niryuu/sni-each-converted huggingface dataset:
now , lets first look into the history of shark films .
there was the unforgettable jaws .
the exciting jaws 2 .
the rather flaky jaws 3d and sometime in the late 90s
another film of the same genre that i ca n't seem to recall ( about the son of jaws returning to wreak revenge or something like that ) .
now , with the magic of cgi , one shark is simply not enough ; in deep blue sea , there are 3 big , mean and really smart ones !
russell frankiln ( jackson ) visits aquatica ( a sea - bound research center ) , where a research is being conducted on the extraction of a hormone substance found uniquely within the shark brain that can cure and reverse the effects of alzheimer 's disease .
the substance is small in quantity and because of this , lead researcher dr .
susan macalaester genetically alters the shark dna and grows them twice the size with brains as big as humans , naturally producing more of the much treasured hormones . as sure as the sun sets in the west , a shark breaks lose and wreaks havoc within the facility during a hormone extraction procedure .
with the flexibility offered by cgi , the sharks get more full - length screen time as their predecessors did in those remote - controlled rubber suit days .
gone are the days of people getting pulled under the water with the water turning red right after .
this time , we get to see the entire gobbling action , with floating limbs and all .
so - so acting , expected in most of your average action film .
jackson ( fresh from his jedi master role in the phantom menace ) , takes on the dark - side force of a different kind and fits well with his wise - cracking lines .
ll cool j 's cook role as preacher , does for this film what steven seagal 's cook could only dream to achieve in his two under siege films .
deep blue sea does not offer any of the psychological thrills that jaws has to offer .
it does however , prove to be a refreshing follow - up within the genre , full of visual thrills , suspense and believe it or not , humour !
its like jurassic park under water .
nothing too stressful
, pure entertainment .
renny harlin , you are forgiven ( for making cutthroat island ) .
Output: P
this is the best british gangster film since the long good friday .
jon bennet ( played by andrew howard ) is an extremely good assassin .
as such he is probably an evil man but it does not worry him .
he has become an unquestioning weapon .
he is in the employ of a kingpin ( david calder ) far more evil than he is .
but even assassins have innocent pasts .
he runs into an old from school days and he is married to a mutual girl friend from school .
complicating matters is that they live near where he had a recent job and their young daughter may have seen him at the crime .
a big piece of what makes this film work is the depiction of the kingpin .
calder is a familiar actor in britain , though not frequently seen in the us .
he was seen in the world is not enough . here
he creates one of the best screen villains in recent years .
he is at once seductive and repellent like a beautiful venomous snake .
his lair is underground , apparently in a sewer , where he lives like the king of sewer rats .
it is the kingpin who pulls the strings that will control bennet 's life .
paul
sarossy who directs spent most of his career as a cinematographer and like the kingpin 's lair , he has molded images of class and style out of the darkness . by using semi - darkness and letting the colors of deep blue and black dominate every scene he makes the film visually as ominous as anything in this nether world .
this is a world that is cold and unfriendly .
sorossy creates a world of violence much more by what we hear than what we see .
this is a film with a great deal of physical violence occurring just out of reach .
we see very little but we hear a great deal more and we imagine more than that .
the screenplay is by peter waddington based on the novel by neil cross , but it is sarossy 's film all the way .
it creates indelible images of evil .
i rate it an 8 on the 0 to 10 scale and a low +3 on the -4 to +4 scale .
( i do hope they do not use the tagline
" do n't mess with mr .
in - between . " )
Output: P
most movies seem to release a third movie just so it can be called a trilogy .
rocky iii seems to kind of fit in that category , but manages to be slightly unique .
the rocky formula of " rocky loses fight / rocky trains / rocky wins fight " is carried out to the letter .
also the ' tradition ' of showing the last five minutes or so from the past rocky film is used as well .
this movie begins with a series of clips showing how famous rocky ( sylvester stallone ) has become . . .
even showing a brief appearance on sesame street ! !
then it moves on with rocky being in a fixed fight with thunderlips ( hulk hogan ) .
a mysterious bad - ass known as clubber lang ( mr .
t ) trash - talks to rocky about his stupid decision to retire from boxing and that he " pities the fool " for not coming out and fighting him outright .
rocky 's trainer ( burgess meredith ) tells rocky not to fight , but the italian stallion does n't listen .
naturally , he gets his ass kicked .
somewhere along the line after this several things happen .
rocky 's longtime trainer dies , causing rocky to train with his former opponent apollo creed .
rocky 's wife complains to her husband that he should fight .
the final fight ensues between clubber and rocky .
guess who wins ?
the winner 's name rhymes with ' smocky ' .
the movie is entertaning mainly because of clubber lang 's over the top performance .
the dramatic aspect has been toned down considerably since rocky ii and now action seems to be the strong point of the film .
which is good if you like fighting scenes .
the last match is quite decent actually .
if you liked the previous films , rent this one .
it 's well worth seeing if you are a fan of the series .
but if you ca n't stand rocky shouting " adrianne ! ! !
"
one more time , see something else .
Output: P
synopsis : retiring detective jerry black ( nicholson ) becomes involved in the case of a murdered girl , and promises her parents that he will find the killer .
he purchases a gas station on a route he believes the killer takes , and there befriends lori ( wright penn ) and her young daughter .
as jerry and lori fall in love , can he do what must be done to fulfill his pledge ?
review : at first , " the pledge " appears to be just another standard , if well - executed , crime drama .
it is anything but ; in its final hour , it turns the corner and becomes a riveting , terrifying study of its lead character , jerry black .
penn pays attention to all the trappings of the serial killer genre , but they are just window dressing .
his interest here , unequivocally , is jerry , a man so haunted by his pledge that it consumes the entirety of the his existence .
at first , we see this only in small hints ; some of his habits change , for instance , and he suddenly takes up smoking in a big way .
but then , when jerry buys the gas station and befriends lori , the true extent of his mania draws horrifyingly into focus .
nicholson is fantastic , portraying black with rare subtlety and animus ; jerry 's gradual descent into obsession is like a car wreck , a thing horrible to look at but impossible to turn away from .
penn coaxes
good supporting performances from much of the rest of his cast , too .
only eckhart disappoints as jerry 's replacement , stan ; he never seems entirely convincing , too much a tool of the plot .
penn 's direction is astounding , each frame looking as though it is parched -- of water , perhaps , or of sanity .
it all builds up to a shattering , devastating climax which lingers uncomfortably in the mind long after the house lights have come up .
Output: P
one never quite knows what one is going to get with a mamet film .
his american buffalo is a set - bound piece that has very little plot .
sometimes he will tell a story that really moves .
heist is mamet
doing his most entertaining work .
unlike his the spanish prisoner , there are no lapses in credibility .
heist is probably the best mamet thriller since house of games .
it is the kind of plot with which you are never sure who will double - cross whom , and frequently it is mamet double - crossing the viewer .
watching the film 's team getting around security the viewer is frequently asking himself either " what the heck are they doing ?
"
or " why did n't anybody think of that before ? " appropriately enough heist opens with a very clever jewelry store job .
it is so clever that one wonders if mamet really thinks up all these ideas himself or if he has help from professional magician and con expert ricky jay , now a regular actor in mamet films .
this is a robbery that works like a well - oiled machine .
there is just one problem and it is enough to get joe moore ( played by gene hackman ) filmed on a security camera .
now joe has to get out of the business .
it was coming time anyway .
joe 's team including bobby blane ( delroy lindo ) , fran moor ( rebecca pidgeon ) , and pinky pincus ( ricky jay ) is going to split up and go separate ways .
but crime boss bergman ( danny devito ) is pulling the strings
and he says that joe and his people have to manage one more robbery .
and he has to take along a young kid , the short- fused jimmy silk ( sam rockwell ) .
immediately it is obvious that there is more going on than meets the eye .
much of what distinguishes heist is mamet 's dialog .
remarkably it serves a double purpose .
the robbery team sounds at once very professional and at the same time it has mamet 's special feel for dialog
.
hackman has lines like " everybody needs money .
that 's why they call it money .
"
mamet 's timing is perfect in the direction but terrible in the production .
the plot is coincidentally a lot like the plot of the recent the score , which is , in fact , a very similar story .
both are good films , perhaps for some of the same reasons .
but at least on a high level they are much the same story .
the other problem with the timing of heist is that it involves airport security and clever ways to get around them .
i saw the film at the toronto international film festival on september 12 , 2001 .
that made the subject matter just a little too timely .
my understanding is that the release will be delayed .
my biggest problem with the film is that rebecca pidgeon 's acting at times seems very poor .
it is some kind of mamet trademark i do not understand to have women talk without inflection , as if they are just reading the words for the first time .
it is an irritation and distracts us from what is
otherwise a very good thriller .
it is one i rate an 8 on the 0 to 10 scale and a high +2 on the -4 to +4 scale .
Output: P
leonardo decaprio ( what 's eating gilbert grape ) and claire danes ( tv 's my so called life )
star in director baz luhrmann 's modernized version of william shakespeare 's classic , romeo & juliet .
surrounded by a superb supporting cast , in - cluding paul sorvino ( goodfellas ) , brian dennehy ( tommy boy ) , pete poslethwaite ( the usual sus - pects ) and john leguizamo ( executive decision ) , decaprio and danes
shine throughout the film .
the story starts off at a gas station , where the " montague boys " meet the " capulet boys " and square off with one another .
symbolizing the swords of shakespeare 's day were their weapons , like the " rapier-9 mm " or the " longsword- shotgun .
" instead of killing each other right away , they shoot around , just like in sword fights of old .
another great thing about the film was the performance of harold perrineau as romeo 's best friend .
mercutio , who in shakespeare 's novel was quite a stud , was portrayed as an afri - can - american cross - dresser
whose violent na - ture , was a definite plus .
miriam margoyles , a virtually unknown actress was astounding as juliet 's nurse , even though she was never given a name .
she was the only one who could keep juliet out of her fantasy world .
verona was the home of the rival families in shakespeare 's version , only slightly changed in luhrmann 's . now known as verona beach , the capulet 's ( led by sorvino ) and
montague 's ( led by dennehy ) are now rival corporate dynasties .
and their small family skirmishes were now huge gang wars .
one slight problem with the film was the difficulty to comprehend the dialogue , since it was spoken in old english .
sub - titles could have helped in the beginning of the movie , but toward the end , it became easier to understand .
this excellent movie poses another prob - lem : what genre is it ?
romeo & juliet contains so much drama , yet enough comedy and action to be placed in either of those categories .
with the same award - winning formula that was used by quentin tarantino in reservoir dogs and pulp fiction , romeo & juliet is a sure fire modern masterpiece . ,
Output: P
voices . . . . . trey parker , matt stone , george clooney , minnie driver .
" south park : bigger , longer and uncut " is undoubtedly crude , offensive , mean - spirited movie , that comes off as a politcally correct movie too .
if your canadian , a strong christian , fat , gay or anything else , you will be offended .
but when you watch this movie , there is no doubt that you will laugh .
based on the wildly popular comedy central tv show , south park stars cartman , an overweight , foul - mouthed kid , with attitude , and a sweet side .
kenny , a poor kid who gets killed in every episode , and talks with his coat hood covering his head .
stan a regular , sometimes boring kid who has problems with women . and kyle a lonely jew who talks to his poop .
the movie opens with a funny , but messageable song , that all of the people of south park sing .
cartman , stan , kenny and kyle are very excited to see the new terrance and phillip ( beavis and butthead types ) movie " asses of fire " .
but when the kids get up to the movie to get the tickets , they learn the movie is rated r , which of course means that anyone under the age of 17 can not get in without a parent or legal guardian .
the kids do not understand this , and they pay a homeless man to buy their tickets .
while in the movie , laughing at the movie , terrance and phillip cuss repeatedly entertaining the kids .
they kids then go out and cuss themselves , getting in trouble and causing kyle 's mom to go against the mpaa .
while doing this kenny learns a thing or to , by proving to cartman he can light his fart on fire .
kenny does so
, dies , and goes to hell , to find out that satan and saddam huiessan ( homosexual lovers ) , are about to take over the world , if terrance and phillip die .
>
from here on , nothing more should be said to keep the rest a surprise .
but believe me , this is n't your regular south park tv show , and should not be seen by anyone under 14 or more .
this film contains extreme profanity ( over 130 " f " words and a collection of others ) .
but beyond being bad in a tasteless type way , south park : bigger , longer and uncut has many messages that are embedded inside it .
but i bet
you will not leave the movie , for at least laughing one time or more . and enjoying yourself . take it from me , south park : b , l , and u , is n't as good as you 'd hope , but
it is good for some laughs .
Output: P
"
it 's not good to know too much about someone , charlie , " charles warns his niece , charlie ( margaret welsh ) , with a devilish grin .
charlie is infatuated with her namesake uncle , her " soul mate " as she calls him since her mother gave her his name .
there 's a lot to know about charles , not the least of which is that he strangled 3 widows back east .
mark harmon , who looks like anything but a killer but specializes in playing them , plays charles , the merry widow murderer in the 1991 hallmark hall of fame remake of the 1943 hitchcock film , shadow of a doubt . and to avoid any questions about his guilt , we see charles in action in the opening scene with his last victim .
the story takes place in the early 1950s in the small town of petaluma , california , where charles heads to avoid the police .
john gay 's script uses most of the original screenplay by sally benson , alma reville , and thornton wilder .
karen arthur 's direction is certainly no match for the great master , but on an absolute scale , the movie maintains a high level of suspense . when supercilious and deceitful charles comes to pay a visit of indeterminate length with his sister and her family in petaluma , they do n't know about his nefarious activities .
he showers them with elaborate gifts to buy the love they had already given him anyway .
two mysterious and exceedingly clean - cut writers for a magazine show up to take pictures of the family for a spread on the " average american family , " but their interest is focused on uncle charles , especially on taking his picture and learning about his background .
charlie , who first welcomed her uncle 's visit , begins to feel more and more uncomfortable with him and suspicious of the disingenuous magazine reporters .
the picture advances with a delicate power using small details such as the newspaper article that the uncle tries secretly to remove and that charlie discovers .
the beauty of the story is the pas de deux between uncle and niece as they try to out psych each other .
she wants him to leave , and he does n't want to go , what with a local , rich widow as a prospective victim .
will charles kill charlie first , or will she get him out of town .
harmon is wonderfully creepy and smug , and welsh is tough but trapped .
with a deft touch the director sets up each scene , several with thunderstorms , and tom neuwirth 's sepia - toned cinematography makes the movie feel as if it were filmed in the 50s .
my only quibble is the director 's awkward staging of the final scene on the train .
is hitchcock 's version better ?
of course . is this one worth watching as well ?
actually , yes .
shadow of a doubt runs 1 : 40 .
it is not rated but would be pg for adult themes and would be fine for kids around nine and up .
Output: P
do you want to know the truth about cats and dogs ?
do you ?
well , as this movie shows us , they make good companions but pale in comparison to the joy and fulfillment romantic relationships can bring .
unfortunately , there 's a giant roadblock set up in our culture that only certain people can get through while the rest of us mill around outside , feeling sorry for ourselves .
a checkpoint beautiful kind of thing , and janeane garafolo 's character abby relates to it well .
like a certain oversized teenage movie critic , she is intelligent and has a great sense of humor but strikes out with the opposite sex because she sees herself as physically unattractive , and the men seem to be backing her up on that .
meanwhile , her gorgeous neighbor nora ( uma thurman . . .
uma being the only woman 's name worse than nora ) attracts men like flies .
as abby tells her , " you burp and they think it 's cute .
you barf and they line up to hold your hair back .
"
but nora 's down on herself for being too shallow and superficial .
we all have our prwhen a man calls in to veterinarian abby 's talk radio show wanting to know how to get the roller skates off his basset hound .
( oh come on , any idiot knows how to handle that problem ! )
he likes her personality and professional demeanor and asks to meet her in person .
abby , though , knows her body does n't match her personality and that she probably wo n't have a chance with him once he sees her .
so she gives him nora 's body description and stands him up .
nora happens to be in the studio the next day when the dog man comes by and abby asks her for a big favor .
she goes along with the masquerade and the three of them head out for a night of fun , abby assuming the role of a goat cheese farmer named donna .
the dog man finds out even though this girl is beautiful , she 's not quite as intellectual or confident about herself in person , but he does n't suspect anything , realizing he 's not living in a " three 's company " episode .
the charade continues , with abby furthering the relationship over the phone ( including a decidedly unnecessary phone sex / masturbation sequence ) and nora furthering it in person , while eventually finding herself attracted to the dog man .
like sleepless in seattle , this comedy / romance is predictable all the way through , but we care enough about the characters that we root them on and will the romance to blossom .
the truth about cats and dogs is n't quite as entertaining as i was expecting it to be , but it handles well a theme
i could identify with .
the thing is , i find janeane garafolo rather attractive .
she 's no uma
but i 'm sure in real life
she 'd have no problems attracting men .
i , on the other hand , could n't attract a man to save my life . . . and am rather proud of that fact .
Output: P
elmore leonard has quickly become one of hollywood 's favorite authors .
out of four film adaptations in as many years ,
the witty and inventive out of sight gives get shorty a run for its money as the best leonard adaptation around .
george clooney stars as jack foley , a nice bank robber .
. .
you know the type , he uses his charm and his wits rather than a gun .
but even charming guys end up unlucky , and jack ends up in jail .
but not for long .
he plots an escape with the help of his best friend , and fellow robber , buddy bragg ( ving rhames ) , and their slow - witted pothead associate , glenn michaels ( steve zahn ) .
but jack did n't count on u . s .
marshal karen sisco ( jennifer lopez ) . appearing at the right place at the wrong time , karen gets involved in foley 's escape attempt and the subsequent manhunt to bring him in .
however , karen develops a rapport with jack foley , and finds that she begrudgingly likes the guy .
but , can love prosper on opposite sides of the law ? or can karen straighten out jack before he goes too far in pursuit of just one last crime .
clooney , who has had a string of solid , but never stellar , film roles , delivers his best performance to date .
he blends into his role here perfectly as the risk taking jack foley , who 's willing to gamble everything on the chance that karen sisco might be his true love .
jennifer lopez does an excellent job as well .
she actually has a trickier role than clooney , as a woman who has to balance her emotions with her sense of duty .
she and clooney develop good chemistry together .
the film boasts a superb ensemble .
steve zahn gives a hilarious performance , and steals nearly every scene he 's in .
don cheadle is appropriately sinister as a violent ex - con who may or may not be teaming up with foley .
albert brooks is enjoyable
as a white collar criminal who talks too much for his own good .
out of the cast , only dennis farina seems underused as karen 's ex - lawman father .
steven soderbergh gives the film sharp and stylistic direction .
with an affectation for freeze frames , he delivers a unique take on the film 's action and love scenes that places out of sight a notch above routine crime films .
a recurring series of flashbacks makes the film seem more complex than it actually is .
devoid of its bells and whistles , out of sight is actually a fairly straightforward crime story .
however , there are only a few spots in the film that seem bare , and they pass quickly .
with smart dialogue , good characters , and an excellent cast , out of sight easily smoothes over the rough spots in the plot and delivers on both the action and romantic fronts .
Output: P
bob the happy bastard 's quickie review : the matrix what 's worse than y2k ? how about a fully digital future where nothing is real ?
that 's what computer programmer neo ( keanu reeves )
slowly learns as he enters the dangerous world that is the matrix , a movie directed by the wachowski brothers ( the guys behind the hip thriller bound ) .
before you groan at the presence of reeves in the lead role , hold on .
there 's actually a story with depth here .
it seems that a group of hackers is out to stop the system that is the matrix , led by the bald but brilliant laurence fishburne and assisted by carrie ann moss , who looks quite cool in leather , i must say .
neo
( reeves ) is pretty much a key player in this fight , although he really does n't look it at first .
could this amateur be " the one " as fisburne thinks he is ? credit the wachowskis for putting together a great story that allows suspense to build , something that few special effects - laden films seem to do these days .
there 's plenty of effects to go around , of course , but at least there 's a backbone to build them on as well .
reeves is surprisingly good in his role as neo , particularly in a fight scene with fishburne that comes across as goofy , yet great .
i wish the villains were n't quite so " generic
" ( leftover g - men from looking for a sweet sci - fi actioner with plenty of stop - motion swooping camera angles and , of course , a motherlode of a helicopter explosion .
now the wachowskis are headed into horror films with their next project . bring it on .
Output: P
martin scorsese 's kundun , which chronicles roughly the first twenty years of the life of the currently exiled dalai lama , has been criticized for its lack of narrative structure .
personally , i do n't think it needs one :
it works perfectly well as a study of tibetan buddhist culture and how communist china .
scorsese views the dalai lama the way many tibetans probably do , as a larger - than - life symbol of buddhist spirituality and political leadership : the only glimpses into his head come from several interesting yet oblique dream sequences , but his portrayal is appropriate for a film that concentrates on the political and spiritual rather than the personal .
the set design and cinematography are outstanding , and while scorsese occasionally seems to get carried away with the spectacle , it helps to augment the cultural contrast when the dalai lama travels to china to meet chairman mao .
political art sometimes succumbs to the temptation to start shouting slogans , kundun
does not : it succeeds in delivering its message in an artistically interesting way and without being overly manipulative .
Output: P
synopsis : upper middle class , suburban family man lester ( kevin spacey ) realizes that he is just going through the motions : he is unable to feel passion ; he is soulless , cynical , and no longer able to feel the edge between success and failure .
everyone else around him has similar symptoms .
lester 's unassertive daughter jane ( thora birch ) is too lethargic to change her world , yet all too ready to whine and complain .
his wife carolyn ( annette bening ) is reduced to keeping up appearances and reciting commercialist slogans .
and these are people with a big house and a decent standard of living .
the only person who seems able to appreciate beauty and freedom and life is the person most deprived of it : a dope - dealing teen from across the street who is practically imprisoned by a domineering , bullying father .
when lester embarks on a mad scramble to feel the edge again , the fact that he has quit his job to feel what it 's like - - and his newfound interest in exercise to impress a teenage girl - - ruffle a lot of feathers in the family .
will lester regain his ability to appreciate life ?
opinion : people say it all the time : you never appreciate good health until it 's gone .
likewise , people raised in fabulously pampered prosperity can become unhappy and spiteful over the dumbest , most inconsequential problems , simply because they have no clue how good they have it .
sometimes it takes a near fall - - accidentally or through deliberate fasting - - to move out of apathy and reclaim your ability to challenge the world .
the deprivation / appreciation cycle is a major theme of american beauty .
american beauty is a non - formula , intelligent and articulate movie that offers fantastic performances by everyone in the cast , especially kevin spacey , who is simply gosh darn amazing
this movie .
the thing i like about american beauty is that there is no sentimental music , no hospital scene nor any overly dramatic hokum .
the movie entertains and offers brilliant performances just as is .
if you are in the mood for a thoughtful , non - formula flick , i highly recommend american beauty .
Output: P
though
it is a fine piece of filmmaking
, there 's something about elizabeth .
. .
that left me a bit cold , and i think it is something that bugs me quite often in films , particularly these days
; i just did n't care about the characters .
to me , the first and foremost job of a filmmaker is to create characters ( be they imagined or historical as the case may be ) that the audience gives a hoot about .
and though elizabeth works well on many levels , it falls short of excellence because of that very reason .
elizabeth takes place in england in 1554 , as queen mary , half sister of elizabeth and a monarch on the side of catholicism is dying . before she dies , though , she can not bear to sign a document which would condemn her half sister to death because of her heretical protestant beliefs .
as a result , amidst much anger within the council , elizabeth becomes the queen of england .
the film chronicles her rise to power as she fights for a unified church of england and tries to bring order to her personal and political life .
much of the film deals with elizabeth 's love for lord robert , a mysterious man who thrusts his lordship onto many a woman as he continues to proclaim his love for the queen .
there is much ado about her lack of a husband , and political pressures from spain and france enter into the equation .
the problem with the film lies with this as its centerpiece , as love interests are such a character driven element .
i did n't much care about the characters ( perhaps aside for elizabeth who is played quite well by blanchett ) and so i did n't have much interest in who would join her in her nuptials .
the cast is rounded out well with the marvelous rush who plays the queen 's most loyal advisor , sir francis , and attenborough as a well - meaning but old - fashioned lead council .
why then , you must be asking , do
i recommend elizabeth ?
simply because it is the result of a perfect pairing of director and cinematographer .
kapur and his cinematographer remi adefarasin ( neither of whom i have heard )
create a beautifully realized piece of filmmkaing from the technical side .
the light streams through each frame as in any painting from the period and beautifully captures the realistic light sources that would have been found in churches , cellars and castles in 16th century europe .
each frame is rich with color contrasted with blackness or blown - out white light from windows .
the costumes by alexandra byrne deserve a mention as they are such an inportant aspect of each shot .
indeed , elizabeth is one of the most visually beautiful films of the decade , ranking with kundun and braveheart .
watch also for the incredibly " godfather - esque " mass murder scene .
it made me think in retrospect of the similarities between the two films .
Output: P
carolco pictures and dutch director paul verhoeven ( robocop ) came together to create the 1990 mega hit that is total recall .
the film is a masterpiece of sets , action , and special effects . action and science fiction
just do n't get any better than this !
the story involves a construction worker named douglas quaid ( arnold schwarzenegger ) who lives on earth with his beautiful wife lori ( sharon stone ) .
quaid is obsessed with mars and decides to go with the second best choice ; a brain implant ( fake memory ) of a two week vacation on mars .
while being implanted a memory cap is triggered and the doctors realize that quaid 's memory has previously been erased .
now the people who did it are after him .
quaid must find out who he really is and why these people want him dead .
the plot unfolds at a rapid pace explaining itself through great action , special effects , and twist after mind - boggling twist .
it grabs you and never lets go !
this film is a winner from beginning to end .
the plot is superb ; combining the best elements of science fiction and psychological mystery to create a rip - roaring saga .
schwarzenegger gives his best performance ever , and the supporting cast is good too .
the action and stunts are terrific .
the sets are huge and elaborate with a lot of attention payed to detail .
the music and sound effects are perfect for the film and really add a certain level of impact to the action .
the make - up effects by rob bottin ( the howling , the thing , and robocop ) are top notch , not to mention extremely outlandish .
the visual effects by dream quest ( the abyss ) and industrial light and magic ( star wars trilogy , jurassic park , and terminator 2 ) are phenomenal !
the visuals had such a state of the art " slickness " that they won an oscar .
of course the film is n't always realistic ; it 's more fiction than science .
for example , it is true that a body wo n't explode in the vacuum of space but in total recall they do .
who cares ?
it 's a movie .
movies are supposed to entertain .
and in my opinion this film achieves an entertainment level in film that is so terrific , it may be impossible to beat .
Output: P
with the abundance of trite , recycled movies in the late ' 90s , there is a tremendous demand by movie lovers ( never mind movie critics ) for movies that present the wide film audience with something truly original : perhaps audaciously , perhaps purely thematically .
for the former , you need look no further than director tom tykwer 's incredible german thriller run lola run , a movie that may make some viewers need a cooling off period afterwards .
lola , a contemporary goth - girl with blazing red hair receives a desperate phone call from her boyfriend manni one day .
it seems that because she was late delivering something he lost a bag containing a hundred thousand marks , and if he does n't deliver a hundred thousand marks within the next twenty minutes , he will be killed .
this gives lola twenty minutes to come up with 100 , 000 marks , or her boyfriend dies .
so she runs -- not just jogs , sprints -- in hopes that somehow , someway , she 'll be able to obtain the money and save a life .
> from there
, as critic steve rhodes described it , run lola run plays a bit like " sliding doors on steroids .
with a non - stop techno soundtrack , wierd camerawork , all kinds of insane zooms and a truly breakneck pace , anyone that is bored with run lola run has to be smoking something .
indeed , the movie is often outrageously exciting , as well as bitterly ironic and subtly serious .
very much like titanic , run lola run is an achievement with filmmaking much more than it is an achievement in film .
the way the movie is made , for pure visual style , tykwer 's movie is breathtaking ( literally , sometimes ) .
thematically it does leave something to be desired ; it toys around with some intriguing ideas but does occasionally seem as if there is little substance behind all of the flash .
while you are watching , this will not matter .
running a breezy 81 minutes , this is one movie i wished
was longer because it was so damn good while it lasted
.
it is the equivalent of a roller - coaster in the amount of thrills and fun that it offers . ?
1999 eugene novikov&#137 ;
Output: P
to paraphrase a song title from an earlier disney movie , mulan is a whole new world .
the mouse factory 's latest feature is a treasure , featuring magnificent animation , a strong story and finely drawn characters .
mulan is the story of a fiesty , head - strong young woman who , unlike other disney heroines , is n't seeking her prince charming , mulan 's motivations are simple ; to save her father , serve her country and find a place for herself in a world in which females have no say .
the story of mulan takes place in ancient china at a time when the huns have invaded the nation .
the emperor has called for a conscription , one man from each family to join the army and defend the nation .
mulan 's crippled father is called , but mulan sneaks off , steals his armor and takes his place .
mulan is a saga of courage and self - discovery .
yet , despite the grim backdrop of war , it is a lively tale of self - reliance and brain - over - brawn that even the smallest child can appreciate and enjoy .
the movie utilizes a strong corps of asian - american talent as the voices for the main characters , including the wonderful ming - na wen ( the joy luck club ) as mulan ,
b . d .
wong as shang , mulan 's commanding officer and later love interest , pat morita as the emperor and the veteran soon - tek
oh as mulan 's proud , but loving father .
also adding to the proceedings is eddie murphy as mushu the dragon , sent by mulan 's ancestors to watch over and help the young woman .
his fast , wise - cracking , hip - talking mushu may seem out of place , but it 's a crowd pleasing performance , especially for the youngsters .
the movie features only a couple of songs , fewer than most previous disney animated flicks , but mulan 's are winners .
the music by matthew wilder and lyrics by david zippel fit nicely into the plot .
the overall score by jerry goldsmith
also is a plus .
mulan is a treat , more powerful than hercules , with more heart than the hunchback of notre dame .
at about 85 minutes , mulan moves rapidly , and will hold the attention of youngsters from beginning to the end .
mulan will set a new standard by which future animated efforts by disney and other studios will have to work hard to attain .
also , it is hoped that the success of mulan , and there is no doubt that it will prove to be a popular vehicle , will spur an interest for more movies with oriential or asian - american themes so as to provide more substantial roles for the talented performers who gave their voices for this production .
it would be nice to see them on screen as well as hear them .
committed to lifelong learning through effective communication
Output: P
you do n't want to be like mike .
mike has been doing badly .
embarrassingly bad .
he broke up a six - year relationship six months ago to move from n .
y . to l .
a .
and he 's still not over her .
as a result , his jokes fall flat when he tries to impress , and he 's a comedian .
well , an unemployed comedian , one of hollywood 's little fish , and it has gotten so bad he 's asked for an application at starbuck 's .
actually , the starbuck 's thing gets even worse .
and worse .
you wo n't fail to like mike , however , played endearingly by jon favreau .
swingers revolves around mike 's half - hearted and awkward efforts to get back in the social swing of things .
to this end he is enthusiastically assisted by his equally underachieving twentysomething actor friends , such as trent ( vince vaughn with the film 's most animated performance ) , who has the gift of gab bordering on the disturbing side of motivational speaking ,
gun - toting sue ( patrick van horn ) , and rob ( ron livingston ) , who once played hamlet but now longs to work as goofy in disneyland , but does n't succeed because of his lack of " theme park experience .
"
together they talk about women - how to make eye contact , which involves avoiding it , and when to call so as never to appear desperate , two days being " industry standard .
" after talking the talk , they walk the walk , strutting like the cool swingers they aspire to be , always to laughable effect .
to get mike out of his funk , his friends persistently convince him to get outside , whether it be to a quickie night trip to a seedy vegas casino or a cutthroat hollywood party with the beautiful people or a 50s swing lounge .
everywhere they encourage mike to look for a replacement " honey " and then keep vigil over his progress , or lack of it .
like dotty doting parents , mike never leaves their company without being the recipient of their confidence cheerleading ( " you 're money , mike , and
the honeys know it . " ) or equipped with their eccentric dating philosophies , such as an analogy of flirting with the bear and the bunny .
with the unwavering support of friends like these , maybe mike 's not doing too badly after all .
favreau also doubled as the film 's screenwriter , and he proves he has the gift for creating engaging characters and witty banter
that goes beyond today 's bon mot .
there is a reassuring honesty to the friendships , even when it hits its low points and the friends commiserate .
when mike gets the gumption to look for love , you will join his cheerleading section as well .
swingers is light , unassuming fare , sweet candy you will want to bust your gut with - laughing - again and again .
Output: P
susan granger 's review of " songcatcher " in the midst of this summer 's fare of dinos revisited and romantic fiascoes , there are a few thoughtful movies - and this appalachian period drama is one
. oscar nominee janet mcteer ( " tumbleweeds " ) stars as dr .
lily penleric , an accomplished musicologist who , back in that pre - feminist era , was refused a full professorship at her university . determined to prove her worth , she ventures deep into the rugged mountains of north carolina , where her younger sister elna ( jane adams ) runs a school .
there in bear creek , she discovers a treasure - trove of traditional scots - irish and english folk ballads , given a unique interpretation by the insular locals .
excited , she sends for recording equipment and persuades vinie butler ( pat carroll ) and other self - sustaining mountain folk to share their musical heritage on her edison phonograph cylinders .
their music , as she puts it , is " as much a part of life here as the air you breathe .
"
that 's the main thrust of writer - director
maggie greenwald 's occasionally uneven culture - clash story , which is loosely based on olive dame campbell 's foray through the blue ridge mountains in 1908 , but there 's also some melodramatic romantic spice .
ornery , bearded , banjo - picking aidan quinn falls for the statuesque , passionate " songcatcher , " while elna secretly engages in a lesbian relationship with a colleague ( e . katherine kerr ) .
i 'm ready to buy the soulful soundtrack with vocalists like emmylou harris , iris dement , taj mahal and young opera star emmy rossum who plays a pivotal role as mcteer 's wide - eyed prot ?
g ? .
rated pg-13 , there 's an intense scene of primitive childbirth .
on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , " songcatcher " is an intelligent , extraordinary 8 , transported by the transcendent power of song .
Output: P
making his directorial debut , actor jon favreau brings along his swingers co - star , vince vaughn , for this tale of two mugs on a career trajectory to nowheresville .
favreau , who also wrote the script , is bobby , vaughn is ricky .
by day they are construction workers .
they also are wanna - be contenders , but neither has had much success .
their last bout pitted them against each other and was a draw , leaving bobby 's record at 5 - 5 - 1 . these two l .
a .
not - so - wise guys also work for max ( peter falk ) , a mid - level mobster , who is patient and understanding with bobby , but who hates ricky 's guts .
max has an easy job for bobby ; fly to new york and make a simple delivery to a gangster named ruiz ( a smooth and silky sean combs ) .
bobby , because of his lifelong friendship with ricky , pleads with max to give his pal another chance and let him tag along to the big apple .
against his better judgment , max agrees .
of course ricky , a motormouth who inserts both feet everytime he speaks , nearly screws up everything . while bobby tries to stay calm and professional , ricky begins swaggering and throwing money around as if he was john gotti or tony soprano .
the constrast in styles and
the chemistry between favreau and vaughn is what makes made so enjoyable to watch .
favreau with his hound - dog face and slow - burn personality could be a modern - day oliver hardy , only much wiser .
vaughn is like someone vaccinated with a phonograph needle , he just keeps yakking and yakking , unaware of the havoc he creates .
yet despite bobby 's constant aggravation and agitation with his partner , a bond of affection and loyalty binds them .
the contrast between the two friends is interesting to watch .
bobby is button - downed , tightly - wound , always waiting for the next shoe -courtesy of ricky - to drop .
ricky is mostly oblivious to the problems he creates and is genuinely surprised when he comes under attack for his faux paus .
in new york , the two lackeys are like fish out of water , stumbling from one situation to another , trying to keep alive .
combs is elegant , cool and low - key menacing as the gangsta they are sent to meet .
falk is amusing in his small role , while famke janssen nearly breaks your heart as bobby 's lowlife girlfriend .
more than anything , made is a movie with heart .
it is loud , obnoxious and very talkative .
but the cameraderie between bobby and ricky holds the key to its interest .
favreau does a commendable job in his directorial debut .
he is a player to be watched as he can only improve with experience .
Output: P
set in the wild west , this carry on centres around the arrival of the rumpo kid ( sidney james ) and his cronies in stodge city .
his dodgy dealings and summary shootings aggravate judge burke ( kenneth williams ) so much that he asks sheriff albert earp ( jon pertwee ) to drive rumpo out of town .
instead , the rumpo kid shoots the sheriff dead .
therefore , judge burke sends for a law marshall to come in and clean up the city .
due to a misunderstanding , an english sanitary engineer called marshall p .
knutt ( jim dale ) is assigned , without knowing it , as the law marshall for stodge city .
he arrives at the same time as annie oakley ( angela douglas ) who is seeking revenge for her father , the sheriff 's murder .
when marshall arrives at stodge city , he soon becomes aware of the misunderstanding and due to his rather limited intellect , he is manipulated by the rumpo kid and always ends up getting things wrong .
in the end , there is a head - to - head between rumpo and marshall .
with the rumpo 's past experience , it would seem that marshall is out of his depth , but using his sanitary skills and learning the ways of the west from annie oakley , he at least stands some chance !
sid james , with an american accent , is perfect as the rumpo kid , a part which suits him down to the ground .
jim dale provides one of his best carry on performances as the stupid sanitary engineer , and angela douglas is very effective in her role as the revengeful daughter .
other regulars that appear in this movie include charles hawtrey and bernard bresslaw ( in his debut ) as big heap and little heap respectively .
big heap is the local indian leader and the crazy casting of hawtrey for this part is very amusing , as is his performance : - he steals every scene he is in even though he does not enter the film until thirty minutes past .
joan sims provides useful and amusing support as belle , the local bar owner who takes a fancy to the rumpo kid .
however , the part of doc played by peter butterworth and sheriff albert earp played by jon pertwee are not really necessary , and pertwee 's performance is rather poor .
kenneth williams uses a new voice but struggles with the weak part of the ' judge ' .
even so , this carry on
was sid james and kenneth williams ' favourite .
a very different carry on film , in that it is played more seriously by the actors and possesses more realism than any other carry on .
the death count is the highest of any carry on film .
sets , costumes and action sequences are all very commendable .
the songs that are included in the movie ( the title song and annie 's song ) are very impressive .
a strange but therefore very interesting carry on film .
not the best of its kind
but it is certainly the most distinctive film of the series .
Output: P