Reviews

Ocean's 12 is the continuation of the saga of a group of robbers, directed with finesse by Steven Soderberg. Despite being overlong, Ocean's Twelve is enjoyable, and will likely appeal to anyone who appreciated the 2001 film. Not only are the actors the same, but the men behind the scenes, including Soderbergh, producer Jerry Weintraub, and composer David Holmes, have returned for another round. The screenplay, by George Nolfi, starts out a little slow, but, by the end of the first hour, it has hit its stride with the movie building momentum. The complicated details of the final heist are entertaining to unravel, and there's also a wonderfully wry bit of fourth wall-breaking fun that Soderbergh has at Julia Roberts' expense. Soderbergh peppers the print with occasional directorial flourishes (freeze-frames, the use of colored filters, etc.), but, for the most part, he presents the film straight.

I don't remember watching Flashdance(It's a chick flick right) but my opinion is pretty much on par with the general consensus- Flashdance is a perfect example of a movie that's better known for its impact on pop culture than for what exists on celluloid. It is not a particularly good film, nor is it memorable on its cinematic merits. It proffers cheesy drama, amateurish acting, and a staple fairy tale plot. But it was a huge success. Part of that had to do with the music - the soundtrack album was amazingly successful. The movie became a pop culture touchstone, much like Saturday Night Fever in the late '70s and Dirty Dancing in the late '80s. With the Musical all-but-dead in this era, melodramas containing song-and-dance elements were able to capitalize on the opening. Given Flashdance's popularity in 1983 and its continuing name recognition during the quarter-century since its release, it's surprising that Hollywood has not yet gotten around to remaking it. It's probably only a matter of time. Only for musical lovers.

Willow released at a time fantasy films were trying to get a stranglehold on the box office and failing usually. Though due to no fault of the films but its easy to see now why they failed- they were catering to a family crowd and not the core fantasy audience. Willow is dumbed-down King Arthur crossed with The Hobbit with more than a dash of Star Wars thrown in. With its thinly-drawn characters and somewhat aimless narrative, the film rightfully failed to capture a die-hard audience or launch the hoped-for franchise. Those who saw it in May 1988 were generally unimpressed. Those who see it today, in the wake of the far better fantasy releases of the last two decades, are likely to be downright disappointed. Everything in Willow is so perfunctory and rushed that nothing evolves or develops. The pacing is relentless yet, in the end, not much seems to have been achieved. The film is engaging in a limited, distracted way.

Tremors is an excellent B movie- exactly the correct way a movie of this kind must be made and presented. Starring Greg Ward and Kevin Bacon, this sci-fi star's giant underground worms who wreak havoc on a tiny town consisting of less than a dozen people. It is cheesy, yet the characters are relatable. The pacing is very good, and the film never rushes onto the next monster action sequence. Kevin Bacon is great as Valentine and country singer Reba Mccntyre plays his love interest in a role that is cherubic and bound to get the singer more attention. The special effects are very good and not for one second did the graboids look fake or planted in. There have been many B monster movies made since Tremors, which on it own continued with many sequels, but none have been able to match the sheer charm and boldness of tremors. Directors trying to make films in a similar genre need not look far from Tremors to find great inspiration.

Featuring towering performances from Henry Ian Cusick and especially Kathleen Quinlan Chimera Strain is a film that will take you by surprise. The set designs are phenomenal with a blueish hue that is always welcome for science fiction lovers and the story- although a bit confusing at times is good enough for the audience to relate with. This low budget film doesn't look or feel low budget at all.

Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow is a visually stunning film so incredibly atmospheric it makes you yearn to live in the recreated town of Sleepy Hollow, even though judging by the threat of a ghost tormenting its population one would consider otherwise. This is a gorgeous film and the cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki- who has since become a highly respected DOP must be given all the dues. The gothic atmosphere seeping through the fantastic production design is something to savor. Based on Washington Irving's tale "The legend of Sleepy Hollow" Johnny Depp stars as the well meaning but cowardice Ichabod Crane who comes to this town to investigate the murders which are all similar in nature- gruesomely beheaded. This is a great film which has been unfairly criticized.

Lately Robert Deniro has been only acting to collect paychecks(Hey- nothing wrong with it you know) but does considering pay roles mean he doesn't even look at the script? The Fan is another one of those De-Niro duds that should have been made with lesser actors. Given De Niro's track record, it was reasonable to expect good things from him in The Fan, director Tony Scott's followup to last year's blockbuster, Crimson Tide. In fact, with De Niro playing a sociopathic baseball nut, one might be forgiven mistakenly believing that this movie had potential. Unfortunately, whatever promise the idea held was lost early in the film making process. The version of The Fan to reach movie screens is as unwatchable a thriller as has come to theaters this year. De-Niro hams it up like he's never done before and the screenplay by Phoef Sutton is abysmal. The Fan is disjointed, poorly paced, and, at times, completely incoherent. While Sutton has to bear some of the blame, the lion's share goes to Tony Scott, who has badly mishandled every aspect of this film. The director appears to have backslided into his unpromising Beverly Hills Cop II phase.

The Naked Gun series has been a laugh riot and Leslie Neilson is so good as the deadpan Dreblin there is no reason to believe that this film will not be funny- but it isn't. One thing that can be said about this movie is that it keeps the audience in their seats until the end of the closing credits -- and with good reason. One could argue that the credits (opening and closing combined) are the most entertaining part of the movie. It's what comes in between that's the letdown. The motion picture parodies (which are numerous, and include The Untouchables and Jurassic Park) are bland. Much of what this movie pokes fun at, especially the Academy Awards, is ripe for the satirical plucking. The Naked Gun 33 1/3 lines everything up in its sights, but never pulls the trigger. The majority of the Police Squad! series' irreverence is absent without leave. We really can't complain, however, since we have been warned. After all, the film is aptly called The Final Insult, so the last joke is on the audience. Unfortunately, we aren't laughing, and that's the whole problem.

With his two 2006 movies, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, Eastwood has stripped away some of the misconceptions about the battle and provided new perspectives. Taken together, the films offer an imperfect but interesting interpretation of history. Of the two, the more straightforward and better focused Letters from Iwo Jima is the stronger movie. This film depicts the battle from the perspective of the losers and it represents the United States as the "enemy." Letters from Iwo Jima remains entrenched upon the island from start to finish (except for a few character-building flashbacks). In terms of its structure, this is more what we expect from a war movie than what Flags of Our Fathers offers. The only character common to both films is the island's rough terrain.

Abandon is a melodrama masquerading as a thriller. Or perhaps it's the other way around. Either way, this movie comes across as exceedingly dumb, even when you consider that a lot of the rank stupidity is designed to facilitate the "surprise" twist (ho-hum) that is telegraphed midway through the excruciatingly long 90-minute running time. With the flat characters and lifeless performances, it's a wonder that anyone in the audience can stay awake all the way through this dull and dreary production. Unfortunately, sloppy filmmaking reveals the twist too early - I was able to predict how the movie would end more than 30 minutes before the moment of the "big revelation."

The Zodiac is one of the many films made on the famous San Francisco serial killer of the same name. This film got completely overshadowed by the David Fincher movie which is vastly superior, but this isn't a bad film at all, more like just adequate. I remember seeing this and pondering why everyone- at least the critics- hated it. You can give this one a shot, it isn't as bad as the ratings imply.

Awesome movie. The film is brilliantly paced, reeking of humor and brilliantly shot. The acting is top notch. Ed Norton is relatable as the narrator and Brad Pitt shows why he was so popular back in the 90s- he owns the scenes. Ladies get a strong character in Helena Bonham Carter's Marla Singer, though quirky and psychotic. But then everyone is that way to some extent in this stylish film. One of Fincher's best and that's a tough call to make.

Will Smith shines and proves that he isn't just a big budget action man in this heartfelt rendition of a real-life story. A door to door salesman without much luck lands an internship but his private life is absolute hell as he tackles with money issues. What is worse is he has his five-year-old boy to take care of, whilst he does all of it. Buoyed by both the Smith's performances as father-son The Pursuit Of Happyness is never melodramatic (or not to the extent it becomes noticeable) and real life lessons on ethics of hard work are finely put forth. Go watch it to get a lesson of sorts.

Legends of the fall is now probably known for bringing Brad Pitt into the mainstream but it is a grand sweeping epic with great performances, a touching story and some stunning natural visuals. Edward Zwick is his usual self and the vast panoramic sceneries have become his playground. This is a good early 90s family film that will transport you back to innocent days.

The one thing I can remember about this movie is its production design. The recreation of the buildings from the 30s is a sight to behold, as is the way the offices and desks are setup- brilliantly unique, but these things are expected from the Coen brothers. What I don't remember is the story or plot and checking some reviews on Wikipedia it seems I am not the only one- critics praised the visual style but criticized the plot. Tim Robbins plays a young marketing graduate hired by Paul Newman to work in the firm he wants to take over. Jennifer Jason Leagh is also an inspired choice and I distinctly remember a few of her scenes. But this isn't one of the better Coen films for sure.

This is a cute, albeit forgettable comedy romance about a man who comes out in the real world after living in a nuclear fallout shelter all his life. Strange to see both Alicia Silverstone and Brendon Fraser completely fall off the face of this Earth now but back in 1999 they were as big a stars as one could be. The chemistry is lacking to be honest and the film sort of just plods through though there are some cute moments scattered about. Blast from the Past is a decent watch if there is nothing else to see. Otherwise you're better off renting Clueless or The Mummy.

Along with After Hours in all possibility the most underrated Martin Scorsese movie. Bringing out the dead is an extremely well-made film by a master filmmaker and ably acted by underrated Nicholas Cage and supported by the likes of Vhing Rames and John Goodman. Taking place in a span of three nights this is a dark comedy which is bound to become a cult classic soon. 9/10 (Go watch for the magic of Martin Scorsese).

An average film at best, Thor: Ragnarock is basically the same film as its two previous installments with a much lighter tone. The ending is predictable and even the cameos (of which there are plenty) don't do much in way of excitement- In fact, after some time they start becoming annoying. What is most unfortunate is that buried deep below the stale narrative lies fantastic lore which could have been utilized. Thor: Ragnarok is an afternoon diversion at best and should be watched with this notion in mind.

As far as straightforward narrative inspired comic book adaptations go Wonder Woman is a great film and the way a good film should be made, unlike recent superhero films which rely overtly on CGI laden set pieces at the expense of a story. Gal Gadot is impressive as the titular character and Patty Jenkins proves that a female can helm a multimillion dollar film as good as any man. This is an origin story with great period set pieces (how many of these do you get in Superhero films), fantastic all-round performances and a good story foundation. Watch it.