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Reviews
War of the Worlds (2005)
H.G. Wells and Orsen Wells turn over in their graves with this one
This is one movie out of principal should be avoided. If you have not seen this movie yet, please do not bother to rent, buy or even tune in on cable or sat TV. If you have to see how bad it is or more so insulting, download it from the internet for free.
Between the two mega egos they ruined a good novel's story line, and the various adaptations of the novel for radio and screen, this is a sad representation. Cruise's and Spielberg's self centered ego's have come together in to a massive effort to ruin a great story/plot line.
Cruise has done to this story what he did to the Mission Impossible story line. As time goes on I wonder if there will be a screen wide enough to fit his head on.
If you have seen the 1953 version or even listened to the original radio broadcast, if not I suggest you make a effort to do so, you will understand what I mean. This attempt of a remake in no way portrays people at their best nor even attempts to portray what people should strive for. It is an insult to the previous efforts and the original authors efforts.
This type of movie I swear is one of the problems with our modern world as it does not give us strong images to look up too as we had in the movies prior to the 1970's. Even the propaganda films of WWII where better.
If you have seen this film was there any portrayal by any of the cast that made you feel better or want to strive for or want your kids to strive for in later year? There are no heros in this movie. well maybe the bacteria.
I had to watch this movie 5 times to finally get thru it, because I was bored or just plain disgusted. Cruise is far from a hero in this movie, don't expect anyone else in the movie to even have a chance at being one either. The closest scene is when his son wants to join a military column and Cruise tries to stop him. Cruise's dialog with his pleas and excuses sounded as though Jane Fonda wrote it and the son was wanting to go off to Vietnan, not wanting to fight back at a threat, defending hearth and home. The logical dialog for this scene should have been the argument he was needed more to save his sister and get her to Boston then he could go off and fight. Gee but loyality and commitment to family first is a not a PC idea anymore. All Cruises dialog did was to show him as weak and not worth respect or leadership status.
The son in this film showed the only courage and backbone in the whole film. If Cruise was my dad in the movie and I was his son, think I would have decked him took my sister and made for Boston leaving him behind.
As for the daughter played by Dakota, well she was just plain annoying, based upon Cruise's performance it was a understandable performance. Of course a child will loose it in a situation like this when the adult in her life is weak, selfcentered, and a failed role model who even fails to rise to the situation.
All she did thru the whole movies was act like a spoiled brat, screaming (easy dialog) to the point even if I was her father I would have at the least backhanded her, or dumped her out the door and let the aliens have her. I sure found myself cheering on the aliens in this aspect, just to shut her up. I can understand panic in a young child but not being strong willed and showing strength doesn't give a child something to draw strength from to deal with the danger around them.
Again, a good movie should inspire strength, leadership, and hope. All this move inspired was weakness, hesitation, panic and despair. Every film with conflict or strife should have it's John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, or William Holden.
If this movie is to portray human beings in a good light it failed, if this movie is to do justice to earlier efforts of the story it failed. If this is the best that can be done and this is what we are, then maybe we deserve aliens to come and dine on us.
Avoid this flick and don't add to Spielberg's and Cruise's ego nor their bank accounts until they have produced something of worth and inspiration.
If your into weak willed, poltical correctness, lack of inspiration and seeing people at their worst, then it is the film for you.
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
There is no Team in this Mission
Well if your into Tom Cruise and nothing else then this is a flick for you.
But if your looking for the TEAMwork of the original series, it is totally gone. The first incarnate of the movie versions had some team, but they killed them all off right at the beginning.
I now see why none of the original TV cast would not even touch these Cruise vehicles.
Basically these efforts are for Cruise, by Cruise and of Cruise.
The overall plot line of any IMF mission is to overcome some evil with cunning, planning, individual skills and TEAMWORK, all brought together to mess in to a win over evil.
With these movie versions we have one Hero, Cruise, who has ALL the skills, talents, and knowledge to overcome the evil doers. In this case a combination of terrorist and businessman to black mail the world thru the use of a germ agent. The funny part is Cruise's portrayal of his battle with these evil villains and plot is nothing more than a personal ego boost for himself. Even a James Bond or Superman where never as full of themselves, they where confident but did battle for god and country not for themselves.
There is of course the race against time to save not a TEAM member, and t the world, but Cruise's love interest. Preventing the world from getting the virus always seems less important. It always seems to be what is in Cruise's best interest.
If you are a fan of the old TV series, where disappointed with the first MI movie, i.e. making PHELPS and a team member the villains, this vehicle will make just make you even more disappointed. I can only imagine what a MI3 would be like.
I swear these efforts are trying to erase the original IMF TEAM from our fond memories.
Alexander (2004)
Not Oliver Stones best
This film could not keep my attention. It seemed to try to be a great Shakespeare epic in the writing of the dialog. I was bored to know end every time someone opened their mouths.
Not to mention the poor choice of Jolie as Alexander's mother, her make up looked more like something from a Demille Egyptian epic, plus she just doesn't portray a Greek woman from her accent to her looks. Plus when did she have Alexander when she was like 5 years old, they could have aged her at the very least.
When Alexander started into one of his speeches around his troops I would have taken my sword and slayed him on the spot even if would have ended my own life, just to shut him up. The dialog stank and it's delivery was poorly done and annoying.
Stone is historically known to portray history to express his own political views is still in full force in this movie. ref. JFK theories, and the nazi flag on a American APC in Platoon at the end. He is noted for this in his films. So the bisexual issues where just his style to portray for good or bad. He has Alexander reacting to the death of his male lover with more emotion than his own wife. So he pushes the bi to the gay side more in the image of Alexander, maybe for shock value. But then again if I used this film as a representation of the Greek way of family back then seems that men where gay and only had wives to have children to produce heirs, treating women more as babymills and property. But who knows maybe it was that way back then.
I watched the Directors cut maybe the minutes that where tossed on the cutting room floor are the ones I needed to bring the whole story together.
In entertainment value I would rather be entertained by Richard Burton in Alexander the Great than this modern reproduction. This version had better acting, better script and didn't need the nudity or the sexuality issue brought up. But this is me. However if your a Shakesphere fan you might find this film entertaining, because your the one who can follow it.
Time Changer (2002)
If Amish had Tent revivals
If your expecting a time traveling scifi thriller your going to be surprised with this propaganda film.
When you read the cover for this film, read the description your totally mislead and after watching the maker's comments I can see why. Most non bible thumping people wouldn't even pick this film off the shelf to watch it.
If one is going to make a religious film then say that is what it is. One could say the maker in his efforts to get people to watch this that would otherwise pass it by committed a sin, the sin of lying.
It is a halfhearted attempt by fundamentalist Christians to thrust the holier than thou preaching upon the world. If you need to watch something which is basically preaching at you that you need to worship a god the way we do or your all dammed then this is the flick for you and your bible study group to watch.
If your a free thinking person who is not in the mood to be preached at, but want a entertainment film move to the next box on the shelf.
Even in movies who have a religious message or theme, there is usually a battle between good and evil, such as the End of Days or The Word that a viewer can get into and follow for the simple sake of a good story. This is surely lacking.
Here we have time travel without the tampering with time line or even repairing damage done to the time. The movie ends on a note that we are all doomed with the attempts to send a bible forward into the late 21st century and it will not transmit, suggesting that there is no future because people of earth have forgotten Christ.
Gee, the poor poor souls of the world who are not reborn and fundamentalist Christians, your all going into the fires. I can see where people of other faiths can be offended by this movie.
I am not reborn even though at one time I was Pentacostal and dunked, raised as a Congregational Protestant with a Catholic father, I enjoy the religious themed movies such as the 10 Commandments, Barabras, even Ben Hur. They tell a good story with out preaching and damming people for not following the path of the movie maker.
If you want to watch a movie move on if you want to go to church and hear a sermon rent or buy it.
Blueberry (2004)
Boring better than a sleeping pill
I purchased this after reading the cover, which gave me the expectation of a good modern western.
The spiritual Indian mystical ramblings would do better in the XFiles or a Buffy the vampire slay episode.
The actresses chosen for the various roles requiring nude scenes are about the most redeeming thing about the film. That tells you how sad it is.
But Alas my hops where dashed, the story was so hard to follow simply because I kept falling asleep.
The weird effects in this flick should belonged in some scifi flick. This was way too matrix like.
Trust me move onto something else if your looking for something to enjoy as a old B&W Tom Mix western is more entertaining.
Into the Sun (1991)
nifty planes didn't save this one.
Well this flick is just that a flick. The real stars are the f-16 and some nice air to air footage.
There are so many technical errors it's unreal. The whole premise for the shoot down I would say is inspired by the old 1980's airspace dispute with Lybia. There is no way a number of things that happen in this movie could or would happen. Because if it did Dr. Strangelove would have happened and we would be all dead.
1) No way would the USAF allow a civilian a flight in a Hot Zone area as they did just for a movie and PR. That could and would have been done in the US, just to dumb to be believed.
2) I firmly believe that NO USAF pilot would take a civilian into a combat area especially when ordered not to. The writers screwed up big time on that one would have made more sense to have them jumped over the Med. in international waters than a pilot running to the fight.
3) In the dog fight scenes you get great shots of F-16s but they are attacked by a different aircraft with each pass, from a Viggen, to a Mirage, to a A-4, gee unify how the enemy pilots can change aircraft in midair during a dogfight from 3 different countries.
4) Gee Libyan soldiers armed with M-16s another error.
5) The mercenary American pilot, gee a fighter pilot who needs corrected glasses, don't think so. especially thin dainty framed ones that could break apart in high G maneuvers of a dogfight.
The script is bearly passable. The only scene missing is the court martial and law suits.
John Waynes "Flying Tigers" with their lawnmower powered fake P-40s and campy script still beats this flick for overall enjoyment.
The only reason I have kept this flick in my collection is for the aerial shots of the planes and they are really the stars of the film.
Heroes Die Young (1960)
poorly written low budget of unknowns
This is a prime example of a poorly thought out, acted and produced movie. Being that it was made in 1960 they at least use proper gear, weapons as props. What little use they got anyway. A lot more WWII surplus around back then, so guess they saved enough for the crews lunches, from the prop budget.
Not one well known star to help pull this production out of wastebasket. Sometimes even with a poor movie having at least one seasoned and professional actor can pull it together. You could say the same prinicpal as in the army when they place a seasoned NCO or troops in a unit of raw recruits. This effort did not even have that.
Even the female lead looked more like American teenager on a hike thru the woods in her dress, accent and deportment. Not even a effort on the actress's part to act the part. The only reason I think she is even in the movie is to give a target for some hormone soaked young American boys to hit on throughout the movie. She was like the only girl who showed up at the prom and spent the movie fending off the horndogs.
This is suppose to be set in wartime Rommania, but you have more the feel your in Mexico and this a Spagetti western complete with burros, except that the actors put on the wrong costumes and picked up the wrong props on their way before the cameras.
Other than some nice archive footage of military equipment in use for those of us who are into it. This is a waste of tape. Unless you get this for free some how not worth adding to the collection.
Truly Tasteless Jokes (1985)
Nasty is best viewed when drunk
If you like dirty one liners there are some classic and creative ones in here. Lots of gravel among the gems but but a few good ones. Now if you can find it in the discount/PVT bin at the video store or at a flea market for under $5 grab it and stick it on the shelf next to Plan 9 From Outer Space, it's truly a cult tape. This does contain Marsha Warfield's stand up routines of Nite Court fame, she is one of the more creative of the troop. To really enjoy this tape you it should be watched at the that kegger you have with your now graying potbellied high school chums reliving the good old days, Oh wait till that keg is at least a 1/3 gone first. Otherwise its a chuckle.
The jokes are now so old they are new.
The Challenge (1970)
Hell of a TV made war/action pic
I was lucky enough to tape this movie off broadcast 20 years ago. A great basic story line and well made for a TV movie. Gallery (DM) gets nifty toys to play with from a waterhole poison kit to a dual side by side Madsen M50 submachine guns loaded with full loads and bird shot. Mako does a good job but doesn't have the high tech gizmo's that gallery has. Both sides cheat by sending in another soldier each to finish the job, with our two stars being more honorable disposing of these interlopers.
All this over a Bomb carrying satellite that crashed and the bad guys got to first and are sitting on it like a hen in the middle of the ocean.
Good bang for the buck spent. If this ever comes out on DVD I sure will get a copy. A good movie to get lost in on a lazy eve.