Reviews
The Polar Express (2004)
Magical
This movie is absolutely stunning. The visuals literally took my breath away throughout the film. The story is a classic that was handled with delicacy and grace in this adaptation. The filmmakers do an amazing job of capturing the Christmas spirit and making the nameless characters both realistic and memorable. Although some younger children might be frightened by the haunting nature of the film, I think most kids 6 and up will appreciate it's unique style. A movie like this should not be denied a cinematic experience. It is a perfect film for the holiday season and it would be a shame if bad timing and some unfair reviews kept audiences away. Don't miss this movie!
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Waste of Money
Sure this movie has a few entertaining action sequences, some funny one liners and lots of T & A but it really doesnt add up to much. The first Charlie's Angels was just plain ole goofy, silly, over the top fun. This movie is plenty goofy, silly and over the top but its missing the fun! This movie is a snooze-fest!!! The plot is too ridiculous to care about and most of the fight scenes are such a mess that they're more boring than they are impressive. SKIP THIS MOVIE, ITS A WASTE OF TEN BUCKS.....JUST RENT THE FIRST ONE INSTEAD!
As Told by Ginger (2000)
Original, clever and funny!
This is a great show. The characters are written very realistically and are given more complexity than your average cartoons. It follows a young girl who is not very popular nor an outcast through junior high. Ginger is a lot closer to your average pre-teen girl than most characters in live action movies. She is smart, thoughtful and awkward. Her best friends Dodie and Marcie are real treats too. They possess all of the sweet yet annoying traits that best friends are supposed to have in junior high.
Even most of the popular kids are well thought out. Though Miranda is a typical mean, rich kid, the most popular girl in school, Courtney has her moments of kindness and gets along well with the not so popular kids. Another real treat is Ginger's family. Her single working mom's a great wide eyed adult who always knows how to deal with her kids. And her brother Carl is always getting into trouble with his best friend, Hoodsie while executing some hysterically bizarre scheme.
This is a great show! Check it out if you like smart toons!
Sex and the City (1998)
Don't take it so seriously
This is a fun show to watch. It's definitely bolder and more controversial than most television, thanks to the suits and writers at HBO, but it's also more fun! I think this show is a joy to watch. Yes, the characters can be absurd, and superficial and appear to have more money and style than your average person, but they're also interesting, smart and pretty vulnerable and human when stripped down to the core. I think a lot of the people that dislike the show take it way too seriously. It's a great blend of comedy, satire and social commentary, albeit from a rich, white, urbanite perspective. Don't believe the hate!
Four Rooms (1995)
Only One Segment Is Worth Watching
The first two segments of this movie are absolutely atrocious! The acting is bad and the writing is even worse. Don't waste your time! The third segment, The Misbehavers is well written, well acted and timed perfectly. Robert Rodriguez has an undeniable gift for comedy and for working with children and Antonio Banderas steals the show as the overly macho father with plenty of dough to throw around. The last segment is decent but not nearly as good as what one might ordinarily expect from Tarantino. Even Tim Roth, who is usually brilliant is annoying and over-acts throughout the entire movie. Just watch it for the Rodriguez segment.
Drive Me Crazy (1999)
Better than your average High School flick
The two main characters of this movie deserve a better script. This movie is way better than your average high school flicks like Ten Things I Hate About You and Can't Hardly Wait. This movie actually has two intelligent and witty characters in the lead roles. Although the screenplay is full of some great one-liners and memorable dialogue, it unfortunately follows a very familiar formulaic pattern. Melissa and Adrian deserve credit for giving thoughtful, convincing, three-dimensional performances. Too bad the screenplay wasn't held up to a higher standard. Still, this movie is way better than most of the annoying, romantic teen comedies out there today....check it out if that genre appeals to you and even if it doesn't. 8/10
The Brothers McMullen (1995)
Slow, boring and predictable
When I heard all of the accolades given to this low budget indie from good ole NYC, I was looking forward to seeing it a great deal. Now I wish I HAD MY TWO HOURS BACK. This is one of the most conventional and overrated movies of all time. The only thing independent about it, is its budget. It has almost no spirit, no real energy, and moves at a rate that will surely leave you in a clinical state of BOREDOM. The performances are decent enough, with the exception of Maxine Bahns....she's supposed to be an actress????? <Insert loud and obnoxious laughter!> BE WARNED............unless you wanna follow around a bunch of boring twenty-somethings that give New York a bad name, STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!!
Tiny Toon Adventures (1990)
Brilliant
One of the funniest and smartest cartoon series ever. Tiny Toon Adventures was one of the sharpest, wackiest, and most beloved cartoons of my childhood. Kids will love it for it's slapstick and conventional humor, whereas adults will get a kick out of its pop-culture savviness and satirical nature. Like most older Warner Brothers cartoons, the show was full of inside jokes about the entertainment industry, self-referential humor, some lightweight sexual innuendos and witty social commentary. It featured plenty of crazy characters, memorable songs and is definitely a classic from the early nineties. I loved it when I was 9 and continue to do so at 20!
Romeo Must Die (2000)
Recycled plot with an entertaining result.
I didn't expect much from Romeo Must Die so I was pretty surprised by how much I liked it. Nothing about the story is new or innovative but some good actors and entertaining fight scenes save the movie. Aaliyah is a very natural actress and her chemistry with Jet Li is just right. Li demonstrates that he is an incredibly skilled martial artist and has charming wit and style. I look forward to seeing more of his work. The supporting performances are good all around, especially from veteran actor, Delroy Lindo. The one problem I had with the movie was that the fight scenes depended too much on special effects when Li's talent on display should have been enough. I did however enjoy watching a bone chilling special effect that is used to show the core of combatants before their ultimate demise. Overall, I give it an 8/10.
My So-Called Life (1994)
Over-rated
I know many people, mainly teenage girls rallied around this show when it was first cancelled, but I don't think that the whining was really worth it. This show had a decent young cast, most notably Wilson Cruz and dealt with a lot of high school traumas from the perspective of a young teenage girl named Angela Chase. Although I applaud the show for it's rare subtle effectiveness, on the whole it was never really convincing. A lot of the problems dealt with by the characters seemed to be contrived and the plot often moved at a painfully slow pace. The show also created it's own catch phrases that thankfully never caught on. The main problem is that the lead female protagonist never fully captivates us. A young Claire Danes is often flat and uninspiring in the role of Angela. The show lacked a true adolescent perspective. Too often it was painfully obvious that the lines spoken were from the mind of a fourty year old trying to explain today's youth without fully comprehending us.
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
I'm dizzy!
I've just returned from the Moulin Rouge and I'm still searching for my senses. This is more than a movie, it's an experience. It's quite a gem of a film and is worthy of much praise. The performances are all fantabulous and the musical numbers will stay with you for days. Moulin Rouge is an incredibly entertaining audio-visual spectacle wrapped around a sweet love story. Though not for all tastes, I highly recommend it to those who have open minds and tolerance for music video editing.
The Craft (1996)
High School, boys, casting spells, it isn't easy being a teen witch!
The Craft is a well-written, well-acted and pardon the pun, well-crafted ensemble piece. The movie is blessed with four very talented young actresses who capture the essence of the insecurity and isolation a lot of teenagers feel in high school. Of course the movie offers a twist because these four young teens can cast spells to either benefit themselves or harm those who harm them. With the combination of memorable performances, intriguing special effects, an interesting story, and some very catchy and cool spells, The Craft is a must-see for anyone who's up for teens messing with the supernatural!