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Gyaos
Reviews
Kronos (1957)
Not As Bad As I Remembered
I just bought this thing on DVD as the price finally got down to a reasonable level and watched it last night. The thing I remembered most from seeing the movie when I was a kid was the cheesy visual effect of Kronos moving. Sure enough, those are still as bad as I remembered however the rest of the movie is better than memory would have me believe.
Sure there are plot holes, questionable science and less than stellar writing, but all B Grade 1950's sci-fi drive-in special movies suffer from this malady. Compared to the rest of the genre, Kronos is one of the better offerings. It isn't _The Day The Earth Stood Still_, but then again, that is hardly B Grade.
So if you like B Grade 50's sci-fi, check it out. You won't be disappointed. Just check your logic at the door! '-)
The Giant Claw (1957)
It Lives On
What's not to love about _The Giant Claw_?
There's Mara Corday. Hey, that's enough! :-) But beyond that, there's the final frames of the movie showing the claw slowly sinking in the East River with the skyline of Manhattan in the background; a scene which invariably makes every 50's sci-fi compilation. Truly classic.
Digging just a little further, there is Jeff Morrow's portrayal of Mitch MacAfee, 1950's fly boy scientist with an attitude. If it wasn't for this, even Mara would have trouble saving it. There's the host of stereotypical supporting characters. There's stock footage. There's the narrator. There's the DEW Line! Man, this thing is loaded with 50's monster movie cliches. And of course there is that stupid looking bird.
So sit back, relax, have Pierre pour you a big tall glass of his apple jack and just enjoy the movie for what it is. Truly mindless drivel that is perfect for a Saturday afternoon with nothing else to do. That is why it lives on.
Hey Pierre, another glass please. '-)
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Without comparing it to the original, it still fails.
Tim Burton is one of my favorite directors/producers now working in the motion picture industry so I was interested to see what he had done with _Planet of the Apes_. The original movie stands as a classic of the sci-fi genre and many people, myself included, wondered why they choose to remake the movie. Fortunately the current _Planet of the Apes_ is more a reinterpretation of the material than than a remake of the movie and on that note it succeeds.
However, the results are disappointing to put it mildly. There are enough plot holes to drive a Mac truck through. Often I found myself looking at my watch to see how much longer the movie would be lasting and felt my intelligence being assaulted. Some effects, especially several jumps the apes make, would be more at home in _The Matrix_ than here. The occasional resused/reinterpreted line from the original movie are delivered poorly and come across as a weak attempt to pay homage to the original. While the story line itself was OK, plot holes aside, the script writing was lacking and the delivery of the lines by the actors more so. Interestingly enough, the best acting job is turned in by Charleton Heston who make a brief cameo appearance. Overall the production value was good, however, the apes village would be more at home in a fantasy movie than a sci-fi flick and as for the the much heralded make-up, I found it lacking, save for the gorillas. Of course one has to mention the ultimate ending of the movie which reeks of being tacked on and proves that sometimes movie makers just add too much footage for no good reason. The final few minutes should have wound up on the cutting room floor.
All in all, it is a failure. Everybody makes a real stinker every now and then and Tim really has one here.
Gamera daikaijû kuchu kessen (1994)
Watch it in Japanese with sub titles.
Why is it that when ever an American studio gets hold of a kaiju movie they feel compelled to dub it? From my perspective this usually completely destroys what otherwise is a good movie. And so it is with Gamera.
The movie itself is a great revival of Gamera. A good story line, well acted, decent SPFX. Who would have ever thought that a giant flying turtle could challenge Godzilla for the tittle of King of the Monsters?
If you can get hold of a sub-titled version, do so. It is the only way to watch it. And don't forget to continue with the other two recent Gamera movies. Same director and quality. Together they make quite a trilogy.
The Mummy Returns (2001)
Almost Too Much
That was my reaction when leaving the theater. It's a great movie and worthy sequel but I can't help but think that there was just too much action and not enough time to catch one's breath.
Deep Rising (1998)
Simply Perfect
Deep Rising stands head and shoulders above most movies of this genre. It has the perfect balance of terror, suspense, special effects, music and plot to make it a classic. It also never loses sight of the fact that it is simply a movie. This is reflected by the tongue in cheek attitude on display at several points of the movie. These instances serve not only as comic relief but also have an endearing quality about them.
If you love 50's & 60's monster movies, you can't help but love Deep Rising.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Not a worthy successor.
To the original trilogy that is.
This movie just left me cold. The acting is flat, the characters remind me of cardboard cut outs, the plot simple, even predictable and the CGI effects are rather disappointing for the most part. Certainly the later don't make up for the rest of the movie's deficiencies, which are many.
It seems Lucas chose to aim this picture squarely at a juvenile audience and disregarded trying to entertain anybody more than 10 years old.
I found myself wanting this picture to end. I almost fell asleep on it. And did get up to heed the call of nature during the screening which is something I rarely if ever do while in a movie theater.
As for Episode 2?
I can wait.
A *long* time for it.
Sorry George, you blew it.
Lost in Space (1998)
Excellent film based on old television series.
The Lost In Space television series was one of my favorites when I was growing up so when I found out that it was the basis for a new movie, trepidation is the word that best described my reaction. As it turns out, my fears were unfounded as the result is one of the best, if not the best, treatment of older material and characters ever. Unlike this year's other movie based on a cultural icon, namely Godzilla, the producers of Lost In Space have a great deal of respect for the original tv series and this shows in the finished product. They have been able to update the story and characters, even changing the tenor of the story from farce to serious drama without losing any of appeal of the original. The inclusion of June Lockhart, Marta Kristen, Angela Cartwright and Mark Goddard in cameos and minor parts adequately demostrates the respect the production team has for the fans of the original series, which helps immensely in this adaptation. This is something that Mssrs. Devlin & Emmerich need to learn before unleashing any more destruction of cultural icons as they did this summer.
All in all, the movie is great family adventure entertainment. The story is simple enough, told in a caring way and is suitable for all ages. The acting well done, the writing & direction good and the visual effects rank amongst some of the best ever committed to celluloid.
Definitely one of my favorites and quite possibly one of the best science fiction films of all times. Old fans and those who never heard of Lost In Space will enjoy this movie.