Reviews

This is another great episode from Season 3 of The Wild, Wild West which is by far the greatest season of the show. It was a season that threw out clichés of the first two seasons of West continuously being held captured by the enemy and involving some far out plot. Season 3 of the show is where stories were the most important aspect of the show and the Legion of Death is one of those episodes of Season 3 with a great story. The episodes title is misleading, because the Legion of Death which is a militia run military group isn't the focus of this episode. The episodes primary focus is about politics. The episode speaks the truth on how politics work, especially in this day and age. The episode deals with a dictatorial governor who runs a territory in the USA, that wants to declare statehood and also this governor wants to run for President of the United States. The governor played by Kent Smith is the shining face that the people love and respect. One problem though, their shining face isn't the great leader they think he is. He's a puppet who's run by someone else who stays in shadow's because he doesn't have that great face or charisma like the governor. This man is nerdy, ugly, and has a scarred face and he is the one that runs the show and the Legion. This man in the shadows is played with perfection by a very young Anthony Zerbe.

The episode ends with a surprising climax of not action, but of the truth about politics. A rally is being held for the governor by it's people, but the governor has finally broken down and can't play the part anymore of their shining face, so the man in the shadows steps out of the shadows and reveals himself as the man who's really runs this territory. As soon as the townsfolk's realize this they leave the rally and it completely dies while Zerbe's character goes mad and loses his mind that the people won't rally for him. While he breaks down all West and Gordon can do is look at the man with pity and remorse. One interesting aspect of this episode is when Zerbe's character is pleading for people to unite with him, a picture of the governor with his smooth face is hung in the background. In this instant you can see that the people don't care for the ugliness and the political ambition of this man, but prefer the smooth shining face of the fraudulent governor who knows nothing about politics. This is very true today in our world of politics in the United States.

In all this is a terrific episode of The Wild, Wild West and I can say that the first two seasons wouldn't come close to writing something this realistic or great. This episode also features many great fights and stunts and Robert Conrad looks like he's having lots of fun in this episode. I too, was having lots of fun watching this episode and it was sure one hell of a wild, wild ride.

The Good the Bad and the Ugly is one of the most overrated movies ever made. It's considered a classic because of Ennio Morricone iconic theme and because it has Clint Eastwood in it. The plot what plot. There is not consistent plot. Only action scenes upon action scenes pieced together to create a three hour long bore fest. I think I would rather take the three hour tour in Gillian's Island and get shipwrecked on a island then watch this turd again. It's as if Sergio Leone who made a masterpiece with Once Upon a Time in the West and another great film in Fistful of Dollars went to his screenwriter and said lets make a film with many showcased action sequences and piece them together with our twenty page screenplay. The result a paper thin, very thin story with no solid characterization or development.

The movie is more like the adventures of the man with no name and his annoying nerdy partner Tuco who can't shut the hell up. The pair play one another in con games, shootouts, duels, and other antics. They both happen to fall upon a deserted stage wagon full of dead men where they learn the secret to ones fate of hidden gold. They both end up in a Civil War prison camp, right in the middle of a Civil War battle and other clueless adventures in a story that might have been written by a couple of adolescents. Just one adventure after another that has nothing to do with telling a strong story. This film is like a clumsy, sloppy serial with no motivation by any of the characters involved.

The one thing that make Sergio Leone films so great is the style and action. The action sequences in the film are dull and not the least bit engaging. The Civil War battles look way too much like a World War battle. The duels and showdowns that were so thrilling and fun to watch in the previous two films I mentioned are drawn out here in very long and tiresome sequences. Especially the duel climax which is almost laughable which consists of endless and endless shots of eyes, guns, expressions. The whole thing last for a total of 5 minutes and after it ends the viewer like me is not excited, but more relieved that it's over. Any longer I would of fast forwarded it. Other sequences such as showdowns in western towns are mere cartoonish and over the top.

Even Leone's style of film-making isn't impressive. There are some shots that amuse me, especially the desert sequence which had artistic look to it. However, because of so many drawn out long boring sequences I really start losing focus on the art of film-making and really don't care anymore about this shot or that shot. That's not the case in Once Upon a Time in the West or Fistful of Dollars.

As for the characters in the film. Clint Eastwood's portrayal of the man with no name is no longer mysterious or cool like he was in Fistful of Dollars. I've never seen the second man with no name film. In this film he's more of a spoof. Talks very little, but he's way to silly and not serious enough. As for Elliah Wallach his role of Tuco is way too comic and not the least bit intimating. He's also extremely annoying and he's also ugly. As for Lee Van Cliff his turn as Angel Eyes is the only character that I somewhat enjoyed. He played the part well with his narrow eyes, but he was in far too little of the film.

Too sum it all up I'm extremely disappointed at the final result of this film. So many people love it. I don't know why. My theory is that the ones who love it are too dumb to realize why they like it and don't know what a great film is. Once Upon a Time in the West is a great film and so is Fistful of Dollars. I've seen The Good the Bad and the Ugly three times now and every time I watch it I hate more and more. A masterpiece I think not. More like a turdpiece!

My expectations going into this movie were very low after reading so many harsh reviews that I had thought were total BS. Was this film really that bad? Well, after seeing it last Saturday, most of the reviews on this film were right. This is film is downright awful. It makes Temple of Doom (TOD) look like a great and realistic film. That's saying an awful lot! The film was conceived by Liberal Liar Spielberg (LLS) and I-like-to-pull-scripts-out-of-my a*s George Lucas (GL). The film is full of political BS: The Red Scare and The Cold War. All exaggerated by LLS. The 1950's were a great time to be alive. A fun and swinging decade. Sadly this film is anything but fun or exciting.

The first 40 minutes of the film I rather enjoyed. The race of the teen's vs Russians introduced the story to a 1950's setting. The first shot of Indy and the warehouse searching for the mummified remains of the alien was also interesting. It gave the whole thing a mysterious feeling. I think it would have been wiser to keep the alien mythology a mystery throughout the film and never reveal anything. The poor action is what dragged this thing down and down.

The recreation of the neighborhood done 1950's like for or A-Bomb testing was neat. The set was done so accurately and had a 50's feel to it right down to the interior design to props decorated all around it. Seeing Indy walk around the set was weird, but at the same time gave the audience a glimpse that Indy isn't in the 1930's anymore. However, Indy surviving the nuclear explosion while hidden in a refrigerator was a YOU-GOT-TO-BE-KIDDING moment. Now I knew this wasn't Indy anymore but James Bond and a scene pulled right out of GL's a*s. I didn't think another scene in the movie would top that awful scene, but it did—many of them.

All the archeology junk of scavenging temples and places that are very, old was exciting as hell in the 3 real Indy films. In this film they are nothing more than tired clichés taken right out of the The Mummy and National Treasure films. The beauty of the 3 real Indy films is when Indy is exploring the Well of the Souls, or the Temple of Doom or the catacombs underneath the library, the audience along with Indy was in for an incredible adventure of discovery and wondering just like him if he going to get out alive. That was Indiana Jones! The whole alien crap and the temple exploring in Indy 4 was boring and wasn't the least bit thrilling. It would have been better if they made this whole alien concept as scary as hell. No can't GL would probably wet his pants.

As for the action, I'll keep it short. SUCKS BADLY. LLS with the help of some great Assistant Directors did a fantastic job in the 3 real Indy films shooting fun and exciting action sequences. In this film it's obvious that LLS shot the scenes himself. LLS statement prior to the movie's release that there would be "little CGI" was a flat-out lie. Spielberg couldn't even direct an action scene all by himself that is great even if he took the Michael Curtiz school of Action Directing. Action is the biggest strength of the 3 real Indy films. Here there nothing more than scenes to wear out the viewer and to fill in running time.

Another (YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING moment) is when Indy and company dive off 3 very enormous waterfalls and come out without a scratch. Hey, Indy already survived a nuclear explosion, what's a little water and current going to do to him? NOTHING! The guy is no longer Indy, but Bond... James Bond. That scene had LLS BS written all over it.

The downright shi*ty climax has GL turd scattered all about. The climax is definitely pulled straight of Lucas a*s. It's the Howard the Duck of climaxes where Indy and Co are in yet another lifeless temple search right out of The Mummy films looking for the who-gives-a-damn secret passage to find the final resting place for the alien skull and come face to face with a dozen other crystal heads. Once the head is placed the whole damn thing comes alive, the temple falls apart, and the alien figures come together to form an ALIEN a real one and then a SPACESHIP flies off into the sky and disappears. The whole thing screams The X-Files and even takes the whole spaceship thing right out of the climax of The X-Files film.

To sum it all up, I knew this film was going to be a mess especially after 19 years in the making. However, I didn't know it was going to be sequels to The Mummy and National Treasure. There is no Indiana Jones feel or fun in this film. It's like George Lucas saw these other Indy rejects and thought I can make this but let's have it star Harrison Ford, call it Indiana Jones 4 and have aliens in it and other far-out garbage. Yeah, I'll show them I can make it better. Truly, a bad end to an otherwise great trilogy now forever diminished by a film that never should have been made.

I've never understood the comments that "Rising Sun" is so derogatory to the Japanese, because if you pay attention to it, you'll see that Americans in the film come out much worse.

Every American man in the film is either a sell-out or a sleaze bucket-- as is the murderer--and every American woman is basically a sex slave serving some old Japanese man (not to mention their breakthrough roles as Eddie Sakamura's sushi plate and sake straw).

When I first saw this movie in 1993, I came out of the theater with a much more negative view of my own compatriots than I did the Japanese.

Do you think it's a coincidence that the film's wise hero is a Scot, not an American?

So the question I ask is, Do the Americans come out any better?

The first time I saw this movie was way back in 91. I was a little kid then, and I loved it. Now as an adult, I just watched this film for the first time in 5 years yesterday and I must say there is nothing special or great about this goofy film. It's a stupid kids film. Only immature people would find this film entertaining or great. And there are a lot of immature people who praised that this film was great. This film is just another remake of Alien or Aliens: This time it takes place in a jungle. Stupid one-liners, paper thin story, no characterization, and no sense of direction. After a huge shootout, the macho man solders trudge through the jungle with each soldier getting picked off one by one, until the last one left is Arnie. Of course at the end, he and the predator have a face off until there's one man left standing. This movie has aged terribly. The special effects are cheesy as the situations that endure throughout the entire picture. The only thing that I still like about this film, just like I did 15 years ago is the cool soundtrack by Alan Silvestri. The sequel Predator 2 is better and is more fun to watch. Though Danny Glover ain't no Schawarnegger.

Did you know: Four of the macho men worked on my favorite show of all time Miami Vice!! Can you guess who?

This film like many other reviews, is NOTHING like the greatest show ever made. It's not Miami VICE of the 80's. It's titled Miami vice, and by coincidence the names of the main character's happen to be the same from the show. This movie was a wreck from the opening scene in a dance club. I had no idea what the hell was going on for the first half-hour. A little conversation here, driving down the Miami freeway, blowing up two boats, and then a little more conversation on the cell phone protecting an informant. What the hell is going on? The whole movie was like this from beginning to end. Michael Mann, you should be damn ashamed of yourself. Even the worst episode of Miami Vice ever Missing Hours had a plot. This is an over-blown, money wasted movie that has no PLOT. No characterization, no fun, crappy music,a low-key wardrobe throughout, and only one damn action scene that is more than a minute long. Which was a shootout, that was once again just as insane as Mann's Heat shootout. Also no car chase. You can't make a Miami Vice movie and not have an car chase. The worst thing about this movie was the hand held camera shaking and sloppy, rough cut editing that was confusing through the whole picture. Who edited this movie? Mann or a monkey. Does Mann also have a shaking problem? The camera focused in and out constantly, panned left and right very amateurish, and the film had a very cheap student film look to it. A lot of grainy shots, that made this film feel like it was being documented and at the same time filmed as a movie. An utter mess throughout. The characters of Crockett and Tubbs were dull, as were the bad guys. I'm going to end this now. I don't want to waste anymore time with this GARBAGE. Movies are coming to an end. This movie doesn't ruin Miami Vice THE SHOW. It's not the show, it just uses the title. There's only one Miami Vice and it stars Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas and it was made in the 80's! This movie should really be called the shield.