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Reviews
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Peter Pan remake
All children in a London family are transported magically to a distant land. Here they find a conflict between the evil ruler and the outcasts. There is combat. There are magical weapons. There is a favorable outcome. The children return home and are welcomed.
Is it Neverland? Or Narnia? Captain Hook has morphed into the wicked white witch. Is it the crocodile or the lion that the antagonist fears? The Indians of Neverland are replaced by talking animals. Like the movie of Peter Pan, the combat is bloodless and is not likely to scare children.
But don't let the similarity to Peter Pan keep you away. The acting is very good. Georgie Henley (Lucy) is a delight. The special effects are very good. The plot is simple and dialog is easy to follow, very unlike Lord of the Rings. It is good entertainment for all ages.
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
This film creates artificial excitement with choppy camera work. Without this artifice, the film is ordinary.
Did you ever watch the original "Riverdance"? Camera shots were prolonged so you could see continuity of action and enjoy the beauty of the movement.
Contrast that with the current Michael Flatley videos. He creates an aura of excitement by changing cameras as often as twice a second. Also his cameras are so close to the action that one cannot view the symmetry and coordination. It is like watching through a soda straw.
Well, Borne Supremacy carries the camera work beyond this extreme. There is little compelling dialogue. The claim to fame is a great deal of action. Unfortunately, the camera work on this action is so choppy that the film is very hard to watch. Scenes are on the screen for less than a second. Worse than that, no cameras are stabilized. When a person is running, the camera bobs up and down with each step of the runner. Even worse, the cameras seem to be inches away from the subject so there is no continuity of background, or a stable visual reference with which to put the action in context.
In my opinion, the action scenes were ordinary, but artificially made exciting by not letting you look at a full scene.
Summary: If you like dazzle, eye candy, and viewing the world through a soda straw, this is the movie for you.
Hannibal (2001)
Watch someone eat their own brains.
Some years ago Sir Anthony Hopkins promised that he would not appear in a sequel to Silence of the Lambs. He broke his promise. After watching this film, he is probably sorry that he did. Unless the millions he made eased the pain.
The film has no redeeming value. It is the most recent attempt to increase the shock level. There is no humor. There is no "good vs. evil". There is no real plot. Just shock.
Sir Anthony Hopkins was my favorite actor for many years. I would see anything and everything in which he appeared. Never again.
Love Kills (1998)
I lost all respect for Leslie Ann Warren.
This film is a Laurel and Hardy remake, but with trash talk and smelly finger jokes. I had a high regard for the work of Leslie Ann Warren until now. Unfortunately, she has lost all self respect, and mine too. If you can get past the overuse of the f-word, which was no longer funny after the 2000th time it was shouted, you will look in vain for a plot. Pass on this one.
American Beauty (1999)
This garbage is available, and "Song of the South" is banned. Why?
Would you like to see a movie that features the following scenes set in a small town? Two scenes watching a man masturbate. An old man successfully seduces an underage girl. A wife exuberantly commits adultery. Nude teens have sex, barely hours after meeting. A person blackmails his employer, without cause. A teen drug dealer is a hero. A teen girl runs off to New York with the drug dealer, because they can make more money selling drugs there. After these, and other, graphic scenes, it was almost a relief to view a bloody murder with a handgun. At least we knew the movie was almost over. What movie is this? American Beauty. This movie is acclaimed and nominated for seven Academy Awards. Worse, this movie is presented to us by Hollywood as a documentary, or a vignette, of ordinary life in a small town. I reject the notion that this represents day-to-day life around us. Unfortunately, it seems believable, and will be a role model for our youth.