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Reviews
K-PAX (2001)
Not what I was expecting.
While watching the preview of this movie, I imagined an insightful Sci-Fi work that parallels such great movies like Contact or the Arrival. But this movie was not exactly what I was hoping for.
Spoiler: As expected, the movie's plot line dangles between "so, is he from outer space or not," much like in Contact, where the question was "so, did she really go or not" to keep the audience interested. But, in Contact, the question was more significant in that her question involved the theological conflict between science and religion, the contests between the government and a nemesis billionaire, and the treachery of human selfishness. In contrast, Prot's influence never seeped out of the psychiatric ward. His "benevolence" was only felt by a small group of crazed people. This element alone makes "the question" in K-Pax less significant, and less exciting.
Also, it was quite surprising that after Prot dramatically demonstrated his knowledge (perhaps the highest point in the entire more), which proved (at least to me) that he is from outer planets, that nothing was done about it (also seemed strange to me that they never asked Prot to simply get from one side of the room to the other side of the room in light speed, which could have proven his ability to travel faster than light). Maybe it was the philosophy of the writers to shy away from MIB or ID4 type of alien extravaganza, but I was expecting a whole new plot line after that point, something that would parallel the story line of the Arrival, where the "real" reason of why he is here is discovered (they also never made quite clear why he would come to Earth). My point is that the second half could have been much more exciting (and believable) than just watching Prot locked up in the ward, figuring out if he is telling the truce from hypnosis when the whole world could be changed by Prot's knowledge.
Maybe it was because I had a preconception of the movie, but I find myself not intellectually satisfied when the movie ended. This movie strikes me more like a "One Flew over Cuckoo's Nest" with a spaceman in it. Its not a bad movie. Just not as good as I had hoped.
Hannibal (2001)
A nice blend of gory, mystery, and suspense
Having never saw The Silence of the Lambs since it first came out, I could barely remember the premise of the movie when I went to see Hannibal. I think this worked in my favor. I wasn't trying to compare the two films together and was, perhaps, able to enjoy this film more than some others.
Mild Spoilers Ahead
The opening was a very typical Hollywood product, where a gun fight was used to "hook" the audience's interest and to provide the momentum for the next act. The pace slowed during the second act, when the script was trying to establish the major characters. This was where we get to know their motivations and their personalities. This part receives the most criticism on my part because I felt the characters could be developed more. This act is slow but there is that beautiful score by Patrick Cassidy "Vide Cor Meum" that grabs your attention every time it comes on. Nevertheless, the ending was very good, which propelled beyond the usual nice-and-tidy Hollywood ending. The writers definitely were planning on another sequel.
End Spoilers
I do vaguely remember the Silence of the Lambs. And I have to admit that this film doesn't compare to what I remember about the original. But, this film stands well on its own. There were moments when the dark humor used in the movie that could send you giggling and shivering at the same time. If it is not titled "Hannibal: the sequel to Silence of the Lambs", then perhaps people wouldn't be as critical on this film if it was "just another horror film". And by the way, you have got to check out that song sung during the opera scene "Vide Cor Meum" (which is also played again near the end). That song is incredibly beautiful!
The 6th Day (2000)
Moderately entertaining.
This is a very typical Arnold sci-fi film from Hollywood. The story is very predictable. It also lacks the energy of the Terminator I/II or True Lies, probably because this movie was directed by James Cameron. However, it has its moments and was a good experience overall.
Red Planet (2000)
Well researched and entertaining.
As a huge sci-fi fan, I watch lots of sci-fi movies. I thought this movie was a typical Hollywood science fiction movie, where a group of scientists were sent on a mission to save the fate of human kind, only to be challenged with one disaster after another. However, it delivered. It is well directed and acted. The science aspect of the movie was also well researched. There were enough questions posed to make it interesting and satisfying. Overall, this is a "good" sci-fi movie for people to spend 2 hours in the theater.
A Bright Shining Lie (1998)
A good effort
For a TV Movie, this film was good. The film didn't look amateurish and the overall quality was generally very good. One scene that especially stood out was when Bill Paxton rushed to the village only to see it get destroyed. However, this movie could have been much better. The most critical error of this movie is that it tries to cover too many elements and ultimately fails to fully address them to any satisfying extent. It lacked focus. There were a lot of good ideas, such as the hidden propaganda, the conflict of war strategy of various people, the familial problems, to the questionable moral and ethical values of the main character..., but most of them were dealt with not more than a dozen lines! In short, this movie needed to be more developed and needed another revision before it was released.
Savior (1998)
An impressive film
This film is very good. It resonates much like the Dance of the Wolves. Even though it doesn't have a big budget, it succeeds extremely well in illustrating the Bosnian war, the brutality and the blind hatred, and one man's journey from the death of his loved ones to his redemption at the end. The plot is not very complex, but the story is very complicated. There are many symbolisms and messages that you will need to pay attention to; there is a lot more to the movie than what meets the eyes. Every scene has a special message that you will really need to analyze in order to understand why they are showing you what they are showing you. There are also a lot of conflicts on ideology and ethics in this film. I also thought that Dennis Quaid is superb in this film. He succeeds in brining a subtle emotional depth to a person who is supposedly "numbed" by his experience with deaths. However, if you just sit there passively, this movie will really try your patience. If I want to make a criticism, it will be the budget. This film was probably (surely...?) made on a limited budget and it showed. Other than that, this is a great film!
Dark City (1998)
Mildly Disappointed...(mild spoilers)
I think I had too much expectations when I went to rent this video from all the wonderful reviews I heard. Starting off with the good points, the cinematography was really good. It created a dark and moody atmosphere that was essential for this movie. The special effects were also superb, especially during the dual at the ending. The acting were decent. However, at times, the movie was too dark to make out certain details. And I don't know how many could catch this, but that ending is actually borrowed from Japanese animations. I also found the movie to be too similar to the Matrix. But considering it came out before the Matrix, it was actually the more original of the two. Someone in Hollywood probably saw Dark City and thought that it would make a great action flick. Otherwise, there were just too many similar elements to say they were out of coincidence. This could have been a great movie. But it was spoiled by the Matrix.
Contact (1997)
An absolutely marvelous film.
This is my favorite film of all time. This movie captures my heart so much because it makes me imagine what extraordinary experience will be the defining moment of my life. Imagine your life's goal coming true and you are the only person on the planet who will ever be able to savor that experience. An utterly incredible premise.
What also fascinated me so much about this movie was how the concept of intelligent life on other planets never deteriorated to the special effect and explosion extravaganzas that almost always characterized films in this genre. Contact, thanks to the book written by Carl Sagan, was put together thoughtfully and intelligently. I also thought that Jodie Fosters character received a major boost in the movie, which made the plot incredibly complex, enormously deeper than what meets the eye. Many of the internal conflicts of her character were presented in the earlier parts of the movie and you have to pay attention and catch them to understand just how significant each scene was. Then you will appreciate how important Matthew McConnahey's character was. If you passively absorb the movie, you will not get much of it! And if you catch those "cues," you will understand why they made the ending like that.
Technically, I was totally blown away by the discovery sequence. I was also completely astonished by the entire second half of the film. The physics, the visuals, the editing were so well blended into the fabric of her transportation that I was stunned agasp. This is truly a marvelous movie, full of symbolisms and messages that it was just overwhelming. But, its not for everyone. If you like Armaggedon, Independence Day, Men In Black, and movies like that, you probably won't appreciate the subtlety of this movie.
Gladiator (2000)
Great action movie, yet very disconcerting.
This movie is good and bad at the same time. I came out of the movie with very mixed feelings. To start off with the good points and not repeat what others have said, the battle/arena sequences were very exciting. The script is not original, but there were enough twists and turns to make an otherwise formulaic movie interesting. The acting was also very good. Connie Nielson was just excellent. Joaquine Phoenix was perfect for the part. And Russel Crowe shined through out the film. In short, this is a great action movie. Some might not like the ending, but to me, it was very unexpected and very out of the conventional Hollywood way.
However, if you look at the film in terms of its appeal and content, the movie is very disconcerting. I would imagine that most people are attracted to this film by its Roman glory. But imagine 2000 years after the Romans, we still want to be entertained by the spill of blood and excessive violence. We thought of Romans as barbaric and ourselves as enlightened, yet many will flood to this movie to watch people's heads get chopped off. This movie is simply a new trend of Hollywood movies (such as Legend of the Fall, Saving Private Ryan, the Thin Red Line, Braveheart, and the upcoming the Patriot)that is designed to feed off the audience's hunger for violence. This film will do great at the box office, but what does that reflect about our society?
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Overrated
This must be one of the most overrated movie of all time. I came out of the movie feeling like it was a promotional piece made by George Lucas as an advertisement for his company ILM. The plot is weak, very predictable. Jar Jar binks was unnecessary except at the beginning of the film. All the characters were flat. The emotional climax at the end simply failed to deliver. The whole movie had the distinct feel that it was an overblown motion picture based on a video game. What carried the story was its special effects and the reputation of George Lucas and the excitement of the previous Star Wars trilogy. I give it 3 out of 5 only because the ending sequence compensated for the rest of the movie, somewhat.
The Ninth Gate (1999)
Pointless story.
This must be one of the most pointless movies I have seen in my life. The plot is mildly intriguing at best on its surface and the whole movie is so meaningless that if I hadn't carpooled with my friends to see this movie, I would have left right after the opening. Don't waste your time watching this movie.
Frequency (2000)
A tightly written movie with great acting.
Being a fan of science fiction, I just knew that I have to see the movie when I first read about it a few months back. It is not a conventional science fiction movie with lots of special effects but little sophistication or emotion. It is more like films such as Deep Impact and Contact, all of which explore scientific possibilities in the context of human emotion, which gives them their depth. The movie is further enhanced by the strong acting by both of the leading actors, which is definitely one of the best qualities about this film. The father-son element is the essence of the movie and it is so well developed throughout, it was utterly moving.
Some of the other things I liked about the movie are the superbly achieved editing during the various flashbacks and the many "clues" the writer had intelligently incorporated from the backdrop of the story into the plot. The ending sequence was also extremely well done and very satisfying. This movie is so much more than the usual one dimensional science fiction, I want to see it again.