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ritabert_2000
Reviews
Just Legal (2005)
Well worth watching
I've watched two episodes of Don Johnson's new show on the WB (Monday nights at 9 PM EST). I like it. It's set in the Venice/Santa Monica area of LA. Johnson is older and out of shape but he's very good as a formerly good trial attorney now resigned to pleading out cases and drinking his way through lunch. His new associate is Skip Ross. The actor playing Skip is very good walking a line between not knowing what he's supposed to do in court and coming up with brilliant stunts to save his case in court. It's got some laughs and some good interaction between the two lawyers, the bad cop who is out to get them, the various judges who are not too amused by the pair and the receptionist who is really on probation and only gives the office as a working address to her probation officer but rarely shows up. I'll be interested to see how this develops but so far it's interesting.
Half Past Dead (2002)
Not half bad
This movie wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The actors were good including Ja Rule, Claudia Christian, Nia Peeples, Morris Chestnut, Bruce Weitz, Linda Thorson and even Stephen J. Cannell of "Rockford Files" fame as a hostage.
The multitudinous flying bullets which didn't seem to encounter much in the way of targets were a bit much but the general lack of swearing and gratuitous sex was a nice touch. I found it a bit hard to believe they would jump into open holes without looking to see how far down they would land since a couple of broken legs should have resulted from a couple of those jumps. However some of the fight scenes were pretty impressive including Nia Peeples and Ja Rule and Seagal and one of the 49ers. Not the best Seagal but not his worst either.
Crossing Jordan (2001)
Like the show
I'm a Jill Hennessy fan from her Law & Order days so I may be biased but I like this show. It's not as detailed in forensics as CSI but I don't need two shows like that anyway. The direction of the show is smooth and easy to take, unlike the "jerky" camera style of shows like NYPD Blue. Miguel Ferrer is always good although I don't find this romance with Lily to be believable. I loved the episodes with Chris Noth and hope they team them up again on another case. It's a must see every Monday night in our house.
The Patriot (2000)
Good but not Braveheart
The battle re-enactments were excellent if gory. The actors were terrific more so because they didn't haul in the usual Hollywood suspects. Mel's ferocity was incredible.
That said I have a problem with some of the aspects of this movie. Who was ironing the gowns that sister-in-law was wearing on the beach? Why was her bosom the only remarkable thing in every shot of her? Why did everybody look entirely too well fed and clean when they're tromping through the swamp? Did the Redcoats ever commit such an incident as happened at the church? Or is that a bit of poetic license? Why was he a widower and had a child who wouldn't speak? You can see the screenwriters saying to themselves: ''We've got to make him even more pitiful. A deceased wife isn't enough. Everybody goes for a mute child. Add it to the list.''
In all it's worth seeing, but it's not the classic that Braveheart was. I didn't get caught up emotionally like that previous movie.
Summer of Sam (1999)
Save your money!
I'm not sure if this was an attempt at a remake of ''Lords of Flatbush'' but if so it failed. That movie made you care about the characters a bit. The only thing I cared about in this movie was having it be over sooner. The characters were pretty much unsympathetic, foul-mouthed and annoying. I'm glad I only rented the video and didn't pay full price.