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drdave
Reviews
Star Trek (2009)
Good as a standalone movie, but does not fit in well with the rest of Star Trek
Taken as a movie in a vacuum, this installment of Star Trek is pretty good. It's fast paced, the visuals are good and most of the characters are well cast. The story line is a bit weak in some places and there's absolutely no excuse for that. Overall, the movie is quite enjoyable.
However (you knew this was coming), Star Trek has been around for 40 years and you can't ignore the past -- bail out know if you don't like spoilers. Throwing out the entire time line that has been built up since 1966 was an unnecessary and ill-conceived event, unless the planned sequel somehow restores most of the previous time line. Moreover, they even did a bad job of changing the time line by having the events at the beginning of the movie occur at a stardate later than the beginning of the original series with the 30-something year old Kirk. (TOS has stardates going back to 1312.4 and the movie starts years earlier at stardate 22...something or other.) Likewise, there is no excuse for using the near-Enterprise-A version of the ship instead of something that resembled the original more, since the construction of the NCC-1701 Enterprise is before the time line change.
There are numerous other things that happen that don't make sense. Star Fleet would not give command of its newest star ship to a 25ish cadet. Scotty is older than Kirk, not younger ... and that happened before the time line change so the movie just got it wrong for no good reason. Likewise, Chekov is much younger and would not have been around to navigate a newly launched Enterprise. The Enterprise had much of it's layout and structure already defined. It could have been made more "realistic" in the movie but it should not have been dramatically changed. And finally, the whole Spock-Uhura thing makes less than no sense.
There was an outcry when Star Trek V had a series of improbable events that did not fit in with everything else that had gone before. Now it looks like a minor transgression.
Again, taken separately from the series and the other movies, this one is very good. However, given the wanton destruction of almost all that had already been established (and for no good reason!!!) , it is not possible to give this movie anything better than 8 out of 10 and that might be a stretch.
The Cat in the Hat (2003)
An insult to the memory of Dr. Seuss
This horrible butchering of a wonderful book was not worth price of the free passes I had to see it. Note to Hollywood: you can not improve upon perfection. If you are not going to be faithful the the original (as was the 1960's Grinch cartoon), then don't bother. Below is my critique for the true Seuss fan. Note that each sentence below should start on a new line, but I could force the IMDB software to format that way :-(
It stunk at the beginning. It stunk at the end. It stunk in the middle - I'm warning you, friend. It stunk in the day and it stunk in the night. Any way you look at it this movie's not right.
Ignore the movie and read the book. Walk out of the theater, don't give it a look. Go straightaway home, as fast as you can, by car or by bus or by train or by van. Avoid this abomination or you will be sad. Enjoy the original and you will be glad.
Days of Thunder (1990)
Tom Cruise is once again put in a role he's unsuited for.
This feeble attempt at "Top Gun in a race car" has neither the story, nor the supporting cast, nor the excellent sound track and cinematography of Top Gun, resulting in a regrettable and forgettable film. Tom Cruise is out of his element (as he was in Top Gun); he should stick to lawyers and sports agents. In the end, Hollywood hype made the film successful, but 20 years from now everyone will be wondering why.
Robin Williams Live on Broadway (2002)
Robin's past his prime
Do yourself a favor - rent or borrow before even considering buying. While amusing, this is nowhere near the quality of Robin's earlier material and, as others have mentioned, the profanity gets a bit old after a while.
Treasure Planet (2002)
Brain-dead idea with nice visuals
First of all, there's no air in space, so everyone would suffocate. That may have made for a more interesting - if shorter - story. Second, solar sails require a fair amount of sunlight and would be practically useless in interplanetary space. Third, the radiation from a supernova would fry anyone near it, so you can't "ride the shock wave". These sorts of liberties being taken are a major contributor to the difficulties science teachers have in getting students to unlearn what they think they know.
Now I'll get off my soapbox.
The CGI sequences in the movie are well done, although they were obviously CGI. The animation is sub-par for Disney (did they fire all their good artists??) but about average for the an industry that has lowered its standards considerably over the last 40-50 years. The retelling of Treasure Island with a space twist just does not work.
However, for some reason I'm in a charitable mood. Give it a 4 out of 10 only because I can't give it a 3.5.
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1995)
Skip the remake, watch the original.
Even though the original version of "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" was not a great movie, it was fun to watch. This poor remake is but a pale shadow of the original and not worth the film used to shoot it.
Bowfinger (1999)
Surprisingly Poor
Combine Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy in a movie. How can you go wrong? The surprising answer is "easily, if you have a poor script". And that's it in a nutshell. Uninteresting script, uninspired acting by two actors capable of much better and a story that just drags on, though it does have some funny moments.
The whole premise of a movie about someone making a movie has been done to death. Let it rest in peace.
Unbreakable (2000)
"Unbreakable" is broken...
I had expected "Unbreakable" to at least be a decent film. Wrong. It just wasn't that interesting and, yes, it was quite predictable. Big disappointment, but not a total waste. 4 stars (I'm feeling generous).
Dr. T & the Women (2000)
I've seen worse - but not often
I expected this to be a "chick flick", but my wife and daughters agreed with me that Dr. T and the Women wasn't worth the cost of the rental. The story just drags on and on and the ending could only be described as a bizarre idea from the twisted mind of someone overly influenced by the beginning of the Wizard of Oz.
As bad as the movie was, the "making of" feature on the DVD is even worse. It appears that the director and actors are genuinely proud of this movie - or maybe they saved all their acting talent for the "making of" feature. They can't be serious and it's sad to see them gushing over how wonderful they think this poor excuse of a movie is. Remind me to skip anything else Robert Altman directs... I'll forgive Richard Gere and Helen Hunt for this one.
The Tigger Movie (2000)
Disappointing
The Tigger Movie is much more like the Winnie-the-Pooh television series than the original Disney Movies. The story is weak, although some of the dialog is clever. The obviously computer-generated falling leaves in many scenes were very distracting and you could often see flaws in the way they superimposed on the scene. In a word - disappointing.
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Average film with a weak ending.
While "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was enjoyable to watch, it was too predictable. The dialog was, at times, witty and at other times rather too drawn out. Most of the actors played their roles well, but none were outstanding. Just an average film... rent it, don't buy it, because you probably won't want to see it again.
Clerks (1994)
Jerks...
I might have thought that "Clerks" was funny or entertaining when I was in junior high, but now it looks just plain stupid. Being rated R, "Clerks" obviously missed its target audience.
The so-called humor is just not that funny (yes, there are a couple of good one-liners). The situations and dialog make you want to say "these people flunked out of high school and I don't care". It might have stood a chance as a 20 minute short subject. Skip it.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Disappointing
The Sixth Sense just wasn't that good. The acting and production of the movie were fine, but the story was weak. The big surprise ending I was expecting turned out to be no surprise at all. Those people who rated this movie a ten should watch some other films so they can learn to rate more objectively. Now Casablanca.... there's a 10. The Sixth Sense isn't even in the same league.
The Doors Collection (1999)
A Must-Have for Doors Fans
The DVD primarily consists of 3 films: Dance On Fire, Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1968 performance) and The Soft Parade. Any true fan has probably already seen these, but it's nice to have them all together in one package. There is also a handful of nice extras as well as a commentary track for the films. The sound quality and the video transfer are both quite good. You won't be disappointed.
Help! (1965)
Great Soundtrack, Good Film
This film notably suffers from trying too hard to outdo "A Hard Day's Night". However, if you can get by the comparison, it does stand up fairly well. Also of note are some of the one-liners, scene direction and transitions that are later seen throughout the Monty Python shows and films.
Best line (give or take a couple of words): Ringo: They sacrifice people. Their religion is different from ours -- I think.
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Two words: A CLASSIC
A Hard Day's Night gets better every time you watch it. Definitely 10 star material.
It is hard to believe that some IMDB voters gave it lesser ratings. I've found in the past that many people who don't appreciate the film have trouble hearing the dialog. So do your friends a favor and turn on the subtitles the first time through.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Stunning visuals & music, average acting, sub-par plot
Easily the weakest of the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace is, at best, a missed opportunity. It could have/should have been great, given the number of years it ultimately took to create. It's worth seeing, but I can't give it any higher praise than that.
The Truman Show (1998)
BORING
This movie just might have made a good half hour episode on the "Twilight Zone", but there just isn't enough here for a feature film and the idea is hardly original - the sixties series "The Prisoner" had many similarities. Do yourself a favor and skip it.
High Plains Drifter (1973)
Simply Excellent
Clint Eastwood is perfect as the "anti-hero" - a ghost or spirit in human form who comes to a small western town to wreak vengeance on those who brutally killed a US Marshal *AND* those who let it happen. In the end, the good townspeople pay almost as high a price as the original killers. Excellent.
Kazaam (1996)
This movie EARNED its place on the worst 100 list.
This movie proves that Shaq is better at making free-throws(ha!) than acting. Combine that with a poor story and cheesy visuals and you have a definite bottom dweller. Zero stars.
Song of Norway (1970)
A poor waste of perfectly good film.
I saw this movie (with my parents) when it first came out. The whole family agreed that it was a stinker. It was boring. The acting - if you could call it that - was horrible. Do not waste your time by watching this movie. It definitely belongs on the IMDB worst 100 list. After all these years, it instantly comes to mind any time someone asks me what the worst movie I've ever seen is.
Three Arabian Nuts (1951)
Best of the Shemp Flicks
Granted, the 3 Stooges without Curly are, for the most part, not worth watching. However, Three Arabian Nuts manages quite well. If you are a Shemp fan (you sick person!) then you must get this one.