Change Your Image
bonnynklyd
Reviews
Reign of Fire (2002)
What a scorcher!
I'll be brief. I gave this film a 10 rating. Why? Because on the DVD box it gave the impression of being a post-apocalyptic dragon-battling action film. I watched it and the film was exactly that. If you don't want to be short-changed, don't expect Citizen Kane. Yes, it's very over-the-top, but it's not supposed to be a documentary. And for any doubters, watch the HALO sky-diving scene again. If that doesn't do it for you, go to the ER and ask them to check that you still have a pulse.
You'll watch this and think, Why didn't I go to the movies to watch this? I repeat, 10/10 for film joy, maybe minus a couple for niggles. However, this is finally a film that doesn't have bad CGI, which adds a couple back, making it... er, 10/10. Simple math.
Daredevil (2003)
"If it looks like The Phantom, and smells like The Phantom... "
Daredevil is a hero movie. Unfortunately, the hero happens to be James Acheson. I looked his name up on the credits and he is the costume designer. When the makers of the film paid him to make a very camp Daredevil suit he did as they asked. Everyone else involved should be ashamed of this sorry mess of a film. I could go on, and I will.
In your average blockbuster you'll see action, follow a storyline, perhaps witness a little love interest. This will build up to a grand finale, a showdown. And would just a small amount of good acting be too much to ask? Apparently so, because on all counts this movie fails.
When a comic-book action movie contains only a handful of minutes of said action, you know there's a problem. That isn't even the bad news regarding action in this film. As if by accident Daredevil battles Bullseye for a second time. At this point the CGI characters (yes, i think Colin and Ben were in a bar drinking when this scene was made) move in. Did I mention that they move in like drunken idiots, unconvincingly lurching up and down, all over the screen. Didn't the CGI guys see The Matrix (original or :Reloaded), or Blade?
As for the storyline, don't get me started. Because I won't know where to. Was there a story? I saw this film an hour ago and I can't tell you what happened apart from people fighting, crying, kissing and dying. the scriptwriters should never be allowed out of the unemployment line again.
A big deal was made of Jennifer Garner taking on the part of Elektra. I think she read the script and thought she was playing Carmen Electra, because that's how much of an acting range she shows in this film (and I'm a big fan of Carmen.) Garner and Ben had no chemistry at all. A stink bomb has more chemistry, and would have done the job (i.e stunk to high heaven) better than this film for a lot less money. Ben has no excuse, as I'm fairly sure J-Lo made him sit down and watch all her movies. Did he watch Out Of Sight? (Imagine J-Lo being better than you at acting...)
And on the subject of acting the usually dependable Colin Farrell manages to play a very unconvincing Irishman, which is no mean feat for an actual Irishman. Yet another illustration of just how poor this film is.
You've still managed to make it to the end of the movie instead of a) destroying your TV, or b) plain old falling asleep? I won't spoil the ending but you are rewarded (and I use the word 'rewarded' loosely) by a total lack of a spectacular showdown. Instead Daredevil gets really angry to all the naughty men who've stayed up past their bedtimes. You can almost hear Daredevil say "Hey, don't make me come up there!" as he wanders into the night one last time (hopefully, anyway.)
This film gets 0 out of 10, with perhaps an extra 1 for costume design.
The Independent (2000)
Worth (almost) missing your own wedding for
Trust me, this is a film review. Let me set the scene.
It's my wedding day, and I'm a few thousand miles away from home in a classy hotel, up bright and early and pacing the room on my wedding day. To pass the time I watch some cable. I start watching a film I later discover to be called 'The Independent'.
Is transfixed to big a word? The film is captivating, and the car-crash cliche is not far off the mark, but trust me, the only reason I didn't watch the final 20-or-so minutes is that I was supposed to be at some darn altar or other to marry some chick.
Well, I made it to the wedding and sacrificed the film ending. On balance it was probably the right choice, but it was a close call.
THAT is how good this film is.
n.b. I still need to see the last 20 minutes and the credits that are so highly praised. Knowing my luck it'll be re-shown on the day our first kid chooses to be born.