Movie Reviews & More
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Who’s in it
Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones, Ben Foster, on and on
Should you see this movie?
If you liked the other ones you will probably like this. I had great expectations for this film, but was nervous because of the director Brett Ratner. I think Marvel has to be really careful with their directors, because they have so many projects shouldn’t mean they should just pick whoever, and you can not not judge Ratner by the job Singer did with the previous movies. I thought there was too much going on in a short period of time that everything seemed stunted, there were characters included that, granted, it was awesome to see them on the screen in a new formation (Jean Grey as Pheonix, Juggernaut, Angel, Beast, Bobby Drake as true Iceman, and more Kitty Pride), but Beast looked silly, Angel had no relevance whatsoever and The Pheonix got a bit part as a power junkie slave to Magneto. The acting was stiff, Magneto wasn’t believeable anymore and nether was Wolverine. The action half baked and over done for shock quality, the Golden Gate bridge scene, cool and within Magneto’s magnitude, but at the same time it would not be able to just hover over that distance over the water. Even fantasy has some tangible limits. Everything seemed too talky, tell not show, and the whole thing just didn’t compare to number 2. Now, it did have some great action, and you wanted to see the characters story advance, and you did get that. You got to see more of the characters as I mentioned above, you got cool scenes with Juggernaut and Kitty Pride, Iceman and Pyro, Collosus, on and on. But when you see this you hope that, unless they ditch Ratner and the box office showed this, the next one will fall victim to the four movie superhero trap. The third one with a new director is so so, and the final one is crap that ends the franchise for 15-20 years. Let’s hope that with how many characters died that is the case.
Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
Who’s in it
Bruce Willis, Ben Kingsley, Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman, Stanley Tucci
Should you see this movie?
All star cast, surprisingly good movie. Hartnett seems like a hapless, stupid idiot, without a clue in the world when two of the biggest crime bosses in town want to see him, but by the end of the movie you know that he is anything but clueless. Good twists, good turns, some violence, it is about high stake gang / mafia type cartel city rule, but this is a very good role for Hartnett. Edgy that he manages to pull off even with his stupid good boy looks, they make him look relatively unkempt, so he is a bit more believable. See this if you like these actors, nothing outstanding, but just a fun movie and it may surprise you too.
Saving Silverman (2001
Who’s in it
Jack Black, Steve Zahn, Amanda Peet, Jason Biggs, Amanda Detmer, Neil Diamond
Should you see this movie?
This was the second time I saw this movie, and I liked it a ton better the second time. Zahn and Black are two die hard retarded friends that want to save their other friend from a voraciously crazy girlfriend. She is controlling and a freak, so decide to kidnap her, and all sorts of crazy crap happens. I don’t think that my parents would like this obviously, but most of my friends would. To watch Black run around like a stupid ass fits in this movie a little better, and Zahn is the great balance of sort of normal guy with not quite all there. Biggs is pretty terrible like usual, but he sure does know how to pick friends and women. Younger crowd should see this, it’s funny.
Girl With The Pearl Earring (2003)
Who’s in it
Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, Cillian Murphy
Should you see this movie?
This one is pretty interesting, but not one I would probably watch again. It got some media attention even though it was a low budget film, because of the story. Johansson’s breakout role as a peasant woman who works in home of a well to do woman and her artist husband. For one of his final paintings he choses to paint Scarlett, and messes up so many lives because of the class system at this period in the world. The wife in the movie is a psycho, that is what I remember the most, a true nightmare of a wife. But, it is interesting if you can rent it free from the library, well paced and engaging story.
16 Blocks (2006)
Who’s in it
Bruce Willis, Mos Def, David Morse
Should you see this movie?
It was good, much better than what I expected and different than expected. Bruce Willis is aolid in yet another diverse role for him, an aging degenerate drunk cop, who no one seems to respect, makes a decision to help protect a noisy guy who his fellow police officers seem to be really concerned about taking in. Turns out this guy knows more than he should, about the corruption of the department, and by helping him Willis is turning himself in, being a part of it himself. Plus, there is a twist. Decent acting, action, and story, this isn’t a blockbuster, but a solid mid year release that is a good Friday night rental for most anyone.
A Lot Like Love (2005)
Who’s in it
Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet, Taryn Manning, Ali Larter, Kathryn Hahn
What was good
The casual acting by Kutcher and Peet. It feels real, and these are possibly a realistic series of encounters between two people who get caught up in what they think they need more than what they feel.
What sucked
You don’t for one point in time believe Kutcher is what he portrays in the movie, which kind of ruins things because alot of his story revolves
around him getting his “ducks in a row”. Sarah didn’t like the time gaps, where they would be apart for 2-4 years or so at a time and then the story would pick up again. I don’t mind that sort of thing, but it is something to watch out for.
Who should go see this
I don’t have a lot to say about this. It is a love story, two people who get to know each other over many years and realize that if one of them could make a move at the right time that they could be right for each other. If you like love stories and can tolerate Peet and Kutcher, then you make like this. My parents may enjoy it a touch. I do wish that Kutcher wasn’t so serious in this movie, a little more playful without being an idiot because super serious isn’t believable.
Sparticus – TV (2004)
Who’s in it
Goran Visnjic, Rhona Mitra
What was good
I liked the idea of a remake, I loved the original and that says something since I hate most old movies. I liked that Sparticus in this movie acted more like a people’s ruler than a ruler among slaves, it seemed more realistic. I like most of the characters too, then seemed more believable in some ways then the main characters in the first movie. I think the battles were done better, more believable in a realistic setting, and you get a scope for how much of a threat these slaves are as they keep waging smaller battles and winning. I also liked the fact that they left out the Curtis line “I love you Sparticus.”
What sucked
Now, having said that I liked Goran as the people’s guy, I did liked Kirk Douglas more as Sparticus, he was more believable as this gritty warrior. I also liked some of the scenery better in the original, and I did like the end battle in the original better, more grandiose then this and Sparticus doesn’t die in battle, he is nailed to a cross. Not this one, I think it has less weight to nail one of Sparticus’ lackeys at the end. Marcus Crassus was a terrible actor and didn’t have the posture of fear that the original had. Most of the movie was spent bickering between politicians that all seemed insignificant.
Who should watch this
Maybe those who liked the original to have seen both, but you’ll probably feel like me, the ER guy can’t swing a sword. I would say in general pass, this is long at 3 hours, short for a TV movie, and really doesn’t hold a stick to the 60’s version with the dimpled Douglas Chin. But, Varinia (Mitra) was a lot classic of a wife for Sparticus in this movie, that just about makes it worth it? Ha.
