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Into the Blue (2005)
Into the Blue is a shallow mess
Let's be honest, there really wasn't much expectation for this movie to be good considering the cast and filmmaker involved. Even though the plot about a group of young wannabe treasure hunters who stumble onto a buried 17th century pirate ship (next to a downed plane full of cocaine) holds a lot of potential as an exciting action adventure, nothing of the outcome is anything other than a glossy advertisement for string bikinis and 6-week abdominal workouts. Everything Into the Blue attempts to achieve from action, suspense, and God forbid, romance fails miserably and is a testament to the quality of the screenplay and the actor's lack of charisma. It must be said though the film does look good; cinematography is rich and vibrant, and the underwater photography is clear and inviting which compensates for the ridiculously dull story that almost reaches an unforgivable two hour running time. Whereas movie like The Mummy and The Deep (which this borrows from) have the ability to remain a guilty pleasure for years to come Into the Blue fails even this small feat primarily due to the lack of story. To be blunt: nothing happens for almost 2/3rd of the movie; it's one long setup that goes absolutely nowhere with scene after scene seemingly used to show Paul Walker's abs and Jessica Alba's ass. Well, if you're a shallow moviegoer who appreciates this type of in-your-face eye candy and doesn't want to be bothered with conventions like plot, story and strong characters, then this is the type of movie is for you. But let it be known that I feel sorry for you and the people involved this shallow attempt at entertainment.
War of the Worlds (2005)
After first 30 minutes, the movie falls flat
I can't begin to describe how excited I was for this movie mainly because the H.G. Wells classic is one of my favorite books; and the pairing of Spielberg and Cruise is worth salivating over. I must say I left the theater disappointed with the lack of tension and excitement an "event" film like this requires. The first 30 minutes were terrifying as the aliens begin their invasion partly due to how well Spielberg sets up the tension and payoff. The problem lies after the first act - the tension doesn't build, it either retreads the same scares over and over or decides to forgo the whole problem of aliens taking over the world to rely on mundane family problems. These problems would have been great as a breather from the action but because the action in the middle and end of the film doesn't live up to expectations, the whole movie feels longer than it should be and ultimately extremely disappointing. Spielberg really missed out on making an alien invasion classic. Dare I say "ID4" and "Signs" are better?
Da Vinci Code Decoded (2004)
What A Mess!
I can conclude that this is must-see viewing for anyone interested in how NOT to make a documentary. Although the subject matter is extremely interesting at times, the shoddy camera work, interview subjects and especially the editing make watching this a real ordeal. Authors and so-called scholars go on way too long on a topic without the director cutting to something interesting to look at. There's only so much I can stand staring at a close up of a 50 year old woman, no matter what she's talking about. And that's the frustrating thing, it could have been a really interesting documentary that would have put The Da Vinci Code in some kind of historical context. Instead it's every history buff's worst nightmare, a lecture made by a teacher with a dry and boring delivery. After seeing this documentary, I long for the pacing and excitement of Dan Brown's novel.