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Ghost of Caesar
Reviews
Snow Dogs (2002)
Okay, though the previews lied
First off, disregard all of the previews you have seen for SD. You know, the one which show the huskies laughing it up on a beach? *Shakes head* No, it is not indicative of the movie at all. The dogs do not talk, or laugh, though they do have personalities in the movie.
Cuba Gooding Jr. plays a sun-loving dentist in Florida who finds out he is adopted when his biological mother dies in Alaska. After trekking there to check out what she's left him, he finds she left him--well, snow dogs! Huskies that she owned. The plot is based off of this, with Cuba finding out who his dad is, having to rescue his dad, finding his true love, and all that good stuff.
This movie was okay, but it played like a made for TV movie. At times it seemed as if the only reason it wasn't a Disney Channel Friday night movie is because of Cuba, who's probably the best actor in the whole thing. As a children's movie, it succeedes--it's got a likeable protagonist, cute doggies, and some sequences I'm sure little kids find funny. There's some stuff in there for adults, but not enough to keep them intrigued throughout the whole movie.
We Were Soldiers (2002)
A moving, powerful story
This is a very powerful and moving story, which really moved my parents and myself. It tells the story of a colonel, Hal Moore, who is determined not to let the Vietnamese soldiers massacre his people like they did the French ten years from the movie's setting. It tells the story of the 400+ men who fought a battle for three days in the "Valley of Death" (Landing Zone X-Ray) while surrounded by North Vietnamese soldiers.
However, this is not just your average war story. For a full hour of the movie, the backstory is told of these mens' families, wives, and children. Instead of seeing them as soldiers, we see them as actual people. And this is not just the American soldiers. The North Vietnamese are also humanized instead of seen as some faceless, nameless enemy.
This is a true story, based on the book "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young" by Harold Moore. The names of the people who died are in the Vietnam War Memorial and also play just before the ending credits of the movie. This gives the film a great impact, and I can't wait to read the book.
While the majority of the film after the first hour takes place in Vietnam, as the men fight, parts of it also take place in the States, showing the lives of the wives while, one by one, they learn of their husband's fate. These are very tragic scenes, just as moving as the war scenes.
I loved this movie. I don't generally go in for war movies, but this one was truly great.
Ice Age (2002)
A funny movie that may make adults laugh too!
(Caution: there may be some spoilers here, but I don't think there are that many.)
I saw this today and it was really cute. All the little kids in the audience (it was packed) seemed to love it and there were no really scary scenes that freaked them out. It's a clever movie, not amazingly original but still very cute.
The plot is fairly simple. A mammoth reluctantly becomes friends with an annoying sloth (think Shrek here). They discover a Neanderthal/Cro Magnon baby who has got lost from his "herd" (family), and some saber tooth tigers want to eat the baby because he might grow up to be a hunter, and as revenge. The mammoth and sloth decide to return the baby to his parents with the help of a reluctant saber tooth tiger. A rat/mouse type of mammal who just really, really, really wants to eat its nut rounds out the cast, offering some humor throughout the way but never actually helping the mammoth, sloth, and saber tooth.
The plot is kind of simplistic--there are no big twists--but that's because it's a kid's movie. As a kid's movie it succeeds very well, and there were lots of gags that I (a teenager) and my mom laughed at.
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
It made me want to read the book!
This is the story of a man (Edmund Dantes, played by James Caviezel) just recently made captain of a ship he serves on after his heroic efforts to save his captain, who is accused by his former friends and imprisoned for years, locked away from his fiance, his ship, and his life. When he escapes, he uses a large sum of money to become the Count of Monte Cristo and exact revenge on those who wronged him.
I just saw this movie today, and let me say, it was quite good. I really enjoyed it all. Though there is a large cast, and we must keep track of who is who, it never really gets confusing. It seemed perfectly cast, and really kept me on the edge of my seat.
My only beef is that at times, it seemed to lag a bit, but usually right as I was beginning to think "This is going on too long" it switched to a new scene or put more action in the slow one. There were constant plot twists and just the right amount of humor--there's a few truly funny scenes that are there without seeming awkward or tacked on.
At the end, I really felt sympathetic to Dantes and I could understand exactly why he did all that he did. This movie really swept me along with all of its action, and know I am sure I need to read the book. :)
Cats & Dogs (2001)
Cute little film
I saw this movie on Saturday and have to say I wasn't really impressed by it. Perhaps I was spoiled by 'Shrek', which seemed so perfect for grownups and kids, but it just didn't seem like it was a true family flick - more like a 12-and-younger movie.
The movie revolves around a supposed war between cats and dogs that stretches back millenia. The main humans in the movie are the family of one wannabe secret agent puppy who is accidentaly drafted to protect the family from the cats, who want to get the father's secret serum.
The movie is cute from the start, and features a lot of enginuity, but I have to say I agree with most of the critics: it wears thin after a while, and the family really starts to grate on you. If they hadn't been such major players, and maybe just stayed in the background with the focus on the cats and dogs, I wouldn't have minded, but it just got so annoying after a while.
There are many, many cute moments that may make you grin, and some that will make you roll your eyes if you're an adult. The kids, however, are likely to love this movie because it features what kids like best: action, cuteness, humor, and a world that maybe, just maybe, could be actually happening. If you've got a cat or dog, though, be prepared for your kids' jokes when you get home. I know that my little bro and I were wary of our cats and dogs for a while after seeing the movie, wondering if they were really secret agents in disguise.
Sweet November (2001)
An OK "Chick Flick"
The plot of this movie is one workaholic man, one flighty woman...but one thing keeping them apart.
"Agh!" you must be thinking. "Another chick flick?"
Yes, I suppose it could be classified as a chick flick...and maybe it doesn't have the best plot, looking at my summary above...but its execution is admirable for one. A woman who is hiding a secret behind her apparent love for life and cheerfulness takes in a workaholic man as her "November". She says that a month is long enough to be meaningful, but not so long as to cause a breakup to be hard.
Eventually, though, the man finds out her secret...but what will happen?
Personally, I liked this movie, for a chick flick, even though the ending is rather sad. I wouldn't recommend shelling out the $7 to see it in theaters, but it's a good rental.
Bedazzled (2000)
A bit like Quantum Leap
I saw "Bedazzled" on Friday night. From the trailers and the reviews, I expected a dreary movie that would bore me two seconds in.
But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. It is about a wannabe, a loser, who meets up with the devil (in the form of a beautiful woman) who will trade him seven wishes for his soul.
He wishes to be rich and to be married to the girl of his dreams, and ends up a Colombian drug lord. That's just his first wish. He goes through five more of them, none of which turn out as planned. He ends up as a tall basketball player, an extremely sensitive guy, and some others, but the devil always manages to wreck his wish.
I found this movie really interesting. It's a lot like "Quantum Leap", the TV show, but I love Quantum Leap anyways. In some parts it was cliched, and you could definitely predict the ending, but all in all, it's a good movie.
The only problem was its lack of originality. Except for some hilarious parts, it's hard to remember much about the movie at all, but the actors do a great job playing their parts.
The Kid (2000)
"Is it for adults or kids?" It doesn't matter!
This movie surprised me in being mostly aimed at adults (or so it seemed), not kids. It seemed to be saying, "Break out of your dreary life and live it as a kid!" Of course, this message can also be applied to kids: "Don't get stuck in a rut, and follow your dreams!"
The movie is about a man, who lives a busy, but unrewarding, life. He's unhappy and doesn't even realize it, until his younger self comes back from the sixties to show him what life should really be about.
This is an amusing tale (I laughed out loud quite frequently) that teaches a great lesson, and even though it may seem it's aimed more at adults, it's great for anyone. I liked the running bit with the red airplane that the main character's younger self, Rusty, had, as well as the most memorable line of the movie, "Somebody call the 'Waaaaaaaaa'mbulance!", which is what Russ, the main character, said when somebody started crying. I think I'll use that sometime. :-)
The ending is not that surprising, but isn't cliched, either. The movie leaves you with a sense of happiness, like all Disney movies.
The Dish (2000)
It surpassed my expectations
I was thinking that this movie wouldn't be that good, because from what I had heard about it, it was boring. But when I watched it...wow! It turned out to be great.
The plot revolves around one small town, Parkes, in Australia that has one unique feature: it has the largest satellite dish in the Southern Hemisphere and possibly the whole world. Because of this, NASA has chosen it to broadcast the television scenes from Apollo 11's mission to the moon, the very first time any human has set foot on the lunar landscape. Problems keep popping up, however, as the quirky characters try to make their mission one to remember.
What I liked best about this movie was that there was no deep trauma or conflict; it's all in good fun, and the characters gradually grow on you. Was the plot spoiled at all by the fact that we know Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made it to the moon safely? No way! Since we know the outcome, we now have time to focus on the characters, and what interesting characters they are!
I highly recommend this movie.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Added SW slang to my vocabulary
First off, I should say, I had never seen anything of Star Wars before watching Episode 1. I had seen a bit of Ep. 1 before in Target, and I had seen a little of A New Hope, but I had no idea of plot. I knew who the Jedi Knights were, and who Jar Jar is, just like everybody else who hasn't been living under a rock for the past thirty years, but I did not know anything about what the Star Wars universe is all about. I had a completely objective view--I had no idea if I would love it or hate it. Also, this is another movie I watched just because Ewan McGregor, as Obi-Wan, is in it.
I don't think I need to go too deeply into plot, but basically two Jedi Knights (Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi) are trying to help Queen Amidala save her world from the Trade Federation. During their attempts they meet Anakin Skywalker, a young boy with "midi-chlorians" off the charts (which means the power of the Force is within him), who they rescue from slavery off the backwater planet of Naboo. During this time the Jedis also confront Darth Sidious and his apprentice Darth Maul.
The plot is confusing, but I bet that was a result of my not knowing anything about Star Wars. Towards the end it all kind of ties together. I can see why some people think Jar Jar Binks is so annoying; when they were looking for something to sell to the trader for the parts, I shouted, "SELL JAR-JAR! Sell Jar-Jar! Please?"
Altogether, I found this to be a very engaging movie, kind of rough in spots but very interesting. Oh, and if you were wondering, as soon as episodes 2 and 3 come out, I will finish off the series. I hear Obi-Wan dies in A New Hope. Nooo....oh, well, at least it is not Ewan who plays him in ANH. :)
And I want a light saber!
Eye of the Beholder (1999)
A film which, surprisingly, I liked
Whew, where to start? This movie is weird, but I like it, strangely. It is the story of a British Embassy Detective named only "Eye" who follows a woman, Joanna, around. He knows she is a serial killer (she kills two men in the movie) but he falls in love with her anyway and maybe feels a connection with her because he lost his daughter and she lost her father. Well, at least I think that's the reason; they never really say why.
He follows her for a span of about a year to two years everywhere she goes: New York City, Utah, Alaska, and others. He interferes in her life often, saving her from people and making some mistakes too. One of the more unbelievable things is that she never notices this--she never even realizes she's being followed until a lady mentions it to her, and even then she never figures out it's him.
In one truly unbelievable scene, she's walking down the street after hearing she is being followed. Instead of looking behind her, where Eye is meandering about, she looks in front of her at the people coming towards her, which makes no sense. However, we do find that she was aware of some intervention towards the end, when she says (paraphrased) she's aware she had a guardian angel but he seems to have left.
One thing about this movie is that you have got to pay attention. I was reading a few reviews on IMDB and in one review you can see that the person was not very rapt in their watching. You miss the little things if you do this: the realization that the phantom girl following Eye is his daughter,
Lucy, and others. You have just got to pay attention to the dialogue and then it makes sense. Well, more sense, anyway, because this movie is pretty hard to understand.
But it has just something about it that I really like. I don't know what it is but it's very interesting.
Nightwatch (1997)
A hokey, but interesting film
The basic plot is that Martin (McGregor) takes a job at a mortuary night watchman (security guard). Soon he gets framed for the murders of a bunch of prostitutes, and has to convince his friends, girlfriends, and the cops that he is not guilty. At least, that's what happens towards the end: the majority of the movie just tells the story up to this.
I rather liked it, though the plot seemed pretty hokey. In the words of one IMDB user, "it tried too hard". The music is wonderfully creepy and the acting is not terrible--it's just the rather cliched plot that bored me. I knew from the beginning that Martin would be framed, I figured it would be somebody he trusted, and I knew who would die and who wouldn't.
The parts intended to gross you out--the eyeball removal, the blood, Martin's arm getting scraped--really did gross me out. They did a good job there. And the revelation of who it was (as well as the nice continuity) interested me. But altogether this is just another horror flick.
A Life Less Ordinary (1997)
A funny, funny film that I love
Here are some quotes from my initial review of this movie, written after seeing it twice: "This film has its absolutely hysterical moments...and weird parts. It may come off as a bit preachy or maybe too witty for its own good, but altogether, a wonderful movie."
After seeing it twice, it was returned to Blockbuster, but I've just always remembered this movie. I don't know why it sticks with me so much. I guess you just need to see it a few times to truly appreciate it (I have seen it six times now). Parts that I found mildly amusing are now downright hilarious, and I can appreciate the movie. I still find it wonderful, even though the angels consistently scare me or put me off in a few scenes.
Unfortunately, the angels' weirdness is necessary for some other plots of the film. If we didn't have those few moments of being uncomfortable, or thinking these 'heaven-sent people' are completely off their rockers, other scenes with them would not be that interesting. The angels are almost a story unto themselves.
This film has been criticized as "trying too hard," which is where the 'bit preachy' of my initial review came from. After watching it a few more times I must respectfully disagree...it tries just hard enough.
La vita è bella (1997)
A wonderful movie that captures the spirit of its title
Heh, I realize this movie is years old, but I just got a chance to see it for the first time and it's so cool! I saw the non-dubbed version--in other words, they spoke Italian with the subtitles. I've heard there's a version dubbed in English but I think that would take away a lot of the story.
This story seems to be in two parts. The first is the story of a man, Guido, a Jewish-Italian bookkeeper in the 1930's, and his efforts to get his "Princess", Dora, to love him. He's wild, wacky, and will do anything to get her to go on a date with him. This truly shows Guido's love for life and his natural exuberance. You can't help but like him!
After he marries his Princess, they have a son, Joshua, and Italy becomes occupied by the Germans. Guido and Joshua are taken to a concentration camp and Dora follows voluntarily. The children will be killed, so Guido has to convince his young son that it's all a game and keep him hidden.
I won't give away the ending of the film, but it's happy and sad at the same time. This film really touched me. It was amazingly exuberant in some places and tragic in others, and the character of Guido always brought humor to the most bleak of scenes. I can see why it won an Academy Award. Watching it in Italian with English subtitles didn't take away from it at all; in fact, it added to the dimension of the film.
Shallow Grave (1994)
Weird, but interesting
"This is one weird, weird movie."
That, in a nutshell, is exactly what I think about this movie, which stars Ewan (as Alex Law), Kerry Fox (Juliet) and Christopher Eccleston (Insane Accountant--I know that's not the character's name but that's how I think of him). They play roommates in a Scotland flat hunting for another roommate who will fit perfectly into their weird little friendship. Right from the start, though their friendship seems casual, you can tell they're strange. They find someone they think will fit, but he drops dead in his sleep soon after, with gobs of money hidden under his bed. The rest of the movie plays out on their dilemma of what to do with the money and how to deal with their roommates, who suddenly seem very greedy...
The acting in this movie is wonderful, yes, but the plotline seems disjointed. It's a black comedy but more of a suspense thriller, really, as you try to figure out what the characters will do next.
It's also a very quiet film using a solemn, creepy score. So little action occured in some scenes that I fast-forwarded on my first viewing without losing any of the plot! I at first felt tempted to turn it off after the first couple of minutes, but I stuck with it and I was happy I did--there were some very funny parts as well as some very creepy parts. I shiver at the thought of having an insane roommate living up in my attic (loft?) like that...and of finding out my friends aren't as much friends as I thought they were.
In the end, while every character has his or her unlikeable and likeable moments, Alex Law is the one we wind up rooting for. In a very funny and very ironic twist which made me love the ending, Alex gets his revenge...I won't reveal how, but it's quite funny.
Chances Are (1989)
Pretty funny film
(ONE MINOR SPOILER)
This is a rather old movie, released (I think) in 1989. Its main premise is that a man dies while his wife is pregnant. He comes back as a young 22-year-old in the present day and falls for first his daughter (not realizing she's his daughter) and then his wife (when he remembers she's his wife.)
I really, really liked this movie. Much has been said about the guy's (Louie) twisted sense of morality, since he falls for his own daughter, but remember, that's when he doesn't know she's his daughter. (It seems that most people don't understand that at one point an angel gives Louie a shot that erases the memory of his past life.)
What really struck me was the great soundtrack for the movie. When I couldn't find it for sale, I downloaded the songs from Napster, and love them all. They're great, especially how they're used in the movie.
I could probably watch this movie a dozen times. So many people dislike it, but I love it.
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Excellent! Party on, dudes!
It seems like every critic out there compared "Dude, Where's My Car?" to "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure". "Bill..." was on last night, and at first I was apprehensive about seeing it since I didn't know if it would be that funny. Some reviewers had been degrading of it, after all.
But when I watched this 1989 movie, I loved it! About the only thing that it has in common with "Dude" is that the characters in both movies are dimwitted guys who speak in slang ("That was most excellent, dude!")
If you haven't seen "Bill", the following is a spoiler, although the ending is pretty obvious anyway:
Two dudes named Bill and Ted are gonna fail history. One of them will be sent to military school if he does. A guy comes in a phone booth and tells them they can go anywhere in time so they can meet people and pass. They travel through time and, of course, have many mishaps. They get Billy the Kid, Socrates ("Hey, Soe-crates, man!"), Freud ("Come on, Frood, dude"), Joan of Arc, Genghis Khan, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon, and Beethoven to come to the future with them, and end up making a really great history presentation.
I found the movie hilarious, even though I usually don't like 80's movies - don't ask me why. The scenes with the "famous dudes" getting into trouble in the mall, with Freud ruining Billy the Kid and Socrates' chance at dates, Beethoven jamming, Joan of Arc teaching an exercise class and Genghis Khan destroying a sporting equipments store, was hilarious, as was Napoleon's EXCELLENT time at the water park.
Yes, the logistics of it would not work, but this is such a fun, feel-good movie that I didn't care. I give this movie a ***** out of a chance of five stars.
My favorite quotes?
Police Psychiatrist: I don't know why you claim to be Sigmund Freud.
Sigmund Freud: Why do you claim I'm not Sigmund Freud?
Police Psychiatrist: Why do you keep asking me these questions?
Sigmund Freud: Tell me about your mother.
As well as Abraham Lincoln's yell, "Be excellent to each other...and party on, dudes!"
After watching this movie, I couldn't stop saying "Excellent" and "Party on" for hours. :-)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
The Best Trek Movie!
I found this movie funny, enjoyable, and quite a change of pace from the previous movies...in fact, a change of pace from most of the series! (Excluding "Shore Leave" and "The Trouble With Tribbles", of course.)
While diehard fans who want serious stuff, like Klingons and battles and very serious soap-operaish character development won't find much here, for any fan of Star Trek, this is a must-see.
One of my favorite scenes come when Scotty sits down at a 20th-century, 1986-ish computer and says, "Hello, computer."
McCoy hands him the mouse, and he speaks into it: "Ah. Hello, computer!"
When it is pointed out to him that in 1986 computers didn't have voice-recongition capability, he rolls his eyes and mutters about old-fashioned gadgets.
This is just one of the many amazing scenes in the film. There are also funny scenes when Chekov is interrogated by a commander on board the USS Enterprise, a Navy ship; Spock's constant use of "colorful language", often wrong; a punk rocker being neck-pinched by our favorite Vulcan; and the whole crew striding down 1986 Los Angeles in their very futuristic costu--I mean, uniforms.
The film also has a very serious message. The basic plot is that by the 23rd century, whales are extinct from the Earth's ocean. When a probe from an alien race which communicated with the whales comes to Earth and finds none of the ocean's gentle beasts left, it begins to destroy the Earth. That is why the crew goes back in time -- to rescue two of the giant animals to bring back to communicate with the probe.
I'm told environmentalists were very happy over the film's message. In fact, just about everybody was happy with the film, period.
The Long, Long Trailer (1954)
Captures the essence of the '50s
This movie starred Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Tacy and Nicky Collini. It is a fifties movie, and was a fairly big hit because of "I Love Lucy", which they both starred in. :-)
Two things that kept running through my mind: 1. Is there really anyone named Tacy? And if there is, is it actually a really common name? 2. In the movie, Nicky has a Cuban accent (Yes. I know Desi is Cuban. I mean Nicky would appear to be Cuban.) So why does he have an Italian last name?
Besides those, I think this movie is pretty good. The basic plot is that a couple buys a trailer and decide to roam the country in it. After they get married, they start their journey, which turns out to be a very bad choice.
I think there were a lot of very funny parts in this movie. For example, Nicky kept hearing "Trailer brakes first! Trailer brakes first!" (What the trailer guy kept telling him) whenever he heard something crash; now, that was funny. And howzabout "Tacy's" falling out of the sideways trailer into the mud? Hilarious!
I just think there could have been a lot more funny parts. They could have worked a lot more slapstick, or maybe one-liners, into it; they could have explained some things up in the beginning, like just what kind of thing Nicky does for a living! You are at a complete loss to figure out why exactly he needs to travel all over the place - Colorado, for example - for his job. At least in Forever, Darling, they told you up front what he did.
Overall, I think the movie is pretty funny. It's not I Love Lucy, but I don't think we can really expect two hours of nonstop ILL. The story, while being hilarious, still speaks volumes about married life.