morales123 Reviews

Hulk (2003)

The Comic Book Comes to Life

[21 June 2003]

I'm reading all of these negative reviews about The Hulk, and I don't understand what type of movie these people thought they were going to see? This is not some art-house film. This is not "The Ice Storm" or "Sense and Sensibility."

This is The Hulk. The Incredible Hulk. A character featured in a comic book which has lasted over 40 years. And this movie does the comic book, and all of its true fans, justice.

I think people believe that they were going to see 2 hours and 18 minutes of the Hulk running around and smashing everything in sight. Of course, that's what the movie could have been--and it would have been boring and overdone after the first 30 minutes.

No, what Ang Lee and his crew has given us is a tragic story--paced out like a real-life event. A child loses his parents and the sins of his father have been passed onto him without his knowledge or consent. His world has never been normal and now, due to an accident, his life has just went up 1000 points on the abnormal scale.

Anyone who complains about the split-screen and the comic book look is just complaining a little too much. . .it doesn't happen much, but when it does it looks really cool. These are probably the same people who didn't like "The Matrix Reloaded" because Neo "fights too fast". . .Lee is just trying to do something cool here and people are reaching out too hard to find something wrong with this picture (or condemning something different--just like the Hulk is condemned because he is different).

No, this is not Spider-Man. . .this is a different character. . .not a geeky teenager bitten by a radioactive spider, but a man afflicted with with a hidden terror that takes physical form.

Everyone whining and crying about how the movie is a fantasy--give me a break. . .it's the Hulk! Not Othello. Not Schindler's List. Don't get me wrong--there is a plot. The dialogue is fine. There is a good story. And then the Hulk smashes!!

Ang Lee directed a great film. Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly did a great job (plus Nick Nolte, Sam Elliott and the rest of the cast). The Hulk looked fantastic. (Enough already with "the Hulk looks like the Jolly Green Giant" dribble). In the comics, the Hulk is really huge--and not the size of Lou Ferrigno (though Lou was cool). The fight scenes with the gamma-dogs and the Army was great.

I just saw a 50-year-old man jump out of his seat and yell like a little kid--he was extremely happy because the child inside of him finally was seeing what he had read so many years ago in a magazine--the Hulk was alive and showing his unstoppable might.

People who believe the Hulk story is just a drama about a man who turns into a 15-foot green beast when he gets angry only know half of the tale. There is much more to the Hulk mythos (including character development and emotions), and this movie covers all of those bases (and then gives you some big time action).

This movie gets 3 thumbs up! Great visuals. Interesting story. Great and innovative CGI. And the silver screen debut of Green Goliath. I cannot wait for the sequel. I want more Hulk!

Gangs of New York (2002)

Daniel Day-Lewis steals this movie

[29 December 2002]

I never was a big Daniel Day-Lewis fan, but I must say, he gives a great performance in this movie. In fact, they should just hand over the Best Actor Oscar to him now instead of waiting until March 2003 to give it to him.

Day-Lewis plays one of the greatest villains in movie history. Complex, dark, and some-what likeable, his portrayal of Bill the Butcher is the main reason to see this movie. Day-Lewis' acting is magnetic and powerful--and it draws you into the movie even more. You don't want him to lose; then again, you don't want him to win either. You are torn over this character and it is all because Day-Lewis does such an amazing job in making this character three-dimensional. Sometimes, the villains are the ones you want to root for (like Denzel Washington in Training Day).

Martin Scorsese has created another classic to add to his already illustrious career. Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, and Jim Broadbent round out a great cast in a story about the roots of America's greatest city--New York.

Gangs of New York shows that America was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of its people. Blood was spilled on the streets for many reasons: honor, money, and to force people to live and conform to a certain way of life. For years the blood-shed had no real purpose or direction, and then the politicians came and started to use these gangs to their advantage.

Like in all of his films, Scorsese really doesn't try to preach at you. He shows you the events and allows you to make the decisions of right and wrong; good or bad. Before I saw this movie, I thought this was going to be another showdown-revenge movie between rival gangs. . .but in the end, I realized it was more than that.

The biggest gang of them all was the United States government and the politicians. The government did the same things the local street gangs were doing--lie, cheat, and steal--but on a greater scale.

Many people fear change and try to stand in the way of progress. But the movie shows that no one can stop change; and those who try to end progress are pushed aside into history.

This movie gets my highest recommendation.

The Cider House Rules (1999)

Good movie, but "Magnolia" and "The Green Mile" are better

[30 August 2000]

I first want to say that "The Cider House Rules" is a very good movie about a young man who goes on a journey to find his place in the world. Great acting by Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Michael Caine, and Delroy Lindo. The plot and the scenery was also interesting. BUT, I don't understand why it was nominated for Best Picture and how it won Best Adapted Screenplay?

John Irving's screenplay condenses his book into a neat little package. Everything happens too quickly--not enough time was spent on how the romance developed and how strongly the characters despised the Cider House rules.

Yet, if the quick plot advances don't disturb you that much, you should enjoy the film. I do believe that P.T. Anderson's "Magnolia" was much more deserving of a Best Picture nomination than "The Cider House Rules." Magnolia was a ground-breaking and influential movie. "The Cider House Rules" tries to be that, but fails.

I also disagree that John Irving deserved winning Best Adapted Screenplay for this film. "The Cider House Rules" does not leave you with the same haunting feelings and energy that the "The Green Mile" did. Overall, the "Cider House Rules" was a great effort and should be considered a movie worth seeing.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Great action, but the plot was weak.

[28 May 2000]

There's a lot of action in this movie. Then again, what do you expect from a John Woo film? The man is the master of action films (Face/Off, The Killer, Hard Boiled). You can tell that Woo, Tom Cruise and the stuntmen worked hard to give the audience five great action sequences. The motorcycle scene at the end was spectacular. Yet, all of the action scenes are linked to a very poorly executed love story and another killer virus plot.

Cruise's Ethan Hunt falls in love with team member/thief Nyah (Thandie Newton), but not one person in the theater could believe that these two people had fallen madly in love with each other after just meeting 24 hours ago. This is crucial because the movie revolves around their relationship. The plot about the killer virus is simple, but it would have worked if the love story was stronger. Woo needed to make the love story more believable and he failed. Hey, if we were all able to look across the room at someone and fall madly in love, then maybe we could believe this so-called "love story."

Thandie Newton's performance was horrible; she looked dazed and confused at the camera half the time and I wasn't sold that she was this tough, international thief either. Dougray Scott was a formidable and evil villain. He gave a very good performance. Having Anthony Hopkins in the movie, though he is a great actor, was a waste of time and money. Don't go to see this movie just to see him. Actor Czerny Henry, who played IMF boss Eugene Kittridge in the first film, should have returned to play Hopkins' part and perhaps the filmmakers could have saved some money and hired a better lead actress.

The movie had the Woo effect: a slow-paced, moody feeling broken by fast-paced action sequences and special effects. Cruise's portrayal of Ethan Hunt was different in this sequel than the original. In the first film, Hunt was confident in his abilities but was scared of what was lurking behind the corner. In this film, Woo and Cruise make Hunt a force to be reckoned with and feared. So, if you're a fan of Woo's action films and you want to see Cruise act like Chow-Yun Fat, then go see this movie. But, if you are expecting anything else, like a great love story and a thought-provoking plot, then save your money and wait until Mission: Impossible 2 comes out on video.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

This is one of the greatest movies ever made.

[17 May 2000]

To think that this movie did not win Best Picture is a crime. Director Steven Spielberg uses all of his talent and resources to give to the world the greatest war film ever made.

Though it's true that this is not the type of movie you want to sit down with the family and eat popcorn, the emotional drive of the picture, the story's poignant messages, and the fantastic acting of the cast draws you into a world that is both dangerous and unpredictable.

Spielberg is able to take you into action and make you feel as if you are a participant in the movie and not just a viewer. This is Tom Hanks' best movie he ever did. Forget his performances in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump (though they were also good); he should have received another Oscar for the role of Capt. John Miller, a leader who must act strong in front of his men, but must also hide his emotions from them. It would have been well-deserved if he won again.

I give this movie my highest recommendation. Saving Private Ryan is a movie that makes you realize how life is precious and how honor and duty, though they are deep philosophical concepts that are praised in war, can put you in jeopardy of losing your life for something you may not believe in.