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Reviews
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Terrible and highly over-rated
I was very disappointed with this movie. It was more or less entertaining, but the ending was horrible. I won't say explicitly what occurred, but I will say that the message of the movie is not simply "Carpe Diem". That's just part of it. What this movie tells us is that if you do indeed "Seize the day" and go up against the establishment, YOU WILL LOSE.
Robin Williams plays a sorely underdeveloped English teacher who teaches his pupils through very unorthodox methods and encourages them to live life to the fullest. Most of the students come to love him and begin living "deliberately". One student is advised by Williams to follow his dream of acting, which the student's father has forbade him to do. There is a tragedy, a scandal, and in the end, it is not the rebel and his followers who triumph, but the establishment.
The moral of the story? Following your dreams leads to disappointment. Going up against the establishment and standing up for what you believe in leads to failure. Overbearing parents will always win.
Some may find this movie inspirational, but I found it pessimistic at best. If you really want to see Williams go up against the establishment, go and watch "Good Morning, Vietnam". If you want to see students triumph over adversity, watch "Stand and Deliver". But for God's sake, don't believe all the praise you hear and read about this movie. It's just setting you up for disappointment.
Ripe (1996)
A really bad movie
This movie was, in one word, terrible. It was boring, predictable, and downright creepy. I kept waiting for it to end and when it did, I was horrified. The ending left a bad taste in my mouth, to say the least. My advice to anyone interested in movies about budding female sexuality: stay away from this movie. Movies like this give classics like Lolita a bad name.
X-Men (2000)
Perhaps the best comic-book movie...
X-Men is, in my opinion, perhaps THE best comic-book movie that I have ever seen. It is in the same rank as Batman, The Crow, and Blade. Bryan Singer has once again directed an excellent movie.
Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan portray the friend/foe relationship between Xavier and Magneto brilliantly, though it is somewhat subdued. Almost everything in the movie is, which is the one bad point in the movie: The 2 hour time period isn't enough to do a really good job of characterization. Hugh Jackman does a good Wolverine. Anna Paquin does a great job of looking really scared...the other actors deliver good performances as well, but like I said, they wasn't enough time to give to all of them.
The action sequences are state of the art. The dialogue is nicely done. (The jibes between Cyclops and Logan are priceless) And I loved the cameos from various other X-Men.
In any case, this was a GREAT movie. I can't wait for the sequel! (And there will be one.)
Tarzan (1999)
One of Disney's greatest achievements
Tarzan is one of Disney's greatest accomplishments. It mixes various elements from Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and Aladdin. It is a story that will touch your heart (I know it touched mine).
Phil Colin's soundtrack is excellent. It perfectly embellishes on the situations in the movie and does not interfere with the story. It is a welcome change from previous Disney movies, where a mediocre song would interrupt the story for 2 or 3 minutes.
The animation is quite marvelous. I never expected to see this type of animation from Disney; previously it was 20th Century Fox and Dreamworks who were the ones taking risks and introducing new innovations to animation. With this new "Deep Canvas" method, Disney has reached new heights. I loved the way the two principle characters, Tarzan and Jane, were drawn. Tarzan has so much depth to him; his facial expressions were numerous; he is much more than a two-dimensional figure. And Jane is simply magnificent. I never thought that I could fall in love with a drawing; but I fell in love with Jane. And kudos to Disney for casting Minnie Driver, she was perfect for the part.
If Disney keeps making movies like this, I don't think I'll be able to wait for their next film!
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992)
Worth watching
"Hangin' with Mr. Cooper" was a pretty good sit-com. Mark Curry is an above average comedian and he had very good co-stars, including Holly Robinson Peete and the boy who played the neighbor. I laughed quite a lot when watching and was sorry to see the show cancelled.
Roar (1997)
One of the best Tv. series I've ever seen
When the series ran during the summer of 1997, I watched every single episode. Each episode was full of history, excitement, good writing and most importantly, drama. These things are sorely missing from poorly done series like Hercules or Xena, whose only appeal is the size of Sorbo's muscles or Lawless' chest, respectively. Unfortunately, T.V. producers would rather make idiotic shows like "Worlds Most Dangerous/Funniest/Stupidest/home videos" or maybe just another ripoff of Melrose Place (Thank God that's gone!) Roar must be brought back !!
You've Got Mail (1998)
Modern day Fairy Tale
Do you remember how, when we were kids, our parents told us the tale of Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty? The ending would always be, "And they lived happily ever after." You might think that endings like that don't happen any more, but surprisingly, that ending works rather well for this movie.
The first half simply sets up the story. The second half, beginning where Joe visits Kathleen when she's sick, is where I begin to fall in love. I fell in love with cute, perky, Meg Ryan and all her cute mannerisms. I fell.... well, I don't love Tom Hanks. (He's a great actor and all, but I'm a guy, he's a guy, you catch my drift...) The ending, while very predictable, still managed to lift my spirits. The song by Carole King is so perfect for this movie. It's a gentle touch to a fairy tale story. And I loved it.
The Truman Show (1998)
Heart stopping action...no, really
The movie starts off pleasantly enough. An average man in an average town. Normal in all ways, except for the fact that his life is actually a 24-hour TV program, watched by the entire world. Sounds rather Twilight zone, right? Wrong. This is better than anything I've seen on the Twilight Zone. This was absolute heart stopping action, from start to finish. I couldn't believe how fast my adrenaline was pumping or how hard my heart was beating. This obviously isn't a James Bond flick or a movie with Mel Gibson. But this isn't Ace Ventura or Dumb and Dumber. When you begin to watch this movie, forget everything you know about Jim Carrey. Why? Because you will meet a different actor, a totally different man. In my opinion, the movie was robbed of an Oscar nomination, Jim Carrey was robbed of a Best Actor nomination, and he absolutely deserved the Golden Globe he received a few months back.
If you don't believe anything I've said, believe this: Please don't avoid watching this movie because of what someone else said. Don't avoid this movie because of Jim Carrey. Watch this movie. If you don't, you'll be missing out on one of the best movies of 1998, if not of all time. And that's what I think.
The Real Howard Spitz (1998)
A feel good movie, funny...
I first watched this movie on an airplane that was flying to London. That's when I fell in love with this movie. Then a few months later, when I had the chance, I rented it on video. I fell even more in love with it. It's a feel good movie, it's funny, and you don't feel as if you've just watch some Olsen twin movie or something. Genevive Tessier, who plays Sam, is the most darling little girl I've ever seen. Kelsey Grammer plays one of his best roles yet. If you don't see any other movie, see this one. It'll have you laughing out loud and it'll make you feel good too. Take my word for it.
Zorro (1990)
Great TV series; awesome hero
I began watching this installment of Zorro when I was about 10. I hadn't discovered superheroes or even comic books yet (shocking, I know) and to me, Don Diego was the coolest character on TV. He was Batman, he was Daredevil, he was the virtuous good guy without superpowers who valiantly fought against insurmountable odds, hoping to rid his home of evil. He did this week after week, and it was glorious. He used his intelligence, his wits, and had luck on his side. Also, there was emotion behind the characters. I loved the last few episodes (where he fought his long lost twin brother) and I also loved the episode in which Adam West guest-starred, and as Bruce Wayne's great-great grandfather, no less ! If you ever have a chance to watch this show, take it. You won't be disappointed.