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Reviews
Meteor (2009)
Great special effects--but little else to see
Don't expect too much. After all, it's science fiction, about the destruction of the Earth, and hosts a plethora of meaningless, forgettable characters. Lots of bad guys, lots of good ones--all brought into screenwriter-forced conflict in the face of not one -- but two -- massive asteroids hurling to the Earth. We could be sad for the predicament--but the bad guys and the vivid display of just plain human frailties show why providence had allowed the staging of this disastrous event. With its great special effects and steady, clumsy flow of situations, you find yourself caught up into train wreck and you're left wondering: how neat it would look if the Earth really was destroyed!!
One cannot blame the screenwriters for creating subplots and cliffhangers to fill in the time. After all, you have the total destruction of the Earth hanging in the balance and we all want to stick around to find out how (or if) it survives. One subplot soiled glaringly the intelligence of the project--and this involved the serial, revenge-seeking killer, Stark (Michael Rooker), who was simply added to the script as the total bad guy. If not for his gripe with the sheriff (played by Stacy Keach), he would've been totally meaningless. Although he has nothing to do with the general flow of the mini-series, he does draw attention. Apparently, the screenwriters recognized his worth since they allowed him to survive a deadly fall, car crash, and a lethal spray of bullets. The last bit of Jason Vorhees magic came with the survival of the bullet spray. We're supposed to be shocked when he shows up, after being shot and thought to be dead, wearing a bullet-proof vest. Now we're ready to hurl the tv brick.
We need not recall how the Det. Crowe (Bill Campbell), while making his arrest, allowed the unconscious killer to ride in the back seat of his car--untied--minutes after Stark shot a young woman (Why not place him in the trunk? Or drag him behind the car, for petesake!). This bit of strategic stupidity instantly revealed the secondary mission of the mini-series: pile on useless subplots at any cost. The true highlight of the show, Imogene (Marla Sokoloff), stood out from the well-worn stereotypes. Fortunately, through all her trials, we get to see a character change before our eyes--a rarity for science fiction. This diminutive, Lisa Simpson-voiced character surprises us with her pluck and toughness.
Not only did the negligence of the stupid detective further the serial-killer subplot, we can credit the smart meteors for doing the same. Not only did they target a nuclear power plant--but the main army control center, as well. It's as if they knew the people that were fighting them. A friendly suggestion is needed here: In the next 'Meteor' mini-series, dump the serial killer-especially those with nine lives. Watching him go through his homicidal binges was pretty much wasteful and nauseating and requires a separate movie. Here, Stark's only purpose in the plot funneled down to stopping Sheriff Crowe from installing a fuse that would allow Imogene to communicate her final missile-launch calculation to what was left of the main control center. A total waste of a good bad guy. A total waste of a mini-series.
Barabbas (1961)
It's more about the slimy Romans
One of my default Biblical epic, with the movie Quo Vadis (1951) being a close second. Biblical movies rarely excite the viewer such as these. Unlike the sci-fi and horror genres, biblical movies opt for a slower pace and a moral lesson. They tend to reflect the boring lives of normal people who evolve into extraordinary and historic figures in history. Barabbas is such a movie. There are no monsters or singular cruel villains; there is only Barabbas struggling to make sense of his life after imprisonment in the Sicilian sulfur mines, gladiator contests, and eventual freedom. Anthony Quinn is the gruff, defeated, and forgotten rebel whose past luminance was slowly overshadowed by his counterpart, Jesus Christ. Ironically, the same combative spirit that made him the nemesis of Roman soldiers led to his superiority in the gladiator ring and his freedom. This is a caustic indictment of the culture which lack a moral compass and an intellectual perception of the world which despises it. The movie is a slice of this sad and doomed culture, allowing us to see how and why it would ultimately fail. The very end of the movie depicts monstrous, uneven administration of justice--and Barabbas' final declaration of his love for God after he found out how the heavenly kingdom would truly arrive.
Pacific Rim (2013)
Non-Stop action
A movie best appreciated by 11-year-olds but succeeds in drawing in the adults. The characters, as you would expect, are stolen from the comic-book warehouse of predictable heroes--which is great at this level of comic-book fandom. It doesn't attempt to reach the emotional apex of 'Aliens' or 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'--which is a difficult route for sci-fi and horror movie makers due to the limited time or inadequate scripts; it's meant for unbridled fun and thrills. Creepy-creature-based sci-fi exists only for escapists and children; a well-made production which keeps you glued to your chair in this sub-genre succeeds in this manner, and Pacific Rim is that production.
Alien³ (1992)
One sequel too many
Additional proof that you can only go so far with a legendary movie monster. Hollywood still haven't learned this lesson: the monster of Frankenstein, Godzilla, King Kong, and even Jason Vorhees were all worn down into annoying caricatures
of the originals. Alien 3 succeeded in doing what none of the other sci-fi thrillers had ever done: kill off the characters which could have made a successful franchise. The legendary chaos and artistic squabbles during the making the movie truly shows: bad direction, bad CGI, bad script, glaring plot holes, and unlikeable characters. You almost wish the producers could've borrowed a few more xenomorphs from Aliens to kill off the inmates in the first 10 minutes of this movie. The first Alien movie made us wait to see the monster -- and what little we saw gave us nightmares. Alien 3 did little to advance the terror and surprise; it was too busy being a study of the unimaginable idiocy of the inmates. I was glad to see Sigourney Weaver in the movie. At least she give it some connection to the earlier, greater two movies. Killing her off at the end basically blew up the franchise. As far as I'm concerned, the franchise ended with 'Aliens'. I thought it was a good idea for comic-book publishers to continue the franchise from that point. I was hoping they would even revive a few of the other characters from the first two movies. 'Prometheus', with its weird untold back stories and plot holes, did little to fill the appetite for another Alien movie. It took itself far too serious and seems to be off into its own demented franchise. I think the beginning of the end of the Alien franchise appeared with Alien 3. Not even the Predator can save it.
I Kill Giants (2017)
A new fantasy epic--or just another misfit-kid-vs.-the-big bad-world drama?
This is a drama aching to morph into a fantasy epic--but restrained by simple Afterschool-TV same ol' -same ol' study of child meets reality. Madison's intrusive imaginary universe of grotesque creatures rage through her fantasy realm with the singular mission of lecturing her about the unfairness of life. That's good--but you don't need creatures from the darker reaches of your imagination to shake you to reality. Kelly and Niimura, the authors of the graphic novels upon which the movie was based, probably didn't envisioned this scenario--or that their series would funnel down to a simple clean-cut made-for-tv end in which everyone understands everybody and everything and the world is all right.
Madison's quirkiness wrapped in a hard core of cleverness, determination, and worldly wit, is inconsistent with the lonely, pitiful outcast that is seen at the end of the movie, anchored by her mom's terminal illness. The heroic persona, which is far more exciting, is more suited for a Spy Kids or Star Wars episode or even a teen-detective chronicle. It's wasted in a movie in which the monumental threats -- which was sadly made clear to us -- don't really exist. I was hoping that the giants were real so as to at least reveal her heroics to her friends and detractors. Yet, it remains as an overly embellished kiddie yarn. The monsters apparently serve only to frighten the younger viewers. It's difficult to believe that a mentally stable child could actually interpret the difficulties of life as a troupe of grotesque entities.
Sodom and Gomorrah (1962)
Biblical--or just more 60's sword & sandal tripe??
Typical late-50s/early 60s sword and sandal fare: short on script and believability. The producers should've stayed with the true drama surrounding Lot and his daughters. Sodom and Gomorrah were treasure troves of sin and debauchery longing for a slimy new-wave troupe of post-WWII movie makers to display to the silver screen. Yet, all we're seeing is a sneaky lesbian queen, a battle inserted to pump blood into the anemic script, and the predictable duel at the end. The movie wastes the time it needed to present the actual, more intriguing biblical story. It failed to even pretend to live up to the accuracy provided by The Ten Commandments which was produced only six years earlier. Although the latter movie took a great deal of artistic license, it caught the meaning of the corresponding biblical drama of the Exodus. Sodom and Gomorrah was reduced to a sword & sandal hero flick which teaches nothing and stood for nothing. Even worse (exacerbating the movie's lost messaging), we're indifferent to Ildith's fate when she choose to look back to her devastated home since the merged kingdoms seemed no worse than any other of the time. A very important point was overlooked and there was no justification, as far as we can see from the movie, for her to feel this great sentiment for her native kingdom. If you remember, the utter historic and legendary sliminess of Sodom and Gomorrah was vividly realized by her turning into a pillar of salt.
The movie simply failed to realize that it was the slimy aspects of the city that she missed--even after only a few minutes into the mass exodus. Even after God, Himself, mandated the exodus, she couldn't part from her weaknesses. After watching the movie, we never learn how and why Sodom and Gomorrah remain as the darkest points in human history through the ages. I can't recommend this movie as standard biblical fare.
Beast from Haunted Cave (1959)
Quite effective if not so clumsy
Sorry, folks. I know it's another Corman schlocker--but I can't throw this one into the dumpster. A lot of modern ideas were truly based on a few elements in this film. This movie might have been made way ahead of its time. Once seen, the elements which translated into latter science fiction movies will become clear to you. With a larger bit of funding and more imaginative special effects, the film could have easily been a classic sci-fi scare fest--much like its successors (e.g., Alien). The characters were earthy and realistic, which are always a solid foundation for a successful sci-fi film. Unfortunately, due to budgetary constraints, the movie ends abruptly, leaving no answer for the creature's origin or physiology.
Act of Will (1989)
Typical Romantic Fantasy Drivel
As with most made-for-tv romantic drama, the series just could not resist making plastic heroes of ordinary folks. The late-70s miniseries, namely Flambards, hit upon the notion of creating the unlikely heroine from a seamy, retching, and spiritually poisonous environment. It worked. Unfortunately, the heroine of Act of Will, namely Audra, seemed to carry the Puritan work ethic as a shield to protect against the phantasmal specter of complacency to fulfill maternal obligations. It worked--but for what reason? You mean she really did enslave herself to see to her daughter's success -- as a painter?? Did she really thought there existed scenery painters who were all cruising to brilliant, self-sustaining careers in the 20th century---in the era of television?? The first half of the series seemed to be setting up for the affair between Christina and the married Miles Sutherland--or haven't anyone noticed? This affair was supposed to be the spice of the drama. But, as with most romantic fiction, it failed to create depth for the characters (even the important ones)--which make them totally forgettable when the series ends. I suspect that the affair didn't get the attention the producers hoped for. The audience didn't really care. How could they?
We'll never know what really happened to Audra's brothers-- who were shipped to Australia after the death of their mother, nor the fate of Audra's granddaughter. I thought they would play a more pivotal part in the drama. The entire series was reduced to Christina and Miles' passionate love making while preaching the faults of instilling one's own will into a daughter. The latter is referenced as a sort of moral lesson by an elderly Audra at the beginning of the series. The series doggedly preaches to us that rich and successful folks are as weak and tormented as the rest of us---which must be a message to those of us living in the nether-dimensions. The series should've at least explained Christina's explosive success from such meager beginnings. This could have proven to be a good side plot-with a little more debauchery, corporate backstabbing, and a Bernie Madoff-like scam perpetrated here and there. Yet, its ultimate aim was to produce total fantasy, ending with the fantasy ultra-happy and ultra-loved coming to a fantasy end.