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Reviews
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Good, but could be better
This is a great film, and my only major complaint would have to be about the dream sequence - too much is revealed too fast. It should have been seen in snippets throughout the movie, with revelations coming only towards the end. Frank Sinatra is a little weak at times, too, but it is still one of the greatest espionage thrillers of all time.
Batman & Robin (1997)
I spent money on this?????
Joel Schumacher has turned what looked like it might be a decent franchise into a cartoon. Even the afternoon cartoons that they make with batman are better than this crap. George Clooney tried, but no one could have improved this script. The addition of Batgirl sucked, the whole disease Alfred gets sucks, the ending sucks, the plot sucks, Arnold sucks, everything sucks. Uma is OK, I guess, but hardly a diamond in the rough.
Moonraker (1979)
Why, God, why?
Why did anyone involved with this wonderful franchise allow this trite to be filmed? Why couldn't someone with a conscience have burned the final print before it was released? Why did they allow Roger Moore to continue playing Bond when he was over 50??
If you haven't gotten the picture yet, this is, by far, the absolute worst of the series. There are a few decent scenes, but, let's face it, the whole space station battle thing was idiotic. Then, there's Jaws. He went from a terrifying villain to a comedic sidekick. The acting is horrendous on all fronts, the story is horrible (read the book by Fleming, which has a much more insidious, believable plot), and, unfortunately, it's the last one Bernard Lee (M) is in. DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE.
From Russia with Love (1963)
Simply the best
The absolute best of the series, "Goldfinger" included. This is the model that every director wanting to make a spy thriller should follow. The plot is fantastic, with SPECTRE playing both sides, MI6 and SMERSH against each other. Rosa Klebb is by far one of the most memorable villains (and what I wouldn't give for a poisoned dagger in my shoe!). The fight scene on the Orient Express is the most exciting and best choreographed that I have ever seen, and Shaw's Grant makes a great nemesis for bond (Shaw was great in "Jaws" too!) Overall, I have tried but can find very little wrong with this film, except that a few scenes were cut out (when Bond says, "He was right, you know," to Tatiana at the end, there was a scene earlier when Grant mentioned the tape to Bond on the train and said "Quite a performance!" that was cut out.)
The Thin Red Line (1998)
War is hell, The Thin Red Line isn't
I went into this film expecting a lot (because of the hype), and Terrence Malik certainly delivered. I have never seen a film that depicted not only the terror of war, but the terror of the soldiers in that war. The only movie that comes close is All Quiet on the Western Front (actually, the book is about 3,000x better than either version I saw). Sean Penn is absolutely great, although I wish he had more of the insane character that Jones created in his book. The only complaint I really have is the scenes on the tropical island that just drag on forever. Don't get me wrong - I don't want nonstop action, but I wish those scenes maybe had been cut a little bit. That aside, I highly recommend this movie, a much more realistic WWII flick than Saving Private Ryan.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Decent, but underwhelming
First of all, before I get to my complaints, let me say that this is a fairly well-made, entertaining movie. Spielberg puts together a good flick, though I still maintain he has not achieved the status of Hitchcock or Kubrik. The battle scenes were fantastic and by far the most realistic that I have ever seen (not including The Thin Red Line). Anyone who thinks that Normandy was a glorious day should watch this film (which depicts the landing of the U.S. Army Rangers near Omaha beach, one of the most hellish fights in army history). And I do have to say that the cast was one of the greatest ensemble casts ever made. The scene where Hanks reveals who he his to stop a quarrel is just fantastic.
Now, having said that, this is NOT the greatest war movie ever made, as some have proclaimed. For one thing, I just find it patently ridiculous that a platoon of soldiers would be sent deep within enemy lines to save one guy. Maybe that kind of stuff happened, maybe not, but I find it very implausible. Unfortunately, a movie with a bunch of guys roaming the European theatre fighting Germans would have been worse. Another thing - one more role with a pompous Tom Hanks and I will vomit! He's a good actor, to be sure, but jeez. And Matt Damon's performance did not impress me either.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it :)