In this task, you must classify if a given review is positive/negative, indicating your answer as P or N.

Input: Consider Input: synopsis : al simmons , top - notch assasin with a guilty conscience , dies in a fiery explosion and goes to hell .
making a pact with malebolgia , a chief demon there , simmons returns to earth 5 years later reborn as spawn , a general in hell 's army donning a necroplasmic costume replete with knives , chains , and a morphing cape .
sullen , wise cogliostro and flatulating , wisecracking violator vy for spawn 's attention .
comments : when todd mcfarlane left marvel comics ( where he had made a name for himself as a first - rate comic book penciller on the " spider - man " titles ) to join the newly - formed , creator - owned image comics , a new comic book legend was born : spawn .
mcfarlane 's " spawn " immediately became a commercial and critical success and a defining comic book series of the 1990s .
mcfarlane created a hero who was not only original but visually intricate , allowing mcfarlane to utilize his knack for artistic detail to the max .
the early " spawn " issues brilliantly capture mcfarlane 's genius at illustration and show his early attempts at writing .
with the popularity of " spawn " and the success of the current warner bros . 's batman film franchise , a movie version of some sort seemed inevitable for spawn .
in the summer of 1997 , hence , new line cinema released spawn , a live - action film based on the groundbreaking series .
this topheavy exercise in violence and special effects
unfortunately topples quickly and leaves fans of the comic book , like me , numbed by how much spawn misses the mark .
what happened ?
why is spawn so bad ?
todd mcfarlane himself
executive produced this disappointing misfire and even appears in a cameo .
i do n't think , however , that his presence necessarily hurt ( or helped )
the film .
i place the blame , in part , on the recent hollywood trend , fueled by public demand apparently , for special effects blow - out movies utilizing the latest computer technology .
these films focus upon the effects at the expense of everything else : character , plot , dialogue , etc .
spawn , reflecting this trend , shows the audience one gratuitous scene after another populated with morphing characters and filled with unnecessary pyrotechnics .
hardly a minute goes by in this film without fires , explosions , knives and chains appearing out of nowhere , glowing eyes , or constantly transforming demons .
a lot of it is visually interesting and technically solid , do n't get me wrong , but , because the script and cast are n't engaging , spawn ultimately comes across like overwrought wallpaper ( the surface may capture the eye , but nothing exists underneath ) .
spawn 's translation of the comic book suffers the most at the storyline level .
mcfarlane 's spawn was a tortured hero .
a mercenary by trade , al simmons was nonetheless a warm man in love with the beautiful wanda .
having died and journeyed to hell , he made a pact to return to earth to be with wanda .
simmons , however , discovers that his memories are fragmented , his body a creepy mess , and his wife married .
despite his sometimes violent nature , readers could n't help but feel sympathetic toward his plight as the spawn of the underworld .
spawn attempts to show all of this but does not spend nearly the time it should to do so .
when the characters are developed , they seem absurd rather than touching .
the cartoonish dialogue and implausible subplot
( a general possesses the antidote to a supervirus called heat-16 which he wishes to unleash to enslave the world ) do not help matters .
spawn , in an apparent attempt to duplicate the success of batman , also unwisely spends too much time on a villain , the violator ( batman favored the joker over batman ) .
john leguizamo , like jack nicholson in batman , receives top billing in the cast as the violator ; michael jai white ( al simmons / spawn ) is second .
i ordinarily find leguizamo an intensely annoying presence in films which seems to make him a perfect candidate for the violator .
the film , however , spends so much time on the violator 's offensive antics that they grate on the nerves .
apparently meant to be the comic relief in the film ( as nicholson was in batman ) , especially when contrasted with the sullen spawn , the violator 's lines are oftentimes grotesque and unfunny , leaving the audience wishing he would leave .
leguizamo does a satisfactory job in the role , but he is seen far too often in the film .
michael jai white , a relative newcomer to theatrical releases , seems to be an appealing actor , and he handles his role adequately , but we see little of him without various masks on .
more time needed to be spent on white 's character before he became spawn for the movie to pull at the heartstrings .
a special note should be made about martin sheen as the over - the - top , obnoxious , evil general wynn .
easily the hammiest performance in the movie , it 's hard to imagine how sheen mucked up his role so much ; after all , he played a vietnam assasin brilliantly in the great apocalypse now .
sheen 's excessive demeanor do not help the audience accept him as a mastermind villain and comes as a surprise considering his extensive career in film .
many other elements conspire with the disappointing script and abundant special effects to drag spawn down
.
mtv - style , jerky , in - your - face editing is one of them .
flames , for example , roll across the screen sometimes to announce a shift in setting .
cogliostro , unlikely wannabe guide for spawn , serves as a poor narrator for the film .
he goofily tells the audience , at one point , that " how much of [ spawn 's ] humanity is left remains to be seen , " as if the audience really cares as one violent sequence leads to another .
the music , finally , assaults the audience as much as the manic violence and offensive dialogue .
loud and obnoxious hard rock fused with drum loops dominate some scenes .
to be fair , however , marilyn manson 's " long hard road out of hell
" effectively compliments spawn 's return to earth , while filter and the crystal method 's
" ( ca n't you ) trip like i do " proves a surprisingly fitting theme song .
for as good a comic book as it is , " spawn " did not spawn a good movie .
spawn , instead , suffers from too much pomp and circumstance , and too little plot and character development
.
it receives two stars for its technically well - done special effects .
many other films , though , have equal , if not superior , special effects and are much better .
rated pg-13 , spawn seems more violent than many r - rated movies and probably would n't be appropriate for the very young .

Output: N


Input: Consider Input: way of the gun is brimming with surprises , some good , most bad .
one of the good ones is ryan phillippe 's surprisingly halfway decent performance .
after the actor gained much attention by posing and preening through teen swill like i know what you did last summer , he hinted at a bit growth in last year 's cruel intentions with his amusingly contemptuous john malkovich meets james spader performance , though his acting in that film faltered around the third act mark , precisely when the screenplay made his character grow a heart ( presumably to appeal to his training bra wearing fans ) and start bellyaching about how he 'd fallen for his " target " .
it was a dramatic shift that neither phillippe nor the film 's director could negotiate .
but he seems to be trying and that should n't be overlooked ( or probably over praised ) seeing as how , at this point , he really is n't required to do much but look pretty .
here , phillippe has procured a five day growth of beard , his hair askew and his affect altered to sound something like james cagney in all his " look here , see " glory .
it 's tough to believe a pretty boy like phillippe as a hard ass , but his performance actually helps with the illusion .
unlike ben affleck 's puppy dog approach in reindeer games , phillippe is believable and not too bad at that .
as for the plot , well , that 's one of the bad surprises ; phillippe and the great benicio del torro play two moronic ( and not even remotely likeable ) criminals ( introduced to us in the parking lot of a rave where they stupidly pick a fight with about twenty people ) who hatch a scheme to kidnap a surrogate mother ( juliette lewis ) after overhearing that she 's carrying the baby of painter ( scott wilson ) , a very well connected wealthy man .
the kidnapping devolves into a laborious shoot out where much damage is done and many are killed .
but the anti - heroes escape with the woman while an aging hit man ( james caan ) and two scheming bodyguards ( taye diggs and nicky katt ) remain in pursuit .
directed by christopher mcquarrie , the screenwriter who won an oscar for his work on usual suspects , an overrated piece of crime noir in many circles ( this one included ) , way of the gun is a hodgepodge of crime thriller motifs that just oozes eye rolling familiarity .
unlike phillipe , mcquarrie does n't seem to be growing at all ; he fills his flick with a sprawling labyrinth of plot all snatched from movies
i know i 've seen before and worse , it feels like it .
the film lacks even a fresh approach ( like what soderbergh did out of sight or the limey ) to its clich ?
s , all of which are spewed before us in a picture that tries so desperately to be hip and gritty without bothering to notice how common it is
.
it features characters living by a code they seemed to have picked up in sam peckinpah 101 rather than any thing resembling life .
even attempts at emotional weight feel strained like in preposterous scene where enemies james caan and benicio del torro stop in their tracks to have a cup of coffee and pontificate on life , philosophy , etc .
i did n't like the bit much when it first appeared in heat ,
here , it 's even more self consciously " dramatic " .
usual suspects , which also featured a bunch of low lives that seemed to live by a code they learned from the movies , worked to some degree because of that astonishing twist ending .
nowadays an astonishing twist per ending is de rigeur , never mind if it deems all that transpired before it completely inconsequential .
thus , nearly every character in way comes with at least one dirty little secret ( most amateurishly projected before they appear ) and it too has an ironic little twist at the end ( nothing earth shattering , like in the usual suspects ) but i admit , i did n't see it coming , and i smiled .
however most of the movie feels exactly like the interrogation scenes between palminteri and spacey in usual suspects : a lot of faux huffing and puffing with no rhythm or reason .
or substance .
it 's just as overplotted as suspects , and often dull as any overplotted movie without interesting characters , a distinctive style , or a good script would be .
even the good stuff , most of which involves james caan ( doing a fine job ) , feels odd and out of place in a movie that thinks lines like " karma is only justice with out the satisfaction " are clever .
at one point caan laments " need is the ultimate monkey " a line so inexplicable he might as well have said " love is like hippo ass " .
i 've seen porno with better dialogue .
and some with better plot lines too .
but rarely has porn offered up such a talented cast ( i mean , can you even compare james caan to ron jeremy ) .
caan slips into this role with seeming ease , he could do this kind of soft - spoken tough guy in a coma , but he manages to give his character depth and weariness .
benicio del torro is always welcome , though here he plays it fairly straight ( rather than another oddball character creation like the ones the actor gave us in usual suspects and excess baggage ) , adopting a brad pitt - esque quizzical pout to go along with his heavy swaggering .
speaking of pitt , his ex , juliette lewis , is a weak link , either shouting her lines with ear shattering shrillness , or waddling about like a silly goose .
nicky katt was brilliant in a brief role in the limey , here his role is just as brief only
he seems wasted ; he 's only kept around for his cold presence .
taye diggs has a similar function , cool as ever , but never a character , though the guy has one helluva death scene .
for the most part way is incessantly talky with no reason to give a hippo 's ass about any thing that transpires since its characters are never more than simplistic pawns .
it 's vaguely tarantino - ish , but in a bad truth and consequences nm way , with phillippe , in one scene , leaping into a stupid rant about " faggots " migrating to los angeles .
you know the routine .
the final shoot out is pure bargain basement john woo ( who himself seems to be doing bargain basement john woo ) with interchangeable bad guys lining up to be shot at .
but those gun shots sure crack like thunder .
just the other day i was watching an old dirty harry movie on cable and was stunned to hear the weak elephant grunt - like sound that emanated from harry 's fetishized smith and wesson .
oh how far we 've come .

Output: N


Input: Consider Input: star wars : episode 1 - the phantom menace ( 1999 )
review by matt pusateri few movies evoke nostalgia , enthusiasm , and affection like george lucas ' 1977 classic , star wars .
the original blockbuster film and its two sequels not only evoked wonder and passion in a generation of filmgoers , but has deeply entrenched itself in american pop culture .
arguably , more americans today can explain what " the force " or a " jedi " is than a budget deficit or a serb .
so 22 years after the release of the original , and 16 years since the third film , the return of the jedi , how can any new star wars film withstand the weight of incomparable expectations and anticipation ?
can a new storyline and a new cast of
characters possibly compete with the legends of the first trilogy - luke , han solo , and darth vader -all cultural icons ?
against this challenge , the fourth star wars film , episode one : the phantom menace hit the screens last week .
and despite some early critical reviews in the major media , the film is neither a flop nor a disappointment .
while the phantom menace is certainly not the finest film in the series , it is nonetheless engaging , exciting , and visually breathtaking .
it is a worthy sequel - er , prequel - to the original star wars films .
the phantom menace takes place decades before the setting of original films .
as the film opens , obi - wan kenobi ( ewan mcgregor ) , the wise old master who introduced luke to the force in the original star wars , is only a young jedi apprentice , still learning from his fellow jedi and instructor , qui - gon jinn ( liam neeson ) .
the republic government has sent the two jedi to settle a trade dispute that has developed into a blockade of the planet naboo by a shifty trade federation .
the jedi quickly find themselves not in negotiations , but in the middle of a planetary invasion , rushing to protect naboo 's young queen amidala ( natalie portman ) .
later , after eventually rescuing amidala and helping her escape naboo , they are forced to stop at tatooine to repair their battle - damaged ship before bringing her to the galactic senate to make an appeal for justice .
on tatooine , qui - gon discovers a young slave boy , anakin skywalker ( jake lloyd ) , who not only can help them get the parts they need , but displays uncanny intelligence , insight , and instincts .
qui - gon senses the child is " unusually strong " with the force and begins to suspect that he may be " the one " prophesized to " bring balance to the force .
" as anyone who has watched the original star wars trilogy knows , far from being a galactic savior , the innocent - looking 9-year - old will in time become the ruthless darth vader .
complicating matters further is a mysterious hooded figure , darth sidious , is behind the trade blockade and invasion of naboo , and sends out a lethal apprentice , darth maul , to find and capture queen amidala .
while amidala and the jedi fight to save her planet , they soon also have to deal with the deadly and relentless darth maul .
if the plot sounds a bit complicated , it is .
the phantom menace not only introduces an earlier generation of characters and an immediate crisis , but sets up the foundation for the events that will eventually lead to the fall of the republic , the demise of the jedi knights , anakin 's turn to evil , and the rise of the dark empire of original trilogy .
but the complexity is not overwhelming .
the story moves quickly , with the only drawback being that many questions , predictably , remain unanswered at the end of the film , setting the stage for the next episode .
one of the reasons the film 's story seems hazy is not that it is too confusing , but too unfocused .
it 's unclear whose story phantom menace is .
in the original trilogy , the movies were clearly luke 's story , with the stories centering around his growth from farmboy to rebel hero to jedi knight .
but it 's unclear whether this new film is anakin 's story or obi - wan 's .
if this trilogy is centered on anakin , it 's a shaky foundation .
lloyd , like many child actors , lacks the subtle acting skills of adult performers , and as a result , his character seems shallow and unimpressive .
on screen , we see nothing that suggests a dark side lurking underneath his little - boy face , or for that matter , any presence that would make him seem so special that qui - gon is willing to believe he is " the one .
"
the rest of the cast does fine , though they often work with some iffy dialogue by lucas .
neeson is perfect as an aging jedi knight .
mcgregor is well - cast as obi - wan and conveys a balance of youthful energy and calm sensibility .
portman fits the role of a young queen well , but her lines were often very formal , giving her little room to give her character much personality .
the biggest problem with the phantom menace is not the plot or the characters , but the interaction between them .
individually , the characters in this new film are no less developed than those in the original star wars , and the storyline is not more confusing than previous films in the series .
but unlike the previous trilogy , lucas does n't do as good of a job playing the characters off one another .
in star wars , there were immediate contrasts and memorable exchanges between luke and han , han and obi - wan , and leia and luke .
the ensemble played off each other and immediately showed their distinct attitudes and personalities .
in the sequence in where luke , han , and chewbacca attempt to rescue leia from her cell on the death star , the audience learns a lot about all four characters in the ways they react to the immediate problems and each other .
there is no comparable sequence in the phantom menace to flesh out the characters and their relationships with each other .
individually , they are interesting characters with clear motivations and interests , but lucas develops little chemistry or tension between the them .
this is perhaps the most glaring weakness of this film , and is probably the reason it has disappointed many reviewers .
but despite the need for a richer dialogue and stronger character interaction , the film is still very engaging .
many of the wonderful elements of lucas ' previous films make the phantom menace both memorable and entertaining .
first , of course , is the remarkably rich and imaginative universe lucas creates .
the characters visit magical underwater cities , evade dinosaur - sized sea monsters , fight battle droids and menacing " destroyers " on venetian - looking planet of naboo , watch a spectacular event , part roman - chariot race , part nascar circuit , on the arid desert planet of tatooine , then head to corsucant , the gothic urban capital of the republic and home to the galactic senate and the jedi council .
each location is elaborate and complex .
lucas never settles for vague ideas about the look of his settings , he creates rich , spectacular landscapes , palaces , and skylines .
most of the new special effects in his re - released special edition trilogy in 1997 were changes that allowed him to give the earlier movies the look and feel that just were n't possible when the films were made .
more than ever , in this new film , lucas ' universe is filled with a menagerie of creatures , robots with personalities , and a supporting cast of aliens who interact with the main characters .
the best such character is watto , a greedy tatooine junk dealer who owns anakin and his mother as slaves .
watto has a scratchy italian voice and a short , paunchy body with oddly mismatched wings that flutter like a hummingbird as he floats around the room .
of all the computer - generated characters in the film
, watto is the best done and most enjoyable .
speaking of computer - generated characters , no review of the phantom menace is complete without mentioning the most controversial figure in the film : jar jar binks . with more than 80 minutes of screen time , jar jar is the realization of george lucas ' dream to include a fully computer - generated character into the cast of the new trilogy .
jar jar , a clumsy amphibian and member of the gungan race , literally stumbles his way into the path of the jedi knights early in the film and becomes qui jon 's accidental sidekick .
jar jar usually performs a comic - relief role in the film , lightening scenes with his mishaps and inability to stay out of trouble .
the animation of jar jar is nearly seamless , and he interacts with the characters throughout the film as if he were really on the set with the actors .
however , despite the technological magic that makes his character possible , jar jar is n't completely convincing .
he still moves and sounds too much like a cartoon to blend into a scene .
throughout the movie , jar jar never transcends a " roger rabbit " -like presence .
you accept that he 's there , but you never lose sight of the fact that he is an animated character .
initially , i found jar jar annoying , but grew to enjoy the humor he added to the film .
on my second viewing of the film , jar jar was a lot of fun
and i did n't mind him at all .
a second reason this film continues the fine tradition of star wars movies is that the film is replete with humor and small details that flesh out the world lucas creates .
despite all the film 's struggles between good and evil , and the sober musings about one 's destiny and " the force , " like all star wars films , the phantom menace never takes itself too seriously .
fortunately , lucas has n't lost sight of the fact that his films are entertainment , not high art .
from the bumbling jar jar , to a one - man , two - headed announcer team calling the action at the film 's thrilling pod - race sequence , to a cameo appearance by e. t. in the film , the phantom menace is simply a lot of fun , with lots of half - hidden jokes and humor that can easily be missed .
and finally , the phantom menace works
because , as in all his films , there is no shortage of speed and action . from beginning to end , there are light - saber battles , hair - raising chases , and thrilling duels between good and evil .
the pod - race sequence on tatooine is one of the most entertaining and exciting scenes in any star wars film , and the final showdown between obi - wan , qui - gon , and darth maul is arguably the best choreographed , most thrilling fight sequence lucas has filmed .
the phantom menace wo n't win any major oscars .
it probably wo n't beat titanic 's box office record . and it 's not even the best star wars film ( i 'd put it third , after the original and the empire strikes back ) .
but it 's an exciting and entertaining film , far better than your typical summer blockbuster .
the film ca n't live up to it 's hype - no film , not even the original star wars , could have done that .
but it 's still worth seeing .
.. probably more than once .


Output: P