Reviews

Let me start off by saying what will most likely p*ss off a lot of people: I never liked the original. Yes, tell me to burn in hell for saying it, but only a few things worked for me in the original (the girl shoved up on the hook while Leatherface killed her boyfriend in front of her and the dinner scene). I won't deny the influence the film had on the genre - this was a very different style made with a small budget. It looked good, had a descent cast and a director that was fully capable - but when it comes down to it, I never could understand how easily these characters got themselves into the situation they did. Because of that I could never really care for them at all. Sorry, but I've given the film two chances now and I still don't like it at all.

On to the remake, it was what I always wanted out of the original. It was very shocking and jump out of your seat at parts - but the characters were well developed enough this time for me to actually care what happened to me. The visuals in this one worked so much better - not just the cinematography (which is top notch) but the look of everything and the characters especially. They even added dimension to Leatherface that was mostly taken from serial killer Ed Gein (the original touched upon this, but didn't establish it as much as done here), and the second mask he wears would scare the living s**t out of me if I were in that girls position.

If you want to find a slasher film that is actually jolting, chilling, and disturbing as all hell, check it out. This is a lot bloodier than most movies though, so be warned.

Well Rob Zombie finally got this off the ground and good for him - I'm surprised after seeing it that someone actually picked it up. Yes this is the film that was released to the MPAA 4 times before it got an R rating and you got everything you'd want here - blood, guts, torture, etc. To my surprise, I have to give Zombie credit behind the camera - this is actually a pretty well made film. Sadly, however, I never understood this kind of genre. I'm a fan of the more psychological horror film and not the torture horror film. The problem I have with this kind of movie are the fans of them that like it because they are unsettling and very disturbing. Many say "this is what horror should be." I guess that works for some but not for me. Why? Because I don't like films that make me feel very uncomfortable and disturbed? No, if the film is well done and is saying something like society (A Clockwork Orange comes to mind) then I'm all for it. But the problem I have for horror films like this is plain and simple - it takes no talent whatsoever to release this kind of product. What's so hard about finding an actress that can scream her lungs out and beg not to be tortured to death in front of our eyes for an uncountable amount of time? Showing sharp objects rip through skin with blood pouring out constantly? Then showing the left overs? None whatsoever. Any kid with an understanding on how make-up works can go ahead and make his version of Texas Chainsaw Massacre after saving up his allowence for a year. Like this kind of thing or not, just don't consider it brilliant cinema when any deranged mind out there can do the same thing without any hesitation. Zombie does indeed show talent beyond this - the film is well shot and the look of it is quite impressive. But when you're just going to result to the same kind of thing at the end of the film - why bother?

I wanted to write this review as fast as possible to be the one with the first slice on Pieces of April. Judging by the reaction from it's premiere, this may very well be one film you will hear more and more about as the year rolls along, or being one of the big winners this year. In short, Pieces of April is quite fantastic.

April (Katie Holmes) is the oldest daughter in her family, living with her boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke) in a horrible district of New York. She can barely wake up on Thanksgiving morning even though her family is making the drive up to her apartment for dinner. As the day starts, she begins to cook and decorate for people she is not even sure will show since the family seems to despise her with only bad memories. But her mother Joy (Patricia Clarkson) is dying and would like to spend the holiday with the entire family, no matter how she feels or what the rest of the family thinks. As the day continues, the family is well on their way and April faces the trouble of an unworkable kitchen and mostly unwelcoming neighbors in hopes to make the day meaningful for all of them.

Peter Hedges wrote and directed this film with the goal of making one of the most beautiful and heartful films for his mother, and he mostly succeeds. Hedges is known very well for his outstanding screenplays (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, About A Boy) and this one is just as good as his work in the past. As a director, he makes a few mistakes along the way by giving the audience a few misunderstood vibes and scenes that don't flow as well as others. Being shot on DV, some could be turned off by the look or camerawork (which wasn't a problem for myself) as it doesn't look nearly as good as it would on film. But in the end, Hedges has made such an emotionally accomplished film that creeps up on you until the very end when you realize how great the movie truly is.

The entire cast is great here. Oliver Platt and Patricia Clarkson are the perfect choice for the father and mother, and the chemistry between them is very believable and moving. Derek Luke is a rising star with Antwone Fisher and he is every bit as important to this film as he is there. The scene when he meets April's family for the first time is just priceless. Then there is Katie Holmes. This could be one of the best performances people may see in all the films at Sundance. Katie has proven herself as a talented actress in the past in films that aren't even that good. Here, Peter Hedges has given her wonderful material that can really show off her talent, and her talent is well above most actresses at her age. Many critics have already stated that her possibilities in her acting career are endless and, after seeing her perform this well, I hope that remains true.

Pieces of April is a fine piece of cinema and one of those gems at the Sundance Film Festival that is worth waiting in line for hours to see.

It's surprising to see so many poor reviews of this film, I'd think the average IMDb reader/writer would know better than to expect a "sequel" to Silence of the Lambs (it takes place 10 years from those events people!!). Lets not also forget that this film is call 'Hannibal' not 'Clarice" so obviously HANNIBAL IS GOING TO BE THE MAIN CHARACTER. If you want to compare it to Silence of the Lambs understand first that this is not a pyschological thriller, nor a race against time thriller, nor a character study, in fact other than Anthony Hopkins and a few other minor simularities Hannibal is a film all on it's own. Ridley Scott was very smart and making it as far different from Silence of the Lambs as possible so *cough cough* morons wouldn't keep on comparing it to Silence of the Lambs but a film completely different. The characters have changed over the decade, just like we all do; so don't expect Clarice to be doing the same things as she did in Silence and don't expect Hannibal to still be sitting behind bars. This is a devilishly good film and those of you who won't accept it because of it's change of pace nor read the Thomas Harris novel that came out a year ago (Hah! And you call yourselves Silence of the Lambs fans!) than perhaps you should stay away from this one. For those that want to have a good time at a great movie, from a great director, with great acting, and great cinematography will have a blast with this. 9/10

This was the first film I saw of Jackie's (first one released in the US that I can remember despite The Protector and The Big Brawl in the 80s) and I have to say it's a great introduction to Chan's work. The fighting is great and well shot while the stunts are amazing. The humor (a Jackie trademark) is also hilarious. People from the US really don't know what a good martial arts film is. Some have grown up with Bruce Lee and it's appreciated but many of them are constantly renting Van Damme and Steven Segal films (working at a video store, I see it all the time). Seeing someone who really is impressive at martial arts, dosen't need fast cuts and choppy editing, and does his own stunts puts all the Van Damme's and Segal's to shame. Take the warehouse fight for example and compare it to any American martial arts film and you will see the difference.

For those who haven't seen this film yet and love martial arts films - rent this movie. For those who have seen it and want to see more Jackie - I recommend Drunken Master I and II (II is very hard to find in the US), The Young Master (great final fight), Who Am I? (unbelieveable stunts), Police Story I, II, and III (all around Jackie Chan films, III is known in the US as just Supercop), Operation Condor (tons of martial arts), and Project A I and II (II is another hard to find one in the US). You may also want to check out Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon - they aren't as good as the ones listed above but they are entertaining and Jackie Chan films nonetheless. As for Rumble In The Bronx, make it your first Chan film.

This film has a lot going for it although it feels as if it were a bit rushed. After a rather pointless action sequence at the beginning that serves nothing to the story other than to inform us that a few babies are on the way (an Entertainment Tonight "Where Are They Now?" segment would have been more appropriate than this). The film soon begins to take off after about 15 minutes or so when the plot begins to develop. I must say, slavery is a very different subject for the LW series but it works well. But if there's anything about the series we love most, it's the action and comedy.

The action on one hand is very good this time around, however it dosen't live up to the top notch sequences in the 3rd installment. The previous films always had a little bit of martial arts in them, this one has a lot. This is where the film shines because it introduces the outstanding Jet Li to Hollywood. They did such a good job with these fight sequences that many many many American have instantly became a Jet Li fan and looked for tons of his previous work from Hong Kong (may I suggest Fist of Legend and Once Upon A Time In China for starters). The car chase is also a highlight of the film and it shows how lively Gibson's and Glover's chemistry is.

The comedy is at it's best here, this is the funniest of the series. Joe Pesci still has his character down great, he uses the F word an extra 100 times in this one. Chris Rock also brings a whole lot of his talent into the film with parts he obviously wrote. When Pesci and Rock are together it's hilarious. Two great moments are the conversation about cell phones and the dentist office.

This is better than the 2nd installment but not as good as the 3rd, nor does it come close to par with the original. Still though, they did a good job with this one.

I just recently saw this film when a friend of mine let me borrow his copy of the DVD. I didn't know what to expect but being a person who's always wanted to become a filmmaker, I began to watch it the second I got home. Words can't describe how many great moments this film has. It's truly hilarious, inspirational, and extremely entertaining. The one thing I was worried about while watching this film was "what if I ended up like this 10 years from now?" But as the film went on I have to say I liked Mark's enthusiasm towards making films. Some may find him pathetic to look at, which in some cases this is understandable, but he's without a doubt one interesting person to base a film around. Lucky for DVD owners, the DVD also has Mark's film Coven on it as well which you'll be destined to watch after seeing this documentary. For those who haven't seen it, rent it. And if you can't find any place to rent it, buy it. **** out of ****

What Lies Beneath is one of those films that is very inspired by Alfred Hitchcock. This has been done recently rather well in Shallow Grave. However, it has also been done horribly in In Dreams and Eye of the Beholder (destined nominees to appear on IMDB's Bottom 100, they really are THAT bad). But What Lies Beneath is directed by Robert Zemeckis, and the man can deliver. So if the film is meant to fall in the Hitchcock genre, it can easily happen if it's in Zemeckis' hands.

I'm not going to get into the plot at all. I'd like to mention Michelle Phieffer's great performance which is definatly a very complex character that she handles greatly. Harrison Ford is as good as always and is starting to make a slow comeback after a few disappointments (Random Hearts, Six Days Seven Nights, and the good but over-rated Air Force One). The film is done with great style and has a much slower pace than what most people are used to.

My one and only complaint is the marketing for this picture. This was a good movie, but could have been great if it wasn't for the trailer. Whoever made the theatrical trailer for this film deserves to be shot. Robert Zemeckis must of looked at it and said "It's O.K." with complete sarcasm. For those of you that have seen the very overplayed theatrical trailer to the film, I'm sorry to say it but you know a whole lot more about the film than you should. If you have yet to see it, make sure if it ever comes on to cover your eyes and plug your ears. It really DOES give away that much (to prove my point - before the film started I took a guess about what would be discovered in the climax of the film and I was sad to admit I was correct).

But don't be misleaded, whether you knew as much as I did walking into the picture or not, this is a good film nonetheless. And it really does give you quite a few good jumps throughout. Many people might consider What Lies Beneath this years Sixth Sense, but I'd like to rate it as this years Stir Of Echoes - which I liked more than The Sixth Sense. Although long in length and has it's slow moments, the film does pack a punch and deserves an audience.

The Perfect Storm just may be the only 4 star film I have seen yet this year. It's tension builds well past that of M:I 2, and for over an hour you are kept with the storm and it's characters. Their isn't much you can say that's wrong with this film. This isn't a film where the characters are as complex as those in Magnolia. I mention this only because of the past comments on this site bashing it for it's bad character development and lacking script. If you are one of those people - pull your head out of your ass and look at the films title.

As for the characters the acting is superb. George Clooney and Mark Whalburg are together again and do an excellent job. We really believe that they are in a storm by all the moments of hesitation, faces of fear, and the tension of their verbal fights. Some may be surprised by the familiar faces surrounding the boat. John C. Reily - a highly praised actor from those familiar with Paul Thomas Anderson's brilliant work (myself included). Mary Elizabeth Mastriano (?) from Robin Hood and The Abyss. John Finchtner in another supporting role. There is even a brief performance from Michael Ironside. But one of the films very best performances is by Diane Lane as Bobby's wife.

The special effects might be the films most talked about moments. It spends well over an hour with the storm and it's so hard to believe that the actors are just standing behind blue screens for some of these scenes (tanks and wind blowers were also used to a large extent). In some gripping scenes such as when Billy (George Clooney) has to snap off the anchor we wonder how in hell this was filmed with so much going on (the crew watching their captain, the captain on the crane, the anchor flying around him left to right, and of course the waves behind him while some nearly knock him off the boat). These moments are done with skill from the ILM team, but also to the great stunt-men who nearly double the size of the cast.

Warner Bros. obviously wanted this film to hit big, which it will. But I find it rare for a film like this to be released over the 4th of July weekend. While it's big on special effects and budget, the film is more gripping and intense for most blockbusters that are released around this time (The Patriot included). It also has a tale of human struggle and very sad moments all around. This may be the film to see this summer, but hopefully it will remain one of the best films of the year.

I must say I am jealous of many people who have seen this movie long before me. When it was originally released in 1999, the local theatre has finally shown it at a much later date - June 23rd, 2000. I've heard about the film long ago the name was always catchy to me, and it had great strength behind it. For me, this will most likely be on my favorite films of 2000 list.

To describe the film is hard to explain. Picture a very dreamlike American Beauty told with sorrow and compassion to all it's characters. Although from the title it is rather obvious what will occur, you don't really know when the film will reach itself at it's climax. This is because the characters don't do anything incredible to make you like or dislike them, they stay very human to what reality is like. You have your own views on the characters and aren't given your handful of good and bad ones. This is how the film works so well.

Sofia Coppola has shown she has great strength behind the camera. Her script makes these complex characters very simple to follow and she obviously knows what she wants out of her actors. The visuals will appear very dreamlike at times (credit also needs given to the great editing throughout this picture) and will also give you haunting images that will stay with you for some time after you see the film. While her work may not equal up to a Paul Thomas Anderson film, she may very well give Sam Mendes a run for the Academy in years to come. I hope we see more of her.

I recommend this film to those who like to get away from mainstream material every now and then. This will not only bring you on a trip back to the 70s, but to a time where films like this where meant to be seen by everyone.

I got to admit, when I saw the previews for it I thought it looked kind of dull. But hey, I figure it's Shaft. It'll be fun in the least. So me and a few friends went to it to have a good time for what we figured would just be a descent way to waste some time. It turned out to be much more than that. Samuel L. Jackson is great in this, in fact he's the ultimate badass. And it's not just carried by his acting talents. I just saw Christian Bale recently in American Psycho whom I liked a lot and does a superb job in this as well. Then you have supporting roles that all work well, although I didn't care for Busta Rhymes. They also brought along the directing talents of John Singelton who has proven himself as a great director. The screenplay also works although the language could have been toned down a bit, the F word is used so much even Quentin Tarantino would say that's a bit over the top. But overall it does have some great moments and may just be placed on the top 10 movies to see this summer.

I just saw a sneak preview of this film a few hours ago and thought it was entertaining. It's good to see Jim Carrey back with the brothers that really made his career, however this isn't Dumb and Dumber. Carrey does show a lot of talent as the film progresses, especially when Hank and Charlie are both fighting over the body at the same time. Although I thought the first comment on this site for the film was very overexpressed and should be gagged, I must say the film did go way over the top at times. It seems that the Farrely brothers have learned from their on-screen shock value in There's Something About Mary and tried taken it a step to far. From the trailer of this film I was able to tell that, like There's Something About Mary, some of it's great moments couldn't be shown due to it's content. I didn't know how far they'd push the R rating. At times the film would have you laughing hysterically at it's substance and take it a step further, only making everyone in the audiences laughter change to disgust - in There's Something About Mary the joke would still stay hysterical even if it got too carried away with itself. But this isn't to trash the movie, which does stay entertaining nonetheless. I just hope the Farrely brothers learn from their mistakes in this one and do better next time around. **1/2 out of ****

I like just about anything Jerry Bruckhiemer does. The action is very in your face, the sound effects are screaming loud, the music is pumping, and overall they play like a great thrill ride. I really don't know what all to say about Gone in 60 Seconds, other than I was a bit disappointed. From the trailer that has been playing on movies for 6 months now, I expected a lot more action and car chases. I was hoping not only would this compete with Ronin, it would top it. But there is a lot here that should be taken out (including one of the most misplaced love scene that I could possibly imagine) and much more that should be put in. I wanted more car chases throughout, where as we got only one. I wanted an ending similar to Bruckhiemer's last product Enemy of the State, where instead I got a Full House ending. I wanted this to be Con Air on wheels, but it turned out to be Armageddon on wheels. While not being that bad of a film, one I would recommend seeing once in theatres, we expect far more from Jerry. He's delivered some great movies throughout the years including Top Gun, The Rock, and Crimson Tide. The car chase at the end was very good and there are some action scenes earlier in the film that are also rather satisfying. But overall this isn't Bruckheimer's best.

First off let me state that I love martial arts films. They are packed for pure enjoyment and films by Jet Li and Jackie Chan leave you with your jaw on the floor. My favorite would be Once Upon A Time In China.

As for Iron Monkey. I have to disagree with the majority. Yes, there are lots of action scenes. Yes, it does relate to the Once Upon A Time In China series. Yes, there are some good martial arts scenes in this. But the over use of wires takes away from the full merit that this film could of had. I liked a lot of the fighters in this picture but every one of them would fly through the air doing god knows what. I am aware that just about every Jet Li film has wires used in it and I wasn't pleased with the use of special effects in Romeo Must Die, but the amount of wires in this is completely absurd. I do realize there is a thing called suspension of disbelief but when it comes to this I just can't help it. And the flying sleaves to top it off made me wish this was an anime so not only did it have an excuse, but only then would it look good.

A large disappointment for me. Advice to those that see it - if you thought Once Upon A Time In China II got a little to far fetched, you ain't seen nothing.

I saw this about a month after I saw the original so I had high expectations for it. In it's first 20 minutes I was very pleased with the action scenes and the enemy looked like a great match for Jet Li. The finale seemed to get a little to carried away with itself but still enjoyable. But overall I couldn't feel rather disappointed. The comments on the film were all very positive and it sounded like it had a whole lot more action than the original. With that being exactly as I hoped, it failed in both ends. There are only 4 real martial arts scenes in this film where the orignal had 6 or 7. The martial arts didn't compare to the originals either which had some of my all time favorite action scenes ever. But I still do recommend this film, it will keep you entertained throughout. If only they would release these Jet Li films into the US...

To put it bluntly, this films kicks serious ass. John Woo outdoes himself this time in possibly his best film ever, Hard Boiled being the only one to even come close. The amount of intensity that develops throughout this film makes it a very high voltage thriller. Tom Cruise is really cool in this, as you can really believe that he is an action star. They said they wanted to make this film different than the previous, I did see quite a bit of simularities throughout. In the end though, the last 25 minutes of this movie does so much that not even The Matrix can top. The Wachoski Brothers and Robert Rodreguiz have all said they learned a lot from John Woo, who they claim to be the God of action directors. Apparently Woo has also learned from them over the past few years and M:I 2 shows it. This will be one of the highest, if not thee highest, grossing films of the year.

Note to Paramount: make sure this is one outstanding DVD as it deserves.

After some dissapointments (G.I. Jane wasn't to great, and White Squall was lacking at the end) I'm glad to say Ridley Scott is back in his game. I was looking forward to this film for awhile, it looked to be an impressive piece of cinema and plus, it had Russel Crowe in it. After a few months of waiting for it to come to theaters, I was it opening day with a sold out crowd. Everyone in the theater seemed to have really enjoyed it. Some thought it was to long (drags a lil at the beginning), some thought it was to violent (guess they haven't seen Braveheart), but most of us thought it was excellent.

I'm not gonna give anything away in this review like many have already done. I must say Ridley Scott hasn't had beautiful shots like this since Legend. The cinemtography really pulls you into the story - Rome has never looked this stunning. The acting was oustanding on all counts, everyone was very well casted. Above all, what hit me most about this movie wasn't the cinematography, nor the directing, nor the storyline. It was Russel Crowe. This guy proves himself that he is the Marlon Brando of the new generation. He's wonderful as Maximus, some of the weakest lines in the film he makes them sound amazing. I can only hope him and Edward Nortan, another actor who's amazing, will make a movie sometime together.

As for my dislikes of the movie - the editing. It's nice to see that a lot of people agree about how similar this is to Braveheart. Mel Gibson and Ridley Scott are very different directors and Scott approached this as an in your face kind of thing. For many scenes it dosen't bother you, but the opening battle and the first gladiator battle are very hard to follow because of this. I wish some of the action scenes lasted longer than they did, although the battles in Rome are oustanding. I wish I could have been able to tell what was going on a lot easier in the opening battle (the start of it as thousands of arrows fly through the air is magnificent) since everything happens very fast.

Overall though I expect this to be one of the biggest hits of the summer. Maybe not in profit, but it has already made it on the top 250 so it seems most people love it. This movie will make Russel Crowe standout soon enough as another 20 million dollar actor, and he deserves it more than anyone. If you have the time, and the taste for a good action/drama, see Gladiator. 9/10

John Cusack is back on the turf where he was best at. High Fidelity almost plays like a sequel to Say Anything, one of Cusack's first and best films. Throughout the years he's done some great stuff such as Grosse Pointe Blank, but it's great to see him take a role like his Lloyd character in Say Anything. This film works on so many levels that it's hard not to like it. The best element that it offers is the same as Say Anything did, no matter how old you are, you can relate to what he's going through. Some great supporting characters are seen here, his employees especially. Tim Robbins and Catherine Zeta Jones do a great job with their cameos. I've always liked John Cusack throughout his career, and High Fidelity only makes me like him more. He really is one of the coolest actors out there and I hope we see more of this in the future. It seems every time John and Joan are in a movie together the film automatically becomes great. Screenwriters, Directors, and Actors take note, this is a comedy/drama you can learn a lot from.

I think I just made a mistake calling this the best martial arts film of all time. I'm American, and when it comes to martial arts films 'Enter the Dragon' is always considered the best. But I beg to differ. Once Upon A Time In China beats it on all counts. I think I'm gonna hold myself back from saying Jet Li could beat the living hell out of Bruce Lee if he wanted to, that's not important. But what there is to say about Jet Li is he is the most jaw-droppingly effective martial artist on screen. And no film shows it better than this. Using props in his fights such as umbrellas, ladders, and even a tree branch, every fight in this is done so incredibly well. I love the fight on the ladders and the fight in the theatre most of all but every fight here is outstanding. This also has a great storyline and is told with brilliance. The use of slow motion and great choreograhpy makes the story stand out from most martial arts films. I came across this film not to long after seeing Romeo Must Die. Without knowing much about it other than what past comments said, I ordered the DVD for 30 dollars, excluding shipping. I must say if I knew it would of been as great as it was I would have spent 50. This is a must see for all martial arts fans, and if you thought Jet Li was cool in Lethal Weapon 4 and Romeo Must Die you've only gotten a taste of how awesome this guy is.

When you look at Romeo Must Die with knowledge, you'll think to yourself that this is a terrible spinoff on Romeo and Juliett, way to much time spent on poor characters, etc. But if you're doing that, you're missing the point. This is a Jet Li movie, just like a Jackie Chan movie. Although it may take itself seriously at times, you go to this film to have fun. So bottom line, it's just fun as hell to watch.

Jet Li's six or so action sequences are all fantastic. Although I really wished they didn't use special effects where they did in some spots (darting through the air taking down 6 people is kind of insulting), the x ray vision was a nice touch. When he's fighting he makes your jaw drop, when he's acting he does it with charm. As someone just learning the english language, although he speaks it softly, he does speak with style.

The action scenes that stick out in my mind the most would definatly be his first game of american football and his fight with a fire hose. These stand out with originality and Li makes them jaw-droppingly effective. The final fight was intense, although I wish it went on for another 5 minutes and didn't have to resort to special effects for the final blow. All in all I prefer Fist of Legend more than this, but I'll definatly be back to see this in theaters a few more times.

After you see this film, you'll want to run to your local video store and rent just about any Ed Wood film you can find. Not to look at them and say how bad they are, but to look at them and just fall on the ground rolling how incredibly hilarious they are. They really are that horrible!

This is Johnny Deep at his finest. He plays the role with so much charm and you just have a blast watching him. Martin Landau is outstanding too, but overall this is Tim Burton's masterpiece. There are so many moments in this film that should go down as the funniest moments in film history, like the scene with the fake octopus without the motor. It's just hysterical.

For those who are looking for a great comedy, look no futher. Although some of the people today may be turned off by the black and white transfer, it only adds to the brilliance. I just can't even begin to say enough about how big of a smile this movie puts on my face. For those who haven't yet seen it, I envy your first viewing of it.

Most say this is the best film in the history of film. That statement is just about as true as they come. Some say it's not the best film in the history of film. That statement is also true, The Godfather II is equally as good and can be considered the best. Then some say it doesn't even make their top 10. That statement tells you that that person hasn't seen enough films. Finally there are some that say this film sucks. Those people are an absolute disgrace to the history of film entirely and shouldn't comment on another film as long as they live.

This film is as flawless as they come. There is not one thing that can be considered wrong with it. The directing, superb. The acting, brilliant. The screenplay, outstanding. The cinematography, far above it's time. The film in general, one of the most stunning films ever made.

This isn't a film you can rate on the 10 scale, because it's far above it. For those who haven't seen it, it's a must. For those who say it's a poor film, like I said previously, they have no taste whatsoever in good films or they just try and get a rise out of just about every other person that hold their copies of the film with pride. This is The Great American Film in all of it's glory.

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The Whole Nine Yards was something I saw as either a hit or miss. I preferably like to see just about anything with Bruce Willis, some are a huge hit (The Sixth Sense, Die Hard) while some are a huge miss (Striking Distance). This turned out to play a lot different than I expected. I was happy to walk out of the theatre liking it a lot, but it wasn't Bruce Willis that stole the show.

The two that will stick in your mind after viewing this film are Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet. Michael Clark Duncan and Bruce Willis (also not to forget Kevin Polluck in a small role) do a great job but every scene that Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet are in they steel the show. Both are very different, Matthew Perry is the more goofy sense of humor played with perfection while Amanda Peet just does so much with her character from being a complete bimbo to being incredibly charming. You just have to see her role played to understand how great her performance is, especially with some of those dumb little smiles she makes.

The story is relatively simple and complex at the same time. A hit man moves next door, neighbor wants other hit men to hit him - while his wife wants to hire the hit man next door or just about any hit man to kill her husband - while the hit man next door has a friend hit man to keep an eye all of them. See what I mean? There's a lot going on but it's just a film where you are more happy to just lay back and watch the fun instead of taking note. There are just so many scenes in the film that everyone will find funny that it will require a few extra viewings to pick up on everything.

To explain the film in a sentence - think of Grosse Pointe Blank without John Cusack (meaning not nearly as fast with jokes) filled to the top with different styles of humor while combining it with a little bit of action. It's a film entirely about it's cast, if someone else played Matthew Perry, Bruce Willis, or Amanda Peet it would not nearly be the same. This won't be the best comedy you've seen in a long time, nor will it be the best of the year, but it'll make you leave it with a smile on your face.

I pretty much rented this movie because the cast on the cover was rather impressive, and one of the people I work for told me it was really good. All I can say is, those people that raved about Kids have no idea what they are talking about, this is a much more realistic and true look at life on the street than Kids ever was. Small parts from Will Smith and Alyssa Milano (you won't recognize her till you see her name in the credits at the end) stand out strongly and Sean Astin gives a very good performance that is unlike most of the films you would see him in (Rudy for example). I really don't want to give away anything about the plot because I rented it not knowing hardly anything about it and I think that's the way it should be watched. This is just a flat out great movie.

Ok, here's my theory. Everyone thus far that has put a positive comment on this site has gotta be a part of the cast or crew of this film. Wouldn't those who have seen it agree? It's not bad, it's really really really bad. I give credit to some of the nice visuals and a good opening but that's about it. I'm now just learning that Jason Priesly (damn he's changed since the 90210 days) was in this movie and I have to say, the 5 or 10 minutes he was in it were the best parts of it, not saying much though. But the rather sad thing I'm seeing these days are films like this and In Dreams being called "Hitchcock films of today." What the hell? Hitchcock would never have his name behind a piece of trash like this, Shallow Grave is the only thing you could even consider similar to a Hitchcock film today. But the most important thing about comparing something like this to Vertigo or Rear Window is simply this... Hitchcock films are good.

I'll be expecting this to hit the Bottom 100 soon enough...