fulano-2 Reviews

The 13th Warrior (1999)

Truth in advertising should also include trailers.

[7 February 2000]

I'm cynical enough not to hope that a movie will come close to its trailer, but sometimes I still feel ripped off.

Judging by that first sentence you might think that I hated the movie. No, didn't hate it, but I did feel misled. The movie has some elements that would make for a great adventure story with some mythical overtones. An Arab in the land of the Vikings (Weird, but hey I'm game). Throw in an oracle or two, a little scenery, and Omar Shariff to boot.

Well, you keep thinking that Banderas is gonna do something really cool throughout the movie and ... nothing. A clever remark here, and an insight there. I must say though, once I gave up on Banderas and what I thought the story was about I found myself rooting for the Vikings (a surly, unruly, unkempt, unsanitary, and virile lot). I was even somewhat pleased by the ending. The hero I picked, and it wasn't the Banderas character, won.

Had the movie been advertised differently I may have enjoyed it more. The unlikely adventure of an Arab poet in the land of the Vikings.

All that being said, as a movie it was Ok. If you need to kill some time this movie can be a nice, albeit sometimes gory, action/adventure.

Bowfinger (1999)

Not a bad rental, but ...

[3 February 2000]

Had I paid $8 to see this movie, I'd be wondering how I could buy back those wasted hours. However, I only spent the price of a movie rental and wasn't bored.

If you've got a couple of hours to kill and you'd like a chuckle or two this is not a bad rental, or better yet, wait until it comes on one of the networks.

Don Juan DeMarco (1994)

A truly romantic movie.

[23 January 2000]

I've seen this movie several times, before I saw it with someone I was in love with. It was great alone, and even better when shared.

Take the phone off the hook, pull down the shades, find that special someone and treat yourself to a beautiful romantic journey.

Dogma (1999)

It's South Park meets the Vatican

[22 January 2000]

Dogma is a biting comedy that is relentless in delivering its point of view on the hypocrisy that exists in todays religious institutions, namely the Catholic church.

There were moments that the profanity was so over the top I thought I was watching an episode of South Park; and it worked. Oddly enough, it wasn't Chris Rock, the 13th Apostle, delivering most of the Blue humor. However, Chris Rock was excellent as the disgruntled apostle that has a beef with the current inaccurate edition of the Bible.

The movie provides lots of laughs for the general audience, many uncomfortably funny moments for the devout, and food for thought for all. One wonders what exactly was going through Gods mind at times when you listen to the fallen angels' (Matt Damon, Ben Aflek) dialogue. We learn that God does have a sense of humor. However, is God fallible. If so, then what?

George Carlon sets the irreverent tone of the movie. All though he's not on the screen for long, he is a real treat.

I definitely recommend this movie, and also recommend you stay for the credits. You'll just have to read fast.

The Matrix (1999)

A great action, special effects, and allegorical story.

[21 January 2000]

This movie works in many ways. The martial arts sequences were surprisingly good. The plot was well executed. The villain was a true s.o.b. and for those of you who like guns, well, there's a great scene for you.

The film took some very basic elements, good, evil, redemption and spun an exciting tale. While the movie wasn't exactly unpredictable, it simply didn't matter. The movie is filled with action, and great special effects that don't overpower the story line. Also, there's tons of symbolism in this movie. You can make Christ, Buddha, Zen, and whatever else, analogies until the cows come home.

Finally, the movie is simply a lot of Fun!!!

Being John Malkovich (1999)

I'm still not sure what I saw, but I want to see it again!

[21 January 2000]

What can one say about this movie other than it's unique, intriguing, fun, keeps you on edge, keeps you guessing, over-the-top and leaves you with a "gee, that was different" kind of feeling.

This movie plunges into areas of the human psyche that one can only hope remains suppressed in every day life. There's a love triangle that, I believe is a love square, but isn't, yet it is, but it's not - really. Get what I'm saying? You're never quite sure of what you're looking at. The movie simply challenges what you think about sex, love, and obsession.

By the end of this movie, I somehow felt that my brain had been oddly molested - but I liked it.

If you'd like to see a movie whose ending you can't guess by the end of the trailer, then see BEING JOHN MALKOVICH.

Little Buddha (1993)

A gentle introduction to Buddhism

[21 January 2000]

If you suspend your need for believable characters, this film does have moments that take you to another world where good and evil are at odds and how one man, Prince Siddharta (Keanu Reeves), deals with the inner demons that reside within us all.

The scenes in which you learn about the life of Prince Siddharta are beautifully done. We get a Buddhist primer of sorts, and learn about the trials that Prince Siddharta had to go through on his quest for enlightenment.

As for the rest of the movie, well, it just dragged in a lot of places and the characters just were not all that believable.

If you know little or nothing about Tibetan Buddhism and would like to get a sense of it without getting into heavy dogma and spiritual practice, this movie is a nice intro.