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karensimon
Reviews
Grease (1978)
Great musical, questionable casting
Grease made Travolta an American icon, symbolizing the 1950s. The music was great, the plot was good & so was the acting. The only problem I have with the movie is the actors look old, most of them were in their 30's. Stockard Channing (Rizzo) was 34 when Grease was released! Maybe they cast so many old actors for historical reference, since many were teenagers in the 1950s.
The movie has become a classic, and despite the aging actors epitomized the 1950s, especially since during the 70's many people who grew-up in the 50's were nostalgic for those days. Travolta became an even bigger star as a result after having skyrocketed into stardom from Saturday Night Fever. All in all a great film. However, don't waste your time on Grease 2, which was a huge disappointment.
The Spirit (2008)
A very entertaining superhero film
The Spirit is a superhero film that doesn't take itself too seriously. Frank Miller does a great job of establishing the hero and nemesis. Gabriel Macht is excellent as the Spirit. Samuel Jackson is a good nemesis although he comes off sounding like Jules (Pulp Fiction) a lot of thetime. The plot is clear and straightforward, but not overly simplified. There's plenty of eye-candy in the film with beauties such as Eva Morales, who does good job, Scarlett Johansson & Sarah Paulson.
The dialogue is a bit corny at times, but this is the way it is in the comic books. There are some comic fans who will never be pleased, but you have to enjoy the movie for what it is - great action, visually stunning and dramatic performances from the lead roles. The only thing I found disturbing about the movie was the way it seemed to jump from different time periods. The setting and characters & the original comic was set in the 1940's yet the characters are using cell phones, laptop computers & 21st century helicopter gunships. But then again, you don't watch a superhero movie expecting it to be terribly believable. The film is dramatic but not too dark & leaves you with a good feeling and the possibility of a sequel. I look forward to seeing more of Macht in this role.
W. (2008)
Good Acting, bad writing
This movie should've been titled Bush's Iraq War, because that was what 95% of the movie was about. While the Iraq war did dominate Bush's term in office & have a profound impact on his legacy, there were other major events in Bush's presidency such as his controversial 2000 election win, 9/11 (& his 6 week vacation prior to it), & Katrina that were not addressed in the movie.
The film gives flashbacks to Bush's troubled past with drugs, alcohol & failed business venture & provides great detail into W's troubled relationship with his father. However while the acting was great on the part of Brolin, Dreyfus, Banks & others the time spent on the war room preparations & discussions for the 2003 invasion of Iraq & aftermath were disproportionately focused on. Oliver Stone gives a surprisingly sympathetic view of George W. Bush, yet never misses an opportunity to point out W's lack of mental competence. The film is funny yet serious & if you hated Bush before, the film may leave you feeling sorry for him.
Senior Skip Day (2008)
NOT a Ferris Bueller rip-off
This is NOT a Ferris Bueller rip-off. About the only thing the two movies have in common skipping school (in Ferris Bueller's case 3 people, & here the entire senior class) & an obsessed principal who gets into trouble.
Unlike Ferris Bueller, the main character Adam, is not cool but trying to become cool and he is trying to win over a girl. Also unlike Ferris Bueller he does not have an adventure going around the city, but is throwing a party at his house. There is a sister involved, but she's on his side.
In other words, the movie is an original, not a copy with lots of funny moments and likable characters. If I had to compare it to any movie, I'd compare it to Can't Hardly Wait, although that was more of a romantic comedy, while this movie is pure comedy.
Bachelor Party Vegas (2006)
funny bachelor movie with a twist
This is a very funny film with the common theme of a group of guys going to Vegas for a bachelor party, where they have a series of hilarious misadvantures. There are a lot of funny jokes and the multi-cultural cast meshes very well. All of the actors give good performances & the main characters are well-developed.
True to other bachelor party films, the bachelor is constantly resisting temptation. Where this film gets interesting is that it takes a number of surprising turns, where they fear for their lives and end hot water with the law. There is a surpising twist at the end which is a nice change from other bachelor party films (although the original "Bachelor Party" always will be king).
I'm sure one of the reasons this movie did not make it to the theatres is because some of it is kind of raunchy and there are a lot of nudity and sex scenes. I'm surprised it didn't get a NC-17 rating. Still, despite all the raunchiness, there is a kind of innocence to the movie and the characters. It's definitely worth checking out for some laughs and a fun adventure.