ZombieShakespeare Reviews

Man of the Year (2006)

Robin Williams gives an excellent performance in this spot-on political satire.

[17 November 2006]

This film reminded me quite a bit of another Levinson/Williams project: "Good Morning, Vietnam". Both films were marketed as comedies. Yet all the comedy came from Williams doing what's basically his stand-up act, and not from the situation. The backdrop of both films are deadly serious. It's almost as if Williams is in the middle of doing his act, turns around and says, "Wait! This is a drama?"

But I think the thriller side of this film is well balanced with Robin's comedy. The political commentary of this film is very poignant, especially the constant pleas to get rid of the special interests. It seems that a lot of politicians these days are promising to fix this problem, but as usual, they probably won't.

Another great aspect is the even-handed nature of the jabs. It seems that since the conservatives are in power right now (or they were, a week ago) they're the only targets people are willing to go after. But the democrats aren't spared either in this film's plea for change in the current political system. Granted, it's clear that most of the messages lean to the left, but still the democrats are not exactly portrayed as the "voice of the people".

Great performances from Laura Linney, Christopher Walken, and Lewis Black helped to make this important film all the more enjoyable.

Darkwing Duck (1991–1992)

Extremely entertaining!

[25 April 2004]

This is a cartoon that I was obsessed with when I was in the first grade. I was overjoyed when I found out that Toon Disney airs reruns. This is a great parody of classic superheroes (mainly Batman and Spider-Man but somewhat Superman and The Shadow.) The characters have interesting personalities and the stories are fraught with imagination. I still find this show funny and engaging at the age of 20. Darkwing is truly a hero, but has the ego the size of the city he protects. He is extremely flawed, but still manages to balance a crime fighting career with raising a tomboy daughter (and using clever alliteration while doing it.) If you have a chance to catch a repeat of this show, do yourself a favor and enjoy an entertaining cartoon.

Batman Forever (1995)

Best Batman Of All

[10/10 · 7 January 2004]

I know a lot of people don't like this movie, but it's one of my personal favorites, so please hear me out. The movie goes deeper into Bruce Wayne's fractured psyche more than all the other films put together. Val Kilmer's "red book" speech gives me chills every time I watch. There is so much passion between him and Dr. Chase Meridian (Kidman) that the screen can barely contain it.

I always love to see an actor break out of his usual mode, and Tommy Lee Jones does just that. He usually plays characters that have a very dry wit, but Two Face gave him room to play. He was a flamboyant, homicidal psychopath, which is quite a departure for him. Some may describe the Riddler as "a typical Jim Carrey performance", this is not the case. Although his utter insanity is seen in other films such as "The Mask" and "The Grinch", there is something different about this one. There are a few quiet scenes where Carrey has subtle, creepy moments which are unnerving. Chris O'Donnell also does a wonderful job as the young Robin, hell-bent on vengeance. The smart script and skillful direction of this film made it a brilliant commentary on the human tendencies of revenge and obsession.

I hate it when people confuse this movie with 1997's "Batman and Robin". Let me go on record by saying that I hate that movie, but it's predecessor is well worth your time and money.