Movie Renter's Guide

Current Movies - Part 81 - December, 2001

Staff

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Ratings:
Extraordinary
Good
Acceptable
Mediocre
Poor

 

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"Pearl Harbor", Touchstone Pictures, 2001, Color, Filmed in Panavision and presented at measured aspect ratio 2.34:1, DD, DTS, 3 Hr 7 min, Rated PG-13; Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Colm Feore, Alec Baldwin; Rafe McCawley (Affleck) and Danny Walker (Hartnett) are boyhood friends who grow up to become pilots. Along the way, they both fall in love with a nurse, Evelyn Johnson (Beckinsale). Although Evelyn has chosen Rafe, the relationship between friends is tested when he volunteers to aid the British in their war against Germany. Then comes the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Rafe and Danny are the only two pilots who are able to get to their planes to fight the oncoming Japanese planes. The attack sequences are fantastic, putting even "Saving Private Ryan" to shame. Voight does an excellent job as President Franklin Roosevelt, and Baldwin is wonderful as Colonel Jimmy Dolittle who commanded the answering attack on Tokyo in early 1942.  - JEJ -

Entertainment: *****
Video Quality: *****
Audio: *****
Photography: *****
Violence: yes
Sex: yes
Language: the "S" word

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"Jurassic Park III", Universal Pictures, 2001, Color, Filmed spherically and presented at measured aspect ratio 1.85:1, DD, DTS, 1 Hr 33 min, Rated PG-13; Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Laura Dern, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter; Dr. Alan Grant (Neill) doesn't want anything to do with Jurassic Park anymore, but a couple of tourists, Paul (Macy) and Amanda (Leoni) Kirby, offer Grant so much money to guide them there, that he cannot resist. Unfortunately, the tour turns out to be something much different, and the resident reptiles begin eating them all, one by one. This film is a pale ghost of JP I and JP II. It is much like we got with Jaws II and Jaws III, having a few of the original cast, along with a bunch of teenagers, but no Spielberg. The computer graphics of the dinosaurs are wonderful of course, but the story just has no soul. It is not even "more of same" since the magic of the original director is missing.  - JEJ -

Entertainment: **
Video Quality: *****
Audio: ****
Photography: ****
Violence: yes
Sex: no
Language: no

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"Shrek", DreamWorks, 2001, Color, Filmed spherically and presented at measured aspect ratio 1.78:1, DD, DTS, 1 Hr 33 min, Rated PG;  Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Vincent Cassel;  In the world of make believe there are two major partitions, humans and storybook characters.  In the land of Duloc, the evil ruler Lord Farquaad (Lithgow) has ordered all storybook characters to be rounded up (for money) and driven from their homes, to have them eventually wind up in what they thought was an uninhabited swamp.  Unknowingly, the displaced characters make their new home in the middle of an ogre's dwelling.  That ogre's name is Shrek, a recluse creature living out his days alone in the swamp he had been protecting.  As soon as Shrek learns why these misfits are invading his privacy, he marches straight into the castle of Lord Farquaad for some answers.  What he gets is an ultimatum, to save the fair Princess Fiona (Diaz) in return for his land and solitude.  Shrek will not be alone on his journey, however, because he has unwillingly befriended Donkey (Murphy), a self-referential animal who worships Shrek's every move.  What starts out a self-guided quest for Shrek turns into a quest of discovery for all.  Throughout this movie there are some very unexpected moments and somewhat shocking scenes, but none of which ever cross the line.  In fact, Shrek features new and fresh ideas not seen in most formulaic movies of this genre (not to mention some hilarious spoofs on a competing studio giant) that definitely warrants at least a rental, if not a purchase.  - JB -

Entertainment: *****
Video Quality: *****
Audio: *****
Photography: *****
Violence: mild
Sex: no
Language: mild

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"Ghosts of Mars", Screen Gems, 2001, Color, Filmed spherically and presented at measured aspect ratio 2.36:1, DD, 1 Hr 38 min, Rated R;  Ice Cube, Natasha Henstridge, Jason Statham, Pam Grier, Joanna Cassidy; In the year 2025, Mars Colony Police Lieutenant Melanie Ballard (Henstridge) takes a squad of officers to retrieve a criminal from a mining town, only to discover everyone there has been killed by a group of ancient Martian spirits. So, the group fights these demons who are attempting to take over their human bodies. Secrets is giving out some Best of 2001 Awards shortly, and we may have to give out the Worst of 2001 Awards too, because this movie would go into that category. Even the giant grasshopper movies put out by American International in the 1950s were more entertaining than this.  The fire-in-a-garbage-can prop may have been the most expensive part of the set. However, I would like to find out more about that "Tetra-mono-chloride" drug that Melanie was supposed to be taking. Can someone draw the molecular structure of that one for me, please? I think the Academy Awards are safe. - JEJ -

Entertainment: *
Video Quality: ****
Audio: ****
Photography: ***
Violence: graphic
Sex: vulgar references
Language: the "F" and "S" words

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"The Score", Paramount Pictures, 2001, Color, Filmed in Panavision and presented at measured aspect ratio 2.33:1, DD, 2 Hr 4 min, Rated R;  Robert de Niro, Edward Norton, Angela Bassett, Marlon Brando; Nick Wells (de Niro) lives In Montreal, Canada, but burglarizes homes in the USA. He decides to retire and marry his girlfriend Diane (Bassett), but his friend Max (Brando) wants him for one more job, to steal a priceless art object, a 17th century royal scepter, from the Montreal House of Customs. Max hires a small time crook, Jack Teller (Norton), to help Nick pull off the job. In the meantime, Nick finds that Max is heavily in debt to the local mob and is afraid they will take off with the scepter once he acquires it. He does not trust Jack, but wants to help his friend Max in spite of the great risks involved. I don't think this film did very well at the box office, but it sure is a great rental for the home theater. With four superb actors and a terrific script, it is hard to go wrong.  - JEJ -

Entertainment: *****
Video Quality: *****
Audio: ***
Photography: ***
Violence: yes
Sex: mild
Language: the "F" and "S" words

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� Copyright 2001 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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