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Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Not as good as the others
I guess, like the X-Men series, movies based on Marvel characters top off at #2 and sink with #3. I waited 3 years for this movie and, quite honestly, it wasn't very good. Unlike the first 2 movies, which had fleshed out plots and characters you could care about, this movie is the complete opposite. One minute Harry is the enemy, then Sandman, then Harry again, then Sandman, then Venom. How long was Venom even on screen in this movie, 15 minutes? I didn't feel bad for Sandman's problems as I did with Doc Ock's last movie or even Osbourne's the movie before. I don't know what else to say. Just disappointed. Since the 2nd Fantastic Four movie will be out soon, it should be good, but when they make a 3rd for that franchise, the Marvel movie curse will rule once again and make it sucky.
Elektra (2005)
Dreadful Movie. Worst Marvel Film.
Some Spoilers in this review: For the life of me I can't understand how so many people here claim they like this movie. While watching the movie I couldn't wait for it to end.
Unlike all the other Marvel movies, there was absolutely no character development at all. All the villains seem to have supernatural powers which are never really explained. (One guy has animals come out of his chest. One woman seems to be an exact duplicate of Poison Ivy from Batman, minus any personality, etc, etc.) There's really no explanation as to how the girl she's protecting became the "Treasure" and just seemed like an annoying brat.
Since there wasn't any character development, I couldn't care less about any of the characters. There's no emotional attachment between the viewer and the person on screen. Elecktra, unlike in Daredevil, was a cold fish in this movie barely showing any emotion. Then, most absurd of all, you have Elektra's assistant, whose only purpose is to make money, give up his life for two people he barely knows!
As bad as the plot is, the action scenes were nearly just as terrible. Consider the scene in the forest. You have a guy who has a tree fall on his head that he knocks down! Totally ridiculous. Then you have the final fight scene in which Elektra was losing the battle. She gets up off the ground after being knocked out, puts up her sai and the main villain (who has unexplained teleporting powers) runs into it impaling himself. Completely stupid.
In conclusion: Go watch Daredevil for a second time instead of seeing this because that, unlike this, is a good movie.
3/10
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Great
I previously thought that the first two Superman movies were the best comic-book movies ever. I think that this one has dethroned them A truly great script, great acting and terrific, sometimes mind-boggling, action sequences make this the best film of the summer and a vast improvement on the first film (which was pretty good itself.) I could not believe that a film based on a comic book could be done with this level of intelligence. I've seen it twice already and it was even better the second time. There have been many excellent films based on comic books: the first 2 Supermans, the X-Men films, Daredevil, the Rocketeer, etc. However, this will be the one by which others will be judged. I'm just curious to see if next summer's Batman film will be made with this level of intelligence and emotion. I hope so.
Daredevil (2003)
Very Good Movie
This movie should be the example that other superhero movies with dark characters need to look to, especially Batman. Dark-Superhero characters must be turned into dark movies. Remember "Batman and Robin?" The producers turned 'Batman' into a 'light' and happy character which he was not, and that film turned out to be an utter piece of garbage. This movie was taken seriously and in the end it paid off and turned out to be very good. Just look at the violent action scenes and the seriousness of the love story between Daredevil and Electra and you're clearly able to see that this movie was taken seriously and put in its proper context and setting.
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
Enjoyable, but not as good as the other animated Batman movies.
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman is the latest animated Batman straight to video/DVD movie to be released. (Minor Spoilers Ahead) The plot revolves around a new crimefighter, the Batwoman, who seems to be personally involved, for whatever reason, in stopping a major arms shipment.
Although the movie is interesting enough, it's not as good as 'Mask of the Phantasm,' 'Sub-Zero,' or 'Return of the Joker.' The main reason being is that it doesn't give off the emotional appeal the other movies did. At the end of this movie, we don't really feel sorry for anyone as we did in the others, especially, 'Sub-Zero.' There is no real tragedy that made the other animated movies special for us. Even the Batwoman is not really a 'tragic' character (as Mr. Freeze or Phantasm were). Not only that, but Batwoman's alter ego seems so incredibly 'stiff' and dull that the viewer doesn't really care what happened to her that caused her to put on the mask or what happens to her at the end and therein lies the main reason we don't get this special emotional appeal.
Don't get me wrong, I did find the movie enjoyable. It does have its moments, such as, when the audience finds out who Batwoman really is and seeing an old villain return who was last seen in the original 'Batman: The Animated Series.' The action is also very enjoyable with some very suspenseful moments.
If the Batwoman's background was more interesting, this movie would have been better than 'Return of the Joker' in my book, but as it is now, it's in 4th (out of 4).
As for the animation, it's the same as The New Batman Adventures' cartoon from the mid to late 1990's. The score is not as memorable as the previous 3 animated Batman films, but it's still good nonetheless.
I do recommend buying this DVD because, despite its flaws, it is enjoyable. But just remember, it's not as good as the other Batman animated movies.
7/10
Die Another Day (2002)
Very Good Bond
Die Another Day is an excellent Bond film. While it is not Brosnan's best,(Goldeneye,)it is far more original and exciting than the last one (The World Is Not Enough) Some random thoughts: A. Brosnan has grown into a truly excellent Bond. Anyone who still moans about Connery obviously is not a Bond fan. Sure Sean was the best Bond. However he did quit the role on three different occasions. He is now about 75 years old. Get over the fact that he is not Bond anymore. 2. This is a very different Bond film. (Bond gets captured and tortured before and during the opening credits.) What's wrong with a different type of Bond film during the classic series' 40th. anniversary? Some of the best Bond films have dared to be different (OHMSS, License to Kill.) 3. Halle Berry is quite nice to look at but I can think of, at least, a dozen that I would have preferred to have been with (Barbara Bach, Jane Seymour, Izabella Scorupco, Daniella Bianchi, Jill St. John, etc etc.) I much preferred Rosamund Pike's icy Miranda Frost to Halle's Jinx. 4. Toby Stephens' villainous Gustav Graves was a rather despicable villain. The wild swordfight between Bond and Graves was terrific in its intensity. 5. As bad as Madonna's theme song was, there have been worse (License to Kill, Goldeneye.) 6. While this film is not in my top ten Bond films and I do prefer Brosnan's Goldeneye and, probably, Tomorrow Never Dies, it is still an exciting film with terrific sets & imaginative action sequences. It does have a bad bit of CGI is one scene, but, what the heck, so did Spiderman. 7. It is great that this film is doing well so that we are virtually guaranteed Brosnan in at least one, maybe more, Bond films. See it for a night of great entertainment.
Die Another Day (2002)
Very Good Bond
Die Another Day is an excellent Bond film. While it is not Brosnan's best,(Goldeneye,)it is far more original and exciting than the last one (The World Is Not Enough) Some random thoughts: A. Brosnan has grown into a truly excellent Bond. Anyone who still moans about Connery obviously is not a Bond fan. Sure Sean was the best Bond. However he did quit the role on three different occasions. He is now about 75 years old. Get over the fact that he is not Bond anymore. 2. This is a very different Bond film. (Bond gets captured and tortured before and during the opening credits.) What's wrong with a different type of Bond film during the classic series' 40th. anniversary? Some of the best Bond films have dared to be different (OHMSS, License to Kill.) 3. Halle Berry is quite nice to look at but I can think of, at least, a dozen that I would have preferred to have been with (Barbara Bach, Jane Seymour, Izabella Scorupco, Daniella Bianchi, Jill St. John, etc etc.) I much preferred Rosamund Pike's icy Miranda Frost to Halle's Jinx. 4. Toby Stephens' villainous Gustav Graves was a rather despicable villain. The wild swordfight between Bond and Graves was terrific in its intensity. 5. As bad as Madonna's theme song was, there have been worse (License to Kill, Goldeneye.) 6. While this film is not in my top ten Bond films and I do prefer Brosnan's Goldeneye and, probably, Tomorrow Never Dies, it is still an exciting film with terrific sets & imaginative action sequences. It does have a bad bit of CGI is one scene, but, what the heck, so did Spiderman. 7. It is great that this film is doing well so that we are virtually guaranteed Brosnan in at least one, maybe more, Bond films. See it for a night of great entertainment.
Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997)
Good if you're a PR Fan, Horrible if you're not.
I just got the PRT movie on DVD and saw it for the first time and I have mixed feelings about it. The movie was basically a PRT episode with mildly better effects. As for Justin, he wasn't as bad as I thought he'd be. Sure, he was annoying at times, but by the way everyone kept talking about him, I thought he'd make the movie completely unbearable. It was cool to see Jason and Kim again (damn Kim was hot), but they didn't really have big parts. Bulk and Skull were more ridiculously used than usual. The forming of the Turbo Megazord was done a lot better than they did on the show. The most annoying thing in the movie was actually a person, Divatox. She was just a completely obnoxious and annoying villianess, and I don't go for that one bit. Overall, it's a decent movie if you're a PR fan. If someone is not a PR fan, the only reason for them to watch it would be to see Kim and Kat looking hot. (PR Fans: 7 1/2 // 10 ::: Non-PR Fans 3 // 10)
Windtalkers (2002)
Deserved a Better Fate
Somewhat predictible plot and characters but extraordinary battle scenes and terrific acting from Nicolas Cage. Action sequences as vicious as the D Day sequence in Saving Private Ryan. The reason that this film will fail is the same reason Pearl Harbor and The Patriot failed: today's audiences have no sense of history. They haven't been taught any and they couldn't care less. Scooby Doo and Men in Black 2 are more to their liking. The mediocre reviews were predictible too. Any film that puts America in a positive light is bound to incur the wrath of the left-liberal critics. I'm sure a film about Bin Laden and his al queda murderers would have gotten two big thumbs up. This is an extremely well-made and exciting film that deserved a lot better.
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
Insane the way they changed it.
The book was about ARAB terrorists nuking Denver NOT Neo-NAZI's nuking Baltimore. But, I guess that was expected. After all, we're talking about Hollywood; the most PC place in the country. I will not be recommending this film.
How the West Was Won (1962)
Classic Western
Another great epic from the early '60s. A truly great cast is a wonderful piece of Americana: James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Debbie Reynolds, George Peppard, Carroll Baker, Henry Fonda, Richard Widmark, Robert Preston and John Wayne. (The only mystery is why Wayne chose such a brief role in this great western.) Many great action scenes and directed by three directors including John Ford. It is really unbelievable how many classic epics came from 1962-'63: The Longest Day, Lawrence of Arabia, Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Mutiny on the Bounty and this great film. This film lost the 1963 best picture Oscar to Tom Jones. This film still holds up while Tom Jones has been largely forgotten. See it on DVD.
Unfaithful (2002)
An Utterly Depressing Experience
See this film if you are thinking of cheating on your spouse and I think that theres a pretty good chance that you will change your mind. This is a film where no one winds up happy. I will not give away anything of the conclusion other than to say that you will not find yourself leaving the theater unlifted. There are many serious films where terrible things happen such as Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan. At least when the film concludes you realize that despite its depressing negatives, it was an uplifting experience and worth seeing. Not so here. Directed by Adrian Lyne, the film isn't a suspense melodrama like his previous exercise in marital infidelity, Fatal Attraction. It does have a few minutes of Hitchcockian suspense but thats about it. The acting is good and Diane Lane is a beautiful and desirable woman. I'm sure many will get a rise out of her sex scenes. I have noticed that woman seem to be enjoying this film more than man. Perhaps they can relate to it more. I, myself, will not be buying it on DVD. For entertainment this summer, I'll stick to Spiderman (no pun intended.)
The Longest Day (1962)
Greatest War Movie Ever Made
As far as I am concerned, this is the best war film ever made. I never tire of it and watch it every June 6th. Filmed in a semi-documentary approach and in black and white, I always feel I am watching a documentary of the real D-Day invasion and not a motion picture. The film has more impressive action sequences than probably any other war film, before or since. Some standouts include: The French Commando raid on the French village, Oestram, the disasterous 82nd. Airborne division drop on Ste. Mere Eglise, the 2 Luftwaffe planes strafing what seems like miles of beaches, the U.S. Ranger Division climbing Pointe Du Hoc, the British Glider attack on Pegasus bridge, etc. etc. I'm sure that many will be confused by the scenes I have just described. But if you've seen this film or know anything about D-Day, than you will know what I am talking about. Blessed with an impressive cast (many of whom are, unfortunately, not with us anymore,) including John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Robert Wagner, etc. etc., this film was producer Darryl F. Zanuck's towering achievement. This film just lost the 1962 Best picture Oscar to Lawrence of Arabia. As great as that film was, this is a better and more important film. It is unreal that these two great epics should have gone against each other. One last thought, however. Since Saving Private Ryan was released, The Longest Day has been criticized basically for not having the same type of carnage (realism) that Ryan had in its Omaha Beach segments. However you simply could not do that type of thing in 1962. As great as Saving Private Ryan is, The Longest Day is a film that will live forever. See it this D-Day.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993)
I enjoyed it when I was 9...
MMPR peaked, in my opinion, at the end of season 1 and very slowly began to roll down the mountain (when Lord Zedd arrived) after that. When Jason, Zach and Trini left the show it began to roll even faster. It was hard for me (as well as others) to get used to new Rangers. They just didn't have the command as the originals, though they were far from bad. When the Rangers got their "Ninja" powers the show was still OK, but definitely not as good or as interesting as it once was. Then more cast changes occurred and the show was near the shark infested waters. That Australian Pink Ranger was downright horrible and couldn't hold a candle to Amy Jo Johnson. The new Yellow Ranger was awful also. Then all hell broke lose when the "Zeo" series first aired. I stopped watching after the first few episodes because they were very boring. (Yes, Power Ranger haters, more boring than usual) I didn't like the new uniforms and the new villains you could tell were aimed at pleasing 5 year olds. Looking back, I'm glad to say I stopped watching at this point because, from what I hear, the show I once loved, drowned in the river a little while after I stopped watching.
Power Rangers Zeo (1996)
Was once good...
I was once a Power Rangers fanatic. I had all the toys and videos and went to see the movie 3 times. I watched from the beginning religiously. The show peaked at the end of season 1 and very slowly began to roll down the mountain after that. When Jason, Zach and Trini left the show it began to roll even faster. Rocky and Adam were not as good as the original Rangers, and Aisha was awful, but they sort of grew on me after a while, though I never liked them as much as the originals. When the Rangers got their "Ninja" powers the show was still OK, but definitely not as good or as interesting as it once was. Then all hell broke lose when the "Zeo" series first aired. I stopped watching after the first few episodes because I realized "This is boring." I didn't like the new uniforms, I didn't like the new villains and most of all, I downright hated the cast changes. That Australian Pink Ranger was downright horrible and couldn't hold a candle to Amy Jo Johnson. The new Yellow Ranger was awful also. Looking back, I'm glad to say I stopped watching at this point because, from what I hear, the show I once loved, drowned in the river after "Zeo."
Batman & Robin (1997)
It's pretty sad that I felt more sorry for a cartoon Mr Freeze than a live-action one.
This is not what you'd call a good movie. It's not even what you'd call a good comic book movie. Blade and X-Men are good comic book movies; this is not. The story was totally ridiculous, the special effects were mediocre and the one-liners were pathetic. To top it off, almost everyone was miscasted. I didn't like George Clooney's 'light-hearted' approach (But, I guess the script is partly to blame for that). Chris O'Donnell was a bad and annoying Robin. Arnold (although I think he's a good actor), was the biggest miscast. His delivery was really bad and, although you were supposed to feel sorry for him, I didn't. As my title says, I felt more sorry for Mr Freeze in the Batman cartoons than Arnold's Mr Freeze.
Another problem was the lack of any decent action scenes. The action scene at the beginning of the movie in the museum was awful as well as... well, that was basically the only action scene in the movie other than the ending, and the ending one wasn't even that spectacular either.
The biggest question I have is, what's up with all the lights on the Bat-vehicles. In this movie, Batman puts on a light show whenever he hits the streets in the Batmobile. Red lights scatter in all directions from the front of the Batmobile like a police car. It's unbelievable.
Another problem to add to the list is the bad and corny music. The person in charge of the music for this film (as well as Batman Forever) did a horrendous job. It's nowhere near as good as Danny Elfman's music for Batman and Batman Returns.
My final complaint (I'm not even going to start with the way they totally screwed up Bane) is the constant filming of Batman's ass everytime he suits up. If Schumacher paid as much attention to the action scenes as he did filming Batman's behind, maybe this movie could have been somewhat good.
Although the first 2 Burton-directed Batman movies were not the greatest (they were average; 6/10, 5/10), they're leaps and bounds ahead of this debacle. Watch the cartoons instead; they're far more enjoyable. 3/10
Collateral Damage (2002)
A Decent Action Flick
Unlike many other comments I've been reading about this movie, Collateral Damage is not that bad. It's far from great also because the plot can at times be totally ridiculous. SPOILERS AHEAD: For example, the CIA, FBI and other American Gov't agencies can't find this terrorist (The Wolf), but Arnold does. Then another scene later on has The Wolf returning to the US to plant another bomb. How can one of the most wanted terrorist in the world go in and out of this country? But, I got passed the nonsense very quickly because the action scenes were good and there was some suspense at times. If you're looking for an "Arnold" movie, buy this when it comes to DVD because, you can't get more of an "Arnold" movie than this. 7/10
Mortal Kombat (1995)
Good Movie, but not great
I am a MK fan and I saw this movie when it came out. Still today, I believe it's a good movie. The fight scenes, the music and the acting were all done really well for the most part. People who have been complaining the characters look "stupid" or "goofy" must have not played the game. SPOILERS AHEAD: For people who complain about the movie having no plot, they must not be paying too much attention to the movie because it's pretty simple. Earth is threatened by evil forces and Earth fighters must win this tournament to prevent an invasion. Ta-Da. It's a simple plot, but it is one (which is more than I can say for most action movies). As for casting, the casting directors chose well. Aside from Shang Tsung, the rest of the cast looked their respective parts. In conclusions, I believe it's the best game-to-movie translation to ever come out yet. 7 1/2 out of 10.
Never Say Never Again (1983)
Not Very Good At All
Contrary to what people might say about this film, it's not very good. Just because Connery is back as Bond doesn't make it a good movie. Thunderball is 10 times better than this and Octopussy is 50 times better. The music is weak and the action is even weaker. I myself am a huge Bond fan but I do not like this movie. Trust me, it's not very good and you will be disappointed if you see it.