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Reviews
Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon (2004)
Isn't lighting a basic film school topic?
When the movie ended, I pondered what I had just viewed. I had already wasted time watching the movie, now I wasted time contemplating all that was wrong with the movie.
It's no secret that less-than-adequate acting is a common trait in action movies, but this was extremely bad. It was as if the director accepted the first take for every scene. Some of the well known names in this movie did fine, but the two main characters were awful, as were the no-name actors.
Looks like this was filmed on location at an island resort. I'm guessing the crew either forgot to bring the lighting sets, or the budget wasn't big enough to cover the cost of transporting the lights to the location. Indoor and evening scenes were too dark. Maybe the darkness was intentional. Maybe the director realized the lame attempts at expressions needed to be concealed. If the cast of female babes in skimpy outfits was an attempt to make up for the acting, the effort failed due to lousy lighting.
If you do decide to rent this, I recommend fast forwarding to the fight scenes. They are somewhat decent. I was disappointed that Johnny Nguyen didn't do more fighting.
David Carradine, Richard Roundtree, Johnny Nguyen, Danielle Burgio, Arnold Chon, and even Carmen Electra should hang their heads in shame for signing up for this one.
I hope Hardt does better in the European scene. As for Krupa, she needs to stick to modeling.
Valiant (2005)
Heart-warming tale wrapped in superb CGI animation
My entire family enjoyed this brilliant and humorous movie, which offered a heart-warming component. The story line is captivating from the very beginning and retains full attention throughout. Bird-themed humor is consistently intertwined. Animation is first rate, as are the action scenes. The voice over actors and actresses are convincing and funny. The story wasn't entirely predictable, especially the latter half. Predictability seems to be a problem with many of the CGI animations produced recently. Interestingly unprecedented in CGI animations is the underlying historical element presented in this genius flick: the role of messenger pigeons in World War II.
Murder by Numbers (2002)
Lamest Sandra flick yet
Cliche tough girl cop in the first 2 minutes set the tone for the predictability of the remainder of the movie--this was exemplified when, in a poorly acted moment, she told a uniformed officer to get out of the crime scene. The movie never recovers after this scene.
Allow me to point out only a few of many serious flaws: a) when Richard attacked Cassie in her car, a tough female officer would have busted his butt--it didn't happen, b) did Lisa really have Cassie's phone number memorized? c) when Cassie's boss grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out, a severe reaction from Cassie was absent.
Careless lack of realism ruins credibility.
This was not a Sandra Bullock film. Angelina Jolie maybe, but not Bullock. A great fit for Bullock was her geeky FBI agent role-to-babe in Miss Congeniality. Sandra isn't to blame for this flop. The film was directed horribly, mistakes were made that shattered any attempt at suspense, and the build up at the end fails to grab.
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Engaging story with a satisfying ending.
This powerful action-drama pulls the viewer into the frustration, anger, and justifiable feelings for revenge. It is done in such a way that the viewer takes satisfaction in the tactical vengeance efforts. Never a dull moment, this brilliant story is brought to the screen with matching brilliance.