I had basically no expectations for this movie when we recently saw it on HBO. But it won me over by the end. Yes, the movie has its share of gross humor. But it also has two absolutely brilliant gags that made me laugh as hard as I have ever laughed at a movie (what happens when they initially encounter the pylon, and the bit with the giant crab). Also, it is clear that everyone in the movie is putting their all into it. The Sleestaks are clearly guys in rubber suits, but they're very good rubber suits, and they only fit loosely on their actors in one very specific circumstance. The computer-animated dinosaurs clearly aren't really there in the scene, but they're pretty well done. And the animation that they did for the closing credits was far better than it had any need to be. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry for some chorizo tacos.
Reviews
12 Reviews
Arguably the best episode
27 March 2007
This show hit its peak early on and never again quite hit the heights it reached in this episode (though the troll episode was close). "Dethwater" is pretty coherent plot-wise, which some of the other episodes really can't claim. There are also just a ton of hilarious lines, plus Toki's "underwater friends" scene. And the music is really good (though it is consistently good throughout the series)! I did have to take off a point for the totally unnecessary gross-out gag involving Murderface. Gross isn't funny in itself, and the scene offered nothing more. But even with that, I can watch this episode again and again, and in fact have done.
Day Break
(2006–2007)
A great fill-in, shame ABC pulled it
25 March 2007
I thought ABC's programming strategy with Lost this year was brilliant: bunch up the first-run episodes into two batches and commission a one-shot limited series to fill in the gap. Just something that you could enjoy while Lost was on hiatus, a pleasing diversion that had a definite end. Apparently Day Break just couldn't pull the numbers ABC was looking for, though, and not all of the series aired. Fortunately, the network posted the rest of the episodes online.
It's a shame more people won't get to see this; it was good. Not by any means "the best show on television" but well worth watching. Diggs is appealing as Hopper, and the supporting actors, particularly Bloodgood and Baldwin, are solid too. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep even the most careful watcher guessing. Some of it doesn't actually make much sense -- in some episodes, Hopper is off doing things that won't actually stop some of the other bad things in his day from happening, but they somehow don't happen. (Creative license.) Still, unlike Lost, it all actually concludes neatly and satisfyingly.
This kind of show is actually the kind of thing that British television does well. Hardly any British dramas have more than 13 episodes a season, and many come to a definite end after only a season or two. (Example: The second season of Life On Mars is the last.) I think the smaller number of episodes allows for better writing -- Ron Moore of Battlestar Galactica has expressed similar concerns. (Which is probably why Season 4 of Galactica was originally slated to be 13 episodes. Sci-Fi apparently dangled enough of a carrot to get him to agree to 22, though.)
The Brits do it largely because they don't have the budget the American networks do. But I'd completely support any American network that wanted to schedule two 13-episode shows in place of a single 22-episode show. It divides neatly into the calendar year (you get to run each series twice in its entirety, so viewers can catch shows they missed the first time) and gives the viewer a new series to look forward to on a regular basis. At the same time, the network's financial commitment for each individual show is lower, so they're not betting the farm on 22 episodes of one show.
Of course, if they're not willing to do that, ABC's approach is a good compromise. I hope ABC does not let their disappointment with Day Break's ratings scare them away from repeating this scheduling gambit next year with a different show.
It's a shame more people won't get to see this; it was good. Not by any means "the best show on television" but well worth watching. Diggs is appealing as Hopper, and the supporting actors, particularly Bloodgood and Baldwin, are solid too. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep even the most careful watcher guessing. Some of it doesn't actually make much sense -- in some episodes, Hopper is off doing things that won't actually stop some of the other bad things in his day from happening, but they somehow don't happen. (Creative license.) Still, unlike Lost, it all actually concludes neatly and satisfyingly.
This kind of show is actually the kind of thing that British television does well. Hardly any British dramas have more than 13 episodes a season, and many come to a definite end after only a season or two. (Example: The second season of Life On Mars is the last.) I think the smaller number of episodes allows for better writing -- Ron Moore of Battlestar Galactica has expressed similar concerns. (Which is probably why Season 4 of Galactica was originally slated to be 13 episodes. Sci-Fi apparently dangled enough of a carrot to get him to agree to 22, though.)
The Brits do it largely because they don't have the budget the American networks do. But I'd completely support any American network that wanted to schedule two 13-episode shows in place of a single 22-episode show. It divides neatly into the calendar year (you get to run each series twice in its entirety, so viewers can catch shows they missed the first time) and gives the viewer a new series to look forward to on a regular basis. At the same time, the network's financial commitment for each individual show is lower, so they're not betting the farm on 22 episodes of one show.
Of course, if they're not willing to do that, ABC's approach is a good compromise. I hope ABC does not let their disappointment with Day Break's ratings scare them away from repeating this scheduling gambit next year with a different show.
The Chronicles of Riddick
(2004)
Much better than I expected
1 August 2005
This film (okay, the Director's Cut on DVD) was much better than I expected. Of course, this is by now becoming a typical reaction for me to Twohy's films. In any case, this is a space opera that, unlike the Star Wars prequels, doesn't resort to spoon-feeding every little plot detail to the audience. Instead, viewers are expected to fill in some of the gaps for themselves, and while this tactic may leave some viewers behind, it makes the film much more engaging for those of us who make the effort. What exactly are the powers of the elemental Aereon? Why are the Necromongers so keen on decorating everything with scowling human faces? What is "conversion" really? What the heck is the underverse? You get the distinct impression that there are actually answers to many of these questions, and that just makes the movie's universe seem that much more rich and real. It's the same trick used in the best science fiction and fantasy novels and it's a rare treat to see it deployed so ably in a film from a major Hollywood studio. Okay, there are still plenty of things in it that don't really make much sense to me, but Twohy had earned the benefit of the doubt by not treating me like a drooling moron, so I went along for the ride.
There are some damn fine actors backing up Vin Diesel, and while Diesel isn't quite the actor some of them are, he mostly doesn't embarrass himself. In addition, there are some amazing special effects, a number of visually striking sets, and some great action sequences. And speaking of eye candy, how about that Thandie Newton, hm? And for once, the hot chick was given things to say that weren't completely stupid. The only thing I found a bit distracting is that Colm Feore, who plays the main villain, sounds a little like the guy who does the Visa commercials when he declaims some of his lines. I kept expecting him to add "It's everywhere you want to be!" (For all I know, Feore might actually do those spots, though a Google search didn't implicate him.)
Anyway... this was one of the few sci-fi flicks I've seen recently that actually engaged my imagination and didn't insult my intelligence. Kudos to writer/director David Twohy and the cast, who is clearly a big science fiction nerd. Is there actually going to be a sequel? If so, I'll probably go see it on the big screen.
There are some damn fine actors backing up Vin Diesel, and while Diesel isn't quite the actor some of them are, he mostly doesn't embarrass himself. In addition, there are some amazing special effects, a number of visually striking sets, and some great action sequences. And speaking of eye candy, how about that Thandie Newton, hm? And for once, the hot chick was given things to say that weren't completely stupid. The only thing I found a bit distracting is that Colm Feore, who plays the main villain, sounds a little like the guy who does the Visa commercials when he declaims some of his lines. I kept expecting him to add "It's everywhere you want to be!" (For all I know, Feore might actually do those spots, though a Google search didn't implicate him.)
Anyway... this was one of the few sci-fi flicks I've seen recently that actually engaged my imagination and didn't insult my intelligence. Kudos to writer/director David Twohy and the cast, who is clearly a big science fiction nerd. Is there actually going to be a sequel? If so, I'll probably go see it on the big screen.
Spy Kids 3: Game Over
(2003)
Your reward
1 March 2004
I saw the DVD of this the other night. It is dumb, dumb, dumb, and the red/blue glasses make the film basically unwatchable, but the kid I saw it with loved it.
If you are an adult, your reward for managing to sit through this film is to hear Ricardo Montalban refer to the "Corinthian leather" of his wheelchair. That's it. There is exactly one gag in this film targeted to adults and it comes close to the end.
The rest of it lowers your IQ just for having seen it. Some of the individual scenes were modestly nifty effects showcases, but there is no coherence at all to the plot, and there is uniformly atrocious acting from most of the cast. It's a special effects miracle: the film is 3D, yet utterly flat at the same time! You will be praying for it to be over by the end.
If you are an adult, your reward for managing to sit through this film is to hear Ricardo Montalban refer to the "Corinthian leather" of his wheelchair. That's it. There is exactly one gag in this film targeted to adults and it comes close to the end.
The rest of it lowers your IQ just for having seen it. Some of the individual scenes were modestly nifty effects showcases, but there is no coherence at all to the plot, and there is uniformly atrocious acting from most of the cast. It's a special effects miracle: the film is 3D, yet utterly flat at the same time! You will be praying for it to be over by the end.
Babylon 5
(1993–1998)
Ambitious
19 January 2004
I'd rather watch an ambitious failure than yet another competent but undemanding effort. While Babylon 5 did sometimes did fall short of the mark, this was because it aimed so high. By sheer effort of will, the series raised the bar for long-form storytelling and proved that enough people would watch a science fiction series other than Star Trek to turn a profit. It's amazing the number of things Straczynski juggled to get the series to happen: keeping the story arc tracking through the loss of key actors (no fewer than three times) and the uncertainty of being renewed for the final season, while writing most of the episodes, enforcing a Byzantine continuity and a rigorous adherence to the "rules" of the show's universe, and adhering strictly to a budget half of a typical "new Trek" episode. Just doing all that would have been an accomplishment, but on top of that Straczynski (and his cast and crew) managed to convey real drama, emotion, and a sense of wonder on a regular basis. What's amazing is not that B5 is so great in itself (though it is clearly better than most TV SF if one can see beyond its constraints to give it a fair chance), but that it was ever made at all. It's not perfect by any means, but it is a tremendous accomplishment, and one that every fan of science fiction should see. If you think you could do better -- you go right ahead, I'd love to see more good SF on the air.
S1m0ne
(2002)
Hard to believe this is from the writer/director of "Gattaca"
23 July 2003
"Gattaca" was easily one of the best science fiction films of the past decade. "The Truman Show," which Andrew Niccol wrote (but Peter Weir directed) was also pretty fine. With those two accomplishments under his belt, I was very interested to see what Niccol could do with the premise of a virtual star, with its potential for biting satire and deep social commentary.
Unfortunately, "S1m0ne" is just a mess from beginning to end. According to IMDB, this is supposed to be a comedy? It never occurred to me that this movie was supposed to be funny, although a few of the moments could be interpreted that way if you were feeling charitable. (Finding out that Simone's casket contained a cardboard cutout of her could have been an okay gag, I guess.)
The film's messages were hopelessly muddled. On the one hand it seemed to be saying that, yes, Taransky was right and actors should be tools by which the director realizes his vision, since he never achieved success until he created Simone. On the other hand, Simone is a terrible actress and Taransky is clearly just a hack with delusions of grandeur, so the other (almost diametrically opposed) point is that people will fall for mediocre junk, and apparently the more mediocre it is, the better they like it. Clearly Niccol also thinks he's saying something profound about the lines between reality and fantasy becoming blurred, as well. Who knows what his point was?
Every plot twist is telegraphed way in advance (for example, when you saw Taransky's daughter typing on a laptop, you just knew she would later be involved in rescuing Simone), the depictions of technology are ludicrous, the art direction was just weirdly anachronistic without any seeming point, and aside from Pacino, the acting is uniformly wooden. (Or is that supposed to be a clever commentary on how working in Hollywood turns you into a zombie?) I hate to say it, but "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" was a better send-up of Hollywood, and that flick was hardly great cinema!
I'm glad I didn't pay money to see this film. Well, no more than I already pay for the premium channels on my satellite, anyway. I think what's so frustrating about "S1m0ne" for me is how much potential the premise had, and how much Niccol threw away. It's just sad.
Unfortunately, "S1m0ne" is just a mess from beginning to end. According to IMDB, this is supposed to be a comedy? It never occurred to me that this movie was supposed to be funny, although a few of the moments could be interpreted that way if you were feeling charitable. (Finding out that Simone's casket contained a cardboard cutout of her could have been an okay gag, I guess.)
The film's messages were hopelessly muddled. On the one hand it seemed to be saying that, yes, Taransky was right and actors should be tools by which the director realizes his vision, since he never achieved success until he created Simone. On the other hand, Simone is a terrible actress and Taransky is clearly just a hack with delusions of grandeur, so the other (almost diametrically opposed) point is that people will fall for mediocre junk, and apparently the more mediocre it is, the better they like it. Clearly Niccol also thinks he's saying something profound about the lines between reality and fantasy becoming blurred, as well. Who knows what his point was?
Every plot twist is telegraphed way in advance (for example, when you saw Taransky's daughter typing on a laptop, you just knew she would later be involved in rescuing Simone), the depictions of technology are ludicrous, the art direction was just weirdly anachronistic without any seeming point, and aside from Pacino, the acting is uniformly wooden. (Or is that supposed to be a clever commentary on how working in Hollywood turns you into a zombie?) I hate to say it, but "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" was a better send-up of Hollywood, and that flick was hardly great cinema!
I'm glad I didn't pay money to see this film. Well, no more than I already pay for the premium channels on my satellite, anyway. I think what's so frustrating about "S1m0ne" for me is how much potential the premise had, and how much Niccol threw away. It's just sad.
Grosse Pointe Blank
(1997)
The movie won me over
28 November 2002
If you're familiar with Grosse Pointe, you'll be continually being thrown out of this movie by the liberties it takes with reality. (I lived nearby for nearly a decade and recognized several of the landmarks, which often changed from shot to shot in an impossible fashion.) There's no small radio station in Grosse Pointe, and the likelihood that a luxury home would be demolished and a convenience store
built just across the street from other tony residences is approximately zero. Also, there's no Pointes High School (there's Grosse Pointe North and Grosse
Pointe South, and the school shown in the movie doesn't seem to be either).
The only reason this movie is even set in the Pointes (the term actually covers five villages, called Grosse Pointe Farms, Woods, Shores, Park, and Grosse
Pointe proper) is that the screenwriter obviously came up wtih the title pun first, which of course dictated the setting and required the main character to be
named Blank. It could have happened anywhere, really. I hate that kind of self- conscious cleverness.
Not that I really expected this flick to be realistic; it's a black comedy. Still, this little stuff annoyed me.
But Cusack and the sharp dialog won me over by the end. There seemed to be
legitimate sparks between Cusack and Driver, which is one of the hardest things to fake in a romantic comedy and also, if it's missing, the deadliest (no pun intended). Once you realize the movie is dealing with wacky ideas such as
unionized hitmen, you can relax and enjoy the movie for what it is. It ain't
Shakespeare but it does rise above mediocrity. I rate it 3 of 5.
built just across the street from other tony residences is approximately zero. Also, there's no Pointes High School (there's Grosse Pointe North and Grosse
Pointe South, and the school shown in the movie doesn't seem to be either).
The only reason this movie is even set in the Pointes (the term actually covers five villages, called Grosse Pointe Farms, Woods, Shores, Park, and Grosse
Pointe proper) is that the screenwriter obviously came up wtih the title pun first, which of course dictated the setting and required the main character to be
named Blank. It could have happened anywhere, really. I hate that kind of self- conscious cleverness.
Not that I really expected this flick to be realistic; it's a black comedy. Still, this little stuff annoyed me.
But Cusack and the sharp dialog won me over by the end. There seemed to be
legitimate sparks between Cusack and Driver, which is one of the hardest things to fake in a romantic comedy and also, if it's missing, the deadliest (no pun intended). Once you realize the movie is dealing with wacky ideas such as
unionized hitmen, you can relax and enjoy the movie for what it is. It ain't
Shakespeare but it does rise above mediocrity. I rate it 3 of 5.
Spiral
(2000)
Weird film
29 July 2002
Saw it on Sundance. I was kind of into it until they showed the
snail people, and then I just started laughing. It has its moments,
but it is not geniuinely frightening even once. The female lead is
completely reactive, she never once takes steps to do anything,
instead relying on others (especially the male lead) to try to save
her. Nothing is ever really explained or resolved. There's really not
enough of an idea there for a film of its length either. The
comparisons to Lynch are way off base; when watching a Lynch
film you at least get the feeling that the director has some idea
what's going on. You don't get that at all here. It's got a creepy
atmosphere, but that's about it. Oh, the music sometimes seems
way off of the film's intended tone.
snail people, and then I just started laughing. It has its moments,
but it is not geniuinely frightening even once. The female lead is
completely reactive, she never once takes steps to do anything,
instead relying on others (especially the male lead) to try to save
her. Nothing is ever really explained or resolved. There's really not
enough of an idea there for a film of its length either. The
comparisons to Lynch are way off base; when watching a Lynch
film you at least get the feeling that the director has some idea
what's going on. You don't get that at all here. It's got a creepy
atmosphere, but that's about it. Oh, the music sometimes seems
way off of the film's intended tone.
Princess Mononoke
(1997)
Intriguing animation from Japan
19 May 2001
This film is beautifully drawn and animated; the motion is not as smooth as some American films, but it's very good compared to some anime I've seen. It seemed extremely imaginative and inventive to me, although some of this might simply be a lack of familiarity with some of the Japanese mythology being employed.
The most impressive part to me, though, was the moral ambiguity. Rather than painting nature as always pure and beautiful and humans as evil and ugly -- had this film been made by the usual lot of heavy-handed American eco-propagandists, it would have been very different. Instead the film demonstrated that the noble beasts could be just as stupid and insane as humans, and that even someone who is ravaging the forest can have the best of reasons. A character you initially assumed to be comic relief turns out to be as much of a bad guy as anyone else. The young hero's goal is, of course, to establish balance and harmony, a common theme in Eastern philosophy. If the film was weakened by its translation to English, I can only imagine how much more awe-insprining it must have been in its original English. While a few of the voices in the dubbed English version jarred (there is absolutely no reason for these Japanese characters to have British, Southern, or Black accents) and some of the character design reminded me why I don't generally like anime, overall I enjoyed this much more than most other anime I've seen, and I recommend it to anyone who is willing to work a little to extract meaning from this ambiguous artifact of a different culture.
The most impressive part to me, though, was the moral ambiguity. Rather than painting nature as always pure and beautiful and humans as evil and ugly -- had this film been made by the usual lot of heavy-handed American eco-propagandists, it would have been very different. Instead the film demonstrated that the noble beasts could be just as stupid and insane as humans, and that even someone who is ravaging the forest can have the best of reasons. A character you initially assumed to be comic relief turns out to be as much of a bad guy as anyone else. The young hero's goal is, of course, to establish balance and harmony, a common theme in Eastern philosophy. If the film was weakened by its translation to English, I can only imagine how much more awe-insprining it must have been in its original English. While a few of the voices in the dubbed English version jarred (there is absolutely no reason for these Japanese characters to have British, Southern, or Black accents) and some of the character design reminded me why I don't generally like anime, overall I enjoyed this much more than most other anime I've seen, and I recommend it to anyone who is willing to work a little to extract meaning from this ambiguous artifact of a different culture.
The Matrix
(1999)
Awe-inspiring action sequences, insufficiently rigorous science
9 June 1999
The people who made this movie were smart enough to give Keanu short, easy lines. No deep philosophical discussions for Neo, but rather one-word utterances like "Whoa." He did much better in this movie than in any other I've seen him in. The first third of the movie, including the setup, was a bit slow, but then it kicked into high gear. The Wachowski brothers out Cameroned James Cameron with the lobby sequence.
I was rather disappointed, though, that the premise and its implications weren't worked out with more rigor. A few changes there, and the movie would have been _just_ as good from an action standpoint but would have pleased all of us anal retentive types who actually expect movies to make sense. For one thing, the entire thing about the machines' motivation for creating the Matrix was just dumb, and I can imagine a much better way to set that up. I would also have preferred to have the movie take place almost entirely in the Matrix, not in the Real World.
Still, above-average eye candy. Worth seeing at a matinee or on video.
I was rather disappointed, though, that the premise and its implications weren't worked out with more rigor. A few changes there, and the movie would have been _just_ as good from an action standpoint but would have pleased all of us anal retentive types who actually expect movies to make sense. For one thing, the entire thing about the machines' motivation for creating the Matrix was just dumb, and I can imagine a much better way to set that up. I would also have preferred to have the movie take place almost entirely in the Matrix, not in the Real World.
Still, above-average eye candy. Worth seeing at a matinee or on video.
The Fifth Element
(1997)
Much better than I expected
30 April 1999
Sure, the plot was cliche-ridden, some of the acting was terrible (the guy who played the President, and Gary Oldman as Zorg, stand out as examples), Chris Tucker was annoying as heck. But the look of the movie (not just the special effects but the costuming and even the alien design) was just stunning. Bruce Willis was OK (he was much better in "12 Monkeys") but Milla was great, as was the guy who played the priest. There are images from this movie that are going to be stuck in my brain for the rest of my life, like the entire diva sequence. Some of the lines were just priceless, too. ("Slightly greasy solar atoms," anyone?) Oh yes, and the music was just incredible. I found, much to my amazement, that this movie actually gets better with repeat viewing.
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