Change Your Image
Peter Thorley
Reviews
X-Men (2000)
Just a warm up
I am a devout follower of the X-men in comic form and was thoroughly excited when I heard of this film. X-men are one of the best comics ever produced by Marvel, and certainly the first choice to lead Marvel back into the film industry. Yet this film still wasn't perfect. Many of the scenes were impressive, a lot of good acting and familiar charcters that die-hard fans will recognise. All-in-all this film was designed to introduce the world to the X-men. It doesn't have a lot of the deep story or plot threads that are evident in the comics, but it provides the base for a sequel (whoich will inevitably come). Considering that this was done on a smaller budget than usual, this is a good film. The use of little-known actors helped (can you imagine some big name star i.e. Keanu Reeves, as Wolverine?) though the story seemed to be centred too much around Wolverine and Rogue. Good start for Marvel I think.
The Matrix (1999)
Only an action film
The Matrix really is a mesmerising film- the first time you watch it, it mesmerises you with its effects, great action sequences and brilliant camera work. It is well-deserving of the acclaim it has received for these. If it it were based only on these, I would give the film 10/10.
Yet looking at it closely, there are certain parts of it that ruin the film for me. First and foremost is the horrific dialogue, usually from Laurence Fishburne. How much cryptic trash must he spout before he gets rid of all those clichés? It sometimes feels like a failed attempt to turn an action film into a philosophical message!
Not that the plot was bad though. It may have been taken from any number of movies, yet it was an interesting twist on the average action film. I wouldn't call it the best sci-fi film ever, or the one from which all others must follow, but it is certainly well-thought out.
I gave Matrix a 7 because, despite the interesting story, it still feels like an attempt to make an action movie into something more intellectually challenging. At first glance it is a very enjoyable and is very impressive. However it's appeal comes more from its action and stunts and really it should have been left as that.
Pleasantville (1998)
Very, very, very, very, very, very, superb!
A brilliant film! When I started watching this I thought it was going to be about two people stuck in a TV show. If anyone thinks that's it then they are WRONG! I found myself compelled by the effect of our modern day lives on this 'perfect world' and by how all the characters developed in it. This film is definitely more than a romantic comedy.
The method of showing social changes through this 1950s TV show was a brilliant and original idea, and the film so cleverly shows how this happens even in todays society (for even so much as owning a double bed?). There are no clichés here, and the whole film is ofset with humor that almost satirizes what is happening and what has happened in our own society.
Good choices for actors, very well-written, and the effects, although not mind-blowing, are good enough for the film and don't detract from the main focus. Some brilliant lines in it ("Fire!Fire!Cat?") and a wonderful world with some wonderful characters too.
A smart film with a very apparent social message, but still light and humorous, Pleasantville is a gem to watch. I have it as my number one, and I think it is severely underrated. I would advise anyone to watch it.
Blade (1998)
Nice for a break
Film's like this are never going to win oscars, so why penalize them for that? Personally, I thought this was very good for an action film because it held no pretenses- no complicated plot, no philosophical messages, etc. It was just pure blood and... blood. All the way through. True, it doesn't stand alongside films such as Titanic, but then again sometimes we need a break.
Scream (1996)
Only your average slasher movie.
I saw Scream only because I had to analyse it for an essay. I had avoided it up 'till then because I had thought it would be just your average slasher movie. I was wrong. It was a failed attempt to parody a slasher movie.
Firstly, it didn't frighten me at all. Maybe it's not my kind of horror, but I still jumped in Halloween. There was just no atmosphere in the film, and the attempts at parodying the genre only served to lessen the impact of the film. Not that the jokes were all that funny, unless you were actually paying attention to any of it.
The whole motive thing was a severe let-down. I ended up having to ask my friends why they did it because I thought I missed it in all the talking. When they told me I thought 'Wasn't that just an excuse to go around killing some teenagers with no real plot in mind?'
I never rate a film awful because they all have something to offer, and Scream does. There are some good moments in it and some smart directing in it, yet its best attribute is probably giving Scary Movie something to make fun out of.
The Frighteners (1996)
Extremely underrated
The trouble with horror nowadays is that it revolves too much around a hapless victim, several supporting members (most of which are dead by the end of the film) and a guy with a knife. The Frighteners can't claim to be in the same league as Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer, but I would say it's better than both of these! It is a darkly humorous tale that owes more to Ghostbusters than Scream.
A very underrated film, and very well-written, the blend of occult horror and humor makes this film simply brilliant to watch! Most of my friends only saw it because I told them about it and they all loved it! It is a clear example of the sort of films that are discarded by the critics simply because they experiment with a new idea.
Good storyline, funny characters (especially the dead ones), this film is not really meant to be taken seriously. It isn't very scary so you should try to watch it with an open mind, and don't expect Scream in another guise. And anyway, any film Michael J. Fox in can't be that bad.