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dirkvega
Reviews
The Edge (1997)
Very Underrated
"The Edge" boasts Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin at their best. You would think that alone would be more than enough to carry a movie, but this film also has breathtaking Alaskan scenery, eye catching cinematography, a top notch score by Goldsmith, and a fantastic script by David Mamet. And then there's the terrifying Bart the Bear, and Elle Macpherson's beauty is a nice bonus. Harold Perrineau, Jr. also deserves a mention for another good supporting role. "The Edge" is a very involving movie that has great dialogue in between great action sequences. So why didn't it make any money? I would say the title hurts. Its an above average movie with an average title. It sounds like another generic action movie. The film was shot under the title "Bookworm", which is good in an offbeat way, but doesn't exactly promise an adventure. My suggestions? "Nature's Course" or "Survival" are both catchier and more memorable than "The Edge". As far as the film itself goes, its very memorable.
Blue Streak (1999)
Nothing Special
For an action comedy, the action is pretty weak and the comedy is pretty lame. The very talented Martin Lawrence is obnoxious here, and wears out his welcome early on. He's good when he has somebody to play off of, like Tim Robbins in "Nothing to Lose" or Will Smith in "Bad Boys." Luke Wilson, who was very good in "Bottle Rocket", should have been much more prominent in his partner role. Instead, its a showcase for Martin Lawrence, which could have worked if his character was actually likable. There's no reason why he deserves to get away with the diamond, so why root for him? **
Never Been Kissed (1999)
Doesn't quite live up to its potential
I've been a Drew Barrymore fan ever since "E.T.", and was very impressed with her performances in "Gun Crazy", "Boys on the Side", and "Mad Love". I think of her as one of Hollywood's most underestimated actresses, and trust she'll be going on to even greater things. When I saw the trailer for "Never Been Kissed", I thought this was the one. A movie that would cater to all her strengths- her natural beauty, her comedic flair, and her skill for expressing deep emotion. For the most part the movie puts Barrymore, who also served as a producer on the film, to good use. Sadly, it also plugs her into some rather lame jokes and slapstick humor that falls flat. The movie tries to be too many things at once, and nearly implodes. Going for the teen comedy audience and the adult female crowd is pretty ambitious, and proves to be too much to handle. For every moment that is heartfelt, there's one that feels phony and forced. The cartoonish depiction of high school kids is especially frustrating. All the students (including the guys) are gung-ho on finding an original theme for their prom. It's a competition between all the local high schools. If that wasn't unrealistic enough, the popular crowd suddenly embraces Barrymore's previously loathed character the second she comes up with the prom theme. We then get a montage of her shopping happily with a trio of shallow bitches who have been going out of their way to make her life a hell. This hurts the believability of the character, who is ecstatic to finally be accepted, despite all the hardship she has faced at the hands of these types. There's a difference between naive and stupid. This flick was obviously intended as lighthearted, but thats still no excuse to make the heroine so oblivious to what is so obvious. Still, Barrymore succeeds in injecting her role with alot of warmth and charm. Leelee Sobieski and Michael Vartan also stand out in the rather overstuffed cast. John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, and Garry Marshall are also good with what they are given to do, but seem underused. All in all, a watchable movie, but one that is likely to having you shaking your head at all the little annoyances in the screenplay. **1/2, but easily could have been a solid *** with some much needed rewrites.
American Psycho (2000)
Wonderfully Acted and Tightly Directed
From the clever title sequence until the disarming but rather ambiguous climax, "American Psycho" is compelling entertainment. While entertainment hardly seems to be the appropriate word for a film that delves into the mind of a psychopath, its as fitting as one of the lead character's designer suits. Patrick Bateman is the film's antihero- a power hungry, woman hating, coke sniffing, hardcore porn enthusiast and Phil Collins fan. As well as a serial killer. With these less than admirable qualities, why is Bateman so damn likeable? Because he's been brought to life by Christian Bale, a Brit actor sporting a flawless American accent, infinite expressions, great comedic timing, and a six pack. Bale, best known as the little boy in Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun," but also very good in 1998's "Velvet Goldmine", is a star waiting to be born. No obvious comparison to another actor springs to mind. That's what makes him so interesting, and his performance so unpredictable. While Bale alone is enough to carry the movie, he's also surrounded by a stellar supporting cast, some who appear briefly, but to good effect. Willem Dafoe (watch out for him in the upcoming "Shadow of the Vampire") has a lot of fun as the detective questioning Bateman, who may or may not be one step ahead of him. Reese Witherspoon (whose lower half is mostly kept out of frame due to her pregnancy), as Bateman's bitchy fiancee, is very good as always, and has her best moment when she breaks down late in the picture, realizing her beloved Patrick is "inhuman." In the role of Bateman's mousy secretary, Chloe Sevigny is perfect. She has this quiet intensity about her, and if she hadn't been played as so sensitive, or looked as delicate, there would hardly be the sense of dread that there is when Bateman lines up his industrial strength nailgun to the back of her head. All these performances cannot be praised without acknowledging the director, Mary Harron, who very well could have channeled Stanley Kubrick before stepping behind the camera. The visuals are striking without being in your face, the editing is seamless, and the violence is never used for cheap shock value. Most importantly, the audience is not manipulated by a twist ending for the sake of a surprise, but is given a carefully calculated finale that has had quite some build up, which will leave you thinking for days afterward... like all great movies.
Leprechaun 5: In the Hood (2000)
"Lep' in the Hood Come to Do No Good"
I rented the original "Leprechaun" when it first came to video, and got lots of laughs- some of them intentional, many of them not. Who could forget the image of the evil Lep tearing ass in the go-cart, or what must be the only death scene in the history of cinema to involve a pogo-stick? The first sequel was god awful in just about every respect, but was made bearable by the Lep's rhyming one-liners. The third made decent use of its Vegas location and had some ok death scenes. I have never had the (dis)pleasure of seeing the fourth installment, which took place in space. That brings us to "Leprechaun in the Hood", which jumped off the shelf at me with its sharp cover art, hilarious title, and marquee value of Ice-T (ha). The flick unfolds just like the other sequels, with no explanation of how the Leprechaun got to his location, or even a reference to the other movies. The three lead characters are a trio of Compton rappers- Postmaster P, Stray Bullet, and Dutch, who are trying to avoid the gansta scene of hip-hop by preaching a positive message. Greed gives in when they loot the house of Mack Daddy Onassis (Ice T), the local crime lord/record mogul. They happen to swipe the lep's stolen magical flute, and before they know it are being stalked separately by Mack Daddy and the now awakened Lep. Along the way we see the Lep smoke weed ("What a curious aroma"), go to bed with a drag queen, and make a few pop culture references ("Come hand me gold you thieving hoods, You've got more loot than Tiger Woods!!"). Sadly the death scenes are lame, with a few victims just being strangled, some even killed off screen. Effects wise, glowing green eyes and dry ice seems to be the extent of what the low budget would allow, but the movie is always entertaining with its campiness. For every bad effect we get a good line like "From the depths of the neverworld, I summon my zombie fly girls") A worthy rental, especially on DVD- it has the trailers for Lep 1 and 2.