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Reviews
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
if thats the world of tomorrow, kill me today
On a lark, I thought I'd check it out. The visuals from the trailer looked interesting, and I think highly of Jude Law. I should have stayed at home and napped. I don't mind pure fantasy, and obviously reality has its place too. What does bother me is when you TRY to base something in reality but is SOO ridiculously far fetched it makes my brain hurt.
OK, so its supposed to be 1941 but apparently Hitler decided to just keep on pursuing that painting career instead of genocide. Ms. Paltrow plays a clichéd reporter, always looking for that big scoop. So of course she is always putting herself in harm's way and wanting to save her film for that clutch photo which sets up the film's PAINFUL final scene/word. Jude Law is the sky captain. OK, lemme get this straight, he's a 30 something ace pilot with his OWN air force, super advanced research team, AND has a base a little outside of NYC? I'm already nauseated. His head researcher, Dex, can make a ray gun that melts steel, can pick up on ultra-sonic frequencies, make flying airstrips, and still reads buck rogers comic books. Angelia Jolie, with a very corny eyepatch, leads a squadron of FLYING airstrips. Now mind you this is all on 1941 (!!!) technology. Anyhow, the bad guy (kopenhauffer, crapenhalfer, cookiecrisp, whatever) is sending robots around the world to steal resources (coal, generators, bazooka joe gum, etc.) After suffering through many painful clues where the movie WISHED it was half as entertaining as oh, lets say Allen Quartermain, we finally get to the isle where the bad guy resides. Whoops, at its climax we find out he's DEAD for the past 20 years!!! All of his robots were built on 1920's technology!!!! He thought man was on a rocket sled to its own destruction and wanted to start over somewhere else. Original, no? Jude and qwenthyn blow up the rocket which would have incerated the earth (i'm NOT making this up) all the while SAVING the multitude of animals that had been aboard. PLEASE save your money and weep for those who had to suffer through this.
Gods and Generals (2003)
Read the book
After having finished the book, I was very anxious to see this film. I should have stayed at home. Although there was some fine acting by Stephan Lang in particular, the director really dropped the ball when it came to storytelling. What was supposed to be a dramatized interpretation of FOUR fascinating personalities and how they were drawn into the Civil War, became a 3 hours of Stonewall Jackson. Yes, an interesting character, but no means the most compelling (see the relationship between Generals Hancock and Armistead for dichotomy). The battles do not flow well or are even explained decently. And if you expect Antietam mentioned, the bloodiest day in US history, you came to the wrong movie. Perhaps the worst sin of all, is the movie smacks of Antebellum South apologism. I have expected to see Butterfly McQueen to run out screaming about knowing "nuthin about birthin' babies". The leaders of the south may have very much believed in their cause, but by no means should southern society be romanticized the way it is. There were times it felt more like Gone with the Wind, that an "accurate" portrayal of the Civil War. I was deeply disappointed after what I thought was an even handed and well told "Gettysburg" (a sequel if you will). Instead, I want to forget this stinker and dread what will be done to "The last full measure", the last part of Shaara family trilogy of the Civil War.
The Private Eyes (1980)
If you like Conway/Knotts, then you MUST see!
I admit that this is not a movie that will be sung about by generations to come, but if you like Tim Conway and Don Knotts together (or your sense of humor is from the old Carol Burnette Show) then this one is for you. As a team, these two clearly have advanced slapstick and very much kept it alive. When I watch this I have come close to losing bladder control and at the least have broke down into tears of laughter. This movie isn't meant for kids but clearly the whole family can enjoy (sorta like Rocky&Bullwinkle). If you just want to laugh your butt off for 90 minutes and forget about life for a while, the The Private Eyes is just want you want.