My wife and I went with high hopes but low expectations. I must say, we were pleasantly surprised. Sure, you have to adjust your mental gears to settle in and enjoy an action film with 'action characters' adapted to (older, established) film stars strengths and weaknesses. All in all, it was fun, gory, and satisfying. I was proud of how Stallone pieced it all together, and got the most out of this quirky collection of actors. He did a great job. The characters were a bit 'comic book' over the top, especially the main bad guy played by Eric Roberts, but I thought that Mr Roberts was in top form. Sly Stallone, you are like a fine wine; better as you get older, sir. Young kids may not get it, but the older crowd (over 40) will laugh and cheer. Two thumbs up.
Reviews
8 Reviews
Kick-Ass
(2010)
over the top, gleeful gore-fest
25 April 2010
Excellent movie. My wife and I needed some good escapist fun yesterday, and we escaped the rain and thunderstorms for the comfort of the movie theater. The buttered popcorn was good, this film was GREAT!! The characters were well written and well acted, the script was human and very engaging, and the action was non-stop. The young actress who played Hit Girl made the movie for me, she was incredible. I laughed and cheered throughout the film. Please go see it, but please do not bring your little kids. It is fun and hilarious, but it is also brutally violent. Some of the parents in the theater had actually brought their small children to see the movie, and I thought that was a bad move. Anyway, this is one really clever and entertaining blood-bath of a movie for grown ups and older teens. Two thumbs way up.
Feast of Love
(2007)
Great film, definitely not for everybody
14 October 2007
This was an extremely touching film, and one that had both myself and the missus weeping at the end. The movie is definitely not for everybody. Nothing blows up, nobody turns into robot cars, and there were no car chases. Morgan Freeman and Greg Kinnear were great as usual, and the cast of younger actors were unexpectedly good. The scenes with the dog were a little contrived, I must admit. But overall I thought the film was well conceived and executed. The acting was top-notch. I was pleasantly surprised at the tasteful full-frontal nudity throughout the film. Very old-school, it was!! I give it two thumbs up.
Fire Birds
(1990)
laughed 'till I cried
3 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
One of the two all-time worst movies in the history of motion pictures. The other one (Mac & Me) is probably worse in it's own way, but it had a lower budget and no big stars, so it gets a pass.
The Script: The dumbest, most hackneyed and trite bit of screen-writing I've ever witnessed. I kept asking myself through the picture, "Why can't these actors recognize that the lines they are speaking are complete and utter crap?"
Technical Details: A squadron of Apache helicopters wiped out by one guy riding around in a small observation helicopter. Ridiculous. Sean Young operating the Mast Mounted Sight controls from the left seat, while flying her little observation helo, (normally flown from the right seat) single-pilot. Equally-ridiculous. Nick Cage and Tommy Lee Jones are walking along somewhere in South American, pondering an orange, when all of a sudden a series of explosions occur directly behind them. Instead of dropping to the ground for cover, they immediately turn and sprint DIRECTLY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE EXPLOSIONS. Astoundingly bad production decisions.
Aside from all that, this is actually an entertaining evening rental. IF YOU WANT A REALLY GOOD COMEDY. Rent it, trust me, you'll laugh so hard you may need to go to the hospital for some sort of in-patient hernia treatment.
Ask for an orange with your breakfast.
The Script: The dumbest, most hackneyed and trite bit of screen-writing I've ever witnessed. I kept asking myself through the picture, "Why can't these actors recognize that the lines they are speaking are complete and utter crap?"
Technical Details: A squadron of Apache helicopters wiped out by one guy riding around in a small observation helicopter. Ridiculous. Sean Young operating the Mast Mounted Sight controls from the left seat, while flying her little observation helo, (normally flown from the right seat) single-pilot. Equally-ridiculous. Nick Cage and Tommy Lee Jones are walking along somewhere in South American, pondering an orange, when all of a sudden a series of explosions occur directly behind them. Instead of dropping to the ground for cover, they immediately turn and sprint DIRECTLY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE EXPLOSIONS. Astoundingly bad production decisions.
Aside from all that, this is actually an entertaining evening rental. IF YOU WANT A REALLY GOOD COMEDY. Rent it, trust me, you'll laugh so hard you may need to go to the hospital for some sort of in-patient hernia treatment.
Ask for an orange with your breakfast.
Music and Lyrics
(2007)
Surprisingly Good
19 February 2007
This was a really nicely crafted love story, rolled up in a neat package of ironic pop culture. Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, and Brad Garrett were excellent. The fictional music video of Hugh Grant's 80's band, "POP" was laugh out loud funny. The hair styles, the clothes, the vocal inflections, EVERYTHING, were spot-on. The director and producers hit a home run with their send-up of Ah Ha, A Flock of Seagulls, Wham, and Haircut One Hundred. Hugh Grant is the actor that I keep going to see and wanting to hate, but I just can't. The guy is just too good. He plays the aging, self-deprecating pop star with such aplomb that you find yourself believing it. I don't know what I loved more, the fact that his character is playing high school reunions and Knott's Berry Farm, or that he fells honored to do so. Good stuff. Two thumbs, way up!!
Invincible
(2006)
great football movie
27 August 2006
I enjoyed this film, and was greatly impressed with the performances of Mark Wahlberg and Greg Kinnear. I am glad that I did no homework on the true story of Vince Papale before viewing the film, since the filmmakers played it loose and cagey with the true football resume of the man, and just how it was that he became a Philadelphia Eagle.
The action was top-notch, and Mark Wahlberg deserves kudos for both his athleticism and for the amount of punishment he must have taken during the filming of this movie. (He apparently used no stunt-double, and he took a LOT of hits from some really big, real-life football players.) The guy is a stud in my book.
The action was top-notch, and Mark Wahlberg deserves kudos for both his athleticism and for the amount of punishment he must have taken during the filming of this movie. (He apparently used no stunt-double, and he took a LOT of hits from some really big, real-life football players.) The guy is a stud in my book.
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
(1982)
Carl Reiner's Masterpiece
11 February 2006
Simply brilliant. This gem of a movie slipped under the radar screen of the movie goer's consciousness when it was first released, but it will live on forever in the DVD collections of those who truly cherish good film-making. (And good parody. And good detective films. Film tributes, comedy, well, you get the picture I think.) As much an homage to the classic suspense/detective films as was Blade Runner, Chinatown, and Mullholland Falls. I have found myself, over the years, stealing lines from this movie at cocktail parties, and generally all I get is blank stares. But every now and then I will meet a kindred spirit, and their eyes will light up, and they'll join right it!
"You don't smoke, do you?" "No, I have tuberculosis." "Oh, thank heaven for that." Ha ha ha ha ha HAA!!
Two thumbs way up!!
"You don't smoke, do you?" "No, I have tuberculosis." "Oh, thank heaven for that." Ha ha ha ha ha HAA!!
Two thumbs way up!!
Mac and Me
(1988)
The all time stupidest movie...
3 February 2006
.....in the history of all time stupid movies.
I watched this with some close friends, back in the summer of 1989 when it first came out on video. Out of deference to the young children who were were seated on the carpeted floor watching the film (and actually enjoying it), we adults stifled our laughter, and wiped our tears as quietly as we knew how.
Mac and Me was just plain dumb. Beyond dumb. Beyond the valley of the SHADOW of dumb. What a dog of a movie.
What really got me, aside from the McDonald's dance scene, was the overt commercial advertising. McDonald's, of course. I understand how a hack-company like McDonalds would be willing to tie themselves to such a stupid project.
But Coca COLA?
Coca Cola should be ashamed of themselves for plugging their sugar water so shamelessly. (In case you don't remember, Coke was featured throughout the film, and in the end it was the magical cure for whatever was ailing the goofy aliens.)
Good gosh. I can't believe I just wasted 60 seconds of my life posting a review of Mac and Me. (Shakes head sadly)
I watched this with some close friends, back in the summer of 1989 when it first came out on video. Out of deference to the young children who were were seated on the carpeted floor watching the film (and actually enjoying it), we adults stifled our laughter, and wiped our tears as quietly as we knew how.
Mac and Me was just plain dumb. Beyond dumb. Beyond the valley of the SHADOW of dumb. What a dog of a movie.
What really got me, aside from the McDonald's dance scene, was the overt commercial advertising. McDonald's, of course. I understand how a hack-company like McDonalds would be willing to tie themselves to such a stupid project.
But Coca COLA?
Coca Cola should be ashamed of themselves for plugging their sugar water so shamelessly. (In case you don't remember, Coke was featured throughout the film, and in the end it was the magical cure for whatever was ailing the goofy aliens.)
Good gosh. I can't believe I just wasted 60 seconds of my life posting a review of Mac and Me. (Shakes head sadly)
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