TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you must classify if a given review is positive/negative, indicating your answer as P or N.
PROBLEM: you may not have heard of lucas , or if you have , you might not think much of it .
probably because it stars corey haim , or maybe because it 's about a little geek who collects insects , or maybe because it does n't feature slick one - liners or the chart topping soundtrack albums that were almost a requirement for teen films in the 80 's . however , you have been missing out on a true masterpeice , the best film of 1986 , and the best film about adolescent life ever made .
corey haim stars as lucas bligh , a tiny 14 year old with scruffy hair , thick glasses , and an interest in insects and other outdoor life .
one day he stops by the tennis courts and sees what must be an angel to him .
her name is maggie , a 16 year old who certainly is a beauty , with lovely red hair and a sweet , innocent complexion .
maggie seems to be a little disturbed by this little kid watching her , but somehow he interests her , and soon they are talking and getting to know one another .
they gradually become good friends , and spend the summer together doing various things , such as studying insects ( namely locusts , who come out of hiding once every 17 years ) , playing tennis , and listening to a symphony orchestra through a manhole cover .
lucas is obviously in love with maggie , and while she is charmed by him , it 's clear that she would never consider him anything more than a very good friend .
this is not clear to lucas , however .
he still beleives that maggie is his soulmate , and he dreads the impending start of school because he knows what 's about to happen .
we soon find out why in a painful scene where lucas is humiliated by the jocks during a pep rally .
they throw him on stage , right in front of his beloved maggie .
surprisingly , he turns the tables on the jocks with some clowning around , but he takes it too far , and is embarassed in front of the entire school .
the next scene is brilliant .
maggie follows lucas outside of the pep rally .
she tries to talk to him as if nothing happened .
he rails back against her , in a cruel unfair fashion .
in lesser movies this would 've turned into a confrontation between the two characters .
but maggie is written smarter than that .
she understands what lucas is feeling and knows exactly what to say to console him .
next we are introduced to another great character named cappie ( charlie sheen ) .
he is a jock with a typical cheerleader girlfriend .
what 's interesting about him is that he sticks up for lucas and protects him from the other jocks .
of course anyone with a brain can tell what 's gon na happen next .
cappie will cause conflict in maggie and lucas ' relationship .
this begins in classic scene in the school laundry room when cappie and maggie are alone .
she 's been assigned to show him how to operate the washer / dryer so he can clean his shirt .
maggie is charmed by cappie 's tender undertsanding demeanor , not to mention his shirtless body .
this scene is so delicate and sweet , but cappie still has a girlfriend , preventing either one from acting on their desires .
desperately trying to puncture the tension , cappie begins to kick basketballs around the room .
it 's not long before cappie does break up with his girlfriend ( in the films only subpar scene ) .
lucas finally figures out what 's going on when he tries to pick maggie up for the dance .
this causes him to take severe actions to prove himself to maggie and himself , such as try out for the football team .
the last third of the film revolves around this attempt .
while the idea seems cliched , the way it is executed is not .
there are many surprises
during the last half hour which lead to an ending so emotionally involving it should make the most heartless of cynics get choked up .
dave grusin 's memorable score , played at the perfect moments , certainly helps .
lucas is filled with great performances .
forget everything you know about corey haim .
back in 1986
he had talent , and that is proven here as he delivers a perfect fully 3-dimensional performance filled with anger , humor , and pain .
kerri green is very appealing
as maggie , showing us why she cares about lucas so much and why he is so attracted to her .
sheen 's cappie is almost too good to be true , but sheen makes him beleivable , especially when he explains the reason why he protects lucas .
there are other wonderful minor characters such as ciro popitti 's ben , a friend of lucas , whose diminutive stature does not mean he will take crap from the jocks .
also turning up in a few key scenes is winona ryder as rina , the girl who admires lucas from afar .
when people talk about the great teen angst films of the 80s , you hear john hughes this and john
hughes that .
lucas seems to be lost among the crowd of his so - called classics .
but hopefully , like with heathers and say anything , lucas can begin to find it 's own loyal following and help people realize there were more to the 80s than anthony michael hall and molly ringwald .
it deserves more than that , but i do n't want to be greedy .

SOLUTION: P

PROBLEM: here i sit at my computer about to write my review of the recent action comedy " bait " starring jamie foxx and david morse .
this is a review i do n't even want to write because i 'd just be laying the same criticisms on it that i would with any other so - generic - and - predictable - it's - beyond - ridiculous piece of hollywood fluff
.
if they 're not going to give us , the audience , just a little credit and put something together with half a brain , why should i waste my time and mental energy criticising it ?
last summer i took this same approach with my review of " the mummy , " in that review i just quoted phrases my reviews of other sub - par movies .
i think i shall do the same thing here but with a few less quotes ( not all are applicable ) .
i hope this goes to show you what i think of " bait " and why you can find out all you need to know about it without having to take a wild guess .
it 's genuinely unfunny
( i , and the other audience members only laughed once during the entire two hours ) , unoriginal and unthrilling .
it 's not so bad to the point where it 's fun to watch because of its badness
and it 's no so bad you absolute
loathe it and are pained by watching it
, it 's just such a cliche in and of itself , that , uhh . . .
lost my train of thought .
anyways , here 's those quotes , enjoy !
" getting an audience 's attention right from the beginning plays a major role in how today 's films work .
we want to have something exciting to watch , not a slow build - up of a story ( god forbid ! ) , and this film plays right into the mainstream 's hands . . .
" - review of " armageddon .
"
" it 's clear the film does n't want to waste time on reality and thus the attempt to establish plausability ( the most minimal amount necessary ) comes across as a half - assed effort
.
supporting characters and shady sup - plots are introduced , but as is the case with films made up of a large cast of characters , only a handful have any real significance . . .
there 's a fine line separating homage from plagiarism . . . , " - review of " godzilla " ( 1998 )
" unfortunately , as is the case with most modern thrillers , once the film showed potential for authenticity and intelligence , the cliches and action sequences take over , " - review of " the jackal .
" chad'z movie page is back after heavy renovation .
reviews of nearly all mainstream movies playing today !
get my reviews of everything playing at your local cineplex so you can better make an informed decision on what to see .
do n't forget to vote on my poll and sign the guestbook !

SOLUTION: N

PROBLEM: jamaica is a hot vacation spot .
the exchange rate encourages delusions of wealth ( approximately 30 jamaican dollars to one american ) , the sea is a brilliant blue , the air is warm but lacks humidity .
and as tourism is unfortunately jamaica 's biggest trade , foreigners enter and leave with a sense of relaxation .
life and debt takes a brassy look at life inside this impoverished country .
while normal documentaries take the sally struthers approach of underlying scenes of starving children with tearful music , this film guides the viewer with a sarcastic voiceover that brings the troubles home without begging tears to the surface .
the voiceover is written by acclaimed author jamaica kincaid .
it guides the audience along a tourist 's journey and the story of the native inhabitants .
instead of telling you what you are already seeing on screen , it quips , " you do n't see what happens after you flush the toilet .
" this engages a viewer to see and think about devastation instead of merely being told it is there .
this strong , sparse storytelling approach runs throughout the film .
stephanie black is also intelligent in how she chooses to disclose the problems faced by the locals .
this is n't just another talking head show of people moaning about their horrible lot in life .
people are interviewed from all sectors of occupation , from field to factory , as well as social theorists and the banking organizations that continue to invest in the country .
the variety of discussion perpetuates a compelling internal dialogue with any viewer , whether they are seeing jamaica for the first time or not .
of course , as can be expected , the united states is slammed , owing to its involvement with the international monetary fund and the world bank .
officials look moronic as they explain why their plans for jamaica 's economy will help the country back on its feet , but only if they are willing to follow the advice word for word .
the next moment we see why and how each of these initiatives has failed , usually due to imports being cheaper than local labor or whether or not the soil is appropriate for the next agricultural trend the u . s . is forcing on the citizens .
admittedly , some of the back and forth between the business - minded organizations and the failures they produce gets repetitive , but it also drives home the impact ignorance can have on both sides of an international argument .
but jamaica is n't against the united states , and this documentary does not accuse the u . s .
of being the sole perpetrator of its grief .
if anything , it begs for a better understanding of the nature of jamaican society before stepping in to change it based on foreign regulations .

SOLUTION:
P