Fangs_McWolf Reviews

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980)

A bit disappointed...

[9/10 · 31 December 2006]

First off, let me explain that my disappoint is a spoiler, so I won't tell it up front. Overall, I'm thrilled to have been able to see Donner's version (or what could have been Donner's version) of the movie. Seeing a glossy appearance in some of the scenes truly blended it in with the first movie, so it felt more like a part of the first movie instead of an idea to add onto it. If you've seen it, then what I just said will make sense.

*** SPOILERS *** WARNING *** SPOILERS *** WARNING *** SPOILERS ***

I'll list my disappointments/concerns first. Keep in mind that despite these, I still gave a 9 because I feel that good about the movie overall. That and I'm sure that some of what I list below may have been resolved had Donner been allowed to complete the movie originally.

• The big disappointment was the ending. To use the same 'turning back time' trick twice seems to be a bit of a cop-out, a form of cheating to me. Despite this, I liked the "deja vu" feeling a few people showed, it was a nice touch.

• Same scene, used in different ways - where Lois talks about being nobody's fool. I like the method used in Lester's movie better only because in Donner's version, it makes Lois seem a bit stupid by having her jump out of a window to possible death. Also, having Clark speed through the building would require a clear, non-stop path to the front door and would have made more sense for him to speed outside the building to get to the front door. Where she penciled in a suit and glasses on Superman's picture was nice, as well as the look and expression on her face, and I truly loved seeing that. However, if she had been wrong, it would have been a fatal mistake.

• Superman finally revealing himself - shooting at Clark to prove it? Wouldn't others have heard the gunshot and called the police? Wouldn't Superman have felt that nothing hit him and realized that it was a blank and then acted like, "Lois are you crazy, what if you hadn't missed?" It made her seem a bit homicidal and psycho using that approach.

• Never really showed him changing (in Lester's version, we got to see a quick change, which I felt was nice). Would have been nice if there had been a reason for him to run out and change quickly like that but obviously not to fly to France. The problem with Lester's idea of a tragedy, how did Lois get back to the Planet so fast from France?

• Missing out on the "freshly squeezed" orange juice joke. This was likely and hopefully due to Donner not finishing the movie originally, because it looked to be in the movie overall, just not completed.

• Maybe I misunderstood, but near the end, it looked as though Superman actually destroyed his Fortress of Solitude. If this is the case, that to me seemed to be a bit drastic, since his Fortress would still serve purpose for him.

Some of the things I liked about the movie...

• Some of the stuff finally made sense. When Clark says, "HE knew" in the diner. For the longest time, I thought perhaps he was really saying, "I knew", but that didn't make sense either.

• The tie-in with the missile from the first movie being the release of the villains for the second movie. I'd heard about that being the way it was originally supposed to happen and am glad to have finally seen it that way. Made more sense and the way Zod yells, "FREE!" just let you know that he had no remorse about why he had been trapped to begin with, he was just glad to be free to do as he pleased again.

• Hearing a flying sound as Superman raced to the Planet to meet the Kryptonians. It helped to explain why the newspapers were starting to blow away like they did.

• The look/feel of the film in general. Near the beginning, in the Planet, there was that glossy effect that was noticeable in the first film. I think that is one of the things I like a lot about the first movie, because it gives it a personality that helps you relax into the movie.

• How his father (Jor-El) tried to lay a guilt trip on him, to try to talk him out of the path he was taking in his life. Then how Jor-El looked up at Lois as Superman was going to become mortal. Also how Jor-El knew that his son might regret his decision and need to undo it.

As I mentioned, I'm sure that if Donner had been allowed to finish Superman II originally, things would have been different. Perhaps the "rewind time" idea was a backup idea, in case another idea couldn't be agreed upon. Perhaps the movie would have been longer (which I would have loved). Perhaps a lot of things. I just know that it's nice to finally see a glimpse what I've been missing all these years.

In case there's any confusion or misunderstanding, I voted a 9 on purpose. Anyone who hasn't seen this version should. Just be prepared for it to be a bit shorter than the other version and for there to be a few bits and pieces missing that most likely would have been in, had Donner been allowed to finish. After seeing this version, I was ready for more Superman, with Donner's touch to it. Too bad that things happened as they did, otherwise there could have been a Superman III by Donner that would have matched the quality of the first Superman film, instead of becoming sequelish and declining in quality.

Batman Begins (2005)

What do you get?

[10/10 · 16 November 2006]

What do you get when you get a good group of actors and actresses, toss them together with a big budget and lots of special effects? Well that depends. If you have a wonderful script and an amazing director, you get a movie like Batman Begins.

When I heard about the movie coming out and all the hype during its pre-release, I expected it to be a bomb (like Batman & Robin turned out to be). I didn't go see it until a few weeks after it was released, because I wanted to go see for myself just what it was like. Even while waiting for the movie to actually begin, I was still expecting it to be a disappointment. I sat there, throughout the movie, watching as the plot built up from the beginning, from where you learn why Bruce Wayne became the Dark Knight. Small doses of comedy, certain mysteries explained (such as the Batcave and his source of his 'toys'), along with extreme realism tossed in, and I left the movie amazed.

Without spoiling the movie with details, I will comment this: The technology shown in the movie is actually realistic. True, how it's used and the events are still fictional, but that realism is one of the reasons I think this movie turned out as well as it did. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I recommend that you go out, buy (NOT rent!) it, then watch it. Make sure it's widescreen too, even if you hate the black bars on top/bottom, because you don't want to miss ANYTHING. If you don't like the concept of Batman too much, don't worry. Just think of it as a action/drama where a guy dresses up as a bat. It's less about Bruce as a hero, and more about his life, what he does with it, the world he is living in and how he tries to change it for the better.

With its realistic style and having the Batman storyline being a part of the overall story (instead of having it be the entire point), it's very easy to forget that you are watching a super-hero movie. The characters are nicely developed considering the time given, the mood is well done and the world you are introduced to feels quite real. Nothing seems out of place, too far fetched nor made up. The reason I point this out and even detail it a little (on what I mean) is because of how much I think this made a huge difference in how successful the movie became. Anyone who has seen the movie knows what I am talking about and will agree with me completely that the lack of an imaginary world helped to make the concept of Batman more believable than ever before.

As for the cast of the movie, they were wonderful and chosen perfectly.

Christian Bale was an excellent choice. He has that charm as a regular guy, the wit and charm to handle "being rich", and did a wonderful job with being in character as though he was being himself instead of being someone else.

Katie Holmes is as beautiful as ever, with her quirky but lovable smile, but gets you past the whole "Dawson's Creek" image you try to associate with her.

Morgan Freeman, I could go on and on about this wonderful actor. I remember him from the days of "The Electric Company" and the movies "Lean On Me" and "Deep Impact", to only name a couple. The authoritative but yet relaxed attitude he displays works beautifully, as always.

Gary Oldman blew me away. I remember him from "Lost In Space" and "The Fifth Element", and didn't recognize him neither in looks nor in his acting style. He is such a versatile actor that he fits himself to his role.

The other cast did an amazing job as well, but I couldn't possibly go over each and every one of them without taking up a whole page just for compliments.

In summary, this is one of those movies that I believe is a "MUST SEE!". The bonus "Tankman" parody video on the DVD is also worth watching. Anyone who does NOT like this movie has problems. If you haven't seen it yet, definitely make it a point to see it, and soon too! I didn't vote a 10 because of being some sci-fi nut. I vote 10 because of the quality of the movie and how real they made Batman (almost) become.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

AWESOME MOVIE!! (you just have to go see it to believe it!!!)

[10/10 · 19 May 2005]

WARNING: There is NO intention of spoiling anything for anyone, so what little I do tell is with the assumption that it is already common knowledge.

I won't spoil anything, so since it's known Anakin's fate (ie, the dark side), all I'll say is that you see WHY he is considered to be a destined one. The way he does some things, and specifically, after being turned to the dark side.. just is AMAZING.

I honestly think that this movie is the absolute BEST of the entire series! Not the happiest, but the BEST! Oh and also not a spoiler, as it is known that Master Windu dies. How he dies is fantastic. Samuel L. Jackson didn't want to get sniped out like "some punk", and he request was highly fulfilled.

A final note... You see just how dark Anakin can become.

For those who are Star Wars fans, I urge you, please GO TO THE BATHROOM BEFORE YOU START WATCHING THE MOVIE! 2½hours long, and I swear you WILL mess yourself if you try to hold it in. (I didn't have this problem) For those who think Star Wars stinks, I am telling you, if you don't get some clue about the overall story and go watch the movie, you will, in all honesty, be a lamer. It has EVERYTHING in it. Love, comedy, action, drama and anything else you could reasonably want.

I will say that this movie was NOT worth waiting for though, because IT IS SO GOOD THAT IT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED SOONER! I wonder if there'll ever be an "uncut" version of the movie, or an extended version, because I WANT MORE!

Wing Commander (1999)

Take a great game, give it a bad movie script, and this is it.

[17 May 2000]

Thinking back to Wing Commander 3 and 4, they should have used the same team of people to write, direct, shoot, star, cut, print, and everything else related to movie making for this movie, because then it would have been worth watching.

I could put the Wing Commander 4 DVD into my computer right now, play the opening sequence, and get lost into the thrill of excitement. If I turn on the TV and watch the movie, all the way through I'm wonderin why it has any of the names of the characters from the VG when it doesn't deserve that privilege.

Ok, enough bashing this horrible movie.. For a sci-fi flick it's not all that bad, even with plot holes the size of Mars (which means big). And despite the fact that it's also hard to follow (they jump from one thing to another, so it's hard to figure out what the plot really is, other than to win a war).

It would be nice to see a REAL Wing Commander movie made, with the same quality of writing/filming/directing as in the games.

Mallrats (1995)

Excellant comedy for easy humor

[9/10 · 25 June 1999]

Some movies require you to think hard in order to get the jokes, all this movie requires is that you are ready to laugh.. After seeing this movie, I wanted to see it again, so that I could laugh again, and again, and again. The comical references to other movies and other works is well designed. And for those who never could see the 'hidden pictures' (the ones you have to stare at in a weird way to see what the picture is), this will help you feel better.

This movie is definitely worth seeing.. Especially for those who have smarts to enjoy what they see. A note for those with low IQ's, though.. You might be upset and decide to write bad reviews...

Batman Beyond (1999–2001)

The premiere episode wasn't long enough...

[4 June 1999]

About 20 to 25 mins into the show, so much has happened that you expect it to be further along than it was. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't boring and dragging, it was excellent. So much had happened and I was enjoying it that when I saw how little time had elapsed I was pleased. I was hoping that it would last about 90mins (never realized that it was a 2 part regular episode), so it didn't last too much longer. It left me wanting more. I wanted to see Bruce giving pointers and getting the new guy trained and ready for action. I also wanted there to be a big moment and a big announcement of "Batman" returning.. But time did not allow for all that.

I do miss Alfred, but that didn't take away from the show. Normally in pass-along series, when people have passed and the such, I'm upset over the way it was done.. In this case, it was done with great care. While watching it, I got the feeling of watching something new (storyline) instead of a spin-off of the same thing, and it was good, and the connection to the regular Batman storyline (via Bruce) seemed more like a history connection than a reason to have the storyline.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

A wonderfully made long awaited film showing how it all begins...

[8/10 · 19 May 1999]

After years and years of waiting, and then months and months, then down to weeks, days, then hours.. Throw in some rumors of the movie not being all that great and what do you have? A nervous movie-goer. What do you have AFTER seeing this movie? A movie-goer who wants to see it again and again! A remarkably made movie that keeps you watching, even though you already know the ultimate outcome. Also the introduction of the characters of Jaba the Hut, R2D2, C3P0, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and others.. Remarkable. Can't wait for Episode 2!

Boy Meets World (1993–2000)

Awesome sitcom that tickles your funny bone

[1 March 1999]

Great TV show in which the main plot is of Cory Matthews learning about life and how people affect each other. He also is learning about love and his desire for Topanga Lawrence, whom he has been with since their early years. His best friend, Shawn Hunter, helps Corey to try to keep a perspective on things. A very well done show that I hope will continue to last for several more years. The show is also free spirited in that it positively portrays good nature towards all people, regardless of who they are (gender, race, etc).

Homefront (1991–1993)

Great post-WW2 based drama that ABC killed

[18 January 1999]

Based on the time period after WW2 ended, different families, all somehow connected, strive to get on with their lives despite personal losses. The show provided proper humor while showing how people were still biased and judgemental and how it affected everyone around them. A very well written, directed, acted and produced show that kept audiences returning each week to see each new episode, only to be canned by ABC. It returned for a short time (viewer protests), again with ABC abusing it to cut back the ratings so that they could cancel it again without any complaints since no one knew when it came on anymore.