Change Your Image
dominodancing
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Casino Royale (2006)
Wonderful
Let's start off by saying this - Daniel Craig IS James Bond. He is totally different to any of the previous actors (with the possible exception of Timothy Dalton in 'Licence To Kill') to play this role. He is just awesome as a newly qualified 007 on his first mission. He really looks the part and excels playing a gadget-less (no Q in this film) Bond who survives on his wits alone. The film is also noteworthy for two great fight scenes (in a bathroom and stairwell) which are just brutal.
Director Martin Campbell deserves credit for injecting new energy into the franchise - much as he did in 'Goldeneye'.
The only two gripes are the title track (just dreadful - down there with Bono and The Edge's effort for 'Goldeneye') and the lack of a traditional gun-barrel sequence. But minor gripes they are - 'Casino Royale' is wonderful. The third best Bond film after 'Goldfinger' and 'Licence To Kill'.
Minority Report (2002)
Yawn
I bought this film on DVD before I'd seen it. Well, it is Speilberg after all. I sat down with my girlfriend to watch 'Minority Report' with much excitement and anticipation. Twenty minutes later I was struggling to stay awake. Had it not been for her, I would have whipped it out of my DVD player and put it with all the other beer mats.
Speilberg is a legend... but my God this is bad.
The plot (or what paper thin plot there is) seems to be the illegimate child of 'The Fugitive' and 'Mission Impossible' (btw, Steven watch 'The Fugitive' and see how it's done son). Tom Cruise yet again faxes his performance in. I do honestly believe that there is a genuinely average actor bursting to get out of Mr. T. Cruise but we have yet to see him. But until then we have to put up with these love letters from Cruise to Cruise.
Now I'm not going to waste any more of my life writing about such an unimportant and dull film.
PS One copy of 'Minority Report' (used only once) for sale. OK, OK you can have it for free...
Frontline (1994)
Ummmmmmmmmmm...
As I am so far the only non-Australian to post a comment, I'll assume no-one in the UK knows much about this gem of a show. In fact I happened to catch it when I was on holiday and haven't seen it anywhere in Britain, whether it be on Sky or terrestrial TV.
Anyway, to get a flavour, it is 'The Larry Sanders Show' crossed with 'Drop The Dead Donkey'. It doesn't have a laughter track but unlike 'DTDD', there is no attempt to make it topical ('DTDD' had segments that were filmed the day before to get a current, satirical comment in the script).
The real star of this show was Bruno Lawrence (such a shame to hear he died in 1995), who was simply hysterical as the Executive Producer Brian Thompson. He was the first person I saw as EP and so far (I've only seen him and Sam Murphy) the best by far.
The script is tight, although sometimes, albeit very occasionally, it does decend into pure sit-com territory. While this does not prevent the show from being funny, I feel that the show succeeds more as a satire.
I feel that it could work in Britain as the humour is very similar to British humour, although we do not have these daily tabloid current affairs programmes that seem so popular in the USA and Australia. So assuming no-one in the UK has bought it already, SOMEONE GET THE RIGHTS AND SHOW THIS DAMN FUNNY COMEDY! NOW!!!
Now I'm off to watch 'The Castle'. I'll let you know...
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983)
Wonderful!
If you were born (like me) in or around 1979, it is likely you will remember this fantastic series. I clearly remember loving it as a child and would dearly love to see some of the episodes again. And if it is ever remade, it MUST be in its original form - not some 'new' He-Man. The 80s were wonderful to grow up in!
Titanic (1997)
"Smell ice can ya... bleeding Christ!"
'Titanic' is OK. It is the sort of film that really satisfies when it is first seen, especially in the cinemas. However when you watch it again, or think about it, the flaws are all too clear.
The script is the main problem. Some of the lines are absolute stinkers (for British viewers, the two 'cockneys' in the crows nest are dreadful... to all Americans out there, no-one in Britain says "bleeding Christ") and the acting could have been a bit better. There was not much chemistry between Di Caprio and Winslet and this makes the love story a bit on the unreal side.
However, the film is a winner on the technical front. Hard to believe that a director would be so keen to get a full size replica of the Titanic, but Cameron does and it looks impressive on screen. The effects are superb as well - except the iceberg which looks like a great big blancmange. So no argument about the technical oscars but come on, best picture! I don't think so. And Kathy Bates was awful. Still, 5/10. But Winslet, Di Caprio and Cameron will all do better than this.
Licence to Kill (1989)
The 2nd Best Bond Of All Time
'Licence To Kill' goes a bit further than 'The Living Daylights' in the 'back to Fleming's Bond' stakes. And the films all the better for it. Dalton is very good and very underrated - only Connery is better... obviously! But well done Tim and its a shame that Pierce Brosnan is recognised as the actor who gave Bond another side to the character when Dalton had already done that.
The film also has a tight script, an inventive plot, a nasty villain for a change (none of that "I vill kill you Mr. Bond ha ha ha... ) and fine acting all round. Particular praise should go to Robert Davi. And the songs good. What more do you want???
The Watcher (2000)
Good try but 5/10
'The Watcher' has a hard job to do at the outset. It has to breathe new life into the serial killer genre in the same way 'Silence Of The Lambs' did and where 'Copycat' tried to but failed.
The main weapon the film uses is the fact that Hollywood 'rent a goodie' Keanu Reeves is the serial killer. That is not giving it away as you find that out very early in the film. And herein is the problem. While I truly believe that Reeves is a good actor who has really shone in previous movies ('Much Ado About Nothing', 'Speed' etc.), here he fails to convince.
His nemesis is Campbell, played by James Spader. Here things look up. Spader is very good (despite looking about 23 years old) as the stereotyped 'cop with problems' - in this case its medical.
Despite the obvious flaws, the plot is interesting. Griffin (Reeves) sends Campbell a picture of a girl who he will kill at 9pm that day. Therefore, Campbell must locate said victim and attempt a rescue. The film really satisfies during this period.
Unfortunately, the end is classic 'save the female' and feels very much like you've seen it all before... many times. This has to go down as a plot that was wasted and a film that would have been much better had it been in the hands of a more talented director. Well maybe anyway. And an actress as talented as Marisa Tomei is crimminally underused and given rotten lines to say. The hour and a half running time is also far too short and gives the film a rushed feeling.
Still see it... and then watch 'Silence Of The Lambs' to see how it should be done.
5/10
Trial & Retribution: Trial & Retribution II - Part One (1998)
Gory but gripping
This is an interesting new way (if you exclude the first T&R!) of presenting a murder case. It follows the story from the first murder to the verdict in court.
A serial killer is stalking women in London, torturing them and then murdering them. When suspects are arrested the police face a difficult task to get to the bottom of the mystery. Any more would give it away!
The story has much graphic violence but it is in context and adds realism to an already gripping piece of television.
The story benefits from superb performances from the cast but special praise must go to David Hayman and Kate Buffrey who both portray realistic police officers trying to get the right result.
If you like your murder mysteries with a new slant on them, try this. The good news is that there are altogether four of these stories with the first also being exceptional.
Well done Lynda La Plante and well done ITV for making and showing it.