starlet86 Reviews

Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001)

a great fairy tale

[7/10 · 21 May 2006]

This is an imaginative take on the Jack and the Beanstalk story. While it was made for kids, the story maintains enough complexity to keep adults interested (I'm 19). Plus as a female, I appreciate the fact that it's one of the few stories where (possible spoiler) the damsel(who's in a different kind of distress than other fairy tale women) rescues Prince Charming.

But there some flaws with this film that kept me from giving it a perfect 10. Some gripes I have (spoilers ahead):

1. I'm no math person but why couldn't the writers be consistent with when Jack's dad died? One minute, they say he died 20 years ago but then they say he died when Jack was 14. Since Jack is 37, it shows that the writers can't do simple addition. Couldn't they just take two seconds to do the math?

2. The first part is slow and spends way too much time on exposition. I like the film but have to admit that it's not very good at establishing tension (more on that later).

3. Siggy just isn't a very bright villain. I always wondered he didn't try to kill Ondine when he was so against Jack having an heir. If he had a gun, it would have taken a few seconds to shoot her (a la Walter Donovan forcing Indy to get the grail by shooting his dad). A very easy way for him to demand the goose as ransom. Instead, we get him taking pointless shots at the giants. Very anti-climatic. And don't tell me it's too violent for kids since it's common for the protagonist's significant other to be near-death/seriously injured in Disney movies (see Tangled, Beauty and the Beast). Clichéd, I know, but it works.

4. Siggy's accent and mannerisms were an attempt at comedy that completely fell flat. I cringe every time I see him.

5. The first Jack just wasn't a very impressive guy (in looks or personality). I'm still trying to figure out why Ondine fell for him.

There was a lot of missed potential but the performances of the main cast made me care enough about the characters to make me stick around. And if you're a fan of romance, adventure, or just feel-good movies in general, those things shouldn't keep you from enjoying this film.

Pearl Harbor (2001)

a worthy effort

[10/10 · 22 September 2001]

I can't deny this film was overhyped and ridiculously compared to Titanic. They were both love stories with a historical disaster as a backdrop but the similarities end there. Pearl Harbor's story was less straightfoward and the characters weren't as well-developed as Titanic's. You don't see the love developing and growing in Pearl Harbor. However, the acting was decent enough to make you care about the characters. No one was miscast. Although Ben Affleck's Tennesee accent was overdone, he was able to convey Rafe's emotions very well. Jon Voight and Alec Baldwin were exceptional, though I don't see why Doolittle knew they were gonna win the war through Rafe and Danny. Plus, the historical aspects were woven smoothly into the main plot. The humor was also well-done, especially the opening scene. The opening foreshadowed how funny the rest of the movie was gonna be.

For those of you who say the Japanese were depicted poorly, they weren't supposed to be developed. They were only supposed to be there for the sake of being there. For those of you who criticize the PG-13 rating, fear not. The DVD is gonna have all the rated-R stuff that Disney made Bay cut out. So when you turn on your VCR/DVD player to play this, kick your feet up one more notch.

Planet of the Apes (2001)

the original POTA meets Back To the Future

[9/10 · 27 August 2001]

Great use of humor in here. I don't know why people think the script is bad. I thought the ending was better than the original because Leo, unlike Taylor is in immediate danger. If it doesn't make sense to some of you, why don't you take time to interpret? Remember, the ship Thade gets stuck in may still be of help to him. I don't want to give away my interpretation of the ending, you people better start thinking for yourselves. All I could say is you can't forget that time travel is very possible in this movie. Both this POTA and BTTF have their main characters find something changed when they get back their times.

I like the adrenaline-pumping plot. The dabbling of humor in it also helps. It dips just enough into the animal-human relations(and relations within the same species) to prevent distorting the plot.

OK, it's not possible for Thade and Ari to speak with British accents if their ancestors learned English from Americans but who cares about small mistakes like that?

Merlin (1998)

beautifully done

[27 August 2001]

I've only seen Sunday's rebroadcast, the one that had scenes cut(thanks and no thanks NBC). I missed it when it first came out and I wasn't gonna miss it again. I'm glad I didn't. Beautiful cinematography(they were practically advertising for you to go to the lake) and wonderful casting made this a great film. Great locations they filmed in, but Camelot wasn't as pretty as the other places. Impressive efforts for the modest $30 million budget they were allowed to work with, not a penny was wasted. The dragon looked a little cheap but the other special effects were great.

This is the first film to look at Merlin as the complete man, trying to make Britain a better place, struggling to come to terms with his mistakes and to hold on to his principles in a cruel world, not as a silly wizard, like in Sword In the Stone. All while trying to balance a relationship with Nimue. This is probably to role of Sam Neill's career. He was great in the Jurassic Park movies but he only had the chance to react to the dinosaurs. This time, he got a real chance to act, as the man behind the power of three generations of doomed kings, someone who's been trying to fight Mab ever since she turned his world upside down. It would have been possible and nice for the writers to make him more powerful and use his powers more while staying true to his character but overall, I liked the way Merlin was depicted. Sam Neill did an excellent job making the emotions he felt believable, giving a layered performance of a layered man.

Godzilla (I) (1998)

hmmm, what do i say

[5/10 · 22 August 2001]

On one hand, there was bad acting by Maria Pitillo and the talented but wasted Matthew Broderick, cheesy dialogue, and wimpy main characters. On the other hand, parts of it were hilarious(and yes, the little intelligent dialogue that was there), and it's exciting when they're in the Garden. And the supporting characters, especially Animal, the mayor and Phillipe were good. So I'll give it a 5/10 since it's so hard to judge.

Richie Rich (1994)

a laughout

[10/10 · 6 August 2001]

How could anyone not find this funny. Enjoyable characters like Cadbury, the guy who works in the lab, there is a great cast to play them(you also have to see Edward Herrman in Gilmore Girls). John Larroquete is also great as Van Dogh(did you also see him in 10th Kingdom?). The movie has a stupid plot but you'll be laughing too much to care.

Billy Madison (1995)

a laughout

[10/10 · 1 August 2001]

This has to be one of the funniest movies ever. Who cares if the plot's stupid? There are lots of scenes that you can't help but crack up at. Rent this if you need a lift from a hectic day. I warn you though: Do not eat or drink while watching this. Stains and cleanup will result if you don't heed my word.

The Wonderful World of Disney: Princess of Thieves (2001) Season 4, Episode 9

this movie's got spirit

[9/10 · 29 July 2001]

Everyone fighting against Prince John have a lot of passion for their cause. It's also great that they depict Gwyn and even the aging Robin as people who have a lot of spunk. "You have egg on your beard" says Robin to John while being tortured. That's a crack-up classic. The humor was done very well in this movie and it's a shame that it's underrated. I can't remember anything else that I should praise it for but it's a shame that I didn't tape it.

Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001)

pretty good potrayals

[27 July 2001]

The characters were presented realistically with superior acting. Ben Kingsley is wonderful as Otto and Hannah Taylor Gordan has a bright future ahead of her. She is right up there with Denzel Washington because like him, she has a lot of guts to play someone who is tortured and brutalized and that's not easy. The movie is an emotional roller coaster ride and draws you into what the characters are feeling. Even you feel a little sorry for Mrs. Van Pels. She is very materialistic but you understand her more than in The Diary of Anne Frank. "How am I going to face people after the war?", she says after her fur coat gets sold. You get to see things a little more from her perspective in this movie unlike The Diary of Anne Frank. It's also very compelling when Otto gets an emotional breakdown after reading Anne's diary. In fact, it doesn't even begin to describe the compelling nature of the movie. It was chilling to read that Anne was only one of the 1 million children that died in the Holocaust. That only gets you to begin imagining how many children and the potential things they could have done were just snuffed out throughout the history of the earth.

Godzilla (I) (1998)

it's the characterization stupid! it's everything!

[5/10 · 22 July 2001]

I taped this off TV and I found that it wasn't that terrible. But it is bad overall. Especially since my sister erased the good parts. Alright, I'll get to the point. I found Phillipe, the mayor and Animal were quite funny. Devlin did a pretty good job with the humor and the supporting characters. The action and humor were a huge improvement from the boring Independence Day. But he didn't develop the main characters, Nick and Audrey very well, and that brought down the movie. They were very wimpy. Most of the dialogue involving the love story was cheesy. Nick and Audrey have their moments (when he sings Singing In the Rain is hilarious, how she talks about why Caiman is dirt was written inteligently) but are the overall terrible products of shoddy character development. Main characters are the big guys of the stories they're in. So they carry the stories. And when they're not developed well, the story doesn't hold up. Nick and Audrey brought the movie to a catastrophic crash (and a big, huge, loud thud). Godzilla has a lot of cliches but it wouldn't have mattered if the characterization was done right.

The Crush (1993)

sit back and enjoy

[7/10 · 11 July 2001]

This movie has its faults but you can sit back and have fun watching it. It's slow at first. It's not suspenseful but it efficiently uses the short time of action to punch you with thrills. My adrenaline was rushing when Amy got stung by wasps. The direction is so precise that a certain number of seconds can leave you hanging off the sofa. Be careful if you're eating popcorn(or potato chips). You might end up drooling your food on the floor. Nick isn't that smart but I like him because he's nobody's fool. Aside from Cary Elwes and Alicia Silverstone, Kurtwood Smith(That 70's Show) also plays his part very well. The reversal of traditional sexual harassment and discrimination was also interesting.

A Little Princess (1995)

this is great

[8/10 · 25 June 2001]

Well developed characters and a good story are all put together in this beautiful movie. Even villains like Lavinia and Minchin have a human side. It is corny to hear that every girl is a princess but it does show that everyone has dignity. I also liked how the Indian myths were incorporated into the story. I hope Sarah has a good writing career in her future.

The movie does an excellent job in making you care for the characters. If you don't feel happy for Sarah, her father, and the girls in the end, check yourself for a pulse. This is a feel-good film for everyone of all ages to enjoy.

Pearl Harbor (2001)

ATTENTION ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO WATCHED PEARL HARBOR

[10/10 · 22 June 2001]

If you watched Pearl and loved it, watch it again. Pearl Harbor's reveiws are bad because critics are exaggerating. If you liked it, see it again. It's kind of a bargain because you get a not that bad story and war scenes are excellent. You must watch it as much as you can. Bring friends too! Just look at the review on this website.