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SMicali
Reviews
Flight of the Phoenix (2004)
Not as bad as other reviewers claim...
This review is based solely on the 2004 movie. I have never seen the original so there will be no comparison. I picked this film to watch largely for the cast - in particular Dennis Quaid and Hugh Laurie - and had no idea until after I watched the movie that it was a remake. While this is certainly not an Oscar contender, it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. It's a decent movie with solid performances by the cast. No, there's nothing original about this film, but then again, when was the last time anyone made a truly original movie? My suggestion: if you've never seen the original, watch this one first - since it is apparently the lesser movie. If you have seen the original, then watch this movie for its own merits and try not to do a comparison with the original film.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Some brilliant moments...some awful moments...
Let me preface this by saying Sweeney Todd is one of my all-time favorite Broadway shows and Sondheim my favorite composer. I am a HUGE fan of this show. (Most people will probably disagree with my complaints of this movie.) I sat through this movie with great expectations and was disappointed by a number of things, but enjoyed some aspects of this movie.
The good points are: the costumes and sets are incredible. With the exception of Helena Bonham Carter, I thought the rest of the casting was excellent. (I personally don't like HBC and her singing was so bad that I barely could get thru her songs without groaning or laughing at how bad she was singing.) Sondheim is hard enough for trained singers to perform, but relatively untrained singers like HBC have zero chance of making it work. Johnny Depp's singing was slightly better and not nearly as horribly distracting as HBC. Brilliant performances by Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Jayne Wisener, Sacha Baron Cohen (surprisingly!), Jamie Campbell Bower and Ed Sanders. Huzzah for getting that supporting cast!
The bad points: poor direction by Tim Burton! After Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton's directing has gone straight down the tubes and with Sweeney Todd, he really has hit the bottom of the barrel. The production was "Burton" stylized (been there, done that...OVER IT) and the acting always ends up taking a back seat to Burton's over-stylization. I really feel that there was little empathy in the character of Sweeney Todd. Not really Johnny Depp's fault if the director doesn't allow the character to develop properly. By the end, you're not sure if you should love or hate Sweeney Todd. Particularly when he realizes that he's killed his wife, you should feel something. I mostly felt disinterested. The movie ends up being about Tim Burton's "creativity with darkness" and less about the emotional baggage that all of these characters have and how they deal with it. I always feel that Burton doesn't think the acting is very important. Another disappointment was the cutting of so many great songs. I get why it was done, but I really miss hearing the entire score.
All in all, it was a fairly enjoyable movie, but not the next thing since sliced bread that people have been raving over. I'm glad I saw it, but I won't be purchasing the DVD and probably won't feel the need to see it again.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Average at best!
If you compare this movie to Episodes 1 and 2, this one is a vast improvement, but these three movies will never measure up to the original Episodes 4, 5 and 6. While the special effects were fabulous, the acting from Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman was so atrocious that it defies description. Their stale, stiff, robotic performances made me want to puke and/or beat myself senseless with the arm from my seat. It was interesting to get the "full story" and have it all come together at the end. I'm sure when released on DVD, it might make for an interesting weekend to watch all 6 episodes back to back. If you go see this movie, look for the outstanding acting from Ewan McGregor, a descent story and incredible special effects. Otherwise this is an average movie overall. Certainly not George Lucas's best work.
Open Water (2003)
Sharks can act, the humans can't!
Don't waste your money going to see this movie. The acting is the worse I've ever seen, next to "The Blair Witch Project," which I also hated. The sharks are better actors than the humans! Daniel Travis at least tries to give a decent performance. Blanchard Ryan is gorgeous but she can't act her way out of a paper bag. Even the brief nude scene is not worth the $10 admission price. I don't understand some of the reviews I've seen, which call it things like "A startlingly intense thriller!" "Bone chilling!" and "One of the scariest movies I have ever seen." I wasn't scared once. If you want to be scared by sharks, watch "Jaws." I wish I had the 80 minutes of my life back that I spent in the theater! If I have to find one good thing about the movie - it's that the popcorn rocked!
Annie (1999)
Anyone who hates this movie is crazy!
This movie is far superior over the 1980s movie. An excellent cast and a movie that sticks much closer to the original Broadway show. Alicia Morton is a delightful child actor with a great voice. Victor Garber (one of my all time favorite actors) was a wonderful Daddy Warbucks. Alan Cumming is perfect casting as Rooster. The only negative I have of this movie is Kathy Bates. She was the weakest part of the movie.
So those of you who hated this movie and loved the 1980s version need to have your heads examined!
Chasing Amy (1997)
Is "crap" too strong a statement?
This is one of the worse movies that I've ever had the misfortune to watch. It was a complete waste of my time. It was neither funny, well acted, believable or interesting. Ben Affleck was terrible! Joey Lauren Adams was annoying and can't act to save her soul. Jason Lee was okay, but not great either. Additionally, to say this was a lesbian movie is more than insulting to lesbians. This was a typical straight man's view of what it is to be a lesbian (i.e., that if she meets the right man, it will "straighten" her out -- PUH-LEEZ). Steer clear of this movie!
Streets of Fire (1984)
Awful!
This movie is almost too awful to comment on. That being said - this movie is stupid, with a totally unbelievable plot and terrible acting. Other than Diane Lane's beauty, there is nothing too redeeming about this movie. Oh, and as far as it being a rock-n-roll fable, the music is terrible and should never be played again!
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
This is the worse crap I've ever sat through...
I can't even remotely wonder why this movie got such hype. I've never seen a more boring movie with such an anti-climatic end. The camera work made me nauseous and the story wasn't even remotely interesting. I kept wanting all of them to die before they even made it to the woods. Take my advice, if you want to be bored see this movie -- If you're looking to be scared, try almost any other horror movie on the market.
Everything Relative (1996)
Great film!
This film is the lesbian Big Chill. A group of college friends reunite for a weekend of fun, laughter, tears and love. This is a must see for any lesbian! The characters are fresh, funny and wonderfully real! One of the best films I've seen in a long time.