Reviews

"Howard the Duck" was a critical and commercial failure when it was first released in the summer of 1986. Since that time, the movie has become synonymous with one word: BOMB. However, while it is not a very good film, I feel "Howard the Duck" is not nearly as bad as many people seem to believe.

How can you dislike a film about a midget duck from another planet who (with the help of Lea Thompson and her gigantic '80s hair) saves Earth from impending doom? Not only that, but the menace threatening Earth is the Dark Overlord of the Universe, an evil force that has invaded the body of Jeffery Jones! "Howard the Duck" is one of those movies that is enjoyable in a mindless way. It is by no means classic cinema, but if you are in the right frame of mind, it is very fun to watch.

And don't miss the musical number at the end, when Howard and the cast do the "duck waddle"!

"Cop Rock" was a typical police drama, except for the fact that it was also a MUSICAL. Everybody sang: the cops, the criminals, even the judge and jury in the courtroom during trials. With its many lavish song-and-dance routines and catchy tunes, "Cop Rock" was almost like a Broadway musical adaptation of "Hill Street Blues".

"Cop Rock" was heavily promoted by ABC in the weeks before its premiere in the fall of 1990. Apparently, ABC thought that they had a huge hit on their hands, even though it was the first-ever cop show/musical on TV. Not surprisingly, the show was savaged by critics and ignored by audiences. Despite the large amounts of publicity and money invested in the series (which was one of the most-expensive TV shows ever made up to that point, at a cost of nearly $2 million an episode), it was canceled after only three months.

In my opinion, "Cop Rock" was a very unique show. Although the singing wasn't always that great, the songs were usually decent. Randy Newman wrote a number of good songs for this series (including the opening theme, "Under The Gun", which he also performed). The problem with "Cop Rock" was that it combined two genres that do not go well with each other. I can understand why "Cop Rock" was not able to catch on with TV audiences: not only was it a musical series with fictional characters and weekly storylines (something never seen before on American network television), but it was also a police show. Also, with the exception of the Broadway-style musical numbers, the show was average at best.

VH1 reran an all-day marathon "Cop Rock" a few years ago, but the series is not currently on cable (as far as I know). I think this original (but strange) series would be perfectly suited for a network like Court TV.

"Cop Rock" was a show that was far from perfect, but it was definitely very memorable.

Considering all the old TV shows that have been remade for the big screen ("The Addams Family", "The Brady Bunch Movie", "The Flinstones", etc.), it was only a matter of time before Scooby and the gang were featured in a big budget film. Unfortunately, the end product is little more than a routine episode of Scooby-Doo (in live action), except it is 86 minutes long and cost over $80 million to make. I have always been a fan of most of the Scooby-Doo series (not a hardcore fanatic, mind you, but a casual fan). Even today, I find most of the episodes (excluding those featuring the ANNOYING Scrappy-Doo) to be enjoyable in a mindless sort of way. However, as I watched "Scooby-Doo" the movie, I knew there was something missing. It had all the basic elements of Scooby-Doo, but none of the innocent charm that made the original series so fun to watch. I guess I shouldn't have been too disappointed about this movie (considering how difficult it must have been to remake a 33-year-old cartoon show as a major Hollywood film), but so much more could have been done.

Some other notes about "Scooby-Doo":

-the best part of the movie was easily Matthew Lillard. His impression of Shaggy was dead-on, from the look of the character to the voice and mannerisms. I'll bet he made Casey Kasem (voice of the original Shaggy) proud.

-the visual effects were impressive, as well as the special effects. Then again, the film (with no real A-list stars) cost $84 million to make, so it should have looked good.

-I thought the CGI Scooby looked very good, considerng there was nothing else the producers could have done to make him look realistic in a non-animated film (Large animatronic puppet? Person in an oversized Scooby suit? No way). I only wish that Don Messick had lived long enough to provide Scooby's voice for this movie. Messick was *THE* voice of Scooby-Doo, and he cannot be replaced by anyone.

-was the farting contest between Scooby and Shaggy really necessary? I know little kids (the target audience for this movie) would find it really funny, and the use of gross-out humor (a la "American Pie") is widespread in comedies today. But I thought this was a little bit too much.

-I don't understand why Freddie Prinze Jr. is so popular (true, he is young and good-looking, but there are so many other actors who fit in those two categories). Honestly, Prinze is a wooden, charmless actor who has no real onscreen presence. Only Prinze could screw up in the role of Fred (who is SUPPOSED to be bland and superficial), and just hearing him speak in this movie irritated me. Note to Freddie: your career may be red hot right now, but once your youthful looks disappear...

-Linda Cardellini is hot. That is all.

Overall, "Scooby-Doo" is not a horrible film, but watching three episodes of the original "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" would be more entertaining than watching this one movie.

"Life Goes On" focused on the daily life of the Thatcher family, particularly Corky (Chris Burke), a young man with Down's Syndrome. When the show began in 1989, 18-year-old Corky was mainstreamed into a normal high school as a freshman, which meant that he was in the same grade as his younger sister Becca (Kellie Martin). At first, Becca was embarrassed about the idea of going to school with her brother, but eventually she accepted him as a fellow high school student (and served as his primary source of emotional support during school). As a developmentally disabled person trying to function in a difficult world, Corky dealt with many struggles and hardships. The show was not all about Corky, of course: viewers also saw the other members of the Thatcher family face their own problems.

In my mind, the most impressive thing about Corky was his optimistic view of life, as well as his perseverance. No matter how many obstacles or drawbacks he faced, Corky always bounced back with a positive attitude. Chris Burke was very realistic in his portrayal of Corky, of course (since Burke actually has Down's Syndrome), but he also made the character very charming and likeable. There was another young person on the show (other than Burke) who showed a lot of promise from the very beginning: Kellie Martin. Even though she was only 13 when the series began, Martin immediately displayed a natural talent for acting. As the character Becca became more confident and mature, Kellie developed into an actress seemingly capable of taking on any dramatic role.

After four years, ABC canceled "Life Goes On" in 1993. The Family Channel and PAX both reran the series, but unfortunately it is not currently on cable. I would love to see reruns of this great show again, particularly on a network like ABC Family (which is the successor to the Family Channel). Also, I think the talented Kellie Martin should star on another TV series, especially since she has not done much acting over the past couple of years (since her two-year stint on "ER" ended in 2000).

"A Christmas Story" is definitely my all-time favorite holiday film. It is about the life of Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley), a young boy growing up in the 1940s. Ralphie wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas more than anything else in the world, but everyone (his parents, his schoolteacher, the department store Santa Claus, etc.) tells him, "You'll shoot your eye out!" The strengths of this film do not lie in the plot itself, but in the many memorable moments that are presented. And there are plenty of memorable scenes in "A Christmas Story": Ralphie's encounter with "Santa Claus" at the department store, Ralphie's friend getting his tongue stuck on a frozen pole, when Ralphie gets the bunny suit for Christmas, Christmas dinner at the Chinese restaurant....heck, I could spend the whole day writing about all the great moments in this movie. One of the reasons why these scenes are so effective is because they are somewhat exaggerated, yet very believable at the same time.

In my opinion, "A Christmas Story" belongs in the same category as all the other great Christmas films (including "It's a Wonderful Life" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"). It is worth watching (and it is hard to miss, since it airs on TNT about 500 times each December).

Long before Bill Murray and company wiped out all the ghosts in New York City, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were doing the job (but not in NYC, and without the proton packs and other gadgets, of course). In this classic 1937 short, the trio are ghost hunters who go into a haunted house, where they end up having some wacky adventures (Goofy gets stuck in a dresser, etc.). In my opinion, this is definitely one of the best of all the Disney shorts (and there are many to choose from). And the ending of this one is just PERFECT.

"The Man in the Moon" is a well-acted, painfully realistic story about a young girl growing up in Louisiana in the 1950s. It focuses on the life of Dani Trant (Reese Witherspoon), a 14-year-old who falls in love for the first time. The film does a good job at portraying the harsh life lessons that Dani faces, as well as how she learns from those experiences to become a better person.

The entire cast puts in some very fine performances, but Witherspoon is the one who really stands out here. In her first film role, she displays a remarkable on-screen presence, as well as a natural talent for acting. She is the main reason why I cared so much about what happened to her character, and why I could understand her feelings of both happiness and sorrow. Even in this early role, Reese displays many of the qualities that would later make her a star.

"The Man in the Moon" is a drama that is very moving, yet it is not overly sentimental. It is definitely a film that I would recommend to anyone.

"Troop Beverly Hills" is not a very good movie, but it is somewhat entertaining in its own way. There are some good things to be found in this movie, as well as some bad things.

The good:

-The opening credits sequence, set to "Make It Big" by the Beach Boys. Perhaps the funniest part of this whole movie.

-An interesting premise: a spoiled Beverly Hills housewife (Shelley Long) decides to get involved in the community by becoming the leader of her daughter's Wilderness Girls troop (which includes Emily Schulman of "Small Wonder" and a pre-"Life Goes On" Kellie Martin). Not exactly a high-concept film, but it shows some comic potential.

-A few great lines, such as: "I may be a beginner at some things, but I've got a black belt in shopping!"

-Some truly silly moments (Long doing the "Freddie" is the most notable example).

-Long's performance: not Oscar-caliber, of course, but even when the film is at its lowest points, she puts a lot of effort and enthusiasm into her role.

The bad:

-The film is excruciatingly boring at some points, especially in the sub-plot about Long and her ex-husband (Craig T. Nelson). It really doesn't fit in with the rest of the film.

-It is also very predictable, particularly in the last half-hour. Even in a light comedy like this, you would expect a little bit more originality.

-Pointless cameo appearances by celebrities (including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Pia Zadora). Even the usually funny Cheech Marin is wasted here.

"Troop Beverly Hills" may not be a great (or even good) film, but it is not without some enjoyable moments.

"Popples" was one of many syndicated cartoon shows that quickly came and went in the mid-1980s. It was about the misadventures of a bunch of furry creatures who could turn themselves into bouncing balls whenever necessary.

Honestly, I don't remember much else about the show, other than that the popples were in different colors and they each had different personalities (sort of). I do remember owning an orange Popples doll when I was a little kid (I think it was Puzzle Popple, but I'm really not sure). I used to take that doll almost everywhere I went, and since it was very light (and could be folded into a tight ball), it was easy to do so.

In my opinion, the cartoon show was rather ordinary, while the dolls were really fun toys (perhaps one of the most underrated toys to come out of the 1980s).

Pirate ships. Buried treasure. Nasty villains. Great one-liners. The "Truffle Shuffle". Corey Feldman. What more could you possibly want in a movie?

Honestly, "The Goonies" is not the greatest film ever made, but it never fails to entertain me. Even though I have seen it quite a few times over the years, I always get excited when I watch it. It is one of very few movies that I always watch until the end whenever it appears on TV. Not everyone may enjoy "The Goonies", but I highly recommend it. Of course, this review wouldn't be complete without quoting these words of wisdom:

"HEY YOU GUYS!!!"

"Krush Groove" features some great performances by Run DMC (including their classic "King of Rock"), the Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, the Beastie Boys, New Edition, and a very young LL Cool J. Unfortunately, without any real plot or characterization, that's all the film really has. If you like hip-hop circa 1985, "Krush Groove" is worth watching; it you don't, then skip it.

"Small Wonder" was a show I enjoyed watching when I was a little kid, and I would probably enjoy it today; unfortunately, I haven't seen it in reruns since 1995 or so. Over the years, I have heard and read quite a few negative comments about SW, both here at IMDB and elsewhere. In response to those unjust criticisms, I say this: it's a light sitcom about a robot girl! A 10-year-old robot girl! This isn't groundbreaking television (though the special effects were decent for a low budget TV series from the 1980s), it's "Small Wonder"! One of the main reasons why I enjoyed this series was Tiffany Brissette; as Vicki, she did not express much emotion (because of her role as a robot, of course), but she still displayed enough charm and good comic timing to keep you watching. It is unfortunate that the talented Brissette did not have any other major TV or film roles during her acting career.

Some other comments about SW:

-My favorite supporting character was easily Reggie (Paul C. Scott), Jamie's best friend and the show's token black character. He was always able to score with the girls through his smooth and confident demeanor, while Jamie always ended up looking like a dork.

-Speaking of Jamie, whatever happened to Jerry Supiran? Like Brissette, he showed a lot of promise, but apparently dropped off the face of the Earth when the show was canceled.

-I do agree with SW haters about at least one thing: Harriet Brindle (Emily Schulman). She wasn't just annoying, she was ***ANNOYING***. "Hi-yeee!!! Bye-yeee!!!" Oh, the humanity!

-As if Harriet wasn't bad enough, there was Mrs. Brindle (Edie McClurg). "No-no-no-no-no-no!!" Again, one word: ***ANNOYING***.

Overall, I enjoyed SW for what it was: an entertaining sitcom with a silly premise. I would definitely love to see it in reruns again someday. And to that previous reviewer who suggested the idea of a school based on teaching "Small Wonder", I would sign up immediately.

Tru Walker (Clara Bryant) has a twin brother named Eddie (Shia LaBeouf), who is mentally disabled. She loves Eddie, but she also feels that he makes life more difficult for her. When Tru decides to make a documentary of Eddie for a contest, however, she realizes that her brother is not another burden in her life, but he is actually a unique and wonderful person.

I admit that I didn't think "Tru Confessions" would be very great (I mean, how good could a made-for-Disney Channel movie be?). However, I ended up enjoying "Confessions". As Eddie, LaBeouf gives a very inspired and realistic performance. He definitely shows a lot of promise as an actor, and I hope to see him more often in the future. Bryant also does well in the role of Tru.

I also appreciated how the subject of the developmentally disabled was treated realistically in this film. I have a language learning disability (and was misdiagnosed as autistic at a young age), and I understand to a certain extent some of the things Eddie experiences. He wishes that he could live a more normal life because he knows that he is different than other kids. In a way, this movie is not only about how Tru and her family deal with Eddie's disability, but how Eddie himself deals with it.

As my summary at the top says, it is a film worth watching (mainly because of LaBeouf's performance).