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Reviews
Hollow Man (2000)
So near, and yet so far!
I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. It seemed such a good idea on paper, but managed to end up disappointing me. It starts off quite well, explaining the story and reasoning behind their research. However, I couldn't help looking at my watch, wondering when the other scientists were going to make Sebastian Caine(played by Kevin Bacon) invisible. Before that point, it was moving too slowly.
As the character first explored his invisibility, it was interesting to watch as he got to grips with the idea of voyeurism without actually ever being caught. This seemed quite a sophisticated premise on which to base a film. However, once his brain began to turn and he became perverted and psychopathic, it descended into the usual, unsophisticated, slasher-style fayre. It reminded me of that genre because, instead of having a crazed, psychopathic killer on the loose, we watched an invisible (who you could see half the time, anyway due to fire extinguishers, etc.), crazed, psychopathic killer on the loose. In the "Scream" series, it was a deliberate joke that the parties kept splitting up. However, in this film, the victims, who were apparently the "creme de la creme" of science, but were actually quite limited when it came to common sense, kept separating, just to be picked off one by one so that the remaining parties could find them dead. It just became a guessing game of which dimwit was going to die next. The effects were not exactly amazing and although described as so by others, I wouldn't have said that they were "ground-breaking".
Kevin Bacon was at his "hammy" (no pun intended!) best and what was Elisabeth Shue doing in it? The lady from Leaving Las Vegas has really gone downmarket. The entire film, from start to finish, had a distinct air of a B-movie/TV movie. It was perfectly watchable. I've seen much worse but I have seen so much which was better. 5/10
Gladiator (2000)
An epic of gigantic proportions!!
This film was absolutely magnificent. RIdley Scott rules!!! I studied Rome back at school for 7 years and was very pleased when I heard that they had made a "sandal and sword" epic in my time, as opposed to Ben Hur and Spartacus which were made way before me.Having studied Rome for so many years, I had so many images in my head as to what it would have been like. This film turns those images into reality. Russell Crowe was perfectly cast as the vengeful Maximus. He was really menacing and you could tell that his character had a huge chip on his shoulder (which wasn't surprising since his family had been murdered at the bequest of the Roman emperor, Commodus,, who was now Maximus' enemy). Joaquin Phoenix was great (but a bit hammy!) as the 19 year old emperor. Oliver Reed turned in a sterling performance. This film is a fitting tribute to his memory. "Gladiator" is great entertainment with battle scene after battle scene, wowing you at every turn, dispersed by golden shots of an age-old Rome. You will not be disappointed.
Hooves of Fire (1999)
Just thirty minutes long but a scream all the same!
This was the funniest programme on the television at Christmas in Britain. It follows the adventures of a young reindeer called Robbie (the son of Rudolph)who has been sent by his father to Lapland to train and navigate Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. However, there are a couple of problems in Robbie's way. He is lazy and will do anything to get out of work , a female reindeer called Vixen has caught his eye and made him go all gooey and the leader of the sleigh team, Blitzen, is constantly conspiring to keep Robbie off the sleigh team because he hates Rudolph (Robbie's father) and wants to humiliate him. However, Robbie's friend, Donner, learns of this plan and informs Robbie and tells him to train like mad for the Reindeer Games. You can be rest assured that all turns out well in the end. British viewers will enjoy the depiction of the British sport commentators, Des Lynam and Alan Hansen as a yeti and a snowman respectively, and look out for a joke about the singer, Seal. All in all, it was one of the funniest short animations I have ever seen. I was in stitches on Christmas Day and it is well worth watching, whether you're an adult or a child, or just a big kid!!!
The Italian Job (1969)
Hmmmmmmmmmmm!
Quite frankly, I didn't think much of this film at all. I have always liked Michael Caine so I quite enjoyed watching him. However, all the scenes involving Noel Coward just bored me to tears. I actually dozed off in one of those scenes. Benny Hill was just downright irritating. In its favour, it did have a couple of good setpieces (i.e. the driving of the minis around the city and the great ending) but I have to say that if I had heard the "self preservation society" song or tune one more time in this film, I think I would have hung myself.
Big Daddy (1999)
A big film with some big laughs!
From a psychotic golfer to a lunatic waterboy-cum-american football player via a wedding singer in the 1980s and a grown man back at school, Adam Sandler still manages to portray the same sort of character in Big Daddy. He is still the same loveable character with some form of repressive behaviour. This time around, he plays Sonny Koufax, a law graduate who works as a gate toll man at a car park one day a week. For the rest of his time, he seems to sleep...big time!! That is until, by a twist of fate, he is lumbered with the job of looking after the son of his friend, Kevin(who doesn't know he has a son and is out of the country). Cue much mirth as father figure and son bond. Check out Sonny's attitude to spillages and the constant ribbing of his friend, Corinne for working at a particular type of bar while she was at medical school. The twin boys who played Julian managed throughout the film to be cute rather than sickly sweet and just downright irritating. The child's crying did get annoying from time to time but that only shows why Sonny always got annoyed too. Adam Sandler manages to deliver one of his better performances (but that really isn't a compliment after "The Waterboy") and manages to portray a man who falls in love with a child quite well. Joey Lauren Adams turns in a mediocre performance as the love interest. The twin boys are quite convincing , whilst the fabulous Steve Buscemi steals a slice of the limelight as a homeless guy. As a film, it should mostly please but be ready with the sick bucket in one of the most farfetched scenes of cinema in recent years when every man in the courtroom start declaring their love for their fathers. On the whole, though, most people shouldn't have a problem with it as Sandler's sparkling brand of comedy shines through.
Carnival of Souls (1998)
Oh, dear!
When I saw this on the shelf at my local video store, I thought, "Oh, it's Wes Craven, the director of Scream, one of the best films of the 1990s, and it's a horror as well. It's got to be good!" How wrong could a young lad be? This was a horror but for all the wrong reasons. I do not think I have ever been more bored in my entire life. You can really overdose on the hammy acting, the extremely unscary clown and the annoying music in the background. It has a plot that was so thin and lame that you could hardly be aware of its existence at all. For most horror films that I watch, you can guarantee that they won't scare me, but at least they are funny!! "Carnival of Souls was not even that. It was pitiful and had no redeeming qualities at all, apart from the end credits when the pain was all over. I have watched some garbage in my time so it is unbelievable to hear myself say that this is the worst film I have ever seen.If someone paid me to watch this film again, I think I would prefer to keep my sanity.