Reviews

I ROBOT, based on the novel by Isaac Asimov, (which I've never read) is certainly one of the better summer action movies to come along. The effects, as well as the storyline are top notch. Will Smith gives a fine performance as a technophobic Chicago cop in the year 2035 investigating a suicide/murder supposedly committed by an all too human mech named Sonny, a cross between C3PO and The Terminator. ******POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERS***** Throughout much of the movie, it looks as if the same tired formula found in countless cop thrillers is used here, namely:

1. Cop investigates supposed suicide of a prominent official. 2. Cop suspects powerful CEO or well respected political figure. 3. Cop's superior takes him off the case under threat of suspension or termination. 4. Cop ignores order and is forced to turn in his badge and weapon. 5. Cop continues investigation on his own, takes out CEO or political figure in a gun battle. 6. Cop wins back badge as well as the respect of superior and peers.

(This was also used in the NAKED GUN series as well).

HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T QUITE TURN OUT THAT WAY HERE!

This is what sets I,ROBOT apart from other movies of it's kind.

If you're into a high-tech sci-fi action flick, then I, ROBOT is for you.

Rating: ****1/2 out of *****

*No robots were harmed in the making of this film.

********************SPOILER ALERT*********************

After falling to his supposed death from Boulder Dam at the end of AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, Glen Manning manages to survive, minus half of his face and whatever sanity he had left. He turns up in Mexico and is brought back to the States and chained inside a hangar at Los Angeles International Airport. After failed attempts by the authorities to restore his sanity, he breaks loose and winds up in Griffith Park for the final showdown with the military. At one point, a spark of his memory returns, and once he realizes what he has become, he electrocutes himself on the high tension wires surrounding the Griffith Park Observatory.

WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST, like it's predecessor is a grade-B cheapie that still stands the test of time. It's a tragedy involving a war hero who, through no fault of his own, joins the ranks of misshapen monsters, at one time human but without hope of ever returning to the human race-much like George Romero's killer zombies from the Living Dead series. This one takes itself more seriously than ACM but is still time well spent-with or without MST3K vision.

Rating: **** out of *****

***** >BUY THIS DVD! **** > A MUST-SEE. *** > WELL DONE. ** > HAS REDEEMING MERIT. * > PATHETIC TIME-WASTER. 0 > DOG TURD.

GAMERA 3 no doubt ranks among my top 5 list of the best giant monster movies ever made, along with GODZILLA '54, KING KONG (the original, mind you), and GODZILLA vs. MEGAGUIRIUS.

Not to be confused with the Gamera of the 1960's(now that's an understatement!) a young girl whose parents were killed in the battle between Gamera and Gyaos 4 years earlier, comes upon an infant monster in a cave and raises it to destroy Gamera. She names it Irys (after her cat, which also was killed along with her parents). Eventually, the monster develops an appetite for blood and increases in size until it becomes big enough to stomp Tokyo (or any other Japanese city).

Unlike the early Gamera films, this one will never make it to MST3k. The acting, storyline, and special effects are light years ahead of Devlin's/Emmerich's Fraudzilla '98 (which featured the most abysmal performances in most any other movie in modern times). The scenes of destruction and mayhem are the most intense in any kaiju film ever made. The final confrontation between Gamera and the fully grown/fully mutated Irys surely ranks among the greatest kaiju-vs.-kaiju battle scenes ever. Also gone is the cartoonish design that characterized the original 60's Gamera. No longer a kid-friendly ally of humankind, Gamera is out to destroy the Gyaos-and if a few thousand humans happen to die in the process, well tough titties. This is one bad-ass Gamera!

****************SPOILERS AHEAD-PROCEED WITH CAUTION******************

After being impaled by Irys and losing his hand, Gamera manages to destroy the monster. Badly damaged, Gamera heads off to confront hundreds of Gyaos converging from all over the world upon Japan(why Japan happens to be a magnet for giant monsters is never explained). That's where the movie ends-without the certainty that Gamera is able to repel this invasion; perhaps because the year 1999 is the legendary year of the apocalypse.

No happy ending here, but considering the overall dark tone of the film, it is very appropriate.

Rating: ***** out of *****

*******SPOILER ALERT********************

If you haven't yet seen MR. BEAN the tv series, you'll appreciate this movie a good deal more. If you're already familiar with the series, a few of the gags are re-enacted here (the "barf bag" scene as well as the "turkey-head" gag). Still, there is plenty of original material here to keep it from being a feature-film repetition of the series.

Having seen most, if not all of the tv episodes, to me BEAN falls short in comparison. In spite of it's shortcomings it still is worth checking out-especially if you haven't seen the tv series. In fact, see this one first and save the best for last.

*** out of *****