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Wittmanntodd
Reviews
The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
A time filler
Being part of the over 40 crowd, I have never had the opportunity to watch "Friends". Being a Bruce Willis fan, I had to watch "The Whole Nine Yards." Watching this at the theatre, I absolutely could not get into the character played by Matthew Perry...Matthew who? At first glance I thought he overacted, attempting a Jerry Lewis type role, that he did not fit in. His mannerisms, body movements, and stereotypes were all so exaggerated.
****SPOILER AHEAD****
Additionally, I had difficulty reconciling the brutal murder of a police officer which was depicted as overkill by Bruce Willis, with a comedy. This senseless killing was funny???
The other killings were part and parcel of the mob scene. If anything, they deserved their fate. "It's business!"
Therefore, I left the movie somewhat confused. What kind of movie was this? Maybe a "dark" comedy? God forbid, some high school students see this movie. It sure is a proponent of how easy, funny, and entertaining killing is. BAD, BAD example. Freddie Krueger is a better example than this. At least Freddie. and others like him, are evil. Bruce Willis is good. Very confusing for the immature mind.
Months later a relative gave me this movie on VHS. Additionally, my younger wife had me start watching "Friends". I watched TWNY again and again and enjoyed it. I understood Matthew Perry, because he acted the same as he does on TV. Thus, I had no problem with his acting. That's the way he is, and his character became somewhat believable.
It started to grow on me as a "cute" movie.
I still cringe at the overkill scene of the police officer though.
In conclusion, I have no idea what to rate this movie, as it does not fit into ANY category. If it is on a movie channel, or if someone has a copy to loan you, then watch and enjoy. DO NOT pay any money to see this. I would not recommend it to anyone. This movie simply is...a time filler.
The Thin Red Line (1998)
1990's philosophy applied to 1940's...doesn't work.
I am willing to bet that anyone who thinks this is the best war movie of all time is either a bleeding heart liberal with no concept of war, or is under 30 years of age (or both). The thought processes, philosophy, and values of young men in the 1940's were totally different than the 1990's. This movie was loaded with late 20th century thinking. It is a disgrace to offer history with a modern slant (of course we see history constantly re-written in schools using this same methodology).
The only character true to the 1940's form was that of Nick Nolte. Sadly, everyone looked at him as the bad guy in this film. What a crock. Movies like this do not accurately depict the social, emotional, anthropological, physical or spiritual act of war as war was waged at that set certain period of time. The Vietnam warrior's mentality was different. Desert Storm's mentality was different.
This is perhaps the worst war movie of all time. As a professional warrior and historian, this movie should end up in the bottom of the same lagoon we keep seeing over and over again in the movie. This is one whiny and whimpy movie. Too many crybabbies.
Forget about the "hype" of "Saving Private Ryan". SPR was good becuase it applied 1940's style and philosophy to the era it depicted. Another true to form war movie, "When Trumpets Fade." This and SPR are the modern interpretations of World War II. Thin Red Line is just that..."thin"!
On Deadly Ground (1994)
A most immature and juvenile manner in dealing with life's issues.
This is one movie where I felt like walking out before it ended. How ridiculous can a movie get. Senseless Freddie Krueger movies (Part 32) are more believable than this. Granted, some corporations ignore the environment in the name of profits. Granted, you do not want to mess with Steven Seagal. Granted, the scenery was fantastic.
What gives the right for one man (Seagal) to go in and totally destroy a corporate plant, lawfully incorparated, albeit harming the environment...and in the process injure and kill many innocent workers (many of whom I presume have or had families), causing additional environmental damage with the destroyed facility, all in the name of getting rid of the combustion engine.
The slide show at the end was too much. An obvious agenda here. This was bad, bad, bad. The ONLY good scene was a bar fight scene(typical...but I love Seagal's Aikido).
Environmentalist wackos beware: If you do what this movie demonstrates, you WILL be prosecuted and convicted of murder, assualt, and numerous other crimes. There are better ways to go after big business and the crooked execs at the top rather than blowing up a factory.
A most immature and juvenile manner in dealing with life's issues.
A Perfect Murder (1998)
A complete waste of time
Horrible acting. Horrible plot. Horrible cinematography. Horrible lighting. I cannot find one thing good about this complete waste of time. The sad thing is...I love Michael Douglas' acting in every other role he has ever played. This is one of those movies where the producers thought that by having two of the biggest stars in Hollywood, such would be a movie worth watching. DON'T.
Finding Forrester (2000)
Rob Brown is the new African American actor on the block.
It is refreshing to find a new actor in the name of Rob Brown. The chemistry between him and Sean Connery is tight. Hopefully, we will not see him in the typical violent, action, gangland type movies which many up and coming African American actors get involved in. Rob has the charisma, intelligence, and the wherewithal to act in thought provoking roles which stimulate the mind and heart.
Tigerland (2000)
The unknown actors all gave Oscar winning performances.
Who is Collin Farrell? In fact, who are any of the actors in this movie? These questions I raised at the END of this deep, mind provoking work of cinematic art. Every single actor in this film performed to such excellence that one has to wonder where they came from. The emotion, the eye contact, body movements...all where consistently believable and real. No one, absolutely no one, dropped the ball in this movie. It is amazing what talent is out there without having to pay the enormous multi-million dollar salaries to the big name stars.
I await with great expectation to see Collin Farrell's further works. He has the stuff for a superstar.
Fire Down Below (1997)
Action, romance, intrigue, and Marg Helgenberger.
Yes, I am a Seagal fan. Yet, this was my first exposure to Marg Helgenberger. Finally, she has come of age in the TV series "CSI". Marg brings an innocence to the screen, yet not in a bimbo blond sort of way. She is smart, stand-off-ish, with not so quite hidden vulnerabilities. The attraction to her is total...not limited to looks, figure, or sexual prowess. Seagal's chemistry with her works (unlike the relationship with LeBrock in "Hard to Kill").
The story is consistent with the Seagal mystique. The environmental issues were not overdone (as they were done in "On Deadly Ground"). The romance had a good feeling to it, which was unusual for Seagal. Truly a good Seagal movie to watch with a woman who has a preconceived notion that she would hate any movie with Steven Seagal.
The Glimmer Man (1996)
As a Seagal fan and follower this will NOT be in my video collection.
Maybe it was the excessive weight gain Seagal had put on. Or maybe it was the horrible acting of Wayans in an action flick. Or was it the total lack of chemistry between the two leading characters? These and other considerations lead me to conclude that Seagal should have never made this acting nightmare. True, the story line was good. Yet, as an avid follower of Seagal's career and background, his physical appearance was inconsistent with his genre of clean, pure, healthy Zen Buddhist living, notably in his on screen discussions with Wayans. (Then again his real life affair with the "nanny" was inconsistent also!)
If Seagal wants to become a more diversified actor, then he should do what a fellow action figure did in "Kindergarten Cop"...put humorous material or situations in the script where the actor has no choice but to react in a comical way. Otherwise, leave the wise-cracks and the futile attempts at humor out of it while chasing a serial killer. Seagal is not a natural humor type of guy. It did not work.