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Reviews
The Cell (2000)
Eye STIMULANT!
I went straight to the big screen to view this kicker. This is the only flick that I know of that Tarsem Singh has directed but boy was it intense. This movie was a total mind stimulant and one of the best special effects flick of this kind.
The characters were vibrant and and nothing short of beings created in your own mind or nightmare. This movie is scary and interesting and totally bombs the senses with fear and exhilaration. This movie compares to no other I have seen except for the level of being beautifully odd. In that respect it is a fairly large step above `A Clockwork Orange.' Definitely see this movie on the big screen and don't wait for it to come out on tape. It won't be half as good on tape.
This movie is not for the easily freaked out. It will mess with your mind and leave you with images that take a while to forget. But for those who like to be freaked out.....ENJOY!
Anna and the King (1999)
Grubby Brit's
I rented this flick on VHS just for something for my wife and myself to do on a rainy day and it wasn't a bad film. This was a compelling true (yet slightly tainted by Hollywood) account of Anna Leonowens as a teacher that tutors the children of the King of Siam.
It was a romantic movie that made the viewer have the same emotions as those that played in it. The movie takes the viewer through the new life of the culture shocked Anna in the land of Siam. Anna, along with her son Louis (Tom Felton), goes through extremes of joy, sadness, and anger as they learn the ways of Siam. Anna also deals with the death of her husband and how his memory and likeness is seen through the King.
Meanwhile the British act innocently while behind the King they assist the Burmese in the on slot of attacks of the Siamese. This movie is unlike any other I have viewed so I can't compare it to any. There is plenty of action, tribulation, and romance so it is good for guys or gals.
End of Days (1999)
Just too dark
My roommate rented this movie on DVD and I agreed to view it even though I wouldn't have picked it up for myself. This movie seemed a bit to evil for my taste from what I could see in the previews. The movie was a definite good verses evil movie and anyone could tell who was the good guy and who was bad. The movie is self explanatory in the title. Schwarzenegger saves the world from eternal damnation, who would have thought? The things I found distasteful about this flick are the fact that Satan had way too much power than should have been portrayed. It seemed to me that only Jericho (Schwarzenegger's character) could defeat Satan and God had the power only through Jericho. It seems to me that if Satan is who he is and Jericho is only a man the odds of Jericho winning were much less than the movie portrayed. The special effects on the other hand were quite good and the detail of the story as well as religious background and information were interesting to contemplate although most were false. The character that Arnold played was good for him and it showed a little more of the inside of his character rather than his usual `muscle-bound-brute'. Arnold's character had his own personal problems in this movie that made him seem more real. This was the first time I had seen Gabriel Byrne in a movie since `The Man in the Iron Mask.' Byrne is the girl that is the main supporting actress in the movie but I won't let you know what part she plays for viewing sake. Needless to say her role in `End of Days' was a bit more dramatic.
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Keeps getting better and better!!!!!
Man oh man can James do anymore! This just makes the 007 series that much better. I rented this on VHS and thought it would make a good rainy day movie but I believe it would be good for all occasions. I never have been a huge Pierce Brosnan fan but he did a bang up job in this one. Roger Moore or Sean Conery have always been my 007 but Pierce pulled this one off with flying colors. The plot involves money hungry oilers and a crazed maniac that is bent on revenge on everyone. And of course there is a nuclear warhead involved in there somewhere. Although it is a stereotypical Bond movie the special effects and gadgets from Q make the movie a spectacular array of FX fun. My wife watched it with me and she is not a Bond fan and she liked it from start to finish. This movie was excessively cool.
The Ninth Gate (1999)
Don't touch it!
I rented this flick on VHS on a rainy day frankly because there wasn't anything else on the shelf that look appealing. This seemed to be a typical Polanski film with darkness and ominousness a plenty. This is a dark movie bringing for reference to satan and how to manifest him on earth. Depp plays a rare book dealer that is sent on a mission by a rich Satanic book finatic and on his trip to Europe to find the devils work he ends up working right along side the devil and doesn't even notice. Depps acting was a plus but for everyone else they put on a fair showing. This seemed to be a low budget film with small or no name actors and actresses to play key rolls in the film. The plot was fairly elementary for someone of Polanski's stature. Seemed to me the idea probably came from a pre-wicken, highschool kid. It really didn't give me the feeling that this movie could almost be believable and just wasn't worth the time to watch it. If the movie itself isn't a let down then the ending will be. The ending is Depp walking into the light of a mysterious castle and you don't know if the light he walks into is the light of hell or light of goodness. BOMB!
Lake Placid (1999)
Big Croc
I rented this movie on DVD just because I didn't want to spend the money to watch it on the big screen. It is worth renting if you like suspenseful movies or just special effects. The beginning is the typical `mystery-beast-underwater killing' that can't be explained. As the movie continues, the group battles with the croc till the surprise ending. This movie was pretty suspenseful and it does keep you on the edge of your seat. `Lake Placid' would probably be better if it were viewed in groups. Bill Pullman plays `Jack Wells' a game warden that comes to town to investigate the first killing. Bridget Fonda plays `Kelly Scott' who is a paleontologist from New York that comes to investigate a tooth left behind on the corpse of the first mysterious killing. Oliver Platt plays `Hector Seare' a rich and over zealous crocodile expert that flies in to run the show. Platt is quiet funny and the croc-parts of the movie have great special effects. Of course this movie is totally unbelievable but it is great fun to watch.
The Astronaut's Wife (1999)
What is expected?
I rented this movie just for something to waist time with and this is a small lead in. 2 astronauts go into space to fix a satellite and for a 2-minute period all transmissions with the crew are lost. In that brief 2 minutes something changes the lives of the 2 astronauts and their wives. Suspicions arise about the mysterious 2 minutes as well as the obvious change that Charlize Theron (character wife of Johnny Depp) sees in her husband. `The Astronauts Wife' was an odd movie, not to the point of extreme oddity that makes the movie so weird it is intriguing. This movie was odd to the point of losing interest in the flick up until the 2nd half of the show. At that point you want to know if the movie ends the way you think it will. It was interesting to see Johnny Depp on the darker side of the spectrum.
Instinct (1999)
Anthony is powerful
I viewed this movie knowing nothing of it's plot. That is the only way to fully enjoy it in this critics opinion. The sense of "how is this going to end" is overwhelming if you haven't heard a word about it. The ending was much better than I figured Jon Turteltaub would come up with. I have seen several movies lately that ended to abruptly. As far as other movies Hopkins has been in he was right on course. I still saw the thought patterns of "Hannibal Lectur" in the eyes of Hopkins throughout this flick. Those who like Anthony will like this movie. I don't usually care for Gooding jr. but he did make a good showing of himself as the psychiatrist.
Snake Eyes (1998)
Good Conspiracy
I rented this movie on DVD because I had been meaning to watch it for sometime now and I finally got a break to do so. Nicolas Cage is a cop in New Jersey who has friends all over on the good and bad sides of society. At a high status fight, a conspiracy takes place against an attending government bigwig and everyone it seems is involved, even the boxers. And what a good conspiracy it is. Cage does what he can to solve the conspiracy and find out who is on his side and who is not. In the meantime he has to hide a girl who got tangled up in the conspiracy from those who want her dead. We see Cage play a different kind of role than the populous is use to seeing. One thing I liked about this movie is the fact that it doesn't end with the good guy getting the girl and living happily ever after
at least not at first. This movie has good chemistry among the cast including Cage, Gary Sinise, and Carla Gugino. "Snake Eyes" had the same kind of suspense as "The Negotiator" another great conspiracy movie.
Sphere (1998)
Holy Moly!
Best movie I have seen in a long time. I first saw `Sphere' on the big screen when it first came out and I have rented it a few times and then went out and bought it on VHS. A little bit of the story for you-Dustin Hoffman plays the part of a psychologist and thinks he is going to counsel the survivors of a plane wreck in the ocean. There is more to the situation than Hoffman knows. At the supposed crash sight Hoffman teams up with Sharon Stone and Samuel Jackson as part of a top team of scientists assembled in high-priority situations. While under water the team finds the unexpected and their worst fears become reality. This movie is perfectly intriguing and very well written. The twists and turns in the movie fit together like puzzle pieces that paint the best psychological thriller that I have seen. Hoffman is of course at his best and Stone and Jackson are right there beside him the whole way.