MJ1852 Reviews

Toy Story 2 (1999)

GREAT!!!

[30 July 2000]

I'm a Disney fanatic anyway and loved Toy Story the original, so naturally I went into this movie knowing I would like it. Actually, I'm sort of ashamed that I waited so LONG to see it! Everyone I talked to, even people I wouldn't expect to like something like this, had said it was "better than the original." I don't usually like to rate Disney sequels like that, but let me just say that I LOVED TS2! I don't think it would have been nearly as good without the history of the first movie behind it, but I do think they took the story further this time and it was even more moving than the first one. The first one was about an exciting adventure, but not to the extent of the second one. I love these sorts of emotional journey/adventure movies, especially when Disney does them. The part where Jessie sings about Emily is a tear-jerker! They didn't have anything quite like that in the first Toy Story. But I do recommend that if you're going to watch TS2 for the first time (which is probably no one 'cause everyone's seen it already), that you watch the original again first to have everything fresh in your mind. There are a lot of references to it in the second movie, that won't be nearly as funny if you've forgotten those things in the first. It will maximize your enjoyment of Toy Story 2.

The Exorcist (1973)

very powerful overall story, but somewhat confusing at times

[30 July 2000]

The best thing I liked about this movie was that we got to see the work of God's hands, through the priests, defeat an inferior supernatural force: Satan. The scenes of Reagan when she was becoming more and more possessed by the devil are absolutely horrifying; I don't think they can ever be outdated. Those of you who don't think those scenes were scary have apparently had too many encounters with Satan yourselves and are just too used to that sort of thing! Or, maybe you just thought it seemed too fake. But that kind of thing really happens to people - maybe not the distortion of their faces and voices in such a way - but that's why there are so many evil people in the world. Anyway, I've never seen anything so scary but it was awesome watching God, the GOOD supernatural force on the other end of the spectrum, working to protect Reagan and the others in the movie. The only thing that bothered me about this movie that I couldn't get past was that the doctors who first examined her when she was starting to act "strange" didn't seem at all horrified by the way she was acting - and more notably, by the way her voice was changing! They seemed puzzled by it, but that was about it. Only her mother seemed rightly horrified by it, and even she didn't freak out as much as I would expect a mother with a Satan-possessed child to! Other than that, the movie was excellent. A true classic that should be taken for what its message is worth.

Double Jeopardy (1999)

an entertaining movie

[1 June 2000]

I don't see the reason for all the negative comments. I liked this movie, but maybe I'm not quite as picky as most people who comment on this site. I like investigative plots where the protagonist figures out all kinds of clever ways to get what she wants, especially when something or someone is after her. Ashley Judd did an excellent job; her mama-on-the-mission role was very convincing. The Double Jeopardy law does confuse me, though. In this case, it wouldn't necessarily be a problem for her to murder the SOB and get away with it, since he probably deserved it anyway. But what if it was a case where someone was raped, the guy was sent to prison, and then 10 years later he got out and did it again to the same person? Would that be "okay" with the law, or is it really the SAME crime, since it's a different occasion? It's something to think about, anyway. But my compliments to the directors and actors of this movie.

Cruel Intentions (1999)

Insulting

[17 March 2000]

Before I say anything else, I plan to display ALL my feelings about the different parts of this movie. So, if you haven't seen it yet, don't read this. (Better yet, don't even watch the movie! It's a waste of time!)

Yeah, it was well-performed and made well and all that. But the content of this movie was terrible! I enjoyed most of it the first time I saw it, but I will personally NEVER watch this garbage again. I hate the message it sends to America's youth. All these trashy teenagers having casual sex with random people and talking like it's the only thing in the world and it's a need just like food and water. And then there is the one girl, Annette, who actually DOES have good values (unfortunately most people will disagree with this, but we ARE supposed to keep our pants on until marriage), only to go and throw them away! So it's like the script-writers of this movie are saying, "Yeah, kids, that's the right thing to do." No! It's awful! And as if to prove my point, it's got most of the commentors on this website thinking it's just a "masterpiece" - the best movie that's ever been brought to screen! It's precisely this kind of junk that makes America's youth so corrupt. It ought to be illegal.

Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)

The best Christmas movie ever made

[18 December 1999]

This has always been my favorite Christmas movie; ever since I was a small child I have thought it was wondrous. There is a sense of Christmas magic I feel whenever I watch it. David Huddleston is the perfect Santa Claus and one of my favorite things about the movie. I also love the way it shows how Santa originated. And the reindeer are PERFECT; they are cute and have a lot of personality and seem so real. The ending of this movie always gives me goosebumps, no matter how many times I see it.

Superstar (1999)

weird but very funny; great ending

[15 October 1999]

This movie was definitely "different," but I thought it was hilarious. Mary was extremely geeky (I've never seen the SNL skit so I was not familiar with her) and even gross sometimes, which was sort of annoying and made it hard to like her, but it also made me laugh my head off. I did think the ending was very sweet, mainly because I liked Slater. I thought all along that Slater was a really neat character, especially when we found out who he was, and that he was a sweet guy. I also liked the grandmother (I can't believe she played in Mary Poppins -- that's so neat!).

The Man Without a Face (1993)

heartwarming

[15 October 1999]

This was a very touching film; it kept my interest throughout. I thought it depicted a realistic version of a "disfunctional family," but it was nice seeing how they improved in the end. The relationship between Chuck and Mr. McCleod was heartwarming, although I do wish there had been more of an attempt to prove his innocence. What happened to the kid who played Chuck? He's a great example of a REALLY good child actor. There aren't too many of them around. I mean, most are decent but only a few are exceptional. Why do those kids always disappear from Hollywood and the "bad" or "okay" ones get lots of work? Anyway, this was a great quality film.

Tarzan (1999)

Great job w/ an awesome musical score

[3 August 1999]

Great animation job as always by Disney; I loved the authentic characteristics of the gorillas, the scenes in the jungle, and the other animals (the elephants were funny). Jane and her father were not very original and neither were some of the animals' personalities, but they were all likeable anyway. I want to talk about the villain next, and if you haven't seen the movie you won't want to read this yet.

The idea for the villain sort of had a new twist; for most of the movie he was just a macho, trigger-happy guy who was there to accompany the two there to study the gorillas. Usually you can tell right away who the villain in a Disney movie will be, by a certain look in their eye or a way they speak or move, but this time I was surprised. At the very beginning, when Clayton first appears, he seems like a potential villain but then I didn't think he would be, that he was really an okay guy. Although he seemed a little anxious to shoot something, I thought it was just because he was trying to look big and impress Jane -- not because he was really a bad person. But he fooled me well. I was disappointed in him but not in Disney's job on his character; I liked the way they did it.

One of the best things about this movie was the music -- it was probably the best since "The Lion King"'s musical score. It is very fitting w/ the mood in the jungle.

The Parent Trap (1998)

awesome remake, equally as good as the first

[2 August 1999]

I didn't think this movie could be as good as the original, but I guess I should have known better! Lindsay Lohan is excellent and very lovable, and all I can say is . . . we better be seeing her in other movies!!! She better not be one of those child stars who you see once and then fades out. She's too good for Hollywood to let that happen. I liked both Annie and Hallie at once, even though they were snotty to each other in the beginning, but for some reason that made me like them more. I guess it showed their high-spiritedness, which is good to see in adolescent girls. (And of course, I knew they'd become friends soon enough.) I loved Dennis Quaid as their father; I hadn't seen him in any role where he has the warm father/friend image. I thought Meredith was more suitable for her character than Vicki (her counterpart from the original). She was funnier and seemed more like "the wicked stepmother-to-be." Also I liked the scenes of London and Napa Valley that we got to see in this one. The filming was excellent. I thought the ending made more sense too and was more complete. The original has the "Disney classic" aspect about it (it was made when Walt was still alive) and should definitely not be overshadowed but the new one was easier to relate to (since it takes place today, obviously). I can't really pick one over the other. Their differences have to do with the time periods, of course, so I think it's best to just leave it at that and not try to analyze which is better. They exist well in harmony. Oh yeah, and I loved the music too -- I bought the soundtrack after seeing it only once.

Full House (1987–1995)

a good show (mostly)

[2 August 1999]

Although this show can be VERY unrealistic and completely sickening at times, I must admit that I enjoy watching it. The jokes do tend to repeat themselves and be predictable, but I still think the show is funny. I love Joey's cartoon voices; Dave Coulier is very talented and I can't understand why he hasn't gotten and more work since Full House went off the air. Most of the characters have very developed personalities and you feel like you really get to know them. DJ, like Joey, is a very likeable character and probably one of the most believable. Stephanie could be annoying at times when she was trying too hard to be cool, but for the most part I liked her too. Michelle's character was cute and likeable as a baby and toddler, but when she got old enough to talk, her character became too smart-elecky which got old FAST. I also think the show focused too much on her as she got older. They just sort of wore her out to the point where most viewers didn't like her anymore. Kimmy was very funny but unrealistic. Jesse could be a jerk on the surface but I liked who he was underneath when he wasn't trying to act like a "tough guy." And, unlike some people, I really liked his music. Danny was an unusual guy but I liked that about him; he had a lot of personality and his part was acted well. The (boy) twins were adorable; I wish they'd given them more screen time. Becky was cool too and had many great lines.

The main thing I DIDN'T like about this show was that it ALWAYS had to have a mushy, emotional scene at the end. That was probably the most unrealistic aspect; no family is like that all the time. It taught some good lessons, yes, but it was very overdone a lot of the time. The other thing I couldn't stand about Full House was when Michelle acted like a brat and everyone just thought it was SO cute or when the other characters treated her like the little princess. Gag me! I don't really blame HER, though; there were a lot of times I did like Michelle when she was acting normal, and the Olsen twins did a pretty good job, as did the other actors in this show.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Scariest movie ever!!!

[31 July 1999]

Yes, this was definitely the most terrifying film I have ever seen. I had not even heard of it until my friends asked me to go last night (it was just released this weekend where I live). But now it's hard to stop thinking about it. The idea was brilliant and very original, and I love the fact that they could be so successful with such a low-budget film. I think that slasher movies like Halloween and Scream are scary, but they're different because you KNOW what it is you're afraid of. You sit on the edge of your seat while you wait for Michael Myers or some other guy in a mask w/ a knife to jump out of a dark shadow . . . but in BWP you just hear eerie noises and the thought that the three students can't find their way out of the woods, can't make their way to safety, creeps you out more than the slasher movies. The suspense, the anticipation of the unknown is the terrifying part about this movie. Although the jerkiness of the cameras gave me a little motion sickness, that was effective as well because it seemed more like you were really there than just watching a movie in a theater. I didn't know while I was watching it if it was real or not, but it didn't matter; it was scary either way. I felt for the characters: felt hopelessness, sympathy, terror, and even sadness for the way they were losing their minds and scared out of their wits. I'll admit that I was glad to find out it WASN'T real, but the movie was a real work of art. 10/10.

I'd also like to say, for anyone who implies that whoever thinks this movie is scary is stupid, you are being very closed-minded. It's okay to have your opinions, to say YOU weren't scared and you didn't like the idea for BWP, but obviously a lot of people WERE scared and DID think it was a good idea, so let others have their opinions too w/o bashing them.