Bobzilla85 Reviews

American Hot Rod (2004–2007)

Who else hates this show?

[27 February 2004]

I for one do. Its got none of the charm of American Chopper, in fact, it has no charm whatsoever. Boyd whats-his-face comes across as a royal douchebag, as do most of his workers. The remainder of the guys are either seen too rarely or just plain boring. As for the cars, maybe if they'd get a shop that did some more INTERESTING cars, like rebuilds of classic muscle cars, rather than the same looking cars each show then I'd be more captivated...however this is not the case.

If you can't tell by now, I really detest this show and hope to see it canceled to make way for something better than this trite piece of garbage.

X2 (2003)

X-cellent!!!

[18 May 2003]

To those who have said the film is overly intricate, or leaves plot holes, or the music stinks, or its lost its way, or ANY of that junk, shut the heck up! If you are a true fan of the comics then you will love the direction this movie has took, and the plot expertly crams in years and years worth of information from the comics - I for one cannot wait for X3 to further explore the X-Men universe! As for people who do not read the comics, X2 is like X-Men but ten times as fun, with ten times the action and ten times the plot :)

M*A*S*H (1972–1983)

Not that great.

[10 May 2003]

I dont know, maybe the show was just before my time, but I've never found it that funny - and Mr. Aldra just gets on my nerves...as does much of the cast. I think I am the only person so far on IMDB to say this show just isnt that great - little if any laughs, dull plots and just plain boredom...

Phone Booth (2002)

Excellent Thriller.

[10/10 · 16 April 2003]

Although some have ridiculed this film for being too long, or too rushed, or the fact the characters arent given much time to develop, I must disagree whole heartedly. This film is about a straightforward situation: a man enters a phone booth, and is held hostage by the scope of a sniper. Thats all you need to know, for that is the essence of the film. Character development is a great plus, and I could feel for Farrel because he MADE the character of Stu. Sutherland is great as the omnipotent, psychotic caller on the other end of the line, and Whitaker gives a great preformance as the cool-headed policeman in charge. As for the pace of the film, Schumacher actually manages to make a good film in this case, it is neither too fast nor too slow. You can feel the tension throughout the whole 81 minutes, and the story works perfectly. I also loved the twist at the end of the story (warning - SPOILER! Do not read ahead if you dont want the end to be spoiled for you) in the fact that Sutherland escapes to continue on his self-richeous snipering spree, he planned ahead for everything. I was afraid of him in the same manner I feared Hannibal Lecter at the end of Silence of the Lambs.

Of course there were some plot holes or points in the movie that could have been done better, but thats to be expected in any film. All in all, this is an extremely well put together film, and I highly recommend for all prospective viewers to go out and see the film for themselves, on its on merits, rather than the views of a few on this board who dislike the film.

8.5/10

Lethal Weapon (1987)

Good action, but lets down at the end

[2 March 2003]

Don't get me wrong, Lethal Weapon set the standard for police buddy flicks, and is chock full of action and great one-liners. But the film eventually begins to let down near the end, when the action gets a bit over the top (even for an action flick) and the dialog degrades to the use of "son" "b*tch" and "f*ck" mixed together in different orders more and more frequently. Lethal Weapon starts off with an interesting plot, some hilarous moments and a good pairup for buddies found in Gibson and Glover; but ends hokey and gets a bit too dark during some points, when the movie was intended to be a funny buddy action flick...still gotta love Lethal Weapon for its good parts though, and the colorful sequels it brought on...

6.5/10

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015)

What does everyone see in this show?

[19 January 2003]

CSI is a show which relies on the individual plots of each episode over character development. While this can work in some situations (such as the wonderful Law and Order...well, the original series that is) in the case of CSI its like a bottle of Sprite that's been open for too long - the whole show is flat. It has no fizz, it has no substance...its just...there. I'll admit the murders can be intriguing, but the dialogue, character development and plot lines just fail to compel me. Although this reviewer seems to be in the minority, I see no compelling reason to watch this show from week to week, or the reasons behind its popularity.

Red Dragon (2002)

Reviews show how cynical (and bad) the critics on this website are...

[9/10 · 7 November 2002]

Reviews for this film on IMDb have gone from positive at the start to a current onslaught of trite and negative comments - half the people reviewing havn't even bothered READING the book most likely, and don't realize that Red Dragon was more faithful to the original text than Manhunt of 1986. So please, quit calling this an inferior prequel, or saying Anthony Hopkins has passed his prime (he was excellent in this film IMO, as in all of his work). All the acting talent involved in this film did a superb job, three cheers to Ralph Fiennes and Emily Watson for their portrayals of the predator and innocent prey, along with Edward Norton in a fine (if somewhat subdued) portrayal of Agent Graham. The same can be said for the directing, some say Brett Ratner wasnt up to the job but this critic sees Red Dragon as a masterpiece of suspense and drama. Its too bad that Red Dragon has dropped to 7.8, I myself gave the film a rating of 9 right around when it premiered and wish I could vote again to help raise it to the top 250, where it belongs.

Con Air (1997)

Brainless entertainment - and I like it!

[4 November 2002]

Con Air is the perfect film to watch with a bunch of friends on a Saturday night - no plot (that makes sence), no developement, just lots of explosions and tons of action. Nicholas Cage is laughable in his performance of a Southern Ranger, but who cares, it adds to the cheesiness of the film, along with the classic oneliners. The ending is a bit over the top, even for an action movie, but it detracts little from this classic action flick. Con Air is full of great characters (even thought they are quite two dimensional and stereotypical, but again, action flick) to add to the action, from a philosophical serial killer to the d*ckwad DEA agent. As said before, check your brain at the door, and simply come to Con Air expecting a wild crazy flight to the deadly end!

The Frighteners (1996)

Great Frightfest

[8/10 · 28 October 2002]

Those who chose to give The Frighteners a bad rap just dont know what they are talking about. This film wasn't meant to be taken seriously, its just a good romp into a comic book-ish tale about killing beyond the grave and goofy ghosts, along with the occasional scare and disturbing scene. If you enjoy Michael J. Fox, or a pseudo-horror film, then I suggest you take the time to watch this sleeper gem.

Boston Public (2000–2006)

Went downhill after the first season...

[20 October 2002]

Boston Public started off wonderfully, but after the first season it just went downhill...as stated before, the first season dealt with the teachers issues, both at the workplace and at home. While it was EXTREMELY hokey at times (why would a teacher who shot a gun in class keep his job while another who knew of an affair and didn't rat out about it gets fired?) the characters managed to keep the show interesting. Yet in the second season, Mr. Kelley decided to focus on social issues, and the show became a dull drivel. Now that Boston Public has lost the focus on the teachers, there isn't much substance left for the show to run on. I hope that Mr. Kelley quits being such a fool, and brings the show back to its roots rather than cliche plots and horrribly written social commentary.

PS - also stated before, this show is NOTHING what real high school is like. 40 year-old writers have no clue as to the real situations going on in schools around America, they just read a newspaper clip and spice it up exponentially for a script.

South Park (1997– )

What are you all talking about?

[18 October 2002]

Everyone has been saying this show is going downhill, and has contracted "Simsponitis" - I personally will stand out of the crowd of cynical critics and say the show is still hilarious! Sure, Kenny is gone, but things change in order to keep the show fresh - have any of you who say the show sucks bothered WATCHING recent episodes? The one with the "f*cking Mongolians" (a quote, I am not attempting to be a bigot) who kept tearing down the "schity wallh" was HILARIOUS!!! I will also agree that some episodes suck, but that happens with ANY TV series, the majority of episodes still have slapstick sequences that made the show famous. I for one hope to see South Park continue for another two to three seasons, THEN let it go to pasture after it gets old.

The Pretender (1996–2000)

What do you all see in this show?

[5 September 2002]

I am going to be the oddball of the group, but then again people need to hear another opinion rather than "THIS SHOW IS STUPENDOUS" - which IMO is far from the truth...the plots are laughable, the acting is wooden, and the show is just dull...maybe its just not in my taste, but The Pretender just never seemed that great to me, and I wasn't shocked when it went off the air.

Ghost in the Machine (1993)

So bad its good!

[29 July 2002]

This is one of those films that is so flagrantly horrible that its actually good, in the vein of Godzilla - its the type of film that you can watch on a Saturday night with a group of buddies and laugh your @$$ off to, the deaths are hilarious in their extravagance, and the killer is laughable along with the plot...read the prior reviews to get the jist of the movie, but read this one if you would like to know a good, bad movie.

Mama's Family (1983–1990)

What is funny about this show?

[25 July 2002]

No offense to those of you who like this show, but I've watched it a few times and find it to be just plain boring...maybe its because I dont live in the South, or just that its an old show before my time, but I just cannot find "mama" to be that funny, she's just plain annoying...the same can be said for the rest of the lackluster cast...dull TV not worth the half hour you have to sit through till the end, I wish TBS would just let this show rot in the grave rather than in front of our eyes...

Rating: 1 of 5 stars

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Not as great as its all hyped up to be...

[17 July 2002]

I am not saying this is a horrible film, its just not as good as other reviews have made it to sound. Khan is not convincing as a "superior intellect", the plot is somewhat thin, the acting is still reminiscent of the original TV series (ie nothing spectacular) and the action doesn't pick up until the climactic battle. I am a fan of the Star Trek films (although not the original series, too campy, TNG all the way...but thats besides the point) so its not like I am bashing this film for the sake of bashing it. I just do not believe it deserves all the accolades other reviewers on this website have given it. Still, its a decent film to watch on a Saturday evening when there is nothing else to do, the effects are top notch (for the 80's that is, I somehow enjoy the mock-up models for special effects rather than CGI, just seems more fun) and the story is decent.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

Undressed (1999–2002)

Another POS from MTV.

[16 July 2002]

How is this even considered a show, its just soft SOFT porn with a bunch of stereotypical characters thrown in. Speaking of the characters, they lead lives which are NOTHING like what real life is - and the characters change weekly, how are any long running plots supposed to be created...well, actually, there are no plots to be seen in the first place, this show is just an excuse to get 12 year-olds horny over some bras. Trash TV at its worst.

Rating: -10 out of 5 stars

Remember the Titans (2000)

Wonderful film, but NOT THE TRUTH!!!

[9/10 · 6 July 2002]

On its own merits, Remember the Titans is a wonderful film with a good message, if somewhat Disney-fied one. The problem with this film is that IT COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!! After watching this movie, people will get the idea that Alexandria, VA is the poor, rural redneck bigot capital of the world, which is NOT true. I live in Alexandria, and it is a bustling, diverse, densely-crowded Washington DC Suburb located in metropolitan Northern Virginia (which is FAR different from rural Republican Southern Virginia); not a rustic Georgia swamp-town as it appears in the film. I also attend TC Williams (which looks nothing like the school featured in the film, and is in actuality one of the most culturally diverse schools in the US) and I met many of the players from the successful 1971 team at a school assembly around six months before the films release - it was not racial black-white tension as exaggerated in the film, but more of a long standing rivalry between the two city high schools, Francis Hammond and George Washington High Schools (which are both now Middle Schools) that caused issues in the team at the start of the season.

Even though the film strays from the true story, it is still worth watching for the superb acting (hats off to Denzel Washington yet again, along with the supporting cast) great cinematography, and good story, even being a bent truth of a story.

The Iron Giant (1999)

Best Animated Film I have ever seen!!!

[10/10 · 2 July 2002]

Disney should take note!!! The Iron Giant is an example of animated cinema at its best - Warner Brothers did not resort to cheesey characters, corney gimmics, and trite characters, instead they created a wonderful, whimsical storyline about everyones boyhood fantasy, which can be related to by anyone of any age. I am not going to bother repeating the same accolades which people before me have posted, all I will say is that The Iron Giant is unlike any animated film I have ever seen, and it deserves the attention of even the most mature and jaded of movie-goers! A stupendous film!

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)

Great series for anyone to enjoy

[20 June 2002]

Even non-Trek fans (myself included, I never really enjoyed any of the ST series other than TNG) can enjoy this great television series, which was IMO one of the greatest Sci-Fi shows to grace the boob tube. I'll admit first two seasons were pretty bad, but it takes all new shows a couple of seasons to break in their new shoes...after those first few glitches, the show really took off and was entertaining to watch every episode. The actors are great and each fits their respective role perfectly (my favorites being Picard, Data and Riker), and for its time the SFX were stupendous...a great series which I will always miss, and "Enterprise" can never truely replace.

The X-Files (1993–2018)

Pathetic Finale to a pathetic season.

[19 May 2002]

The X Files will live on as one of the greatest shows ever to grace television, but the final season and series finale were lackluster at best - Fox dragged this show even after the horse fell over dead and started rotting away...this season was full of bad plots and dull series finale preludes. Speaking of the finale, what a empty piece of closure! All that is revealed about the truth is (***SPOILER for those who havnt seen the finale already***) basically "oh we're doomed as a race after December 22nd, 2012. Now lets cuddle Scully and hope we are saved by love!!!" What a cop out. The second X-Files movie (we all know there will be one) hopefully will give some better closure to such a great series.

Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)

Hilarious, don't watch this film expecting a great plot, watch it for the hell of it!!!

[9/10 · 1 April 2002]

Is there a plot to be found within this film? No. Is there comedy? YES!!! Watch this film for classic guy-joke one liners such as "I'll suck yo d*ck for a dolla", and the parody of basically every single blaxploitation film from the 1990's!!! If you like the Wayan's brand of parody comedy, then this film is a gold mine!!!

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

GREAT FILM!!!

[10/10 · 21 March 2002]

Since everyone has already covered the bases, and don't feel like retyping all the same acclaims, I will simply say this touching, powerful film is single handedly one of the GREATEST FILMS EVER of the 20th Century!!! If you haven't already seen it for the wonderful acting, wonderful plot or wonderful directing, see it for Morgan Freeman's stupendous performance alongside some other class actors! This is one of his best works, which says a lot :o)

The Assignment (1997)

Excellent flick, worth your time!!! 9/10

[10/10 · 20 March 2002]

This is the classic case of an excellent film being looked over by the American public simply due to the fact it didn't have Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzenneger as the lead man - Adrian Quinn does a better dual performance, thats right you heard it dual performance in this film than either of those have ever pulled off in their careers! Well anyway, now to the review...

The Assignment is loosely based upon the story of Carlos the Jackal, a 1970's radical who terrorized Europe for years before finally being apprehended by French agents. In this adaptation, a US Naval officer (Adrian Quinn) is on leave in Israel when he is apprehended by Mossad (Isreal's crack intelligence / counter-terrorism agency) and took in for questioning due to the fact he looks EXACTLY like the jackal (this is the one extremely cheesey part of the film, but trust me it doesn't detract from the great value of this film). When it is discovered Mr. Ramirez is not the Jackal, however, he is recruited by a hardened CIA agent by the name of Jack Shaw (Donald Sutherland, who does his usual grizzled mysterious government authority figure routine but in a stupendous manner) who has spent his life hunting the Jackal, and the series of events which follow will captivate anyone who watches this film - it is chock full of great acting, without all the usual action film cliches and one-liners, and a great plot which will surprise anyone. The three leading men - Quinn, Sutherland and Kingsley - carry this film much further than its modest budget would have allowed with anyone else filling their shoes. Also kudos to the director and his staff, the camera angles and cinematography are top notch, especially in the action scenes. The Assignment is better than anyone renting it could ever expect, its a pity the film did fairly poorly in the box office, otherwise we might see a sequel to this stupendous espionage thriller.

9/10 stars, this reviewer HIGHLY recommends it to all potential viewers!