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johnmallard0
Reviews
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
spoiled popcorn
This attempt was like being in an ER and seeing someone being given CPR. You wait and wait for the beat.. a pulse... a sign of life... and instead you get a big ol_____________________________________flat line. No excitement to be found here I'm sorry to say. Besides not including a lot of the elements essential to the story line. They just didn't progress the story very much at all. We know Dumbledore is dead, Harry, Ron and Hermione are going to search for the horcruxes , and everyone is in love. It is a truly sad interpretation of the book. I agree with an earlier poster...We need a redo! Call it a Mulligan and try again. If this is what Yates has in store for us for DH part 1 & 2 then this will be a really sad ending for what started out as a great effort to bring such a wonderful series of books to life. Being loyal fans we deserve more. The characters, the actors and JK deserve more. Much much more than this lame attempt by Yates. I read some poor reviews of the movie before seeing it and just did not want to believe it. Well I can tell you it's all sadly true. Of the series this is by far the worst! I think I'll read the books again to get the taste of spoiled popcorn out of my mouth.
Hairspray (2007)
Fun and Funny
It's always nice to enjoy a movie but when the whole theater is engaged and having a blast it is really something special. I was at a sold out showing on the first day of release with several family and friends. The entire audience was having a blast watching this movie. They applauded after a few numbers. Not something you see everyday. The whole cast was great! John Travolta was a laugh riot! Seeing him as Edna was a bit weird at first but I got over that pretty quickly. Christopher Walken was an unexpected surprise and he was very funny as well. I can't wait for the DVD to see the deleted scenes and bloopers. I'm bit surprised I haven't seen it again.
Norbit (2007)
Big Pleasant Surprise
Before I was convinced to spend my money going to see Norbit I was not at all thrilled with the idea of seeing another black man play a big fat black woman. Just so you know I put in the black because with it comes the black stereotypes typical of this kind of movie. The joke has been done and redone and I just couldn't see how they could make it original and funny. Eddie Murphy was a hoot from start to finish in this movie. I was, as well as everyone in the theater busting a gut seeing Eddie play Rasputia, Norbit and the Chinaman Mr. Wong. Even though I still feel it had all been done before Eddie Murphy did achieve making a fresh and very funny approach to it. I'm glad I was talked into parting with my bucks to see Norbit. Eddie Murphy should be proud of this fine comic performance that will thrill his fans. The love story is sweet so take your sweetie to see this one.
Epic Movie (2007)
What a suck fest
I was hoping this would be funny like the Scary movies. It was a bore from start to finish with only a few chuckles along the way. Unlike some of the other parody movies this one losses it's way fast. The few humorous moments it does provide are when they poke fun at other movies. There just was not enough of this in Epic Movie. Instead it seems to get tied up in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe storyline. This gets old and boring real fast. I must say that the theater was packed with 14 year old kids who seemed to enjoy it. Don't waist your money to even rent this piece of crap when it gets on DVD. I would predict that will be sometime next week.
Sunny (1941)
quaint in a boring kind of way
Too bad the storyline takes so long to get on track this might have been a much better movie with some good writers. Just doesn't make since during the first half. Much better in the second half but by then it is too late. Musical numbers are rather lame and forgettable and sometimes seem out of place. If you are a Ray Bolger fan you will be mostly disappointed. While listed as it's star Ray Bolger only seems to play a filler role in this movie. He has one dance sequence that was interesting to watch. However even that needed better direction to showcase his talent. Anna Neagle the real star in this movie gives a rather hollow performance.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Too bad.... Way too bad...
What an utter disappointment. Great idea to remake this classic but after that they seemed to have ran out of good ideas. I really like Johnny Depp but his performance was disturbing at best. I never read the book but the musical seemed to understand the elements needed to carry a story. Gene Wilder knew how to portray this character as a bit of an eccentric and a lovable dreamer without you getting the creepy feeling. Depp seemed mentally disturbed and ready for a psychotic break (Michael Jackson influence can't be denied). Wilder's Wonka was disappointed in the character flaws in the children, Depp's Wonka seems to relish in their failures. The whole storyline with Dr. Wanka was a worthless endeavor. Too bad this movie will make millions before people realize how bad it is. The original (if I remember correctly) was not a box office success and has become a classic that has lasted and is beloved by new generations. This movie will be a box-office hit and will be forgotten six months after the DVD comes out. Sorry Johnny but you and Tim Burton blew this one big time.
Bewitched (2005)
Missed opportunity
Seems to me the makers of this movie could have had more fun with it. I was a bit disappointed with it. I did enjoy parts but I felt as though something was missing. Can't get away from the feeling that it was a rush job and they did not put enough effort into making it a truly entertaining movie. They could have had a classic comedy romance movie. Instead they settled for an alright movie that will be forgotten with ease. Nicole Kidman was the best thing this movie had going for it and much like the storyline of the remake she did not have enough time on screen. The common thread between the TV series and this movie is that the witch was attempting to adjust to living in the mortal world. This would have made this a much better film if they had focused more on that part of the story line.