wassema Reviews

From Here to Eternity (1953)

Sadly Disappointed (this may contain spoilers)

[6/10 · 5 August 2004]

I had my Tivo tape this as I expected good things from the film. The classic beach scene with Keer and Lancaster is fantastic. But......

I felt sadly let down by the character development in the film. Maggio is seldom more than irritating jolly - except for the bar stool - loved that move. Prewitt is more interesting and he is the leading character. He comes across as noble and principled. which is in stark contrast to all of the other male cast except 1st Sgt Warden. But I felt a bit let down by him at the end when hes hiding and awol. Basically I couldn't see him not having the courage to go back to the unit after dealing with Fatso.

Burt Lancaster's character was the most interesting and believable - and I felt Lancaster did a good job with him. As you would expect. And he certainly has the frame for the beach scene - what a physique that man had. And by the end of the film we see both sides to the character - his tough macho outer, and a more emotional genuine inner.

But all in the all I felt the plot was running in tandem all the time between the 3 main men in the film. It never seemed to tell a greater story. Other films like Casablanca do a much better job of character development within a strong central plot. FHTE seemed to flit a great deal from place to place within the story.

Sorry :-( I really wanted to like it more but it got a 6.

Blade II (2002)

Shocking

[4/10 · 22 March 2004]

This review may contain a spoiler - although probably not as much as the film itself!

Hmm - Shocking. Yes it was. Not for the violence - nope thats kind of on track for a sequel to Blade. Nope what is shocking is the story, the acting, the CGI and the film itself.

Blade was a good film - not a great one - but a good action flick. This one is awful. Scud is the most annoying character I have come across for ages - and it was with utter relief when he went pop! I could rattle endlessly on about the obvious inconsistencies - like vampires searching in attics with a torch - when they can see in the dark. The CGI is very poor and obviously stands out. The actors are not helped by a see through plot - and Wesley Snipes doesn't get the opportunities to bring the character to life it deserves.

The "twist" that some people have alluded to is SO obvious its untrue. Its a real shame. The whole film smacks of being a gloriously bad sequel in the true sense of films that go one film to far. MI2 anyone? So its poor. Really poor. But at least I feel better now having got that off my chest.

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

Hmmmmmm - quite a disapointment

[3/10 · 27 January 2004]

This review may contain spoilers on this film and its predecessor.

Well - after watching this film (in some disbelief) it can only be described as very disapointing. The reason for its rather lacklustre rating is due to the very positive parts of the original film. As a sequel its performance is poor, obvious and very un-original.

Forming the historic reference of the Planet of the Apes is the intention of this film. However even from the start it lets itself down. The original film leaves you wondering how apes emerged as the rulers of the world - and that is based somewhat on humanities stupidity. However instead of allowing your imagination to flesh out this history - the film provides it brutally. Its a real reflection of the blacks struggle for equality in America in the mid-60's. However it treats the apes as rather less humane than the dignified struggle than actually appeared in our own history as black people fought off the in-equalities pressed upon them. They behave as animals - but whenever they how a modicum of intelligence the film rathers treats it as an opportunity for a cliche to arise. And this happens all the way through. The plot is extremely weak - how would Xera and Cornelius pilot a crashed spaceship back in time? Why would thier offsrping automatically adopt a revolutionary attitude? Why not accept the precedent of the past?

All in all the plot is paper thin - the acting appalling (you can really see why Ricardo Montalbahns character threw himself out of a window!), and the timeline is just distorted by this feeble attempt at making more films out of a good film than is necessary. Hooray for Hollywood - NOT!

The Swimmer (1968)

A unique look at a mans journey through his past

[8/10 · 28 December 2003]

This film is certainly unique. Most of all it approaches a number of topics in the form of a journey which Neddy Merrill takes across the state in which he lives. It starts on a high note with Ned a welcome friend in the rather bland lives of the people he knew and he exhibits a different perspective on his life to those around him. but as the journey across the state continues the feelings turn rather more cold until he feels isolated and alone. The relationships of the people he knows change your view of Ned subtlely but surely. And Ned himself turns from a thoughtful "hero" into a rather more shallow "villan". As he crosses each pool more and more of his past becomes revealed, until he finally arrives home at the climax of the film. I felt Burt Lancaster did a very good job of playing Ned it certainly is different to some of his other roles - the other actors are rather more limited in role, playing bit parts and filling in details along the journey. But it was the nature of the direction and the depiction of the journey which makes this so compelling to watch. This is a film to watch - although it may appear a little surreal to some.