Reviews

Right at the beginning, let me say that I love Star Trek. And I especially love the original show. This movie is completely aimed at exactly such a person as myself, so if you don't like Star Trek or are unfamiliar with the ORIGINAL series, I imagine much of the movie would be lost on you.

As a Star Trek fan, the scenes of the Star Trek-like convention that opens the movie is a riot. The portrayal of fans knowing and caring more about the show than the cast is dead-on! And the mixed reaction of actors grateful for a show that made their career but resentful that they are known for nothing but that same show is astutely shown as well.

The show arguably focuses on Captain Taggert (Tim Allen) too much, but then again, didn't Star Trek always focus too much on Captain Kirk! Tim Allen gives a fantastic performance. His vanity and inflated ego, but wonderful leadership qualities are an accurate reflection of one William Shatner.

Sigourney Weaver (virtually unrecognizable) plays Madison, the Uhura-like character who has little to do but look pretty ("Hailing frequencies open, Captain"!). Alan Rickman plays Dr. Lazarus. His satire is less obvious and not as well-done. He almost certainly is meant to spoof Nimoy and Spock, but then why is he a doctor? The Spock element was weak, but I liked how Rickman captured Nimoy's well-known ambivalence at playing Spock. All in all, most everything rang true-- even the cheesy special effects and barren alien planet!

That the Thermians show up at a convention dressed like all the other Star Trek geeks, but turn out to be the real thing is great! The reaction of the Star Trek-like cast as they find out it's real, not a T.V. show is well-done as well. The shots of the ship loudly scraping the side of the space-dock as it departs is a hoot!

The movie has a lot of in-gags. From the fateful man in the red shirt to Kirk-- oops, I mean Taggert!-- losing his shirt during a fight, they were enjoyable. Having said that, though, a lot of this movie doesn't connect. As a Star Trek fan, there was so much more that could be done-- where were some laughs making fun of things like "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a ...", or Kirk's ridiculously innumerable relationships with so many females, or breaking the Prime Directive for the 100th time, or what not. For a movie so aimed at Star Trek fans, they should have done more.

Still, it's a good if not great watch for Star Trek fans. And I do mean fans. Those wanting to watch to only make fun of Star Trek will probably be disappointed. The movie also pays homage to Star Trek in addition to spoofing it. In fact, the last 20 minutes, in which comedy is replaced by drama, are just like an actual episode-- and not a 3rd season episode!

I, for one, have tired of the typical Disney formula movie. The movie that has the same rags-to-riches plot, the search for self, the romantic culmination, the comedic sidekicks, etc, etc. And Disney has watered down its moral message so much to prevent offending anyone that there is hardly a moral message at all. The Iron Giant is the movie you WISHED Disney would make.

The Iron Giant is set in the late 50's. The dual optimism and fear so prominent in that time period is reflected in the movie and used to great effect. Young Hogarth represents countless boys who have grown up wistfully dreaming of space fantasies. Mr. Mansley represents the fear of the Soviet Union and nuclear annihilation of that period.

The boy finds the Iron Giant and is at once scared and sympathetic. The movie goes on to show how little boys are actually more adept at looking past fear than adults.

The relationship shown between the boy and the Giant is one of the best demonstrations of friendship I have ever seen in the movies. This is a relationship you care about, far more so than in any of the Disney movies.

And, unlike Disney, this movie takes moral stands unambiguously. The wildly careening and inappropriate grace is hysterically funny and very much believable for a young boy. And the thoughtful conversation between the boy and Giant about having a soul is filmmaking at its finest. The Giant's uncertain status-- Is it alive? Does it have a conscious? Does it have free will?-- makes one think more about the afterlife as a result.

The confrontation between the Giant and the military is the one part of the movie that is action-oriented. And, like the rest of the movie, it is well-done.

Unlike the Disney movies, or most any others, this is a movie that you do not know how it will end. I thought this as the confrontation started-- and wondered, will I be disappointed? Not to fear-- wow, the ending is super! It packs an emotional wallop. In fact, this ending will have you and your friends talking for days.

I've been frustrated all too often at Hollywood movies for such technical brilliance but lame plots-- here is a sterling exception. The plot is what makes this movie so memorable. And not only for what it says, but for what it doesn't. Questions such as Where did the Giant come from?, Does Hogarth have a father and, if so, where is he? are left unanswered-- and the movie is all-the-better for it.

The excellent story, emotional resonance, and wonderful moral messages make this a movie not to be missed (unfortunately, too many have since no Disney marketing campaign backed this film). Here's a movie truly for kids and adults.

Little Boy Blue is a difficult-to-review dichotomy of a movie. It continually pairs brilliant film-making with portions that one would expect from a straight-to-video release.

The movie starts off quickly establishing its heavy sexual content and unusual family relationships. The alcoholic, Vietnam veteran father played by John Savage is a fierce, detestable character meant to be feared by all but his inexplicably devoted wife played by Kinski (what does she see in him?). Savage's character is effective but could have given us more understanding of why he became who he is.

Savage spares no family member his brutality and cruelty. Oldest son Jimmy (Ryan Phillippe) receives even more denigration than his two younger brothers. The tension as Savage and Phillippe both realize that Jimmy's now reaching the age where he may be able to stand up to Savage and therefore threaten his dominance over the family is brilliantly played.

Phillippe's performance is light-years past any of his others. He steals the movie with his torn-character-- wanting to escape his hellish father, but fearing what will happen to his mother and even more so his two young brothers if he leaves. This debate is layered even more into his relationship with his girlfriend and the possibility of leaving for college with his great baseball talent.

Jimmy's desperate need for love and yet difficulty of being able to love after his nightmarish upbringing makes for captivating viewing. In one sense, though, he has already found it in the wonderfully-shown love he has for his two brothers. It is one of the most tender brother relationships one will find on the screen and clearly the heart of the entire movie.

The mystery and plot-turns are much more hit-and-miss than the relationships. Some are well-conceived and timely unveiled, but others make one scratch his head and wonder what was the point of that? One wonders if too much was left on the cutting room floor or if the movie was dumped into video stores with little thought.

Such instances include the dramatic recognition by the mail-carrier of the police patrolman that leads to ... nothing. In fact, the mail-carrier's role seems to be too large for such little payoff. And what is the point of the forced-statements at gunpoint by Mrs. Knight?

Overall, the role of the police in the movie is the least-developed. Various implications are made in vague, unfulfilled ways. Are the police attempting a cover-up or are they simply negligent in their investigation? And why all the time spent on Nate Carr's attempt to get in on more action at the police department?

Little Boy Blue has more flaws than one would like, but it so perfectly handles the complicated relationships at the center of the story that you can't help but love this movie. It will at once move you to tears of sorrow, fits of empathetic anger, and hopes of peaceful love.

A warning, though; this movie is full of sex and is worse in that regard than most R-movies. However, this is central to the plot and not superfluous.

Here is the irony: many go to see Phillippe's body in cheaper, low-brow movies. They will likely miss this one-- which surely shows more of Phillippe than any of his others-- but which for the first time shows the possibility of a coming actor. And, in at least my opinion, finally puts Phillippe in a quality movie-- one you won't soon forget.

Rating:8

The Apostle seems like a movie out of time. It is the antithesis of today's violent, profane, frenetic, loud movies. It moves slowly and quietly (mostly) and revolves around only 4 or 5 significant events throughout the two-hour plus running time.

I would describe The Apostle as a character-study. Duvall plays Sonny as a gifted preacher though flawed. Duvall's performance is indeed deserving of his Oscar-nomination, but it is the only such performance in the movie. Most every other character in the movie is underdeveloped.

Especially so is Farrah Fawcett as Duvall's wife. We are given little clue as to why they married in the first-place and then absolutely no reason to understand the early-in-the-movie separation. Sonny's fall from grace misses its full impact on us since we have no appreciation for what he has lost. Also, Miranda Richardson's character has no reason to really exist in this story as written.

Although the spiritual message here is not to the letter what Christians would want, I think most Christians would enjoy and recommend this movie to fellow Christians. Those who are not Christians should enjoy the movie as well since the movie is not really about Christianity in particular, but faith and redemption.

Overall, Duvall is to be applauded for bringing to the screen a rare realistic view of a preacher or even a Christian for that matter. His character of Sonny is a memorable one. The movie is enjoyable in its gentle pacing, but as one finishes watching the final thought is this: a wonderful character played by the perfect actor, but a movie that misses the chance it had to be a classic with a better story and more-developed supporting cast.

Rating: 7