the_mad_mckenna Reviews

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Laughably Bad

[2/10 · 17 November 2017]

I love a good war movie. But this isn't a good war movie. It's a hokey, overly CGI'ed injury porn wrapped around a religious tale of faith with dialogue that's right out of the 1940's. The CGI in the movie is awful and overused. You have bodies flying around like they're entering hyperspace, flames shooting out of everyplace and just a real unreality to the whole situation. To see a really great group of movies on the Pacific War, Flags of our Fathers/ Letters from Iwo Jima are wonderfully shot, realistic in their portrayal of combat, and the dialogue is far, far better.

Did I mention that Vince Vaughn is a terrible actor, and should only stick to comedy?

Uncle Grandpa (2010–2017)

Pizza Steve thinks the rest of you are lame

[9/10 · 17 September 2015]

Uncle Grandpa takes a bit to get used to, but if Salvador Dali made a cartoon it would look like this. I think the comments on the show are almost as funny as the show, because it appears people are looking for something more linear and structured, and guess what? This isn't that sort of show, it's just a free for all. And poor Mr Gus, and egotistical Pizza Steve, and Giant Realistic Flying Tiger - all great characters, all great fun.You actually don't know what to expect - like the episode where UG becomes the tire of his RV, or when Mr. Gus saves the crew because of his ridiculous pair of "jorts". Long live Uncle Grandpa, the trippiest show out there.

Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

The Best Shot Series Ever

[10/10 · 18 October 2013]

Let's talk for a moment about how this TV show looks - it's stunning. The blues of the New Mexico sky, the browns and tans of the desert, the lights at nighttime, and the blue of the pure meth. In an era of great TV, Breaking Bad'd stunning visuals put it ahead of the pack. Just look at the framing of the shots, the odd camera angles. There's so much to see here visually that you really shouldn't watch it on a small device, but always on a big screen TV. We know all about how great the acting and writing is, but the look is in a league of its own. Oh, and then there's Skinny Pete. And Badger. And Saul. And the Twins. And Hank. And Tuco. And so on.

Salt (2010)

Just awful

[1/10 · 29 June 2011]

I mean it - it's really bad. There's nothing realistic about this movie, and I hate to repeat was most have said about the film, but it's hyper-violent with really no redeeming qualities. Oh, it starts in a promising fashion that had me thinking about the underrated classic "No Way Out" (back when Kevin Costner made good movies), but then it simply got more and more implausible and ridiculous as it went on. Ya see, I get it when The Bride in "Kill Bill" slices up a dozen or more Japanese guys, because it's a stylized fantasy that looks great and even laughs at itself. But this...well, let's just wonder why they aren't training U.S. Secret Service agents better. During the boring and predictable "climax" of the film (no spoilers), they even resort to the bit from the old "Superman" TV show, where someone actually throws a gun, attempting to hurt someone. A waste of time. Really.

Inside Man (2006)

Good thriller/heist movie

[8/10 · 18 December 2006]

Spike Lee has realized that he's getting a bit too old to pull an Orson Welles in his films, starring/directing/writing etc. This is a bit too much to pull off without sacrificing some quality (compare Woody Allen's last two efforts, and figure out which one was the lesser). Like "clockers" or "the 25th hour", Lee is able to work with some great actors on someone else's screenplay, leaving him to direct a film that rings true in all the details and textures of New York, and New Yorkers. Denzel Washington seemingly can't deliver a bad performance - he's great fun to watch in this movie, along with excellent supporting performances from Christopher Plummer and Clive Owen (who is also always good).

Keeping Up with the Steins (2006)

A Nice Film

[8/10 · 17 November 2006]

This is actually a nice film, and probably a very good family film that you can let teens see and they won't be bored/embarrassed (like "cheaper by the dozen"). While it doesn't have any hilarious moments, there are plenty of funny lines, plus the sight of what i think are Gary Marshall's actual buttocks (heaven help us all). The casting is very good, and while the film might have been a bit shirt, it did a good job of fleshing out the characters. Adam Goldberg's cameo might be the highlight of the film, so funny you'd think it's the return of the "Hebrew Hammer". I don't think you can go wrong with this one if you're sitting down with family and friends, even more so if they're Jewish!

Must Love Dogs (2005)

A Real Mess

[4/10 · 5 July 2006]

It's hard to think that John Cusack could make a really bad film, but this is it! This film doesn't work on any level - even the editing seems forced, the pacing poor, the jokes stale, the cutaways forced. Yes, it's a mindless romantic comedy, but they are all mindless for the most part; they are supposed to also be fun and have some life to them - this "dog" has neither. Compare it with another Cusack romantic comedy, "Serendipity" - which is as the very least charming, with a good buddy turn by Jeremy Piven as well (Ben Shenkman tries to do Piven in this film and fails). Serendipity also has chemistry and an interest in the characters fate - in this film, you're not sure why you should care about these people. Overall, a waste of time, even on HBO.

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)

Did you USED to like Peter Sellers? You won't anymore...

[2/10 · 17 January 2005]

Film Biogs are an awful tough nut to crack, aren't they? In the case of "Ray", you had a great performance by Jamie Foxx in a pretty average film. Here, we Have Mr. Rush doing a bang up job playing a guy who is only slightly more appealing in his personal life than Joseph Stalin must have been. I'm not sure why they made this film - it shows very little of what made Sellers the star he was and a lot of a detached and abusive jerk. I guess we come to bury Sellers and not praise him, but the whole thing is totally unpleasant - for example, all the Britt Eklund stuff after she gets pregnant is just brutal. You'd think you were watching the Charlie Manson story instead of Sellers. the filmmakers set up "Being There" as his redemption of sorts, but after watching the last 2 hours of him being a total knob you couldn't care less if he cured cancer at that point. A film like "Lenny" worked well because there was a story about Lenny Bruce that was bigger than his career - his constant hounding and persecution by the authorities which made the portrait interesting and worthwhile. All this film does is make Sellers look bad, and even if that was the case, did we truly need to know it. What's next, "The Life and Death of Zeppo Marx"?

Ken Park (2002)

Dreck of the Lowest Order

[25 September 2004]

I know what you'll all say - that this is truly the way people are that this is dysfunctional America uncovered at last, but it really isn't. Without any major plot spoilers, how many people kill both of their grandparents? Or how many stepfathers try and sexually assault their TEENAGE stepson? I could go on...but I won't. This film is so horrid, so over the top in its look at "suburban life" that you'll regret you spent the time watching it that you'll never get back. yes, there are screwed up folks, but this is 100% screwed up, all the time, which makes it as realistic as "Mars Attacks". True dysfunctionality is shown in films like "American Splendor" of "About Schmidt" far more realistically, without the cheesy shock value or "piling on" as in Ken Park.

I actually liked "Bully" - it covers much of the same territory, but it features a plot and realistic actions by real characters - the real monkey wrench is the awful Harmony Korine, whose "gummo" is a boring train wreck. So is "Ken Park", except the train has dislodged more lethal boxcars.

Exotica (1994)

Corny and Hokey

[4/10 · 20 July 2004]

Yeah, its both those things. The "narration" the at the DJ gives reminds me of the worst high school poetry I'd ever had to suffer through. The number of coincidences and overwrought emotions are just a bit too silly at times. And, while Mia Kirshner is a very cute woman, she'd be laughed off stage for that horrible dance move she has, where she looks like a backup dancer of "Shindig" or "Hullabaloo". I didn't buy the premise, I didn't buy the characters, and I ended up just not caring. Egoyan's films are for the most part filled with all sorts of forced emotions, and this one is no exception. What is it about a schoolgirl? After a while, I couldn't care less!

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

Interesting and thought provoking

[8/10 · 10 July 2004]

OK, lets look at this as a movie, not as something that morons are debating because they dislike Moore's politics. I seriously doubt half the negative reviewers even saw the film, but lets see what we have here.

First of all, its a joke that it won the golden palm as the best film at Cannes, unless of course "Kangaroo jack II" was the only film running against it. The movie is about 20 minutes too long, with certain sequences just playing themselves well beyond their usefulness. Also, so much of the film involves clips from shows like "Larry King" and others that you feel that you're watching something hastily edited.

I felt it could have gone two ways - either as a super-serious indictment of the War in Iraq, or as a document of the Bush administrations actions regarding the events of 9/11. Its tough to be both and doesn't succeed there. When Moore is TOO populist, he comes across as preachy. However, when he pulls brilliant stunts like reading the patriot act over an ice cream truck PA system, trying to get members of Congress to get their own children to sign up for the draft and the like, while cleverly editing together soundbites of Bush sounding cavalier, self-righteous and absurd at the same time - well, thats when the film truly hits the mark. I wish he would have gone after the media for their complacency after 9/11 - there's plenty of good stuff on that - but he only scratched the surface on it.

Overall, an important document and sign of the times. But not a perfect movie by any means.

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

More than meets the eye

[8/10 · 5 July 2004]

This is a film about a lot of things - old age, relationships, assimilation and change. Some will say its too saccherine, or not a realistic look at the civil rights struggle, but they miss the point. Miss Daisy is part of a smaller minority within a majority; while not mistreated the way Hoke would be, she's still an outsider. It takes her until the end of the movie (and, since she's in her 90's, her life) to realize that she and Hoke are perhaps more similar than they thought.

I recall that Dan Aykroyd did the role of Booley for union scale pay, he was so anxious to play a serious role; it paid off handsomely, as Dan was nominated for an academy award. Tandy is wonderful, and I don't think it's humanly possible for Morgan Freeman to turn in a bad performance. Some have criticized Freeman for being such a subservient character, but they also miss the point of what it was to be an older black servant in the 1950's. A fine effort and a great family movie.

Jackie Brown (1997)

Ashamed to admit it

[27 June 2004]

...but after seeing Pulp Fiction and LOVING it, I waited on the reviews for Jackie Brown and saw that they were mixed at best. Oh man, I thought, I won't go see THAT - it'll just ruin my opinion of Q and that great, great film he made.

Well, I finally saw it on DVD and I had to kick myself - Jackie Brown is wonderful, an Elmore Leonard collection of losers and a twisty plot that keeps you wanting more. And how can you blow off a cast that has De Niro, Sam Jackson and blaxploitation legend Pam Grier? You can't - so see Jackie Brown as soon as possible, and make up your own mind - but be prepared to laugh alot and enjoy this film.

Hong Kong (1952)

Not all that good

[26 June 2004]

My best memory of this film is when Ronald Reagan's character walks into a Chinese refugee camp and asks a Chinese gentleman "what kind of clambake is this"? Very sensitive and thoughtful stuff. They showed Reagan films on tv quite a bit back when he was first elected president, then they started to disappear. With the passing of the great communicator, perhaps they will reappear, but I would bet against it. I don't recall much else about this eminently forgettable film with the exception of the quoted line, but I do recall it being pretty much total dreck, and Reagan giving his normal b-minus level performance. It's tough to actually write ten lines about this film, but I'm trying my best!

Sling Blade (1996)

Leaves you speechless

[20 June 2004]

My sister worked for two years in a Mental Hospital as a psychotherapist, so when I asked her how good was Billy Bob's portrayal as Karl, she said he was "perfect", and his that he kept the mannerisms and various ticks to make a truly authentic character. I think that Billy Bob's portrayal of Karl grounds the rest of the film, because once you buy the character, the rest of the film can be accepted. And what a film it is! The other truly standout performance is by the late John Ritter, as the small-town middle aged gay store manager. Ritter does a magnificent job with the role, being at once sweet and unintentionally funny at the same time. I'm not sure how Ritter came to accept this role - perhaps to make up for some of the big bucks he made with the stupid family films he made in 1990's - but his onscreen presence is wonderful. Kudos too go out to Dwight Yoakum, as a truly evil boyfriend who turns violent maniac at the drop of a hat.

A must-see film, one of the best of the 90's.

Man of the Century (1999)

One Note Gag that Works like the Bee Knees

[9/10 · 18 May 2004]

Some movies are just meant to be a great deal of fun, and this is one of them. What a delight - I'd never heard of it but stumbled on it on IFC and adored it. The sweetness and good-natured aspects of the film are part of the charm, as is the dead-on dialogue, situations and even camera angles/cinematography. For people who try and find reasons why this guy exists or why women would date him, you're missing the point of the movie. The Marx Brothers ending (no spoiler really), and the short Egyptian tomb sequence show the care that was taken with getting all the 1920's aspects down perfectly (and don't forget the musical numbers, when people would break into song in any sort of film back then -well, the talkies at least). Going incognito as Harold Lloyd? too funny - don't pass this one by when it shows up next time!

Glory (1989)

Moving, well made Cinema

[1 March 2004]

First, perhaps we need to get the hokey aspects of the film out of the way, such as the interpersonal relationships between the soldiers - it's a little too "hollywoodish" (this happens in Private Ryan, Platoon, etc. Only Kubrick makes the relationships unsappy).

That being said, this is a marvelous film that I always watch when it's on. It looks fantastic, has great action and tells a magnificent story. If you saw pictures of the real Col. Shaw, you'd understand why they had Broderick play him (I believe the real Shaw was also under 25).

Despite the nit picking, it's historically very good (it is often shown in history classes) and truly inspirational. Two hours well-spent.

Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

Gets Better with age

[29 February 2004]

Tora Tora Tora (hereafter refereed to as T3) is a mature, thinking man's film. It was somewhat of a commercial flop when it was released, and I'm not surprised. It's long, but that isn't a bad thing - the story is put into its rightful context, with interweaving stories about intelligence and diplomatic efforts prior to the attack. We shift back and forth, from Hawaii to Washington DC to the flagship Carrier Akagi. The Japanese portions are great - instead of rounding up Pat Morita and George Takai and any other Japanese-American actor to deliver stunted lines, you instead feel very much an insider to Admiral Yamamoto's thoughts.

The details are fantastic - I especially like that they accurately painted the design on the fore of the Akagi's flight deck - something other films wouldn't have taken the the time to do. Also, they keep the interpersonal relations out of it (no one talks about being from from Brooklyn), which leads to alot less hokey dialogue, and the battle scenes are quite realistic - compare viewing "The Longest Day" with "Saving Private Ryan", for example - the former is almost embarrassing in terms of perceived realism. Not so with T3.

An excellent effort, and one of the few films I would actually show to students if I was teaching a history class.

Patton (1970)

Viewed in Context

[9/10 · 29 February 2004]

PATTON was truly a shock to the system when it was released. The United States was still in the thick of the Vietnam war, and the country was extremely polarized between the hawks and the doves. Then along comes Patton, with a portrayal of a rebellious General who was always being put in his place by the establishment - even though he was, of course, a major establishment figure (generals aren't usually the most liberal or progressive types). Eisenhower (unseen) and the media are portrayed as unsympathetic to the maverick Patton, who is so single-minded in his determination to defeat the Germans you have to root for him, despite his boorish behavior.

And that is why Patton works - you have an unambiguous war against and unambiguous evil - Nazi Germany. Whereas Vietnam might have been a tough conflict for even its supporters to explain, World War Two was quite simple - we were the good guys, and they WERE the bad guys. And so you COULD root for the US Army and Patton without feeling a tinge of guilt.

Also superb in the film is everyman Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley, providing the stable and workmanlike leader (and one who rises quicker in the ranks due to it) to Patton's egomaniac.

And Yes, George C. Scott delivers a career-defining performance that is one for the books. Could Brando or Telly Savalas have pulled off the role as well? I don't think so - it was just tailor made for Scott.

Bruce Almighty (2003)

Is this for kids?

[4/10 · 21 January 2004]

This comedy (?) had maybe 3 good laughs in it. I'll explain why it is terribly flawed, even though it made several hundred million dollars:

-I am not a Jim Carrey hater, but he was totally miscast for this role. You needed more of a straight man to pull off the transformation to having the powers of God. Instead, Carrey seems only mildly different from before.

-The movie was for some reason set in Buffalo, but it looks to have been mostly filmed on a back lot in southern California. This was very disconcerting to me - Buffalo is a very gritty, post-industrial landscape, and blue screening a few shots of the skyline or the falls doesnt make it. And that street set looked like something out of "Singin' in the Rain".

-It had no edge, despite the whole work conflict and breakup with Anniston's character. An edge would provide better contrasts and better comedy - instead, it comes across like a rated G film with a few sexy jokes.

Only good thing was Morgan Freeman.

The Italian Job (2003)

Dreck

[5/10 · 3 January 2004]

Aside from the obvious joy of having to look at the lovely Ms. Theron's face and form, this movie just doesnt pull it off. The "Ocean's 11" remake is sassy and has immense Star power, and makes you forget all the holes and improbables in the story. In this case, Wahlberg doesn't have the leading man magnetism of Clooney, and the likes of Seth Green and Mos Def don't play the supporting roles like, say, Brad Pitt and Carl reiner do. This remake just falls short.

Ed Norton seems wasted here - I actually think the movie would have worked better with Norton and Wahlberg switching roles.

25th Hour (2002)

Great Actors Deliver it

[8/10 · 3 January 2004]

I'm not a Spike Lee fan - he uses the same gimmicks time and again (the whole "floating" while walking trick, for example) but with the brilliant Norton, Hoffman, Pepper and others, this story works and works well. Funnier is former Baltimore Ravens lineman Tony Siragusa as Russian mobster and pulling it off. A good contemporary story - I wish Scorsese would have had a crack at this one, it would have been a more worthy project than gangs of new york. In any case, its nice to see Lee jumping into less stereotypical projects (Hello Woody Allen?) with positive results.

The End of the Affair (1999)

Harlequin via Greene

[3/10 · 3 January 2004]

I'm a sensitive man. I grew up in a mostly female household. I went to a predominantly women's college. I have many female friends. But I'll stereotype myself as a guy in this case - this, despite being from a Graham Greene story, is as much of a women's movie as anything.

Any man, in Steven Rea's shoes would either kick the holy hell out of Fiennes' writer or cut off his cheating wife pronto - instead, Rea is all loving and ok with the fact his wife has been cheating on him, because of her fate. The scene where the illicit couple run into Rea in Brighton is one of the most laughable confrontations in film history - who acts that way?

Throw in the supernatural stuff at then end (no spoiler), and its a wasted 2 hours or so.

Buffalo '66 (1998)

Sails left of the uprights

[3 January 2004]

I hate to say this, but when a movie asks you to take a jump from the real world, it better be "Star Wars" or I don't buy it. It's like the movie "Speed" - there are a few scenes in which Keanu defies gravity and that left me shaking my head and turning the rest of the film off.

The same with Buffalo 66, a story of a loser and his families obsession with the Buffalo Bills and his with Scott (Nor)wood, the Bill Buckner of football. The fact he kidnapped Ms. Ricci and she fell for him immediately made "Mars Attacks" look like a documentary, and made me mock the rest of the film. Otherwise, it's a mediocre small movie - a nice try, but very flawed.

Celtic Pride (1996)

Flagrant Foul

[3 January 2004]

Pointless comedy about two big time Celtics fans kidnapping a star player (Wayans, who could only post up Spud Webb or Muggsy Bogues). Not good, but we don't really make basketball movies with an eye towards the Scottish market.