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Reviews
The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew (1983)
Durable, definitely funny, Canuck classic.
Highbrows need not apply - at the Elsinore Brewery, being a numb minded idiot is not a problem. For instance- the McKenzie brothers show up early for work on their first day... and fueled up by donuts and a beer or two from their capacious parka pockets, they are ready to take on anything (assuming they still recognize anything...) . Seriously folks, I think this movie is a must have - I howled when I first saw it, and it IS actually suitable for children - my grandson blew his drink out his nose he laughed so hard. This movie works as well now as it did 25 years ago. Dumb lines abound - "look, it's makin' them fight", sure, the hockey sequence doesn't make much sense, but it is funny. Max Von Sydow is suitably threatening as the villain, whilst he makes attempts to control his worthless henchman. The matte paintings of the Elsinore Brewery and the "Royal Canadian Institute for the Mentally Insane" are nicely done - and well, who wouldn't want an underground tunnel linking an insane asylum and a brewery...? Overall I think this film is a wonderful piece of silliness that will remain a classic. "EH?"
Afro Samurai: Resurrection (2009)
An awesome sequel that further expresses the Afro Samurai character
Not for the faint of heart, this latest entry in the Afro Samurai series continues a tremendous effort in line drawing style animation, and may by some be seen as frequently a bit too abrupt in frame-to-frame action, but it manages to be so well aligned within the graphic novel genre (so that if you blink during sequences what you retain may be a panel by panel view of what the story needs, and what a comic reader wants). I give it the 10 of 10 full rating as a classic piece that works very well without the usual massive CGI effects most folks seem to expect these days in anything considered 'animated'. Yes, it is more than a bit bloody in nature, but contains a message 'of honor' and more fundamental - the message to carry on if you believe in something. Very well done, thank you Samuel Jackson for the terse comments from a no nonsense character. I highly recommend this film, but it is not for young kids...
Æon Flux (1991)
You really should see this film, it is great.
The movie does not adhere to the cartoon version - some similarity is there but overall the film version is a standalone story, not subject to the formula used in the MTV original. Ms Theron is very impressive as Aeon, and shows her recent training in gymnastics off to advantage. I found the production values in the film to be of high standard, and will watch it many times over just to enjoy the settings ( and of course, 'Aeon' is rather easy on the eyes...). One small thing is problematic - the movie does not have the dark tone to it I would have expected. I would have thought the overall feeling might have been more along the lines of 'Underworld', but instead I found it to almost be an upbeat film. Optimism run rampant as it were. Overall I judged this to be an excellent film. So-called critics have not watched enough sci-fi if they panned this movie, then again I even liked the latest Godzilla movie, so what do I know. Bottom line - Charlize Theron looks great, is entirely in character as Aeon, watch the movie and enjoy it for what it is. A splendid effort.