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Reviews
The Princess Bride (1987)
Fun for grandparents through grandchildren
This is yet another one of those films to further solidify Rob Reiner's place in film directing history.
This wonderful film exploits every cliché you can imagine from fairy tales to Camelot style "B" movies. At the same time, it has a very real story that keeps it from being the Mel Brooks pure farce in which star Cary Elwes would latter also play a part - "Robin Hood: Men in Tights". Despite rompus fun, this one utilizes virtually no sight gags, and, as such, the dialog remains the driving force of the film - you find yourself reciting lines long after the last time you see the film (and I recommend seeing it regularly - it's still good every time).
All in all - it's at the top of my recommendation list for kids ages 2 - 202.
Being John Malkovich (1999)
Better be ready for a bizarre one...
This movie has to be one of the more bizarre and twisted I've seen in years. It has definite comedic elements, but isn't really a comedy. It has science fiction elements, but isn't sci-fi. If you force it into a classification, then it must be a drama.
All three major cast members turn in very strong performances, and the edit work is also excellent.
In short - make sure you're ready for a big reality twist when you see it. Also, be patient. It's a hard one to stick with for the first half of the film.
X-Men (2000)
Well Done, though it starts a little slow
Comics often don't come to "real life" all that gracefully, but after the several years that it took to get this one to the big screen, Singer has, by and large, made the most of it.
You need to be patient while they set background information up, but, if you are, you are rewarded with some decent suspense and some positively wonderful comedy. Add in some action and a few good special effects, and you've got yourself a comic book come to life in quite respectable fashion.
This one is definitely worth seeing on the big screen.
NOTE: Knowledge of the comic series before seeing the film is *NOT* required (though, if you know the comic, you'll get a few more laughs than everyone else <w>). It is also, generally speaking, an ok flick for children down to perhaps as young as 9 or so. The blood is there, but is minimal. There is virutally no swearing (only one instance I can think of, and one could seriously question whether that is even a swear word in this day and age). A little romantic tension exists, but zero sex.
Enjoy!
Stuart Little (1999)
Both Cute and Fun
The animation work in this deserves an academy award. Stewart is about as lifelike as one could possibly hope for, and he's wonderful.
Michael J. Fox does the voice of Stewart, and Nathan Lane is simiply wonderful as the voice of Snowbell (Stewart's pet cat).
The film is hammy and pretty predictable, and is still great. Fun for kids from 1 to 92.
Toy Story 2 (1999)
A great one for all ages
It was a great time with great laughs for everyone. The story carried well and, as most other reviewers have suggested, the animation is great. There is a scene where "The Chicken Man" is asleep where it almost looks like they got Dom DeLuise to lay there (they didn't). There is ample suspense (had my daughter quite worried for a while), but just plain fun too.
My only complaint is that they went a bit over the top with some of the Star Wars and Space Balls references late in the picture (they were cute, but they didn't know when to quit). Other than that - great.
Patch Adams (1998)
A few tears, but tons of laughs
I had heard that this movie was as much of a downer as anything else - don't believe it.
It's not that it doesn't have a couple of sad moments - it does. It's just that they are relatively few and far between, and totally encased in laughs and general feel-good fun.
This movie is an even better vehicle for Robin Williams' madcap self - and far more believable. While the laughs keep coming, they are embedded in a much more real-life scenario, with Robin Williams applying the Reader's Digest "Laughter Is the Best Medicine" to anyone who will listen.
The movie also makes quite a statement about the state of our health care attitude.
I gave it a 9 on a ten scale - it's worth the look.
The Avengers (1998)
Diner This Isn't...
I had heard mostly down about this film, but wanted to see it due to such fond memories about the old TV show (which I hadn't seen in years).
I hadn't realized it was a Jerry Weintraub (Diner, The Karate Kid, Oh, God!) film until the tape was rolling, and it re-assured me - it shouldn't have.
Jeremiah Chechik directs - or at least gets the so called credit for it. This is one of the worst directing jobs I've ever seen. Unlike some of the other reviews of this film, I think the base script wasn't all that bad - it wasn't all that great, but there was definitely something to work with. Nobody did. Fiennes and Thurman do the best they can, but, given that they both have exactly the same failings, I'm left to believe that they were actually directed to depict it that way.
The dialog is extremely fast and precise, as if they were directed to ennunciate every word crisply, but as quickly as they possibly could. It comes acrossed as being as natural as polyester. The effects and props are extremely contrived in their delivery (who came up with the bear suit idea??? - and I don't get the invisible man thing either).
I gave this a two just because I actually have seen worse. Still, to keep it to two words or less:
DON'T BOTHER!
A River Runs Through It (1992)
A celebration of life and nature
Redford's narration lacks the kind of feeling I would expect from a quality actor, but his directorial work was very good. Indeed, if this had been release in another year, it may have netted him an Oscar nomination. The acting by Tom Skeritt and Brad Bitt was exceptional, although the remainder of the cast was OK at best.
What this film is all about is a fabulous story about life, and an even better celebration of nature. The overall quality of the film is good, and I would recommend the film for a quiet evening.
The Borrowers (1997)
Amusing - typical kids flick
This one has some amusing moments, but, by and large, falls a little short of the mark.
In general, the acting is less than stellar, though the special effects are particularly good in spots (although not so good in others). The plot is beyond predictable. All that said, this is your typical kids flick. It follows a formula of fun, and is the sort of thing your kids would watch again and again.
Hope Floats (1998)
Better than many of the comments here indicate, but not stellar
If I had to use one word for this one, it would probably be "Pleasant." I've always liked Sandra Bullock because she seems like the average, "real" person. That makes her about perfect for this one, as the character is supposed to be a real person with real problems.
Unfortunately, the script is a little on the weak side - there are noticeable lulls in the action. Bullock plays the former heartland high school prom queen who married her high school sweetheart, had the kid, moved to the city, and did the housewife thing. She is on a national talk show (ala Jerry Springer) when she finds out that her husband is having an affair with her best friend. So she takes their daughter back home to the heartland to start over.
Perhaps the highlight of the film has nothing to do, however, with either Bullock or the script, but, rather, Mae Whitman who plays Bullock's daughter. This kid is simply stellar in this film.
In short, this isn't a movie I would go out of my way to see, but it's not a bad one for a rainy evening when you don't have much better to do.