Reviews

For a movie that has almost no "names" attached, this is surprisingly good. The actors are well cast, their characters are charming, and the jokes are well paced. It takes itself just seriously enough that you don't feel insulted by the storytelling.

You can't have the wrong expectations. I think if you've seen the first and are expecting something similar you will be disappointed. I do however think this is a very well put together film. The pacing is solid, the comedy is more well done than a lot of big budget comedy from around the same time, and there are some well done quirky moments that really elevate the experience.

The main area that it falls down is the lack of depth. There is maybe one moment that really touches something real, but it's brief. The rest is straight adventure. But it's well done. Given the choice between seeing this again or re-watching the new Indie movie about crystal skulls, I'd choose this since it's at least as entertaining but doesn't let you down like Indie did.

The last criticism is perhaps the most damning. This is not a must see movie. If you live your entire life without seeing it, you'll be fine. I don't really even recommend it. But if you do watch it, I recommend you enjoy it for what it is and don't lament that it isn't better.

I would recommend it for kids 9-12. It's perfect for that age. Kind of scary, plenty of snicker and giggle moments. Plenty of cute. Plenty of weird.

There may be some language but it's situation appropriate and pretty tame. No nudity, a little cleavage, nothing you won't see on a visit to the mall.

Through its fan's rabid adoration it shows that women and girls (and some boys) are starving for a female hero who is not just a stand in for a man.

Just about everything else this movie attempts comes off insipid and boring to anyone with a critical eye. The flight scenes are elegantly portrayed and Helen Slater is beautiful. The script is awful, Faye Dunaway comes off like a schizophrenic homeless woman with delusions of grandeur. Even as a product of it's time it was an insult to anyone over the intellectual age of 13 and that is why it flopped.

Helen Slater's acting makes her appear she's on Valium half the time. The "gee, shucks" portrayal of Lucy Lane is grating not to mention the contrived love story subplot between her and Jimmy Olsen. Selena's bimbo sidekick seems to be a Salkind trademark, akin to Luthor's moll in the first Superman, inexplicably hooked up with an evil character without any actual sense that she possesses a cruel bone in her body.

I can't imagine Uwe Boll could have made a more insipid lackluster film.

If Helen Slater had not been so lovely and the Kryptonian ethic so endearing I don't imagine I could have sat through the whole thing. And actually, that's another thing. Supergirl has a birthright as a relative of Clark Kent and a daughter of Krypton that she never lives up to. She does almost nothing heroic the entire film and often she seems to sit back and watch as bad things escalate and get worse before she remembers "Oh yeah! I can do something about this!" It's actually frustrating to watch as she hesitates and does nothing again and again failing to live up to her powers and the nobility of her race.

This movie is only entertaining as a look into the past and a peep show at Helen Slater in tights and a mini-skirt. It's "girl power" will hook some starving for a female hero that isn't just a dude with boobs (Tomb Raider) but really we could do much better.

There isn't much new to be said about "Heat". It's a solid, well paced film that satisfies the strong need for logic in a story that is human and poignant as well. Often I find myself unable to enjoy a film because some small plot hole unravels the point of the story. TDK has several plot holes that upon repeated viewings get more glaring, as well as pacing problems (I tend to feel exhausted by the joker is captured halfway through and just wish it were over). Heat does not have these problems. It is poetic and grounded. The only reason I haven't watched it a hundred times is that I enjoy it so much I like to live with my impressions of it between viewings.

"Collateral" suffered from an all too convenient third act twist, that while being setup early on still felt too convenient. TDK definitely had some "how the hell can you plan for this kind of thing" moments when the Joker was pulling his social experiments. In this film, the rules apply throughout. No one is super-smart, or possessing of plot device powers. They're just good at what they do. Consequences are followed through in a very satisfying way that raises the question, why don't more script writers adhere to their own created world's inevitabilities when Mann can do it and make it supremely enjoyable? But then, not very many directors/writers have Mann's subtle and meticulous vision.

Sober is a good word for how Mann constructed this film. From start to finish, deviations from the plan only lead to failure. Every time the police get closer to catching the criminals, it's because someone deviated from the plan or stepped outside of the rules.

I would recommend this to anyone that finds the common fair of bloated plot-hole riddled blockbusters dissatisfying. This is cinema at its best. Well paced and tense with poetry and poignancy.

Yeah, it sucked. Every shot felt illogical. The opening made no sense and served no purpose. Yes the montage was fun but at the same time you're left wondering, why? Bone claws. They were stupid in the comic book and they're stupid in a movie. Not to mention they're all knobby ugly for no good reason. They looked like three hobbit walking sticks coming out of each hand.

Any surgeon watching the adamantium bonding sequence should be cringing at how ridiculously simple it was. And anyone with two IQ points to rub together should be wondering how Logan's claws came out all smooth and sharp when the originals were just pointy and knobby.

The love story is lame and uninspired, sad considering the events surrounding it were the only motivation for any of the actions taken by the main character in the entire film.

The introduction of Wade Wilson at the beginning of the film made me wish I was watching a Deadpool movie instead. At least he was fun to listen to.

Gambit was a high point, though his mysteriously fading accent was annoying as was his lets-stick-a-popular-character-in-for-no-reason appearance.

Sigh, I could nitpick the entire film and to avoid spoilers I can't complain about HOW STUPID THE END WAS. Yes, X3 is now the second worst mutant movie after XMO:W. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh! I give it 3 stars because that's what it deserves. Ma and Pa Kent were enjoyable. Some of the action was cool. But mostly it was just a big expensive mess with no emotional grip to it.

I notice from the reviews that people either love this show, or they hate it. And I can see why.

Buffy is almost enjoyable but ultimately disappointing. The writing, which is supposed to be so great, is a bit too self-obsessed. Every time someone says something "funny" you can feel the writer going tee hee over his keyboard. And the actors don't help. They play the funny stuff like they're doing comedy, which is my least favorite way of delivering humor. They ham it up something fierce and it just causes the narrative to derail as they slip from being in character to being "funny" and back. The comedy is probably a major complaint. If the delivery were different and the constant attempts at humor were toned down and the show took itself just a little more seriously it might be a more immersive experience. Instead it's jarring and unbelievable.

Among the other unbelievable things are the character's reactions to the situations they encounter. When friends of the main characters die there's no mourning. Just, whoops, and move on. Deaths in general don't seem to effect the world in any way. When people realize there really are such things as vampires they shrug it off instead of reacting. There's no exploration of humanity in the writing. It's very forced, very plotted, very stereotyped. All of this adds up to me not giving a flip about any of the characters in the show, except maybe Angel who appears to have an actual inner conflict though I fully expect the writers to overemphasize plot in his case and trivialize anything interesting about him.

Overall its campy and never takes off the kid gloves in the episodes I've seen. Also, the complete lack of a skeptic in the show's universe probably bothers me on a personal level. No one questions anything, no matter how out there, unless of course that thing interferes with their social life, then the self-centered skepticism kicks in. "How could there possibly be a portal to hell opening tonight, the same night that I've got a date with the cutest boy in schooool!?"

I wanted to like this show because I know smart and interesting people who rave about it. But so far all the episodes I've seen were all sass and no substance. And it doesn't have to be that way. A show like Dexter has similar goals but none of the failings. It aims to be dark and funny and succeeds while Buffy just tries and tries but gets tangled up in too much ambition with too little humanity. A major issue is the lack of consequences. The events have only an insular effect on the world. It's like watching pebbles falling into a pond and causing no ripple. It frustrates your logic and therefore requires you to leave your brain at the door. And even that can be fine as long as the trade off is fair, but what's the trade off here? What does one gain by suspending disbelief? Not much that I can tell. A soap opera full of characters you could give a crap about and a lot of campy flat humor.

If watching a show that thrives on camp is your thing, you'll probably like Buffy. If however you need some internal logic then just move along because this show will set your teeth on edge.

This is an entertaining film that gives a striking perspective to a very old story. The production is absolute dirt. They must have had a budget of (the money in my pocket) on which to shoot but with that limited budget the film makers told a surprisingly engaging and uplifting story.

Lighting, cinematography, set design, these things are not in this 87 minutes. But to make up for it the story delivers wonder, hope, and intelligence.

Not everyone will appreciate this film. From the outset that's a given. In fact, some may find certain elements offensive (what film doesn't offend someone?), but to many it will be a welcome stroll through a fantastic story. I would recommend this to anyone with a hunger for something different.

I repeat, as far as modern film making and story-telling goes this is an aberration but to me and to many others I would bet, in spite of it's budgetary shortcomings, it is a welcome one.