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morobandgeek
Reviews
The Family Man (2000)
because everyone needs marriage and 2.5 kids to be happy
This movie is always on around Christmas, and it always makes me angry and/or nauseated. Nicolas Cage is a successful business man who is given a look at an alternate life for himself. Apparently, despite his success in his career and the fact that he was fine that way, what he really needs is marriage and 2.5 kids to be happy. Never mind that he doesn't like his job in this life and isn't crazy about the neighborhood, all you need is marriage and babies. Very predictably, he decides he loves his new life and doesn't want to go back, but of course he has to. Then he decides everything he spent his entire life working for means nothing without marriage and babies, and runs away to find his old girlfriend. She is also single and successful, and for some inexplicable reason decides that she too is unfulfilled and needs marriage and 2.5 kids.
In short, this movie sends the message that you need marriage and kids to be happy, and no matter how fulfilled you are in your career, it will never truly be enough. It's absolutely sickening.
William & Kate (2011)
a semiaccurate take on how the royal wedding came to be
The only good thing about this movie is Ben Cross as Prince Charles. The dialogue is terrible, most of the acting mediocre, and the plot full of overused Lifetime clichés. If you know going in that it's going to be awful, it's not as bad. At least you can laugh at the stupidity of it all. My personal favorite part (other than Ben Cross as Prince Charles) was when Prince William says that if the media catches wind of their relationship, the media will go crazy with stories and pictures and they'll never be left alone. This is ridiculously amusing because this terrible movie is just one more way the media is refusing to leave these people alone.
Eye of the Beholder (1999)
An insane Ewan McGregor stalks an insane Ashley Judd while the insane plot gets more and more confusing
I did not understand the movie at all. It was very strange. Ewan McGregor did a fantastic job in his role, as did Ashley Judd in hers. There were some parts that were okay, like the scene where Ewan says something to the effect of, "I'm a daddy missing my daughter, and you're a daughter missing her daddy." However, at the end where Ashley Judd dies, there should have been a more significant exchange of dialogue instead of, "You took my picture at the museum." The scene would have been better if she recognized him as her guardian angel. It is also unclear why he began following her all around the United States. At first I thought that perhaps she looked like his AWOL wife, then I was unsure. In fact, I am still unsure. The memory of his daughter in his imagination was well done, and it was interesting to find out that his memories of her were seven years old. One other thing that would have been nice to know is what made Ashley Judd turn into a psycho-killer. As a last note, the scene where Ewan asks a favor of Hilary and convinces her to do it by looking cute was funny. The red coat was AWFUL-if that was what they were going for they did a good job. I believe that was my least favorite aspect of the movie. Dumb coat.
The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
Mr. Miyagi and Daniel are back, and kicking some more arse
I found this movie possibly even better than the first. Daniel's new girlfriend is way cooler than his old one, she has spirit and spunk. My godson's favorite part was the fight between Chozen and Daniel at the end, while I liked the scene just after Mr. Miyagi's father died. Having lost my father myself, I thought Daniel's comments were very mature and thought-provoking. I rather neglected my father once I began going to boarding school. On holidays I would stay with one of my friends, so I did not see him much before he died. When I received word he was dying, I took a leave of absence from school to see him one last time, and now I realize that was the best thing I could have done. All of Chozen's talk of honor and how Mr. Miyagi has none is rubbish, of course. Chozen has no idea what honor is, if he finds it honourable to kill or be killed, and finds it cowardice to spare someone's life. Mr. Miyagi's words from the beginning bring the movie full circle as Daniel spares Chozen's life: "For someone with no forgiveness in their heart, living is worse punishment than death."
The Karate Kid (1984)
The coolest old guy I don't know teaches a bullied seventeen year old who looks twelve some important life lessons along with some karate.
I saw the film in its near entirety-- the third time it was on. The first time all I saw was the last fight between Daniel and Johnny. The second time I saw perhaps the last half hour. Now that I have seen most of it, everything makes a whole lot more sense. It is refreshing to see a movie balancing action with morals (in layman's terms, so my godson and I can watch it together). Daniel's dedication throughout the film, first to learning what Mr. Miyagi had to teach him, and then to putting into play after his injury at the tournament, was heartening. It was also something my godson could relate to, as he has had many sports-related injuries. I have long been encouraging him to learn karate, and his new favourite movie may help!