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johntam
Reviews
The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004)
A Nice Start...
I like this movie because it shows the rewards of both study and hard work. I like it because Flynn is genuinely nice and naive, while still an able hero. I like his sidekick/enforcer, Nicole No one (There is a "trust No one" line, of course), played with aplomb by Sonya Walger. And of course, there is no way anyone can miss a movie where Bob Newhart sports a Marine Tattoo on his chest and engages in martial arts fighting!
This is a move that the family can watch with no worries at all. The pilot had a lot of setup work to do, but it got it done, so the next movie, or hopefully the weekly series, will be less hokey in the setup. Here's hoping for a series.
10.5 (2004)
Eeeeek! Amateurish! (spoilers)
"Marshal Law" on a screen. It's MARTIAL LAW!
Beau Bridges was hokey as the president. Fred Ward had "DEAD MAN" written on his chest from the first scene. And enough with the nuclear bombs already!
Don't get me started on the junk science.
Kim Delaney TRIED valiantly to remove the hokum from her role, but she could only do so much with the cheesy dialog. The whole governor with ex-hubby and kid @ ground zero thing was sort of interesting, but was left unresolved in my opinion. The really funny moment was the guy in Barstow holding up the "Future beachfront property for sale" sign. And it was of course a foreshadowing. The ending was cut short as well, probably to make room for more CGI.
That said, it was a pretty cool disaster flick. It gets a 4 out of 10.
J
All Grown Up! (2003)
Very Refreshing for a Sequel...
This is far from being "Rugrats: The Next Generation." Instead, you can see palpable changes in the characters of the show from the baby-oriented original series to this one.
The plot lines have some refreshing changes in them. Coming along for the ride is a new Vice-Principal who was an ex-professional wrestler. He takes a keen interest in Dil, who is the breakout star of this show. In one episode, he counsels Dil (Wisely!) when the other kids use his genius for their profit.
Dil is the weird one who does weird things, but inside that brain is a true genius. Also amazing is the transformation of Tommy from fearless leader-baby to more a member of the group, complete with insecurities. Angelica is different too. She's softer and less bossy, but still a schemer. Her lispy friend Harold is a nice foil for her antics.
This is completely kid-safe. It's also fun for adults, too. Perhaps it's not in the same league as Spongebob, but it is great fun!
So on my 1-10 scale, I give it an 8.
J
Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Wow.
I was and am an ardent fan of the original BSG. Take G1980 and throw it in the trash; it is worthless. I came into this open-minded, wondering what Sci-Fi, saviors of my beloved Stargate SG-1, would do.
What I saw was, IMHO, the finest science fiction ever produced for TV. Wow. It took only about 1/4 of part I to set a complete stage, develop characters, and let us know that which we needed to make the Galactica universe real to us. Tigh is a (reforming?) drunk. Starbuck is the greatest pilot ever, with a mean right uppercut, and a pretty hot young lady.
Unlike G1980, the "human" Cylon types are more evil, and are believable as Cylons. EJ Olmos had better get an Emmy for his portrayal as Adama. Every scene into which he entered was magnificent. Mary McDonnell did a fantastic job as Laura Roslyn, and the new treatment of Baltar was the freshest thing about this rework.
I cannot wait for the series. And you KNOW that it will be forthcoming. This is the biggest coup in the history of Sci-Fi channel, or for that matter, in the history of all televised Science Fiction.
Gigli (2003)
The worst movie ever made.
Ben and Jen should go into a room, drink hemlock and die for dropping this stinker on the world. This is a completely worthless movie, with no plot to speak of, and some of the worst acting in the history of films. Compared to this, "Plan Nine from Outer Space" is a masterpiece on the order of "Citizen Kane!"
Young Frankenstein (1974)
The funniest movie ever made!
This movie is the neglected masterpiece of all time. It deserved the Oscar for Best Picture, Wilder deserved Best Actor, and Leachman and Feldman should have won for supporting acting. The screenplay is a masterpiece, and every single performer deserves a standing ovation whenever he or she enters any room, even a restroom! Most of all Mel Brooks must be immortalized for giving us this superb masterpiece, which should proudly wear, for all time the moniker of "Funniest Movie ever made!"
Blazing Saddles (1974)
The second funniest Movie ever made!
Mel Brooks was, in the seventies, a true genius of the offensive. To say that Blazing Saddles was anything less than a true triumph of the tastelessly absurd is an understatement. In fact, no other movie ever made, save one (Young Frankenstein, another Brooks masterpiece) is funnier than this movie. Even 29 years after release, I still can't stop laughing at this side-splitting accomplishment!
Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)
Laugh riot! Stupid Funny Excellence!
This movie is juvenile, and it is loaded with sexual jokes. Therefore, you have to exercise EXTREME caution in airing it with your kids present. That said, it is so damned funny that I found it hard to catch my breath from all of the laughter.
Everytime I thought the movie might drag a little bit, up came something new, stupid, and usually side-splitting. Examples include the narrator's incredulity when the Chosen one punches a clean hole through a bad guy, the "eenie meenie miney moe" scene with the master, two young apprentices and a long rubber glove, and when Ling sets the chosen one's hands on fire.
The fight with the CGI cow is the funniest segment in the history of CGI, period! This is the same genius who brought us Ace Ventura and Jimmy Neutron, and the Chosen One is another winner!