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PaulB-6
Reviews
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Hilarious send-up of Star Trek, and a great adventure-comedy.
Galaxy Quest is a wonderful, hilarious send-up of Star Trek, Trekkies, actors and TV shows in general, and it's a great adventure-comedy to boot. It's obvious that the writers are as much fans of the original material as the people they poke fun of, making you laugh at the same time as they make the material endearing, and even bringing the occasional pang of nostalgia. The film is a roller-coaster ride of events full of sci-fi clichés with a smart script that manages to make them all seem fresh and funny. Of course, many other episodic elements are included: there's melodrama, action, adventure, silly heroics, lots of special effects, and a whole lot of FUN (did I say that already?). The cast is just perfect and Allen, Weaver and Rickman have never been funnier. If you've ever seen Star Trek you'll laugh yourself silly, and even if you haven't, there's still much to enjoy in Galaxy Quest.
The Bone Collector (1999)
entertaining mystery-thriller
The Bone Collector is a decent, well-paced, and entertaining mystery-thriller from genre director Phillip Noyce (Dead Calm, Clear and Present Danger). The film could have been edited a bit better, and some of the scenes lack the necessary tension for this kind of movie, but there's enough here to keep us interested. The plot itself is very formulaic, but actors Washington and Jolie make a great "odd-couple" pair and that helps raise the film above the typical Hollywood fare.
Choyonghan kajok (1998)
Amusing black comedy
A very amusing and very black comedy, that plays on the failings of different family members, all trying to run a lodge in the middle of nowhere. A good amount of suspense is combined with the laughs, the film mixing a comedy of errors with slapstick and (many) bloody corpses. Wicked fun definitely not for the whole family.
Stir of Echoes (1999)
A solid supernatural thriller.
Adapted from the 1958 Richard Matheson novel, Stir of Echoes is an engaging tale that starts with a sense of foreboding and builds to a scary, and tense horror film with great atmosphere and some downright creepy scenes. Kevin Bacon is excellent here, convincingly portraying a man who's losing touch with his surroundings and is obsessed with understanding what is happening to him. Unfortunately, two-thirds into the movie, the story shifts from a supernatural thriller to a more mundane, and predictable, murder mystery. A good horror film that came very close to being a great one.
The Muse (1999)
It seems Albert Brooks needs a muse as well...
Brooks plays a neurotic screenwriter who's lost his writing "edge" and finds a real-life muse to put the spark back into his work.
Speaking of "edge", it's evident Brooks has lost his with this film. He tries to poke fun at Hollywood, but its mostly very light-hearted, a bit disjointed, and only occasionally funny. Brooks has done some fine films in the past (Broadcast News, Defending Your Life), but this isn't one of them. Some interesting cameos from a variety of directors, and a good comedic turn by Sharon Stone just can't save this movie. For a better, more cynical take on Hollywood, see The Player.
The Iron Giant (1999)
Very entertaining animated film
Boosted by an interesting animated style and a good script, Iron Giant is an entertaining science-fiction adventure. Though aimed at kids, the film is probably better appreciated by adults. The "bad government agents" angle may be repetitive, but it used to good effect and it doesn't encompass the film. Instead, the film focuses on the friendship between the young boy and the similarly innocent and child-like robot, and some scenes between them are genuinely funny. Iron Giant is an animated film like they should always be made: fun and well-executed.
Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Fun parody
Drop Dead Gorgeous pokes great fun at small town America, at beauty pageants, at teenagers and at whatever else crosses its path. The film crew captures the lives of the contestants (and their families) at their worst. The script is clever, full of quirky characters and odd moments, and downright hilarious. A pleasant surprise for those people in the audience who enjoy a different vein of comedy from the norm.
Tale of the Mummy (1998)
Some original ideas and effects, but still disappointing.
The first half of the film is great fun, with some original special effects and good B-grade horror-film setups. Unfortunately, the second half of the film quickly degenerates into a tired, uninteresting plodding mess. Still fun for a few hours, but ultimately disappointing.