Reviews

I came to this movie just recently with absolutely no prior knowledge, only that Olivier and Caine were in it, and it was supposed to be good. And yes, the performances were good, the dialog at turns witty, vulgar and amusing, and the art direction was superb. But --- AND THIS IS A SPOILER -- the central conceit absolutely didn't work. That it was Michael Caine underneath piles of bad makeup was incredibly obvious, well before the "surprise" reveal -- the eyes and the barely suppressed cockney accent gave it away immediately. So, that another "game" was afoot was clear -- the only question being "exactly who WAS killed," because it clearly wasn't Milo. When the "surprise" was finally revealed, the whole thing fell apart for me. It became simply clever, but not particularly interesting. Boring. Worth seeing once, but not twice. And only if you can see it for free.

Big fan of Duvall, Caine, Sedgewick. Don't mind sentimental tales. But even sentimental tales have to hand together. This one, sorry, doesn't. So many leaps and plot holes that it's impossible to ignore them. And while I hate to be too critical, Haley Joel Osment is absolutely horrible. If ever you wanted a kid to be eaten by a lion, secondhand or not, it's him in this movie. The transition between cranky old great uncles to doting father-figures occurs almost instantly and without explanation. The viewer is asked to accept far more on faith than even a movie about faith should ask. And to be constantly beaten by the soundtrack into FEELING SOMETHING is mostly unbearable. To all of this movie's fans, I again must apologize. If you want to see how this type of movie is made well, check out another of Duvall's movies: To Kill A Mockingbird. Or even "Fried Green Tomatoes." This one, however, is strictly for little kids.

As a dog lover, I'm pretty much a sucker for any film featuring fur. Knowing that this was a Disney film, I was prepared for a mundane story, the requisite heart tug or two, sappy music, a little comic relief -- in other words, the standard formula. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a solid, well-crafted movie. The animal scenes are outstanding, the human ones less so, but bearable. You know from the opening scenes that you're being set up for what comes later, but such transparency doesn't mar the overall effect. WARNING: If you are a dog lover, bring a hankie (or at least a companion who won't mind if you wipe your nose on his/her sleeve). There is a particularly scary scene involving a leopard seal that will make little kids jump and scream (some big kids will, too). And because this is a Disney film, know that not every dog will survive the ordeal. If "Old Yeller" made you lose it, you don't stand a chance here. You've been warned. Best viewed on a big screen, since the location shots are frequently awesome. Overall a good family movie, well worth seeing.

Santa brought me this DVD. Goes to show you how smart old farts can be.

Living out their last years in a Texas nursing home, old folks await the Reaper in whatever ways are left to them. Great recipe for a comedy, no? Well, should one of those old folks be Elvis, and another maybe JFK, does that up the ante? And what if death comes in the form of a snakeskin-boot wearin' soul-suckin' Egyptian mummy? Would I have your interest then?

Words fail to describe how absolutely terrific this film is. You will share it with those special friends who you know will "get it." You will make new friends because you mention the film and they share your love for it. You will find yourself thinking about this improbable -- or is it? -- plot, and wishing the movie kept going long after the final credit. You will remember and quote lines. And, maybe, you will look differently at the world because of it.

Or, maybe you'll just laugh your ass off. Either way, you win.

A performer once knew he was past his prime when studios paired him with a fool or two in a B horror movie. Think Bela Lugosi meeting Abbott and Costello. I couldn't help but think that, had Elvis really lived, right about now he'd be stuck in a cameo in the latest Jason or Freddy schlock. And therein lies the charm of this movie. Elvis would find, deep inside, the courage to stand against it all one last time, to reclaim his kingdom, to face the beast with courage. May we all do the same, not going gently into that good night.

Seek out "Bubba Ho-Tep." You will be richly rewarded for doing so.

What can I say...I thoroughly enjoyed this updated version of the classic "King Kong." Normally I avoid remakes of movies that I love, and the original KK is among those films, because generally they are unnecessary (does remaking "Yours, Mine and Ours" make any possible sense?). But Kong COULD benefit from technical advancements in movie-making if the original storyline was kept intact (one of many fatal mistakes of the 1970s remake was attempting a "socially-conscious" plot). And, in this viewer's humble opinion, this version of Kong gets it almost completely right. This is close to the movie O'Brien and Cooper would have made had they had today's technology available to them.

The basic plot and setting remains intact from the original, though background is filled in for the main characters to give them a bit more depth. So, anyone who's seen the original already knows the story. Kong has a personality that could only be hinted at in the original, mainly, I think, due to technical limitations that are now gone.

Suspend disbelief, you must. But, given the fact that this is a FANTASY film, that should be easy. Unless, of course, you are looking for nits to pick.

This is a movie for the big screen. In fact, the TV trailers made me think that the CGI effects were going to disappoint, but I was wrong.

Parents be warned: it's rated PG-13 for a reason. This is NOT a movie for young children. There are nightmarish scenes on Skull Island that are simply too frightening for kids. Get a sitter or stay home.

Not a perfect movie; few are. But this version of King Kong has everything an entertainment should have: characters to care for, spectacle and excitement, pathos and elation, heartbreak. Other opinions on this site notwithstanding, I submit that Mr. Jackson does, in fact, know how to make a good movie. At three hours, I was ready to sit through it again immediately.

For fans of the "Dead" series of films, this latest installment is a mixed bag. The director clearly had a bigger budget and was able to take advantage of technology unavailable for his previous films. The acting was consistent, the gore effects numerous and generally satisfying, and overall, the final result benefited from movie makers who genuinely care about this rather offbeat material. However, depending upon what you're looking for in a Romero "Dead" film, you may end up wishing it had been more.

I am in the minority, as I consider "Day" the most effective of the series, for exactly the reason that most fans dismiss it. Besides a palpable tension throughout, I enjoy "Day's" political commentary immensely: that no matter how dire the outside threat, our inability to cooperate with a common agenda remains the greatest threat to our survival. In "Land," I suppose I expected him to bring this theme to full fruition. Unfortunately, it almost felt as if Romero was saying "Just ignore 'Day of the Dead,' cause this is really what I meant that movie to be." Certain scenes felt lifted directly from that movie. And let me just day that Big Daddy is no Bub. Finally, as others have noted, it all seemed too rushed.

Having said all that, I DID enjoy the movie. Asia Argento is almost TOO sexy to look at, and how can you not love a zombie movie where someone gets a tonsillectomy from the undead?

But it could have been so much more.

George, please go for five. And don't spare us the political commentary. You have something to say, so say it. Right now, America needs it said.

"Frailty" started out strong, begins to fade in the second act, then completely falls apart at the end. Clearly, this opinion is in the minority, but it needs to be said...

Story: Attempting to be meaningful, in the end the story devolves upon itself. Did any of the flashback story happen at all? Are we being asked to believe that God really is in the business of directing people to "destroy demons" (disguised as actual people) loose in the world? Are we intended to feel that the killer or killers in the movie are actually heroes? That everyone who gets axed (excepting, perhaps, the sheriff) actually deserved it? Or are we not supposed to think about any of this and just go along for the ride?

Photography; Watch this one in the dark, but not because it's so much scarier that way. The fact is that you won't be able to make out most of the action because this movie is very poorly lit. Couldn't the script at least have called for a flashlight or two?

DVD: Barely worthy of ONE audio commentary, this DVD actually had THREE. Don't know how valuable they are since I couldn't bear to sit through this THREE MORE TIMES to find out.

Director: I wanted to yell at the screen "Pick up the pace!" You could almost hear the prompter off-camera feeding the lines to the actors during long pauses between snippets of cumbersome dialog. One director's homage is another man's rip-off.

Having said all this, I will grant you that this one will keep your interest, right up until the moment that you realize that you've been ripped off and could have been re-lining your bird cage instead.

PS: Whatever Texas town that was supposed to be in the end -- a little background check on your sheriff might be in order.

You go to a summer comedy, you don't hold highbrow expectations. But hey, you can't get away with EVERYTHING. I mean, doesn't it have to at least adhere to its own established rules? The first half-hour of this one is fall-down funny. Wilson is subdued and Vaughn is manic, but they click. The wedding-crashing montage is funny, no doubt.

But once the main part of the film gets going, it all falls apart. Obvious jokes, well-worn and obvious, plot lines that go nowhere, and the odd feeling that much much more was shot and left on the cutting room floor. And yet, this one could use a really good editor.

Wait for the video.