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Reviews
U-571 (2000)
Would that this were another Das Boot.
I admit it: this is not the worst movie I have ever seen. That said, I could write a fairly lengthy list of things that were not done quite right.
Das Boot now sets the standard by which all WW2 submarine movies are judged. U-571 comes nowhere close, and the smug, self-congratulatory tone of the DVD extras makes the deficiencies of the movie even more difficult to bear.
Even the title is a problem. There really was a U-571 (look here: http://uboat.net/boats/u571.htm). Could the author of this rather lame movie not have used a U-boat number without a real history.
The side plot – The Executive Officer aspiring for promotion to Captain – is a serious drag on the movie. I think almost the entire white uniform party scene and all of the ensuing "I'm bitter because I was passed over" and "You must behave like Captain if you want to be one" bits could be removed – edited out – and the rest of the movie would perk up quite a bit.
With hindsight, not a good use of two hours.
Sydney (1996)
I was not impressed
I notice from other reviews here on IMDb that lots of people seemed to like this movie. Maybe I should have toughed it out for a little longer? I got eight minutes into this badly scripted, badly acted and badly directed bomb before I gave up and slipped a different DVD into my player.
My message to the Director: You have to give me a reason to stay with your movie beyond the first few minutes. You failed. If I had payed $10 to see this in a cinema I would have stayed longer but I saw it at home. Even when watching a DVD borrowed from the library I place a value on my time.
Extras: Ben Stiller (2005)
Ben Stiller is a serious liability.
The premise for this series presents a challenge for its writers: using a different brand name actor in each episode among a more constant ensemble. The problem is well illustrated by watching just the first two episodes as presented on US release of DVD, Kate Winslet and Ben Stiller. Kate Winslet is a fabulous actor is both the star and a member of the entire team. She is funny and supports the others. I laughed a lot.
On the other hand, Ben Stiller is a serious liability in his episode. He simply does not have the acting ability to do this well. He is not funny and the show grinds to a halt whenever he has centre stage.
The contrast between these two episodes was so great that I went back through the credits to see if they had used different writers. No, it's all down to acting ability, or lack thereof.
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Disappointed in this unnecessary remake of a classic
I lost interest in this production of Pride and Prejudice very quickly and could not bring myself to watch more than about twenty minutes. Within the first few moments I encountered bad camera work and especially poor sound design. Do the people responsible for the sound not understand that amplification for musical instruments had yet to be invented in the period in which this story is set? The dialogue is difficult to understand over the anachronistically over-loud music in the tedious ball scene. I switched off.
In remaking a classic the new version is bound to be compared with earlier works. The 1995 TV mini series version stands head and shoulders over this one.
The Thin Blue Line (1995)
A wonderful British sitcom
This show has Rowan Atkinson (Inspector Raymond "Feely" Fowler) at his very best, funnier than either Mr. Bean or Black Adder. He shares the screen with a delightful array of competent actors who all know how to deliver a funny line without squashing it, although sometimes I find David Haig's delivery of Detective Inspector Grimm's rants to be just a little too much.
I don't find much of what Ben Elton has written to be that funny, but this show has me laughing out loud time and again. Almost every episode in the two seasons available is well paced and loaded with double entendres. If only American sitcoms could match or come close to this!