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Reviews
Get Smart (2008)
I laughed so hard that I got a cramp
Normally, if a movie doesn't have gunfire and fist fights, then I have no interest in it. However, after watching Get Smart trailers each week and liking what I saw, I thought I'd give this film a try. I'm glad I did. The movie flashed by with nonstop funny stuff. Great lines and really funny sight gags. And, then there was the totally, asbestos hot, Anne Hathaway. She has never looked better. What a turn on.
The casting director gets an A+ for coming up with some very interesting looking actors. Kudos.
As a bonus, the Get Smart had a terrific soundtrack. I can only hope it will be available on CD.
I'll be first in line to be the DVD. The sooner its available, the better.
Rescue Dawn (2006)
Cheapo producer couldn't afford full color film
The director must have had to use defective film or damaged film that was on sale, or perhaps the lab screwed up and didn't allow all of the colors to come through, except for lots of blue and white. Maybe I'm wrong and it was the director trying to be artistic by using lots of blue and white effects. It's only been done dozens of times in other films, so who knows why. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
The movie itself dragged on and on. It could have all been done in a hour or maybe even forty five minutes. Lots of filler with unnecessary yakking. The action took all of fifteen minutes total.
Pass this one by.
You Kill Me (2007)
Good story, but director too cheap to use full color film
I watched this flick because nothing else was worth seeing this weekend, so it was a matter of the selecting the best of the worst.
Unfortunately, the director decided to not use normal color film in the cameras. There was the usual blue and white effect used, ad nauseam by so many pinheaded directors, then a bronze and white effect, almost no color, and in a very few places, wonderful full color. OK, I'm impressed with the director's artsy-ness.
The color thing distracted from what was a pretty good dark comedy with about a dozen great lines and I'll buy the DVD just for those.
Also, the work of Tea Leoni is new to me and she in one nice looking number.
Mr. Brooks (2007)
Another super-girl cop, something that doesn't exist
I'm not a Kevin Costner fan because he usually plays, well, uh, Kevin Costner. He lost me after Bodyguard, but the jury is out after watching Mr. Brooks. Only about ten per cent Costner came through and the remainder was Mr. Brooks. Lots of twists in the plot and the time flys.
This flick would have received a ten, except that the popular entertainment media seems intent on pushing women as action figures. There might be a few, but in my year of combat duty in SE Asia and in thirty years as a street cop in a big city, I've yet to see a female do any of the hero stuff only a few men do. Some come close and these women are lesbians (that's not a derogatory statement, just an observation as when my butt is getting kicked, help of any variety is welcome)
The Namesake (2006)
Action movie lover liked this film
To be honest, I had some time to kill, wanted to see a movie, and I'd seen both action flicks that weekend and nothing else looked even close to being good. I've worked with Indians over the years and didn't have a clue as to their culture so thought this film might provide some insight. From what I've read here on IMDb, I did get a glimpse or two and got a decent story and some entertainment in the process. Plus,some of the Indian chicks were hot. I had no idea. Namesake does provide a journey, but it was slow in several places (you know, the check your watch test). I really enjoyed the footage of the Taj Mahal and the director and cameraman deserve kudos for such nice work. I'll probably buy the DVD just to get the wonderful honeymoon suite dance scene and music.
300 (2006)
Cheapo producer couldn't afford color film, but could afford too much CG
This could have been such a great movie, but the moron director, like so many others, insisted on shooting in brown and white and blue and white. Why do Hollywood directors insist upon doing this???? ATTENTION, ALL DIRECTORS: IT'S BEEN DONE. An original thought and a cold drink of water would kill most of today's directors. Now, back to the film. 300 had some really great lines, most of which can be seen on the main page of the IMDb site. If the film was shot in color and had ninety per cent less CG, it would have been a clear 10, maybe even 11. There was way too much of the speed it up and slow it down effects in the battle scenes to the point of being cartoonish. Can you say, "boring". I had a problem with Xerxes being portrayed as being somewhat, how shall I say it, delicate. Now, let's take the Queen of the Spartans - I wish we had more moms like that in the U.S. Still, I'm a sucker for what Patton termed 'desperate struggle' situations, and 300 was one of those. Hold your nose, and go see the movie.
The Marine (2006)
Dumb plot, great action with 1000's of rounds fired + many explosions
It's been a while since a testosterone laden flick has come to the big screen, so Marine is most welcome. Get the DVD, then push the 'mute' button except for when there's shooting or explosions. The only good dialog was when one of the bad guys says, "he's like the Terminator". Of course, it's the cop from T that's driving. OK, it's a lousy description by yours truly, but get the DVD for that line alone. One highly cool special effect is when the ejected shell casing are slo-mo'd from an overhead view. The photography was good with none of the dumb blueish tint that many delta alpha directors insist upon. On a big plasma with decent 5.1 system, this flick rocks.
The Good Shepherd (2006)
Beautiful photography
A pleasant movie, overall. Pleasant enough that I didn't notice how long the movie ran - a sure sign of quality film making. Matt Damon was really miscast in his role. A good actor, sure, but too youthful looking for the part.
There are some technical distractions in the film, such as the use of a transistorized hearing aid just after World War II. Bell Lab engineers hadn't even got transistors on paper then.
But it's the photography that takes the prize in The Good Shepherd. One could choose just about any frame at random and come up with an individual work of art.
Buy the DVD when it comes out, turn off the sound, and enjoy some wonderful art.
Suckers (1999)
Car selling from old days
My brother has been a car salesman for three decades and gave this flick a 90% accuracy rating for the way cars were sold until about ten years ago. "It could have been a training film," he told me. Even the sales board in the dealership meeting was dead on the money. Suckers could almost be a documentary film, but with dark humor only understandable to those in the automobile business. The story line about the narcotics sales was more of a distraction than anything else.This movie only had a $500,000 budget and was shot in two and half weeks, but was more than fun to watch. The DVD has a very informative director commentary track that shouldn't be missed.