Master and CommanderThe Far Side Of The World

Three Stars
Russell Crowe

I waited almost a year to see this movie so I could experience it on "The Big Screen". It was worth the wait. This movie had the ability to transport me to a different time and place almost magiacally. The action of grapling with the enemy was matched by the intorspective look into the mind of a great military leader.

The scope of the film was astouding. The sweeping views of an immense ocean and the mighty "Supirse" faring forth across it's surface is inspiring. The tale of a crew overcoming the odds was compelling. Watching Russle Crowe play the role of the battle savy, tough commander with a compasionate core was fascinating.

I loved that this movie was not in hurry, it didn't need to cram everything in. I was never bored however as the film is interlaced with fascinating looks into the everyday life of one crew in His Majesty's Service.

Runaway Jury

Two and One Half Stars
John Cusack, Rachael Wiess, Gene Hackman

This is definately John Grisham material. The plot line is innovative, charecters are engaging and the suspense is genuine. It's easy to see why the novel upon which the moive is based is so well liked. Unfortunatly all of this worthwhile material was tainted when the producers could not pass up the opportunity to forward thier political agenda. In the novel, a Jury is selected in a trial to judge "Big Tobacco" comapanies. The producers walk away from this story line and expose thier anti-gun opinions by setting up a trial where a gun maufacturer is held liable for a man's death by a shooter using one of thier products.

In real-life this scenario is ascenine and has been played out in the courts. However it seems that sour grapes prevail in hollywood and the topic is brought out again without the benifit of a balanced debate. The only bright spot in this anit-gun platform is a bir of irony that comes when a juror asks rethorically if convicting McDonals for making you fat was the next step. Of course the script and production was in the bag by the time the McDonalds suits were in the forefront of the news.

Basically the message I got from the studio was: "Ignore the outstanding cast, ignore the brilliat concepts put forth, ignore the mind blowing backtracks and story twisits, ignore the bold cinematography and beautiful setting and remember that it's all about the guns. If you have a strong political constitution, watch this movie with a grain of salt. If you are wishy washy and your opoinion is easily swayed by a dramaitc portrayl, stay away from this movie.

The Breakfast Club

Two and One Half Stars
Molly Ringwald, Emilio Esteves

I tackled the quintisential 80's movie last night with suprising results. I've always steered clear of the film as it didn't sound very entertaining to me. However after watching "The Club" it's easy to see why it was such a breakthrough movie and why it continues to be found on lists of influential films of the period.

The Breakfast Club stands above other "80's" movies becasue of it's lack of cheese. It's sophisitcated script and concept (writen by Director John Hughes) compel you watch yet it's lighthearted at the same time, avoiding the pitfall of over daramatization. The only moans and groans I uttered while watcing this movie were from the realization that I probably dressed like each one of the characters at some point between Junior High and High School. Beside that I wasn't pleased with the way the story built around the disiplinary principal and never returned to explore the consequences of his involvment.

One word of caution, there are alot of deep adult elements here, don't let the high school set fool you. Descriptive sexual acts, drug use, exposing family abuse, and a fair dose of language earn this film an "R" rating.

Manhattan Murder Mystery

Three Stars
Woody Allen, Dianne Keaton, Alan Alda

I'm not much a fan of Woody Allen films but Manhattan Murder Mystery incorporates enough elements from other film to make it palateable. Not knowing if it was Allen's intention to do so, I am impressed with how much this film mirrors Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece "Rear Window" without being a simple reprisal. The first half the film bears many of the elelments from Hitchcock's tale of voyerism and suspicion but Allen takes the film to another level, adding a second, yet intertwined mystery and a cunning attempt by our investigating band of friends to take the law into thier own hands.

We see Allen's directorial hand in this film though as well as his writing style. His flare for telling a story of relationships from an almost documentery-esque, second person style comes through in spades and almost spoiled this fun mystery for me, but I must admit, it did give a new dimension to the mystery genre formula and I think added a whif of freshness to the age old murder story.

A fabulous storyline bolstered by outstanding character protrayls and some whitty humor make this a mystery movie worth seeing.

Twilight

Three Stars
Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, Susan Sarandon

This was quite a fun film to watch from both the technical aspects and story telling. Twilight is film noir neuveau - a brilliant revival of the old private eye films. Newman offers another tour de force perofrmance as an aging private eye who is kept on by his long time employer, the fading movie star (Hackman) and his Hollywood wife (Sarandon).

If you love mystery and suspense, crime drama and a little hollywood scandal, this is a great movie to dive into.

Garfield

One Star
Bill Murray, Jennifer Love Hewitt

As I pen this review I begin by asking myself how I gave this film even one star. It must have been becasue I watched it on an incredibly boaring flight and it seemed like a savior at the time. My neighbor on the flight, a nine year old flying alone, would be appaled by my megerly star. He was so excited to see it again, as it was "a really good show".

Simply "Garfield" fell short of that lofty review for me in that the purpose for making the movie was never known. In print, the numerous alarm clock smashings are amusing, on celluloid, they are baffling. The writers don't give us any more to work with until the movie plot begins - HALFWAY THRoUGH THE MOVIE - and Odie is abductied by an odious (tee hee) televison show host looking for his ticket to fame and fortune. In fact, the only redeeming quality in the film is that Odie is an incredibly cute and talented dog, absolutely endering to watch. However that will come back to bite you when Odie is subjected to cruel treatment and heartless punishment from Garfield and the TV host.

Shrek 2

Two Stars
Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy

Wow, SHREK 2 really is as bad as I'd feared. I can not fathom how so many critics claim it's better than the first.

I did not rate the frist Shrek that highly but I also didn't dislike it as much as the sequal. It seemed to me that, as sequals do, the producers capitalize on the unique feel of the first film. This was the films undoing for me as all the parts I dislked about the first movie were expanded exponeitally in the second. The pop culture references in the first movie which drove me crazy were the foundation of the second movie. When the foundation starts uneven, the comprimises made in the film construction does not satiate the need to fix the foundation.

Furthermore, I continue to be dismayed by dreamworks perpetual practice of marketing these PG and PG-13 animated films to children. From "Road To Elderado" to "Shrek 2", these films are really not for children.

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban

Two Stars
Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson

This film can be summed up in one statement: "It's not much like the book". And there in lies the crux of this review.

The latest incarnation of the Harry Potter movies is replete with outstanding visual effects, a faster paced script and most outstanding performances from the main charecters seen yet. However, this is NOT your 12 year old's Prisoner of Azkaban. Along with these advances in story telling with film come an onslaught of story changes, additions and deletions. These changes left me reeling trying to keep seperate how my memory dictaed the story pregression from the novel and how the story was laid out on the screen.

I think those who have not read the novels will enjoy the film more for not having this hinderance, however that lack of background will leave the unfamiliar with total sense of loss as intricacies are not explained for the layman and the new story lines use the "doctrine and physics" of the novel without explaining them for the average viewing muggle.

Attend this movie with an everest size grain of salt and you'll at least come away without scars.