rthomp-1 Reviews

Sahara (2005)

Much better than expected

[8/10 · 23 April 2005]

I'll admit, as a reader of Dr. Cussler's work for more than 25 years, I was nervous about this film. I read a fair amount of unflattering reviews, I wasn't happy with the casting, and I was really concerned about Dr. Cussler's lawsuit.

I shouldn't have been. This is a really fun movie that absolutely nails the spirit of the book, if not all the details. I pictured a mid-80s Tom Selleck playing Pitt, but MMC got it right. The sense of humor, the smile, the ruggedness, the womanizing are all here in all it's glorious cheesiness. Zahn, while looking nothing like my mental picture of Al plays it right. The chemistry between the two of them, which is arguably the most important part of the books, is translated extraordinarily well. Really the only character that's fumbled is Rudi, and if that's the worst transgression, I can live with that.

The story remains surprisingly intact. Sure, some details have changed, but that happens in every adaptation (James Bond anyone?). Again, the spirit of the story is there. The cinematography and scenery are stunning. The movie just looks good. I found myself grinning along with the characters and marveling at the same things they were.

For Dr. Cussler and those who are boycotting this film, all I can say is, "Lighten up.". No one is going to sit through a 6 hour word-for-word film of the book. We're talking about an above-average airport book that is the equivalent of a serial from the 20s or 30s. Take it for what it is and you'll enjoy it. I look forward to more Pitt films and hope they start filming soon!

Alone in the Dark (2005)

Spectacular Crap-fest

[1/10 · 28 January 2005]

I don't know where to begin. Tara Reid needs to be stopped before she's put in another movie. Stephen Dorff looks like he got his character's motivation from Val Kilmer in "Top Gun". Slater sleepwalks through this dreck. The direction, editing, sound (do we really need a heavy-metal video in the middle of a gunfight?), costumes (bulletproof vests with muscles on them), and hey, there's no discernible plot either. It amazes me that no one attached to the project stopped and said, "hey guys, this just doesn't make any sense, let's start over". Hopefully Slater's career can rebound from this disaster.

Hands down the worst film I've ever seen.

Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009)

Really well done

[9/10 · 17 January 2005]

I wanted to hate this. I was a huge fan of the old show, and really wanted to despise this since the old cast had been ditched.

I was pleasantly surprised. The re-invention works and works well. The new cast functions together as a unit, with the right mix of camaraderie and tension. The dogfight sequences are breathtaking, and the updates to the Galactica and the Vipers are evolutionary.

The mini-series was basically a re-telling of the original movie, but the series is forging it's own path. This is a good thing, though it's nice to note that several of the fleet ships are the same design as the original series, and the beauty shots of the Galactica are identical to the originals.

Give it a chance, it's pretty good.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

So close, but.....

[5/10 · 23 July 2004]

Man, I really wanted to love this movie. This new breed of comedy films is so uneven though. You have your Old School, which is the best by far (so far), Eurotrip and Starsky & Hutch, both of which were much better than they should have been. And then there's the also-rans like Zoolander and Anchorman. Two films that really should have been brilliant, but end up having one or two funny scenes connected by a bunch of duds and dead space. Zoolander had the gas fight, Anchorman has the brawl. The rest of the film, at best, elicits small grins, but that's not what you go to a film like this for....You want to pee yourself laughing (think Blazing Saddles, Caddyshack, Old School). Will Ferell does a fantastic job "becoming" Ron Burgandy, Steve Carell turns in the best performance in the movie, but the script can't seem to find many funny things for these characters to do. Chalk this one up as something to rent on a rainy Saturday.

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Horrible Chicken Little tripe

[2/10 · 6 June 2004]

As a rule, I don't walk out of movies. If I did, I wouldn't have lasted past the first 20 minutes of this stinker. I have never heard such pathetic dialogue in any film, much less a major motion picture such as this. The science behind the film is so bad it makes "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact" sound like they were written by Carl Sagan. Not even the effects can save this clunker (wait 'till you see the wolves....<shudder>). Half the theater was laughing out loud at the hackneyed emotion at the ending, everyone in the theater was laughing at the President's final monologue.

You want to do something positive for the environment? Save the money you'd spend on piece of garbage and plant a tree instead...Watching it grow is more exciting.

View from the Top (2003)

One of the worst films of all time

[4 July 2003]

How in the world did the producers of this film:

A).Get so many big-name actors to star in this stinker? Compromising pictures with livestock?

B).Manage to make above stars completely unfunny AND non-emotionally affecting? I get more emotional reading the ingredients of sausage.

C).Somehow convince studio execs that this was a good project?

Good money was spent on this film. Millions in star's salaries, production costs, etc. That money could have been better spent on so many things (cancer research, feeding the poor, etc). This stinker is exactly what's wrong with Hollywood, and we'll continue to see these trashy star vehicles 'cause the public will continue to accept and pay for this drivel.

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Oh no, not again

[3 July 2003]

Why, oh why did I waste precious time on yet another Matrix movie? The first film didn't have much to say (just a stylized way of saying it). This film offers nothing new, and appears to be just a vehicle to make money. All budding directors take note: CG doesn't look real. At all. Any kid with a PS2 can watch the same or better effects. As others have mentioned, the Zion scene was ridiculous, as was Superman-Neo.

If you like CG effects, watch the first Matrix again, it's a better film (although still an abomination). If you like believable action, a coherent storyline, and actual acting, stay away from this stinker. Keanu, I want my 138 minutes of my life back.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Wow

[8/10 · 1 July 2003]

There's bad history with 3rd movies in a series...Alien 3, The Godfather 3, Jaws 3, etc. This one breaks the cycle. Excellent story, great acting (especially the T-X), and an absolutely amazing ending. Kristanna Loken builds upon Robert Patric's emotionless killer T1000, and makes the T-X one of the best evil nemesis's ever. Arnie looks great. Other than the story, the thing that really stands out is the effects. Rather than relying on CG, the majority of the action scenes have the look and feel of reality, whether they're created by miniatures, or good old-fashioned stuntwork. Jonathan Mostow has done the series proud, let's hope T4 isn't too far off.

Dreamcatcher (2003)

Great book, but....

[3/10 · 6 April 2003]

I really enjoyed this book. Certainly the best King's written since "IT". The movie.....Oh the pain of seeing a King movie. I keep hoping that something will top "The Dead Zone", and I keep being disappointed.

The other reviewers are correct. The first act of Dreamcatcher is really good. The cast works well together, 'though I pictured R.Lee Ermey in Morgan Freeman's part when I read the book. Now I understand to get all of King's nuances into a movie, it requires 4-6 hours, and I certainly didn't expect that. The first problem is that the story deviated way too far from the book. The chase in the book led up to a great ending, with Owen (Tom Sizemore's character) as the hero. It also gave a lot more insight into his character, as well as Morgan Freeman's.

My second issue is the way the duel between Jonesey and Mr.Gray was portrayed. Damian Lewis (in my opinion) did an absolutely awful job, even before the "split" in his character. Why would an alien have an English accent? Hackneyed, hackneyed, hackneyed.

The ending is just another godawful cop-out like the TV version of "IT". Jason Lee, Thomas Jane, and Tom Sizemore do a good job with what they've got to work with, but the final product is a typical King movie...Flashes of brilliance, but ultimately a let-down.