Yak-6 Reviews

Timeline (2003)

...Surprisingly, pretty good.

[7/10 · 19 October 2005]

Having read and enjoyed Michael Crichton's Timeline, you may be surprised that I actually quite liked the film. Admittedly, if you were going into it expecting the subtle nuances of the 14th century world, you were going to be pretty quickly disappointed. Subtle nuances don't sell action flicks, unfortunately. (But then, if you were going into a Michael Crichton scifi-book-to-film translation expecting accuracy to the book, you obviously never saw "The Lost World", which in terms of book-to-film accuracy makes this look like "The Lord of the Rings" by comparison. In fact, given how the Jurassic Park series fared, I was pleasantly surprised that material from the early chapters (before we meet our main characters) was even included at all.) Taken for what it is - a popcorn film - it's a pretty good one. Some of the acting could use a little work, and the explosions were stretching credibility (yes, Mr. Donner, you directed Lethal Weapon, there's no need to rub our faces in it) but pretty generally I found this movie inoffensive enough.

Skithouse (2003–2004)

It's OK.

[20 September 2003]

I refuse to believe this is the worst sketch show on Australian TV - for starters, there's the truly appalling Comedy Inc.

This is a fair show, a bit hit and miss but there's some good stuff in there. Australian Fast Bowler is fantastic. (I believe whoever wrote that other comment is missing the point - what the parody is in this case is of sports hero worship, not individual fast bowlers. And superheroes are called generic things like "Superman" and "Batman" hence "Australian Fast Bowler".) Tripod are better singers than they are actors, but they're always funny.

Whale Rider (2002)

Good but not great.

[7/10 · 24 May 2003]

Overall I found "Whale Rider" to be a good movie, uplifting in that every character - eventually - got what was coming to them. That said, I found the movie to be fairly slow in places and heavy on the symbolism: whales are not the most expressive of creatures so I found it hard to determine exactly what I was being expected to conclude at points. A nice try from our cousins across the Tasman, but not an essential watch. 7/10.

Sonic the Hedgehog (1993–1994)

Just plain great.

[15 May 2003]

We have here, a bitter war of words between people who like this show and peolpe who like the other one, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

I have to place myself in this camp. SatAM Sonic is brilliant. Great plots, a working set of characters with fantstic depth (a remarkable effort, given most of them have no SEGA backstory), and pitched at the right level. Not patronising. At just the right distance from the games.

I am told I should "lighten up" about the other show - it is suggested that one is more appropriate for children.

My little brother was under 10 when both these shows came on. We were taping both. Within _one month_, he was fast-forwarding through the "dumb ones" in order to get to SatAM.

But look out for "Sonic X" coming later this year.

I rest my case.

The Man Who Sued God (2001)

Wow. Interesting.

[9/10 · 21 November 2001]

"The Man Who Sued God" - well, right from the start, it's an attention-grabbing name.

The story of retired lawyer Steve Myers (Billy Connolly), whose boat is struck by lightning and, well, he wouldn't beat the insurance companies, so theres gotta be _someone_ to sue, is... interesting to say the least. Connolly and Judy Davis are great, Billy in particular being roaringly funny at some points. Although for all its funniness the film raises some interesting questions as well, like: can the churches sue insurance companies for "breach of copyright" on the phrase "Acts of God"?

A great film.

The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000)

That good old R & B lunacy.

[19 October 2001]

So why are ther so many negative reviews of this movie? It wasn't bad. No one was looking for an Oscar-quality movie, just like the TV show wasn't about to win any awards either. R & B was silliness. That's what it was. And that's what this is.

Contrary to what some people wrote, I felt a lot like I was watching R & B, the TV show. Any time the characters conversed with the narrator, any time Bullwinkle was dumb, any time they poked fun at themselves (Narrator: RBTV renamed itself from Really Bad Television to Rocky & Bullwinkle Television.

Bullwinkle: What's the difference?), I thought, "Yup, that's R&B alright. It was silly. To the point of films being green-lighted by a big green lighthouse on a film set. The whole "kid" thing with Karen Sympathy was a bit dull, as was her sub-plot once the characters split up.

But most of R & B's scenes are funny enough. The casting is great too (except I would've put DeVito as Boris myself)

But Whoopi Goldberg as "Judge Cameo", and the scene where Robert DeNiro as Fearless Leader parodies his own "Are you talking to me?" monologue... brilliant.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993)

Probably the most hideous television show ever created.

[21 June 2001]

No. I'm sorry... but no. This show is pathetic. The "humour" usually consists of over-used sight gags and dumb slapstick. The character development, on a scale of one to ten, is about negative five. Tails, a charcter with so much potential from the games, has the personality of cardboard and a voice actor to match. (Seriously, his every second line is "Ah! Help me, Sonic!"). Robotnik has all of a sudden gone from being an evil genius to being a complete buffoon. The new characters created for the show are tedious and stupid, often stereotypical (ie Prof. Kaninestein). All in all, a show for those with age and/or IQ in single figures. I will never in my life figure out why Sega agreed to put their flagship character to this sad attempt at a television show. Find the Sonic Anime. Find SatAM. Even find Sonic Underground, which isn't the best example of animation in the world either. But it's better than this. Getting root canal without anaesthetic is better than this.

Family Guy (1999– )

I'll be watching.

[8 July 2000]

Well. We've only got two episodes of this show down here in Oz so far. I've watched both.

It's a funny show. Whatever people say, it IS "the next Simpsons"... it's damned funny! The only difference in style I cn pick is that it's more surreal... talking dog, evil genius toddler, &c. This is a good thing. Enough shows in the world are constricted by "making sense", and it's good to see a show that isn't that way inclined. It's a bit like the "Dilbert" TV cartoon in that respect, e.g. weird things happening suddenly.



So, in summary, Simpsons + Dilbert, with a touch of "Married With Children". (That is, the a** jokes.) But the parodies it does are dead-on (I cracked up at William Shatner)

Watch it. I am.

Breaker Morant (1980)

One of our country's greatest films.

[8 July 2000]

Adapted from Kit Denton's book "The Breaker", which in turn was based on a true story, this is a wonderful film highlighting the injustices of war. While there are some minor inaccuracies, on the whole it's a stunning experience. The creators of both book and film did their homework before creating as well: The final poem voiced-over by Edward Woodward during the firing squad preparations was actually written by the real Harry Morant, and the real Morant's last words were actually "Shoot straight you bastards, don't make a mess of it!" The highlight of the film though, must be Major Thomas' final summation, which apparently got a standing ovation at Cannes.

Toy Story 2 (1999)

A Disney sequel as good as the first... My God!

[10/10 · 5 December 1999]

Yes, you heard right. After the disappointments of the two Aladdin sequels and the Lion King sequel, Disney have teamed again with Pixar to create a Toy Story sequel... unlike the Aladdin and Lion King sequels, this sequel is good! In fact, it rocks! A good storyline teams up with various cameos from previous Pixar features (including the original Toy Story - e.g the way Buzz gazes up at the new utility-belted Buzz is reminiscent of the way Woody first saw Buzz in the original movie), and even a couple of ripoffs of other movies (Jurassic Park, Star Wars, et al). Great movie!

Gogwana (2000 TV Movie)

Well, good news and bad news...

[7/10 · 18 October 1999]

Overall Gogwana isn't a bad erm... movie? TV Episode? Short film, we'll call it. Its 30 minutes long - unlike normal "Gogs" episodes which are 5 minutes long. It's pretty much exactly like Gogs, but longer and with more plot. Like Gogs, it's pretty funny, but there's some slightly disgusting material that probably could be done without. 7/10 :)

World Tour of Australia (1996– )

Entertaining.

[18 October 1999]

Billy Connolly is a very funny bloke - always has been, always will be. This travelogue had me glued to the screen - as much for Billy's account of Australia as for his jokes. The only problem I can see with it is that he spends waaaaay too much time in Sydney. (I live in Melbourne!).

Schindler's List (1993)

Amazing.

[18 October 1999]

If you read my comment history, you'll see that it's not often I comment on "serious" (i.e. non-comedic) films. But I do. I saw this movie as a Year 12 high school text - and was amazed. This is an absolutely incredible film, touching and shockingly realistic. (The massacre scenes come to mind). All in all, I'd say, this is a movie that MUST be watched.

Dilbert (1999–2000)

Yeah.

[17 October 1999]

Having not actually read the comic strip, I watched the pilot with interest. The bit with the anthrax cough drops was all I needed to see before deciding that I liked this show... the humour is at the correct level of weirdness for me (example - the mutations) and the voices are dead-on.

Oh, and the title sequence rocks.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988–1999)

Organised chaos...

[13 May 1999]

This is a great show. You never really know what is going to happen next, particularly if Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops and/or Tony Slattery are playing. All the same, I still think the British version is funnier than the American version.

Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971–2010)

Hey Hey, it's Australian television.

[2 March 1999]

There's a very simple test of Australian citizenship. Go to any major Australian city, and ask a passer-by about Hey Hey It's Saturday. If they do not know they are either from another country, or should be deported TO another country. After all, it has been going now for 28 years! We're getting a bit blase about it now (Red Faces is always funny though).

Breaking News (1994–1997)

Making current affairs funny...

[1 March 1999]

"Frontline" is an amazing show. It combines actual current events (Pauline Hanson, the Gulf War, etc.) with a funny and thought-provoking analysis of topics such as how the media treats people and events, and how people are stereotyped. Laugh at Mike Moore and crew as they battle the odds, the rival networks and each other in search of good television... or is it good ratings?

Favorite Moment: When Mike goes on Burke's Backyard and proves himself as a complete idiot.

The Castle (1997)

Aussie comedy at its finest...

[10/10 · 28 February 1999]

This is a very Australian film. Aussie culture is presented before your very eyes in this hilarious film. My favorite character is the Lebanese neighbour:

"So? Planes fly over. Plane fly over in Beirut, it drop bomb! I like plane here."

Also, you gotta love the small-town lawyer guy, and the bit with the gates is fantastic.

This film is coming out in the USA in May. Go see it, all you American readers (and everyone else, too...) Otherwise, "Suffer in your jocks!"

Red Dwarf (1988– )

Brilliance defined.

[28 February 1999]

"Red Dwarf" is an absolutely Amazing TV series. It's not hard to see why it's running into its eighth series... it is SO funny! Plus, it even has a couple of original ideas for sci-fi... as there are NO aliens in the Red Dwarf universe! It's the best British sitcom in existence!