instruction:
In this task, you must classify if a given review is positive/negative, indicating your answer as P or N.
question:
godzilla is the ultimate culmination of the " who cares about plot " summer movie .
a loose remake of the 1954 " classic " japanese monster movie , godzilla , king of the monsters ( which is itself pretty thin in the story department ) , roland emmerich and dean devlin 's big - budget lizard - stomps - manhattan disaster flick has been written with the brain dead in mind .
the script is n't just " dumbed down , " it 's lobotomized .
godzilla lives and dies on special effects alone .
presumably , the primary target group for this film is teenage boys , the demographic most likely to shell out $ 7 repeatedly to see the same images of monster - instigated carnage .
that 's not to say that females and other age groups are immune to the special effects seduction ; they 're just not as readily susceptible .
this is the third straight movie in a row where emmerich and devlin have demonstrated that a mastery of computer - generated visuals is far more important for making money than the ability to write and direct for actors .
stargate was a financial success .
independence day was a runaway hit .
and , with godzilla already drowning in hype and merchandising tie - ins before it even opens , it 's virtually guaranteed at least $ 100 million .
nice numbers for a film that could have been penned by a not - too - precocious grade school kid .
godzilla is n't completely without merit , although it is close .
there 's a certain visceral thrill inherent in watching the giant lizard rip his way through manhattan ,
but it wears off quickly .
frankly
, while the special effects are competent , they 're not all that stunning .
there 's nothing new here
; it 's jurassic park meets aliens , with a little independence day thrown in for bad measure .
maybe it will require george lucas and his new star wars movie to take computer - generated visuals to the next level .
godzilla never really pushes the envelope , preferring to remain within a comfort zone .
the imagination of monster movies like king kong has been replaced by a crass , formulaic approach which disallows creativity .
( how disturbing is it to know that godzilla has been chosen to close the 51st cannes film festival ? ) worst of all , godzilla is n't even exciting .
with the possible exception of a mildly enjoyable car chase near the end , there is n't a sequence in this film that raises the pulse .
even the scenes with dozens of aircraft attacking the monster are so devoid of tension and suspense that they are yawn - provoking .
independence day may have been dumb , but it was full of " adrenaline moments " capable of getting the audience involved in the action .
in this aspect of its production , as in so many others , godzilla is lacking .
actually , part of the problem is that we 're never sure who we 're supposed to be rooting for : the green monster with an attitude or the paper - thin humans trying to stop him .
the plot , such as it is , can be summed up rather simply .
after sinking a few ships and leaving some footprints on tropical islands , godzilla shows up in the big apple .
he does some of the usual tourist things :
stops by madison square garden , visits the chrysler building , goes on a walk through central park , and takes the subway .
in the process , he knocks over a few buildings and steps on countless cabs , but he never has trouble with traffic jams .
on hand to stop him is an elite u.
s. army unit , led by a slightly less - arrogant - than - usual military man ( kevin dunn ) and a biologist named nick tatopoulos , who has a theory about godzilla .
in his opinion , the big guy is actually a lizard grown to enormous proportions as a result of the radiation given off by french atomic bomb tests in the south pacific .
in nick 's words , godzilla is " a mutated aberration ?
an incipient creature ?
the first of its kind .
"
as luck would have it , nick 's old girlfriend , audrey ( maria pitillo ) , is a reporter based at a new york tv station .
along with her cameraman friend , animal ( hank azaria ) , she decides to follow nick around as he trails godzilla .
then , just when the military has rejected nick 's theory about why godzilla is in new york , a member of the french secret service ( jean reno ) recruits him for a special assignment .
instead of stomping around tokyo this time , godzilla has chosen new york city .
unfortunately , manhattan has been destroyed so many times in recent disaster movies ( independence day , deep impact , armageddon ) that it 's becoming boring .
the whole tradition of monsters roaming around the city started with king kong , but the big ape was only about 30 feet tall .
he could climb the empire state building .
at ten times that height , godzilla would be more likely to knock it over .
godzilla contains a few lame attempts at humor .
there 's an ongoing feud between animal and his wife that plays like sit - com material , an unfunny and repetitive gag about how no one can pronounce nick 's last name properly , and a rather tame attack on film critics roger ebert and gene siskel .
both of the popular personalities have alter egos in the film : " ebert , " the mayor of new york , is played by michael lerner , and " gene " ( lorry goldman ) is his campaign manager .
ebert 's re - election slogan is , not surprisingly , " thumbs up for new york .
" the siskel / ebert stuff is amusing the first time it 's used , but , after a while , it grows tiresome .
and , although the " characters " do n't serve any real purpose , they keep popping up .
godzilla is saddled with an unimpressive cast .
this is largely because emmerich does n't want to risk a human performance upstaging his lizard .
that 's not to say that matthew broderick and jean reno are n't capable of good performances ( both have done their share of solid acting in the past ) , but they are n't a - list names .
then again , considering the quality of the writing , even pacino and deniro would have been hard- pressed to shine .
maria
pitillo ( dear god ) plays the love interest and hank azaria ( great expectations ) is on hand to present what is supposed to be comic relief .
ultimately , it does n't really matter what i ( or any other critic , for that matter ) have to say about the movie .
tristar has assumed that godzilla , like all self - proclaimed summer event motion pictures , is pretty much critic - proof .
it may also be word - of - mouth - proof .
those who want to see the movie will see it no matter what i write or their friends say .
so , when i go on record to assert that godzilla is one of the most idiotic blockbuster movies of all time , it 's like spitting into the wind .
emmerich and devlin are master illusionists , waving their wands and mesmerizing audiences with their smoke and mirrors .
it 's probably too much to hope that some day , movie - goers will wake up and realize that they 've been had .
answer:
N


question:
notice : this is a review and analysis of exotica .
the first part of this piece is the review , the second part contains some analysis of the movie which might be construed as spoilers . if you have not seen the movie and after reading the first part you intend to do so , then save the second part for the discussion afterwards .
starring : bruce greenwood , mia kirshner , elias kosteas , don mckellar , arsinee khanijian , sarah polley director : atom egoyan screenplay : atom egoyan exotica is a film that grows on retrospection .
exotica keeps the viewer guessing about the relationship between the various characters in the film .
all of the people know each other , but apart from that , there seems to be no other reason why to select such set and follow them in this fictional account .
the director hints for possible solutions , using a multi - line plot , so popular with critics in mystery train , and used to good advantage by quentin tarantino in pulp fiction .
exotica reaches a whole new dimension using this technique .
at the end it is surprising to see how well the pieces of the puzzle fit together , in spite their apparent unconnectedness and even misleading features .
the out - of - chronological - order technique has become ever so popular ,
perhaps even de rigueur , for biographical films .
similarly , we can now expect to see more movies in the future which will use , to varying extent , converging multiplots .
on a first glance , once the multi - plot puzzle in exotica is solved , there seems to be little left to look at . but perceptive minds which take the time to dig further will be rewarded with interesting views on life or rather , commentaries on views of life .
exotica is very much worth seeing .
it opened to critic 's praise worldwide ( i first saw it in mexico city , last december ) .
in canada , it broke records for a movie of its kind , which prompted the american distributor to go for a wide release .
apart from a strong plot , acting is very convincing , and the soundtrack seems as if made for the movie .
the spoon - fed - entertainment crowd may not appreciate this movie , and thus it might last little on screen .
but if you want to try a movie a cut above the crowd , with an originality that is ever so rare , by all means see exotica .
analysis
( * * spoilers
*
* ahead ) what is behind the complex plot in exotica ?
first , a common theme of the quest for gratification by monetary means .
the lone tax - auditor , the repressed homosexual pet shop owner , the pregnant woman which runs the nightclub , the rich man which has the club remodeled , the audience at the movie theatre , all use personal wealth to buy palliative relief for the penuries of the soul .
.. .
then we have the quest for gratification through visual means by most of the same people , including those who sit watching exotica .
.. . in that regard exotica stands for onlookers at a nightclub , for the rich man looking through silver mirrors , and poor - rich people looking at other 's people lives through a silver screen .
exotica also stands for unwanted society attention into the lives of other people , such as the tax auditor and the pet shop owner .
exotica is the customer agent looking at the pet shop owner , which in turn is looking at the core of the problems between the strip dancer and the tax auditor through the detached eye of a gay person ( no attraction to the strip dancer ) , and only interested on avoiding jail ( no personal relationship with the tax auditor ) .
in exotica everybody is watching , and what is worse , everybody knows .
second , exotica is about isolated people holding back their feelings ; about people which by voluntary or involuntary means transfer their view of reality to other characters .
the strip dancer becomes the proverbial daughter , the dj becomes the proverbial killer by means of breaking the relationship between the father and the proverbial daughter .
the niece becomes the baby sitter , the baby sitter becomes the dancer , and the dancer becomes the proverbial daughter .
the pet shop owner becomes the proverbial dj , by finding the proverbial daughter .
a chain made of real and imagined links coming around full circle , just as everything comes around to a fitting whole at the end of the movie .
answer:
P


question:
review : a dog of flanders is the story of an adorable little boy named nello and his trials and tribulations in 19th century flanders . living with his grandfather jehan ( jack warden ) in poverty , nello finds happiness in his life in spite of difficult times ( they are renting a spare one - room cottage , and the greedy , malevolent landlord who owns it threatens to throw them ` out of the house ' if they do n't pay the rent ) .
nello also has a rather creative talent for drawing some of the most beautiful pictures that i have ever seen , in either a movie or in real life .
( his hero is peter paul rubens , the great flemish painter of the 17th century . )
not that these are the only things that make nello 's life happy , however .
he has a dog of flanders , whom he names patrasche , who is a heroic rin - tin - tin of the 19th century , whom he rescues from his cruel , unkind master .
in addition , he even has a best friend ( and future sweetheart ) in the lovely , wealthy aloise , whose father strongly disapproves of her hanging out with ` lower - class ' nello .
( he thinks he 's not good enough for her , and he would hate the idea of the two kids marrying . )
but then , he was a poor guy himself before he married ( as mentioned later on in the film ) .
one day , nello encounters a mysterious , yet kindhearted artist named michel la grande ( played wonderfully by jon voight ) , who tells the boy to keep drawing from his heart , and that perhaps one day he might land a career in being an artist .
and every christmas , there is a contest on which is the most beautiful painting of the year ;
the winner getting a lot of money .
eager to save his home ( and his aging , dying grandfather ) , nello willingly decides to become an artist , asking aloise to pose for him .
one night , the two travel to a circus , where they have their fortune told ? one of the film 's most delightful scenes ? that great happiness is destined for them .
she gives the kids a ring , whom nello places on aloise 's hand .
; ) afterwards , the two kids have a rollickingly good time dancing around in front of circus performers .
unfortunately , things are not all ` la - dee - dah ' in this tale .
aloise 's father finally becomes so angry with nello that he forbids him to ever see aloise again .
bad enough that they ca n't see each other ( although we know nello and aloise , do n't we ? )
, but that 's only the start of nello 's troubles .
aloise 's farm is burned down , and nello is wrongfully accused ( by the landord of his cottage ) for starting the fire in order to take revenge on being forbidden to see aloise .
this decreases nello 's reputation around the town , save aloise and her parents , and a kindly miller , william , who is very sweet to nello every time he drops by .
matters get much worse for nello when his grandfather dies , and he has to pay for his funeral .
but then things really get nasty when the landlord exiles nello from his own home ( for not paying his rental ) ?
permanetly .
this means that nello and patrasche have to starve and walk out in the cold , freezing wind .
worst of all , the painting that he has desperately been working on during all this time , ` the portrait of the princess ' , fails to win the prize at the festival .
now nello and patrasche are really depressed , and close to freezing to death .
will nello be able to find any happiness in his life ?
will patrasche save the day ?
will nello make the fateful trip to join his mother and grandfather in paradise ?
a dog of flanders is a delightful , heartwarming family film that is sure to entertain kids of all ages .
even older ones who consider themselves too ` sophisticated ' for kiddie fare will be surprised to hear that this film is for grown - ups , too .
there have been other movies of this ilk ( boy and dog ) , and while this one falls into that category , it is mostly a story about overcoming difficulties and finding a good home for yourself . move over ?
or rather , roll over ?
old yeller , this dog of flanders is a heartwarming delight .
the cinematography , courtesy of walther van den ende is beautiful , and really adds to the powerful drama of the film .
it also gives a feel of being in flanders ( the whole film was respectably shot in flanders ) .
the music from richard friedman is also remarkable ; an evocative , poignant score that recaptures music from the 19th century .
the opening song over the credits is very beautiful ( i hope the soundtrack is available ! )
,
and there 's a brief excerpt of ` cheer up , charlie ' from willy wonka and the chocolate factory ( sung by aloise , to nello , in another delightful scene ) .
the cast is first - rate : jesse james and jeremy james kissner , who play nello , are some of the most endearing , adorable young stars i have ever seen in my whole life
( so are the girls who play aloise , madyline sweeten as the younger , and farren monet as the older ) .
not that they are the only good stars , however .
jack warden is ideal as jehan , eliciting just the right amount of humor and compassion required for the character .
( the scenes involving him and nello are heartwarming , touching ones . ) also , bruce mcgill is charming as the kindly miller william .
he 's
another one of my favorite characters in the film .
but jon voight , as i mentioned before , is the perfect choice for michel .
he brings a mysterious , yet gentle performance that makes us all feel good again when he reassures insecure nello that he * can * win the contest .
but what makes this film fun to watch is how well - defined the characters are , and the pace of the story ( best of all , it has a happy ending ?
though i will * not * give it away ; sorry ) is strong and powerful enough for us to identify with the characters .
for the first time since the beginning of 1999 , there comes a film which does n't rely on popular formula stuff , such as big - budget special effects , commercial rock soundtracks , or any of that stuff .
this one relies on telling a fully character - oriented story , with just the right amount of heart , humor , and drama .
that , to me , is what makes a dog of flanders all the more delightful . eleanor o'sullivan of ` the home news & tribune ' noticed this , and was kind and generous enough to welcome it : ` for want of a better word , a glow surrounds a dog of flanders .
its heart is in the right place and it engages you .
you can guess where the film is going because this is well - traveled territory , but with pros like voight and appealing young performers like kissner , an often - told story is well worth a revisit . '
in addition , there were a couple of other enthusiasts , such as chicago - sun times and the washington post ( you should read their reviews ; they 're really positive ) .
other critics , however , were not so kind .
stephen holden of ` the new york times ' had more than a share of beatings to lay upon a dog of flanders via pen writing .
he found the film to be a ` sea of sugary bromides ' and condemned mr .
voight 's character as ` hopelessly wooden ?
adopts an accent even more indeterminate than the one he came up with for anaconda . '
in addition , ` entertainment weekly ' slam - dunked the film , condemning it as ` the worst family film of the year . '
there have been so many other bad reviews like this , too .
my suggestion : disregard the critics .
they just have a big problem with touching family films , and one should never pay attention to them .
this dog of flanders may only be a little ` family ' movie ( it probably wo n't be a big hit in the style of titanic , but then again no other film has been since then ) , but that is not a bad thing in and of itself .
this is a story that is sure to warm your heart , and that is what really matters about a dog of flanders .
it is also one of the better family films around this year .
none of the other films i have seen this year ( though they were good ) have been so low - key and touching .
if you 're looking for family - style entertainment , look no further than this charming boy - and - dog yarn .
go see it while you still can , for as i mentioned , it might not be a big bow - wow at the box office for a long time .
see it while you can .
there is really no need to compare a multi - million dollar blockbuster such as star wars : episode
i ?
the phantom menace or tarzan , or even the iron giant with a tender , sweet little family movie .
answer:

P