mmcgown Reviews

Superman Returns (2006)

Welcome surprise

[9/10 · 10 September 2007]

I wanted to hate this movie because Christopher Reeve was no longer there to play the part that should have been his. I underestimated Brandon Routh and Bryan Singer.

Though it's easy to pick nits and find fault with the plot and story, the director has remained true to the line of films and the character. That's pretty rare these days.

This is an excellent movie for all of those who share the love of the Superman myth. While Routh lacks some of Reeve's charm and wit, he is a worthy successor. In other words, he is, in every way, a Superman.

Brandon, thank you for keeping the dream alive.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Two hours wasted

[1/10 · 5 July 2006]

It's hard to believe Universal would have invested money in this movie. Regrettably, I wasted two precious hours of my life on it. Lesson learned: don't bother with movies from Universal. Try to look for something from a studio with some redeeming social value.

Though there are some "funny" scenes here, if you are thinking only of your own c--k, there's really nothing here to keep your attention, assuming you have even a small brain. Otherwise, go for it. This is a great film for people who need to hear all the forbidden words shouted out in a large movie theater so they can laugh nervously about the things they would never say.

In the end, it's sad to see that Universal has had to stoop to such low depths to find a script/film worth releasing. Perhaps it's time they stopped trying.

PS--For those of you who thought this was a good/great/funny movie: you have a sad future in store for you.

Meet the Fockers (2004)

Good cast; bad script; great disappointment

[1/10 · 20 June 2005]

It's really astonishing that stars of this caliber would agree to appear in such a low-class film. Reminds me of the days when great stars lost their luster and started doing cheap commercials. When that occurred, you could always figure that they had spent all their money and were desperate. While I don't think that's the case with Hoffman or Streisand, that's what it looked like to me. This was a poorly written story with a bad script, and no matter how many times a joke or two came across, I always felt as though I was watching a great cast performing below my expectations. Apparently, the money was good. I'm very disappointed with Streisand, Hoffman, and Deniro for agreeing to put up with such nonsense.

Slipstream (2005)

Not the best use of your precious viewing time

[3/10 · 19 February 2005]

I like sci-fi and I like Sean Astin, so I took a chance on this. Afterward, I felt like the guy who wrote "I want my two hours back." Time travel stories are always difficult, and weak writers generally just ignore the paradoxes created by going back in time. That's the situation here in a nutshell. This movie is on a parallel with that episode of Dallas in which the audience was informed that the entire last season was a dream. And seeing the entire film rewind isn't a good film-making technique--it's just a waste of time.

Although Sean Astin bravely soldiered on throughout the film ("there and back again" you might say), there was little he could do to save it from poor editing and splashy but unnecessary special effects.

Love Actually (2003)

A pleasant surprise!

[10/10 · 7 December 2003]

Movies disappoint me so often that I wasn't expecting much from this one, but I really enjoyed it. The unusually long climax to the story is a refreshing ten minutes or so of great moviemaking. It restored my faith in the ability of the film industry to produce good movies, and so I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Life or Something Like It (2002)

Lots of product placement; not much substance

[17 July 2003]

If you want to see how many brand names a director can squeeze into 105 minutes, be sure and rent this one. The product placement is so blatant that it distracts the viewer from the little bit of story that there is. There is a message in this movie--and a good one--but it's been obscured by Altoids, AOL, Bose, Jiffy Lube.......and the list goes on and on and on.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

A good, old-fashioned movie!

[9/10 · 25 January 2003]

After my disappointment with Spielberg's recent efforts, this movie was a pleasant surprise. Just a nice, old-fashioned fifties-style movie about a little larceny. Even the opening credits, reminiscent of the Pink Panther animation, let you know that this movie is going to be different. I could have taken my mother and not been embarrassed--and that's pretty rare these days.

Although I might quibble a bit with some of the flashing forward and backward that makes the story a little confusing, this was an enjoyable film overall--nice cast, great score, good location filming, mostly accurate sixties period details. If you're not a self-appointed movie critic but like good movies for their own sake and aren't just looking to find fault, you can enjoy this story and leave the theater without feeling that you got taken.

Bob Roberts (1992)

A timely film

[8/10 · 6 November 2002]

Prophetic might be an apt adjective to describe Tim Robbins' 1992 film about a folk-singing demagogue running for the Senate on a platform of cutting taxes, fighting drugs, and going to war with Iraq to oust the maniac Hussein. Much of the film seems to have been drawn from the 2002 campaign--you'll have to keep reminding yourself that this was filmed ten years ago. Good ensemble cast; great takeoff sketch of "Saturday Night Live."

Sole Survivor (2000 TV Movie)

Just dreadful

[1/10 · 16 October 2002]

This is such a positively dreadful adaptation of the excellent novel by Dean Koontz that it's a mystery why he allowed his name on the screen. The Matheson teleplay is completely off the mark, and the John McGinley portrayal of Yates is laughable at first and then so revoltingly stupid that it destroys the continuity of the entire story. Fans of Koontz' writing should avoid wasting their time on this insipid presentation.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

A great disappointment

[1/10 · 23 June 1999]

A great disappointment. Lucas merely repeats his past. Little about this movie makes it worth seeing on the big screen. Indeed, it may not even be worth renting. The plot is a re-hash (or a jumble, perhaps) of the original three movies.

There are also a number of character portrayals that border on being ethnic and/or racial slurs, to put it kindly. Considering the talent George Lucas has, it seems unfortunate that he would choose to debase it in this way.