dale-edwards Reviews

Survivor (2000– )

why do we have to put up with this

[1/10 · 16 April 2008]

I have really had enough of shows like this, why do we have to put up with this rubbish, I have spoken to a lot of people, and while every now and then I do find one that likes it, more often than not the reality show era would seem to be dead and buried. Anyway who in the world really believes that this is reality? do you really think these people are out there surviving on their own? I am a paramedic in Australia, and we have only in the last week had a job advert to be the show paramedic on our station, in the East Africa version to come, so not only are they not really surviving alone, they are taking western world rescue paramedics (and intensive care ones at that) out there with them.... Survivor... Yeah right.

Get rid of shows like this and get back to decent shows, and stop canceling shows with a good reliable fan base!

Race Around the World (1997–1998)

Now this is what reality television should be about

[9/10 · 16 March 2008]

It is a real shame that this did not go further. in this show there are a number of young upcoming film journalists selected to travel around the world, making brief film documentary's as they go. there are some fascinating sides of humanity and the world we live in discovered and reported on in this show, far more valuable and entertaining than the trash we get to see nowadays.

There have been a number of careers developed out of this show, and hopefully some time in the future one of those people will give something back to today's youth by bringing this format of reality journalism (yes there is another type) back to our screens.

I Am Legend (2007)

a great nail biter

[9/10 · 16 March 2008]

This movie suggests a future in which we get to see the side effects of our actions on nature. This is a well acted and well shot movie, with very good CGI components. the story is believable and well portrayed with plenty of edge of your seat excitement. Will Smith plays a very believable character, and his interactions with his environment are chillingly realistic in this type of situation.

The ending was perfect, too often the ending of movies is made to make everyone feel good, and whilst this one does to some extent, there is still a surprise in here for the viewer.

Well worth watching.

Paranoid (I) (2000)

my god, what a train smash of a movie

[1/10 · 24 May 2006]

a fashion model is invited to a weekend away at a house in the country by a friend. when she gets there things are not what they seem and she is the victim of some very weird treatment by the people that live in the house.

Jessica Alba was the only reason i rented this movie, and to be honest this is possibly her career worst as far as performances go. the story had a little potential, but it was ever realised. the script was absolutely pathetic, Alba's lines might have been intended to make her look like the stereotypical stupid model, but even if you did believe in stereotypes, you would never believe in the stupidity of this character.

the director must have been out to lunch for the majority of the movie, as there seems to be absolutely no quality in the scene delivery. The rest of the cast for this film were minor players in the world of feature films, and definitely contributed to the mediocrity of the movie.

If you are a fan of Jessica Alba, then it is probably still worth still watching this film so that you can see her at her worst, and therefore appreciate he better performances. Otherwise don't bother, the cost of the rental is definitely prohibitive this is such a bad film.

Mean Creek (2004)

Excellent character depiction

[10/10 · 30 April 2006]

This film follows the actions of a group of teenagers who take it on themselves to deal with the behaviour of a school yard bully. They plan to play a prank on him that will make him pay for his bullying behaviour, but everything starts to go wrong right from the start.

The actor that plays the role of the bully (Josh Peck) does an excellent job in the role. Initially he is your typical unlike able bully, but as we get to know him he begins to grow on you and you begin to feel sorry for him, however it does not take long to return to not liking him as the actor does an excellent job of portraying a believable bully. The character has a number of facets that it would have been interesting to explore further, but that would have deleted from the intent of the movie. If we ever saw a portrayal of this character at 30-40 years old, I am sure we would be seeing the typical wife beater type.

The second actor of particular note in this film is Carly Schroeder, who plays the girl friend of the boy receiving the bullying that lead to the prank. Carly's character is along for the ride, and does not initially know what the plan is. In the additional features section of the DVD, Carly refers to her character as the conscience of the film, which is a good way of putting it. She initially encourages almost everyone to back off from the prank, however, things are not that easy and things eventually turn bad. Carly plays a very believable role, and displays a great degree of promise as a young actor (keep an eye out for this one in future productions).

There have been references to Deliverance when discussing this film, and in the context that they are on a river and a tragedy occurs, they are right, but that is about where it ends, there is far more substance to this film as it addresses the issues of bullying, pranks, and adolescent behaviours.

Finally if that is not enough to make the film worth the watching, there is a also the cinematography. The prank takes place on a river teaming with wildlife, and beautiful scenery. The use of these elements is done through normal camera action as well as through the use of film taken through the camera of Josh Peck's character. If only we all had a river like this near our homes.

Well worth watching, and well worth keeping track of the careers of Josh Peck and Carly Schroeder.

Bewitched (2005)

totally disappointing

[3/10 · 22 January 2006]

The best way to describe this movie is to call it empty. The story threads were thin, the script was weak, the actors were under utilized, and the lack of effort in special effects was a complete let down.

there were a number of threads in the story that could have been explored quite effectively, but were left unaddressed, these included the role of Uncle Arthur, who's appearance in the film seems to be no more than padding. The reliance on fondness of the original TV show, is about all this film has to attract viewers.

Even Nicole Kidman was very weak in this film, luckily she is able to come through it simply by her good looks and natural charm.