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Madagascar (2005)
Best kids movie for summer 2005
My 7, 4 and 2 yr olds all enjoyed this. There's enough in-jokes for the parents to keep you watching as well.
Not a Chris Rock fan but he was very good as Marty the Zebra who puts the main characters on the road to Madagascar. Ben Stiller was hilarious as Alex the Lion but David Schwimmer as Melman the Giraffe stole the show with all the physical comedy in the background of the scenes (look what is on his feet when they are on the subway).
The Penguins and Monkeys also steal some scenes with their crazed antics away from the main characters. "Just smile and wave boys, smile and wave."
The inclusion of the lemurs works and does not distract as the Ewoks did in "Return of the Jedi". The "Move It" dance scene with King Julian was a big hit with the little ones.
While not as polished as Nemo, it is still a keeper. Your little ones should come away happy which is all you ask for with the cost of tickets these days!
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
Van Helsing's better
As much as I wanted to like this... as much as I liked the comic that started it... as much as I like the novels the characters came from... it could not help this movie. At 2hrs, it is too long. The CGI effects become too much after awhile (particularly the J&H ones near the end) and some of the actions scenes have so much going on, it is hard to follow all the characters you want to watch.
Having seen both "Van Helsing" and "LXG" recently, I would give the rental nod to VH. More entertaining in the end. I find it interesting the trend continues in Hollywood between competing studios to put out basically the same movie and have some items in each that are nearly identical. Case in point: In both VH and LXG, Mr Hyde's depiction is nearly identical in the Hulk like view of him as well as having him run around Paris when we first see him---in VH as a Quasimodo role and in LXG in a nod to Poe's "Murder's in the Rue Morgue".
I stayed with it to the end, hoping for it to get better but never got rewarded. Got it on 2 for 1 night so not a total loss.
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942)
Good Rent
A good cast head up this swashbuckling tale which, although based on a novel "Benjamin Blake", borrows some plot from "Count of Monte Cristo". A young Roddy McDowall in his fourth US movie shines in the first half of this feature as young Benjamin Blake. Farmer lends a good turn as Isabel but it is Tierney who steals the show even though she is only on screen for about 20 minutes. Personally, I find it hard to believe the Powers would leave her on the island to go back to avenge himself on his uncle and show continued interest in Farmer---I mean, c'mon, Gene Tierney on a desert island, would you leave her? Aside from that lapse of judgement (which he makes up for in the end), a good rental. Powers and Tierney would later team up for the original "Razor's Edge".
Curse of the Blair Witch (1999)
Far Superior to the Film
For my money, this SciFi show packed more entertainment than the film and it was 30 mins shorter. I watched this 2 or 3 times on SciFi before seeing the movie. I can only say the movie was more of disappointment than "Phantom Menace". I think the SciFi show set the standards higher than the film was able to achieve. Even if you dont see the movie, this documentary stands alone as entertaining. I kinda wish I had never seen the movie in hindsight and kept my BWP experience to just this show.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Does Not Live Up to the Hype
After seeing the SciFi Channel's EXCELLENT documentary on the Curse of the BW, I went into this movie with very high hopes and a positive attitude. After the first 20 minutes, I was wishing I had just left my experience with the BW at the documentary.
This is the second movie I have seen this year that left me empty and feeling cheated--the other being "Phantom Menace". Had this film come thru on the promise it showed in the documentary (and even the web site!) it would have been a good film but it falls short in so many ways that I wont start listing for fear of putting off the casual reader.
While I don't mind never seeing the BW, I do think they could have done a better job of explaining the curse in the movie. If I had not seen the documentary, I would have given this film a 1 vs the 2 I did rate it. If, despite my ramblings, you choose to rent this, I cannot overemphasize that you MUST also see the documentary on the SciFi Channel beforehand... if you don't you're cheating yourself.
Bottomline: Leave on the shelf...
Notting Hill (1999)
Should be called "Nothing Here"
Not since "Intersection" have I spent a movie looking at my watch to see when it ended. I honestly don't know who was worse, Ms Roberts or Mr Grant. They both became so grating on the nerves that I couldn't wait for the movie to end. The most enjoyable part of the film (aside from it being over) were the trailers they showed before it. Even the one for the snack bar had better acting than this waste of film. Aside from shamelessly borrowing from "Roman Holiday", this film lacks a plot or characters worth caring about. Ms Roberts' character is not worthy of pity for the situations she finds herself in as she is shallow and self-indulgent--perhaps it wasn't a stretch for her to play this part. Mr Grant's constant stuttering and eye-blinking made me more sick than the motion sequences of "Blair Witch Project". Not worth seeing or renting. Save the money for something better... it shouldn't be that hard.
For Love of the Game (1999)
A Baseball movie AND A Chick Flick Rolled into One
This was a great movie. I went into it with high expectations because it had two things going for it in my mind: it was based on Michael Shaara's novel and it's a Kevin Costner/Baseball movie. It did not disappoint despite Costner badmouthing Universal for cutting some scenes. Well worth the price of admission. I have to admit I may like it better than "Field of Dreams"... I'll have to watch it again when it comes on video to decide that one. Shaara's "Killer Angels", which was made into "Gettysburg", makes a cameo when Billy Chapel carries it onto the plane after a game at Fenway. Nice touch and tribute to a wonderful author who sadly never lived to see his two novels make it to the screen.
Ulee's Gold (1997)
A Nod to Homer...
It's not until the second half of "Ulee's Gold" that we hear Peter Fonda's character's full name, Ulysses. Once spoken you can't help feeling the rush of recognition of Homer's influences in this well-acted drama. There is Ulee's dead wife, Penelope--whom was Odysseus' wife in "The Odyssey". There is Ulee's daughter-in-law Helen--whom was responsible for starting the Trojan War in "The Illiad". Ulee is a veteran of the Vietnam War in much the way that Odysseus was of the Trojan War. He tells his grand daugher Penny he survived because of his "trickery" in much the same way Odysseus did with the Trojan Horse. His endurance of the many things which befall him after being sent to retrieve his Helen remind one of the way Odysseus was treated when he returned to his home as a beggar. Nods to Homer aside, this film was slow at times but worth the rental when taken in its entirety. Peter Fonda and Patricia Richardson both give outstanding performances with Fonda well deserving of the Golden Globe for his portrayal of Ulee. Rent it on your next visit to the video store--it won't disappoint.
Apt Pupil (1998)
Stuck to most of the novella....but they caved on the ending
I like many feel "Apt Pupil", the novella, ranks up there as some of SK's finest writing. It shocks many non-SK fans to learn that two of the most endearing movies of the last ten years ("Shawshank Redemption" and "Stand By Me") were penned by Stephen King. That's why his name is buried in the credits: the directors knew the novellas were great and wanted everyone to see them on film on the merit of the story not the author.
"Apt Pupil" was originally bought and cast back in the 80s with then Ricky, now Rick, Schroder as Todd. It never made it to film until this version in 1998. Renfro does a good job as Todd so the wait didn't hurt it.
In light of the school shootings of recent times, it is plausable they took the high road in creating the ending the film has (which does work by the way!). The "it's Hollywood's fault" battle cry might have prompted them to change it, esp in light of the lawsuit against the "Basketball Diaries" folks for Leo's dream about shooting up his classmates.
But hey, the movie makes a good rental. It was entertaining and held your attention so what more can you ask for these days?
Ulee's Gold (1997)
A Nod to Homer...
It's not until the second half of "Ulee's Gold" that we hear Peter Fonda's character's full name, Ulysses. Once spoken you can't help feeling the rush of recognition of Homer's influences in this well-acted drama. There is Ulee's dead wife, Penelope--whom was Odysseus' wife in "The Odyssey". There is Ulee's daughter-in-law Helen--whom was responsible for starting the Trojan War in "The Illiad". Ulee is a veteran of the Vietnam War in much the way that Odysseus was of the Trojan War. He tells his grand daugher Penny he survived because of his "trickery" in much the same way Odysseus did with the Trojan Horse. His endurance of the many things which befall him after being sent to retrieve his Helen remind one of the way Odysseus was treated when he returned to his home as a beggar. Nods to Homer aside, this film was slow at times but worth the rental when taken in its entirety. Peter Fonda and Patricia Richardson both give outstanding performances with Fonda well deserving of the Golden Globe for his portrayal of Ulee. Rent it on your next visit to the video store--it won't disappoint.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
A Modern Day Canterbury Tale
Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" was a frame story: there was one overall story/link that binded all the characters (they met at the inn on the road) which is at the beginning and end of the story but in between are mini-stories about each of the travellers. "Pulp Fiction" is a modern version. The frame in this case is the Diner which is where, like Chaucer's inn, the main characters meet. In between we get mini-story's like Butch's tale (the Knight if you will), Vincent's tale (the Sailor) and Jules' tale (the Monk). Each is interwoven with the other except that chronologically, they are out of synch (Butch wastes Vincent in his tale but Vincent is in the Diner frame part of the story). The dialog is sharp and has some serious hidden meanings at times--Tarintino is notorious, like Stephen King, for lacing the dialog with pop-culture references. Witness the scene outside Jack Rabbit Slims where Mia asks Vincent "You're not a square Daddy-O are you?" and proceeds to "draw" a square in the air ala Pebbles Flintstone. This blurring of the film's reality with our reality lets you know Tarintino is not some by the books director with no sense of what "Joe Bagofdonuts" does--he watches TV too! Kevin Williamson's re-writing of the horror film rules owes alot to "Pulp Fiction" and it's acknowledgement of just who is going to see movies these days. Rent it, buy it... the bonus cut footage alone is worth a look.
Fear (1996)
Surprisingly Good!
Rented this one the other nite as it was Rent One, Get One... was pleasantly surprised. It's entertaining and well worth a rental cost if you need something to see that you probably missed at the theater.
Intersection (1994)
BORING
I'll be blunt: this is the worst movie I ever paid money to see in a theater. Don't rent it. The performances were wooden and the plot invisible.