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Reviews
Walking Tall (2004)
Not surprising, not particularly good
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS My first thought when reading the synopsis for this movie was that it sounded like a Jean-Claude Van Damme film without Van Damme, protect the downtrodden and fight the evil nemesis using whatever force necessary. Of course with The Rock there is a whole lot less kicking and much more punching and beating with wooden planks. I think it tried to have morals and the usual 'good triumphs over bad' theme however it was so clichéd and formulaic that I wonder if it really tried to be anything other than a vehicle for The Rock to exert his physical prowess. The basic idea is that Chris Vaughn (The Rock) returns home from a stint in the Army to find his beloved hometown overtaken by a big-shot millionaire casino owner (whom he went to school with) who has the local Sheriff's department in his pocket (hmmm how very Back to the Future 2). He decides to take matters into his own hands to end the corruption after a violent run in with 'the henchmen'. This is where it gets ridiculous, if it wasn't already, he somehow goes from being on trial for assault amongst other things to being elected Sheriff. Where he then proceeds to fight corruption with... corruption, intimidation and violence. There is the lovable sidekick (Johnny Knoxville), the love interest (Ashley Scott, as the stripper who's really just a very nice girl in a bad situation who sees the error of her ways) and the stereotypical bad guy (Neal McDonough). I never thought I'd say this but Johnny Knoxville actually made the movie a little easier to endure. Apart from that, the plot is weak with events contrived to lead to the gratuitous violence and the take home message from this movie, which is that its OK to kill people as long as they are the bad guys. Apparently its based on a true story, I shudder at the thought, hopefully a lot of artistic license was employed. Maybe if you can switch your brain off and/or are a big fan of The Rock you may enjoy this movie which is thankfully not long enough to be too painful.
The Glass House (2001)
The Best Thing About Wednesday Nights
The Glasshouse is a great show with 3 excellent comedians (Wil Anderson, Corinne Grant and Dave Hughes) not afraid to put themselves in the firing line by revealing embarrassing things about themselves and telling it how they see it. The guests have included other comedians, musicians, journalists, actors, TV personalities and sports stars making the show always interesting. On a good night the show is 30mins of making you laugh so hard your face hurts, and its always funny and always worth watching. However if you are easily offended, this show may not be the one for you. You won't agree with everything they say but remember that its comedy and everyone needs to laugh every now and then. But be warned, as they say "You'll come for the comedy, you'll stay for the dirty bits".
Atomic Twister (2002)
Another Made-for-TV masterpiece
Poorly acted, poorly written, completely predictable, highly unrealistic, irritatingly clichéd... I'm sure I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said before. I know very little about nuclear power plants and have no experience with tornadoes but even I could see this was just one endless stream of inaccuracies. A nuclear power plant is staffed by 4 inept people who don't seem the least bit qualified, no physicians, no technicians just a highly strung irritatingly patronising woman, an incompetent supposedly knowledgeable second in command, a young guy who appears to be a trainee and another woman who's sole expertise seems to be reading the information off laughably simplistic charts. I'm all for the "strong woman in charge saves the day" scenario and maybe if she weren't so annoying and so badly acted not to mention useless, I would have found her more believable as a heroine. There are too many faults in this movie to possibly list them all. Not only that but there were no surprises, the supposed 'twists' and added dangers could be spotted a mile away.*SPOILER ALERT* Come on, who didn't know that as soon as the guy (Gary?) at the power plant shut down something he wasn't told to there'd be major consequences and that he'd die 'for the good of humanity' to redeem himself. The writer(s) just kept throwing in more and more complications and it got to the point where you lose all sympathy for the characters, if you had any in the first place. Anyway I'm glad they were all so happy and proud in the end, and that it all worked out perfectly. I bet I spent more time typing this then they spent grieving for their lost friends.
Mister Ed (1961)
Fond Childhood Memories
I used to watch Mister Ed as a young child and have great memories of this hilarious show. Being a teenager, it is of course before my time yet it was then and still is now incredibly enjoyable and funny. It is truly timeless and I hope that young children today get the chance to experience it too and I hope they too can appreciate it. I have discovered that I have seen less than half the series and would love for it to be released on DVD. Many episodes stand out in my mind, like Ed surfing in Hawaii, flying a plane and driving a car, when he wanted to be a postman and when he wanted to get married. I would love to see them all again and highly recommend Mister Ed if one has the opportunity of seeing it.
Spooks (2002)
Don't Miss It!
Spooks is a suspenseful and riveting look inside the operations of England's spy agency, MI5. It is interesting and exciting and not as glamourised or far-fetched as other espionage programs. The people and the danger seem real and the events believable. It will keep you on the edge of your seat as the drama unfolds. I highly recommend it to all people who like spy stories slightly more realistic than James Bond.