Reviews

I actually thought this might be a real documentary. You know, at least investigating real missing persons and unsolved deaths and it touches on some of that but is just so ridiculous. It's so fake but are they playing it for laughs? Don't know why I thought being on The Travel Channel might make it more "legit". The pee that came back as of Romanian sources and the horribly staged "encounter" at the truck stop are a couple of "lowlights". Proceed with caution. As some have noted here, could be a so bad it's good type of show for you. As for me, I am removing the hook from my mouth and giving a nod to P. T. Barnum.

Sad thing is, there are people out there just like Carol. I have no idea how they make it through life being so miserable. "What did you mean by that", "why did you look at me that way". What a sad way to live. Always looking for a villain. Always needing to feel the victim. Sad but also incredibly dangerous to those unlucky enough to cross their path.

Not top tier Mamet perhaps but it does a great job of shining a light on a sick segment of our society. How prescient, this was nearly 30 years ago.

Nice to see Michael C. Hall back in action. However, this continuation was just unnecessary.

Of course we knew Dexter would never get a happy ending. Just too big a body count and not all of them by the "code". Makes me wish Dexter had really died in that storm.

I would say, don't waste your time.

What sets the film apart for me is the bleak ending. Causality loop for eternity. Plenty of actors you've seen in assorted tv and movies and a Playboy playmate of the month to boot!

So, the family is off to a resort where all you do is dance or golf? OK. And you can only dance like "old folks", unless you find the secret smoke filled room where staff (and random "lucky" guests) grind against each other?

Then, a wonderful abortion subplot? Jennifer Grey looks 16, Swayze 30, ahem. She gets her "break" due to the aforementioned abortion. Then she gets in line to potentially need one herself, along with her creepy sister. At least their dad can perform them.

Just awful. Essentially, a soundtrack in search of a film. No story. Painful dialogue. Very little chemistry.

I have friends who love this film. I always figured it would just be cheesy fun. But it's not. It's boring and morally ambiguous, at best. Put ME in that corner, facing the wall.

The acting, direction, cinematography....all first rate. Technically, a brilliant film. The tension built up nicely. The film didn't seem two and a half hours in length.

Unfortunately, the payoff didn't work for me and the film, as a whole, was bleak and cynical. I had emotional investment in only one character, Costigan, and he gets his brains blown out. OK, OK...I'll admit, it was nice not to have the typical clichéd ending. Costigan would have been greeted by applauding cops, like Sullivan was. Then, on the verge of a big promotion, would have handed in his shield and walked out onto and down the street.....camera rises...fade to black.

So, I'm OK it didn't end that way. But holy moly, everyone gets shot in the head. Just as a matter of fact, it seems. There's no real "good guy", again, not necessarily a bad thing. However, you MUST be emotionally invested in someone. For me, it was Leo but just barely.

Essentially, everyone was a rat. That was pounded into my pointy little head from the first frame and then pounded in again and again and again. That's a lot to wade through just for that message.

Ultimately, the film felt like a waste of time. Everyone dies. Well, except for Dignam. And...every cop is dirty. Not just a little dirty....but shoot the other cop in the head, dirty.

Big disappointment. Maybe my love of 'Goodfellas' is blocking me. But I don't think so. It was one of the best films of the 90's.

So Oliver Stone throws every conspiracy theory he can think of, into the story. So, he uses dubious sources. So he takes "dramatic license" at every turn, self admitted I might add(on feature length commentary). This movie is just fantastic, hypnotic. Anyone interested in the JFK assassination, should NOT end their research with this film. That would be a huge mistake. However, they should definitely BEGIN their research with this film.

Great performances all around. Costner is quite good as Garrison. Decide for yourself, Garrison the hero? Or Garrison the nutjob? Stone paints him as an American hero, with nary a blemish. Perfect in nearly every frame. Pesci is his usual "over the top" brilliant. Tommy Lee Jones is both normal and utterly creepy and corrupt, as Clay Shaw/Bertrand.

See this film. Then do some digging on the net. Still, there will be more answers than questions. But it's a fascinating journey.

Perhaps I'm just too stuck in the past. I've never read the book, but I love the original film. Wilder just cannot be replaced. His Wonka was NOT weird, he was just putting on an act to push the kids and parents to their respective breaking points. And it worked.

In the original film, the ultimate prize was a secret until the end. In this one, we know some kid is getting something pretty special.

Johnny Depp's Wonka is just a freak. He would have little to no chance of becoming ANYTHING in life. I happen to love Depp, but this performance was bad and tough to watch. One or two amusing lines and nothing else.

The ending of the original film is much better. A better morality tale, if you will. Handing the everlasting gob-stopper back to Wonka, was perfect.

So this one is closer to the book? Hmm...guess I'll have to skip the book then. Of course, Dahl wrote the screenplay to the original film, so what to think? Hmm again.

Sorry, the original is a twisted bit of confectionery magic. This one is missing an ingredient or two.

If you're watching just for the effects, don't bother. There are few and far between. This is a standard, run of the mill, disaster movie. However, it does have a nice left-wing twist, if you're into that sort of thing. See, America is to blame for everything in this movie. Yep. And, we really get our comeuppance, boy howdy! We ignored scientists so long and in this movie, they all get to say "nananana, we told you so"! Unfortunately, this sort of junk science is perfect for Hollyfraud. Also, unfortunately, the uninformed and ignorant will take it as gospel.

Grade: *1/2 out of ****

Personally, I was worried it was going to be an anti-religious film. And it would be wildly inaccurate. There has never been a case like this. Serial killers don't choose victims from different age and gender groupings. The clues are there from early on. Where did he get his "list" of "demons"? I started realizing then and there that this could be real.

The film reminds me of "The Rapture" with Mimi Rogers. It too could have been a poke at religion or belief, however the ending shows these things to be true.

I will admit, Frailty goes from the realm of horror to the realm of "apocalyptic thriller". However, that's what I liked. I think a non-believer will have trouble with a horror movie that ends up being a "fairy tale". Whereas a believer will think, HOLY COW! What the heck would I do if I got a vision like this? It brings a deeper perspective to the film, for those of us who believe in a higher power.

I'm not prepared to go 4 stars like Ebert did, but I'll go 3.