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Reviews
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
Someone please destroy the prints.
This film stunk so bad I walked out of the theater. (Good thing I sneaked in because I wouldn't have wanted any money to go to this awful movie.) There was no plot and the scenes were haphazardly thrown together. The script was downright uninspired, and with Austin moving to the 70s, his trademark phrases were kept to a minimum. The 70s basically sucked anyway, music-wise, movie-wise, and the only bright spot was the day I was born. Kind of like that lame mole joke, which captured this movie in a nutshell as the brain-dead movie of the year, the feel nothing movie of the year, and a career-ender for Fred Savage (if he still has one). And oh yeah, that Goldmember character is an ass.
In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
A pleasantly-timed romantic film.
(May be an implicit spoiler.) A few weeks ago, I caught YOU'VE GOT MAIL on television, and it immediately captured my attention despite the fact that I would never rent such a notorious "chick flick." I considered that movie an inspired piece of romantic comedy, that is until tonight, when I caught this older film, IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, on TV as well. The romantic interplay again kept me watching, and kept me wondering if Meg Ryan was really Judy Garland in an earlier life. As it turns out, I was correct in a sense, as both movies were adaptations of an even earlier film. As for what I liked about the film, I appreciated how the male lead in this film, unlike Tom Hanks' character, did not unnecessarily extend the "charade" into a foot-dragging exercise. The sweetness of this timing, as well as the "other woman" subplot more than made up for the somewhat dated musical setting of the film.
We Were Soldiers (2002)
A Subterfuge of Political Correctness
I enjoyed the resolve of Mel Gibson's character in this film and the fact that it celebrates one of the great U.S. victories in the field before the traitorous demonstrators "back home" took it upon themselves to put the handcuffs on our freedom fighters. (They are squarely to blame for the fall of South Vietnam to the bloody Communists.) Getting back to the film, I gave it 8 stars, but I was disappointed by the undercurrent of political correctness. Three major instances stick out like a sore thumb, but remain unaddressed by others. First, we have the united colors of Benetton represented in Moore's outfit, concerning which Moore gives a speech! Was this historically accurate? I doubt it. Second, Barry Pepper's character plays a reporter who is disgusted by war. I am a big fan of Barry's, but this character only succeeds in having us question the entire premise of this film. His presence leaves us confused about who the real heroes are. Third, the NVA are presented with a human touch, as if they are morally equivalent to Joe Soldier. This is ridiculous and sickening. The North Vietnamese Army was the weapon of an evil Communist regime that would overrun South Vietnam, killing, raping, and torturing its kind inhabitants. Do we present Hitler's SS in a similar light? Of course not, that would be anathema to the Hollywood Left. Overall, this film is a good flag-waving epic marred by a few disturbing and utterly curious elements.
Wild Wild West (1999)
Politically-Correct Hollywood Sendup Goes Horribly Wrong!
I can't believe that Will Smith was actually cast in this movie. People who obviously had no sense of the James West character were out to make a quick buck and decided to cash in on the "Independence Day" kiddie crowd. So much for historical accuracy in remaking good television and film. It's not just that a black actor in this role is historically inaccurate to the extreme, Will Smith is a smart-alecky and flippant actor--totally inappropriate for this character. Even Denzel Washington would have brought some gravitas to the role. How about Harrison Ford, Kurt Russell, or Mel Gibson? (It doesn't take a rocket scientist.) For pete's sake, let's hope this excellent television series will someday be given the proper remembrance it deserves. (One star.)
Raw Deal (1986)
Great Film for What It Is
This is a great film for what it purports to be. It's an action picture, but it also has curious storyline that keeps one interested in Joey P. Brenner's travails, and it's not all that predictable until the very end. Moreover, it does have a human element at times (plus we see a still-massive Arnold sporting a wife-beater). Granted, Arnold doesn't have much depth of dialogue, but it's not Shakespeare. I don't understand why everyone else dislikes "Raw Deal" to such an intense degree, as one must first understand where it is coming from. It is a fun film, one of the few Schwarzenegger films that is a must-have on dvd.