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Reviews
State of the Union (1948)
As true, or truer today, as it was 60+ years ago.
Sadly, politics haven't changed, and probably never will, in the intervening 61 years since this movie was made. As with most Capra movies, it's not hard to get the message, but that doesn't make it any less hard hitting. Also, as with most Capra movies, it allows the viewer to wonder "what if" if only for a couple of hours. All of the major actors are stellar, but then again, they were seldom anything but in most of their films. It was a little distracting to see Spencer Tracey looking down to apparently read some of his final speech, but the speech and the entire movie were very powerful. It should be required viewing for today's political science classes.
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
Now I know why Harrison Ford and Philip Noyce chose not to participate in this film.
This film is as preposterous as the existence of a domed football stadium in Baltimore. While the special effects are technically well executed, the plot resembles Swiss cheese--lots of holes. It's bad enough I spent $3.00 to rent it, I would really have been angry if I had paid $8.00 to see it in the theater.
Finding Forrester (2000)
Who says you need sex, violence & foul language for a good film?
This film has no sex, no violence and only a modicum of "bad" language. It's also free of racial stereotyping. But, even though its predictable story and outcome have been done many times before, I've never seen it done better. Everyone knows you can't beat Sean Connery no matter what part he plays, but newcomer Rob Brown is nearly his equal. A film the entire family can enjoy! Why aren't there more like this out there?!
Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
Advice to Babe: STAY HOME next time!
My entire family loved the original. My entire family was anxiously awaiting our viewing of the sequel. My entire family felt this was one of the WORST movies we'd ever seen. It wasn't funny, it wasn't whimsical, it wasn't worth our time watching it. It was dark, depressing, disjointed and unfit for ANY type of viewing, much less family viewing. Maybe George Miller should have stayed with Mad Max, because Bad Babe just didn't cut it.
Les Misérables (1998)
Does not measure up to the 1935 version
A fine movie in its own right, but despite the star power of Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman, this movie doesn't measure up to the 1935 version with Fredrich March. While Neeson is the better ValJean, Geoffrey Rush pales in comparison to Charles Laughton as Inspector Jalbert.
Trouble Along the Way (1953)
Heartwarming but still frank expose of "professional" college football.
This is one John Wayne movie with which I was not familiar and with which his biography barely deals. While often stock & predictable, it is truly a heart-warming movie which nevertheless contains a rather frank expose and indictment of the "professionalism" present in college football. When one considers that when the movie was made, college football was MUCH bigger than professional football, it is amazing that the movie is so realistic in this regard.
They Were Expendable (1945)
John Ford + John Wayne + Robert Montgomery = a great war movie.
This has been one of my favorite movies for over 30 years. While basically dismissed at the time of its release because the war had already ended, it is now becoming recognized as one of the great movies to come out of WWII and one of the great war movies of all time. While sometimes overly patriotic (but it must be remembered that it was filmed DURING the war), it is still a top notch rendering of one of the truly heroic episodes of WWII. If you do any reading about PT boats and their service in the war, you can truly appreciate just how the odds were stacked against these men. Since this is based on a true story (by W.L. White as told to him by the too few men left of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3), I have always wondered whether Rusty (Lt. Kelly in real life) ever found out what happened to Sandy(Peggy in real life).