screenscribe505 Reviews

Deja Vu (2006)

The kind of thriller that will send shivers down your spine

[10/10 · 2 December 2006]

With a movie that has so many twists and turns, writing a review without a spoiler is a challenge. But if you've seen the trailer you already suspect that this film is part "Enemy of the State" and part "Millennium". I'd add its also part "The Lake House" and part (here's a stretch, but when you it you'll agree) part "Sharkey's Machine". The genre of films/TV shows that explore such subjects such as distant-viewing past events, alternate realities, time travel etc. have to tell an interesting/thrilling story while navigating a minefield of paradoxes and continuity nightmares. When they're bad ("Time Cop"), these films force the viewer back into reality to critique "mistakes". When they're good ("Somewhere in Time"), these movies sweep you along in a state of suspension of disbelief that lasts until you reach that shivers-down-your-spine moment (similar to the big Reveal in "The Sixth Sense"). That's the feeling I got watching this film.

Finally, if you are a fan of Denzel Washington playing a character similar to ones he's played in "The Siege", "Out of Time" or "Inside Man", you'll enjoy his performance. He's a great actor, but he also has a knack for playing tough, sympathetic, confidence-inspiring "cops" -- the type you'd hope were working on your case.

Basic (2003)

The (Un)usual suspects

[5/10 · 19 July 2003]

This is a movie that is too cute by half. First off, John Travolta and Sam Jackson are wonderful actors -- unfortunately neither is given anything wonderful to do in this film. They each manage to be ultra-cool, but their efforts are largely wasted.

Like Travolta's earlier military investigative flick, The General's Daughter, which this movie resembles in many ways, the perception of how things (investigations, military courtesy, chain of command) work in the military is so skewed that anyone who knows better will be left yelling at the screen. But even if you buy into the shaky premise that (almost) everyone in a uniform is behind some sort of criminal conspiracy, you still have to go along with the notion that only Travolta's former Army Ranger (now DEA) can find the truth about a missing squad of soldiers in the Panama jungle, and the man accused of killing at least one of them. And you have to avoid being distracted by the off-again, on-again Southern (?) accent affected by Connie Nielsen, the Ice Queen un-military police officer whose comparative ineptitude is the only true measure of how clever Travolta's investigator is. (Implied Spoilers follow)

What follows is a narrative of flashbacks from several witnesses (suspects) that seem carefully crafted to resemble the log line of The Usual Suspects -- a far superior film directed by Bryan Singer and starring Kevin Spacey -- right down to the shocking! Reveal at the climax, and an even more shocking! Twist at the end.

Unfortunately, you're likely to be too numbed to be shocked by anything except that it is Nielsen's character who figures it all out, despite the fact that she has shown no particular talent in this area throughout the movie.

The Reveal and the Twist do not save Basic, because unlike Oh-My-Gosh moments in good movies (such as the one in The Sixth Sense and the aforementioned Usual Suspects), almost none of what is revealed is actually foreshadowed. Instead of giving us clues, (director) John McTiernan tells us lies for 90 minutes, then spends the remaining 10 minutes of the film saying "Hey, I was only kidding -- didn't you guess?"

No, Mr. McTiernan, nor do we care.

The Core (2003)

A superb SF "B-movie"

[8/10 · 13 April 2003]

The term B-movie is not a criticism. Some of the classic SciFi movies of the 50s can only be described as B-movies, including some of my favorites, like The Thing (from Another World), Them and Forbidden Planet. The Core is an exciting story, with good actors playing interesting, non-heroic characters thrown in a heroic situation and acquitting themselves well.

I almost missed this one because of negative reviews. I don't know what such reviewers expect of a SciFi film. I've seen complaints that the premise is far-fetched and the technology impossible -- this last while comparing the movie to Armageddon! Please! If you are to enjoy science fiction films at all, you have to choke down one or two unknown technologies on faith. Is the nuclear-powered Core-driller any harder to believe in than the Stargate? Than the notion that aliens allergic to water would invade the only planet in the stellar neighborhood that is covered with the stuff (Signs)? That computers can take over the world, but are dependent on human bodies as a power source (The Matrix)? That you can defeat an seemingly invincible alien race by uploading a computer virus into a single ship (Independence Day)? Why then is it so inconceivable that you could set off nuclear explosives in the Earth's core to counteract a catastrophic failure of the Earth's electro-magnetic field?

Science fiction movies are not required to mimic real science. They ARE required to stick to their own rules about what is possible an what is not, and here The Core plays fair. The film establishes its rules early on, and given the premise and the characters, I found every outcome reasonable.

Is the moral center of the story a bit cliched? Yes. Is the ending pure Hollywood confection? Also yes. But more importantly, I was intrigued by the story's central problem, became invested in a cast of characters I liked and enjoyed cheering for, and left the theater feeling that the human race could probably tackle a real challenge like the one depicted. And that is what science fiction movies are (traditionally) all about -- optimism in the future of the race.

A Gathering of Eagles (1963)

A Salute to SAC

[9/10 · 26 January 2003]

Almost a recruiting poster for the US Air Force Strategic Air Command, this movie highlights the dedication shown by the men and women who kept America's nuclear deterrent on 24/7 alert for several decades during the Cold War. A sub-plot highlighting the personal toll such vigilance exacts is less effective, but the parade of character actors supporting Rock Hudson is impressive, including Rod Taylor, Henry Silva, Kevin McCarthy, Barry Sullivan and Robert Lansing -- unfamiliar names, but very familiar faces to movie fans.

The Sum of All Fears (2002)

Hollywood gets Ryan right -- again.

[8 June 2002]

Taken on its own, this movie is a masterful action thriller. Viewed as the latest Jack Ryan movie, the sudden shift to Affleck (an actor 25 years junior to Harrison Ford) is at first jarring (as was Ford's aging of the character first portrayed by Alec Baldwin in Hunt for Red October). I found Liev Shrieber more jarring in the John Clark role played by Willem Defoe in Clear and Present Danger. But unless you're a purist who simply can't shuck the details of the original book(s), you'll soon find Ben Affleck a charming and heroic Jack Ryan, who in this film is new to the CIA and still courting the comely doctor named Cathy who will eventually become Mrs. Ryan. Based on his strong performance here and the remarkable adaptability of this franchise, I look forward to seeing Ben Affleck return as Jack Ryan in future installments.

The Grass Is Greener (1960)

Bright, funny adult comedy set among the titled class in England

[26 August 2000]

The cast is obviously the star of this film, with headliners Grant, Kerr, Mitchum and Simmons each doing a fabulous job in a movie that depends very heavily on intelligent, witty dialogue strewn with double-entendres. The subject is adultery, and whether one (Grant) should make a public fuss when his wife (Kerr) is being swept off her feet by a rich American (Mitchum). Mix in a beautiful, if somewhat dotty, friend (Simmons) who makes sly observances throughout. Although set in England of the late 50s, the film doesn't show much countryside and occasionally feels a bit claustrophobic as the action takes place on a very few sets. The film feels like it has stage origins, and it plays much like Neil Simon's better film adaptations (e.g. California Suite, Barefoot in the Park). If you are a fan of any of these stars, this movie will entertain you.

Fantastic Voyage (1966)

Classic SF and great visuals

[8/10 · 7 May 2000]

This movie holds up after nearly 35 years. The TV version is often chopped up for commercials and the print muddy, but if you can get a good video or see it on a premium movie channel, Fantastic Voyage will still produce a sense of wonder as you navigate "inside" an injured man's body with a team of intrepid explorers to find and repair microscopic damage. Some of the Cold War aspects of the film might jar, as well as a 35-year-old vision of "high tech", but the spec effects of the journey of the PROTEUS through the human vascular system was years ahead of its time.

Final Destination (2000)

A film that rises above most in the genre, with some genuine surprises.

[7/10 · 22 March 2000]

As a movie of the that could loosely be put in the "Scream" or "I Know What You Did Last Summer" category, this one was really good. The setup is good (i.e. if you cheat Death, does he come back to "balance the books"?) and there are some genuine jolts as the rest of the movie plays out as a slightly highbrow version of more traditional "slasher" movies, with the audience hanging on the "who will live, who will die" question right to the end.