GPMDan Reviews

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Packed with action, mutants, but where's the depth?

[6/10 · 26 May 2006]

X-Men: The Last Stand is an enjoyable movie; if you came seeking a thrill ride with all kinds of action and a fast, breakneck pace. Compared to the previous two installments, however, it lacks the depth and development that Bryan Singer and his team instilled to the story. Brett Ratner touches on a lot of story lines but either sews them up instantly or leaves them hanging, making us wonder what happened.

Wolverine (Logan) almost seems like an accessory at times, not as integral to the storyline as he has been in the first two movies, and the only character who appears to be the core is Jean Grey (Phoenix). While the mutant cure storyline is really the main thread throughout the movie, the focus gets muddy as mutants are introduced and integrated to the fast-moving story.

The action and effects are really spectacular in parts, especially the Golden Gate Bridge being 'rearranged' by Magneto.

Anyhow, overall it's a movie people will go see and probably a hit one at that, but die-hard X-Men fans will be disheartened and disappointed at the lack of character development and direction of the film.

Knight Rider (1982–1986)

Enjoyable!

[4 February 2006]

To the people out there who would look at this show 20 years later and dismiss it as fluff, find me an 80's show that wasn't. Would you rather watch "Survivor" or some other worthless reality TV show, or something that actually was entertaining? I grew up on Knight Rider and waited long and patiently for the DVD's. The fact that they are selling well and the fan base demands more shows that the series still has a following, all this time later. Don't see lots of demand for the critically acclaimed shows of the 1980's-because there really weren't any. Dallas was a over-hyped soap opera, but it brought the viewers in. Cheers was funny, witty, but predictable. Dukes of Hazzard was a cool car, handsome guys, and a hot woman in shorts, but little plot whatsoever. The fact is, back then, it was what people wanted to see. Judging the show against today's standards doesn't do it justice. Remember it for what it was and is, sit back, and enjoy the ride!

Corpse Bride (2005)

Tim Burton has done it again!

[8/10 · 28 September 2005]

Tim Burton seems to be at his best with the slightly quirky, strange worlds he creates in film. Like "Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Beetlejuice", "Corpse Bride" gives you another world, one where Victor Van Dort is a lonely man whose parents are arranging his marriage to a woman he has never met. The parents seek status and money from the marriage, as are the parents of Victoria Everglot, his bride-to-be. While preparing for the wedding, he accidentally comes upon the "Corpse Bride", and his entire world is turned upside down! I really enjoyed the story here, the characters of Victor and Victoria are easy to identify with, the parents are easy to loathe but also to have sympathy for, and the comic relief is found everywhere to keep the dark background from overtaking the story. The animation and world created are superb, somewhat in the vein of "Nightmare Before Christmas", but still different enough to not be a copycat. Burton has added a masterpiece to his collection and will continue forward from here.

George Lucas in Love (1999)

Highly recommended!

[8/10 · 27 April 2005]

For all who wonder how George Lucas got his inspiration for the "Star Wars" movies, here is how it came about (maybe). George has writer's block and can't figure things out in time to graduate, but people come into his life to help out right when he needs it. This movie is hilarious with hidden references to the "Star Wars" movies and a few of Lucas' other works! Something that is fun to show a small group of people late at night, or just a die hard SW fan. And great for outright laughs and something to chew on before EPISODE III opens on May 19th!

Search the web for this, it comes pretty cheap at $12-15 per copy, and is well worth the money spent!!!

Meet the Fockers (2004)

crazy stuff but not quite as funny as the first...

[7/10 · 1 April 2005]

You knew it was coming. A sequel to a funny movie, one that made you split your sides and ask when the unbearable 'Murphy's Law' events could end for Gaylord Focker, AKA Greg.

--SPOILERS BELOW!-- The second movie opened with everything going right for Greg for once, up until he gets within sight of his future father-in-law, and then things begin to unravel. Of course, the parents get to meet, which is a necessary moment for all to be married couples at some point. But in this world, Murphy is especially cruel, even so much as to bring a possible lost son of Greg's into the mix. Some of the jokes work wonderfully and a few are downright awful, like the running boob joke. It wasn't funny and was downright distasteful. DeNiro should get his head examined before being paid to do something that bad again. Nevertheless, the movie was quite funny and of course things turned out good in the end, with the couple FINALLY getting married, and everyone is happy...we hope.

Pride and Prejudice (2003)

funny and well-done

[7/10 · 12 December 2003]

This movie was great! It didn't even have heavy overtones (aka you don't think about it as a 'mormon' film), it's just a good adaptation of a classic story. Yeah it's not the original. Very few updates are true to originals nowadays, but this did its best to not trample or be preachy. Go watch it and enjoy!

The Pretender: Island of the Haunted (2001 TV Movie)

"The best of the Pretender..."

[7/10 · 17 October 2003]

I waited a long time to see this installment of the Pretender saga, and it was well worth the wait. Jarod and Miss Parker give good performances, although Miss Parker gets a bit over the top when finding out each new revelation about her family's past. Jarod's continued attempts to break Miss Parker's mindset and show her that she too is being used by the Centre really expands the possibilities of where the show could go in the future. And Jarod being so close, yet missing his mother once again, along with his agony in a rare moment of weakness was probably the most angst-ridden moment of the movie. You really feel for his character at that point.

At the end, there are some interesting revelations. But I'll leave that to you for your viewing pleasure.

If there were any disappointments in this movie, it's that the Centre cast (aka Sydney, Broots, Raines, Lyle, etc.) got little screen time, the story focused on Jarod and Miss Parker. Yet, if you have watched the original series, you get the sense it worked better this way.

Any Pretender fan will enjoy the movie, and if you haven't watched the show, this should get your juices flowing.

Last Action Hero (1993)

Funny, comedic look at action blockbusters

[7/10 · 4 September 2003]

People didn't get this movie back in the day. Back in 1993, Arnold was fresh off of 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' and everything else would pale in comparison. But this is a different type of movie altogether.

The fact is, this movie is a funny look at the action movie genre, of which Arnold was the king of at the time. The one-liners, which people panned, were meant to be corny. "Big Mistake" is part of the fun. Many action movies had famous one-liners at that time, and this was the hommage to that.

The jokes about never running out of bullets, flesh wounds, cleaning tar off quickly, people showing up coincidentially, police coming as a person is shot, are all easily verifiable as action movie staples from the time and earlier.

Watch it with this in mind, and you'll see that it's a great movie for what it is intended to be, and that's a comedic look at the action genre. Enjoy it for what it is, not what it isn't.