TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you must classify if a given review is positive/negative, indicating your answer as P or N.
PROBLEM: ` run lola run ' , a german import that gained a stellar reputation at the sundance film festival , is a dazzling and kinetic film that deals with the subjects of fate and chance .
for a berserk and retroactive 81 minutes of non - stop movement , we follow a fiery - haired heroine named lola ( franka potente ) as she sprints to save her boyfriend from the clutches of drug dealers .
lola has roughly twenty minutes to somehow retrieve 100 , 000 marks in time to save manni ( moritz bleibtreu ) from being killed by the dealer .
but , in something of a pseudo- ` groundhog day ' approach , director tom tykwer gives lola three separate chances to best navigate her way toward the goal .
in these trio of episodes , we gradually learn the unique effects of fate , for even if tiny changes are made in lola 's journey , the future can be seriously altered .
` run lola run ' is an experience like ` fight club ' or ` the matrix ' , in that each film takes you through a super - charged wormhole of bending reality in surreal and exciting ways .
in addition , all three movies have a visual style that separates them from the rest of the pack .
` lola ' is no exception , with stylish quick - flash camera work and cinematography that serves as scintillating eye candy from the get - go .
tykwer 's world is a landscape of mood and color , with brilliant shades of red and pink ( including lola 's fiery hair ) used as effective symbolism throughout .
with it 's visual style and mind - blowing pace , ` run lola run '
is one of the more invigorating movies of the year .
even more so when considering the fact it 's all stuffed rather nonchalantly into an 81-minute time period .
as a heroine , potente does little more than run wildly through the streets ( as the title suggests ) , but
she has a certain flair and charisma .
her exemplary running form made me wonder if she is actually a track star .
meanwhile , bleibtreu does an equally fantastic job of bringing the dopey but passionate manni to life .
both actors perform beyond the call of duty .
the dazzling fun comes from predicting what each episode holds in store for lola , and the outcome is ultimately rewarding - several twists and turns are unique and unexpected .
the other characters lola runs into ( both purposely and inadvertently ) include her banker father ( herbert kraup ) and a friendly security guard ( armin rohde ) , but aside from the two leads , no one has more than a few minutes of screen time .
additional stars that could n't possibly be ignored are cinematographer frank griebe and editor mathilde bonnefroy , who are both responsible for the film 's eye - catching visual elegance .
` run lola run ' is subtitled , so be prepared to meet the challenge of reading the lightning - fast dialogue - occasional sections of it are especially fast .
this is only one of the minor chores involved in watching .
the other is the sense that we never get to really recognize who the real people are in this hyperactive situation .
most are just chess pieces in tykwer 's elaborate game of visual presentation , and he never really makes a significant move with any .
but , the average viewer is likely to be
so absorbed in the action that few will realize the lack of potency in a few elements of the screenplay .
a few petty gripes aside , this film is a wild , exhilarating ride that turns maniacally on its wheel of originality .
most people believe foreign films are mainly boring , talky character studies .
perhaps ` run lola run ' will recharge their batteries .
not only does this film offer insight into some intriguing questions of fate and destiny , it also delivers a white - knuckle visual rollercoaster ride of overwhelming audacity .
like how the experience must have been for the persistent title character , ` run lola run ' is exhausting .

SOLUTION: P

PROBLEM: tomb raider .
fun ?
exciting ?
challenging ?
given the unprecedented popularity ( especially among teenage boys ) of the video game that sports an uber - buff , pistol packin ' babe who raids , well .
. .
tombs , you have to believe it 's these three things and more !
"
lara croft : tomb raider , " the big screen variant of said video game , which features a pumped - up angelina jolie ( the oscar ? winner for " girl , interrupted " no less ) in the title role is , however , none of these things .
it is n't fun , it is n't exciting , and the only challenge is seeing how long you can stay in your seat
( i suffered through to the bitter , bitter end ; the wife opted for barnes & noble at the 45-minute mark ) .
directed by simon west with the same subtlety he brought to " con air , " " tomb raider " is an empty - headed , big budget bore .
the story borrows unintelligently from that mother of all turkeys " hudson hawk " ( the same hokum about planetary alignments and sacred stones that , when brought together , well . . . who the heck cares ? ) and it makes " super mario bros .
"
( bob hoskins ' ill - advised career move ) look like " rocco and his brothers " ( that classic of italian neo - realism ) .
i 'll go out on a limb here and say i suspect there 's actually more character development in the video game than the movie proper .
this is where the jolie defenders / video game nuts jump in and say this movie is n't about character development
it 's about kicking serious butt ( or bum , since ms .
croft hails from england 's green and pleasant ) .
with lips , breasts , and biceps all inflated to the max , lara croft is all about posturing , and jolie has a hard time simply standing still without trying to look tough .
ok , let 's forget challenging .
should n't " tomb raider " be , at the very least , fun and exciting ?
should n't our butt - kicking heroine also encompass the sophistication of , say , james bond with the wit of indiana jones ?
there 's no humor to be found anywhere in " tomb raider , " even though it tries hard from time to time .
even " the mummy returns " did n't take itself too seriously .
the villain here is noticeably lacking , the special effects are ridiculously overblown and unnecessarily complicated , and the script is non - existent .
to liven things up ( perhaps ) , jolie 's live father jon voight puts in a few minutes as lara 's dead father lord croft ; talk about a stretch .
one thing i had n't expected from the film is that jolie affects a slightly better english accent than her pa ( although i suspect that thin - looking moustache he 's forced to wear gets in the way some ) .
unsuccessful ?
not entirely .
if anything , " lara croft : tomb raider " makes you want to check out the video game itself to figure out exactly what all the fuss was about .

SOLUTION: N

PROBLEM: " holy man " boasts a sweet , gentle , comic performance from an unusually subdued eddie murphy and a few moderately funny skits .
unfortunately , to get to the good stuff you have to sit through a painfully long set - up , loads of tedious filler , interminable shots of jeff goldblum stammering and twitching ,
a superfluous romantic subplot and quite possibly the most annoying performance of robert loggia 's career .
if ever a movie screamed " wait for video so you can fast - forward through all the dull and annoying parts
, " this is it .
eddie murphy plays g , a robed nomadic pilgrim wandering the land enjoying the moment and spreading his spiritual message .
a chance meeting with ricky hayman ( goldblum ) ,
a stressed - out executive of a home - shopping channel , and kate newell ( kelly preston ) , a no - nonsense media analyst , results in physical injury to g . quicker than you can say " the odd couple ,
" g ends up rooming with an extremely leery ricky .
after some script gymnastics , g appears live on the air at the good buy shopping network , wreaking havoc on the cheesy product demonstrations , enraging network owner mr .
mcbainbridge ( loggia ) , and becoming a national media sensation .
" holy man " attempts to be several things at once .
it tries to satirize home shopping networks , but it 's difficult to effectively make fun of something that is already a self - parody .
the film attempts to teach us that collecting material possessions is merely a futile attempt to fill the spiritual holes in our hearts , but that 's common knowledge already .
" holy man " also tries to present a story of redemption , as ricky hayman tries to decide whether to exploit g 's good will to achieve financial security or do the right thing at the expense of his career .
anyone want to place a wager on his final decision ?
the one genuine asset in " holy man " is eddie murphy , who gives a charming performance , sharing love , good will and relevant advice to all those around him , while beaming his million dollar smile at just the right moments .
murphy is delightful and the film takes off whenever he 's onscreen .
unfortunately , he 's not onscreen enough .
jeff goldblum gets the lion 's share of screen time and his tired storyline weighs the proceedings down .
as his potential love interest , kelly preston tries to brighten things up , but she transforms from an all - business media shark to an empathic softy far too quickly and the abrupt change reeks of contrivance .
the other principal actor , robert loggia , wastes his talents in a one - note turn as a ruthless , screaming monster .
structurally unsound and way too long
, " holy man " is appealing when murphy is onscreen and dull
when he is n't . instead of dropping your money at the theater for this trifle , wait until it hits video and fast - forward past everything except the murphy scenes .
g suggests that we focus on enjoying the moment and that 's the best way to do so .

SOLUTION:
N