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The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Fifteen Years Later Affair (1983)
Stick with the Original Series
This TV movie featured Robert Vaughn and David McCallum returning as their popular espionage characters Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, agents of the U.S. branch of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. In this movie which obviously takes place a number of years after the series ended. Napoleon Solo had inexplicably left or been let go years ago, and after he left Illya also mysteriously quit the force. Illya has gone to work in a store where he designs women's outfits - some of which are pretty offensive and revealing. This was a disappointment for the production as well as Illya's character.
I liked that the fictitious character JB (presumably James Bond) made a brief guest appearance, assisting Solo in a car chase who he referred to as "a colleague." I enjoyed that when the program went to commercial the last frame was frozen and then blurred out - just like in the original series. I did not like the altered music which slightly resembled the original TV show theme. There were a few funny parts in this movie which bring back memories of the old series, but The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. is not a favorite. Many of the original episodes were significantly better.
Cars 3 (2017)
A Good, Decent Film
+JMJ+
I thought Cars 3 was a good movie. From the parental stance and view, there is no cursing or foul language except "heck" mildly being exclaimed twice during a race and "butt" a few times in reference to a car's back end. I loved the flashbacks to the late Doc Hudson, otherwise referred to as the Fabulous Hudson Hornet. It was interesting that Mater and the rest of the gang from Radiator Springs had roles that were significantly less active than in either of the previous two animated films.
Cars 3 is majorly focused on Lightning McQueen. Like many main characters in animated movies, McQueen is slightly egotistical. He seems to be solely worried about his racing career which appears to be declining. Gradually, however, he starts caring more for others around him. McQueen's character has always struggled with looking beyond his own desires. But at the end of Cars 3, McQueen helps a new friend Cruz to attain her biggest dream.
A personal annoyance was Cristela Alonzo's squealing when her character Cruz was frightened or excited. From a critic's point of view, Randy Newman's music for the film was very similar to many other past Disney movies including Up's scores which were composed by Michael Giacchino. But overall it was a pretty enjoyable film.
Lost in Space (1965)
Lost in Space - One of My Favorite TV Shows
Lost in Space is a classic sci-fi story with a robot which initially turns against its intended masters, cryogenic freezing tubes for suspended animation, a saucer-shaped spacecraft, as well as a whole host of aliens, some of which are hospitable and some hostile. Together, the Robinson family, Major Donald West, and Colonel Zachary Smith have to survive in ever-changing conditions. They have to be careful in their weekly dealings with aliens since some of them belie their intentions, often hiding malicious plans in store for the small Earthling party lost in space. The Robinsons technically save the Earth from an alien invasion on at least two occasions, in the episodes "The Lost Civilization" and "The Deadly Games of Gamma 6."
I absolutely love this show. It has its touching moments, its funny moments, its corny moments, and its dark and dangerous moments. It is a classic piece of family entertainment about a family, friendship, love, adventure, cowardice, sabotage, betrayal, and endurance. Some of the characters return to Earth just a few times throughout the series, but circumstances require them to leave soon after their arrival. They never make it to their original destination, the star system of Alpha Centauri, or back home to Earth for good. The show was canceled, leaving the Robinsons, Major West, and Doctor Smith forever lost in space.
Superman (1978)
"STUNNING Graphics in the 1978 Film Superman" (A Full Review of the Movie)
The plot for Superman was okay, an old but classic tale. The dorky news reporter Clark Kent is obviously the dashing, muscular humanoid alien Superman. I thought the film provided a good beginning and introduction to Superman's life, history, and home. This might not be the best program for a family with young kids to be viewing. Lex Luther's female accomplice's wardrobe features some inappropriate/revealing outfits. In one scene Superman is seen completely naked as a boy. Several people die (obviously), one of which is murdered by being run over on a subway track. There is some mild language. The green screen superimposing for some of Superman's flying sequences do look primitive by today's cinematography standards. All that set aside, I absolutely loved most of the graphics, animations, explosions, effects, and sci-fi prop and wardrobe creations.
Mysterious Island (2005)
The Pros and Cons of Hallmark's Two Part TV Miniseries: Mysterious Island
This rendition of Jules Verne's novel is, like all screen adaptations of fictional literature, definitely not accurate as far as the book plot goes. However, like just about every production, it has its bad parts and its good parts (but mostly bad in this case). The actual cinematography is good, and some of the acting is fairly well done. I found it interesting that the producers were able to get a notable actor such as Sir Patrick Stewart. But when it comes to some of the post-production, it was terrible. The computer graphics for the giant creatures are HORRIBLE! If the computerized graphics are not jerky then they are quite noticeably out of sync and do not match up well with the video clips. If you decide to watch this poor production I think you will find yourself saying, "Oh my gosh; that's so bad!" out loud and more than once.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
E.T. - Definitely NOT Steven Spielberg's Best Work
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial displayed some amazing special effects on the screen for the time. However, some of the content and scenarios in the film are unnecessary and/or confusing. A good portion of foul language is used, including anatomical references. There is other crude visual content. There are some areas of the story that are vague and hard to understand, such as when a fully geared astronaut comes barging through a window. Also, inexplicably, the young main character is somehow connected to E.T. the little alien, as if together they are one entity. An adult briefly notes that the little alien appeared to him too as a boy, a very minor thing which is never explored further than the original comment. Multiple references to the Star Wars franchise (costumes, toys, and the like) are made in this movie. John Williams, the Star Wars musical composer, composed the scores for E.T. too. All considered, the film's story-line is pretty poorly done.
Gordy (1994)
Gordy - One of the Worst Movies of All Time!
+JMJ+
I cannot believe I actually sat through this entire movie! It was just BAD. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the picture was that at times the animals' lips actually looked like they were uttering the lines, and the editor synced up the dialogue audio. I do not know how the filmmakers were able to get the animals to move their mouths like that. (Computer graphics were not yet advanced enough to pull off the job.) I really respect animal trainers and directors willing to work with live animals. Anyway, the Disney movie Gordy had a predictable plot and a poor cast of poor actors. There were few funny parts in the film. The singing was fair I suppose, if you are really into country folk songs.
Poirot (1989)
Poirot - Not a True Catholic Character
This series, like most murder TV shows, eventually introduced sexual relationship-related murders with vivid flashbacks. For my family and I, that gave it less of an appeal, as the show sort of became dirty to a degree. In the series, the odd little Belgian detective is portrayed as a Catholic, often praying the Marian Catholic devotion of the Rosary. Also, in one of the early seasons, Poirot tells a woman that murder is a mortal sin. But the Poirot of the series finale does not hold that same Christian belief. The main character, who is on his deathbed, surprisingly becomes a hypocrite, taking the life of a man who he knows manipulates and/or murders others, but whom he has no proof to accuse such charges. Thus, Poirot himself commits a murder, a mortal sin. For me, this fact ruined the entire premise of the show.
Land of the Giants (1968)
An Observation about Cats and Little People in Hollywood
Irwin Allen, the creator and producer of the Land of the Giants series, was involved with Hollywood productions for decades. Land of the Giants was not the first screen story that depicted a cat chasing and endangering very tiny people. In both Dr. Cyclops (1940) and The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), there is a tabby cat terrorizing unnaturally small human beings. These were obviously released prior to Land of the Giants (1968-1970). Irwin Allen was probably influenced and inspired by either or both of these films.
RocketMan (1997)
Rocketman is Stupid but Hilarious
Rocketman is a great movie for kids. I found it to be pretty clean and fairly funny. The story and scenarios are sometimes outrageously corny, but this adds to the comical feel of the whole film. The main character (who is also the cause of the movie's humorous twist) has long had a dream of traveling into space. As an adult, his dream becomes a living reality, as he becomes a member of a small crew headed for Mars. But, as you might expect, he is a klutz. He makes numerous mistakes, and his two fellow astronauts find him annoying and rather troublesome at times, such as when he accidentally supplements the space food tubes with tubes of medical creams. Due to certain circumstances, he ends up missing out on his cryogenic slumber, resulting in a number of months of the main character roaming about the ship talking to himself. He also is in love with the female astronaut aboard the ship, and eventually, she starts to warm up to him. If you want to have a good laugh, I recommend trying watching Rocketman.