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Reviews
Kung Fu (1972)
Excellent Work from 1972-75
I have not seen this series for well over 35 years. Remarkably, it has stood the harsh test of time.
While it cannot compare with university level studies of East Asian philosophy and religion, it deals with topics that have universal applicability, and it does so in an intelligent fashion.
Caine lives in a world of avarice, violence, and breath-taking stupidity. In spite of all this, he must persevere in his pursuit of familial connections and obligations, another eternal Eastern theme.
The dialog and psychological situations merit serious attention and certainly keep the viewer's interest.
The Marine (2006)
Jeezo, I need some more whisky
John Cena, who might be a good wrestler, has all the expressiveness of a total blockhead. His wife, as her part was written, has the IQ of a grape (about the same as John Triton - great name)and a spunkiness that gets tiresome after 12 seconds. The bad guys range from insufferable to god-awful. Robert Patrick, looking a little like an embalmed Christopher Walken, supplies the only actual acting talent in this waste of time, space, and money. He looks really great when he comes back from the dead looking like yesterday's barbecue special at Arthur Bryant's.
The explosions!!! Let me count the ways we can have gasoline/propane/pentane/lopane explode...a dozen, maybe two dozen. Whatever. John Cena stolidly marches through the super-heated pandemonium without a burn or scratch. But wait, there's even better!!!! The gun duel between the robbers/murderers/kidnappers and John in the commandeered Police Camaro!!!! John's car gets raked by at least 150 bullets but nothing to keep it from running smoothly. No flats, no punctured fuel or brake lines, no radiator damage - nothing. Not even an M1A1 Abrams battle tank would do so well.
This film does not even rise to the level of a bad comic book. Who the heck thought this should ever see the light of day?????
Virus (1999)
Not a Winner
William Baldwin is, if anything, an even worse actor than his older brother, Alec. Donald Sutherland, who can be effective when restrained and given proper direction, simply reeked like an old ham from beginning to end (although he looked really great as a humanoid/robotic stooge in a biker sort of way at the end). Ms Curtis provided the most convincing performance of the entire cast, and, as usual, looked fine doing so. We've seen many of the ideas before, and while reasonably well done in the special effects context, the director and writers did not bring much new to the table. The little robots seemed scary enough when they appeared on screen, with their insect-like metallic legs and probes. I found the scene in which the master robotic alien tortures Ms Curtis to find out important information the most effective in the film: she seemed to be in pain throughout this creepy part.
I found it quite difficult to suspend my disbelief and become immersed in the film.
Wedding Crashers (2005)
Tough To Suspend Disbelief
I admit that Wilson and Vaughn ham & egg pretty well together, and the plot breezes along quickly. However, it cannot move fast enough to paper over the totally implausible plot failures which made watching the film a bit difficult.
These two scammers would never have been invited to the Secretary's shore compound. Sorry - claiming to be related to Aunt Nellie and Uncle Ed, or whatever, would never, ever get them to the villa or on the yachts. Once identified, the Secretary - and his daughters - would never have allowed them to marry these two grifters. I don't care how egalitarian we pretend to be - it would never occur. Everything about them was transparently false.
The nymphomanical daughter? Oh, she's a keeper! Not!!! And what about the age difference? What on earth would she see in Vaughn? Sack, or whatever Claire's boyfriend was called? A more reptilian brute you'd be hard pressed to find. A Lodge? They've been going out for 3 and 1/2 years? Never. He crumbled so quickly into stereotype that he would have been discovered for the cad he was years before.
While I wanted to immerse myself in the film, the total implausibility of the leaps of faith required to watch in earnest simply overwhelmed me. While we all know that the families of the powerful often have all sorts of hidden misfits and oddballs, this one takes the cake, down to the RISD student.
And, frankly, I was waiting for Mr. Walken to go psycho, pull out a pistol, and dispatch any number of characters.
Last Man Standing (1996)
A fine film, with excellent performances and well-crafted violence
This film - cast in sepia-type tones - makes a powerful statement about violence and its corrosive effect on society. The war between the Irish and Italian gangs in the ominously named town of Jericho has driven out virtually all the original residents. The gangsters all dress in uniform - three-piece suits, and behave as brutally as possible.
Into this cauldron of crime, guns, and greed steps Bruce Willis as the wonderfully named John Smith - the man with no name. Impressed as I have always been with the stopping power of the Colt .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, Smith finds miraculous ways to make the clips hold more bullets (I thought they originally held 7 bullets, with one extra in the chamber) than I can count. But does he use those weapons to good effect! Every scummy gangster gets what he deserves - they all deserved killing. Truly an epiphany of violence. The scenes in Mexico make you feel the grit, dirt and sweat, as the corrupt soldiers get machine-gunned.
Bruce Dern puts in a great turn as a completely corrupt sheriff, paid off by both sides. But he has a saving grace - he recognizes John Smith's one weakness, and then discovers another, his loyalty to those who have helped him. When questioned by Dern what he can possibly do with a butcher knife against Doyle's mob, he replies he can get a gun with it. Great. Then Dern gives him two 45s and leaves town.
The end is a wonderful tornado of violence - all the gangsters get sent to Boot Hill and Willis shoots down Walken, who puts in his trademark excellent performance as a psychotic murderer who burned down as orphanage as a child.
The interplay between Willis and Walken is truly riveting.
A fine film.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
A detailed, excruciating retelling of the last days of Christ
The film depicts the horrific treatment of Jesus by all those who had a hand in his death. None of them comes off well, although the details, generally, have been known for two millenia. The petty jealousies of the Jewish rabbinate and the practiced callousness and brutality of the Roman Governor and troops provide well-defined counterpoints to Jesus's somewhat unorthodox, for the time, message of peace and brotherhood.
The furor which preceded the film's release and the unfounded fears of a tidal wave of anti-semitism were clearly based on lack of knowledge of the film and knee-jerk reaction. The film could well have been described as viciously anti-Roman, as well. All in all, a finely crafted film that makes the 2,000 year old story of Jesus come alive.