Current Movies - Part 81 - December, 2001
Staff
Ratings: | ||
Extraordinary | ||
Good | ||
Acceptable | ||
Mediocre | ||
Poor |
"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 |
"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 |
"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 |
"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 |
"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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