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Reviews
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
The Most Underrated Film of the '90s
The reviews for "The Devil's Advocate" were not too kind, to say the least. But what did the critics refuse to see in this? With movies nowadays being nothing but flashy, over-the-top, masturbatory, CG-fests, "The Devil's Advocate" holds up like osmium.
The cinematography is good because it's quite understated and that's a virtue in today's cinema. The acting, while containing pretty lame Southern accents, is still pretty good. Even from Keanu, dude.
Sorely forgotten in it's day, the script tells a very deep, original and interesting story, with lots of development, respect for the characters, delicate pacing, and a head-spinning ending. The movie is solely about the people and their struggles. Fear takes hold of the audience through the dialogue.
Think of "The Devil's Advocate" as Woody Allen trying his hand at a horror/thriller and succeeding. This movie never makes you jump, but it puts you in a general state of discomfort through it's atmosphere. As with all memorable supernatural dramas, this one handles its spectacle with discretion and grace.
Isn't that what we hope to see when we watch any movie? 10/10
Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004)
Breathtaking
One of the most spellbinding and captivating films of our time.I couldn't take my eyes off of it.A visual marvle.Breathtaking!A go for broke action extravaganza!Rivals the "Star Wars""Aliens""Matrix""Lord of the Rings""Back the the Futrure" series only to emerge as the definitive sci-fi action epic in history.I'll watch it again and again.And again.Micheal Gross is a sheer Oscar heavyweight.If I was traped on a deserted island all would want is Tremors 4 for the PSP and a PSP.The special effects where amazing.At one point I was convinced that they found a graboid in real life and used it in the movie.I hope they make 50 of these movies.I wish they would come out in the theatres because then I could camp out for tickets 6 months in advance.Anyway this is one for the books."Something for everyone"."Makes Casablanca look like horse-poo"
Batman Begins (2005)
The Best Batman? In a Word, Yes!
Having just seen "Batman Begins" for my third time (the other two were during its theatrical run), I must say that the hype is true. It is the best overall effort yet in bringing Batman and the world he inhabits to the screen. Christopher Nolan brings shows us EVERYTHING we wanted in a film about Batman's origins.
Bruce Wayne's descent into the caped crusader is handled with care and grace. The script is based on several different Batman comics from over the years, which makes its story very well-rounded. It's a script that's emotional without being sappy and funny without being stupid. Also, it has one of the best casts ever assembled and each member shines in every line they deliver.
The design of Gotham City is amazing and the special effects are not over-reliant on CG images (which is a problem for big-budget movies these days) and are comprised of many different elements, including very realistic miniatures. To sum it up, the feel of the movie is dark, brooding, shrewd, and refreshingly pragmatic.
That's not to say the film has its share of blunders. The music is less than impressive. It sucks to think that a film this great has a musical theme comprising of TWO NOTES. Maybe some people see its effectiveness, but in my mind, it causes only disgruntlement. And to boot, "Batman Begins" had TWO great composers working on it. That's ONE note for each guy credited with the score! I give their effort a D. Another nit-picky problem I had with it is in it's rather fast-paced editing not only during action scenes, but even when there are only talking heads. It's just a little nerve-wracking.
But these are small problems when compared to the whole movie package. The fact that I'm complaining about such small details only exemplifies the film's success as a whole. What else is there to complain about?!? I would recommend that any self-respecting movie lover buy the deluxe DVD. You'll be making a great and worthy addition to any collection.
PS.....Being that the Tim Burton Batman movies were very influential and special to me as a kid, I personally LIKE them better than Nolan's film. But regardless of my personal preferences, I of course acknowledge "Begins" as a better display of Batman's universe. I'm just a sucker for those Burtonesque visuals set to Danny Elfman's amazing, beautiful music. And no, I don't shop at Hot Topic.
PPS....There's no point in even mentioning the horrible Batman Forever. Not even Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones could save that one. And Batman and Robin is such a festering abomination that rationalizing its existence is a futile aspiration.
War of the Worlds (2005)
An underrated Spielberg spectacle.
After the disappointing "AI" and the bloated "Minority Report", I figured the last great Spielberg sci-fi film would be "Jurassic Park", so I decided to skip this movie during its theatrical run. What a mistake! "War of the Worlds" has everything that made Spielberg great in the first place.
The director fails in this genre when he has a hidden agenda, force-feeding the thematic undertones of the material to the point where we forget what brought us to his flicks in the first place. That is not the case here. "War of the Worlds" is everything you should expect it to be: spectacular thrills and breathtaking visual finesse.
Is that all you get? Yes, and thankfully so.
This is one of the most action-packed movies I've ever seen. Literally, there are thrills one right after the other. Don't think that I'm calling this a Michael Bay movie, now. Unlike anything that odious director has ever tried to make, "War of the Worlds", despite its continuous action, has style. Not very many movies scare me anymore, but there are countless scenes in the movie that are downright terrifying.
And believe it or not, Tom Cruise doesn't ruin the movie. In fact, I think it's one of his most accomplished performances. This is the cool Tom Cruise, not the one that makes me want to pop Ritalin. Both Cruise and Spielberg have been rather disappointing in their recent theatrical offerings, so "War of the Worlds" is a refreshment.
Of course, every movie has its lowpoints. The ones here are easily-forgettable logistical errors concerning very insignificant plot points.
I expected "War of the Worlds" to be typical SpielSchlock. And I got a riveting action tale. I was impressed, unlike "AI" where I expected deep sci-fi themes, and got lame, fairy-tale sentimentality. That was a disappointment. This one isn't. Wake up, people! This deserves a better score.
9/10