Reviews of newer releases:
Mission Impossible: Tom Cruise is excellent in this update of the tv spy show. Some say the plot is a little confusing, I say watch it again. **** Bonus to watching it over and over: you get that neat music stuck in your head for weeks.
The Rock: Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage star in this thriller about a renegade group of commandoes who take over Alcatraz armed with deadly poison. **** Cage brings humor to the mix and any movie armed with Connery's british accent can't miss. One of the best action movies ever made. Look for the hints to Connery's days as 007!
Bound: Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon star as two women in love who plot to rip off the $2 million from the mob. When their plan goes awry faith is put to the ultimate test. **** The love scenes between Gershon and Tilly are as steamy as they get and Joe Pantoliano is awesome as Tilly's mobster husband.
The Frighteners: Michael J. Fox stars as Frank Banistar, psychic swindler who can communicate with dead. However, when he becomes embroiled in a serious of mysterious deaths, his past returns to haunt him. Literaly.**** Excellent special effects that make Twister and ID4 jealous. Fox doesn't let the special effects take over (unlike those mentioned above) and shows he is truly a great actor. Keep an eye out for the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket in a guest appearance!
Hunchback of Notre Dame: This animated adventure from Disney, based on Victor Hugo's book, about Quasimodo, the mysterious bell ringer of Notre Dame cathedral. A change from the usual light hearted Disney team, Notre Dame is full of scenes that my make some parents want to cover their kids eyes and ears. The music is wonderful and the story is timeless. ****
Flirting With Disaster: Ben Stiller, Particia Arquette, and Tea Leoni star in this comedy about a man trying to find his parents. *** I was surprised to find this movie was actually funny. The scenes with Alan Alda and Lilly Tomlin are expecially hilarious.
A Time To Kill: What would you do if the men who raped and brutaly beat your 13 yr old daughter stood a chance of getting acquited? Probably the same thing samuel L. Jackson does in this legal thriller from the pen of John Grisham. Newcomer Matthew McConaughey stars as a young New Orleans attorney who takes Jackson's case. ***
She's The One: If you've seen The Brothers McMullen then you've seen Maxine Bahns and Edward Burns before. A great romantic comedy written, directed, and staring Burns. ***1/2 Many felt this was simply a bigger budget, higher star powered version of Brothers but even so it's worth seeing. Twice.
Tin Cup: Kevin "please forgive me for Waterworld" Costner and Rene Russo star in this romantic comedy (my their sure are alot of these) about the dog-eat-dog world of...gulf? Yes that's right, golf! *** Look for great supporting roles from Don Johson and Cheech Martin (who, incidently, are costars of TV's Nash Bridges)
That Thing You Do: Written and directed by Tom "I've won too many best actor oscars so better direct something instead" Hanks, this comedy about a fast rising single and the band behind it shows Hanks is truly gifted both infront of and behind the camera. *** Look for Tom Everett Scott, who some call a younger more talented(!) Tom Hanks, to become a star.
2 Days in The Valley: The lives of ten valley residents cross in this tale of murder money and sex (that's hollywood for you!). **** James Spader proves he is probably the most talented young actor in Hollywood today.
Glimmer Man: What happens when Steven Seagul decides he wants to act and joins forces with Kenna Ivory Wayans? A movie that can't decide what it wants to be... action/comedy, comedy/action, action/action,...who cares. **1/2 The only thing saving this movie is Wayans who continues to surprise (well @ least me) with one great performance after another. Watch for Seagul's great wardrobe. I think he got to wear his own clothes in this.
Eddie: Whoopi "don't even ask whoopi who" makes a 3 point shot and soon finds herself the head coach of the NY Knicks in the shocking role of the worst team in the NBA. **1/2 Whoopi saves yet another dreadful movie with a great performance.
Supercop: Jackie Chan made this kung-fo flick in '92 before Rumble in the Bronx made him a superstar in the U.S. It's been dubbed and re-released but that doesn't help the plot. ** Ok so you don't watch Chan movies for the plot, neither do I, but even the stunts aren't great compared to Bronx. Michelle Khan also performes her own stunts.
Chain Reaction: Keanu Reeves 1st major hit, Speed, has become the model by which every action film is judged. Under Seige? Speed on a boat. Broken Arrow? Speed on a jet. Mission Impossible? Speed on...well, SPEED. This is essentialy speed on a scholarship to Harvard. ** Bad guys threaten the nation and our only hope is Reeves. To bad it's not Christopher.
Fled: Two escape prisoners from a chain gang are being hunted by very bad people with guns. ** I would've given it a 1 but I like Salma Hayek!
The Island of Dr. Moreau: Marlon Brando in a moo-moo? What were they thinking? An eccentric, read nuts!, scientist tried to create the perfect race by combing human and animal DNA with catastrophic results. ** Read the book. Special effects are good and Val Kilmer warms up the linguistic tongue by impersonating Marlon Brando. Well.
Kingpin: Dumb and Dumber meets the pro bowling tour and the result is this wreck. *1/2 I only added the 1/2 star under protest and great pressure from my roomate who though it was the funniest thing he ever saw. Of course he also thinks Penthouse is heavy reading.
Bordello of Blood: Nudity. That's the only thing that makes this movie watchable. In fast forward. *
Maximum Risk: Jean-Claude VanDamme and Hong Kong director Ringo Lam team up to bring Lam's style of in your face action to the us. *** Not bad as action, or VanDamme, movies go, but not as good as Lam's hong kong releases.
Long Kiss Goodnight: Mother. Teacher. Assassin. Geena Davis plays Samantha Cain, or is that Charlie Baltimore, a women who wakes up on a beach with amnesia. 8 years later an accident results in the slow return of her memory. Soon she and her family are being threatened by terrorist and the CIA who want Charlie to stay dead. **** The only question you walk away from this wovie with is why would a women as beutiful as Davis want to be an action star? Her slow decent from cookie baking mother to cold-blooded killer is premo!
And now some oldies but goodies:
The Crow: Brandon Lee's last performance. In my opinion one of the best acting jobs by any actor ever. Skip the sequal and watch this one twice. ****
Top Gun, Days of Thunder, The Firm: Get your Tom Cruise fix with any of these movies and enjoy great action as well. ****
Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger: Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series (soon to be joined by Air Force One). Harrison Ford takes over for Alec Baldwin after October and shows why he's the only one from Star Wars to continue making movies. ****Which Remins me:
Star Wars Trilogy: Nuff said. ****1/2
Indiana Jones Trilogy: Ditto. ****1/2
Braveheart: Admit it, when you saw Mad Max you never thought old Mel Gibson would one day be directing!! Proof that Mel is very talented and if you don't believe me ask his friend Oscar. ****1/2
Untouchables: Sean Connery and Kevin "this was before Waterworld" Costner star in this true sotry about Elliot Ness and his squad of...yep you guessed it Untouchables. A must see you anyone who likes action films or Connery films or Costner films (it's ok you can admit it i won't mind). ****
Well that's all for now. If you want to see what those two hacks Siskel and Ebert think than you can go to:
© 1997 vinc5740@fredonia.edu
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