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Reviews
Possessed (2000)
Too bad about the kid
The biggest problem with this movie is the kid. Ginger hair and freckles? Possessed by the Devil. Its not scary, its hilarious. The kid does a decent job, but he is horribly miscast. Timothy Dalton redeems things a bit with a convincing performance, which must have been almost impossible given the obvious handicap.
As a story it almost succeeds. As a scary movie it sucks.
The Life of David Gale (2003)
It lacks integrity
This review contains spoilers. If you haven't seen the film, skip the following:
I quite enjoyed the movie, the story is actually quite good, but I felt violated and manipulated by the way in which the story is told. Firstly, the twists are heavily hinted at and quite predictable from early on. There just aren't enough red herrings or potential alternatives to keep one guessing.
The final "twist" is an insult to one's intelligence. It has been chucked-in for audience gratification, the "oooh" factor, but if one really thinks about it, in that final act David Gale has jeopardized, trivialized, and nullified his cause, and the entire painful conspiracy in which he has played an integral part. His involvement should have been revealed in a far more subtle way (by those who were party to the conspiracy perhaps, not by revealing all to someone who he has shamefully misled, and who could blow the whole thing wide open).
Technically, the fatal flaw is that the story is told from David Gale's point-of-view (with his voice over). For a twist to work, it should also be a surprise to the character who is giving the point-of-view. Not the case here. The audience is being lied to by the main character, someone with whom we are ultimately expected to sympathize. It's a trick, not a twist. It doesn't sit well. It doesn't gel. That's why so many reviewers feel cheated by this movie.
In the "Sixth Sense" the twist works because the Bruce Willis character, whose point-of-view we share, is as shocked as the audience at the realization that he is dead. He didn't know and could not have revealed it earlier.
In "David Gale" the character whose point-of-view we are asked to share lies to us. He keeps the truth to himself. And that is hard to forgive.
The movie is watchable, but dishonest. It lacks integrity.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Matrix Overloaded
I really enjoyed The Matrix, it was well paced, suspenseful, with a great build up, story line and climax. The special effects significantly enhanced the story.
In the sequel, the special effects are all that remains. They are truly spectacular. But they are not enough to sustain interest. The movie stimulates the senses but not the gray matter. There is a huge amount of action on the screen but virtually no motivation. I observed the movie. I was not draw into it. I did not feel involved.
The dialogue has degenerated into a series of over-bloated cliches. The story has become muddled, and self-defeating. Neo's love affair is flat, unconvincing, and detracts from his character. Morpheus has become a cardboard cut-out of his former self. Only Agent Smith still retains some shine.
By the end of the movie, I no longer care whether Neo is the One or not. I no longer care whether the machines are victorious or not. Having witnessed the Zion "Rave", I have come to understand that life inside the Matrix is far far better than life outside it.
The entire rebellion against the machines has become a waste of everybody's time, especially mine.
Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996)
Profoundly moving... NOT!
I was fortunate to catch this movie on the Sci Fi channel (I'd have been really ticked off if I paid good money to watch this). It really is purile... and yet... in it's own way... morbidly captivating. I could have flicked to another channel, but didn't. The worst thing, is the whole idea. A leprechaun is Space? Huh?!? The best thing is Dr Mittenhand. Being a big fan of the hit BBC comedy series, 'ELLO 'ELLO, I recognized Guy Siner immediately. He is a fine actor, and one of the funniest characters in the series. Wasted here, of course, but he does a brilliant job with this dreadful material.