WandrinStar Reviews

Men in Black II (2002)

Men in Black II (2002)

[6/10 · 28 May 2012]

(6.5/10) Plot: New alien threat rises in the form of a green worm looking alien turned sexy Victoria's Secret model named Serleena who searches the earth for the never clearly defined "Light of Zartha". Top MiB agent J needs to seek out his old, memory warped partner K, now a small town post office employee, and restore his memory to find the light before Serleena gets to it.

I honestly don't understand the hate geared toward this movie. While it clearly was a step down from the original I, waits to get pelleted my tomatoes and sharp objects, actually enjoyed it. Even with originality in doubt, the movie contains many memorable characters, set pieces, and situational laughs that helps it stand out from the 2000 blockbuster. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones once again ease into the lead roles, while the previous film's small part characters Frank the pug and the Worms enjoy extended roles with mixed results. Lara Flynn Boyle's plastic sexiness looks pretty alien in itself, making the role of the alien morphing bad gal Serleena a good match although it's a shame that Famke Janssen dropped out of the part.

A short run time of under ninety minutes really affected the characterization and screen time of supporting characters like Rosario Dawson and Johnny Knoxville, who literally disappeared from the movie after carrying out a mission near the end. Movie had more of the same laughs from the first, although many jokes didn't land for me at all. The whole plot of removing "the light" from the earth was never explained completely leaving the end reveal to give more questions rather than answers. Rick Baker did another phenomenal job designing aliens and creating an otherworldly earth, while the film is highlighted by scenes of K's post MiB life, and spot on imitations of corny 1960's science fiction programs.

Scream (1996)

Scream (1996)

[8/10 · 24 April 2012]

80/100. The movie that begun the silver age of slasher films in the mid to late 1990's. Although Wes Craven's horror filmography is glowing with other culturally significant trips to the macabre ( A Nightmare on Elm Street, Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes) I consider 'Scream' to be his greatest achievement. Not only was the timing for the film perfect, but Kevin Williamson's simple yet brilliant script and an almost perfect cast help hail this movie as one of the best horror movies of the 1990's. Neve Campbell as the film's sexually repressed or 'final girl' character, if you will, rivals that of the original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis. David Arquette as Dewey Riley steals the spotlight every scene he's in, Courtney Cox proves her acting talent by playing a stuck up, malevolent news reporter whose passion and slight hint of selflessness makes her character hard to not love, while Jamie Kennedy helps channel the audience's thoughts and concerns to everyone on screen. Even minor characters such as Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, and even Henry Winkler all have memorable roles. Drew Barrymore's opening scene although perhaps a little over-the-top, is both memorable and nostalgic to horror movie lore. This strongly meta influenced film is one of the few to get the concept right and the laugh to scare ratio is perfect. The final act is a wild ride that should make everyone shudder at how plausible it would be for someone to put on a Halloween costume and start butchering inebriated teenagers.

Scream 2 (1997)

Scream 2 (1997)

[7/10 · 24 April 2012]

70/100. Apparently Scream didn't get the message from earlier slasher movies that the sequel is supposed to be bad to average. What I really like about Scream 2 is that it doesn't try and be all that different and they for all intensive purposes cop to that fact in the movie by referencing it consistently even playing reenacted scenes from the previous years film. As if that point wasn't already shoved down our throats we are constantly reminded by multiple characters that sequels always are inferior. Why such the high grade? Because not only is the story just as scary and funny, but its characterization may even be superior. By the end of the film Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers is not the same person she was at all in first Scream, and you really feel for Sidney understanding her inner demons and reluctance of trust toward her college boyfriend after her fling with her psychopathic high school sweetheart. It was fun to see more than one character from a previous slasher film especially since I enjoyed all of the characters previously. One of the few teen slice and dice movies where you actually really pull for your favorite characters to come out alive. Liev Screiber is fantastic in an expanded role as the hard luck former lover of Mrs. Prescott looking to cash in on his misfortune of being wrongly accused for her death as detailed in the first Scream. Kevin Williamson writes his crass dialogue beautifully which really made me wonder why more characters haven't been fleshed out similarly before. I was a big fan of the opening which I felt was even better than the slightly over-the-top intro with Drew Barrymore. Although the final showdown was somewhat of a let down, scenes such as having to crawl past the killer to escape the pinned police car and Sarah Michelle Gellar's frightening encounter with Ghost face certainly gave off enough thrills. Admittedly not as good as the first, Scream 2 in my mind very well might be the best slasher sequel made to date.

Scream 3 (2000)

Scream 3 (2000)

[6/10 · 24 April 2012]

62/100. Considering it was coming off two of the most successful horror films of the 90's, Scream 3 does pretty good for itself especially when one takes in consideration other horror movies made in the same year. It definitely misses Kevin Williamson's input, but despite the criticism he's garnered from this film, I felt that Ehren Kruger did a passable job. The only negative aspect from his script was keeping Sidney in exile. Considering most horror movies generally wane by the second sequel, the story didn't need to have another uphill battle by having the main character stuck in isolation for half the movie. But somehow Kruger made it work as I felt he really nailed the character of Sidney and how she would react to her previous battles. Basically the time in the first two that would have been used to develop Neve was used on Dewey and Gale who are the de facto stars until Sidney finally arrives in Hollywood. Even though I'm a Wes Craven fan, his direction seemed a little off compared to his other works. A lack of a Williamson script kept the film from finding the right mixture of laughs and scares generally focusing more on the former than the latter. What makes this even more ineffective is Craven's use for a more dark atmosphere which along with some of the more serious situations present in the trilogy is at constant odds with the abundance of humor. Examples being the Jay and Silent Bob cameo along with Carrie Fisher's role; these detracted from the film's tone. With that said, Scream 3 continues the franchise's trend of being one of the smarter horror series out there. I actually was a fan of the Hollywood location, which provided great genre jokes and help carefully paint horror movie cliché's only this time from a behind the scenes perspective. Outside of yet another annoying performance by Parkey Posey, the supporting class was exceptional and although the killer(s) identity was uninspired and random, the final showdown was actually an improvement over Scream 2's finale by finding a way to effectively do the job the filmmakers set out to do by making a satisfactory ending to an entertaining trilogy...until Scream 4. Jamie Kennedy's has a taped cameo, but it makes you miss the character's presence from the series more than anything.

Scream 4 (2011)

Scream 4 (2011)

[6/10 · 24 April 2012]

69/100. What is it about fourth installments in slasher franchises that make them a cut above the rest? Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, and to a lesser extent A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master all delivered; but Scream 4 may be the best of the bunch. Kevin Williamson makes a welcome return to the franchise, and it's his witty script that is the catalyst for the film's success. If Scream 2 played on slasher sequels, and Scream 3 parodied film trilogies, than Scream 4's motive was to make jabs at Hollywood's current slate of green lighting disappointing remakes and torture porn. This in part helped create the best ending killer reveal/struggle since the first Scream. Seeing the series' three main survivors Sidney, Gale, and of course Dewey ten years later in life was a treat. The new crop of teens that led some before the release of a possible reboot featured an entertaining group of new teens highlighted by the gorgeous and irresistibly quirky Hayden Panettiere who somewhat steals the spotlight from Emma Robert's character whom many thought would take over Sidney's role in future installments up to the release. With that said the movie did have some glaring flaws. Some of the acting was pretty lousy (I'm looking at you Alison Brie) and the score was pretty lifeless which is surprisingly given Marco Beltrami's work in the original trilogy. The opening sequence was praised by many critics, but I wasn't nearly as crazy about it. Although Williamson's meta dialogue has always been a hallmark for the series, Scream 4 tended to relay it a bit much which may have overly affected a new generation not familiar with the series to perhaps not take the film as serious as they maybe should have. But for those of us fortunate enough to have seen and enjoyed the proceeding Scream movies, Scream 4 is great entertainment that celebrates the original while also positively continuing the franchise's story arc. Scream 4 successfully makes the transition to a new decade by commenting on current horror trends rather than recycling old 90's material. Here's hoping Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, and Wes Craven churn up a fifth Scream in the future.

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)

[4/10 · 7 March 2012]

44/100. Listed as the best Jason film by fans of the series, although so far I would call it the worst outside of the universally panned fifth film. Not only does this begin a series of 'Friday' films where Jason is for a lack of better words a supernatural zombie, but it also marks the point in the franchise where Jason became the film's hero rather than antagonist. The film also brought in an abundance of campy humor that really felt out of place at times, although admittedly some of the gags were pretty neat. There was some cool kills and impressive make-up effects, but the cast was largely forgettable and there was a number of incredibly stupid moments most notably the bumbling paint ball players. Worst looking Crystal Lake to date, with the foggy atmosphere of the woods creating the illusion that Crystal Lake is down south, when all the other films pointed toward a New Jersey area location. What I did like about the film was that the killings took place while the kids were at the camp, something I've been waiting to happen for awhile. Bad first hour that thankfully picked up for a mostly entertaining final half hour.

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

[3/10 · 6 March 2012]

37/100. Poorly executed even under the standards of less than stellar slasher flicks. However, I give the film props for changing scenery and finally getting Jason out of Crystal Lake. But if they really intended to have Jason run loose in the Big Apple, they should have made that the dominant plot point. As almost every review every written for this film will tell you, the movie should have taken place in New York more. Instead we get an hour of predictable blood sheds on a cruise (which also foolishly suggests Camp Crystal Lake is connected to the ocean) before the cast finally gets to New York in the final half hour. Cast is pretty bland outside of a hilariously high strung performance by Peter Mark Richman, and Kane Hodder who once again proves he's the scariest Jason. Also the first 'Friday' film to have comedy override the suspense. Some bad special effects such for lame kills and the worst Jason face in the series combined with poor acting and film decisions makes this installment edge out part five as the worst in the series to date. Although on the plus side I did appreciate the humor in portraying New York as a dirty, graffiti ridden city. Poor ending featuring an unexplained transformation of Jason to his former child self.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

[6/10 · 1 March 2012]

62/100. Undoubtedly the best of the 'Friday' sequels. Joesph Zito was an excellent genre choice to helm the film after directing The Prowler, and Tom Savini makes a welcome return to the franchise resulting in the best visual and creative kills and best cinematography since the original. Corey Feldman does a good job, and the entire concept of the Jarvis family gives the series a breath of fresh air rather than just focusing on a bunch of horny teens lining up to be slaughtered. Crispin Glover does steal the spotlight from Feldman and maybe even Jason. His body language and dumbfound looks are hilarious and must have inspired him being casted in Back To The Future the following year. His dance moves overshadow some of the film's more gruesome kills. Rest of the teenage cast was a huge step up from part three, although I thought they should have spent more time focusing on the Jarvis family as opposed to the teens. And was Jason hunter Rob really supposed to have that small of a role. Ted White played the most menacing Jason to date, and the film would have been an ideal way to end the series even if the ending including the rather stupid idea to have Feldman shave his head and go crazy.

Three's Company (1976–1984)

Three's Company (1976-1984)

[27 February 2012]

Season One 73/100- Classic example on how to make a successful show based on a comedy of errors work. The first season was basically six pilot episodes due to the show being a spring mid season replacement. Although only a handful of episodes were produced, the successful formula that made the show popular was already set into place. The main five cast members work terrifically together. Susanne Somers gets a little more credit than she deserves for her work on the show, but she plays the bumbling "dumb blonde" stereotype. Joyce Dewitt does a good job as Janet, the brains of the little platonic trio. But its John Ritter who absolutely steals the show with his unmatched physical comedy, and innocent charm. Apartment owners The Ropers are so perfectly portrayed as a couple by Normen Fell and Audra Lindley that its uncanny. You can't help but smile each time Mrs.Roper's desperately sighs "Oh, Stanley." Richard Kline has a cameo appearance as Jack's friend Larry Dallas that really captures the energy out of all the precious few seconds he's on screen. Really looking forward to seeing him become a recurring character. On the downside this season had no other real secondary characters that had a large impact on me. Although the scenes with the Ropers are funny, even more hilarious once Stanley started to smile at his own jokes with the audience, I kind of hope they have more depth than simply complaining about not having sex. As for the main trio, some of the episodes hint that Janet might have a thing for Jack. I really hope this doesn't go anywhere, because I see the show working better with them just being close friends. Show also had some of its trademark heartwarming moments that helps to establish that the trio is a family, evidenced at the end of Janet's birthday party when Jack buys her back the jewelry she pawned earlier. Great intro and theme.

Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982)

Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

[5/10 · 27 February 2012]

50/100. Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Crystal Lake. The first hour of the film is almost a carbon copy of the second. Dana Kimmell does a good job following in the footsteps of other Friday girls Adrienne King and Amy Steel, but unlike the first two films the rest of the cast of teens are annoying. Larry Zerner's character of Shelly in particular is almost unbearable to watch. They try to make the character sympathetic but he just comes off an irritating and nosy mess. Being a Reagan era 3D movie, the film is full of gimmicky moments of characters consistently poking sharp objects at the screen. Viewing in 2D can cause these moments to take away from the serious tone of the film, so watching in the intended 3D is best if possible. And once again Miner shows the last five minutes of the final film which combined with the opening credits, wastes roughly eight minutes. The use of techno music was a mistake, and the surprise dream endings are really starting to get me rolling my eyes. This Friday is famous for being the first to put the old style hockey mask on Jason. The long awaited reveal of Jason strolling down the pier first dawning the mask, as well as other impressive kills heightened by an even more menacing Jason keep an otherwise brush away movie from a lower grade in the mid to high forties. Although the movie isn't that good by any means, the decision to throw on the Hockey masks helped make this movie directly responsible for creating one of Horror's greatest villains as well as inspiring thousands of kids to throw away their Spider-Man costumes, and through on the jumpsuit and mask. Also features the handstand death, one of the more effectively executed kills in the series.

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

[3/10 · 24 February 2012]

38/100. Forget Jason not being in this one, part five is simply a bad horror movie. The entire film tries impossibly hard to make the film different, but the end product is exactly the same. The opening dream sequence provided suspense, but the rest of the movie wasn't scary at all. Movie really suffered from MPAA cuts which made nearly every death scene occur off-screen (although one death scene in particular was executed perfectly). Despite the cuts, the film has a crazy amount of at least twenty death scenes. And what the hell was up with the Michael Jackson wannabe? Film never really gave the attention to Tommy it deserves, giving ample amounts of screen time to horny teenagers lined up to be slaughtered. Its also littered with unbelievable dark humor that honestly demeans mentally handicapped people, although its impossible to not laugh at the fate of Joey. Don't really care if Jason was in it, but they could have come up with a better story than a copy cat killer who only provides us with one scene to gather clues from; although I liked the idea of his jaded blue eyes being the same as the stripes on the killer's hockey mask. Bad movie is terrible at depicting the mentally handicapped, but some might find the movie as a whole to be unintentionally hilarious as I did in certain scenes.

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

[5/10 · 20 February 2012]

57/100. Like mother, like son. Enjoyed it considerably more than I expected too. Horror icon Jason Voorhees takes center stage as the series' main antagonist for the first time wearing, not a hockey mask, but a hooded sack that pays homage to 1976's The Town that Dreaded Sundown. While Jason works as a menacing killer, the idea of a large, brooding knife wielding man was already done in Halloween. Miner does a passable job, but gets rid of many key directorial elements Cunningham used to make the original as good as it was. The cast of camp counselors once again do a fantastic job, and final girl Amy Steel equals and maybe even surpasses Adrienne King. Would have given serious consideration of giving this a higher grade but the film was bogged down with plot holes including never answering how Jason survived drowning or if he ever reunited with his mother and if so why didn't he attack the last bunch of teenagers himself. Beginning sequence is atrociously long and commits my least favorite horror movie cliché of killing off the previous survivor(s) in the opening. Film follows the original almost to a tee including having one of the most predictable unpredictable endings ever. Return of Crazy Ralph was a pleasant bonus.

Friday the 13th (1980)

Friday the 13th (1980)

[7/10 · 20 February 2012]

(7.5/10) Don't let anyone tell you different, this is a real good horror film. An obvious send off of Halloween, both Cunningham and Miller do enough to separate from Carpenter's classic. Cunningham does a great job as director giving intense killer P.O.V shots while Manfredini's catchy and eerie score is effective with Cunningham's decision to play it only when the killer is on the prowl. Tom Savini gives some of the best special effects the 80s has to offer, and the film has many memorable death scenes including a young Kevin Bacon getting speared in the throat. Young cast of camp counselors led by female lead Adrienne King are charming and work well together. Film holds up well today, giving a newer audience a surprise reveal that Jason, who's presence goes hand-in-hand with this series, isn't the film's killer. Movie introduces one of my favorite horror character; not Jason, but Crazy Ralph who is hilariously and perfectly portrayed by Walt Gorney.

Ghost Hunters (2004– )

Ghost Hunters (2004-)

[9 February 2012]

Season One 82/100- Way better than I thought the show would be, at least after the original ten episodes. Although I've heard complaints that the later seasons might be faked or staged, I got none of the feelings in the first season. I love TAPS approach of trying to debunk hauntings rather than try and prove them. This gives the show credibility that is often lacking in this line of work. In fact, over half of the location TAPS visits found no evidence or was deemed not haunted.

Even those who don't like the show have to appreciate the concept of two plumbers who become paranormal investigators by night. The show is grounded, and you really see both Jason and Grant doing there best to collect evidence with a small budget that limits their headquarters to a trailer and limits their traveling (the farthest west they went from their home in Warwick, RI was Pittsburgh). The show really does work as a docu-reality show as well as a ghost hunt. The supporting team players for TAPS are numerous and interchangeable. The only other members that appear regularly and have a defined personality are Brian and Steve and to a lesser extent Donna and Andy. Brian in particular has been developed as the whipping boy of the show which both helps and hurts the show, although often there's reason to back up his bullying.

Appreciate the team throwing out useless evidence such as orbs, but would have liked to see them go further into the history of the buildings they are investigating while showing previous evidence at that location. Considering Jason and Grant are lead investigators, I want to see them having a bigger part collecting evidence during the cases. Major evidence TAPS collected were EVPs in the Altoona and Albany, the moving chair at New London's Race Rock Lighthouse, the cloaked figure stalking Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary, and the cameraman attacked at the armory in New Bedford by an unknown entity.

North to Alaska (1960)

North to Alaska (1960)

[5/10 · 2 February 2012]

(5.5/10) Didn't work for me as much as it has for many other Wayne enthusiasts. I found the movie to be overlong, overloaded on campy humor, and predictable. When it came out in 1960, it was a fresh film that showcased Wayne in unfamiliar roles of comedian and repressed lover. But succeeding films McLintock! and to a lesser extent War Wagon not only added on but improved on the comedic elements in Wayne Westerns. In this flick, you could tell the Duke was somewhat out of place, although you could definitely see flashes of John Wayne's underrated comedic ability. Capucine does a great job as Wayne's equal despite what some reviewers have expressed while Stewart Granger maintains good chemistry with both the male and female leads. Fabian surprisingly has good acting and comedy talent and did a much better job than fellow pop star Ricky Nelson did in Wayne's film a year before "Rio Bravo". Opening and ending brawl sequences were way too watered down with camp; the various lame sound effects made the fights more suitable for the Three Stooges or a Warner Brother's cartoon.

I would have given this an even lower rating if this was set in say Texas, but I was won over by the Alaskan scenery and terrific chemistry between Wayne and Capucine. Highlights of the movie were just about every scene between Capucine and Fabian.

Chisum (1970)

Chisum (1970)

[6/10 · 2 February 2012]

(6.5/100) One of the few films the Duke made that was based on true events. Its nowhere near his top films, but the film itself is solid and has enough memorable moments to separate itself from Wayne's later westerns. Although having his character's name in the title, the movie actually plays out as an ensemble giving equal time to Pat Garrett and William Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid. However, Corbett and Deuel were mediocre and unable to pull their own weight in scenes with Wayne. On the flip side, Christopher George played a good, villainous gun-for-hire while Ben Johnson gave one of his best supporting performances that I've seen out of him. Has a pleasant amount of humor with a good final shoot out and a catchy, yet borderline annoying theme song. The film is carried down with a strikingly large cast for a sub two hour movie, but has a number of memorable moments.

The War Wagon (1967)

The War Wagon (1967)

[6/10 · 24 January 2012]

(6.5/10) Fun tongue in cheek Western that survives an initial slow start to be entertaining afterwards throughout. Both John Wayne and Kirk Douglas do great and have tremendous on screen chemistry together. Their friendly, competitive rivalry that mirrors their off screen persona's. Works extremely well and carries what would have otherwise been an average western. Even though they had their differences in real life, such as politics, you can tell they had a real respect for one another, and this movie does a good job of capturing that. One of the few roles that put the Duke on the wrong side of the law. Let down by the Western scenery, but was impressed with Howard Keel. I liked it but seeing Wayne and Douglas jell as well as they did makes me wish they could have joined together for a better Western. Good but unspectacular movie is highlighted by a hilarious bar room brawl and an extremely catchy theme.

Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973)

Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973)

[6/10 · 24 January 2012]

(6/10) Not a great film, but is underrated simply for the fact that this is labeled by many as one of Wayne's weaker westerns in the latter stages of his career. Duke has a great supporting cast around him highlighted by Neville Brand as Indian tracker Ben Lightfoot, and villain George Kennedy. The Fink couple and writing team famous for penning Dirty Harry lacked originality for bringing up the same plot devices used in the Duke western Big Jake they wrote two years prior (Wayne choosing a gun slinging career over his children and Wayne teaming up with an Indian tracker). However I can forgive them since both areas were improved in this go around. Although some of their writing, such as Kennedy's sudden change of heart when Billy Jo was sick, was pretty weak.

Big Jake (1971)

Big Jake (1971)

[6/10 · 23 January 2012]

(6/10) Conflicting opinions on this western, although it is slightly above average than most western films in the early seventies. Movie started off strong, including a very entertaining opening montage that highlighted life in 1909. The final shootout was one of Wayne's best in his later westerns, and I appreciated the bloody and dark tones that were missing in many of Duke's pictures. Middle part of the film drug on with less than inspiring performances by Patrick Wayne and Christopher Mitchum, although Boone played a nice villain. Lacked originality is comparison to other Wayne westerns: kidnap/rescue plot from The Searchers, dog as a partner like in Hondo, etc. Disappointed that O'Hara was in MIA after the first thirty minutes and the film ended too abruptly failing to resolve several issues such as the fate of Big Jake's son who was shot in the beginning.

Highlight of the film was when Wayne's real life son playing Little Jake first met Big Jake and asked if he was his grandpa.

The Shootist (1976)

The Shootist (1976)

[7/10 · 18 January 2012]

78/100. John Wayne's last movie is also his best sine True Grit. Duke plays the role close to home by portraying an old gun fighter dying from cancer while suffering from it off the set as well. It works as a perfect swan song for the legendary actor, and allows him to say goodbye to his fans. Lauren Bacall and Ron Howard do a great job, and old costars James Stewart and John Carradine also have roles although I would have liked to have seen more regulars for Duke's final ride. Had a nice opening montage of some of Wayne's earlier films when highlighting the life of JB Books. Film has good character development, and allows Wayne to play a role similar to Jimmy Ringo in The Gunfighter, a role I believed Wayne would have excelled at. Film could have used a longer running time to flesh out villains and supporting characters.

The Undefeated (1969)

The Undefeated (1969)

[6/10 · 18 January 2012]

(6/10) John Wayne's other movie from 1969. Often incorrectly labeled as one of Duke's weakest Westerns, I found this to be a clever and fun albeit unspectacular western. I liked how the film bordered on the friendly hostility edge between Wayne's Union troops and Hudson's Confederates. The conflict was always in flux, never turning too animistic or friendly which all comes together in the entertaining fourth of July brawl scene which was undoubtedly the film's best moment. First Rock Hudson film I ever saw, I was extremely impressed by his acting ability. Seeing one of the most famous openly homosexual actors work alongside the conservative Duke is entertaining for nostalgia's sake. The ending was too anti-climatic for me and the film was uneven at times, but it was a good watch with some good historical background.

McLintock! (1963)

McLintock! (1963)

[7/10 · 16 January 2012]

(7.5/10) I generally don't like John Wayne comedy westerns, but McLintock is a big exception. Simply put, this is a fun movie. The sets are great as is the colorful collection of memorable one dimensional characters that are almost all recognizable character actors from other Wayne films such as Hank Worden, Maureen O' Hara, Bruce Cabot, Strother Martin, HW Gim, and Michael Pate. Maureen O'Hara in particular steals the show as the ruthless and demanding wife who buries her hidden love for the old west. Duke's son Patrick Wayne finally doesn't seem out of place and gives what may be his finest performance. Meanwhile Duke's on screen daughter Stephanie Powers also gives a great performance as a daughter in between Duke and the reformed O'Hara. Movie overstays it's welcome and never really has an alluring plot, but its a fun ride that plays itself almost in the same manner a musical would.

The Cowboys (1972)

The Cowboys (1972)

[7/10 · 16 January 2012]

(7.5/10) Along with the Shootist, ranks as the best of the latter day John Wayne films. After his Oscar win in True Grit wrapped up his legacy as an American icon, his dozen or so films he did afterwards were more celebratory to his career as a whole. The theme of passing the torch to a younger generation is echoes in The Cowboys, and is a welcomed change to the typical Duke Western. Roscoe Lee Browne has an extremely memorable performance as the chef, and the Cowboys themselves were charming including the debut performance by Robert Carradine. Bruce Dern has never really impressed me, but he does a great job portraying the film's villainous coward. Director Mark Rydell did a fine job, but would have liked to see a marque director at the helm. Loved the ending and the movie in general.

The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

[8/10 · 16 January 2012]

(8/10) Without a doubt one of Duke's most underrated Westerns. The fact that the four main stars are so unbelievable as brothers is shadowed by the acting and charm that each character brings to the screen. Dean Martin follows up his Rio Bravo performance with another gem cementing his place as one of the supporting stars working alongside Wayne. George Kennedy makes an intriguing antagonist but was underused. Wayne's romance with Martha Hyer and was pointless and a waste of time; the film should have devoted the attention to better build up the relationship among the brothers. The film tends to drag on towards this is a fun movie even non- western fans can enjoy. Excellent score.

Hondo (1953)

Hondo (1953)

[7/10 · 16 January 2012]

(7/10) Took more than it's fair share from Shane, but Hondo still manages to stand out on its own as being one of the best John Wayne westerns not directed by the big three of Ford, Hawks, and Hathaway. Film isn't spectacular in any way, but aside from some sloppy editing is well made and features great characters all around. Although, the ending is a disappointment including having the main antagonist's death occur off screen before the final showdown against the Apaches. Geraldine Page wasn't an interesting casting choice to play opposite of Duke, and although both actors did fine the chemistry between the two just wasn't there.