Chewbaccy Reviews

40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)

Is it still funny if we flip it round.

[1/10 · 2 August 2005]

Over the years there have been many chauvanistic male movie characters who produce stereotypical images to the viewers. However if we look at 40 days and 40 nights and flip the plot around so that it is a girl who has to go the aforementioned length of time without having sex and we no longer have a comedy but an extremely offensive movie.

***PLOT (if you can call it that) SPOILERS!!!!

Take the scene where the girl tries to seduce him on the photocopier or the two girls in the store room who kiss. I am not a prude in any way but if those scenes were reversed and it was a female on the receiving end then the scenes would have had a far darker meaning. And lets not even go near the scene at the end where the ex-girlfriend ruins the mission so to speak. Once again flipped around this would surely be rape. Which begs the question is it funny? I don't think so.

Yes it is only a teen comedy and maybe I should lighten up somewhat but where the American Pie films had a certain charm and illustrated the prat falls for both men and women, 40 days and 40 nights went for morally questionable gags to sell the movie.

Dances with Wolves (1990)

magnificent

[10/10 · 26 August 2003]

I like to watch lots of films, pretty much any film in fact, therefore I can tell you i have seen a fair few duds. I have also seen some spectacularly brilliant films. Dances With Wolves is one of them. For me to have the patience to watch a film more than a couple of times then the film needs to make me want to watch it over and over. Let me tell you I have seen this film more than a few times. I think you know when a film is special to you when you watch it and you keep thinking to yourself "oh this scene coming up is great", if you can say that continually whilst watching a film then you know you are watching a great film.

As for the film itself, cinematography has never been bettered, Costners acting is OK but it his presence rather than his acting that has brought gravitas to his movies, you certainly cant argue with his directing, which along with Orson Wells, Tarantino and a few select others must rank alongside as one of the best directorial debuts. The supporting cast is excellent especially Graeme Greene who is the wonderful Kicking Bird and of course Rodney A Grant.

I shamefully dont know too much about the history of the Indian population in America, so I dont know whether the events or portrayals in the film are accurate, however artistic license is surely allowed when making what is first and foremost a piece of entertainment. Being British I have seen many an American film with British stereotypes, not once have I been offended or appalled, as I see them as interpretations, God knows British filmmakers are just as guilty of such generalisations when it comes to "foreign" characters.

Marvel at the wonderful film-making in this film not political inaccuracies after all this is a story, and a damn fine one at that, remember King Kong didnt really climb up the Empire State Building and you dont here gorillas complaining about being misrepresented. This is a point of view expressed in a great film.

Personally films dont get much better than this.

Shrek (2001)

Brilliant

[8/10 · 29 August 2002]

This was an excellent take on an old fairytale. The animation was superb and the performances were excellent, especially from Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz. Mike Myers was also good but I was baffled as to why he had made Shrek Scottish! There were so many sequences in this film that made even the hardest nosed adult laugh, none more so than the Rip-off of the Matrix and the karaoke sequence at the end. Very funny.

Hercules (1997)

not the strongest

[5/10 · 29 August 2002]

Hercules is solid fun for all the family. Whilst never reaching the heights of The Lion King or Tarzan. The animation also looks a bit dated now with the arrival of Shrek and Toy Story etc, but Disney has always prided itself on glossy colors and emotional stories. The usual mix of heroic characters and show stealing sidekicks make this a firm entry in Disney's portfolio, but it probably wont live long in the memory.

Albino Alligator (1996)

solid debut

[5/10 · 29 August 2002]

This film was enjoyable without ever really thrilling the audience. It seemed to be a "safe" option for Kevin Spacey's directorial debut. He managed to assemble a fantastic cast for not very fantastic roles. The cast all do well without anyone really excelling. To be honest I thought Matt Dillon was a bit over the top with his hard man role which I dont think he really pulled off, on the other hand Fichtner was suitably scary as the cliched "nutter".

There are some nice touches in this film as well as a great scene where the policeman is interviewed by the nosy reporter.

Overall a good film but Spacey must take more risks as a director if he is to carve out as good a directing career as his acting one.

Brother's Keeper (2002 TV Movie)

how did it end?

[3/10 · 28 August 2002]

I don't really care to be honest. It was a very formulaic "thriller" that I didnt bother watching the end. Tripplehorn's career is nosediving at an alarming rate if this is the best she can offer. To be honest I wasnt too disappointed as I didn't expect much, it just passed the time.

Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)

good fun

[7/10 · 28 August 2002]

This was very standard but like everything Bruckheimer does, you have just got to love it. Nicolas Cage keeps getting into these problems when he is trying to go straight, but in fairness he plays it well. The action is unrelenting and Cage and Duvall are as easy to watch as ever. The only purpose of Angelina Jolie is to add some female skin, not necessarily a bad thing!!. This film also confirmed to us Brits that Vinnie Jones is a much better footballer than actor and he was God awful at that too!!. Great fun an absolute no brainer!!

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

moved to tears

[10/10 · 28 August 2002]

Steven Spielberg is a visionary, I knew that before I went in to see this film at the cinema, however I was not prepared for the opening 20 minutes or so. At the same time it brought the horrors of war and the wonder of film making together at the same time. This is matched with an end battle sequence again that gets the pulses racing and the emotions rising. People have actually complained about the middle segment of the film, claiming it to be clunky, boring and cliche but this is just the unwinding of the plot. The scene where they storm the radar base and capture the German pow is one of the most powerful in the film. Hanks is as always superb but my personal favourite in the film is Tom Sizemore who is the pick of an all round excellent supporting cast, big mentions also to Jeremy Davies and Adam Goldberg who excelled in their roles.

American Beauty (1999)

fascinating

[8/10 · 27 August 2002]

American Beauty is a film of real substance with performances right out of the top draw. Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning play the couple who's marriage ended years ago in love if not in writing. The idea of the film is to show you that, people are very good at hiding their true feelings. We the audience are told that Spacey's character is going through a mid-life crisis, yet by the end of the film you feel he is the most sane character there. Superb performance by Spacey and a career best by Mena Suvari as the "Lolita" like object of Spacey's desire. Benning is also fantastic, if a little over hammy at times. The script is brilliant and it is brought to life by the powerful cast. A top notch film that is worth repeat viewing.

The Family Man (2000)

entertaining

[6/10 · 26 August 2002]

I watched this at home on a Sunday night after a hectic weekend and was just what I needed, an easy-going often humourous film. The story itself is very similar to It's a Wonderful Life and Mr Destiny. It has Nic Cage taking a breather from action roles and the always watchable Tea Leoni as the leads. The plot moves along at a quick pace with the director seeming to be trying impossibly hard not to over sentimentalize proceedings. All in all if you have a couple of hours to kill and you dont want to have to think about things too much, you could do a lot worse than watch this.

Rain Man (1988)

A Classic

[10/10 · 27 October 2001]

This is one of my favourite films of all time, as we watch the relationship between two completely different brothers evolve from a curiosity into a loving friendship.

My personal opinion is that no-one has ever acted as well on screen as Dustin Hoffman does in this film. His portrayal of Raymond is ingenious, emotional, humourous,touching and above all believeable. He is mesmerising on screen as Raymond.

I also believe this is Tom Cruise's finest performance. I am a big fan of Tom Cruise because he makes films I wish I was in ( Top Gun, Mission Impossible etc), but many people see him more as a "movie star" rather than an actor. However in this film the transformation his character goes through during the course of the film is very well handled and executed. There is definately a "lump in the throat moment at the end" to get even the hardest heart melting

A great film with great performances a must for anyone who has not seen this yet.

Forrest Gump (1994)

A great film

[10/10 · 15 October 2001]

Forrest Gump is one of my favourite movies and has to be one of the most feelgood movies of our time. However I feel that people are unnecessarily harsh on the film due to the success it recieved at the academy awards. It beat Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption to the Best Picture Oscar and has been criticised since. All three films are superb movies in their own right, ( Shawshank just shading it as my favourite), and should be enjoyed on their own merits rather than on what they prevented others doing.

I may be wrong but I feel a lot of the criticism of the film is due to the academy awards and that if Forrest Gump had won on a different year it would not suffer the criticism it does.

Anyway on with the film. Hanks was brilliant as usual and the support players especially Sinise, and Williamson will live long in the memory. OK towards the end there are too manny references on how Forrest misses Jenny ( e.g naming the boat )but overall I think Robert Zemeckis balances out the emotional with the humorous and it is close to a perfect film.

1994 was truly a great film and the arguments about who should have won will go on and on, just be grateful that 3 splendid films came out together. It has not happened since.

E.T. (1982)

Spielberg's Greatest Love Story

[10/10 · 15 October 2001]

This was one of the first films I saw at the cinema, all the way back in 1982. I only really appreciated it's wonder and magic several years later. This is not just a science fiction tale it is a beautiful love story between a young boy and his almost imaginary friend.

I think the wonder of this film is based around the strong performances by the leads. It has always amazed me that Henry Thomas and the underrated Robert MacNaughton have never made more success of their obvious talent.

But this is Spielberg bombarding his audience with emotion. My mum tells me I cried as a 5 year old in the cinema, there is a lump in my throat still now as a 24 year old, though this is due to exhilaration as much as emotion.

A great film for everyone a must for Spielberg fans even though there cant be many who havent seen it.