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Reviews
Grayson (2004)
A fun romp through the more lighthearted Batman/DC mythos
While I prefer Christopher Nolan's more macabre take on the Batman story, 'Grayson' is a lot of fun. The somewhat campy comic-book styling may not make it in major cinema these days, but this could easily be produced as a web-only project and released episodically. If Doctor Horrible can do it, a retro-Batman/DC series can too. There's a lot of film-making talent here waiting to be tapped by a major studio - some of the casting choices alone are inspired and the performances, although somewhat 'hammy,' touch upon the characters of Batman's 1960's television series while also dramatically improving their presence, and quality. Warner Brothers should really pick this up!
Alien Resurrection (1997)
See it, but don't expect much
Easily my least favorite of the Alien films, mainly due to the lack of identity. As another commenter posted, Alien = Suspense, Aliens = Action, Alien3 = Drama; Alien 4 has little going for it beyond gore and an almost shameless retread of the previous films. A retread, with little done right. Whedon's fingerprints are all over this one and although his sarcasm-laden dialogue works for some of the mercenaries, it does not quite jive with the Ripley character (despite her being somewhat more "ruthless" thanks to her combined DNA). Nothing will beat the rapport the marines had with one another in Aliens. The one area where this film succeeds is the display of the Company's tinkering with the Alien embryos and DNA, presenting a truly frightening gallery of failed experiments. This was something only hinted at in the previous movies and it was satisfying to finally see the twisted fruit of Weyland Yutani's tree.
Waterworld (1995)
Enjoyable sci-fi adventure
I've never understood why this film gets so much flak from reviewers. Possibly because it had a large budget but was not an "epic" feat of film-making? Personally, I could care less if a film cost $5 or $500 million to make - if it's entertaining and gets me in the seat (or the DVD ends up on my shelf), it has done its job. This is a fun film that doesn't take itself too seriously, but also doesn't get overly corny. There's a balance, and it has a distinct "Road Warrior" post-apocalyptic feel to it. If you like that sort of genre, and I do, you'll like this movie. Action, adventure, pyrotechnics, great performances, some awesome set pieces (despite all the water) and an enjoyable score. It's not perfect, and it's not Ben Hur, but it nevertheless satisfies.
Equilibrium (2002)
Awesome.
Let's remember that there were other kung-fu/gunplay movies before The Matrix, notably some John Woo classics. Equilibrium takes influence from those as much as it does the Matrix.
Altogether, it is one awesome movie. Very satisfying - it's hard not to find something you like about this movie. Even if you're just a Christian Bale fan, you'll be pleased with Equilibrium. If you're more into the gunfights and choreography, you'll find that too. The story is easily followed but has the expected "deeper meaning" that you get with Fahrenheit 451/1984/etc. plotlines and is also enjoyable.
Rent it, watch it. It will be worth the $5.00 and you may even find yourself buying it to own.
Tombstone (1993)
Simply awesome.
This is a great piece of cinema that is sadly often overlooked. In Tombstone, we have a great story (no matter how many times it has been told) with amazing actors put together by some terrific filmmakers. Kurt Russell is here at his best alongside a powerful supporting cast including Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton (the two Earp brothers) and a show-stopping Val Kilmer. Honestly, this is one of Kilmer's best roles - he has such a presence on screen that he steals every scene he's in. These actors alone would make it great, but we also have a raging Powers Boothe and the cold, calculating Michael Biehn and even a worthwhile appearance by Charlton Heston. Wow!
This movie is worth it just to see these fine actors in their prime. Their performances are truly great. That aside, the story told is not as epic as it is extremely well-rounded. It doesn't over-achieve, but instead is told with heartfelt skill and emotion. It's just darn good!
Get the extended DVD if you can. I've only seen the theatrical cut and that alone is ... well ... simply awesome!
RoboCop: Prime Directives (2001)
Robocop: PD (Dark Justice)
Warning: Some Spoilers.
Well, I finally caught the fabled new Robocop mini-series.
I have to say, I'm neither greatly impressed nor completely let down.
Pros: It's Robocop, there's a pro right there. I love the franchise, and even found Robocop 2 and 3 somewhat enjoying because of this (though I liked 2 more than 3). The mini-series has a decent story so far, with some nice corporate warring and flashbacks to Murphy's past. It was nice to see some fresh Murphy memories, instead of the usual about his son and his wife, and his few years just prior to becoming Robocop. It was also a treat to see his son, fully grown, though I was a bit confused about his story of his past (don't want to include too many spoilers here).
Cons: The actor playing Robocop is considerably older than Peter Weller or the guy that played Robo in RC 3. He's also shorter, and is not very adept at walking/moving about inside the Robosuit. As mentioned in previous comments, he often looks like he's bumbling about, walking on marbles and altogether too loose. From what I remember of Robocop 1 and 2, Weller had CRISP movements that seemed -right- for a robot. Ah well.
Also, Bone Machine was fairly ridiculous, being more of an "action figure" villain than anything believable. The strongest parts of the Robocop movies were believable villains.. Clarence Boddicker was AWESOME. Dick Jones was AWESOME. Even Kane in RC 2 was cool. The leader of the Rehabs in RC 3 was perhaps the weakest of all, aside from Bone Machine. I hope the other episodes of this mini-series have better bad-guys.
It's easy to see the series' budget here.. there are some nice effects, but overall it seems quite scaled down in terms of quality and production values. They seem to be doing a fairly good job with what they had to work with, though.
I'm looking forward to the next episodes.
Suburban Commando (1991)
Kinda funny
I remember seeing this years ago, either on VHS or on HBO. It was one of those films that I paid rapt attention to (hey, I was 11 at the time) and thoroughly enjoyed.
I saw this movie again, for the first time in a decade, on Sci-Fi just the other day. Admitedly, it was nowhere near as funny and/or cool as I thought it was back in '91, but it brought back a lot of fond memories. I'd say this is Hogan's best film (with No Holds Barred taking the #2 spot).. which is, yes, a pretty sad fact. This man was never meant to be an actor - a showman, perhaps, and a wrestler indeed, but the only shining performance here was Christopher Lloyd in his usual goofiness.
At least this movie doesn't try too hard... it's not meant to be taken seriously, and is an overall good 'popcorn' flick.