williamj-2 Reviews

Tarzan (1999)

Excellence on a vine.

[10/10 · 16 October 1999]

Post-George of the Jungle, one wonders how can Disney's animated Tarzan bring anything fresh to the much-filmed legend? Yet, this new version is superb. Tarzan himself is the model man, nicely contrasted with the baddie Clayton who is all machismo and trousers. And he has dreadlocks! Why did no other producer ever think that someone brought up in the jungle without the benefits of shampoo and conditioner would naturally have dreadlocked hair?!?

Someone has bemoaned the lack of any native (human) Africans in the film - but that's missing the point. Tarzan must remain unaware that their are creatures like him until he meets Jane.

I mean, Duh...

Trucks (1997 TV Movie)

Pointless remake which contains funniest movie death ever!

[4/10 · 15 October 1999]

Why bother re-making 'Maximum Overdrive'? This is just another of the universe's imponderables, but stick with this movie, your patience will be rewarded with what must be the funniest movie death ever: a gormless mailman is battered to death by a Tonka toy, and the gore sprays like raspberry jam from a doughnut. In the cast is the marvellous Brendan Fletcher, one of the finest actors of his generation, and again the question recurs:WHY WHY WHY?

The Scout (1994)

Endearing comedy

[8/10 · 19 August 1999]

This is an endearing comedy which, as a Brit who knows precious little about baseball, I enjoyed a lot. The main reason is the performance of Brendan Fraser as the emotionally immature prodigy, Steve Nebraska. There are elements of his later role as George Of The Jungle here, although George was never this vulnerable or unpredictable. Dianne Wiest makes for a sympathetic psychiatrist and Albert Brooks is an affable rogue of a talent scout.

Contagious (1997 TV Movie)

plot-by-numbers, routine thriller which doesn't thrill

[10 August 1999]

This made for TV movie suffers in comparison to the tense and exciting 'Outbreak'. You can join the dots yourself as the story unfolds and it becomes a matter of waiting for the cast to jump through the hoops. There are no surprises. But there is Brendan Fletcher, who makes a silk purse from the sow's ear of a script. He is always worth watching.

Keeping the Promise (1997 TV Movie)

Sensitive and intelligent period piece

[10/10 · 8 August 1999]

Based on the children's novel, 'Sign Of The Beaver', this is a sensitive and intelligent period piece, for the most part underplayed - a style which lends the movie a ring of authenticity. The cast is excellent, but the movie belongs to the young Canadian Brendan Fletcher as Matt Hallowell, surviving alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. There are several particularly moving scenes, carried by Fletcher's appealing screen presence. Surely he is a big star of the future. There is also a heart-rending performance from Annette O'Toole as the much-enduring mother with a catch in her throat that could melt the stoniest heart. I don't wish to give the impression this is mawkish or sentimental in any way, it isn't, but what keeps me going back to it as well as Brendan Fletcher's performance, is the soundtrack, which is haunting and evocative and, alas, not available commercially!

Air Bud (1997)

undemanding fun

[8 August 1999]

This movie is undemanding fun. while it's refreshing to see a film that does not rely on -or even use- computer-generated effects, the set-up is that the guy, Michael Jeter, is shown to be a baddie because of his treatment of the dog as his co-star in his crummy clown show. As an audience we must share complicity in this, as 'Buddy' performs for our entertainment, and that dog (and his two doubles) really do score those baskets. But, all political correctness aside, the movie is enjoyable enough. Underused though is the excellent Brendan Fletcher as the 'bad kid'.