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MOVIE  REVIEWS ARCHIVES - Part 3 - 2004 movies

 
 
 
Last updated 12-07-2004. 
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Looking for a fun read? Then enjoy the following reviews.  Please note, however, that they are NOT in any particular order.  Have fun!

 
 
Van Helsing
Rating: * * * 1/2
A film that will appeal to the inner eleven year-old male Baby Boomers (and, really, all males) in that it features the classic Universal movie monsters (in scarier, cooler, CGI and special effects enhanced forms) continually battling with each other and with humanity.  Frankenstein's creature, The Wolf Man, Dracula, Mr. Hyde, Dracula's brides, and Igor are all here.  And there are European villages, old castles, caverns, forests, rotting windmills, secret laboratories, thunderstorms, and tragic, innocent victims of ancient family curses aplenty.  I thought I was back home during the '60s and '70s watching "Monster Movie Matinee" and "Chiller Theater" again.  The opening sequence of this movie is even in black-and-white!  Part homage to the horror films of long ago, part spoof, part action/adventure, part James Bond meets Indiana Jones meets The Wild, Wild West, part swashbuckler, the film is all about entertainment.  Hugh Jackman makes a great hero and pretty and/or funny and/or creepy males and females populate the screen.  Stylish sets, costume, and gadgets, along with computer generated vistas, set the right atmosphere.  Loads of fun from beginning to end.

 
 
 
Master and Commander: 
The Far Side of the World
Rating: * * * 1/4
Masterful acting and directing and effects, historical accuracy, a glimpse into the world of the British Navy and Naval combat two hundred years ago, a sense of adventure, a celebration of the glory of war and an unflinching look at its horrors, intriguing characters and relationships (ex. the Captain and the doctor, the Captain and the doctor and the boy, the Captain and the crew), and conflicts between: Duty and Friendship; Exploration and Warfare; Intellectual/artistic pursuits and the way of a warrior; God and Superstition; Mercy/Loyalty and Survival, all make this a fascinating film.  One minor quibble: The heavy British accents and ancient and nautical terminology, while certainly giving the story an authentic feel, made it difficult to understand and process the dialog at times.

 
 
 
Gone In 60 Seconds
Rating: * * * 1/2 
Despite the previews and what one might think given the subject matter, this isn't really a car chase film.  It's more like "It Takes A Car Thief."  We enter the world of slick, professional thieves as they plan to heist 50 high class cars, some protected by security systems in 3 days, in order to save a life from a ruthless gang leader.  The thieves, called back from retirement and from going straight, play cat-and-mouse with the police and a rival gang, think fast and creatively to deal with obstacles and threats, and show us what their world is like.  When the main car chase does come, it's a doozy as Nicholas Cage takes on the entire police force.  The movie is filled with first-rate actors having fun doing a caper/adventure film.  NOTE:  I saw the cable TV "cleaned up language" version.

 
 
 
To Catch A Thief
Rating: * * *
The handsome Cary Grant and the gorgeous Grace Kelly spend more time ensnaring each other with their suave ways and their witty, literate remarks than they do trying to solve the mystery and catch the crook in this Alfred Hitchcock film that is really more about romance than suspense.  But that's okay.  It's all fun.  And Grant's character and his acquaintances and cohorts were clearly an inspiration for Al and Alistair Mundy and their friends and rivals in the TV show which used the first half of the classic quote that this film takes for its title, "It Takes A Thief."

 
 
 
Indiscreet
Rating: * * * *
For much of this film, we merely watch Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman woo and win each other and spend enjoyable time together.  But the actors are such pros and true movie stars, and the scenes are rich and exotic, and the script is so good that we can't take our eyes off of the screen.  I can't really say the film "builds" to a climax, because its pace is so leisurely it doesn't "build" to anything, but I can say that it gently leads, or walks with us to a climax that suddenly is "fall out of your chair laughing" hilarious.  The skillful way the love story alone is done would have caused me to rate the film highly.  But throw in, during the last 20 minutes or so, more complications, mistaken perceptions, witty banter, and plans gone wrong than some classic screwball comedies have, and the creators have made a film that leaves a lasting good taste in the mouth.

 
 
 
The Wizard of Oz
Rating: * * * * 
Cinematic perfection!  Not a scene, not a line, not a song, not a dance is anything less than excellent.  One of those movies that not only withstands the test of time, it transcends it.  As for repeated viewings, watch it as often as you like and you'll always enjoy it.  Kids love the characters, the fantasy, and the adventure.  Adults will get into the satire and the marvelous performances.  And how can anyone understand American culture without seeing this movie?

Think of all the lines from the film (or permutations of them) which have become part of our collective consciousness.  Here are just a few:

"I don't think we're in Kansas any more."

"And your little dog, Toto, too!"

"There's no place like home."

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

"Auntie Em!  Auntie Em"

"I do believe in spooks!  I do, I do, I do!"

"We're off to see the Wizard!"

"Follow the yellow brick road!"

"The Wicked Witch Of The West."

"I'm a very good man - 
I'm just a very bad wizard."

The term "classic" is used very loosely these days.  I use it loosely myself.  But, this film is a true classic in every sense of the word.

 
 
 
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Rating: * 
The movie manages to hold your attention despite not having any likable characters, as a troubled young man who has the talents of lying, forgery, and mimicry, insinuates himself into a group of rich, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, self-important Americans and Britains sojourning in Italy.  Through murder, he's able to claim these lifestyle as his own while beginning to crack up over guilt that he can't pretend is someone else's and his increasing inability to keep what he thinks of himself, when he's not playing a role, locked away in the basement of his mind.  In fact, nearly everyone in the movie has secretes that they won't reveal in the light of day.  Maybe the point of the movie is that we all do.  What makes or breaks us is how we choose to deal with them.  The acting and directing are superb and Italy has never looked more beautiful or seemed more appealing than it does here.  Though billed as a thriller as crime drama, this is really more of a character style of Mr. Ripley and a psychological exploration of the entire cast of characters.  The plot has its twists and turns and at several points veers away from the expected, but its purpose isn't really so much to keep us in suspense as it is to disturb us by getting us to think about the lengths some people will go to as they desperately try to escape their pasts, to find what at least passes for love, acceptance, and excitement, and to "be somebody."  And it shows us that one lie and one sin lead to more.  WARNING: Bi-sexuality and homosexuality is part of the world of these characters.  This may turn some viewers away.

 
 
 
The Bourne Identity
Rating: * * * 1/2
Matt Damon establishes himself as a solid action star in this intriguing spy/chase film which features some suspenseful and cool stunt sequences.  Even things we've seen before in dozens and dozens of thrillers - karate fights, car chases, heroes clinging to sides of buildings - seem fresh and exciting.  And there's a love story and some humanity in the script, too.

 
 
The Bourne Supremacy
Rating: * * 1/2
A thin story with lots of plot holes, coincidences, and logical leaps, more car chases and karate fights, people climbing on buildings, and stunts that are filmed in very quick, headache-inducing cuts with an MTV, attention deficit flavor are liabilities the movie can't overcome, despite the fact that it has some cool, "think quick on your feet or die" moments.  Another problem is that Jason Bourne is totally divorced from anyone in the "normal" world this time, which makes it hard to care about him as to feel any anxiety as he executes stunt after supposedly hair-raising stunt in a stone-faced fashion.  This is James Bond without any humor and "Wow" sequences.  Still another problem is that, in order for the almost simplistic plot to even attempt to work, a lot of attention must be focused on the CIA team investigating two murders supposedly committed by Bourne.  And we just don't care about any of them.  In order for Bourne to get anywhere, he has to constantly interact with them without being with them and they have to be in contact with their superiors and operatives, and the bad guys need to stay in touch, too.  So, as my son pointed out, it seems as if every scene begins with a phone ringing.  The location filming is breath-taking, though, and the glimpses of other cultures are intriguing.  But if you want to enjoy this movie, do not let yourself think or wonder at all.  At all.  The instant you do, it all falls apart.  Even Bourne's character-developing and revelatory moments in the movie really don't take him much farther than the previous film did and ring hollow in light of the countless people he killed, maimed, threatened, and endangered during this one. 

 
Spider-Man 2

Rating: * * 7/8

The movie has some laugh-out loud moments, some heartwarming and some tear-jerking moments, some good character bits, some challenges for us to be the sacrificing hero, and some cool Spidey poses and stunts, but it has real weaknesses, too. 

For one thing, Kirsten Dunst can not match the excellent level of acting of the other cast members, most notably the great Tobey Maguire, and Alfred Molina, and J.K. Simmons.  So maybe its good that she doesn't have many scenes with Tobey. 

However, that brings up a second weakness.  We more or less have to just accept the movie's assertion that Mary Jane and Peter are the best of friends who need each other and its point of view that MJ is incredibly desirable on faith, because what's on the screen never proves it to us. 

Third weakness:  While Peter Parker is the original "Hard Luck Hero" in the comic books, he also fights back at life with his wise-cracking wit and penchant for practical jokes.  This aspect of Peter's personality is on screen a little, but it is so underemployed that, for the most part, Peter comes across as this poor schlub who stands around helplessly taking it while life continually beats him up. 

Fourth weakness:  Even though the special effects are superior to those in the first movie, there are still moments in the film where it is painfully obvious that what you are watching is essentially an expensive computer game.  And this served to take me right out of the action.  In fact, at one point as Spidey was swinging around the city, I found myself wondering, "Why did they bother using live-action to tell this story at all?  Why not just make a big budget animated movie, since that's what most of the action sequences are anyway?" 

Fifth weakness:  There are lots of plot holes.  I'll just mention a few.  How does Peter survive all those falls?  If Peter wants to will his powers to return, why not try to shoot a web or climb on the walls in his apartment, instead of leaping off a high-rise building?  Why isn't Doc Ock knocked out by even just one of Spidey's super-powered punches?  How can Mary Jane, on stage, see so clearly who is and isn't in the audience, and why, if she is supposed to be such a skillful, hot, up-and-coming actress, does she let it throw her so much?  Why does the final solution to the Dangerous Science Experiment Gone Awry work? 

The sixth weakness maybe has to do more with me than with this film.  I have been reading Spider-Man comic books, off-and-on, at times religiously, for around 40 years.  And I've read the issues and story arcs that inspired this film and that it pays homage to.  So none of the developments in the movie really surprised me.  In fact, I was able to predict what was going to happen much of the time and found myself, at points, impatient and asking, "When will this thing be over?"  In short, Spider-Man 2 is an okay movie that could have been good, or even great, if the weaknesses had been attended to.
Around The World In 80 Days (2004)

Rating: * * * 1/2

A good time at the movies will be had by all at "Around The World."  This film combines elements of spoof, farce, martial arts movies, romance, travelogue, and Disney family-oriented fantasy action/adventure into a pleasing concotion that had me smiling and chuckling often.  I could have done without the cruder jokes inserted to ensure a "PG" rating, but the movie has such a fun spirit that all is forgiven.  And, as others have said, Jackie Chan IS the Fred Astaire of Kung Fu movies!

 
Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban

Rating: * * 7/8

Some sequences are outstanding, the special effects are cool, and the acting is top-notch, but the movie suffers by trying to tell too much story in too little time.  Key plot points and crucial bits of character development are left out entirely.  In their place, humor was inserted, some of it decidedly non-Rowling in set up, pacing, tone, and intent.  If I hadn't read the book first, I don't know if the movie would have left me wanting more or left me indifferent to the whole Potter phenomenon.  I do know that it was mighty hard to get emotionally invested in the film based solely on what appears up on the screen, and that the film nowhere approaches the genius of the book it was adapted from.

 
 
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