Reviews
The Day of the Triffids (1963)
Don't bother!
The book is one of my favourite Sci-Fi works of all time - well written and carefully thought out. The movie has to be one of the most puerile and inane ever made.
Under Fire (1983)
A Journalist shows his true colours
This is one of those movies which starts out with good intentions, but somehow misses the mark at the end. Nolte is an adrenalin-junkie journalist on a mission to shoot (with his Nikon) the leader of the Sandinista rebels in the Nicaraguan war. Shades of El Cid. The rebel leader, Rafael, is dead, but Nolte photographs him to make him look alive. This has the desired effect, and the rebel forces are revitalised. Nolte, however, has to come to terms with both compromising his integrity, and the burgeoning relationship between himself and Cassidy, Hackman's former lover.
Cassidy and Hackman give performances which one has come to expect from artistes of their calibre, but for me, the real star of the movie is the music. It was worth the second trip just to revel in what must surely rank as one of Jerry Goldsmith's masterworks.
Antz (1998)
A new paradigm for animation
As a committed animated movie fan, I found Antz to be an innovative departure. The characters have a more 3 dimensional look to them, with a real feeling of "roundness". The individuality theme is well explored, and the fact that each character strongly resembles its voice provider is a clever touch. Dreamworks have found a formula which seems set to turn 'Toontown on its head, and I believe that a spate of similar movies will follow. This is movie which will appeal to all age groups, but at different levels - from the purely WYSIWYG to those who will read deep meanings into it. Anarchists beware! Dreamworks have your number!