FreedByFiction Reviews

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Kill Bill has been killed. (Spoilers.)

[16 April 2004]

In order to fully criticize the second Kill Bill movie, one has to recognize the fact that these two films were originally conceived as one. Given this fact, an obvious expectation for "Kill Bill Vol. 2" would be that it remain consistent with "Vol. 1".

This is not the case at all. Where as the first one was full of rough action, tough dialogue, and sleek style, the second half of Tarantino's opus is littered with poor, tedious dialogue and a complete absence of spectacle. One could even go as far as saying that "Vol. 2" trivializes the raw mysticism of "Vol. 1".

The ambiguity of The Bride is completely abandoned in favor of dreadful dialogue scenes that seem to go on for an eternity. These scenes are intended to flesh out the story and characters, but in doing so the audience is bored and irritated. "Vol. 1" had none of this and it worked as a cool, nostalgic Kung-Fu flick. "Vol. 2" on the other hand is a relationship drama with each "Chapter" of it disappointing fans exponentially.

There's no memorable music cues, no anime sequence, hardly any fights, no cool story-structure, and the ending is so awful it is MST3K-worthy. I'm glad Tarantino decided to cut the whole film in half, though. At least we have a great film and a bad one, instead of a really long flick where the first half rocks and the second one sucks. I'm sorry, but "Kill Bill Vol. 2" is the most disappointing film in recent memory.

American Experience: Tupperware! (2004) Season 16, Episode 6

Interesting documentary.

[30 October 2003]

I just saw this film at the SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) Film Festival and I found it to be an interesting testament to '50s society and women's social status in that period. The interviews are great (some hilarious) and the stock footage is fascinating enough to make the humble subject of the history of Tupperware an enjoyable watch. The director answered questions after the screening and she is definitely a documentary master.

The Vest (2003)

A great short!

[30 October 2003]

This is a hilarious, charming little short that I had the pleasure of seeing at the SCAD Film Festival today. The acting is wonderful and the style very impressive. See it if you can. The writer/director/producer was on hand afterward to answer questions and I can tell he is a true maestro of celluloid!

School of Rock (2003)

One of the year's best films!

[10/10 · 5 October 2003]

"The School of Rock" shocked me. I thought I was in store for a banal, mainstream, stupid comedy with lame jokes and a trite story. I could never have been more wrong, because the moment I saw Richard Linklater's in the (neatly stylized) credits, I knew it was going to be something special. "Slacker" and "Dazed and Confused" are wonderful movies, so this should be good. And good it is. This is a movie with depth, character, wit, subtlety, and personality. Jack Black is astounding, and if this doesn't make him a big star, nothing will. The kids are awesome musicians and comedians. Joan Cusack is great as the principal of the school that Jack Black liberates. This is a strange, hilarious, and inspiring movie that is saucy enough for adults and fun enough for kids. It's told in a refreshingly plain, almost independent style, like Linklater's other works. See it! You'll love it! I guarantee it! 10/10!

Solaris (2002)

An entrancing, intelligent, ethereal beauty.

[10/10 · 31 July 2003]

"Solaris" is one of the best films of 2002. Soderbergh and his incredible team should be commended for creating such a splendid, miraculously crafted triumph of modern sci-fi cinema. This is science fiction with class, style, and atmosphere. If you are not appreciative of slow cameras and dialogue, do not see this movie. Now, for people with taste, let me tell you what you are in for: a thoroughly enjoyable emotional space opus designed for adult-minded people with a sense of wonder to spare. George Clooney is a psychologist sent to a remote planet's space station to investigate the strange occurrences affecting the crew. Steven Soderbergh continues to dazzle with his eclectic palette of films, and is quickly on his way to becoming a legendary director. George Clooney proves he can really act in this one, with bouts of emotions rarely seen in his usually pretty-boy demeanor. Natascha McElhone shines as the wife. The supporting cast includes Jeremy Davies, Ulrich Tukur, and Viola Davis, all of whom provide exceptional dramatic support. The sets, costumes, ships and the planet itself are wonders to behold. This film is an unforgettable experience. Nothing like it has been made since "2001: A Space Odyssey". The film is serious, odd, haunting, and bold. You should consider yourself blessed to see a film this delicate in today's world of cinematic drivel. Thank you Steven Soderbergh! 10/10

Gangs of New York (2002)

A lovely, enlightening, and profound picture!

[10/10 · 12 July 2003]

How could anyone deny "Gangs of New York" of its beauty and grandeur? How could anyone deny the historical benefits of the film's experience? But most of all, how could anyone claim that "Gangs of New York" is a failure? In my mind, considering the stakes, it is Scorsese's greatest success! Historically, the film takes a small number of liberties, but calling it inaccurate would be like saying Picasso's faces weren't life-like enough. Who cares? We are presented with an impression of a world rarely known about. An impression of a dark, cruel, and forgotten time which is brought to life by the most amazing set, make-up and costume designs ever concieved and constructed, and filmed with crafty and gorgeous camera work. Everything else is perfect, what about the acting? Leonardo DiCaprio, regardless of what people say, is a great actor. It is a fact. His vocal and facial emotions are brought to new heights in this one, and it is amazing to watch. Cameron Diaz is also good, with her pristine subtleties in the beginnings, and emotional breakdowns later on. But Daniel Day-Lewis takes the taco as the gross, colorful, and overwhelming Bill the Butcher. He literally becomes the character, and the results are shockingly brilliant. "Gangs of New York" will be the pinnacle of New York history movies, if not New York movies in general. It spotlights gang life, racism, the Civil War draft riots, and the horrid conditions of New York's Five Points. Don't believe the negative opinions of this one, and trust your common sense and inner judgement. There's no denying "Gangs of New York". 10/10

Salute Your Shorts (1991–1992)

A live-action kid show that was actually, well, brilliant!

[12 July 2003]

This was a fantastic show. It had great characters, snappy dialogue, and wonderful, bittersweet, little plots. Kid shows nowadays seem to be written by psychiatrists who, through lame, preachy, p.c. "lessons" in the story try to tell kids how to live, how to act, and how to treat other people. "Salute Your Shorts" was a classic, politically incorrect, unpretensious wake-up call. The people and experiences of Camp Anawana are things kids can identify with, even if they are very subtle. Like Dr. Kahn, who runs and pretends to love the camp and its spirit while you never see him as all he does is talk over the intercom. Saucy. The kids, Budnick, Michael, ZeeZee, Pinski, Telly, Donkeylips, Sponge, and Dina are caricatures of many different people you meet in your life, and spark conflicts that are a joy to watch, with great writing to boot. And the acting itself was great, too. Kirk Bailey's Ug Lee is played to zany perfection, and the children are actually very funny. The makers managed to find kids that really knew how to deliver lines, and that accounts for 80% of the show's success. I consider this the best children's program ever. It was charming, it was hilarious, and at times, it was touching. But most of all, it aired to entertain, not to enlighten. 10/10

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

This proves there is indeed no fate for the Terminator series.

[10/10 · 7 July 2003]

When I heard there was to be a Terminator 3, I was kind of excited. Then I heard that James Cameron was not affiliated in any way with the production, and with no Linda Hamilton to boot, and my expectations were pillaged. The trailers (at least the second one) were impressive, but the film was still destined, or had a "fate", if you will, for disappointment. On the contrary, the film's fate was not disappointment, but surprise. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" is a truly worthy entry in the series. It has a great story, good new characters, and fantastic acting. Nick Stahl, though not resembling Edward Furlong from the second one (but looking a lot like Michael Biehn from T1), is fine as the new John Connor. Claire Danes is also good as a very sudden, yet very important and potent new character. And Arnold is, well, back as Arnold. But thats a good thing. Kristanna Loken is the T-X, a new breed of Terminator, who can shape shift, liquify, and sprout projectile weapons, all in the disguise of a blonde beauty. Needless to say, this element of the story is quite scary. She's actually scarier and nastier than the T-1000. Who would have thought? The movie's written by the guys who wrote David Fincher's "The Game" in 1997, a wonderful movie. This gave the production some hope. The film is very, very action packed. Almost relentless. And while it has its dramatic moments, it doesn't compare at all the the emotional impact of "T2". But that's fine, being from different people. The fact is, this is a true Terminator movie, and you can call the series a trilogy without a splinter. It binds the story and characters together again. And that's what we really wanted, not James Cameron's name in the credits. 10/10

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

If you don't like this movie, you need to free your mind and wake up!

[10/10 · 15 June 2003]

These people who say that "The Matrix: Reloaded" is crap are the same people who sad that the original "Matrix" was garbage and believe me, there were many of these people. There is a difference in the reasoning of this, though. With the first one, people were expecting garbage, so that's all they chose to see. Now that "The Matrix" has achieved such high status in pop culture and become so critically acclaimed, they like it because they knew there had to be something good in there and now they see it. With the first long-awaited sequel, "The Matrix: Reloaded", any bit of straying from the original formula will result in so-called disappointment. What the Wachowskis have done, in typical brilliant fashion, is defy all formulaic conventionalities of the sequel, where the same story is simply used over again and stretched out beyond boredom and predictability. They have completely changed the face of the Matrix universe and in huge plot twists, altered everything you think you know. We come to the movies to be surprised, don't we? What fun would "The Matrix: Reloaded" be if all the humans do is free more minds and do more kung-fu simulations and in the end, Neo discovers that all we need to do is dump water on the machines and cause them to short-circuit? The tagline of the movie, "Free Your Mind" was a message for the audience to throw their expectations out the window. I have to admit, when I first saw the movie, I thought, "What the hell? This is too convoluted and too much!" But I was wrong as multiple viewings of "The Matrix: Reloaded" continue to be fascinating, thought provoking, and brilliantly noodle-cooking. This is truly the most re-watchable movie ever made. Many things are still ambiguous, but I consider this just one half of one really long sequel, so I expect things to be all wrapped up, come November. Don't expect "The Matrix", expect something else entirely. But man is it good! 10/10

Dances with Wolves (1990)

The most beautiful movie ever made. And it is from Kevin Costner...........

[10/10 · 15 June 2003]

I can honestly say I have seen the face of beauty on screen, and it is in the form of the European version of "Dances with Wolves", an ethereal work of art that entrances, touches, inspires, and holds you in its grasp of angelic magnificence. If there is an afterlife for films, this would go straight to the pearly gates. Kevin Costner and his creative team are saints of modern film-making. Against all odds, they created a challenging, beautiful movie about a dark period in American history. And the movie, with its statements apparent, never shifts left or right, for which we are all truly thankful. It is a story, plain and simple. They would never make a movie this slow today. They'd never make a movie with this kind of character and story development today, either. The only thing that comes any where near close is the "Lord of the Rings" films. This is the best period movie, history movie, and Western all rolled into one. Make no mistake about it, the best film of the nineties is not just a flick, it will restore your faith in films for a long time. Unfortunately, after seeing "Waterworld", it won't restore your faith in Kevin Costner. It would take another "Dances With Wolves" to do that, and since "Dances With Wolves" is a perfect film, that would be impossible. 10/10

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

This film will change your life.......

[10/10 · 15 June 2003]

This is a brilliant, politically incorrect teen comedy, written with blazing originality and off-beat irreverence. Told in a stylistically slick narrative that surprises and enlightens, with characters that are portrayed with staggering comedic timing and sometimes shocking depth. This will remain the pinnacle of John Hughes' career. Though considered such an '80s classic, the movie is extremely timeless, even though now-a-days, the actions the students commit in the film would probably get them thrown in jail. Students today will find much to identify with in the always-fresh and touching "unknown future" themes. But the most identifiable element in the film is the farcically bureaucratic characters. In other words, there will always be Ed Rooneys roaming the hallways in this modern educational environment. And as long as it stays that way, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" will remain one of the most entertaining, satirical, and accessible comedies around. 10/10