niryuu/sni-each-converted huggingface dataset:
"
a breed apart " casts rutger hauer as a crazy , bird - loving recluse who picks his feathered friends over kathleen turner .
a bit hard to swallow ?
that 's only the first of many improbabilities in this film .
hauer stars as a man obsessed with keeping the birds on his island safe , while boothe plays a guy hired to steal a couple of rare eagle eggs by a rich egg collector .
turner is the woman caught between the two men .
"
a breed apart " is n't a bad movie , exactly .
indeed , i found myself rooting for both the hauer and boothe characters , even though their goals could n't be more different .
the problem with the film is that there are just too many inconsistencies .
for example , early on in the film , hauer physically assaults two drunken rednecks shooting at " his " birds .
later on , the rednecks come back for revenge with four other people , and hauer kills a few of them .
i have a tough time believing that the police would n't get involved at that point .
another problem is the silly love - triangle that develops .
i did n't care one way or the other who ended up with turner .
i was more interested in finding out which of the two men would be victorious in their respective missions .
however , despite this uninteresting sub - plot , turner did manage to give a great performance as the woman who reminds the two men that sometimes there 's more to life than money and birds .
as for hauer , he 's an actor i 've always admired .
he has a penchant for picking strange and unusual characters .
and this one is no exception .
he 's frequently seen riding around his island on a white horse , wearing pirate 's clothing , and holstering a cross - bow .
despite all his eccentric mannerisms , though , hauer always manages to let the human side of his character shine through
.
for example , there 's a scene in which he barks at turner and her son because they came onto his island a day early .
he comes off as crazy loner in that scene , but a few minutes later , he is apologizing to turner , and we believe his intentions .
soon after , we find out he 's a vietnam vet , and his actions become fairly clear to us . " a breed apart " is n't a great movie by any means , but it does contain good performances by all three leads , and it 's worth seeing for that reason alone .
Output: P
american pie acknowledges a cold , hard fact that most movies do n't : it is very difficult to get laid .
its four virgin heroes are jim ( biggs ) , a chronic masturbator , kev ( nicholas ) , who desperately wants to deflower his girlfriend ( reid ) , oz ( klein ) , a lacrosse player whose approach requires some fine tuning , and finch ( eddie kaye thomas ) , a germphobe ( his crass nickname is hilarious , but i wo n't spoil it here ) who pays a classmate to spread rumours about the size of his member .
jim , kev , oz and finch attend a high school in suburban michigan full of so many impossibly beautiful women
it 's no wonder they 're horny all the time .
after a party at their studly friend stifler 's ( seann william scott , in the film 's sharpest performance ) house leaves them sexually unsatisfied , the quartet make a pact : to " lose it " by graduation - specifically , prom night , which is only a few weeks away .
american pie is in the tradition of bachelor party or revenge of the nerds .
almost every conversation these characters have revolves around makin ' whoopee .
all women are there to be ogled .
( alyson hannigan 's perky music student is the only memorable female of the bunch . )
situations abound that defy logic only to arouse and/or amuse its core audience , adolescent boys .
( to arouse : nadia 's ( shannon elizabeth ) internet striptease - an unexpectedly raucous ( and guiltily pleasurable ) sequence .
to amuse : jim 's lusty encounter with a hot apple pie . )
what differentiates american pie from those dirty eighties comedies , aside from a very nineties obsession with bodily fluids * , is a cast that 's light years more appealing
than that of , say , just one of the guys .
two more standouts : klein and " sctv " 's eugene levy .
klein plays a kind - hearted athlete for the second time in a row , after alexander payne 's underappreciated election .
i hope to see more of this warm actor with the disarmingly honest face very soon .
levy 's is the most crowd - pleasing performance , and indeed , it 's nice to see him back on the big screen in a role that makes wonderful use of that expressive brow .
american pie also wants to emulate the teen flicks your parents
_ would _ let you watch growing up .
it skillfully employs a broad mix of pop tunes , much like john hughes ' movies did , and even pays homage to the breakfast club a couple of times , most evidently when the prom band covers simple minds '
" do n't you ( forget about me ) . " the picture ultimately has a healthy , if obligatory , attitude towards safe sex - even at their most libidinous , american pie 's protagonists first whip out a condom .
the filmmakers prove that socially responsible raunch is possible .
for its familiarity and for its charming leads , i recommend american pie , but the buzz on this film had me expecting something . . .
fresher . as far as the new teen cinema goes ,
it 's at the top of the heap .
* do n't say i did n't warn you about the party scene .
Output: P
the 1998 summer movie season is still in its infancy .
but after diasappointing films such as " godzilla " and " fear and loathing in las vegas " , it would be nice to see a really good film .
but i doubt you could have expected this .
the truman show is one of the most unique films i have ever seen , and it deserves a spot on the " decade 's best " list .
there is no way to isolate any single component of this picture and proclaim ,
" yes , that 's what makes this film great .
"
the blend of peter weir 's masterful ( and in many ways brilliant ) direction , peter biziou 's stunning photography and jim carrey 's performance is what makes this film work so fantastically
.
there is something strangely beautiful about every shot in the truman show .
it may be the use of color or the placement of characters in the frame , but everything about this film looks intentional and perfect .
carrey has made a very wise choice .
by playing mild - mannered truman burbank , he allows himself enough room to be comical , and therefore not alienating his true fans , while still showing a vulnerable and human side .
that is a side which has been missing from nearly every major character he has played in his numerous commercial successes .
truman burbank was born to an audience of millions .
he was chosen before birth to be the focus of a 24 hour television show .
everything in his environment is controlled by a team of technicians , led by the show 's director , christof ( played by ed harris ) .
everyone in truman 's life is an actor or an extra .
they are all being watched by millions of people around the globe , people who can tune in at any time of the day to see what is happening in truman 's life .
but he is the only person that is not aware of it .
the classification of the truman show may be tricky .
the audience reacted to many of truman 's revelations with laughter .
i did not laugh much during the film because i was so emotionally wrapped up with the character .
the things that made the audience laugh gave me glassy eyes , because what was happening to him , indeed what had been done to him his whole life was wrong .
so is this going to end up labeled as a comedy ?
a drama ?
it really depends on the audience .
but to me , the truman show was a touching , sad tale about the extents to which a corporation will go to exploit human life for the entertainment of others .
but above all else , the truman show was a stunningly beautiful picture with humor , heart and scary realism .
oscar predictions in june are pointless , but if the truman show had been released on schedule in late fall or winter of 1997 , as originally planned , james cameron would be oscar - less .
Output: P
the happy bastard 's quick movie review analyze this how does one do a comedy focused on the mob ?
well , a few years ago , there was a sly little comedy called the freshman , which had marlon brando doing a romp of a send - up of his famous don corleone character and , recently , the utterly stupid ( in a bad way ) movie mafia ! failed to really get the joke .
this time around , however , warner bros .
may have gotten it right with analyze this , a movie that hits its targets
more than it misses .
. .
and for plenty of reasons .
the story goes like this .
a mobster ( robert deniro ) finds himself receiving several panic attacks as of late , fueled by the stress of an upcoming mobster meeting and a near - death following a drive - by shooting .
it 's these attacks that prompt him to hire a psychiatrist ( billy crystal ) who 's mostly reluctant to take the mobster 's case for two reasons .
first , of course , he 's a mobster , but secondly , he 's trying to get married and enjoy a quiet honeymoon with his wife ( lisa kudrow ) and kid .
and , of course , he ca n't rest worth for a moment because the mobster 's goons are always needing the shrink for something , be it a quick consultation or dream analyzation .
fortunately , the movie is played out for plenty of laughs .
director harold ramis ( who also helmed the comedy multiplicity , which was n't half bad ) keeps the tone peppy and light , even if it 's sometimes sprinkled by slight dramatic moments ( shootings ca n't always be taken for laughs , you know ) .
deniro
does some of his finest comic work since the king of comedy , giving off a somewhat similar performance to his role in goodfellas , but with a bit of a lighter heart .
( a scene where he tries to display his anger over the phone and fails miserably is hilarious . )
crystal plays an excellent straight man to deniro 's character , uplifting him from such bombs as father 's day and my giant .
kudrow is also a hoot as crystal 's wife - to - be , who 's on the verge of a breakdown thanks to deniro 's presence .
is the movie perfect ?
not really , thanks to a simplistic ending and some slightly wasted moments with a character portrayed by chazz palminteri
( he 's a comic actor , too , come on , give him some more ! ) , but
it is an enjoyable romp
that lets deniro do something different but same for a change , taking his dramatic act to a new field of comedy . kudos to crystal and kudrow for not just making it his show , either .
line of the movie : crystal :
" when you said you needed family therapy , this is not the family i had in mind ! "
Output: P
this british import follows the ( mis- ) adventures of a group of heroin crazed scottish youths .
there is marc renton ( who narrates ) , spud ( the dim - witted one ) sick boy ( the sean connery obsessive ) , and begbee ( the violence obsessive ) .
powered by a top rate , but not top name soundtrack ( iggy pop , sleeper , elastica , lou reed . . . )
the film follows renton who gets clean , gets back into heroin and gets clean again .
some of the wit in this movie is sharp and pulp fiction - esque , and some is just dumb & dumber gross ( the bed sheets ) and stupid ( the bb gun ) although the film starts out on a comic note , it takes a sharp term in the middle , and becomes almost depressing .
the film is based on an irving welsh novel bearing the same title .
i can honestly say that this is one of the best movies i have ever seen .
it is an obscure gem that has been over shadowed in the us by such movies as mission impossible and id4 .
the film is hard to follow with the heavy accents of the actors .
this is a very original film , as far as films go today .
it definetly deserves multiple viewings ( partly because of the slang and accents ) jeremy dennison mr .
orange@centuryinter .
net
Output: P
in arguably the most anticipated movie this century , george lucas has achieved a very mixed reaction to a sure blockbuster .
despite the fact the script and plot is a bit of a let down , the entire movie on the whole can be considered a milestone in technical excellence , in the sound and special effects department .
in terms of characters , by far the most outstanding and interesting is queen amidala ( natalie portman ) , whose mature performance far exceeds
her tender 14 years of age .
she is one ?
hot ' babe who defines true ? woman leadership ' .
she not only has a presence , but knows how to take command of the situation and save her planet from ruination .
no thanks to the jedi knights who although led by the force , lack leadership qualities in terms of thinking up a plan to do anything .
the young obi - wan kenobi ( ewan mcgregor ) who has a bad hair day in every scene , gets to kill a bad guy in the end , but lacks a love interest to make him a desirable sort of hero .
in fact all the jedi knight are a bit asexual - there must be something about the force which makes them all hermits and loners .
i mean it would be interesting to see yoda 's girlfriend for a change , if he has one .
not much better is qui - gon jinn ( liam neeson ) who mostly broods , and
has a better hair do than obi - wan , but only to find the young anakin skywalker and make the biggest mistake of his life .
also fascinating is george lucas ?
metoclorian ' theory , which claims that micro - organisms live within our cells and tie us to the fabric of the universe .
and it is the high concentrations of these organisms in an individual which make them particularly powerful in the force .
more humerous are the claims to the immaculate conception of darth vader , no doubt a concept stolen from the christian faith , except there will be no christmas to celebrate the birth of this dark emissary of the force .
overall
an experience which is not to be missed because of the very fact that it 's predecessor almost command a viewing of this inferior successor .
by all means not the pinnacle of the star wars phenomena but an adequate addition to the clan . watch out for the next one , it should be one steamy encounter between queen amidala and anakin skywalker - who i believe should be portrayed by ?
leonardo di caprio .
Output: P
` oh behave !
felicity shagwell is one shagadellic babe .
do i make your horny ?
female fembots with breasts that require gun controlling . anything that resembles bananas and two balls of icecream .
the nut - biting finale between mini me and austin .
all that body hair is a real turn on , it 's a pity more leading men do n't wear it on screen .
anything that vaguely resembles sausages and eggs .
fat bastard .
the love scene between felicity and fat bastard , that redefines sex .
the wrongly implied love scene in the tent that redefines anal sex .
the love scene between austin and ivana humpalot , that redefines chess and oral sex .
the love scene between dr .
evil and frau farbissina
, that redefines weird sex .
the love affair between austin and felicity , that does not happen , because his mojo goes missing .
the relationship between dr evil , himself and mini me which redefines a solo love affair .
the unique relationship between dr evil and his son scott www .
com .
zip , that says a lot about our relationship with our children nowadays .
weanies , johnny , richard , dick etc . '
this movie is every bit as silly and crazy as the first .
there are moments that will make your sick , which are probably best forgotten , but
overall mike myers has redefined what it means to be an international spy and leading man .
Output: P
october sky is a rare oddity in cinema : a self - proclaimed " uplifting " film that is actually uplifting !
based on the autobiographical book by homer hickam , rocket boys , october sky tells the struggle of four boys reaching for their dream .
it 's 1957 , and for the boys of coalwood , west virginia , there 's not much hope of a rosy future .
coalwood is a coal mining town , and , except for the few lucky ones who manage to escape on a football scholarship , most of coalwood 's boys are destined to work in the mine .
but , in october 1957 , an event happens that sparks one boy to dream .
the launch of the soviet satellite sputnik sets homer hickam ( jake gyllenhaal ) to dream a future of rocketry and space travel .
of course , homer 's parents ( chris cooper and natalie canderday ) are n't quite sure what to make of their son 's unusual interests .
homer gets his strongest encouragement from miss riley ( laura dern ) , a teacher in his school who also informs him about the scholarships offered to the winners of a national science fair .
and so , with stars in his eyes , and thoughts of scholarships in his head , homer enlists the help of three other boys ( william lee scott , chad lindberg and chris owen ) and begins to build a rocket .
but , do
these four backwoods boys even have the slightest hope of escaping their destiny ?
there is a lot that could have gone wrong with october sky .
nearly every sequence flirts with becoming syrupy and cliched .
however , miraculously , october sky
avoids nearly all of these pitfalls , making the exact right moves at the exact right times .
a film emerges which manages to be powerful and moving without slipping into the gauzy haze of nostalgia or sliding down the sugarry slope of sappiness .
jake gyllenhaal is outstanding as the kid at the center of this film .
> from the outset of the film , he is immediately likable , and never seems too corny or brainy as to alienate the audience .
unfortunately , while october sky focuses on homer , the other three kids get the short end of the stick .
they remain little more than placeholders reading " insert friend here " .
of the adults in the film , chris cooper is the most fully realized character .
the film never paints him as merely the villainous parent standing in the way of his child 's dreams , but , instead , shows the multihued portrait of a man who wants the best for his family and town , but is too stubborn to realize what that is .
director joe johnson deserves much credit for successfully navigating the many obstacles that october sky manages to dodge .
however , there are still a few occasions when he allows things to proceed just a step too far .
scenes which were natural and inspiring start to become contrived and artificial .
however , these lapses are minimal , and johnson quickly steers the movie back on course .
the problem with many so - called " uplifting " films is that they attempt to force their mediciney goodness down your throat .
october sky never resorts to that level , and yet , manages to become a truly uplifting film purely on its own merits .
Output: P
this three hour movie opens up with a view of singer / guitar player / musician / composer frank zappa rehearsing with his fellow band members .
all the rest displays a compilation of footage , mostly from the concert at the palladium in new york city , halloween 1979 .
other footage shows backstage foolishness , and amazing clay animation by bruce bickford .
the performance of " titties and beer " played in this movie is very entertaining , with drummer terry bozzio supplying the voice of the devil .
frank 's guitar solos outdo any van halen or hendrix
i 've ever heard .
bruce bickford 's outlandish clay animation is that beyond belief with zooms , morphings , etc .
and actually , it does n't even look like clay , it looks like meat .
Output: P
you 've got mail is a timely romance for this impersonal , computer - driven decade .
two people who 've never met confide in each other via e - mail without revealing their true identities .
nora ephron 's contemporary update of the shop around the corner retains the basic plot : two people who despise each other unwittingly become enamored with each other through their anonymous correspondence .
ephron , who co - wrote the film with her sister , delia , as well as directed it , knew what she was doing by reteaming tom hanks and meg ryan as the at - odds couple .
ryan is kathleen kelly , owner of a small children 's bookstore , while hanks is joe fox , who heads up a chain of mega bookstores ( think barnes & noble ) .
their charm and chemistry are the glue that binds this film , even through some of the script 's rough spots .
for the ephrons invested so much effort in their protagonists that they give short shrift to the talented supporting cast , including parker posey , greg kinnear , jean stapleton and steve zahn .
yet no one is really going to complain because the ephrons know their audience - and what the paying public wants is hanks and ryan .
and the two are kept busy .
one , the other or both are in nearly every scene .
hanks has his decent guy routine down pat , yet each time he does it ,
it seems effortless , spontaneous and fresh .
ryan
smoothly moves between spunky and vulnerable , with a sexy touch of winsomeness added to the brew .
their scenes together sparkle , even though they lack the nostalgic romanticism of sleepless in seattle .
and the shadow of that earlier hit hangs over you 've got mail like dried - up mistletoe .
the sparks created by the earlier movie are , by necessity , not evident here .
true , these are two people seeking true love , but you 've got mail is more comic and less poignant than its predecessor .
the ephrons ' script is witty and sharp .
however , as a director nora ephron is a bit uneven .
some scenes drag , while others , especially when hanks and ryan are revealing their souls via e - mail , are crisp and tidy .
also , the script gets sloppy toward the end with characters merely disappearing from the story .
a nice , romantic soundtrack adds to this date - night special .
overall , you 've got mail is a lush and cute outing , taking advantage of the star appeal of its two leads .
it 's a nice holiday movie , one for holding hands and snuggling . committed to lifelong learning through effective communication
Output: P
written by mark rosenthal and lawrence konner starring charlize theron , bill paxton , david paymer as reviewed by james brundage
i 'm beginning to get fed up .
over my four years as a critic , the thing which has kept me going is the moderate balance of films .
the good balances the bad .
i try to see both in equal proportions .
but disney 's mighty joe young remake marks the fourth week in which i have n't seen a truly terrible movie .
it 's a backwards machismo , i suppose , the urge to see the things which you so loathe ; but i need to see a bad film every once in a while .
and , you know what , mighty joe young does n't qualify .
far from being bad , mighty joe young is actually a family fun movie .
it 's enjoyable , appropriate , cute , cuddly , and all of those other things that i 've been seeing in every movie since a bug 's life .
mighty joe young tracks a 2 , 000 pound gorilla in the wilds of africa that is taken to a reserve in .
. .
california ? .
.
. for safe - keeping .
okay .
a little unrealistic , but who ever said a kid 's movie had to have the slightest hint of realism .
the first half of the movie is a gorillas in the mist - esque hatred of poachers woman - of - the - wild motif .
the second half is a straight up parody of king kong , awestruck onlookers and all .
mark one down .
i 'm feeling relaxed .
it is , as a point of fact , an extremely un - creative movie .
but , as a vetern , i can say quite honestly that creativity does n't count for as much as it should .
so that saves mighty joe from my wrath , although my colleagues and cohorts and surely bashing this film at this very moment .
this is not the film to take a girl on a date to .
it 's not the film for you .
it 's the film for you and your family .
when you 're right alongside your kid , all of the normal rights and wrongs slip away .
the same thing happens when you watch a horror movie or an action flick .
it becomes fun .
all you have to do to enjoy mighty joe young is shut up and watch .
Output: P
the muppet movie is the first , and the best movie among the ever - growing list of muppet movies .
the muppet movie tells the story of how our hero , kermit the frog , came to be a star .
a delightful movie for all ages
, the muppet movie is * bursting * with cameo appearances by countless hollywood stars of the 80 's and today .
the muppet movie begins in a movie theater , where all of the muppet stars are anxiously awaiting the first showing .
once everyone is settled down , the movie inside of the movie begins .
it starts out with kermit in a swamp , playing his banjo and singing ( this shot required jim henson to spend hours underwater ) .
kermit is discovered by bernie , a big - time hollywood agent who happens upon kermit by accident .
bernie believes that kermit holds much potential to become a big star in hollywood .
kermit ponders the idea of becoming a big movie star , where he could " make millions of people happy " .
kermit decides to leave his swamp and make the trip out to hollywood .
along the way , kermit befriends his now famous muppet companions , beginning with fozzie bear , who had been spending his days doing stand - up comedy at the el sleezo cafe , owned by james coburn .
the two decide to team - up and continue on their way to hollywood .
but , doc hopper ( charles durning ) , the owner of a chain of french fried frog leg restaurants has a different idea .
he wants kermit to be his spokesman , but kermit is humiliated at the idea and spends the movie avoiding him and his assistants .
the trip continues , with kermit and fozzie meeting miss piggy , rowlf , gonzo , the electric mayhem band , and more muppets who all share the same wish : to make it to hollywood .
oh , and even more celebrities continue to appear .
kermit and miss piggy continue to get to know each other a little better , including a rather funny scene at a restaurant with steve martin as the waiter .
eventually , kermit and the group make it to hollywood .
that is , after kermit is finally able to elude doc hopper and proclaim his freedom .
lord lew , a big - time hollywood producer portrayed by orson welles , gives kermit his shot at stardom and gives him the go - ahead to produce a movie .
the muppet movie is definitely a movie that is fun for all ages .
it is also a sure - deal as one parents can watch , and enjoy along with their kids .
Output: P
all great things come to an end , and the dot - com era embodies that perfectly . beneath a mound of bankruptcy paperwork lies the remains of a former dot - com darling , the company kozmo .
com , an online convenience store stocked with ice cream , porn videos , and other basic necessities of a urban dweller , all hand - delivered by couriers within an hour .
designed in 1997 by two college roommates -- joseph parks , a 27 year old goldman sachs banker , and yong kang - kozmo flamed out in three short years , raising more than $ 280 million in venture capital funding and from partnerships with such bigwigs as starbucks and amazon .
com .
by december 1999 , the company boasted 4 , 000 employees in 11 cities , its barking ceo park attracting all kinds of media attention .
the company was set for an ipo in may 2000 . . .
until april 14 , 2000 , the day the stock market took its first big dive , ending the internet era .
by april 13 , 2001 , kozmo was out of money and ceased operations .
unlike the earlier , similar documentary startup .
com , which chronicled the rise and fall of another dot - com , govworks , e - dreams focuses both on its original founders , especially park , and on the common folks that ran the day - to - day operations .
the contrast is amazing , showing how a cult persona can convince anyone that any idea is the next big thing .
the film 's director , wonsuk chin ( too tired to die ) , expertly juxtaposes upper management company meetings with on - the - spot interviews with the bike messengers , general managers , and floor staff that kept kozmo humming .
the film 's images give a backbone to the company and provide an emotional edge to its ultimate demise .
the most satisfying part of the film comes in understanding , to a degree , the expectations of numerous ceos commanding these titanic - type businesses .
in the film 's final interviews with park , we learn what happens when the money dries up and backers do n't return phone calls .
in the end , the name of the game was profit , and if you could n't make money , even the dreamers got the axe .
screened at the 24th annual mill valley film festival .
Output: P
lean , mean , escapist thrillers are a tough product to come by .
most are unnecessarily complicated , and others have no sense of expediency -- the thrill - ride effect gets lost in the cumbersome plot .
perhaps the ultimate escapist thriller was the fugitive , which featured none of the flash - bang effects of today 's market but rather a bread - and - butter , textbook example of what a clever script and good direction is all about .
the latest tony scott movie , enemy of the state , does n't make it to that level .
it 's a true nineties product that runs like greased lightning through a maze of cell phones and laptop computers , without looking back .
although director scott has made missteps in the past , such as the lame thriller the fan , he 's generated a good deal of energy in pictures like crimson tide and top gun .
that vibrant spirit is present here , shown in well - timed and carefully planned chase scenes that give the movie an aura of sheer speed .
enemy of the state also features an unprecedented use of amazing cinematography -- director of photography daniel mindel throws a staggering amount of different views , angles , lenses , and film stocks at the audience that goes a long way toward involving the audience in the movie
.
enemy is truly a visual experience , and that 's only one of the reasons
it 's such a fun watch .
the movie lights up with an aging senator visited by nsa deputy chief thomas reynolds ( jon voight ) .
reynolds wants a new communications act passed to allow the government free reign in the use of surveilance equipment , but the senator plans to bury the bill in committee .
reynolds has the senator offed , but not before the murder is caught on a naturalist 's camera .
by an extremist chain of events , the tape ends up in labor lawyer robert dean ( will smith ) 's posession , and it 's not long before he 's running from reynolds ' cronies .
it 's only with the help of an ex - spook named brill ( gene hackman ) that dean is able to get to the bottom of things .
the acting is top notch , and the three principles - smith , hackman , and voight - are generally more mature and excellent all around .
smith puts aside the wisecracking act and becomes a normal human being ; voight tones down the amount of sneer he puts into his character for greater ominpotence ; and hackman is simply over the top in the mysterioso role .
smith 's regular joe comes off particularly well , as he runs from authorties for reasons that he knows not .
the supports are also in fine form , lending credibility to the main roles and advancing the plot in key areas .
this is , for the holiday crowd , the hot ticket ; as well as anyone looking for a serving of genuine action in a market that is otherwise lacking .
Output: P
expectation rating : a bit worse than expected ( mainly because i found the middle part to be a bit dull ) .
roger ebert gave it a four star review , and while he is a critic that uses the full scale , and i often agree -- such as dark city being the best film of 1998 , he must have seen a better film .
i read the book about five years ago and hugely enjoyed it .
the opening of a simple plan reminded me a bit of the sweet hereafter .
the landscape is snowy and cold , and is filmed what i feel is in a rather crisp manner ( which also reminds me of fargo ( which i loathed ) ) .
one can almost sense the cold .
but the movie far from the eye popping delights of the quick and the dead , instead raimi has made a more constrained film -- which probably is for the better .
this is probably not a movie that would have been improved by lots of odd shots .
the movie also reminded me of affliction , as the lead characters all seem to be hoping for and seeing a possibility to lead a better life than their father , and they see a chance for such a dream to come true .
this chance is uncovered in a snow covered field , where an airplane has crash landed .
in the plane three men find ?
the american dream .
.
.
in a gym bag .
?
affliction too was set in a snowy landscape .
it really seems very simple .
just hold on to the money until spring , and if no one claims it , they 'll be safe to spend it and their hope of experiencing the american dream can come true .
but the snow melts , and so might several of the character 's hopes .
as in ? return to paradise ? , some of the characters are presented with a chance to do the right thing .
but doing the right thing might not result in a better result than something more selfish .
the movie 's biggest strength is that it fact makes sense .
i have seen many movies based on books that just seem like selected scenes from the book visualized , eschewing anything remotely resembling a coherent story -- for example clear and present danger .
the biggest problem seems to over - familiarization with the story .
the writer perhaps feels that he does n't have to present scenes that are clear to him , but the lack of which only baffles an audience which has not read the book .
this is definitely not the problem with a simple plan , even though the screenplay is by the book 's author .
the movie is always clear on where it 's going , and always makes sense .
i 'm sue a lot was cut , but really i ca n't remember what .
even a minor scene involving a man complaining that he has paid for too much grains is included .
the man only comes in on mondays , but he claims that he has been charged for one purchase too many .
turns out . . .
well , see the movie .
one should be warned against seeing the trailer .
it reveals several scenes from the ending moments ( which yes , like in the book , it is a downer ) , several plot developments , and much of the beginning .
but much of this is not spelled directly out during the trailer , so if you 're lucky , you 'll have forgotten about all of this when you see the movie .
Output: P
the jekyll and hyde story told from his maid 's point of view is , in a word , " dark " .
you would n't expect something bright and cheery based on robert louis stevenson 's novel , but the film is surprisingly dreary and dismal .
jekyll / hyde ( john malkovich ) is terminally depressed and desperate .
mary reilly ( julia roberts ) is a victim of monstrous child abuse and the anti - woman sentiment of the times .
director stephen fears ' version of the london slums makes us marvel that anyone survived them .
the lighting level is exceedingly low throughout the movie : it almost appears to be filmed in black and white .
the direction and cinematography are brilliant and liquid
. scenes flow into the next scene like honey oozing off a strawberry .
( except there 's no red , of course . )
the look is so moody and melodramatic that you 'll be shocked when you leave the theater .
i saw it at a matinee and took quite a while to adjust to the sunny skies afterward .
often the jekyll and hyde archetypes are viewed as splitting a whole person into components of good and evil or perhaps cerebral and emotional parts .
here the doctor is intellectual and perhaps good , but certainly powerless .
his alter ego is forceful and totally without conscience .
two parts that make up a whole .
neither are capable of functioning without the other and once separated , disaster is inevitable .
the differences between the two characters would be more effective if it were accomplished by demeanor and attitude .
when we finally see the transformation , the special effects thrust the story into the realm of science fiction , not the psychological horror that the tale demands .
roberts and malkovich are skillful in their roles .
both are suitably melancholy , fitting in with the rest of the film .
the only flash of life and color comes from glenn close ( and her lips ) as the madam of a whorehouse where hyde lives , and surprisingly , jekyll apparently frequents .
life and color maybe , but this is not close 's best role .
she seems little more than a cardboard cutout character .
a beautiful film in its own dreary way .
you 'll appreciate the filmmaking craft , but do n't expect to leave in an upbeat mood .
Output: P
the dream team is a thoroughly entertaining comedy featuring four loveable characters who just happen to be slightly insane .
billy , played by michael keaton , is an extremely temperamental mental ward patient whose short fuse and violent tantrums tend to get him in trouble .
christopher lloyd portrays henry , an obsessive - compulsive who requires that everything be neat , orderly , on schedule , and by the books .
he thinks he 's a doctor
so he walks around wearing a suit and carrying a clipboard on which he constantly scribbles notes and files reports .
jack , played by peter boyle , thinks he 's jesus .
and finally , there 's stephen furst as albert ,
a chubby catatonic who speaks only in baseball and television phrases .
the dream team follows the misadventures that beset the four - some when their psychiatrist , dr .
weitzman , takes them out of the hospital for a field trip to yankee stadium .
during a pit stop , they get separated from weitzman and are left to fend for themselves in manhattan .
the movie 's charm derives mostly from the camaraderie and chemistry between its delightful cast .
the four leads in the film play off each other quite effectively ; they never miss an opportunity to argue , bicker , or insult one another .
henry and jack , for example , fight over who 's going to get to ride in the front passenger seat on the way to the game .
the actors in the dream team have a lot of fun with their characters and with each other .
michael keaton is
well cast
as billy ; he gives his cynical character considerable complexity .
as the divinely jack , peter boyle succeeds in keeping his one - dimensional character funny and fresh .
although stephen furst 's catatonic character is cliched , the actor makes him sympathetic and endearing .
while keaton , boyle , and furst are good , it 's christopher lloyd who really makes the movie special .
lloyd gives yet another outstanding comic performance .
his body language ( for example , the way he walks ) and his facial expressions are perfectly suited to his compulsive character .
lloyd 's brilliant performance yields a pathetic , moving , and memorable character .
the dream team is a solid comedy with more depth and drama than you might expect from its simple premise .
the characters are so appealing that you can excuse the film for its often outlandish and unbelievable plot .
Output: P
synopsis : shrek ( myers ) is an ogre living in contented solitude deep in the heart of a forest , until his home is invaded by fairy tale creatures fleeing the rule of the evil lord farquaad ( john lithgow ) .
farquaad agrees to relocate the pests , on the condition that shrek rescues princess fiona ( diaz ) -- whom farquaad desires to we d -- from a far - off castle .
grudgingly , shrek sets out , joined in his quest by an unwanted companion , donkey ( murphy ) .
review :
one memorable aspect of disney 's " aladdin " was that it finally gave robin williams a character -- the genie -- to best take advantage of his comic talents .
" shrek " does the same for eddie murphy ; ironically , though , murphy 's ideal vessel turns out to be an ass .
all the same , " shrek " does represent murphy 's best comic outing in years , and as donkey he steals all the best lines .
for instance , after getting belted with pixie dust while trying to conceal his nature as a magical creature , donkey soars into the air and scoffs , " now i 'm a flying talking donkey ! " and despite its many contributors , the script for " shrek " is full of such comic gems .
myers is delightful in more of a straight man role , and lithgow also gets some great moments
( watch for a hilarious repartee with the gingerbread man ) .
" shrek " takes great pleasure in lampooning fairy tales and nursery rhymes of all sorts , and reserves a few delightful knocks at disney in the bargain
.
things do go somewhat astray during the film 's middle segment , which concentrates too much on the main characters at the expense of some of the terrific fairy tale satire which is the movie 's greatest strength .
but even then , one can always sit back and enjoy the beautiful computer animation , whose remarkable use here represents yet another dazzling leap forward for the technology .
Output: P
the rocky horror picture show ' special edition ' ( 1975 ) starring : tim curry and susan sarandon cult films are never mainstream .
the casual viewer of a cult film will look at it and be repulsed and confused , yelling out ' what the hell is that ? ' .
fans of these sorts of movies will be laughing at every other second at all the ' hidden jokes ' they missed the first time around while normal movie watchers will look at them like they 're insane .
the rocky horror picture show , recently re - released in a ' special edition ' to video , is the mother of all cult films .
period .
like some other cult films , most notably little shop of horrors , the rocky horror picture show is a musical with a twisted edge to it .
this movie begins out innocently enough- a couple get engaged at a friend 's wedding and get a flat tire in the middle of the night while it 's raining .
they go to a castle to try to use the phone .
little do they know that the castle is owned by dr .
frank n .
furter , a mad transexual transvestite scientist who has recently created a creature he will use for personal reasons .
the acting is pretty good overall .
tim curry ( home alone 2 , legend ) is over - the - top as frank n .
furter .
it 's interesting to see that this movie was one of future oscar winner susan sarandon 's ( dead man walking )
first film-
she plays janet , the girlfriend of brad majors .
even the singer meatloaf is in it ! !
the songs are all very good
yet twisted in their own way .
a sampling of titles range from damn it , janet to touch - a touch - a touch - a touch me .
all the actors sing their songs with no dubbing from other actors- kind of a bad thing .
barry bostwick ( brad majors ) tries to sing as does susan sarandon , but tim curry is clearly the most professional having extensive stage experience .
meatloaf sings like meatloaf .
the new special edition contains two original movie trailers of the film as well as two songs deleted from the original version .
sadly , the songs are tacked after the credits- kind of defeats the purpose .
if you want to see a different film , watch this one ! !
Output: P
if he does n't watch out , mel gibson is in danger of being known as someone other than mad max .
of course there are still a few big guns in this film , but there 's some accomplished acting too .
although gibson continues to shed his rough and gritty anti - hero skin as his career progresses , here he explores a new genre : the businessman as action hero .
in ron howard 's latest film , gibson plays tom mullen , a gazillionaire airline owner whose son is snatched from the junior science fair by kidnappers .
mullen at first agrees to pay the ransom , but when things fall apart he rethinks the situation .
a veteran of numerous hard - nosed business negotiations , the tycoon realizes that in order to get his son back alive , he has to play his hand differently .
the casting is what puts this film over the top .
the trio of gibson , the kidnappers ' mastermind ( gary sinise ) and fbi team leader ( delroy lindo ) play off of each other wonderfully .
sinise is perfect as the driven scheming sleezebag is right on the mark .
his speech to mullen over a walkie talkie about h .
g .
wells ' morlocks and eloi reveal his vision of society .
mullen and the other glitteratti frolic up on high while sinise and the other lowlifes
dwell below , feeding off the unsuspecting .
gibson 's character is an all - american hero with a few flaws .
his cowboy tactics tend to work , but they are also what got him into this situation to begin with .
in a round about way , if he were n't known as a man who is willing to buy his way out of trouble , his son would n't have been kidnapped .
as sinise says " you 're a payer .
you did it once
and now you 're going to do it again .
" one of the nicest elements of this film is that most of the characters actually have personalities .
lindo calls home to talk to his kids , obviously shaken at working this case .
even the kidnappers are real people , arguing about the ultimate fate of sean mullen and feeding him candy bars .
gibson 's break - down on the balcony of their penthouse apartment is especially effective .
it 's one of the best filmed representations of a man 's world falling apart that i 've seen
.
it 's not all perfect .
the shoot 'em upending , while emotionally satisfying seems tacked on to be just that rather than to provide a powerful resolution .
as well crafted as the scene is , we 've seen it before .
mullen 's wife ( rene russo ) has several good moments , but occasionally just seems to be there .
while adequate , brawley nolte ( sean ) does n't provide much to the film other than occupying space to build the story around .
but you 'll ignore these problems as each minute of the movie builds on the previous one .
forget about the large coke , you wo n't want to leave for that five minute break an hour later .
Output: P
the full monty is a whole lot of fun , its wacky , witty , and original .
it 's written and directed by relatively unknowns , simon beaufoy and peter cattaneo , who both turned up oscar nominations .
how did this movie with a budget under 10 million gross over 175 million worldwide ?
its been rumored that this film may be the second most profitable movie of the year ! and to think its about male exotic dancers , and not sinking ships .
six steel workers who have been recently been laid off and are all looking for jobs .
inspired by the success of a chippendale 's production , gaz ( robert carlyle ) decides they should all put on a strip show to make some money quickly .
as the six team up to put on the show of their lives , they run into a few problems .
for instance , dave ( mark addy ) is worried about his weight , horse ( paul barber )
thinks he may be inadequate , and gerald ( tom wilkinson ) is worried about his reputation and timing .
so when the night of the show comes , will the men be able to do the " full monty " ?
as i said before this is a fun movie , and not just that its really artistically good .
the writing and direction are great .
the acting is appealing , all the performances have a human quality to them , so you can relate to at least one of the characters .
the full monty received four oscar nominations including best picture . which left me wondering one thing , why did n't trainspotting get a best picture nomination last year ?
while the full monty is a great lighthearted comedy , it does n't carry the social impact of the brilliant trainspotting .
still , the full monty is a great film , a must see !
Output: P