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Lost in Space - We liked this movie, but not as much as we'd hoped we might.
The weak points are the ending -- no sense of closure; the special effects --too coomputer generated/not blended as well as they could be (Penny's
"pet" for example; camera movements can be a little nauseating; scenes designed
primarily for video game oppor tunities....the good points: We liked that the show was pretty much true in tone to the original(although
this is in part what keeps it from being a "big" movie; pretty good casting; good cameos by the original cast -- just too bad
that Billy Mummy couldn't have played the grown-up Will; cool space armor and of course, cool robot. What '
can we say? It's a good renter.
The Mask of Zorro -- this Martin Campbell film starring
Anthony Hopkins as Don Diego de La Vega, that is Zorro to you and me, and
Antonio Banderas as La Vega's young protege is a remarkable well made film.
It has all the action, humor and style one would expect from a "Zorro" film, and
but doesn't fall into melodrama or camp. This film has honor, heart and an
overabundance of charisma. We loved the actors; a high point was Catherine Zeta-Jone's
performance as La Vega's long lost daughter. The chemistry between her and
Banderas' character was remarkable. Hmmm, this is the second great movie we've
seen of late where the ladies also get to show off their skill with a sword.
The Matrix -- (April 1999,
R) on it's visual effects alone, this movie would be worth the admission.
Although there are not as many special effects as other films coming out
this year, the type and quality of effects push the limits and blur the
boundaries between reality and phatasy. Larry and Andy Wachowski have created
philosophical cyberadventure that offers story as well as astounding eye-candy.
Of course, the story could have been even better and the ending even stronger
-- but if you're a fan of urban sci-fi, graphic novels, Kung Fu movies or
Keanu Reeves, this movie is a must see. If not, we think you just might
really enjoy it anyway. Pretty good web-site, too. (added 9/22/99)
Men in Black Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are delightful in this comic alien-fighting romp. Fantastic alien special effects. Luckily Will Smith's music video is included with the video!
The Mummy (5/99, PG-13) This is a cute, clean and cartoonishly
corny revival of the old horror villain in an almost Indiana Jones style.
Adventurer Brendan Fraser teams with Egyptologist Rachel Weisz to find the
legendary City of the Dead and accidentally awakens the Mummy, a cursed
former high priest, played by Arnold Vosloo. The special effects are good.
Fraser proves himself as action-figure material. (added 9/22/99)
The Negotiator (1998; R) In this tense action adventure film, Samuel L. Jackson plays a skilled police hostage negotiator who has to prove that he was framed for murder. So he takes his boss hostage. Kevin Spacey plays a neutral hostage negotiator who is called in to talk Jackson down. The film becomes fairly predictable but both Jackson and Spacey's performances make it worth the watch.(added 11/1/99)
Out of Sight -- this Steven Soderbergh film based on a novel by Elmore Leonard stars George Clooney as a charming bank robber and Jennifer Lopez as the federal mars hal whose job it is to arrest him. Although a crime drama, don't expect action and the main mystery in the film is the chronological sequence of its scenes. The film's languid pace is disconcerting at first (as are those stop frame endings) - but the film (like its main characters) is interesting, sexy, intelligent and witty.
Payback -- (Feb. 1999, R)
Directed by Brian Helgeland, this film, based on Richard Stark's novel ``The
Hunter,'' is a 90's answer to Film Noir. Hubba-hubba! Mel Gibson stars in
this smoke-filled action film about a thief who takes on the mob to get
back $70,000 stolen from him. Lucy Alexis Liu provides a break-out performance.
The Replacement Killers -- (1998, R) not a great film, but entertaining enough. Crystal thought it was a better film than Tony did and was more impressed with Mira Sorvina's believability in the film as the hard as nails forger who ends up aiding a reluctant assasin played by Chow-Yun Fat. In any event, we like Chow Yun-Fat and believe that Mira Sorvino has the makings of a fine action star (as well as comedic and dramatic actress).
Rush Hour (PG-13)-- this new buddy/action flick directed
by Brett Ratner pairs martial arts star Jackie Chan as a Hong Kong detective
with loose-cannon LAPD officer played by Chris Tucker. Although we are fans of
Jackie Chan, we went in with low expectations, having been put off by Tucker's loud
mouth in the trailers and word that Chan's stunts had been limited by insurance
concerns. Nevertheless, we were pleasantly surprised at how well the movie
worked. Of course, there's nothing new about the movie's premise, but we liked
the chemistry between Chan and Tucker (and that's what buddy-movies are built
on) and were pleased that this film managed to do everything that Lethal Weapon IV
wasn't able to do....have a story line that rang true throughout the film and
manage to make jokes without merely resorting to insults. It is interesting
to see a black LAPD officer paired with a Chinese detective and aided by
a Latina officer make fools of all the main-stream anglo FBI agents. We also
loved the character of consul's young daughter Soo Yung (Julia Hsu), whose kidnapping
provides the occassion for the Chan/Tucker pairing. Although, she is technically
a pawn in the film, she is not a helpless victime, putting up one heck of a fight
against her kidnappers. It is true that the stunts in the film are a bit
less death-defying than Chan is known for, but we were more impressed by the
subtle stunts that show off his opera-school skills, such as wall-running,
gun-spinning and the adept use of furniture in fight scenes. We found the film
highly enjoyable and look forward to Chan's next Hollywood production.
Scream -- Wes Craven not only knows how to scare us, he can also make us laugh -- this film starring Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox [great role for her!] makes fun of the rules of the genre and then breaks some of them (to our delight).
Scream2 - filled with even more postmostern self-reflexivity than the first film (especially in the film opening where we watch the premiere audience watching the opening scenes of the movie based on what "really" happened in the first film. The killers were a little easier to pick out this time but once again Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox get to show their cinematic muscles.
The Seven Samurai (black and white/not rated) This award-winning Kurosawa film about a small farming village that hires seven ronin samurai to defend it from bandits in 16th century Japan. The all time clasic film stars Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba and Yoship Tsuchiya and is the basis for The Magnificent Seven.
Speed 2 not as good as the first one - (much bigger and more expensive) and although Jason Patrick doubles as a great action figure he is not an adequate replacement for the Keanu factor, nevertheless it's still a decent summer romp. We especially liked the fact that the male lead from Once Were Warriors gets to play a good guy in this one.
Starship Troopers -- although we were appalled by the fact that people brought very young children to see this film [not only is there excessive violence, but the immature are not likely to recognize the implicit satire of the fascist portrayals in the film] we have to admit it was an exciting ride and accurately captured the spirit of the book.
Star Trek: Insurrection -- (PG) Although the stakes weren't as high as the last film nor the villain as imposing as the Borg, this film in nevertheless Star Trek at its best. Fighting for principle, defending the weak...and we get to hear Picard, Worf and Data do a little Gilbert and Sullivan as well! Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner's talents are utilized excellently. Our only criticisms are that the female crew members (as usually in TNG) have next to nothing to do and that World should be used for comic relief so soon after the death of his wife. A must see for all Trek fans!
Star Wars Episode One: The
Phantom Menace
We all had great expectations for this film. Did it live up to the hype?
Well, maybe not. The film had to compete with itself, that is, with the
cultural impact that the first film (fourth episode) made over twenty years
ago. Whereas Star Wars seemed to open up the world to new cinematic possibilities,
this episode is more comfortably familiar than strikingly new. Although
special effects have come light years since 1977 and this film is primarily
a special effects film, here there are few effects that strike us as amazing
or new. (Recent films like the Matrix are much more on the cutting edge
as was the original Star Wars.) The special effects themselves are not amazing
-- more the imagination behind them. The structure of the Phantom Menace
echoes that of its predecessor. We've become familiar with the formula and
relax into its comfortable familiarity.
There has been criticism of ethnic stereotyping in the film and the criticism
is founded to some extent. (George Lucas obviously does not have Gene Roddenbury's
vision or social conscience) Similarily, concern over the impact of "clean"
violence is something to ponder. Nevertheless, Lucas has created a world
of pure entertainment and it is entertaining. The world(s) he has captured
on film is also incredibly beautfiul. I would have enjoyed longer views
of the breathtaking landscapes and imaginative costuming and a little less
of the slap-stick comedy and "poo-doo" jokes aimed at the juvenile
audience.
The strenth of the film for me was not the action or comic element in
the film (although obviously a source of great pleasure to most of the audience)
but rather -- in addition to the beautifully imagined sets and costumes
-- the fine acting of Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jin, Natalie Portman as Queen
Amidala, Ewan McGregor as Obi-wan Kenobi and Pernilla August as the long-suffering
mother of young Anakin Skywalker (Good casting there!). I know that these
fine actors did not feel that artistically challenged in these roles, but
their masterful skills gave credibility to the story.
Should you see the film? Most defnititely. Just come prepared to become
a child and be entertained. You may or may not want to see it again and
again or run to the store to buy your own Darth Maul action figure or stuffed
Jar Jar Binks (check out our Star Wars books
page!). You will most certainly leave wondering what the next episode will
bring.
Titanic - what can we say? It's a really big film and a major feat by Cameron. We enjoyed Kate Winslet's performance, but it took a great deal of fantasy on our part to believe that this woman would fall for the apparently 14 year old character played by Leonardo diCaprio [yeah we love him, but give us a break!].
The Wild, Wild West (PG-13, June 1999) Like most of America we were waiting to see if Will Smith could do it again. We went to see this film in a packed theater on July 4th weekend, but we're still unsure if he succeeded. Will Smith is great as James West as is Kevin Kline as Artemus Gordon, but something just didn't click the way, for instance, Men In Black did. Maybe they tried to make a bit too serious, by bringing up the slaughter of West's family as motive for revenge. Or, more likely, it had to do with the editing and soundtrack. (Although they aren't as damaging as in the case of The Avengers last Summer) The movie seemed to drag a bit and could still have used a bit more of the "hip" quotient. I would have liked a little more of Will Smith's "Wild, Wild West" in the soundtrack. The movie's ok, but the music video is way better! (added 11/29/99)
The
X-Files Movie -- We had a true "X-phile", a couple of
casual fans, and a couple of people who'd seen about 4 episodes between
them. We all pretty much agreed that it was a good movie (not great, but
pretty good) and lived up to any expectations we might have of such a film.
[those of us who do watch the show find the "big conspiracy" episodes
the least satisfying] The pacing of the film was much better in the last
40 minutes or so. Acting was good (Anderson and Duchovny play well on the
big screen)-- special effects were good -- believability factor (even for
the X-files) not so good. As far as film series go (i.e. Star Trek films,
007 films, etc.) this movie rates up there as one of the better ones.
Please send us your comments and video recommendations c-sims@students.uiuc.edu
last updated 11/29/99
