Friday Night Movie Review
my pace for watching movies has slowed considerably over the last few months, but thankfully since my last reviews i've seen fewer bad movies. that balances things out a bit i suppose.
a day without a mexican gets 1 out of 5.
i first heard about this movie while listening to fresh air on kqed. the basic premise behind the movie is showing the impact mexican-americans make on the california economy. it is considerable to say the least, but sadly the movie tried to keep to too much of a story -- straddling the fence between documentary and entertaining movie and fell squarely on it's kahonas. i still like the premise thought.
sleepover gets 3 of 5.
maybe it was my low expectations, but i was pleasantly surprised with this one. it took me a while to realize the lead actress (alexa vega) was the little girl from spy kids and my has she grown into a stunning young woman. i am probably not the first to say it, but she could easily be the next liz taylor. the story revolves around the idea of 3 girls having a sleepover and competing with the "popular" girls in a scavenger hunt. the stakes are of course high from the perspective of high school kids. speaking of which, the boy alexa falls for is a dead ringer for a young tom cruise. if he'd have slid across the floor in socks and briefs, they would have had to call the movie risky business.
don juan demarco gets 4 of 5.
another find job by johnny depp playing a someone insane character. the film features depp playing a man that believes he is don juan and is being evaluated by a psychologist played by marlon brando. this flick has many levels to enjoy including a subtle, yet critical twist at the end. why not?
the chronicles of riddick also gets 4 of 5.
vin diesel is back in a role that suits him -- prisoner at large saves world. plenty of action and is the sequel to pitch black which ironically i have not seen. the effects were pretty good and the dvd showed how a lot of them were done. if you haven't seen it... rent it.
the terminal gets weak 3 of 5.
if this wasn't a beautifully acted movie, it would definitely have gotten a 2. hanks plays a fellow that flys into the us and because of problems that just arose in his home country is stuck at the airport. he can't legally leave as his passport is not valid and he can't go back. tom hanks does an awesome job, but after the cuter moments pass you're looking at the clock wondering when it will be over.
garfield, the movie gets 3 out of 5.
it is one long garfield comic strip and if you are ok with that, this is a fine movie. if you don't like that sort of humor, you had best move on. definitely a film to entertain the kids.
Made -- 1 of 5.
ok, maybe 2 since the mob is involved. the cover, the description, it all looked so promising. i wasn't expecting the godfather or even a episode of the sopranos, just a good mob-flick and boy was i disappointed. funny thing is, that movie probably depicts how it really works -- if they existed of course.
bridget jones's diary is 2 of 5 in my book.
this movie wasn't on my want to see list, but at least i now know why. it was definitely a proverbial chick flick, but wasn't even a good one. i think that is all i'll say in my effort to put this one out of mind.
national lampoon's van wilder is 4 of 5.
definitely along the lines of an animal house. van wilder is in his 7th year at college and finds himself in quite a pickle. plenty of hijinx and goofy things to laugh at -- be sure to keep you eyes on the background as well.
spider-man 2 3 of 5.
it was a sequel. 'nuf said. well, except that kirsten dunst is still looking good -- you go peter parker!
saving private ryan gets 5 of 5
why i waited so long to see this movie i will never know. you get your share of blood and guts coupled with a good story. tom hanks shows why he is one of the best actors in hollywood and his supporting cast carrys their weight as well. this is an instant war movie classic.
hero gets 4.5 out of 5
i watched the first 20 minutes in mandarin with sub-titles until i got so frustrated trying to read them. the settings for the movie were just awesome -- just too much to see and read sub-titles. the dvd defaults to this, but thankfully there is an english soundtrack allowing me to enjoy the rest of the movie. this movie was top-notch all the way with lots of hidden meanings, subtle use of color and costuming and a story to tie it all together.
dodgeball is 3 out of 5.
we all loved the game, now see the movie. it loses one point simply because it has ben stiller, though the movie's creative use of wrenches almost got him that one back. however, the story was far too predictable, albeit funny. definitely a good comedy to kick back and watch with friends and family.
the bourne supremacy earns 3 of 5.
i do not recommend this movie if you get motion sick -- some of the shots definitely get things moving. as far as sequels go, this one was good. bourne has to find out more about his past and avenge his girlfriends death. good guys aren't always good guys as you'd guess so he is forced to use all his super secret spy-guy tricks to meet the objectives. and that is what he was meant to do.
that's all folks.
Posted by ac at December 17, 2004 11:54 PM