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Tony-216
Reviews
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Unfortunately Forgettable
For a movie about one of the most epic battles in history this one comes across a bit shallow. In fact you'd never guess this was an epic battle just from watching this movie. You could say this is just a small episode of this battle, but not when you have dialogue like "you can win the war for us" thrown in there. It makes the duel sound far more important then it was and makes it seem as if the whole battle was decided by the duel (like in the middle ages). Also the director probably thought he was being clever by throwing in some elements of politics, but that just detracts from the movie by leaving threads which lead nowhere. For example the sniper that says all his teeth were knocked out by his own people (the NKVD). This is an interesting topic in and of itself but adds nothing to the movie since it barely scratches the surface (and it's wrong at that, he would have been sent to a forced labor camp, and how he made it out to fight is a mystery). Then there is this obvious fear of showing the red army as the good guys. Why that should even be an issue is beyond me. And yet we are forced to listen to people having doubts about the system. Not only was this uncommon among those who weren't aware of the purges, but you wouldn't dare say such things out loud. And it does a great deal of disservice to the people who gave their lives for their motherland without thinking twice about it. This isn't even apparent during the charging attack scenes. Those soldiers didn't need much motivation, it is in fact their insane bravery which gave them the edge in the first place. This is something that the movie fails to show. The director also tries hard to make the opening scenes more dramatic by making the soldiers very poorly armed. But while very true in the beginning of the war, it wasn't quite the same by the Battle of Stalingrad. Also we are talking about more then a million people involved in very bitter fighting for every street, every house, every room! This could have made for very dramatic scenes but it's totally missing. And then there is that tacked on, borrowed from Hollywood love triangle. It doesn't exactly add anything to the plot either. I mean at least stick to the facts, make Zaitsev give her sniping lessons for instance. This way we learn more about snipers, and see a bond develop between them, but this? Also there are little annoying details which might not be too important but are very distracting. The accents that everyone keeps mentioning are a real issue. When those actors speak in those British accents you instantly identify them as just that, British! It's not just English, it's a very specific dialect from a very specific place. Really, subtitles would have worked better, and even Russian actors for that matter, as unlike Jude Law, Joseph Feinnes doesn't look even remotely Russian! There are so many more things to go into but I can best sum it up this way : the Russian movie on Zaitsev (part of a big "liberation" series), is superior, though it was done on a mere fraction of the budget and no stars to speak of.
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Unfortunately Forgettable
For a movie about one of the most epic battles in history this one comes across a bit shallow. In fact you'd never guess this was an epic battle just from watching this movie. You could say this is just a small episode of this battle, but not when you have dialogue like "you can win the war for us" thrown in there. It makes the duel sound far more important then it was and makes it seem as if the whole battle was decided by the duel (like in the middle ages). Also the director probably thought he was being clever by throwing in some elements of politics, but that just detracts from the movie by leaving threads which lead nowhere. For example the sniper that says all his teeth were knocked out by his own people (the NKVD). This is an interesting topic in and of itself but adds nothing to the movie since it barely scratches the surface (and it's wrong at that, he would have been sent to a forced labor camp, and how he made it out to fight is a mystery). Then there is this obvious fear of showing the red army as the good guys. Why that should even be an issue is beyond me. And yet we are forced to listen to people having doubts about the system. Not only was this uncommon among those who weren't aware of the purges, but you wouldn't dare say such things out loud. And it does a great deal of disservice to the people who gave their lives for their motherland without thinking twice about it. This isn't even apparent during the charging attack scenes. Those soldiers didn't need much motivation, it is in fact their insane bravery which gave them the edge in the first place. This is something that the movie fails to show. The director also tries hard to make the opening scenes more dramatic by making the soldiers very poorly armed. But while very true in the beginning of the war, it wasn't quite the same by the Battle of Stalingrad. Also we are talking about more then a million people involved in very bitter fighting for every street, every house, every room! This could have made for very dramatic scenes but it's totally missing. And then there is that tacked on, borrowed from Hollywood love triangle. It doesn't exactly add anything to the plot either. I mean at least stick to the facts, make Zaitsev give her sniping lessons for instance. This way we learn more about snipers, and see a bond develop between them, but this? Also there are little annoying details which might not be too important but are very distracting. The accents that everyone keeps mentioning are a real issue. When those actors speak in those British accents you instantly identify them as just that, British! It's not just English, it's a very specific dialect from a very specific place. Really, subtitles would have worked better, and even Russian actors for that matter, as unlike Jude Law, Joseph Feinnes doesn't look even remotely Russian! There are so many more things to go into but I can best sum it up this way : the Russian movie on Zaitsev (part of a big "liberation" series), is superior, though it was done on a mere fraction of the budget and no stars to speak of.
Ladyhawke (1985)
A simple but fun adventure
There isn't much to add to all the good comments about the movie. The scenery is beautiful, the mood is just right, and the acting is fine. Having read the other comments though, I have to ask, what's wrong with the music? Why does everyone insist that it have some kind of classical soundtrack? Every fantasy movie already has one, it gets boring after a while! This is something different for a change, and the soundtrack is really good if you just give it a chance! Just enjoy the movie for what it is, a fun well crafted adventure.
Hollow Man (2000)
delivers what it promised
Um, you were expecting something else? How anyone could have expected any more from this movie is amazing. Whom are you kidding? Take a director obsessed with sex and violence, add plenty of eye candy, and you got yourself your average summer popcorn flick. I found the movie to be good because I knew what I was getting into. Hollow man is just one more installment in a long line of special fx heavy movies with little plot. It seems directors these days think that if they pound us with sound and better and better cgi we won't pay attention to the plot, or lack of one. That's obviously bad, but if you walk into a movie like this knowing that, it's actually ok. The special fx are amazing, especially to a computer art student who can appreciate the amount of work that went into it. The premise is no-nonsense. You know and I know that if someone became invisible they would instantly realize the power they possess and use it for no good. That's what the movie set out to show and it did it well. Yes it had numerous problems with logic, but seriously is this the kind of movie you thought would make you think? That would go into the philosophical aspect of having all that power? I'd like to see a thinking man's movie for a change, but you can't blame a movie like this for your own high expectations. 8/10
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Totally implausible
I can't believe that there is only one negative comment for this film. Anyone with a deeper knowledge of the subject will point out to you that the movie is greatly flawed, and at times hilarious at its portrayal of Russians. For example, singing the soviet national anthem on a sub is pure Hollywood. The political officer is not the second in command. The crew would not be so quick to cooperate with the captain. Plus if you knew some real history you'd know that something like this happened in 1975 only with a ship, and the captain wound up being shot by a firing squad. The guy wishing to live in Montana is simply ridiculous. Next we get the numerous technical problems, like there is no way a sub could do a turn in several seconds. Have you any idea how big these things are? It would take several seconds just to start its propellers rolling. I won't even get into the "caterpillar" drive's ridiculousness. Lets just say that even if it did exist it would not be any quieter then a propeller. Finally for a movie that seems to aim for accuracy, the Russian pronunciations in it are simply horrible. I know it might not matter much to most of you, but they should have at least tried to make it believable. This could go on forever, but I'll spare you. If you want a good believable sub movie, watch Das Boot.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Simply Amazing!
To all the people (wanna be critics) trashing this movie, I have one thing to say. GET A LIFE! This movie was so much fun, that I'm still amazed by it. It's exciting, it's funny, and it ties in with the rest of the trilogy as well as sets us up for the new episodes.
You really have to be quite stupid if all you do is take this movie apart to find faults in it. Having grown up after the original trilogy, this one seems far superior to me then the old ones, as I have no special attachments to the originals as a lot of you here seem to, and will not defend their obvious weaknesses. The special effects were breathtaking, and if you think otherwise you don't know what you are talking about. Some said it's not state of the art, well let me tell you something, I'm studying computer graphics and see things most people wouldn't notice, and I was simply blown away. Even the creatures who usually look fake, or move in unrealistic ways looked good here. In one battle there are thousands of cgi characters fighting thousands more, and as most of you critics have no clue how hard that is to do, it's pathetic for you to say that it's not special. Tell me what a radiosity raytracer is, then we'll talk.
Next, a lot of people are trashing the acting, well why don't you just take a look at a new hope, and see what "plastic" acting is all about. In phantom, all the actors do a good job in playing their characters. The queen is supposed to be solemn and determined, and so are the jedi, always calm.
So, all in all, if you haven't seen this movie, run and see it.
Don't pay attention to what the so called critics say. Sit back and enjoy the show. Don't expect the world either, this is a movie after all. Yes jar jar, gets annoying but later on its not so bad, yes darth maul should get more screen time, but those are minor things. This is quite an experience.
The Right Stuff (1983)
Quite good, but at times slow.
As good as this movie is, it has its share of problems. One is that it moves slower in places then it could have. Another is its pitiful portrayal of the other side. I realize that this is a movie about the American space program, but give credit where credit is due. The Russians get something like a minute of film time, and the designer Korolev does not look anything like he actually did, and actually neither did Von Braun. If this movie attempted to be very accurate, it doesn't do it too well. But it.s still a good movie all in all.
Election (1999)
a smart movie
There is not that much to add to what has already been said, except that being a high school senior, I have to say that this is one of the best portrayals of what high school is really like even if that's not what the movie is really about. All in all a good thought provoking movie.
Babylon 5: Thirdspace (1998)
It has to be one of the best sci-fi movies out there.
It seems that many people criticize thirdspace for not incorporating easily into the babylon 5 story arc, or universe or whatever. But does it matter? As a stand alone movie Thirdspace is simply outstanding. The soundtrack alone is brilliant and very deep, and together with the computer animation it simply mesmerizes you when you see it. I seriously don't see how anyone could consider it boring. The plot is well written, and has enough suspense to keep you guessing until the very end. The actor's performances are great as usual. In one word, its simply perfect. One thing however sets it apart from so many other movies out there (at least for me) and that is, it makes you think. It leaves a lasting impression and asks to consider a serious question, how far can you go with a search for more knowledge and power, and when do you have to stop? It could have been done poorly and then be boring, and pointless but it definitely wasn't. I give this one a solid 10 and it remains one of my favorite movies of all time.