1985
1.5/4 Stars
Explorers is a kid's movie from the 80's that follows the story of three boys- Wolfgang (River Phoenix), Ben (Ethan Hawke), and Darren (Jason Presson)- as they communicate with aliens in their dreams and ultimately design a spaceship to visit the aliens themselves. Each character has a role to play- Wolfgang is the scientist, Ben has a wonderful imagination, and Darren is the skeptical drunk.
The movie is divided into two distinct halves- the first involves the boys designing the flying device and taking it around their home town. This is the best part of the film and captures the imagination of any child who wanted to fly. It is during this half that a character called "Old Creepy Charlie" is introduced. He stalks Ben for a time before discovering their ship. He is never mentioned again. His inclusion in the film is questionable.
The second half of the movie is a disaster. They meet the aliens, who are green, slimy, and obsessed with American television. Wolfgang develops an attraction to one of the aliens ("She is incredibly intelligent!"), but eventually accepts that it is not meant to be. This movie drags a great deal here and limps to the finish line.
It is pretty strange and seems to want to be a commentary on declining values in an increasingly media-driven society. In truth, it is just a weird kid's movie that has potential in the beginning before falling apart.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Broken Arrow
1996
3/4 Stars
Broken Arrow is a great dumb movie. Essentially a series of climaxes, the film jumps quickly from one set piece to the next. The plot, which isn't really that important, revolves around bomber pilot Deke (John Travolta) attempting to steal a nuclear weapon. For some reason, the only man capable of stopping him is his co-pilot Hale (Christian Slater).
Director John Woo is known for his action work, and this does not disappoint. The film begins with a boxing match (between Deke and Hale- so symbolic!), follows up with a camp-ground shooting, a fist fight in a plane, a plane crash, a fight with a park ranger, a shooting on a ridge, a shooting in a canyon, a helicopter explosion, a humvee battle, a fight in mine, a vintage 2 pistol John Woo shootout, a nuclear detonation, another helicopter explosion, a fight on a train, another helicopter explosion, followed by a fourth helicopter explosion, another boxing match, and then a train explosion. That is the entire movie. Awesome.
3/4 Stars
Broken Arrow is a great dumb movie. Essentially a series of climaxes, the film jumps quickly from one set piece to the next. The plot, which isn't really that important, revolves around bomber pilot Deke (John Travolta) attempting to steal a nuclear weapon. For some reason, the only man capable of stopping him is his co-pilot Hale (Christian Slater).
Director John Woo is known for his action work, and this does not disappoint. The film begins with a boxing match (between Deke and Hale- so symbolic!), follows up with a camp-ground shooting, a fist fight in a plane, a plane crash, a fight with a park ranger, a shooting on a ridge, a shooting in a canyon, a helicopter explosion, a humvee battle, a fight in mine, a vintage 2 pistol John Woo shootout, a nuclear detonation, another helicopter explosion, a fight on a train, another helicopter explosion, followed by a fourth helicopter explosion, another boxing match, and then a train explosion. That is the entire movie. Awesome.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
1993
1/4 Stars
Deep in the heart of Japan in the year 1603 there once existed an evil Lord Norignaga who traded gold for guns with the manipulative cowboy Walker. Norignaga's many treasures included a great scepter, one which had the power to allow its owner to TRAVEL THROUGH TIME!
Flash forward to New York City, 1993- into the heart of the sewer! Enter four familiar faces- Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, dancing their way into the frame. Their old friend April O'Neil arrives. She is carrying bags of garbage she recently bought from a flea market. Hidden among the trash is a scepter that a certain Lord Norignaga has been looking for for a very long time...
So begins the dreadful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. Shredder and the footclan are vanquished, but a battle in 1603 Japan has yet to be fought. As the prophecy foretells (this is actually part of the movie), it is up to the turtles to fight this battle.
Where to begin? The turtles look atrocious. Their skin is covered in pock marks and their mouths move like sock puppets. Master Splinter looks like he has been run through a garbage disposal and is about to fall apart at any moment. Casey Jones returns, although his role is minimized to the point that he just sits around and watches over some ninjas who are "lost in time".
The turtles' primary attack in the film is "wet willy time". This move involves them sticking their fingers in the ears of the bad guys and making weird noises. This causes the enemy to panic and run away in terror (?). The jokes are horrible ("schwingggg!!" (?)) and the "wacky sound effects" make this movie far worse than the TV show ever was.
One star.
1/4 Stars
Deep in the heart of Japan in the year 1603 there once existed an evil Lord Norignaga who traded gold for guns with the manipulative cowboy Walker. Norignaga's many treasures included a great scepter, one which had the power to allow its owner to TRAVEL THROUGH TIME!
Flash forward to New York City, 1993- into the heart of the sewer! Enter four familiar faces- Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, dancing their way into the frame. Their old friend April O'Neil arrives. She is carrying bags of garbage she recently bought from a flea market. Hidden among the trash is a scepter that a certain Lord Norignaga has been looking for for a very long time...
So begins the dreadful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. Shredder and the footclan are vanquished, but a battle in 1603 Japan has yet to be fought. As the prophecy foretells (this is actually part of the movie), it is up to the turtles to fight this battle.
Where to begin? The turtles look atrocious. Their skin is covered in pock marks and their mouths move like sock puppets. Master Splinter looks like he has been run through a garbage disposal and is about to fall apart at any moment. Casey Jones returns, although his role is minimized to the point that he just sits around and watches over some ninjas who are "lost in time".
The turtles' primary attack in the film is "wet willy time". This move involves them sticking their fingers in the ears of the bad guys and making weird noises. This causes the enemy to panic and run away in terror (?). The jokes are horrible ("schwingggg!!" (?)) and the "wacky sound effects" make this movie far worse than the TV show ever was.
One star.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
1991
1.5/4 Stars
The sequel to the original Ninja Turtles is a dumbed down, more child friendly version of the first. There is no more swearing ("damn!") and the violence has been toned down so that rather than fighting with their weapons, the turtles tend to fight with props- like sausages or yo-yos. The "turtle humor" from the first film is back and with a vengeance. This humor remains cheesey and ridiculous making for a very long 88 minute movie.
The villains of the film include Shredder (somehow alive after being crushed by a garbage truck), Tat-Su (crowd pleasing Toshihiro Obata returns), and of course, the mutant babies Toka and Razar. Toka and Razar are impressive puppets, but not scary in the least. Any hint of a gritty edge from the first film has been entirely stripped away for this second effort. Casey Jones is missing (and never even mentioned) and the actress playing April O'Neil has been replaced by unknown Paige Turco.
To sum up, this is a children's film that does little to appeal to adults. The highlight of the movie comes at the very end when the turtles bust into a warehouse and find themselves in the middle of a Vanilla Ice concert. This long sequence involves a ninja rap and a keytar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keytar). Pretty bad stuff, but almost passable for kids.
1.5/4 Stars
The sequel to the original Ninja Turtles is a dumbed down, more child friendly version of the first. There is no more swearing ("damn!") and the violence has been toned down so that rather than fighting with their weapons, the turtles tend to fight with props- like sausages or yo-yos. The "turtle humor" from the first film is back and with a vengeance. This humor remains cheesey and ridiculous making for a very long 88 minute movie.
The villains of the film include Shredder (somehow alive after being crushed by a garbage truck), Tat-Su (crowd pleasing Toshihiro Obata returns), and of course, the mutant babies Toka and Razar. Toka and Razar are impressive puppets, but not scary in the least. Any hint of a gritty edge from the first film has been entirely stripped away for this second effort. Casey Jones is missing (and never even mentioned) and the actress playing April O'Neil has been replaced by unknown Paige Turco.
To sum up, this is a children's film that does little to appeal to adults. The highlight of the movie comes at the very end when the turtles bust into a warehouse and find themselves in the middle of a Vanilla Ice concert. This long sequence involves a ninja rap and a keytar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keytar). Pretty bad stuff, but almost passable for kids.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Great Dictator
1940
4/4 Stars
In March of 1940 the United States was officially neutral in the struggle against fascism in Europe. Poland had already been invaded and France was months away from being crushed by Hitler's blitzkrieg. Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass, had already taken place some two years prior to this point. This marked a clear statement to the world regarding how the Nazis viewed and treated Jews. Synagogues were burned, shops destroyed, Jews rounded up, beaten, and arrested. In spite of all of these events, not only was the United States neutral, but there was a strong element in the country that supported Germany and was vehemently against going to war with the Nazis.
When Charlie Chaplin, already suspected by the right wing of being a communist, unveiled his masterpiece "The Great Dictator" the FBI launched a full-scale investigation into this activities as a "premature anti-fascist". Why? The film is overtly anti-Nazi and anti-Hitler and was released during a period when this sort of rhetoric could "dangerously slide the country toward war". Given Chaplin's mass appeal and far reach (even Hitler himself is said to have seen the film), they had reason for concern.
Watching "The Great Dictator" now, more than sixty-five years after its release, one is struck by its poignancy and foresight, it's humor and thoughtfulness. To begin, Chaplin's impersonation of Adolf Hitler as Dictator Hynkel is hilarious and spot-on. Chaplin's skills for mimicry shine here and his physical resemblance (moustache and all) bring the performance to the next level.
Chaplin's sympathy with the plight of the Jews is made overtly clear in his portrayal of the Jewish Ghetto and the constant harassment of the Jews by the Storm Troopers. Chaplin would later remark that he would never had made the film had he known the extent of the horrors that the Jews were facing in reality. Nevertheless, these scenes do drive home a fundamental truth regarding the injustice, discrimination, and hatred that the Jews suffered from in the period leading up to the ultimate horror of the "final solution".
In writing about these darker realities of history, it is important to emphasize that this film is a comedy and a funny one at that. The stupid SS march song, "We are the ary-ary-ary-aaarrrians!", Hynkel's famous dance with the globe (later aped by Dr. Evil and Mike Meyers), and the "coin in the pudding" sequence are just a few of the highlights. There are also countless little quips that are just as snappy and fast as anything in film today. One must pay attention or these will sail by.
In closing, this is not just an excellent film, but it one with an important message. In Chaplin's great speech at the end of the film, he calls unequivocally for people to rise up and fight Hitler while showing a rich and deeply humanitarian spirit. A film that still resonates today, "The Great Dictator" is not to be missed.
4/4 Stars
In March of 1940 the United States was officially neutral in the struggle against fascism in Europe. Poland had already been invaded and France was months away from being crushed by Hitler's blitzkrieg. Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass, had already taken place some two years prior to this point. This marked a clear statement to the world regarding how the Nazis viewed and treated Jews. Synagogues were burned, shops destroyed, Jews rounded up, beaten, and arrested. In spite of all of these events, not only was the United States neutral, but there was a strong element in the country that supported Germany and was vehemently against going to war with the Nazis.
When Charlie Chaplin, already suspected by the right wing of being a communist, unveiled his masterpiece "The Great Dictator" the FBI launched a full-scale investigation into this activities as a "premature anti-fascist". Why? The film is overtly anti-Nazi and anti-Hitler and was released during a period when this sort of rhetoric could "dangerously slide the country toward war". Given Chaplin's mass appeal and far reach (even Hitler himself is said to have seen the film), they had reason for concern.
Watching "The Great Dictator" now, more than sixty-five years after its release, one is struck by its poignancy and foresight, it's humor and thoughtfulness. To begin, Chaplin's impersonation of Adolf Hitler as Dictator Hynkel is hilarious and spot-on. Chaplin's skills for mimicry shine here and his physical resemblance (moustache and all) bring the performance to the next level.
Chaplin's sympathy with the plight of the Jews is made overtly clear in his portrayal of the Jewish Ghetto and the constant harassment of the Jews by the Storm Troopers. Chaplin would later remark that he would never had made the film had he known the extent of the horrors that the Jews were facing in reality. Nevertheless, these scenes do drive home a fundamental truth regarding the injustice, discrimination, and hatred that the Jews suffered from in the period leading up to the ultimate horror of the "final solution".
In writing about these darker realities of history, it is important to emphasize that this film is a comedy and a funny one at that. The stupid SS march song, "We are the ary-ary-ary-aaarrrians!", Hynkel's famous dance with the globe (later aped by Dr. Evil and Mike Meyers), and the "coin in the pudding" sequence are just a few of the highlights. There are also countless little quips that are just as snappy and fast as anything in film today. One must pay attention or these will sail by.
In closing, this is not just an excellent film, but it one with an important message. In Chaplin's great speech at the end of the film, he calls unequivocally for people to rise up and fight Hitler while showing a rich and deeply humanitarian spirit. A film that still resonates today, "The Great Dictator" is not to be missed.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Pleasantville
1998
3/4 Stars
Pleasantville tells the fairytale story of a brother and sister (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) who get transported into a fictitious 1950's television show. David (Maguire) and Jennifer (Witherspoon) come from a very pronounced late 1990's universe and invariably collide with the idealized but dysfunctional 50's of the town of Pleasantville.
The use of color in the film, while one of the obvious themes, drives home a number of points regarding change, character growth, and the notion of nuance. The film examines closely the notion of what it means for an issue to be "black or white". In addition to playing with the color, filmmaker Gary Ross plays with iconography and angles. The way in which he shoots the mayor of the town is directly lifted from Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will".
The film also pushes certain boundaries. What if there was a female masturbation scene in "Leave it to Beaver"?
Music is well used in the film, most notably with Etta James belting out "At Last" as a teenage couple drive down "lover's lane" under a canopy of cherry blossoms. The use of the theme for the film is also well placed and creates the desired emotional swells.
Downsides to the movie include the fact that the pacing is slow at some points and some of the "morals" are a little heavy handed. Overall though, this is an excellent film with a number of layers to dissect.
3/4 Stars
Pleasantville tells the fairytale story of a brother and sister (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) who get transported into a fictitious 1950's television show. David (Maguire) and Jennifer (Witherspoon) come from a very pronounced late 1990's universe and invariably collide with the idealized but dysfunctional 50's of the town of Pleasantville.
The use of color in the film, while one of the obvious themes, drives home a number of points regarding change, character growth, and the notion of nuance. The film examines closely the notion of what it means for an issue to be "black or white". In addition to playing with the color, filmmaker Gary Ross plays with iconography and angles. The way in which he shoots the mayor of the town is directly lifted from Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will".
The film also pushes certain boundaries. What if there was a female masturbation scene in "Leave it to Beaver"?
Music is well used in the film, most notably with Etta James belting out "At Last" as a teenage couple drive down "lover's lane" under a canopy of cherry blossoms. The use of the theme for the film is also well placed and creates the desired emotional swells.
Downsides to the movie include the fact that the pacing is slow at some points and some of the "morals" are a little heavy handed. Overall though, this is an excellent film with a number of layers to dissect.
Ronin
1998
2.5/4 Stars
Ronin is an action film that boasts a tremendous cast of international talent. Headed by Robert De Niro, the cast also includes familiar faces such as Sean Bean, Natascha McElhone, Jean Reno, Stellen Skarsgard, and Jonathan Pryce. Each of these players is, for some reason, in desperate search of a steel suitcase (Hitchcock's mcguffin). Along the way there are gun fights, car chases, explosions, and more civilian casualties than I can ever remember seeing in a film. All of it is set on the winding cobblestone streets of France.
These various locations throughout France serve the film well and the medieval layout of many of the cities adds to the intensity of the excellent car chases. The movie literally and figuratively puts the gas pedal down at full tilt for most the picture, letting up only for a sequence in which De Niro's Sam stops to get a bullet removed from his body. It is during this sequence that a wise grizzly man offers some exposition on what a "Ronin" is (I won't spoil it here).
There are some plot twists, but this film is a pretty standard action/chase movie. It is a bit above average with its excellent Euro cast and its fun locations. The overall pacing of the film is distinctively un-Hollywood, which gives it an exotic feel. Very good, but not great.
2.5/4 Stars
Ronin is an action film that boasts a tremendous cast of international talent. Headed by Robert De Niro, the cast also includes familiar faces such as Sean Bean, Natascha McElhone, Jean Reno, Stellen Skarsgard, and Jonathan Pryce. Each of these players is, for some reason, in desperate search of a steel suitcase (Hitchcock's mcguffin). Along the way there are gun fights, car chases, explosions, and more civilian casualties than I can ever remember seeing in a film. All of it is set on the winding cobblestone streets of France.
These various locations throughout France serve the film well and the medieval layout of many of the cities adds to the intensity of the excellent car chases. The movie literally and figuratively puts the gas pedal down at full tilt for most the picture, letting up only for a sequence in which De Niro's Sam stops to get a bullet removed from his body. It is during this sequence that a wise grizzly man offers some exposition on what a "Ronin" is (I won't spoil it here).
There are some plot twists, but this film is a pretty standard action/chase movie. It is a bit above average with its excellent Euro cast and its fun locations. The overall pacing of the film is distinctively un-Hollywood, which gives it an exotic feel. Very good, but not great.
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