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Nyghtewynd
Reviews
Jersey Girl (2004)
A "chick flick" guys may like!
As I am wont to say, "It wasn't War and Peace, but it was a pretty good movie." The plot was meaningful and well-written; however, the story that drove the final part of the movie seemed a little contrived. Ben Affleck was surprisingly good and believeable as a father figure, and Liv Tyler was also excellent. I appreciated how her..."natural" beauty was toned down in her character, because the story wouldn't have been as believeable. The soundtrack was well-chosen for the most part; I thought that the Springsteen song didn't fit the mood of the movie well (and had too much "baggage" attached to it to fit), but it caught a good mood and held it. George Carlin was very good--quite authentic as the N.J. dad, and not just as himself pretending to be someone else. A little hokey at times, but still very good.
Spider-Man (2002)
Lots of fun!
This was not exactly War and Peace, but it's a very entertaining movie. The main character was well-developed, which is important for those of us who don't inhale comics. I know there are a lot of people who complain about the differences between the movie and the original story, but come on, people, it's not 1950 any more. Stuff had to change.
The effects were very good--the exact balance between cartoonish and realistic that needed to happen.
My one disagreement with this movie was with Kirsten Dunst...for some reason, I thought she aged way, way, WAY too fast. While Peter Parker seemed to look about the same age, Dunst's character seemed to age about 20 years in the course of the movie. I understand that the plot covered a certain amount of time, but I didn't think it was that much.
Oh, well...not a big problem for such an entertaining movie. Worth seeing, especially if it's gotten to your local dollar theater by now.
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Friends don't let friends see Lilo and Stitch...
I have no idea what movie most of these reviewers saw, but it wasn't this one. Before last night, the worst movie that I had ever paid money to see was the "Joey Tribiane"-led Lost in Space.
Lilo and Stitch is worse.
This would have been a great 20-minute cartoon. Stitch is an interesting enough character, and the family that he joins is very real, with real personalities and real problems. Lilo acts like a real child, and her quirks are endearing. Then the whole thing goes to H-E-double-hockey-sticks.
First of all, Disney's marketing force goes into full drive with the introduction of a couple of aliens who try to recapture Stitch. They exist solely to sell toys. They add absolutely nothing to the plot, and get very tired very quickly.
I can hear it now--"But it's an *adult* humor movie!" First of all, part of this is correct, in that your children will probably not get much of this film. The "blue period" that dominates the middle section of the movie is too heavy for young kids, and no, mouthing the catchphrases does not mean that your precocious little one gets it.
The worst thing, however, is its inability to decide how serious it wants to be. The plot flies from serious, melodramatic "After-School Special" drama to slapstick so base that the Three Stooges wouldn't touch it in the course of about five seconds. Plot holes were closed by what seemed to be the first suggestion (no matter how ludicrous) that flew out of someone's piehole in a boardroom.
I don't look for Hamlet when I go to a Disney movie. I do expect, however, that the quality of the plot and story will surpass a undergraduate screenwriting class. Lilo and Stitch doesn't even come close. If you want to see a good Disney movie, then wait for Monsters, Inc. to come out on DVD, and save your money on this dog.