or too poorly explained. The lack of any real character development is my greatest issue. The film just has no heart.
However, there are many good things here, and much of the movie is enjoyable. Some of those fights are a treat to watch, and the first time Matt experiences his heightened senses and his "radar" is absolutely fantastic. Also, there is some good use of the soundtrack, particularly introducing the villains. Speaking of the villains, Colin Ferrell, with his full-on crazy portrayal of the psychotic assassin, Bullseye, is just bursting with the kind of energy these films demand from their villains, making all of his scenes fun.
Certainly not the worst comicbook movie, although not even close to the level of filmmaking exhibited by Burton in Batman, Raimi in Spider-man, Donner in Superman, or Singer in X-Men, Daredevil winds up in the middle of the road and, while most film fans will want to avoid it, many comicbook fans will enjoy the ride and look forward to sequels, spin-offs and other equally derivative, but sometimes fun, films that choose the familiar course rather than pave a new one.
Rated 5 of 10.