g-amp-smckenzie Reviews

Monte Walsh (2003 TV Movie)

A modern western classic.

[8/10 · 4 June 2005]

Monte Walsh is a great western film...The acting is excellent,the location stunning and the direction handled expertly..In short i loved this movie... It is clearly as labour of love for all those involved making the film..The tale of the old cowboy refusing to change as the old west dies out has been told before but not with as much pride & passion as this effort has...

Tom Selleck has at last found a genre that shakes off his Magnum Pi days with success...The last two previous TNT westerns(Saber River & Crossfire Trail) were good but this really stands out above the two.

I won't go into plot detail as those who haven't watched the film yet i'll leave that for you to discover for yourself but i will say that this is one of my favourite westerns ever made & i for one can't wait for Selleck to saddle up once again........

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

3rd best of the 4 but with one redeeming feature..

[9 December 2004]

I know that this film has it fans but for me this is Brosnan's 2cnd worst film as Bond....Goldenye being the best followed by TWINE..Die Another Day...mmm well like this one the 1st half is good but goes terrible in the 2cnd part...anyway..

The story is lame & i'm not convinced at Price's performance as the villain but this film does contain one of the best scenes ever filmed for a bond movie....The scene is when Bond is waiting in the hotel room..tux and all drinking straight vodka..then Paris turns up...it really is worth getting the film for this scene alone...

Don't get me wrong i like the movie but they wasted a great start to the movie with a silly finish...1st half good drama & action...2cnd turns into a poor b movie action film.......

An Enemy of the People (1978)

The missing McQueen.

[2 November 2004]

As every McQueen fan knows,this is the one that we all want to see...The one film that brought McQueen out of the quiet years,the one film he fought hard to bring to the big screen only for the studio to pull it after a limited release because the character didn't seem to suit McQueens fans...Well after finally seeing the film you realize just how wrong and short sighted there where... McQueen is playing Dr Thomas Stockman,trying the speak out against the greedy town's people who don't want to hear the truth about their water in the prosperous spring spa as it will drive away all the tourists with their cash...McQueen is standing up to impossible odds..not refusing to stand down or bend his principles...This is the type of character McQueen played in nearly all his other roles.

Before i saw the film i did think that perhaps McQueen wouldn't be suited to the "serious acting role" that Dr Thomas Stockman required...boy was i wrong..McQueen gives an outstanding performance...one of the best of his career & this film should be brought back out on a special edition DVD(along with Tom Horn) so all the fans can see the tour de force the film really is....

A mention must also go to the supporting cast,particularly Charles Durning who's greed & corruption really sparks against McQueens honest Doctor...also nice to see the man in a suitcase Richard Bradford in a good strong role as the Captian.

In closing this is a great movie & if you have to bid a lot on e-bay for it then do so......

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

The best Trek movie.....Ever.

[2 November 2004]

This is the peak of the Star Trek movie series..they haven't done it better since & i don't think that they ever will... Every thing just melts into place on this one.....The script,the music,the direction & most important...The acting. For all those who complain the William Shatner cannot act...just watch the end scene between Kirk & Spock..a real touching moment...This to me sums up the difference between the original crew & all the other pretenders to the throne...would any other Captain be so hurt when the first officer dies..would any other captain show the emotion that Shatner does in the death scene...I can't see it. Watch this film..It is the best Star Trek there ever will be...

Dead Bang (1989)

Anything but a dead bang....

[7/10 · 4 August 2004]

Another one of those TV stars who moved into movies this sadly has been put alongside with Caruso's JADE but on closer inspection all movies are not that bad..... Dead Bang is a fairly run of the mill cop against bad guys type thing but what takes it out of the run of the mill is the direction from Frankenheimer & the star turn from Johnson. Johnson gives a great performance as the stressed cop,we can see the frustration in Beck's life either doing his job or trying to see his kids,his acting is done very well & not over the top..in particular the xmas morning bust Beck makes..the start of the scene we see the alcoholic sweats to later on being sick all over the suspect. The supporting cast however do not raise their game to give the support Johnson needs with William Forsythe in particular giving a completely wooden performance which is surprizing as he has been so much better.

The action scenes are handled very well indeed...The gunfights(are they're are a few) are not to Hollywood for my liking.

On the whole a very enjoyable movie & it shows that Don Johnson should have been a movie star.

The Living Daylights (1987)

One of the best.

[10/10 · 4 August 2004]

Quite simply put The Living Daylights is one of the best James Bond films they have ever made & if Wilson & co are smart they'll do more like this one.

Having decided to give up the role of 007 in 1985 Roger Moore stepped down,Moore had saved the series in the early 70's but had stayed in the role a movie to long(they should have left it with the excellent Octopussy),the hunt was now on for a new actor who could take the role into the 90's....Thankfully Dalton was the man they found. As soon as he got the part Dalton went straight back to the source material..ie Ian Fleming's novels & it shows on the screen...the bond in the Living Daylights is the Bond character jumping right out of the books.

The film really shows how keen everyone involved in it wanted to say that this was a fresh start but at the same time still show that this is a Bond picture & they pull it off very well..John Glen's direction is excellent,he really found his feet by now & all the aspects of the film are done well...A special mention must also go to John Barry who's score for the film is one of his best...oh if only they couyd bring him back rather than have his clone do the new ones....

Timothy Dalton is very much undervalued in his contribution to the Bond movies but i do feel that in about 10 years & his films will be seen in a different light on how they are looked on today. The producers of the Bond movies really need to do the same again now as they did back in 1987...make Bond a character & no more films like Die Another Day..OK it made them tons of money but is it worth selling the sole of Bond to do it..... Give the role to Clive Owen & make Bond a character again.