CriticalEye Reviews

Spy Game (2001)

Tony Scott has ALMOST made something watchable.

[7/10 · 24 November 2001]

Tony Scott never ceases to bore me. Television commercials done up as feature films with over the top soundtracks and wonder bread casts. This film is still all of those things, but it actually has some substance in there, somewhere. The acting is fine, it's typically shot, technically slick and not a bad story. Somewhere, though, there is a lack of respect for the audience, and an inability to really tell a story without hammering people over the head with everything.

Little Tony is growing up. Sort of. It's a good rental for a cold winter night, but save your money and miss it in the theater. While the press goes on about how the public needs this sort of crap to feed some false patriotism, in the end it is only a mildly entertaining spy movie, which fails to satisfy. It's cotton candy for "grown-ups".

Lost Voyage (2000 TV Movie)

Finally! Something Good From UFO Pictures!

[8/10 · 24 November 2001]

I am surprised. I caught this on a recent trip to London, and was half asleep one night and turned the TV on. My heart sank when the only movie on was this, however, because I saw the UFO logo up front and am familiar with their brand of crap. Imagine my surprise when I began watching it anyway and found that it was actually a GOOD movie.

Judd Nelson plays Aaron, whose parent were lost on a cruise ship back in the 1970's, somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle. He has weird dreams about it, apparently, and seems to be involved in researching the paranormal (this was a bit unclear). The ship (SURPRISE!) returns, and a spunky reporter (Janet Gunn) named Dana, who works for a trashy paranormal TV show, decides to go out to the ship and get an exclusive story. She tries to get Judd to go along, but he's (understandably) upset about his missing parents, and her desire to make it all into a sideshow.

Now, it begins to get interesting. Dana has hired a sort of motley crew of salvage operators, led by the wonderful Lance Henriksen as Shaw. He's crabby, craggy, and so are his two helpers. They are about to fly out to the ship, and (of course) Judd shows up in the nick of time. CGI shots of the helicopter and the ship follow (looks good, overall). Once onboard the ship, nasty things start to happen. The interesting thing about this movie is that much of what happens is psychological, instead of overtly "spooky". The director, (Christian McIntire, who also co-wrote this), sets up a tension and weird atmosphere, although some gags don't pay off. One by one, the members of the team are bumped off, but the characters respond in a somewhat realistic fashion to the weirdness and the deaths. There is a wonderful scene showing what panic and tension can do to two people when Lance and another salvage operator (Jeff Kober) get into an argument.

So, the film builds toward the inevitible conclusion, but it is an entertaining ride getting there. Scarlett Chorvat is stunning, as is Janet Gunn, and ALL of the acting is very good. The script seems a little rushed, but it seems that this is a director to watch for in the future. In conclusion, then, a low budget thriller that is well shot, well paced, well directed and acted and a pleasantly spooky diversion.

Still surprised it's from UFO...