C.S.Wood Reviews

Mission to Mars (2000)

DePalma's back with a mission

[6/10 · 10 March 2000]

Where I did find this a lot better than his last picture Snake Eyes, it still had a few flaws. Off the bat, DePalama is one of out best directors. He's very masterful in capturing the spectrum and awe of the red planet, and he's got a talent for building suspense. But the problem with this movie was not on his end, but the writers'.

Since Tim Robbin's name came last in the credits, I knew he was gonna die, but DePalma's direction fooled me. It looked like his character would make it, and in a split second my stomach dropped when I realized he was really out of a life-line. That was one of the best and most tragic scenes I've watched in a while, but like I said, the problem didn't come in at that end. When something bad happened, the characters cried about it too much. And in that scene, if Connie Nielsen's whining been cut down by about 20 seconds, and her breathing heard from a distance, that scene would've had a greater effect on me.

As for the rest of the movie, it wasn't bad. Since it's 2020, we notice the local space station doesn't break down every hour, cars are more power-efficient, and US space shuttles look like they got the schematics from Kubrick's 2001. This movie was visually stunning, full of kick-ass effects, and some pretty interesting characters for the most part. And the ending, though I would've liked more, was well done. At least we saw the aliens (unlike "Contact", which this reminded me of) and it kinda makes you think "hey, what if life really 'did' start on Mars?"

But until we find out, there's always Mission 2 Mars.

Eye of the Beholder (1999)

Flawless beginning, bad ending

[5/10 · 29 January 2000]

Destination Films pumped all their advertising into last year's "Bats" and didn't dish out more than 10 bucks for "Eye of the Beholder." Even so, I was one of the first people who saw the trailer upon its release and I was watching for it to come to theaters. I saw it opening day, first show. At the 30 minute mark, I thought to myself 'damn, this is a good movie.' At the 60 mark I said 'still going strong.' And at the end I said 'what the hell?'

The actors were great. The Joanna character was believable and you felt for her. Same goes for 'Eye.' And the writing, for the most part, was right on target; you want these two to finally meet and get together. It even has the "Psycho" effect on you where you hope the bad guy doesn't get caught. But even so, Elliot (the director) just couldn't go out with a bang. He could've added one last additional scene to the current ending, or change the ending completely and he would've had a great movie.

Still, I think Elliot is a good director and I hope he gets some more good projects (but works harder on his endings though). The use of the snow globes was one of the things I most liked. And the use of the horoscope signs was a nice tough also. The film was a successful thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and gave us a convincing female serial killer (since there hasn't been one of those in a long time). If only the ending were better...

Next Friday (2000)

Just as good as the first one, if not more so

[7/10 · 12 January 2000]

Who says the sequel is never as good as the original? Where the first one concentrated more on the likeness of the characters over the comedy, like Austin Powers 2, this sequal was going straight for laughs.

But if anyone stole the show, it was the Joker character. Anything that guy said had me belly laughing. Plus, he says the funniest joke out of the whole movie. I highly recommend it.

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Brosnan IS Bond

[9/10 · 19 November 1999]

America was in need of a great actioner (since many didn't turn out to see The Messenger, which is my 2nd favorite movie, I might add) and they got what they were looking for. "GoldenEye" and "License To Kill" were my two favorite Bond movies, with Brosnan still my favorite Bond (scream all you want, Connery wasn't this good). I thought "Tomorrow Never Dies" fell short, in both villain and action scenes (except for that car chase, which they could've loaned to GoldenEye and made it perfect).

I see many similarities in TWINE that were in GoldenEye, i.e. Valentin, a female weapons specialist, a female bad guy, etc. And I'm not sure which one was better. Martin Campbell has more style, but Apt knows how to do better action scenes. And then there's the villain. 006 had a person agenda with Bond, Reinard had a cool character twist ("I sent 009 to kill Rienard-- he put a bullet in his head-- the bullet's still there") and then there's Elektra, toying with Bond's emotions, giving that innocent bright piercing-sweet smile. Who could kill her after she flashes you one of those?

The only thing I found wrong was Q's sudden disappearance from the film, and the title. I originally liked "Pressure Point," given the extend of Bond's injury. But in the end, this was a great action film-- a tie for the Best Bond yet.

Cube (1997)

Good first half, terrable second

[5/10 · 16 November 1999]

I'm just gonna jump straight to the end. How could the guy NOT see a big door on the floor open before him, then fall in? And even more, just how in the hell did he know which rooms weren't trapped from then on, getting the the bridge just in time to 'kill' the ending? The only thing to watch this movie for is the cool set(s) and the woman who plays 'Ezri Dax' on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Period. And the best scene had to be the first, with the guy getting diced into little cubes. As a Sci-Fi freak, you can never get tired of something like that.

Last Summer (1969)

I thought it was very good, but...

[6/10 · 16 November 1999]

I just didn't get the ending. Another reviewer said that it was the whole movie, but I just didn't see how that rape scene fitted into the rest of the movie, then just ending it like that. What was its meaning? Did she die? I was, and still to this day, completely confused.

Roswell (1999–2002)

X-Files for teenagers, not that X-Files ISN'T for teenagers

[7 October 1999]

I'm a pure sci-fi nut (Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate, Starship Troopers, Farscape, X-Files, you name it) and I really got a kick out of this show. It has a certain attitude and just the right touch of pop-culture to make it memorable as much as it is enjoyable.

I hope Rosewell has a healthly run and some great writers for future episodes. This idea can go in so many directions it's almost a conspiracy.

Mallrats (1995)

2nd best Smith movie, but I haven't seen Clerks yet

[5 August 1999]

I should, shouldn't I? But anyway...

Kevin Smith is one of my favorite filmmakers. He can take an idea and write these great characters for it-- and even higher some decent actors. Look at Jason Lee-- this guy can act, and he's funny as hell. The only thing I liked him better in was Chasing Amy, my favorite Smith movie, and one of my favorites overall.

I don't need to tell you this movie was good, just see it to believe it. And if you already have, see it again. It's too funny to just watch less than 10 or 12 times.

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Tired of the heat? Take a 'swim'

[7/10 · 1 August 1999]

19 heat-related deaths took place during my stay in Washington this week, so what is one without an air-conditioner to do? Well, go to the movies of course.

Ah, the second creature feature of the year, Deep Blue Sea is one hell of a movie. I don't care what people say, the fxs kicked ass. And you were never sure who was going to die and when. I think the most memorable scene was (stop reading if you haven't seen it, but if you have), you'll have to agree with me, was Sam Jackson's death scene. I mean, he's standing up their giving his speach, which made me yawn 'oh god, here we go with the speach' and then CHOMP! Just like that.

If you're looking to get away from the heat, stay away from the Wild Wild West and take a dive into the Deep Blue Sea. I asure you, you'll get your money's worth of super-smart sharks chomping on no-so-smart humans.

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

Better than the Original

[7/10 · 15 June 1999]

The original was cheaper but still hit its marks. This one had a bigger budget, but a lot of the end jokes fell short. The build-up was better than the end product. All and all, 3 out of 4 stars.

Dr. Evil and Mini-Me were the funniest. I'd like to see them return in the next one (because I know there'll be a 3rd) but a new villian would be nice; maybe joining up with Dr. Evil, I don't know.

Clue (1985)

Very well done

[8/10 · 30 April 1999]

I thought it was a well crafted film with a smart, well thought out, plot and some very interesting characters. I'm a 90's person, but this was a very great 80's movie. If it were to be redone now I don't think it could be pulled off as well, so I hope it stays a classic and just how it is.

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

The best Trek film by far

[8/10 · 26 April 1999]

This is my favorite Trek movie over all. Although I'm a huge Star Wars fan, I'm not afraid to admit that Trek has its strengths and weaknesses when it comes to comparing the two, but I'm not going to today. Not in this review.

You know what it's about and what happens, so let's get to it. What did I like? Well, the dogfight at the beginning could've been a hell of a lot longer, but it was nice while it lasted. The dark edginess and entire feel/look of the movie was something to watch. My congrats go out to John Frakes for doing a great job in his first main stream directing job.

The crew of the Enterprise-E perform as great as usual, and the supporting cast also hit their marks right on time. Other congrats go out to ILM for bringing us another great effects film. And to that guy who created the Borg (forget his name, but know they were originally supposed to be like bees) I want to thank you for creating the best and most scariest villains in the Trek universe. Keep it up.

ReBoot (1994–2001)

Not better than "Beast Wars" but a good CGI show

[26 April 1999]

This is one of the earliest CGI shows I had seen and it really caught my eye. But, not long after, I saw my first episode of Beast Wars and dropped this show like a bad habit. But it was a nice little show while I watched.

If I had to compare this to a live action movie, it'd have to be the 5th Element. They seem similar in the futuristic look, but the plots would fit more in The Matrix if anything else.

The lip-work isn't all that great (like those Japanese crossovers: mouths don't match what they say), but it had humor and it had heart. It now comes on daily on the Cartoon Network and still worth a look to anyone who likes CGI.

Blade (1998)

One of the best vampire movies ever

[9/10 · 24 April 1999]

This had to be one of Snipe's very best performances, and one of the best vampire movies very made. The fxs are equally impressive. In tune with the style of the late 20th century, a lot of things we thought we knew about vampires proves invalid. A little similar to John Carpenter's: Vampires, but this was better.

It had style, action, adventure, and a sense of suspense. The actors hit their mark and so did the director, who did a fantastic job of crafting this comic book-to-movie movie into what Todd McFarlane only wished Spawn would've been. A fantastic piece of entertainment.

Titanic (1997)

NOT THE BEST, but not the worst

[5/10 · 24 April 1999]

In my quest to write up to 50 reviews here at IMDB, it's time for the James Cameron flick.

Well, it was definitely NOT the best film ever made. I think I liked it a lot when I first saw it in 97 (note: I only saw it ONCE at the theater), but now it's coming on HBO, like, every few hours. And when you catch the same parts playing over and over again you can tell how much you wish Cameron would've taken a few more writing classes when he was younger.

The very best thing about Titanic was just that: The ship. The ship was the movie, and watching it sink was the real masterpiece of filming. Most of DiCaprio and Winslet's scenes together got tedious and was underwritten on some parts. It seemed like they were 90's people sent back in time to learn the ways of the early 1900's and failed to do so, which was exactly the case.

I think Cameron is a great filmmaker, and am glad the movie was a success so that he cam bring us other movies. But, he I had wished he learned to be a better director and find out to make great movies without a colossal budget. But even if Titanic only costed 70-100 and came out the same I still wouldn't have liked it any more or less. Overall, it was a nice movie but could've been A LOT better.

Starship Troopers (1997)

Another great fxs movie

[9/10 · 24 April 1999]

Even though I'd never want to live in this reality, it was a new twist on the future. It was another great Special Effects movie on ILM's behalf. They're the best in the business and some of their best work shines here.

In movies like this, there usually are problems with character development and dialog in movies like this. Even though there were SOME problems, it was written well enough to be a very entertaining movie. Instead of aliens with big heads, weird guns, and just happen to speak English, here's a movie that takes a mostly harmless species on Earth and turns it into a frightening, verbal-less, enemy.

The only problem I had, which a lot of people seemed to have had, was the idea that you could take down these massive and bloodthirsty creatures with weak armor and machine guns. This is a sci-fi movie where energy weapons would've been much appreciated. I personally wished they had made tanks to storm the ground with. They would be heavily armed and big enough to take down even the most ferocious bug.

Besides that, being the worst flaw, it really wasn't a bad movie.

Men in Black (1997)

Congrats to Rick Baker

[6/10 · 24 April 1999]

The creature fxs were really the best part of this movie. It was a thrill to see all the different aliens and weapons and stuff. Smith and Jones played off each other pretty well, and kept up the laughs through most of the film.

Where the movie failed is with The Bug. That kept the movie from really rising to the top of any of my lists. Just about all his scenes were plagued with dumb dialog and stupid movement. It even got a little annoying at times. If they really do make a sequel I hope they take the audience comments into consideration and spend more time on developing the plot/villain. Even so, it was a nice little alien movie.

Twister (I) (1996)

Saying this movie had no plot is an insult to some very courageous people

[6/10 · 24 April 1999]

In the real world, there are actually people who hop in their little trucks, minivans, and Vocswagons, and go put their lives on the line by hunting tornadoes in an attempt to learn more about them.

With that said, this movie was just showing how some of their lives may be, but throwing in a love triangle and the convenient appearances of tornadoes. Helen Hunt didn't win an Academy Award for nothing. The woman can act. And, in a comedic way, she pulls her role off with ease. I can't say the same for Bill Paxton, but he did an okay job.

The star of the movie was in fact the tornado. It was beautiful, scary, but an awe to watch. This film really deserves more credit than it was given.

Mission: Impossible (1996)

Took me a few watches, but I figured it out

[7/10 · 24 April 1999]

Three, actually. It's because, in regular movies, someone explains the plot outright, so the audience doesn't have to think about it. You really had to pay attention to the details to figure it out. Let's see how accurate I am.

Voight was a mole working for the CIA and was trying to steal a special list of secret operatives to sell to the enemy. To cover his tracks, he killed everyone on his team and made it look like he died with them. Cruise was taking the fall, but was determined to prove his innocence. Keeping tabs on Cruise was Voight's wife, Claire, who he happened to fall for (even though he had figured Voight wasn't dead).

So, Cruise wins the trust of a criminal ready to pay top dollar for the list and gets a new team to steal the other half of the list. He and the criminal meet on the train to exchange the list and the money, but Voight wants the money. And I'm sure you can lay everything over from there on.

It was a good movie with good actors, and nice story, and excellent action sequences. It's worth a look, and even a second look, for anyone who hasn't seen it and those who have. Very well directed.

Independence Day (1996)

Great dog-fights & fxs, but fails

[7/10 · 24 April 1999]

The plot is enough to attract anyone to this film. Back in 96, this was really fantastic movie. Now, in 99, it was just your basic big budget Hollywood popcorn movie. I wasn't into analyzing movies back then and thought this was one of the best movies ever made. Looking back on it, and having knowledge of the real SETI program and countless other space scientists, I found it to be an implausible, inaccurate, and unreal flick. But it's sci-fi, so it doesn't matter.

But my comment could be used in how the filmmakers forget their own logic and use it to advantage: referring to the chase scene in the Grand Canyon. If the ships had shields, how could a parachute penetrate? And in that very first dogfight, the alien ships preformed excellent maneuvers. In the second, when they really needed it, they just stood still and blew up. And you'd think with an alien colony as advanced, as they were, they'd have developed virus protection. Of course, if they did we'd have no movie.

But aside from the plot holes and flaws, the fxs were something to watch. I think it was directed well, but needed a few rewrites and a better look into characters and development. I'm not even gonna get into Godzilla. That was just their worst work. It looks like they never learned.

Bride of Chucky (1998)

Funniest 'horror' movie I've ever seen

[8/10 · 22 April 1999]

It's just that. Chucky 1 was good. Chucky 2 was better. Chucky 3 sucked. Now, the 4th in the series which is, in my opinion, the best out of the series. Jennifer Tilly was just great in this movie. For dolls, they were better than a few actors that come to mind (Freddie Prince Jr, for one) and funnier than many comedies I've seen in the past.

The plot wasn't great, but I really didn't care about it. Just to see Chucky and Tiffany bicker and fight each other. And the ending leaves it wide open for a 5th sequel (which I hear is in the works). Idle Hands premiers next week and looks to be another horror/comedy, but I doubt it'll top this one.

The Matrix (1999)

Really an amazing adventure...

[10/10 · 22 April 1999]

I know this comment I make will get lost in the already 200+ entries already made (I blame myself for not posting opening day I saw it) but this really marks a period in film history.

Bound, one of my favorite movies ever, as you already know was the Wachowski brother's first pic. The Matrix has the same style and wit, but more plot holes and the curse of hollywood (occasional dumb dialog and scenes that seem forced). But for what it was worth, the fx were great and the performances where excellent. A MUST SEE, especially for sci-fi lovers waiting for the release of The Phantom Menace.

Life (I) (1999)

Murphy & Lawrence make a great on-screen duo

[22 April 1999]

Even though the slushy I bought (which was about 10 times the size of my bladder) caused me great pain when I laughed around the last 20 minutes of the movie, it didn't matter. This movie was funny on so many levels I can barely count. I curse all the critics that gave it a bad review, but I'm glad to say that didn't hurt its box office take.

I almost didn't see this film, but I was really glad I had the chance to. Murphy and Lawrence have great scenes together and play off each other well. One of the most funniest parts had to be "The Boom Boom Room" and how everyone imagined being there. If you haven't seen it, please try to find it at a theater near you (or on video, if it's out by the time you read this). It's one of the pre-Phantom Menace movies that I'm glad to say deserves the respect it deserves.

Payback (I) (1999)

You really do root for the bad guy

[22 April 1999]

Performances were great, script/story was better, cinematography was excellent, and just everything about this movie seemed right.

I know you've heard, but everyone is the bad guy in this flick. The closest good guy is Rosie, a call girl Gibson falls in love with before his double-cross. But the heart of the movie is mainly that fact and, of course, Gibson himself. I don't think there is another actor in the known world who could've pulled this role off as good, or better. Just the look of them film is worth a watch, and you get a good movie along with it.

The scene that made me cringe was the torture scene. The sound, mixed with what was going on, gave a real evil feel to it. Gibson is a great physical actor as well as a jokester, which is where the fun comes in at. He steals from the poor and steals from the rich in a very funny way. He barely cracks a smile, but you learn to love him by the last scene. This may very well make my top ten.

The Fifth Element (1997)

Funny, stylish, creative sci-fi for the 90's

[6/10 · 22 April 1999]

What can I say about this film? Well, for starters, IT WAS GREAT! Of course, there were some plot holes and things that could've been left out the final cut, but it was just too good to let little things get out of the way. This movie still is a great topic of conversation between friends and myself.

The special effects were something to look at. Dozens of flying cars zooming by in traffic hell, and when Willis dives through them it's just spectacular. It was the best mid-air car chase I'd ever seen, and the scene where Leeloo is reconstructed from just DNA was an excellent way to introduce a main character.

And for the record, for all those people who think Chris Tucker's character (Ruby Rode) was gay, I want to say that he wasn't. I would guess that Besson was thinking of how so many things would change in 3 hundred years. Just think now. There were no computers in the 1800's. Hell, there wasn't even a telephone (I don't think, but if there was it wasn't touch-tone).

The haircuts were weird. So were the clothes. So were the rooms inside the apartments. But this came from the mind of a 13 year-old French boy in boarding school and revised into a movie. Besson's got a good and creative imagination. And if he is really helming the Tomb Raider movie, I'm sure it'll just add to the list.