Reviews

I feel that Pitch Black just missed out. Character building: I didn't feel any affinity for the characters. The Hero was a murderer and all the likeable people were predictably killed. Editing: Was effective but the main problem was that there was a little too much jerky jumping from image to image. They could do it digitally so why not? Cinematography: I felt that the images were OK and the sets and the special effects worked OK. To sum up, it just didn't quite grab me or any of the other three with me. It'll make money though you can be sure.

If the World had to be saved I'd rather it were saved by 'Arnie' and if it had to end he'd certainly make it a more spectacular and entertaining finale. After wash outs like 'Kindergarten Cop' and a few other disasters in which our muscle bound star tried to unsuccessfully leave behind his action hero role, Arnold returns with an explosion of cinematic fireworks. Shades of 'The Omen' colour this very clever screenplay but whatever seed gave birth to the creative idea it still remains entertaining and attention grabbing from start to finish. This is what we go to see his films for. Good defeating evil. The bad guys getting their just deserts and loads of action. May the devil take the hind most, you'll like this one even if you aren't a fan.

I get many a battering for being a 19 year old Pokemon fan. But really who can resist that cute lil yellow fluffy face? :) I personally was very excited, I took my James doll *reow* and my talking Pikachu and set on my way for the movie experience of a lifetime, only to leave an hour and a half later very disappointed. The Pokemon battles were lame, what little of them there were, Team Rocket didn't even get to say their lines Ash didnt catch any Pokemon and there was no PokeRap! For a kids movie, it was way way way too serious, especially MewTwos meaningful monologues and the not so subtle "Fighting is Bad" moral.

All in all, as a diehard Pokefan, im sad. Sitting through that movie was like hearing a lecture from your mother when your 10 years old about not stepping on spiders in the garden. :(

I can't remember in a lifetime of seeing a movie a week anything so trashy and dull. Trashy because the camera work was worse than amateur it was appalling. Dull because the hack performances of the cast made me wince with embarrassment. The close up of our heroine desperately trying to squeeze out a tear as she farewells her family was painful. I was bored from the start of this collection of blurred, shaky, out of focus, unrelated and technically ghastly images. Half the way through I felt the film had to be going somewhere as it hadn't shown any forward momentum up to that time. I was sadly mistaken. It didn't.

It shows what people are willing to tolerate in their suspension of disbelief

My daughter and her friend aged 18 both described this dark Australian film as `Funny' and `Most natural'. I felt that `Two Hands' was a leap forward from the benchmark, violent ` Romper Stomper' which brought Russell Crowe to prominence. This vehicle should also bring Heath Ledger to the same prominence and his career in the US seems to be currently taking off to prove it. The film's style has been compared with that of Quentin Tarantino. It has the same earmarks. It shows the criminal side of Australia. Apart of our own society we often don't want to recognise exists. It is delivered in such a funny manner that it's impossible not to laugh at even the most violent moments.

On one occasion, as the star helps in robbing a bank and the leader of the gang hurdles the bank counter and knocks himself out. The ensuing slapstick is hilarious and at the same time appalling. What a future force to be reckoned with writer/director Gregor Jordan is in his debut. The film looks unclouded, stimulating, vigorous and seizes your attention. The dialogue is right on the button and the actors excel in an easygoing refreshingly natural custom. Heath Ledger who plays the character Jimmy, who works in Kings Cross, enticing passers by into a sleazy strip club. Wanting to better his fortune he approaches local hoodlum `Pando' played by Bryan Brown asking for work. The next day he is given $10,000 in an envelope to deliver to a woman. (One of the funniest moments is the scene featuring this character.) However it's not all as simple as he hopes. When Jimmy loses the envelope with the money, a fascinating story unfolds. He gets deeper and deeper into trouble mostly due to his constantly day dreaming over the beautiful country girl Kate played by Rose Byrne. Entwined with their lives and the money are two homeless children , played with adult intensity by Mariel McClorey and Evan Sheaves. It is hard to ignore comparisons to the story lines of films such as `Pulp Fiction' and `Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' or for that matter `Go' when observing `Two hands' However `Two Hands' bravely takes you on it's own individual path and drags the viewer along with it through many fascinating twists and turns in the clever story line. Heath Ledger is outstanding as the title character Jimmy. Here is a big name of tomorrow. He will be seen as Mel Gibson's son in the US film now in production `2000'. Bryan Brown does very well as the attentive Dad and murderous hoodlum `Pando'. Rose Byrne looks great and should develop extremely well in her next few films. I could have lived without the narration by Jimmy's dead brother. I could also have lived without the `Death mask' make up as well. All in all a good time at the movies was had by all. The audience I was in, which was made up of mostly over 50's, laughed it up at all the right places.

Be it Acting, story, cinematography, art direction, you name it, Thomas Crown has it better than the original. Director John McTiernan has done a superlative job at bringing to life the original Alan R. Trustman story which made the 1967 Thomas Crown Affair a valuable addition to the classic Action/thriller genre. His cutting edge direction made every moment of this film a pleasure. Not one scene drags and the characters are explored in exacting detail. I can't imagine a multi millionaire of Thomas Crowns Stature played better than by Pierce Brosnan. The original character creation by Steve McQueen's looked as though his suit were a straight jacket. We have to admit though we cinema goers loved the man, there was no Classic quality in McQueen's face like there is in Brosnan's. Rene Russo was perfect as the investigator Catherine banning. Relentless in her carnality and designs to play Crown at his own game. The tension lasted right to the last minute. Frankie Faison breathed sensitive life into Detective Paretti and and an equally strong cast made this movie experience even more of a pleasure. In my opinion a copy which beat it's original hands down in every manner. What a nice touch to see the original female lead Faye Dunaway as Thomas Crowns psychiatrist.

Interest packed, well written, acted and directed. Arlington Road has some fascinating turns. Two fine actors Tim Robbins and Jeff Bridges breathe extra life into an already lively story. Here is a scenario which could well be a true one. Who is the man living next door to you? Is he all he seems? See this thriller and you'll never be that sure again.

I found "Eyes wide shut" a long winded drab final curtain for a great Director. I have to agree with those who attended the Premier. This film failed on so many levels, especially as entertainment.

Yes the camera work and direction were masterly but what about enjoyment? I fell asleep three times and had to be nudged awake.

The stacatto musical score harked back to a minimalist period well before Vitaphone. The slow, drawn out dialogue. Film for the hearing impaired?

The derivative Fellini style 'Orgy Scene' was this meant to be reminiscent of Sweden circa 1955? Maybe one of Lucretia Borgia's more lurid masked evenings? Yes, I'll admit that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were attractive but what is the point of a 20 carat diamond set in mud? My opinion? Not worth the entrance cost. In a word Yawn!!!!

Gods and Monsters is in my opinion one of the cinema treats of the year if not one of the best of this decade. Disappointed by a visit to the Mod Squad, I visited ‘Gods' to cleanse my palate. It was enchanting from it's sensitive commencement to an emotional conclusion. It boasts a resonant story which holds it's audience entranced. The script adaptation left no scene lacking significance. Characters are proficiently crafted. Equally substantial, Bill Condon's perceptive Direction was facile and lucid. A mixture of colour and black and white imagery was deftly handled as was the juxtaposition of time person and place in the remembered and imagined sequences. Ian McKellen was the consummate performer as fading Hollywood screen Director James Whale enfeebled by a succession of strokes. The film is further enhanced by a splendid Award winning portrayal of the loyal house maid Hannah by Lyn Redgrave. I was stunned by 'The Mummy's' and 'Blast from the Past's' Brendan Fraser as the hapless and perplexed yardman Clayton Boone who is befriended by James Whale. Who would have thought that such a sensitive and in touch performance could come from the Encino Man. Both McKellen and Fraser team up in some empowering closing scenes. Here one character sees mirrored in the other character's disposition his own fears and emotions. Every facet of Gods and Monsters is admirable. Miss this and you have neglected a very special motion picture.

I was extremely disappointed with Mod Squad as a movie. There were a number of points which were never explored fully in respect to the character development. The script jumped from point to point without ever clearly explaining the real direction of the plot or the characters. Neither I nor the three people with me ranging from 18 to 85, could work out why the three young 'Mod Squad' members were recruited. We had no idea what they'd done to land themselves in hot water to begin with so they could have been murderers (no sympathy there). The action was minimal the highlight being an old car crashing through a metal door. "When was that film set?" my eighteen year old daughter asked me. The clever young actor from the "Other Sister" relied on the most basic of performance tricks such as shouting, to even be noticed. Long lingering shots of the female lead became dull. The young black actor had little to work on in his scripted characterisation. I found myself confused between the good and the bad cops and why a call to the police precinct, which had set up the criminal "bust" finale , was so obligingly received and acted on so promptly. The police were called to the scene as backup for our hero who was then an escaped felon (or was he????). The direction in my opinion was experimental to the point of distraction. One scene had our three protagonists in the front seat of a car plotting their next move. This was the bench mark. We saw the camera pan left, right, right, left, right, left then left again so continuously I became dizzy. The recording quality of the hand held reporters cassette recorder, the contents of which wrapped up the entire Mod Squad case was "studio quality" amazing!!! I see a minimum of sixty films a year. This was one of the least effective in a decade. my vote is 2 out of 10.