Reviews
Days of Thunder (1990)
Cruise goes with what works
This movie is basically paying homage to Top Gun. The same team that made that movie a success got together to create another pumped up movie.
Cruise plays Cole Trickle, a very cocky and smooth indy car driver that lost his ride and decided to head to NASCAR with team owner Tim Daland,(Randy Quaid), and be coached by legendary crew chief Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall). During the Daytona 500 Cole and nemesis Rowdy Burns are involved in a nasty wreck that hospitalizes both of them and threaten to end their careers. They become friends but Cole realizes his mortality and must overcome it if he is to ever race effectively again.
This has better romantic chemistry than Top Gun. Due in part to the fact that Cruise and Kidman really were attracted to each other and we know the rest is history. The action scenes are great and filmed superbly. It's also a very loud movie. It received an Oscar nomination for best sound. It's just another mindless action movie to help relieve boredom. 7 out of 10.
Willow (1988)
Great fun
This movie is one of the best sword and sorcery movies ever. It was wit, charm, and lots of action. There is a serious need for more fantasy movies like this. Dragonheart was close but didn't have the feel of a D&D environment. It's a nice change to see Val Kilmer actually having fun with a role. He does a nice job. Warwick Davis obviously cast for his size still puts forth a great effort. The special fx are good. If this movie gets remade with today's cgi then it would be even better.
Another plus for this is that it never loses anything even after you've seen it 10 times. It's fun to watch on a rainy Saturday or any day basically. Recommended for everyone 8 out of 10.
Navy Seals (1990)
Top Gun on the ground
This movie wasn't as big as Top Gun but it still had all the style and flair of that movie.
This is really fun to watch and it's a good one to watch a few times. The jokes are really funny and you can get into the action scenes.
Sphere (1998)
A clone of Alien and Event Horizon
The only difference is this movie had an interesting premise. I liked the power that the sphere gave them but other than that it was a less violent Event Horizon. It also rips off Alien because it has a team search an unknown vessel only to be overwhlemed by its power. It's funny because Event Horizon was scary but still a rip-off of Alien. So when there's a rip-off of a rip-off I think there's some serious problems.
The only interesting people were Hoffman and Jackson. Stone sucks and Liev Schreiber was boring. This movie stinks.
Asteroid (1997)
Surprising
I was impressed by the special fx in this. For a tv movie they were really good. Some of it was typical diasaster cheese but all in all a pretty good asteroid flick. Not as gripping and exciting as Armageddon but still very good.
Escape from L.A. (1996)
Campy fun
This movie is really good for simple reasons. First, it doesn't take itself too seriously and it's approach to spoofing action and b-movies is great.
Many people don't realize that this movie is intentionally corny and cheesy.
DragonHeart (1996)
A nice movie
Dennis Quaid seems like an odd choice for a knight who follows the strict code of chivalry but he does rather well. The dragon looked so real. Best movie dragon ever, better than any dinosaur of mutated iguana.
I thought when this was release it was a nice change for summer movies. We need more like this as they all provide great fun and well at some point have pictured ourselves as gallant warriors.
Willow (1988)
Great fun
This movie is one of the best sword and sorcery movies ever. It was wit, charm, and lots of action. There is a serious need for more fantasy movies like this. Dragonheart was close but didn't have the feel of a D&D environment. It's a nice change to see Val Kilmer actually having fun with a role. He does a nice job. Warwick Davis obviously cast for his size still puts forth a great effort. The special fx are good. If this movie gets remade with today's cgi then it would be even better.
Another plus for this is that it never loses anything even after you've seen it 10 times. It's fun to watch on a rainy Saturday or any day basically. Recommended for everyone 8 out of 10.
The War of the Worlds (1953)
Classic Science Fiction
I'm only 19 so I don't remember the impact this movie made when it was first released. I can, however, remember the first time I saw it. I was 10 and it scared me to death. The scene in which Ann Robinson encounters the alien still gives me chills. The special fx are still very good. It can get cheesy but those moments are few and far between. This is the definitive aliens vs. humans movie. When I saw ID4 in the theater I couldn 't believe how similar the 2 were. It's definitely an unofficial remake. This movie is a definite classic.
Rudy (1993)
A throwback movie
This movie looks and feels like some dramas of yesteryear. It has the old -fashioned good feeling at the end. There are great performances all the way around especially from Sean Astin who plays the title character. You really want Rudy to succeed and when he does you can't help but get a tear in your eye. This movie represents the innocence of college football and college in general. It's a message that says having the will to succeed can pay off in the end.
The Big Hit (1998)
Good blend of action and oddball humor
This movie is a lot of fun. All the characters have a unique and fun personality. The villian is different, he's not some scholarly, bible quoting baddie that the 90's action flicks seem to always carry. The action is furious and well choreographed. Mark Wahlberg's breakdance move while firing his gun is really awesome. This is no masterpiece it is entertaining and has great action. What else would you expect from executive producer John Woo.
Deep Impact (1998)
Deep Impact in both ways
I thought this movie did exactly what it advertised. We got characters that we really liked and cared for. Although Tea Leoni is an exception because she can't act at all. The others such as Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall and company all gave heartfelt performances. I also cried at the end. This movie was a refreshing change of pace for a disaster movie. The spectacle at the end is scary in its reality and amazing.
The Program (1993)
Testosterone is football
No other football movie has made that remark more truthful than this one. I think this movie touches on an interesting topic but never probes any further. College football must have some dirty little secrets and this movie shows what a few might be. If they had put a little more emphasis on characters this would have been great. Although being a great football fan the action was pretty good anyway.
Hard Rain (1998)
Interesting action but poor characters
I started watching this with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. However much to my surprise this movie was very entertaining. The action is fast paced and also a bit different. It's not every action movie we see a jet-ski chase through a flooded high school. The visuals were also very well done. However, the script could've used some doctoring. The dialogue wasn't that bad but it didn't go anywhere with the characters. Still an enjoyable Saturday afternoon rental.
Godzilla (1998)
Great entertainment.....poor writing
Godzilla is pure eye candy and nothing else. Which is exactly what I expected. If it weren't for the well crafted action sequences and fx then this movie would have had no business of even being made. I just wish at least 50 cents could have been used on script and dialogue.
Armageddon (1998)
Great action and spectacle....
This movie is getting blasted for it's poor characters. Perhaps the script is a bit weak but on opening night almost every person, male and female, were in tears at the end of the movie. A cardinal rule with characters is if you care about them dying then they are real. We all know scientifically that this movie falters a lot. It's just entertainment and we're supposed to have fun. No one wants to think in the summer. The fx were spectacular and the action was furious at a breakneck pace. With Trevor Rabin's score it gets the adrenaline flowing.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Dirty is very apropriate
I'm not sure I'll ever understand why such a vapid, inane, and formulaic movie got so popular. I understand it has something to do with immature females who think this is quality romance. The dry sex to music is just annoying and the lead character is named Johnny Castle. For a real movie with real romance watch Casablanca.
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Utter nonsense
This is probably the cheesiest most melodramatic nonsense to ever appear in the 20th century. The only thing saving this is the lush photography. I find the sentimentality stomach churning as well as 3/4 of the dialogue. Clark Gable's presence is stuck up and annoying and he just oozes greed. Vivian Leigh was a nobody when she was cast and remained just that after the movie. The pacing, even for an old movie, is horrific and insipid. The 4 hr running time is excrutiating even if there's a violent storm outside. This movie is just too overrated.