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bobc007
Reviews
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
A 3-D Movie Shot Flat????
Action movies deserve the CinemaScope treatment. 3-D movies even more so. Why would anyone direct a high octane action picture and not shoot it in either Scope or Super 35? The action scenes and 3-D effects would have been much more enjoyable if they were shot in Scope so the picture in theaters could have been as wide as possible. This picture looks like it was composed for television. That is just unforgivable and ruins the movie.
Note to all directors: if you are making any action picture then shoot so the action is wider and more breathtaking. In fact, shoot everything in CinemaScope so it looks more theatrical.
I was really looking forward to seeing this in 3-D. Yes, the 3-D is terrific, but would have been even better with a picture that would have been 25% wider.
Robots (2005)
It Takes More Than Big Stars
I was completely unimpressed with "Ice Age". But I thought I'd give these folks a second chance with "Robots". They have labored under the notion that if they have a big name cast voicing the characters, that will be all they need. As a result, the story is at best weak, and the characters are completely uninteresting. There is nothing here to endear you to anyone in this movie. Other than "Rodney Copperbottom" I can't remember any other characters's names. They are all completely forgettable. Literally! I don't expect every computer animated movie to be a Pixar quality event, but this is pretty dreadful. This movie violates the number one rule of movie-making: don't be boring. This is boring!
Dr. Horror's Erotic House of Idiots (2004)
An Independant Movie That Doesn't Forget To Entertain
Many of the "Independent Movies" I sit through every year are made by people so driven to make a statement that they forget one very important thing - they should entertain the audience as well. Paul Scrabo doesn't forget this. In fact the only message in "Dr. Horror's Erotic House Of Idiots" is; if you're going to see a doctor and he isn't in; don't talk to his "substitute", leave immediately! This movie is clever and funny - tears rolling down your cheeks funny at times. At 130 minutes it may be the longest comedy since Stanley Kramer's "MAD MAD WORLD" but it doesn't drag. It moves along briskly and never loses your interest. As a tip of the hat to the grand old days of "roadshow" movies like "MAD WORLD", there's an overture, intermission, and exit music! It's all about showmanship. Oh yes, and an inflatable doll. No pretentious metaphors here. It's just an enjoyable celebration of the fun that "B Movies" are.
The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
Fascinating! I did not want this movie to end.
Serious movie fans know Robert Evans was the architect of Paramount Picture's "Golden Era" of 1969 - 1974. Even though by 1974 he was no longer running the studio, he was still producing there, delivering "Chinatown". More casual fans won't know about Robert Evans, nor will they care, but this documentary is produced in such a fashion that the casual fan should find it very entertaining. This movie makes Evan's story so accessible. It is interesting, and most important, and rare for a documentary, entertaining. Evan's own narration from his audio book feels like he just sat down with you to chat over a couple of drinks. It flows just like the rest of the movie does and it's wonderful. This is one of the best movies I've seen this year! Go and enjoy!
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
The best Bond since 1981's FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
As soon as James Bond puts up his hand and tells the Swiss banker that "All I want is a name" in response to who killed another "00" agent, you know this is going to be a "dangerous" Bond movie. Roger Moore was his most dangerous in "For Your Eyes Only" and it helped that movie become the best of the Moore Bonds. The best Bonds always combine danger, action, and off the cuff humor. "The World Is Not Enough" delivers in each of these areas. Michael Apted's direction is tight, balanced, and really well paced. The action sequences do not dominate the picture, but when they're on, they really deliver! David Arnold's music score echoes the golden days of John Barry, and Pierce Brosnan delivers his best Bond yet! Sophie Marceau really shines as Electra King. Her performance is mature and alluring. Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist. . .OK, it's a Bond movie, not a David Lean film. Actually I think people have been a little hard on her performance. She's not on screen enough to make that much of an impression one way or another. If you're a Bond fan, you've been waiting for this one. You know, once in awhile, they DO make 'em like they used to!