Reviews

This is the badass Bond that will reinvigorate the Bond franchise which has been slackening for some years now. Daniel Craig is amazing as James Bond- I love Pierce Brosnan but Craig owns this role like he was born to play it. Casino Royale has not only re-invented James Bond, but made him relevant for the 21st century. The target audience has shifted. Although there's nothing in Casino Royale that will exclude teenagers, this 007 is aimed squarely at adults. The November release date is also perfect - the film is almost too dark and serious for the kind of lighthearted, mindless fun we associate with summer blockbusters. The action is amazing but brutal(gone are the clean kills associated with Dalton or Brosnan) and many times Bond gets his ass handed to him which feels real. If you haven't seen a Bond film then Casino Royale is a great film to start.

Racing Stripes tries to be like Babe, hoping to connect to audiences like the 1995 film had done. The new film has many of the same qualities, but it isn't as fresh, as witty, or as affecting as the pig starring film was. The concept of making animals talk is always tricky, and, for the most part, director Frederik Du Chau pulls it off. The animals' mouths move in a believable fashion, and the vocal cast is first-rate. The fault lies in the script), which doesn't believe that the animals have much worth saying to adult audience members. However, for the right demography (I am guessing pre-teen girls) this would be a nice film to sit and watch

Racing Stripes tries to be like Babe, hoping to connect to audiences like the 1995 film had done. The new film has many of the same qualities, but it isn't as fresh, as witty, or as affecting as the pig starring film was. The concept of making animals talk is always tricky, and, for the most part, director Frederik Du Chau pulls it off. The animals' mouths move in a believable fashion, and the vocal cast is first-rate. The fault lies in the script), which doesn't believe that the animals have much worth saying to adult audience members. However, for the right demography (I am guessing pre-teen girls) this would be a nice film to sit and watch.

Magnolia is an epic ensemble drama film consisting of so many names you'd have to take out your notepad. All the stories are intertwined, and the only constant is the San Fernando Valley. The camerawork is excellent, and a long take taken at a game show setup is a highlight. Magnolia is deeply layered, and many writers and film students have written about their perspective on the film. It is astonishing that a young man of less than 30 could write and direct such an in-depth film but hey- that's PT Anderson for you.

The Elephant Man- based on the true story of John Merrick is filled with imagery and allegories that might bore the watcher. Make no mistake- this is a good movie and the performance of John Hurt as the titular character is so good I think it's a joke he did not win an academy award for it. Hauntingly photographed and well acted by everyone from Anthony Hopkins to Anne Bankcroft this is an artistic film and needs a certain mindset to be viewed. 5/10 (Like any other Lynch film it depends on your taste).

The Elephant Man- based on the true story of John Merrick is filled with imagery and allegories that might bore the watcher. Make no mistake- this is a good movie and the performance of John Hurt as the titular character is so good I think it's a joke he did not win an academy award for it. Hauntingly photographed and well acted by everyone from Anthony Hopkins to Anne Bankcroft this is an artistic film and needs a certain mindset to be viewed.

How do you make a sequel to one of the greatest, if not the greatest movie ever made. Just the thought of taking on the task of following Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A space odyssey seems arduous for any filmmaker bur kudos to Peter Hyams for taking on the challenge. Now onto the film itself: This is no 2001 but it's a good film and a worthy sequel. Rob Schneider gives credence to the star cast and the plot based on the novel is decent- probably the best they could have done. Some scenes are quite good especially the spacewalk scenes and the to and fro conversation between Schneider and the Russian diplomat atop a satellite dish.

Dogma is again Kevin Smith at his wittiest. This film will probably offend the theist but it's quite funny when it should be and doesn't hold back. In fact the ending is almost borderline crazy. Featuring a host of cameos as expected in Smith's films Dogma is a ripe comedy from the last months of the 90s. If you like comedy films which hold no punches then Dogma should be on your watch list.

The film that made Tom Cruise into a megastar. Risky Business is about an 18-year-old kid whose parents leave him for the weekend and he ends up doing some crazy things. Its strange to see Tom Cruise so young, especially dancing in his undies to "old time rock and roll". The film has an amazing collection of songs and the soundtrack by Tangerine Dream is out of this world. You have to see this film just to see where it all began for a guy who is quite possibly the biggest movie star on Earth for the past few decades.