Reviews

Mulder is at first going to be denied investigating a case involving a girls disappearance due to inconclusive evidence that it's a X-File but when Mulder indicates that the mother is supposed to have seen an UFO some years ago, he and Scully are allowed to investigate.

This episode gives us some more information about Mulder's sister's abduction and as such is important in the ongoing canon but it isn't the most interesting episode, what really kept me watching apart from it being a X-Files episode was the kid who is writing a lot of 1 & 0 (digital info) down on paper that he's getting from a TV.

The effects are great (the image created from the aforementioned 1 & 0's is astounding), the acting is below the normal standard of the show (the kid does well however) and the plot is just so-so.

This episode gets a 7 out of 10, would have got a 6 if not for the image created by the 1 & 0's.

One of Scully's school mates asks her for help in apprehending a serial killer who seems to kill people with no visible way of entry. Mulder of cause comes along for the ride and goes on to solve the case by backtracking through the X-Files.

The plot in this episode is brilliant with a mutant that for some reason (maybe liver failure) has to eat livers every 30 years to survive.

The effects are good, especially Tooms' Hive made of saliva saturates paper. the acting is also good, Doug Hutchison as Eugene Victor Tooms captures the mutant survival instinct very well.

This is a very good episode and gets a 8 out of 10.

This episode introduces Mulder's first informant, Deep Throat, who advises Mulder against taking a case involving a missing army test pilot.

The main concern with this episode is to introduce Deep Throat, but the sub-concern of the experimental aircraft, which is based on the presumed/rumored downed UFO of Roswell is good and well executed, and the UFO crazy townspeople of the town are funny enough.

The effects are great (for a TV show) and the acting good, Jerry Hardin is cool as Deep Throat, very aloft character, and Seth Green in a small role Emil, the kid who shows Mulder the way into the airbase, is always a hoot.

This episode gets a 8 out of 10.

Alex is a member of the Carolingians, a fraction within the Christian church, and is sent to Rome when a high standing member of the order is found dead. During Alex's investigation he's confronted by a Sin Eater (one who gives absolution outside the church) who want Alex to become the next Sin Eater.

The theme/premise of this movie has a lot of potential, unfortunately it isn't that well exploited and quickly becomes bogged down due to a very disinterested lack of pace and sense of meaning. While the portrayal of the Sin Eater idea is good and the Carolingians Order is a nice touch, it all seems a bit hastily put together without much sense of direction.

The effects are very good and feels right, the acting is generally good (Heath Ledger does lack some) with Benno Fürmann being the best, but Peter Weller also does well.

While the plot idea, effects and acting is very good the movie unfortunately isn't which is a very big shame since the theme has a lot to offer but somewhere in the directing or screen writing something has gone wrong.

The Order only gets 5 out of 10, with 4 out of these being for the plot idea, effects and acting alone.

Superman 2 starts up shortly after Superman. Lois Lane has been sent to Paris to report on a terrorist situation, and Superman comes to the rescue, when Superman accidentally, by rescuing Lois, releases General Zod and co. they come to earth to gain supremacy.

This is a hugely disappointing addition to the series, not alone is it riddled with poor effects (it even seems to have used scenes/film strips from Superman, the acting is right on the same horrible track (Stamp & Douglas are the worst) and not even Reeve or Hackman (whom both give the same level of performance as in Superman) can save this movie. Everything in this movie screams of bad judgment on the producers/director's part.

This can only get 2 out of 10 from me.

The movie adaption of the Superman comic focuses mainly on Superman/Clark Kent's first time at the Daily Planet, where he get to know Lois Lane and ultimately has to save her and the Camera boy Jimmy from an earthquake caused by Lex Luthor (in his own words "the greatest mind on earth").

As far as plot goes it quite straight forward, the bad guy is continually hemmed by his dumb associates while Superman saves the day and again. The only thing to point out here is the fact that Superman at one point turns back time by flying really fast around the planet in orbit, which is a bit of a let down to me.

The acting and effects is beginning to show it's age but is okay the time considered, although the white suits that the Kryptons are wearing are very bright as if the lightning is wrong (too much). As for the best performance I'll have to say Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor is th best while Christopher Reeve also does well, but in general the acting isn't very astonishing.

As the first Superman movie and the time considering this is an okay movie but non the less it only get 4 out of 10 as I didn't find it that captivating.

The third installment and perhaps the last of the X-Men series dosn't expand much on the story, where X-Men introduced the main characters (Xavier, Magneto, Storm etc.) and X-Men 2 further developed many of the characters (mainly Wolverine and Cyclops) and introduced a few new, Last Stand is quite weak, it does introduce a few new cool ones and re-introduces Jean Grey but it just dosn't develop the others further, in fact it concerns itself more with being an action flick rather than anything else which is sad considering that the Marvel universe is very diverse.

This episode or in fact the whole trilogy dosn't deliver what the comics or the universe promises and this is in no way due to poor performances or effects. Ian McKellen in particular does a magnificent job as does Famke Janssen.

Last Stand does have it moments, Grey's super-status and resulting inner struggle, Wolverine's single-minded lust (maybe not the right word there) to find/rescue Grey, Xavier and Magneto's relationship and history, Rogue's desire to be able to touch other people without hurting them, but somehow this dosn't come off as more than minor sub-plots and is relegated to a backseat on a bus position by the producers/Director's desire to make a full blown action party out of this great story/universe, which it indeed is or could have been if handled in the right way, perhaps much of the problem lies in the fact that in X-Men they tried to introduce too many characters and then didn't develop them or few of them much further in the sequels so when Grey dies in X-Men 2 and Cyclops goes the same way you don't care much unless you know them from the comics.

I was considering buying this series on DVD after having seen X-Men 2 but much relied on Last Stand to further develop and better the series but sadly I was putting too much fate in the producers/Directors and I don't feel they delivered what this universe has to offer.

I give Last Stand a 5 out of 10 due to the characters and as a Trilogy X-Men gets a 6 again due to the characters and a slightly better overall feel (in a great way due to X-Men 2).

Kain wakes up after his defeat by the Serafan Lord 200 years ago, he has been nursed back ti (Un)life by the Cabal, a vampiric cabal in Meredian in the world of Nosgoth, whom wants to use Kain to gain control of Nosgoth and defeat the Serafan Lord. To this extent Kain must regain his strenght and some new abilities by defeating former friends now turned traitor in a Highlander'ish way of their can be only one style of taking/gaining the abilities of the defeated foe and along the way acquiring the Soul Reaver, a magic sword at the center of the series.

The story is good and the world of Nosgoth is excitingly Dark Age meets Steam-Punk, all in all a cool if somewhat dark setting. Apparently there are some time-line problems with this addition to the series seen over the whole series (funny enough the same holds true for Highlander), but since I have only played the first and this I can't comment on this.

The graphics are all nicely done, there are however a small glitz with the dead people whom can 'fall' through a wall instead of resting against it, but this dosn't take anything away from the game-play. The sounds are also well executed and the lips movement looks in line with the spoken word. The controls is a bit lacking, it's impossible to jump when in attack mode, so you'll have to release the attack key and then press the jump key to escape some of the unblock-able attacks which is very annoying later on in the game, otherwise the controls just have to be aligned with your preferences which can be a bit hard but should be obtainable. As the story is good the game should have a good last-ability for most people bar the ones that don't find the setting to their taste.

I give this a 7 out of 10. It's close to an 8 but fails due to the jump thing mentioned.

Dead and Buried bodies goes missing and the scoopy gang thinks somebody is raising a zombie army, but Cordelia and Angel discover the remains of the bodies (arms, legs and such).

This is not a typical episode of Buffy in the sense that there's not much mystical in it. Basically it's just a brother's love and desire to look after his big brother, just like he did after him.

The effects are well done and don't have credibility problems. The acting is also good, nothing flashy but good enough for a quite (in comparison to other episodes) episode. Best performance must be from Anthony Head as a love struck Giles (and who can blame him, that Calender lady is good enough looking and shares some of his interests) who stumble around the concept of dating.

This is a good episode and a nice way of letting Buffy cool down a bit from last episode's spell of meanness by giving her something not vampiric related to battle. A 7 out of 10.

Buffy has to host a parent-teacher meeting along with fellow trouble maker Sheila Martin (Alexandra Johnes, "Neverending Story"), this of cause terrifies Buffy who has enough trouble as it is with convincing her mother that it goes well in school. Buffy gets her hands full when William the Bloody aka Spike appears along with his darling Drusilla and Sheila dosn't show up for the preparation of the meeting. At the actual meeting Spike gate crashes the party and Buffy has to save the day, but Principal Snyder has a surprise! What is great about this episode apart from the introduction of Spike and the mentally disturbed Drusilla is the surprise in store from Principal Snyder. The Snyder surprise is a great way to introduce the ongoing theme that all is not as it seems at Sunnydale High. As such this episode focuses more on the ongoing narrative than much else but touches on the subject of parent-teacher meeting which as most of us probably remember was a horror onto itself (what is the teachers going to say to my parents and so on and so forth).

The acting is as always great, if I am to point someone out it should be Juliet Landau as Dru and Alexandra Johnes as Sheila (her role is so far from the role in Neverending as can be). The character of Dru fits right in with the other strange vampires (Angel, Spike and Darla) and is a great casting job. The effects is okay but nothing special.

This episode gets a 7 out of 10.

A seal on an Inca Princess is broken on a school trip causing the mummified princess to rise and try to have a normal life, but being a teenager in a whole new world isn't easy. This episode also introduces Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne (Seth Green).

This episode has a great plot with an ancient Inca Princess who in accordance with Inca beliefs was chosen to be sacrificed at a young age whom now has been released. This episode deals with the difficulties of being a teenager in an other world (culture) but does so in a abstract way (using a mummy, who has to drain life to survive). It also introduces Oz but dosn't reveal much about him.

The acting is good with Alyson Hannigan putting on the best performance. the effects is also well done.

This episode gets a 8 out of 10.

With her fabulous portrayal Halle Berry won an Oscar for her role in this movie.

Well I guess Mrs Berry's performance is good but I rather think that Peter Boyle and especially Sean (Puff Daddy) Combs performance is way better, actually Peter Boyle performance isn't exactly Oscar material, it's just a typical Boyle performance but one can't help to like it (the sarcastic and somewhat flat tone that he delivers his lines in is just so like his character Frank Barone from Everybody Loves Raymond).

Spoilers here after.

The plot in this movie is really missing some parts, for some reason the producers has left out the story or at least some explanation to why Lawrence Musgrove (Puff Daddy) is sentenced to death by the chair and why Leticia (Halle Berry) is having trouble scraping together enough money (she gets fired from her job because she has been late several times but this dosn't explain enough even with her giving the reason for it due to her car being broke, there's something more to it but we're never told) and in the end we don't get to see what happens to the main characters after Leticia finds out that Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) worked at the facility where Lawrence was executed, it just ends with them sitting on the poach.

While this movie shows with some correctness the difficulties of integration of the afro-American people it deals with the fact in a strange way. On one side we have this racist family (Hank and his father, played by Mr. Boyle) and on the other an afro-American family trying to make enough to stay above (again we don't know why Lawrence is in jail and as such dosn't have enough to discren any obvious reason for this other than he's is indeed in jail) Hank gets tired or worn out by the fact that he has to execute this prisoner that seems to us to be a good enough man, and in part also in sadness that his own son kills himself because of this, so he resigns himself from the prison service and by some lucky happenstance he gets entangled with Leticia when she's struck by another tragedy. From here on Hank dose everything he can to make her happy but for some reason he dosn't know her last name or dosn't connect the dots.

The audience is just thrown into this movie as some random passerby and just as suddenly thrown out again. We don't get much in the way of explanation in regards to why things are as they are.

I wasn't entertained much by this movie and while I can make some assumptions towards the missing parts I was just left with being very bored for 108min.

Only bright points where as mentioned Peter Boyle and Puff Daddy.

A 4 out of 10 due to Boyle and Combs

This may contain spoilers.

Summer's over and Buffy and gang return to school, but Buffy is acting strange, she's mean and distant and according to her father has been all summer. In reality she is suffering from last seasons finale, the near fatal meeting with the Master.

What this episode deals with is the problems of trying to protect your friends from .... well basically oneself. Buffy does this by acting mean towards Xander, Willow and even Cordelia. But one can not help but sympathize with her (I mean she was killed by the Master and then revived by Xander) after what she's been through, this however is almost always the wrong way to do it as is also shown here.

This dosn't leave the audience with one of the best episodes of the show, it even has some of the worst make-up and props seen in the show (Make-up on the main Vampire and the Master's Skeleton is obvious made out of plastic or rubber). While the idea is okay for the first episode of a season the production team didn't put that much effort into it and I was left with a feeling that this was just one to get over with.

Sarah Michelle Geller does a good job as the distraught teenager and Armin Shimerman is as always a hoot with his portrayal of Principal Snyder. I just love his strong dislike of the kids at Sunnydale high.

I give this a 6 out of 10 as I didn't feel that entertained in comparison with most other episodes, except by the scenes with Principal Snyder.

A swampy state in USA is the first stage of an alien invasion of earth or at least that's what the title give away, as we here 4 episodes into the show (1st season of hopeful many more) has yet to see the actual aliens, all we have seen so far is lights dropping into the swampy area from the sky and lights in the water, the lights however seem hostile as it has already attacked at least 3 people and 4 people seem to have been invaded or possessed in some way by these aliens.

So far this series is promising, the plot is great (what has been revealed as of the 4th episode anyway), the effects is well done and the acting is great.

The show is of the a slow but well planned start where we're mainly concerned with the after effects of the tornado that struck in the first episode and on the side we have one of the main characters trying to get the grip on what has happened to her during the storm. This is a very good approach in my opinion as we're gradually drawn into wondering what has happened to her since the others that seem taken by the aliens dosn't seem to have her concerns and the destruction caused by the tornado leaves plenty of room for sub-plots and further expanding the main plot.

All in all this is a show that I'll follow with great interest and will be excited between episode for hopeful the full series. At the moment I give this a 8 out of 10 but since this show hasn't seen it last episode yet it isn't the final score.

By the way if what I has read here on IMDb is correct that ABC or whoever is making this show is planning to cancel this show then I just have to WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING????????? Finally there is a show that can take the mantle up from such shows as Charmed, Millennium, Buffy, Angel and not to mention The X-Files and Star Trek, and then you're planning to cancel it, please re-think that move.

Neal Page (Steve Martin) is rushing home for thanksgiving but everything from getting a cab to renting a car goes wrong, he joins up with, on more than one occasion, Del Griffith (John Candy), a fellow traveler whom gets stuck in the same places but has a bit more luck getting out of them. Neal has a very hard time coping with Del who is notoriously lax and carefree in contrast with Neal's more controlled and ordered way of life.

This is an alright comedy movie with Steve Martin and the late John Candy. As with most John Hughes movies this has a great setup that leaves plenty of opportune moments for comedy. Neal's desperate attempts at getting home on time combined with Del's trying to hard (at friendship) is a very good combination.

The actors does a very good job where neither shines alone but together they shine like a big star. The supporting cast's roles is too small to asses accordingly, but the small cameos gives some breathing space for the main cast (Martin And Candy) which would have been needed if they wasn't there.

What effects there are, are okay done except when the rental car goes up in smoke, somehow the seats hasn't taken any damage and dosn't leave a spot on Neal and Del's clothes which seem impossible given the state of the car.

I give this a 7 out of 10, mainly because I think the main cast is too small and only broken up by small cameos by such favorites as Kevin Bacon and Ben Stein, but it's just a little too little.

Plot: The plot is based on the novel by Anne Rice (actually the first book in the Vampire Chronicles) and takes a different approach to illustrating Vampires; here we are told the story from a Vampire's point of view (although it's a disgruntled Vampire's point of view). The Vampire Louis is 'made' in 1791 by another Vampire; Lestat; who takes pity (for lack of better word) on the young man who is very disgruntled with his current life, not that the transition into Vampire does anything to that view. This adaptation is one of the best I have had the pleasure to see, it does have its alterations but since Anne Rice herself as had a hand in the adaptation they don't impact the adaptation that much. I can't find anything that I can say destroys my impression of the book, there are of cause minor points but they don't ruin the flow or experience of my mental picture of the scenes (in fact some of them I didn't even realize). Now I have to say that this isn't my favorite book in the series but indeed a great one.

Actors: The actors do a magnificent job at portraying their various characters and are mostly well cast. Tom Cruise does portray Lestat de Lioncourt with just the right amount of darkness and emotional lacking that is conveyed in the novel, but he still does not fit with my picture of Lestat, this however is not any failing of Tom, but rather on the casting (just to clarify, the casters would have been hard set to find anyone else that could have played the role of Lestat this good). Brad Pitt is almost perfectly cast as Louis de Pointe du Lac, he portrays the character with just the right amount of disgruntlement and unhappiness that is central to the character. I find this role more his breakthrough than the one he actually became known from. Antonio Banderas portrays Armand with the right kind of passion and joy at finding this 'new' Vampire to teach and spend time with. You also get the feeling that he's missing something in his unlife (now I won't spoil it if you haven't read the Vampire Chronicles, but that portray is right on Armand). Stephen Rea portrays Santiago just as perfectly as the rest of the actors do theirs. Santiago isn't one of the greatest roles in the novel but still an important one and Stephen nails it. Santiago is himself an actor and playwright and one who follows the rules of the Vampires to the letter, and this is conveyed perfectly by Stephen. Kirsten Dunst is adorably as Claudia, the Child Vampire. She truly acts with a great understanding of the character (remarkably considering her age at the time) and the emotions that anybody would have in a situation such as Claudia's. Christian Slater portrays Daniel Malloy with enough uneasiness that he doesn't fall flat on his face but his is the least of the performances, but given that this is probably the least explained (fleshed out) characters in the novel (he's gets his due later in the series) he does a good enough job.

Effects: Big applause to Stan Winston for the Vampire effects, they're just stunning, as is the burning of New Orleans (which is mostly computer generated since the city of New Orleans wouldn't let the filmmakers use any pyrotechnics, and who can blame them?). The sets and clothing also fits nicely with the Victorian age.

Overall: Well as I said this is one of the best adaptations I have seen (it even takes into account some of the later revelations in the series). I have a hard time finding anything bad to say about it; the only thing I can come up with is that I think that Stuart Townsend (Queen of the Damned) is a better Lestat than Tom Cruise. I give this movie 8 out of 10. The extra material on the DVD doesn't give much but a nice anyway, the commentary by the director is nice enough but I miss someone else that he could discuss the scenes with, the making of is also interesting but these two extras isn't enough to satisfy me.

Plot: The plot is based on the novel by Valerie Martin and takes a different approach to the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story; here we are treated to a household maid's view of the story. In the original story the Jekyll household indeed has a maid called Mary Reilly whom has some importance to Dr. Jekyll and as such the plot is good and can give a different point of view to the story. But the adaptation does have its holes or should we say omissions, there's no way that the household won't get some gossip about the actions of Mr. Edward Hyde, even if they don't at first connect the dots, and I don't believe or have seen in other adaptations of the story that Mr. Hyde is in any way trying to hide his misdoings. Dr. Jekyll does look tired and exhausted, as he should, but he doesn't seem to be effected much by the doings of Mr. Hyde, now at first he isn't even aware of Mr. Hyde's nightly escapades but since the good doctor indeed is a very smart man he'll soon figure out that the guilty culprit is his own alter-ego. He does try to stop Mr. Hyde but there just don't seem to be much willpower behind. Mary herself is well enough carried over it seems, there at least seems to be some genuine concern in the character. Now it has to be said that I haven't read the novel, but with the knowledge I have of the basic story, I'll have to say that the adaptation is well enough but I do find it lacking, we lack something of the grisly escapades of Mr. Hyde and the research conducted by Dr. Jekyll, whichever way we put it, Mary must at least have heard some rumors and seen some research one way or the other. In fact this is part where this plot and adaptation falls slightly apart, we don't get that feeling of contempt or chock over what Mr Hyde is doing because we don't get to see anything until the very last moment and then more in flashback than real-time. Otherwise in fits well enough into the age in which it's placed (Victorian) but it's evident that this is an American movie set in Victorian England. The story is enjoyable enough but lacks the grisly business as described above.

Actors: The actors do an okay performance but this won't win any of them an award for good acting, there doesn't seem to be much emotion towards what the Hyde character does, either they haven't got any more clue than somebody who doesn't know the setup or the writers/directors haven't been able to convey this to the actors. Julie Roberts does portray Mary Reilly good enough but doesn't have the right accent; it's easy to hear that she's an American because she doesn't have that London way of speaking. Otherwise there isn't much to fault her in that doesn't go for all involved actors. Michael Gambon does a very good portray of Mary's Father, a very abusive one at that, but this is in line with the age and the way that life was at the time in the poor quarters. We don't see him that much but what we see of him is well within his character, heck if you didn't know you wouldn't even notice that it's him (always a good sign), so he's probably the actor with the best performance in this movie. John Malkovich does a good job as Mr. Edward Hyde, but his portrayal of Dr. Henry Jekyll is lacking in warmth or in the caring that the character originally has for his fellow people. He is usually good at these semi-dark character portrayals but his aura somehow lacks that quality that is needed for a character of Dr. Jekyll's type. Glenn Close is also hard to place, as I don't know that much of her character, Mrs. Farraday. The character seems like one that Dr. Jekyll wouldn't be friends with, she has a very gruff tone and appears to be one that won't have any one push her around and yet she'll do anything for Dr. Jekyll, but as I said I don't have enough knowledge of the character. Her performance also seems to be missing something that I can't quite place, but I'll take a chance that it's the same that the others lacks.

Effects: The clothes and sets (such as the operating theater) looks to be of the right time period as does the props, the only thing that I have any gripes about is Mary's noose, now I can't remember the description of her that I have heard but that noose looks wrong, it's clearly a fake noose and looks out of place on Julia Roberts.

Overall: The overall feeling I'm left is that this movie is a good enough time waster when shown on TV; it's not one that I would pay to see in a theater. I will probably buy it on DVD at some point but only because of the alternative view of the Jekyll/Hyde story. I would give this a 6 on a scale from 1-10 due to the Jekyll/Hyde factor.