daveshubcaps Reviews

Logan's Run (1976)

Better than it's critics say it is

[7/10 · 30 August 2003]

While I may hesitate to call it one of the grreatest SciFi movies made, it is certainly much better than the movie's detractors would lead you to believe.

It is true that this movie wears the decade it was made in quite noticeably. The hair, the costumes, and the "futuristic" design just scream "70s" at you. The special effects, viewed through today's eyes, are certainly dated, but this movie came out about a year before George Lucas revolutionized special effects with Star Wars. (by the way, Kubrick had much more money to throw at the FX in 2001 than they did for this movie!)

But there is something about this movie which still resonates even today for me, and it's not just a half naked Jenny Agutter! I just bought this movie from the bargain bin at the local Best Buy, and I was glad I did. Perhaps it is the message that there is much more to life than hedonistic pleasure, or the adventure of two people finding out the truth of their existence, I'm not entirely sure. All I'm saying is that if you can overlook the dated aspects of this flick, there is an enjoyable tale to be told. I give it a 7/10.

P.S.: Earlier, someone kept referring to a Nuclear Holocaust for the reason the Domed City is built. Had they bothered to read the screen at the beginning of the movie, they'd see it was actually an ecological disaster, not nuclear war, which caused the Domed City to be built.

Basic (2003)

Twists back on itself one time too many.

[6/10 · 9 August 2003]

Whoever wrote this flick needs to know one thing: the IS such a thing as "Too much of a good thing!"

This movie played with the "nothing is as it seems" just a bit too much, to the point where you start scratching your head, going, "What just happened?"

It was a decent watch. Travolta is in good form (both acting and physically), Sam Jackson is there to do what he does best: yell at people. I think it would have done much better if the movie had lost a twist or two.

6/10

The Real Cancun (2003)

Should have been called "The Alan Taylor Show"

[5/10 · 2 August 2003]

This type of thing should not (and did not) do well as a theatrical movie. That doesn't mean it isn't entertaining, even if only in spots.

Most of those spots were occupied by this film's unlikely hero and star, Alan Taylor. From the first moment that he tells us that he has never drink, and doesn't plan to, you just knew he was going to get completely hosed at one point. From there, you see him blossom from a shy, kinda dorky kid, into a body-shot loving party animal who is getting much more female attention than the more "studly" men on this trip.

The only other interesting character was David, whose guitar playing and interesting songs were quite hilarious to listen to (particulaly those of us who enjoyed the 80's!). Other than that, it was run of the mill melodramas between gorgeous shots of Cancun, and a little T&A for the kiddies.

It's worth the rental fee.

5/10

The Transporter (2002)

Pure action, and not much else!

[7/10 · 13 July 2003]

This is a nice pickup if you need to scratch that action fix. Jason Statham kicks butt with the best of them! Watch in particular for the action scene in the garage where he firghts a dozen men on a floor covered in engine oil!

Open the popcorn bag, shut your mind off, and enjoy the ride!

7/10

Dark Blue (2002)

Kurt Russell the best thing about this average movie.

[6/10 · 13 July 2003]

The movie is about two hot-shot LAPD SIS division cops solving a liquor store robbery-murder, done against the backdrop of the Rodney King trial and subsequent riots is average at best. What makes the whole thing watchable is Kurt Russell.

I was interested to find out that the people responsible for the story of this movie also had hands in "LA Confidential" and "Training Day", because I found Russell's character to be a literal mix of Russell Crowe's Bud White and Denzel Washington's Alonzo Harris. Russell's Sgt. Eldon Perry is a hot-shot SIS officer who is valued by his superior not for his detective skills, but rather his belief that being on the side of "good" justifies any action he takes to bring the bad guys down, not to mention his unquestioning obedience of his immediate superior, played by Brendan Gleeson. Russell is at his goofy grinning, cock-sure best playing Sgt. Perry, confident to the point of arrogance of the justification of his actions, right up to the point where everything he believes is true is pulled down and he sees the widespread damage his philosophical mindset has caused.

I gave it a 6/10

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Earns a place in my "Strange Movie" list

[6/10 · 13 July 2003]

Watching a PT Anderson movie, I know I'm in for a certain amount of off-beat. However, this one seemed to revel in its strangness!

This is certainly a departure for Adam Sandler from his usual fare, and he does fairly well. The problem I had with this movie was that when all was said and done, it just wasn't all that interesting.

I recommend it if you want to see Sandler play someone different than "Idiot boy"

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

The best thing I can say: It Didn't Suck!

[7/10 · 5 July 2003]

I know that most of us went into the theater with this silent prayer in our minds: "Please don't suck! PLEASE dont SUCK! PLEASE DON'T SUCK!"

First, the good news: It didn't SUCK!

Now, the not so good news: It wasn't great either.

The best I can do for this movie is say it was pretty good. If it were a stand alone movie, that would be enough. But since it follows two of the best sci-fi movies ever made, it's a bit of a letdown, but not much.

This movie is certainly worth watching in the theaters, if for nothing else than the action sequences. Of which there are some doozies! The chase scene with the crane alone is worth the price of admission!

The acting in this movie was well done. Being an action flick, I'm not looking for Oscar worthy performances, but I did start to care about these people. Kristanna Lokken did quite well as the T-X, her performance as such rivals that of Robert Patrick as the T-1000 in T2, and she has a nice butt to boot! Nick Stahl fills in quite well as John Connor, though I still would rather have seen Edward Furlong reprise his role and give the film more of a connection to its predecessors. Claire Danes works well too, though her part seems a bit like a redux of Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor from the first film, even to the point where John Connor says to her in a scene, "You remind me of my mother!".

Then of course there's Ah-nuld! what can I say? The man was born to play this part! The only problem I had with this rendition of the T-800 (or T-101 in this film) was that for the first 2/3 of the movie, the script relies so heavily on the amusing one-liners (in their defense, they ARE funny!)that the movie threatens to become a parody of itself.

Jonathon Mostow does a good job directing, but I really would have liked to have seen what Cameron would have done with this movie. His absence I think is what stops this movie from being great.

The biggest gripe I have with this movie is its ending. While it does set up a possible T4 movie, it is anti-climatic to say the least, and furthermore in contradiction to the theme of T2.

I give it a 6.5 out of 10.

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

I'm going to have to see this again!

[8/10 · 16 May 2003]

This movie had to be about the most anticipated sequel in my life, right up there with Empire Strikes Back. So, I was a little worried when I started hearing some not so great things about this movie. I went in the theater with a little trepidation.



I came out knowing I'd have to see this movie again, and soon!

Let me just say that the talk about how slow the first hour is and all the philisophical mumbo-jumbo had me worried that someone had taken Wakng Life and made it into an action flick! And while the first hour is a bit tedious, and philosophy is certainly discussed, it was nowhere near as bad as the critics said! And once the 100 Agent Smiths fight comes around, this movie kicks in to full bad-ass gear and delivers the goods til the end!

Now, I can't say it was as good as the first movie (nothing is ever like your first time!), mainly because this movie takes a different path, one which I didn't quite count on, and which will require viewing the Third movie in six months. Thank god I don't have to wait longer! Meantime, I'll be heading back to the theater soon to se this again, and pick up what I missed!

Well worth seeing! 8/10

The Core (2003)

The movie does it's job well.

[7/10 · 21 April 2003]

For the life of me, I will NEVER understand why some people feel it necessary to judge a spectacle movie such as The Core like it was a character-driven Art House piece!

Movies like this are the cinematic equivalent of a fireworks show: It's very pretty to watch, you "ooooh" and "aaaaaah" the the more spectacular shots, you clap after the big finale, and then you go about the rest of your life. And about all you ever remember is that you enjoyed the show. Movies like these are not meant to be life-changing, they are not meant to be avant-garde (unless you're making The Matrix), they are not meant to be a study in character flaws. They are meant to take your mind off your everyday life for a couple of hours and entertain you. And that is exactly what this movie does.

I never judge a movie by how "original" it is. After thousands of years of storytelling, you can pretty much bet just about every story theme imaginable has been done. Rather, I judge on how well they tell the story they are telling. And I have to say that they told a pretty good story in this one. Sure, the characters are pretty much generic movie characters, but the roles are well filled with good character actors (except for the hacker kid played by DJ Qualls, that man has GOT to do something about that nose!) and they do their jobs so well that I found I actually cared about them and was saddened when they died.

As for the scientific inaccuracies, two things: One, don't forget that it's called Science FICTION! Secondly, I saw this movie with a scientist (she works as a chemist), who granted that the ides of how our electromagnetic field is generated is mostly supposition. But the fact is that we really don't know how the field is generated, so why not a spinning core of liquid metal? She also liked that fact that the movie used science to resolve the problems encountered.

The special effects were quite good in this movie, nothing spectacular or groundbreaking though.

In the end this is a good popcorn flick, which is what it was meant to be.

7 out of 10

The Ring (2002)

One of the creepiest films ever!

[7/10 · 24 March 2003]

This has to be one of the creepiest films I have ever seen! Verbinski manages to set the perfect mood for this movie. From disturbing imagery (especially that tape!), to the inspired choice of Seattle, Washington as the location (it gave the movie a murky grayish quality).

This is a movie you need to pay attention to though, otherwise you will miss many of the answers to questions asked. Even those questions don't always get completely answered, I suppose that makes for good sequel material. Casting was quite good, especially the kid, Aidan. Reminding me a bit of Rory Culkin, he had that bug-eyed look that let you know that something is just not quite right!

Overall, if you're looking for something to really creep you out, and you don't mind some loose ends, the Ring is a good choice.

7/10

P.S.: I found an easter egg on the DVD. On the main menu, keep pressing the up button until the red arrow indicator disappears, then press play. This egg uses surround sound systems to full effect, especailly at the end!

Daredevil (2003)

Enjoyable comic book action fun

[7/10 · 16 February 2003]

Not a bad way to spend a few bucks on a movie. While not as good as Spider-Man or Superman, Daredevil has a leg up on most of the Batman movies.

Like Spider-Man, this movie has a comic-book feel to it, but in Daredevil it comes through more in the acting than in the visuals. Ben Affleck does a good turn as the "Guardian Devil", it's probably the first movie I've seen of his where he wasn't playing "Ben Affleck". In other words, I could believe him as Matt Murdock. Jennifer Garner was absolutely stunning as Electra (I can't say I was pleased with what happens to her character) both in beauty and in fighting ability. the initial fight scene between Murdock and Electra is outstanding.

Colin Farrell as Bullseye. Oh BOY! Talk about your over the top, cheez-whiz, scenery-chewing, William Shatner school of acting, bad guy! Absolutely delicious! Here is where you are reminded that what you are watching is a movie made from a comic book. Look for this lovely little line spoken by him, "I missed! I NEVER miss!". Speaking of Bullseye, don't leave the theater immediately when the credits start rolling, there's a little suprise!

Michael Clarke Duncan was excellent as Kingpin. There is no man on this planet I can think of who looks more menacing even when smiling than the towering statue that is Duncan. Jon Favreau provides good comedic relief as Fopggy Nelson, Joe Pantiliano was so forgettable as his character, I can't even remember the character's name.

Viusuals were impressive, though the movie is a little too dark to really see the action. What I liked the most was the rendering of how Murdock "sees" using his sense of sound.

The story itself has it's ups and downs, but overall it was a good trip to the movie theater.

7/10