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Reviews
The Rookie (2002)
Oh my God this movie is horrible
I can't believe all the positive comments I'm reading here. Folks, this is one bad movie. After watching this movie, I was insulted and angry that this tripe had been foisted on me. I want my three hours back, Mr Eisner!
Yeah you could say this movie is for kids -- certainly anyone over the age of ten who doesn't want to put their shoe through the screen would have to be brain-dead -- but what kid wants to look at scenes where the characters just stare into space, thinking and feeling nothing in particular, while the clock on the wall ticks... and ticks... and ticks...? There are MANY such moments.
The script was apparently generated by the Cliche-O-Meter set on Brain Destroy mode. Utterly hack work, not even decent at tear-jerking, let alone telling a decent story or giving some real character development.
The acting is OK, I guess. Quaid and the others do a pretty good job considering what they're given to work with. FWIW, the cinematography is utterly devoid of imagination, too.
All in all, I can't believe this movie was actually released. I've certainly seen straight-to-video films better than this.
The ONE good scene is when The Kid (Quaid's son) is eaten by rats... no wait, that didn't happen. Darn it.
The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985)
best unknown movie ever
I know this is going to sound like hyperbole, but this makes my list of the ten best movies EVER. What a shame it's so obscure. Highly recommended, for older kids and adults. A bit dark and scary for younger kids.
The script draws in some of the more obscure Twain works such as The Mysterious Stranger and Tom And Huck Abroad, and does so seamlessly. The claymation is excellent. It really gives you sense of both the humor, darkness, and humanity of Mark Twain. Just a great, great movie, and an excellent overview of Twain and his work.
BTW, I believe that there is a later live-action movie with the same title (The Adventures Of Mark Twain), so don't get the wrong one.