Small Soldiers (1998) review

(5/10)

     Small Soldiers is a nostalgic trip back to the nineties, personifying the same general fascination with toys and future technology in that decade. The movie is a gem for its short-lived children's franchise and offbeat feel, which helps teach a bit of a lesson in the end. However, the movie is definitely not one of the greats and very dated compared to today's standards.

PLOT: In the nineties, the race for making the best toy was a real battle. So many different new and era-unique toys had been created thus far. This movie plays with that idea by introducing two new toys set to war against each other: the Commando Elites and the Gorgonites. The Commandos were seen as the patriotic heroes while the Gorgonites came off as weird aliens with strange attributes. The Commandos instantly became more popular. However, what the public doesn't know is that the Commandos have been programmed a bit too well with authentic military technology. A young boy named Alan (Gregory Smith) buys a whole set of Commandos and is surprised when they spring to life and dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to killing their programmed rivals, the Gorgonites. However, the Gorgonites have also sprung to life, but just for the sake of survival and not for war. The two toy races end up in an all-out war that Alan, his friends, and his family get caught in the crossfire of, as the Commandos are hell bent on achieving their goal. The plot is very unique for the most part, stealing only the idea of toys coming to life. The idea of putting them at war in a live-action environment is what made it seem fresh. The plot for the most part was executed as well as it could be, with the humor and events feeling a bit more offbeat and dark than they need to be. However, it puts this dated gem on the corner of being a cult classic. This movie even had a short-lived toy franchise around the time of the movie's release that faded out real quick. Ironic, isn't it?

ACTING: The performances in this movie aren't too spectacular or too bland either. The actors do their jobs as they should. Gregory Smith does a decent job as Alan, the young hero, and so does Kristen Dunst as his love interest, Christy. Other honorable performances come from David Cross as Irwin Wayfair, Phil Hartman as Phil, Tommy Lee Jones as Commando Chip Hazard, and Denis Leary as Gil Mars. No extremely stellar performances, but these guys all do their jobs as well as they possibly can.

SCORE/SOUNDTRACK: The score is pretty run-of-the-mill for the most part but the soundtrack has a lot of different selections from many different artists, including the likes of Queen, Billy Squire, and many others used throughout the movie in many different ways.

OTHER CONTENT: This movie was great entertainment in its time, especially for its target audience. As a child, I loved this movie and everything about it. Now, it takes me back to that time but doesn't seem to hold up to today's standards. It's a period piece in its own way, as it represents the nineties. It has the offbeat humor, childish innocence, and cheap effects. The Commandos and the Gorgonites look like real toys moving and interacting with the exception of certain scenes of action where the effects look very dated. The movie was really fun in its time, and is still fun if you remember it that way. However, it seems quite bland and stale to today's standards. It hasn't aged well, unless you tend to be an over-enthusiastic nineties nostalgia kid. In which case, this is a classic to reserve and remember. The lesson taught was impressive though. Through the Gorgonites, the movie teaches not to judge a person by their strange appearance but their heart, which was a nice lesson to learn at the target audience's age.

     Small Soldiers is a very overlooked gem of nineties entertainment, but is only good for that much. The movie is a trip back to the simplicity and quirkiness of that decade, but grows stale when compared with today's standards.The brief franchise and idea were nice parts of my childhood that I'm glad existed. However, their time is passed, but what a time it was and what a lesson was learned. Everyone just wants to be accepted and at home, man or Gorgonite.

Office Space (1999) review

(7/10)

     Comedic icon, Mike Judge, makes his directorial debut in Office Space, a workplace satire as true and razor-sharp as his previous animated projects. The movie, though full of great performances and an attention-catching plot, falls at times with Judge's typical hit-and-miss jokes and an overall feeling of underachievement. So much more could have been done with what the audience was provided with.

PLOT: Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) lives a fairly normal life working in an office in the city. Every day has grown to seem the same to Peter, even with the constant reprimands his many bosses give him. One day after being hypnotized by a psychiatrist, Peter has a revelation and realizes that he no longer wants work to rule his life. Peter begins to miss days of work and barely work at all while on the job, but they don't fire him. In fact, in an employee evaluation, they promote him as to "provide him an incentive." Peter doesn't mind this at first until he finds out the big bosses will be laying off his two friends, non-singer Michael Bolton (David Herman) and foreign Samir Nagheenanajar (Ajay Naidu). In rebellion towards the company, the three come up with a clever scheme to unknowingly steal money from company funds. However, things go wrong and the team must figure out how to cover up their tracks. The plot idea is very clever and executed in a sharp and clean-cut way. Everything is done in a smooth and smart way. However, as far as the humor goes, the jokes are hit-and-miss. Director Mike Judge does what he has done in his previous animated shows (Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill), which is making sly satirical jokes that don't always work. The movie, nevertheless, is still an intelligent comedy with some extremely memorable quotes and characters.

ACTING: The performances in this movie were actually really great. Some of the characters portrayed engrave their infamous lines and personalities on the audience in such a memorable way. Rob Livingson, Gary Cole (Lumbergh, Peter's boss), and Stephen Root (Milton, the stapler guy) all play their consecutive roles in an extremely unique, memorable, and funny way. Aside from these poster faces, the rest of the cast did great as well. Jennifer Aniston (Joanna, Peter's girlfriend), Diedrich Bader (Lawrence, Peter's neighbor), and John C. McGinly (Bob Slydell, one of the company's big bosses) also all played stand-out roles in which each's dialogue and characters shine.

SCORE: The soundtrack is mainly made up of rap songs from around the time period, such as "Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" and "Still" from the Geto Boys as well as other hits from rappers like Ice Cube and Scarface. If one doesn't like rap, the soundtrack won't intrigue that person. However, the soundtrack does have an effect on the movie, making every major scene more ironically hilarious.

OTHER CONTENT: Office Space makes itself known as an intelligent and amazingly memorable, but suffers from both its hit-and-miss humor and the overall feeling that everything starts to rush. After the basic plot and conflict are set up, the action just seems to fall too fast. It takes half the movie to set up the plot and conflict, so the movie overall feels short and underdone or like more could have been done with it. It almost feels like the writers ran out of ideas midway through the movie and just rushed to end it. The movie is still a classic, memorable comedy, but definitely not short of problematic.

     Mike Judge delivers to the audience another sharp comedy with hit-and-miss humor, but in an iconic movie form rather than in another animated series. Office Space is very smart and memorable addition to the list of most-quoted comedies. The movie is very good. However,if  it didn't feel so underdone and laden with the typical hit-and-miss humor, that'd be great.

Forrest Gump (1994) review

(10/10)

     Forrest Gump falls nothing short of the classic it wants to be. With an iconic performance by Tom Hanks, a story full of history, and an inspiring message behind it all, this film lives on as one of the most popular of its time and well-deserving of its many Academy Awards.

PLOT: Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is a simple man from Alabama with a small IQ and a big heart. Since he was little, Forrest had always dealt with problems from bullies to his scoliosis. However, things start to change for Forrest when he meets a young girl named Jenny (Robin Wright) and becomes best friends with her. Their relationship grows strong throughout history and the many events Forrest attends, but both eventually go their own ways. Forrest joins the military where he meets shrimp-enthusiast Bubba (Mykelti Williamson) and harsh Lt. Dan (Gary Sinise), whereas Jenny joins the hippie movement and travels the country freely. Throughout their time apart, each starts to realize how much they care for each other. For the rest of the film, we're guided through Forrest's life and roles in history as he goes with his intuition and realizes he eventually has to stop running. The plot is very well written and executed. All of Forrest's roles in important historical events make this feel both like lesson and a treat for history enthusiasts. Seeing how everything is connected and tied back to the meaning is simply amazing to watch.

ACTING: All of the performances in this film are perfect. Every performer acts to fit his or her character in such an accurate way. I couldn't picture anyone else playing any other character in this film, especially with Tom Hanks in his iconic role of the titular character, Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks almost acts as if he had really been Forrest his whole life. No role could have said any of his iconic lines better. Robin Wright, Mykelti Williamson, and Gary Sinise all played their roles just as excellently. Every performer in this film is fully-deserving of respect after each's consecutive roles in this film.

SCORE: The score for Forrest Gump is just as inspirational and uplifting as the overall film is. Talented composer Alan Silvestri takes the reigns in writing the background score for the film and does so in a simplistically fitting way. The soundtrack is also one of the best soundtracks in film history, with each addition fitting the decade it arose from in the film. From classics like "Hound Dog" from Elvis and "Can't Help Myself" from The Four Tops to classic rock hits like "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival and "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield, Forrest Gump's soundtrack feels much like radio station made only for the classic rock generation.

EFFECTS: There aren't many special effects to focus on in Forrest Gump aside from the Vietnam sequences. The explosions are very realistically done with an impressive "wow" factor upon first viewing. Everything done effect wise in the Vietnam sequence is amazing. They aren't the best, but they definitely succeed in the entertainment factor.

OTHER CONTENT: Forrest Gump is truly a film with both a brain and a heart behind it. Through the many inclusions of the simple-minded titular character in history, the film slyly teaches a lesson on how no matter how small someone thinks he or she is, he or she has probably made a huge impact on one's life. Prestigious director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Cast Away, Romancing the Stone) shows his skills in making the film with a clean, unique understanding of  the points he wants to get across. This is also evident from the symbolic focus on the feather, which stands for the ups and downs life can take a person through. Everything in this film, from the screenplay to the specific script is well-crafted and aimed for cogent perfection.

     Forrest Gump is an iconic, memorable film for obvious reasons. There isn't a question about why it became as popular and award-winning as it did. Perfect performances, solid direction, a great soundtrack, and a clear expression of meaning lead this film into a sort of safe zone. Almost everyone enjoys it and can relate to it, critics and the general public alike. I'm not saying people can't hate the film, but if one looks at the big picture, one can't help but to enjoy it. Forrest Gump itself is like a "box of chocolates"; when watching it, you never know what you can get out of it.

American Beauty (1999) review [Revisited]

(10/10)

     American Beauty still remains to be one of the most thoughtful, controversial, and brilliantly executed films of all film history. After multiple views, the inner meaning and surreal approach to conveying this meaning become more cogent and true to real life's dysfunctions. Through the expert performances, intelligent script-writing, and visionary direction by Sam Mendes, American Beauty becomes as overwhelmingly beautiful as it seeks to be.

PLOT: Middle-aged man, Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), is stuck in a rut in life. He's gotten in the same routine of fighting to keep the job he hates, being pushed around by his striving-for-success wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), and being hated by his angst-y teenage daughter, Jane (Thora Birch). Things change when Lester attends a high school basketball game to see Jane cheer and falls for Jane's preppy best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). Lester vicariously begins to recapture his youth by fantasizing about Angela before starting to physically and mentally change his life. He quits his job, starts smoking pot, starts to work out, and fights against his wife's bossy attitude. Meanwhile, Jane starts to unknowingly fall for the new neighbor, Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley), who has an eye for the beauty in life and loves to film it. Ricky also starts selling pot to Lester against the wishes of Ricky's militaristic father, Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper), who is led to believe his son performs homosexual acts for cash. Carolyn, during all of this as well, begins to have an affair with a past lover (Peter Gallagher) as to restore her lost backbone. The plot is very bizarre, intricate, and executed professionally. Every event in this film fits together like a piece of a very beautiful, complicated puzzle. Through this execution, it becomes evident how much intelligent development was put into the overall composition of the film. Just a in a well-crafted novel, everything is developed intentionally.

ACTING: The performances in this film are all done excellently and accurately, with the actors matching their roles perfectly. Both Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening deliver iconic and believable performances of a couple who's marriage is quickly falling apart. As both characters grow in the film,  the audience feels that the struggles are as real to the actors as they are in the film. Thora Birch and Wes Bentley also deliver a realistic performance as the angst-y teen and visionary outcast. The two bring a unique approach to the idea of a real teenage couple. All performances in this film are excellent; not one falls short of respect.

SCORE: The score is very unique and quirky by awesome score composer, Thomas Newman. The score only adds to the film's feeling of being surrealistically beautiful. The soundtrack is just as memorable and fitting as the score, adding classic rock poster songs like “The Seeker” and “American Woman” and interesting covers from Annie Lennox (“Don't Let It Bring You Down”) and Elliot Smith (“Because”).

OTHER CONTENT: Everything about this is film is intelligent and beautiful in its own imperfect way. Even with this being his first film, it's clear that director Sam Mendes knew what he was doing in making American Beauty. Through clean, expertly-filmed shots, his vision for this film is shown as well as the meaning. American Beauty serves its purpose as being what it's title declares, an American beauty. We are led through the story of the typical american attitudes in each character, conveyed by the presence of Lester's mid-life crisis and the lifestyles of the dysfunctional families (Burnham and Fitts). The beauty in the world is the imperfections we see, and that's what I perceive Mendes was trying to convey. As said in the script, just as intelligent as the film: ". . . it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life."

     Sam Mendes' first work still feels like just as much a masterpiece as he intended to be when he made it in 1999. American Beauty conveys beautiful America just as real as it can be, with realistic  situations all connected as to prove this common point. Through expert performances, quirky score, intelligent scriptwriting, and visionary direction, this film remains true to at the very least one thing: its imperfect beauty.

Antz (1998) review

(9/10)

   Antz still remains one of the most nostalgic animated films from my childhood, earning more respect with its all-star cast, creative animation, pleasant storytelling, and an appealing dark side.

PLOT: Z (Woody Allen) is just your average worker ant in a colony of ants. However, Z isn't happy with his place in life and never has been. One night, when Z and his best friend, army ant Weaver (Sylvester Stallone), go to the bar, Z gets a chance to dance, unknowingly, with Princess Bala (Sharon Stone). When Z finally finds out this fact, he figures he'd switch places with Weaver in order to see the Princess. What Z doesn't know is that, on the day they switch places, the army's going to war with vicious termites. Through all this, however, Z lives to be the lone survivor and an icon among his peers. Things are going great for Z up until he meets Princess Bala. In a strange turn of events, Z "takes the princess hostage" and flees to the outside world. Now Z and the Princess must either agree to go home or go on to discover the legendary Insectopia, but what they don't know is that General Mandible (Gene Hackman) has a few fatal plans for the anthill. The plot is very well thought out and executed brilliantly, with a perfect balance of humor and dark.

VOICES: The voice acting for the film is very well cast and performed. I can imagine no one but Woody Allen suitable enough for the part of neurotic Z. Everybody does a great job, especially (aside from Allen) Sylvester Stallone as Weaver, Sharon Stone as Princess Bala, Danny Glover as selfless army ant, Barbadus, Jennifer Lopez as friendly worker ant, Azteca, and Christopher Walken as Col. Cutter. This is one of the few animated films that boasts a cast as diverse and all-star as this without ruining it.

SCORE: The score is very upbeat, inspiring, and at times, kind of delightful. Harry-Gregson Willams definitely brings some of his best work to the table for this film. The catchy version of "High Hopes" during the credits has also become very nostalgic.

ANIMATION: The animation for this film is not only nostalgic, but very innovative for its time. The ants actually somewhat resemble their voice actors, the background and effects for the outside world are both colorful and almost whimsical, and the animation for the war/death scenes are very gruesome. This type of animation may be outdated today, but it's still very excellently done for DreamWorks debut.

OTHER CONTENT: This film is probably one of the most memorable, nostalgic films from my childhood, but to the dismay of DreamWorks fans, I feel it pales in comparison to Pixar's A Bug's Life. Had I never seen A Bug's Life, this film would be perfect, but Pixar set my standard for insect movies. In comparison, this film is more dark, less kid-friendly, sloppier with animation, and less creative with its settings and insect variety. Pixar just made their bug movie more clean cut, while DreamWorks went for the risky choice. This film is still fantastic in most every way, winning over Pixar with only clever humor, but there can only be one best.

   Antz, though not the best, is definitely a nostalgic, impressive, and even fun watch for families and people who grew up around the same time as I. Everything from the animation to the score is excellently done.

AC/DC: No Bull - The Directors Cut (1996) review

(9/10)

   For any true AC/DC fan, this concert film is a wild treat. It's not as fantastic as their show at Donnington, but its definitely a close second with the band putting on one hell of a show.

This concert film covers the entire show in Madrid, Spain, from the 1996 Ballbreaker tour, from the opening notes of "Back in Black" to the closing rock frenzy of "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)". The band definitely puts on one of their best shows to date, with Angus, Malcolm, Brian, Cliff, and Phil at their wildest. In this show, clearly, Angus is the star of the show, letting out some monster solos, acting crazy as he can, and sweating himself to near death. Not to say the others didn't rock out, with Brian's wrecking ball stunt (long before Miley trashed the idea) during "Ballbreaker" and Phil's constant smoking through all of his best beats. The show is clearly one of the best they put on, falling barely short of their concert performance, Live at Donnington. The only reason this didn't reach the same heights as Donnington is because they focused more on the outward show and a little less on their sound. If Donnington hadn't come first and set their performance standards, this would have definitely been one of their best performances.

   It doesn't reach the same heights as their show at Donnington, but it's still a damn good show with the band at their near-best and Angus at his wildest.

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) review

(7/10)

   This half crime drama and half Grindhouse type horror movie proves that when two great minds come together, gold is made. With excellent performances by an all-star cast, campy special effects, hilarious dialogue, and intelligent plot execution, From Dusk Til Dawn makes its place as an instant classic in the horror world and in both Quentin Tarentino and Robert Rodriguez's fantastic film canon.

PLOT: Wanted bank robbers Seth Gecko (George Clooney) and Richard Gecko (Quentin Tarentino) have plans to travel into Mexico to flee the law and continue their lives without bother. To help on their journey across the border, the Gecko brothers take a vacationing family hostage, including faithless pastor, Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel) and his children, Kate (Juliette Lewis) and Scott (Ernest Liu). Once across the border, the unlikely posse stops at a shady bar and strip club open from dusk until dawn, known as the Titty Twister, whose main customers turn out to be more than expected. The customers turn out, unbelievably, to be vampires thrown into a frenzy by the scent of blood. Now the Gecko brothers, the Fuller family, and their new bar friends, Sex Machine (Tom Savini) and Frost (Fred Williamson), must fight their way through the night until the sun comes up at dawn. The plot is unique and very excellently executed. The switch from Tarentino's crime drama to Rodriguez's vampire flick is obvious, but fun to watch. The whole movie is a lot of fun and excellently thought out for the movie that it really is.

ACTING: The performances in this film are not only supplied by an all-star cast, but they are also excellently and professionally done. Clooney and Tarentino made a charismatic, professional acting team creating a presence of a stoic older brother and a loony younger brother as well as an epic criminal team. Harvey Keitel and Juliette Lewis also did a great job creating a very real family with issues to work out, as well as Ernest Liu in his first role. Everyone in this movie did a fantastic job of performing, from the leads to the supporting cast, including movie veterans Cheech Marin, Salma Hayek, Tom Savini, and Danny Trejo (who would later come to play Machete).

SCORE: The soundtrack and score in this movie was excellently crafted, signalling the many mood changes with rockin' artists. The soundtrack contains the music from rock greats, ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and The Blasters while also introducing the bar bad, Tito & Tarantula with excellent action score by Graeme Revell. The soundtrack is probably one of the best, among the ranks of Pulp Fiction and Dazed and Confused.

EFFECTS: The special effects in this movie are cheap but fun. The effects are made to be cheap and campy, bringing on a familiar Evil Dead-esque feel. They aren't professionally done, but they do their job in securing their type as a Rodriguez exploitation film.

OTHER CONTENT: This movie succeeds as both a crime drama and Grindhouse horror film. The two great directors, Quentin Tarentino and Robert Rodriguez, come together to make greatness. Almost as if they split the movie in half, you can tell when one man's vision ends and the other man's begins. Along with tall of the achievements this movie has scored for me, it also brings home excellent dialogue from sarcastic jokes to clever references. The movie is also affected by very professional direction and editing, bringing out the color in everything. This movie, to say the least, is a lot of fun to watch and a treat for horror fans. However, it wasn't made to be perfect. It's not a movie for everybody and it really isn't made to be taken seriously. I really like the movie, but it's not a milestone in cinema, just a treat for fans everywhere.

   From Dusk Till Dawn is a treat for Grindhouse and Tarentino fans everywhere, blending horror and drama together in an engaging, fun, campy movie experience with expert acting, an awesome soundtrack, and a pair of geniuses behind the wheel.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) review

(9/10)

   One of the only horror classics to be up for an Oscar, this film shook the horror world. The memorable character of Hannibal Lecter was introduced to us for the first time through the visionary eyes of Jonathan Demme and the excellent acting skills of Anthony Hopkins. The film's excellent acting, grotesque images, and anxiety-inducing suspense all make this an excellent horror film and a great drama. However, not everyone can stomach this film as well as others.

PLOT: Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is training to be a member of the F.B.I. under the direction of Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn), an important trainer for the group. Meanwhile, a notorious killer named Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) is making a name for himself, slaying woman after woman with all familiar calling cards. As an outside mission, Crawford sends Clarice to a mental institution to interview notorious serial killer, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) a.k.a. Hannibal the Cannibal. After a traumatic visit to the institution, Clarice starts to take the information given to her by Hannibal and finds out major things about the crimes of Buffalo Bill. After enough information is retrieved from the twisted, ex-psychologist, the true identity of Buffalo Bill, his location, and his motive start becoming clear. However, a race is on to catch the serial killer, for he has taken a U.S. senator's daughter for whatever he's wishing to do. The plot is brilliantly written and excellently executed, creating a unique idea and molding in characters and intense suspense that grabs you and keeps you entertained and guessing upon the mystery of the great crime.



ACTING: The performances in this film are very excellently done. The starts in this film are definitely Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. Anthony Hopkins plays an amazing, memorable part as the twisted, cannibalistic psychopath, Hannibal Lecter, adding color and madness to the role. His performances is definitely one of the most memorable in horror film-making, sparking iconic quotes and visionary scenes of disturbing scares. Foster also creates a very real portrayal of the beginner-F.B.I. agent, Clarice Starling. From the accent all the way to the realistic actions of the character under pressure, Foster definitely reigns persistent as a heroine of horror/drama film. Ted Levine also played a very realistic and disturbing part as confused serial killer, Buffalo Bill. The way Levine played the part just enhanced the twisted mood created here. All performances were very well done, from the major characters to the minor characters, for example, Stuart Rudin as Miggs and Brooke Smith as Catherine Martin, the senator's daughter.

SCORE: The score in this film is very well done, but nothing truly memorable. The score fit the moods well but didn't create any memorable themes. However, the use of the song "Goodbye Horses" for Buffalo Bill has grown memorable and quite scary to today's standards.

EFFECTS: The effects in this horror were very well done. They weren't the best I've ever seen, but they were definitely worth mentioning. From chewed-up body parts to corpses murdered gruesomely, the effects were very well done and realistic, giving the audience the feeling that there really is a dead body on set or that something really bad did actually happen in life.



MISC. THOUGHTS: This film is definitely a memorable classic for the horror genre, creating a twisted persona of two different serial killers, Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill, with the earlier being more memorable in the end. Jonathan Demme creates, in this film, a twisted, demented, and actually scary portrayal of a crime mystery and serial killer story. He also creates a great amount of suspense, making the audience feel the tension in the film up to the very end. However, this film may be a little too twisted for some people's tastes. The only reason this film isn't widely accepted as perfect film-making across the cinematic nation is because some people can't even stomach the film's entirety. The film is very twisted, unsettling, disturbing, and sadistic at parts and can be actually scary, which is a good plus for horror fans but not for lovers of all drama film. The film is a cinematic masterpiece, but only to those who choose to accept it.

   Putting into motion another memorable horror face, this horror/drama film grabs the audience and keeps them where they need to be: glued to the screen. The performances are excellent, especially by the great Anthony Hopkins, the plot is unique and brilliantly worked with, the effects were gruesome, the suspense is dense and tense, and the film is actually a good, twisted scare for horror fans. However, some people can't seem to take the realism of it all as well as others.

Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace (1999) review

(7/10)

Most Star Wars fans really dislike this addition to the series, but I actually enjoy it a bit. The movie is quite problematic with more entertainment value than deep emotion or story, but I find it to be a good start to the prequels. The effects, score, and memories this withholds for me make it all worthwhile in the end.

PLOT:When the galactic Trade Federation cuts all trade routes to the planet Naboo, two young Jedi are sent to negotiate the disagreements out. These Jedi include the young apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson). However, when the Trade Federation becomes hostile under the Sith Lord's rule and starts sending battle droids to invade the planet, the Jedi must act and save Queen Amidala (Keira Knightley), the Naboo leader. Along the way, the Jedi meet many faces, including Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best), a clumsy Gungan from Naboo; and young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), a very skilled boy from Tatooine with much hidden power in the force. With these small alliances made, the Jedi and Queen decide it's time to act and fight back against the Trade Federation, freeing them of their treaty idea and freeing them for all trade. It's a decent plot executed fairly well.



ACTING:The acting in this movie is fairly good. There are some good and bad performances. The best performances would have to be from Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson as the wise Jedis, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn. These two seemed to play the best parts as the movie's leaders. Keira Knightley, Natalie Portman, and Ray Park also played excellent roles as Queen Amidala, Padme, and Darth Maul. The return of original actors Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz for C-3PO, R2-D2, Chancellor Palpatine, and Yoda was pretty awesome as well. The voice acting was about as good as the live acting here in some cases.

SCORE:The score here is brilliantly done by the great composer, John Williams. Williams takes this Star Wars movie's score and turns it into a beautiful thing, from intense battle themes to calm and curious compositions, with "Duel of the Fates" being the key track in the movie's soundtrack. Williams seemed to really do a great job on this one.

EFFECTS:The effects in this Star Wars movie are actually really great. The visual effects of the planets from Naboo to Coruscant are very well done; I have to say the Naboo city is one of the most beautiful fictional cities I've ever seen. The effects of the aliens, also, from Jar Jar to Sebulba, and even to Boss Nass and the battle droids. Along with the score, the effects would have to be one of the best things about this movie.



OTHER CONTENT:Most fans seem to hate this addition to the Star Wars canon, but I actually like this one a good bit. The movie may have not much of an exciting plot, some apparently annoying performances, and a completely different feeling from the original trilogy, but this seems to start off an entirely new generation to the Star Wars franchise. This was the first Star Wars I ever saw, and I have to admit, it has stuck with me throughout my childhood and entire life. I just like the way George Lucas did everything; however, the lack of emotion and a tangible plot seemed to throw the movie into a bit of dismay. This Star Wars is very problematic, but it has stuck with me so long, I could hardly care.

OVERALL,a good Star Wars movie with a decent plot, fairly good performances, brilliant score, really great effects, and many childhood memories, but the plot isn't very tangible, some performances can grow annoying, and the feeling the original gave is completely lost.  

The Rugrats Movie (1998) review

(7/10)

This childhood favorite of mine still holds true to the relaxed and nostalgic feeling for me, but with age came a less involved attitude toward the more juvenile aspects of the movie.

PLOT:Tommy Pickles (E.G. Daily) and his family star in this new adventure when Tommy's new brother, Dil Pickles, is born. Dil, however, seems to be a big nuisance, for all he does is cry and hog the attention from Tommy's parents. One day, Tommy's friends decide to take him "back to the baby store" in Stu's invention, the Reptar wagon. This attempt doesn't go well and ends with Dil and the babies stranded in the middle of the forest with Angelica (Cheryl Chase) and Spike looking for them. Now it's a search for the babies by the Pickles family and their neighbors and an adventure for the babies to get out of the woods. However, Dil is growing more and more stressful by the minute, and Tommy's running out of ways to deal with him, as well as the rest of the babies. Will the babies find their way out of the forest with Dil calm? It's an okay plot executed decently.



VOICES:The voices in this movie are the same as they've been for the series. E. G. Daily, Cheryl Chase, Christine Cavanaugh, and Kath Soucie all play their parts as Tommy, Angelica, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil as well as they could. It wasn't a big difference from the show. The performances that seemed to stand out more from the series would have been Jack Riley as Stu Pickles, Michael Patrick Bell as Drew Pickles, and Joe Alaskey as Grandpa. The emotion they put into this seemed a bit more amped-up as compared to the series. Along with these, the additions of Tim Curry as Rex Pester, Whoopi Goldberg as Ranger Margaret, and David Spade as Ranger Frank were the best voices in the movie. I really enjoyed their work.

SCORE:The score and soundtrack in here is more juvenile than anything. The various songs sung by the characters weren't particularly enjoyable, but the deeper soundtrack with names like Blackstreet and Busta Rhymes weren't half bad. As for the juvenile soundtrack, there was a pretty nice cameo from Lenny Kravitz, Beck, the B-52s and others. I enjoyed that.

ANIMATION:The animation in this movie kept the same style as the series but fine-tuned it for the big screen. It was more detailed and thematic than its relaxed look on TV.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie still holds a part of me close considering it was a great part of my childhood. The nostalgic characters, humor, and songs from the nineties and my childhood still hold a part of me. However, my age brought a dislike for the more juvenile humor types. This is definitely a family movie, with some more adult jokes and lots of little laughs throughout. The aspect I still appreciate about this movie is the heart-warming lesson about how responsibility and love can change a person. I'm still a sucker for the charms this movie has. The movie is a lot more juvenile to me now, but the lessons still take effect.

OVERALL,a good movie with an okay plot, some same and some improved acting, juvenile original score and cool nineties score, finely-tuned animation, nostalgia from my childhood, and a charming lesson, but this movie seems so juvenile to me now for the most part.

Army of Darkness (1993) review

(6/10)

This second sequel to the Evil Dead series was much goofier and lazily done in my opinion. It only keeps about half of the scary-funny spirit that the previous two had, but keeps its random mood where anything can happen. 'Army' is still a campy treat.

PLOT:Ash (Bruce Campbell), top employee of S-mart, and his car are sent back in time to the middle ages due to the evil powers of the Necronomicon, or Book of the Dead. The locals think he's of the rival castle until he proves himself worthy with chainsaw and boomstick in hand. To get back to his time, they tell Ash he must go and find the the Necronomicon itself, say the magic words, and bring it back to the castle. Things go wrong when Ash forgets the magic words and brings the book back, waking up a whole army of the dead. Now, Ash must help these people defend their land or leave them suffering. It's a good plot executed decently.



ACTING:The acting in here is pretty standard for the series. Bruce Campbell plays his usual stoically comedic role as Ash. Embeth Davidtz also plays a decent part as Sheila, Ash's female interest in this film. Everybody else is pretty good. Nobody really stands out, except for maybe the Deadites, Richard Grove as Duke Henry, and Bill Moseley as the Deadite leader.

SCORE:The score in this film doesn't matter too much, but it's creepy with enough action in it to get the job done.

EFFECTS:The effects in here were very lazily done as compared to the previous two movies. The props were more obvious, but the make-up and digital effects were good enough to get the job done. A few of the effects I really liked, but most of them were a fall from the first two overall.

CAMERAWORK:I don't know if it was intentional or of it was just because of sloppy work, but the camerawork in here was really awful at certain parts. The camera shook during more than one of the most action-packed parts in the film. If it wasn't meant to be there for camp effect, then it would just be awful. However, I don't know Raimi's intentions with that move.



OTHER CONTENT:This addition to the Evil Dead series was definitely a fall from the previous two. This sequel focuses more on laughs and goofy scares than accomplishing both to the fullest as in the previous two. There's maybe a couple of light scares and then it's laden with goofy, campy laughs. Most of them are really funny, but some just don't seem to entertain me but instead make me wonder where Raimi was going with this addition. For the most part, I enjoyed the random, campy laughs, but it just got to be too much in the end with less spirit than the previous additions. This could stand alone as a campfest of a film, but either way, I'd have similar feelings about it.

OVERALL,an okay comedy horror with a good plot, standard acting, mood-fitting score, mostly lazy effects, shaky camerawork, a bigger focus on campy laughs, and less spirit than the other Evil Dead films.

A Bug's Life (1998) review

(10/10)

A lot of Pixar fans say this is one of the weakest films they made, but the voice acting, clever script, beautiful imagery, and simplicity of the story come together to make it an overall great film.

PLOT:Flik (Dave Foley) is an oddball ant in his colony on Ant Island. He always tries to come up with a new way to gather grain and food faster to reach the ants' annual goal: collect enough food to offer to the grasshoppers, who offer them "protection" while really pushing them around, and then scavenge enough for themselves. However, Flick really screws up with one of his inventions and loses all of the food gathered up for the grasshoppers, causing them to burst into the anthill and demand twice the amount of food by the end of the season. Flik then, to the great disappointment of Princess Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and the rest of the colony, stands before trial to be sentenced. Flik comes up with an idea, though, to go out to the city and find bigger bugs to help them fight the grasshoppers away. Granting Flik his wish in hopes he won't return, the council sends him out to the city where he finds a group of bugs appearing to be tough. However, little does Flik know that they are circus performers. It's a good plot executed very well.



VOICES:The voice acting is done very well and just very well cast overall. Dave Foley plays a great part as the outcast hero, Flik, as does Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the princess-in-training, Princess Atta. Kevin Spacey also plays a very great part as the villain and leader of the grasshoppers, Hopper. There really isn't a bad performance in the whole film. The other shiners would have to be Phyllis Diller as the Queen, Richard Kind as Molt, Hayden Panettiere as Dot, Joe Ranft as Heimlich, David Hyde Pierce as Slim, Jonathan Harris as Manny, Denis Leary as Francis, Madeline Kahn as Gypsy, Michael McShane as Tuck and Roll, Roddy McDowell as Mr. Soil, Bonnie Hunt as Rosie, and John Ratzenberger as P. T. Flea. The cast is nearly all-star as is.

SCORE:The score in this film is light and very well composed by the great Randy Newman, with a unique theme and original song, called "The Time of Your Life".

ANIMATION:The animation in this film is very beautiful and pretty detailed for its time. The animation of the blue sky, green trees and grass, and the many different colors of the bugs are just beautiful, colorful, and detailed overall. If you don't appreciate the movie for its story, you could at least appreciate it for the beautiful, early Pixar animation present.



OTHER CONTENT:This Pixar film is known as one of the weakest because it doesn't go as deep and intricate into its story and lesson as the likes of Wall-E or Ratatouille. However, I believe the pure simplicity of the story and its lesson of making a difference and standing up for yourself is enough to accomplish the simple task of making a great film and entertaining the masses. I will admit, I'm also partial to this film because it was a major part of my childhood and the memories that came with it. However, this Pixar film also has some pretty smart dialogue between the characters to match, played off the characters very well. I honestly don't see that much of a flaw in this film. It's simple, beautiful, and well-acted to say the least.

OVERALL,it's a great animated film with a great plot, very well done voice acting, light and well composed Randy Newman score, beautiful animation, a simple and entertaining story and lesson, and some smart dialogue.

Space Jam (1996) review

(5/10)

This fun, basketball and Looney Tune movie is a classic to some, and is fairly entertaining, but for the most part, it seems just like propaganda for basketball fans with Looney Tunes to help it appeal to a wider audience than it actually accomplishes.

PLOT:There's a planet far out in space home to a theme park losing it's target audience to boredom, so the big, bad boss sends his tiny and dim-witted henchmen to Earth to fetch what he thinks will bring the kids back to his park: the Looney Tunes. The aliens go to Earth and try to steal away the Looney Tunes and force them into his boss's money-grabbing slavery, but the toons convince the aliens to give them a fair fight. Bugs Bunny and the rest of the toons decide on an event that goes against the current physical ability of the tiny, harmless aliens: basketball. The plan seems to work well until the aliens sneak into the human world and steal away the talents of many talented basketball players, such as Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and Larry Bird, turning them into a big, strong, brutal team of skilled players named the Mon-stars. Knowing they now need help to win their freedom, the toons go to the human world and get the help of Michael Jordan, one of the best basketball players out there. Will Michael Jordan get the toons into shape and help win their freedom? It's a decent plot executed almost decently.



ACTING/VOICES:The acting and voice acting in this movie is okay. Billy West, D. Bradley Baker, and Bob Bergen provide the voicing for the various Looney Tunes characters throughout, such as Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, and many others. They don't sound as authentic compared to the original, but they get the job done enough. Michael Jordan does an okay job as himself, the basketball player new to the toon world, as well as the other players, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, and Larry Bird. The voice acting and regular acting in this movie was just okay overall. Nobody truly surprised me. However, the other shiners (or honorable mentions) would be Wayne Knight as Stan, Bill Murray as himself, Danny DeVito as Swackhammer, Kath Soucie as Lola Bunny, and June Foray as Granny.

SCORE:The soundtrack of this movie was mainly made up of special songs composed specifically for the movie, including a modernized version of the classic, "Fly Like an Eagle". The score itself was nothing truly special.

ANIMATION:The animation in this movie was pretty good. The Looney Tunes are animated in a more modernized version of how they were back then, except set in the real world. It was okay overall. It got the job done.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie was just okay to me. I loved the fact that it had the Looney Tunes in it, and Michael Jordan played fairly well off the jokes they made. It was entertaining for the most part, and a good bit of fun. However, this movie is almost strictly for the fans of basketball. Even with the Looney Tunes added, most of the movie is centered around basketball and knowing MJ and the other players. Also, a lot of the jokes in here seemed just too juvenile and aimed toward the kids. I hardly laughed. The movie wasn't terrible, but it wasn't too good either.

OVERALL,a neutral movie with an almost-decent plot, okay acting and voices, a score and soundtrack not too special, okay animation, some good moments from the toons, and a bit of entertaining fun, but the movie is mainly for basketball fans, and the humor seems a bit too juvenile and childish.

Tarzan (1999) review

(9/10)

This well-known Disney movie was a major part of my childhood. The detailed jungle animation, touching story, great soundtrack by Phil Collins, and fast action made this movie a win for kids and adults.

PLOT:Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn) is a man that's been raised by a family of gorillas. Shortly after his parents washed up on the shore in a lifeboat and built a home in the trees, his parents were attacked and killed by a leopard. A female gorilla named Kala (Glenn Close), found him and took him back to the family. Against the will of the leader, Kerchak (Lance Henriksen), who is still sore from the loss of their child, Kala takes Tarzan in. Tarzan grows up to be a strong man, along the sides of his best friends, Terk (Rosie O'Donell) and Tantor (Wayne Knight), the elephant. Things are going fairly normal for the family until Tarzan discovers a group of humans, including the beautiful Jane (Minnie Driver), the inquisitive Professor Porter (Nigel Hawthorne), and the brutal Clayton (Brian Blessed). The rest of the gorillas are wary about accepting the humans, but Tarzan tries and tries, learning about them and seemingly falling for Jane along the way. However, Clayton's forcefulness seems to get worse and worse, for he has a plan for these gorillas. It's a good plot executed greatly.



VOICES:The voice acting in here is really good. Tony Goldwyn played a great part as Tarzan, the ape man. Minnie Driver and Nigel Hawthorne also played memorable parts as Jane and Professor Porter; not to mention, Rosie O'Donnell and Wayne Knight also played a couple of really great parts as Terk and Tantor. There really wasn't a bad part in the movie, aside from the child voices. The other shiners would obviously be Brian Blessed as Clayton, Lance Henriksen as Kerchak, and Glenn Close as Kala.

SCORE:The score in here is brilliant. The score and soundtrack is mainly done by Phil Collins and Mark Mancina. They go together to create some fun, beautiful, and fitting themes and songs. Phil Collins did some great work on this soundtrack, from "Son of Man" to "You'll Be in My Heart".

ANIMATION:The animation in here is pretty good and detailed. The animation of the jungle itself was actually way better than the characters. It wasn't Disney's best animation, but I enjoyed it.



OTHER CONTENT:This Disney movie is a great addition to the Disney canon. It was a big part of my childhood movie collection. Along with the soundtrack, spirit, and story itself, there were a lot of touching aspects to the love story and some great action in here. The love story seems more touching and the action is just vibrant and active. However, I didn't seem to like how abruptly the transitions between the gorilla language and the monkey language took place. It was actually kind of confusing in a way.

OVERALL,an awesome Disney movie with a greatly-executed plot, really good voice acting, brilliant score, pretty good and detailed animation, some touching love scenes, and great action, but there were a few abrupt shifts that I didn't like.

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) review

(6/10)

This addition to the famous franchise is almost just as funny as the first. A lot of the jokes are just hilarious; however, a good bit of the jokes in here are borrowed or more crude than usual. Did I mention that I didn't like the whole time travel aspect as well?

PLOT:Super spy and sex magnet, Austin Powers (Mike Myers), is back and single again in this comedy adventure. Dr. Evil (also Myers) is also back with another evil plot to take over the world, only this time he's thought of disabling Powers from stopping him. Dr. Evil and his crew build a time machine to take him back to the 1960s and steal Powers' "mojo", the stuff that keeps him going, while also taking over the world. After Austin Powers notices his mojo gone, he also travels back in time to stop Dr. Evil and get his mojo back, all the while trying to woo the new female spy accompanying him, Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham). It's a great plot executed fairly well.



ACTING:The performances in here are pretty good, and for the most part, just like the first one. Austin Powers still plays an excellent and memorable set of roles as Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, and the newly introduced Fat Bastard. Heather Graham also played a great part as smooth female agent, Felicity Shagwell. Most of the roles are just as equal to its predecessor, but some have been newly introduced or are just better. The other shiners would be Michael York as Basil, Robert Wagner as Number Two, Rob Lowe as young Number Two, Seth Green as Scott, Verne Troyer as Mini-Me, Will Ferrell as Mustafa, and Mindy Sterling as Frau, with honorable mentions to Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello, and Jerry Springer as themselves.

SCORE:The score in here is similar to that of the original, keeping the original theme, but adding an even better soundtrack. The soundtrack includes classic rock and other stuff from the likes of Steppenwolf, The Guess Who, and more.



OTHER CONTENT:This installment to the popular franchise is almost as good as its predecessor. Most of the jokes are hilarious and clever just like the original, but some of them are also too much like the original. A few of the jokes in this addition are either borrowed from the first or more crude than the past. I also didn't really care for the whole time travel aspect in the plot. I know this movie's supposed to be just a lot of fun, but I can't help but hate the fact that the time travel has little to no sense in it.

OVERALL,an okay movie with a great plot, pretty good acting, great score and soundtrack, and a lot of new and hilarious jokes, but some of the jokes are borrowed or more crude, and I didn't care for the time travel aspect of the plot too much.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) review

(7/10)

This classic movie is a lot of fun. It's hilarious and pokes fun at the spy films and flower-power feel of the past.

PLOT:Austin Powers (Mike Myers) is a level-headed, goofy super spy and sex magnet for women all around in the '60s. He was always going against the notorious Dr. Evil (also played by Mike Myers) and his tricks of trying to rule the world. However, both end up being frozen for 30 years by their staff and then brought back in the '90s. Austin Powers, after being unfrozen, meets and falls for Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley), who was sent to bring Powers up-to-date with the world. When Dr. Evil's unfrozen, he immediately hatches a plan to take over the world yet again, and it's up to Austin Powers and Vanessa to stop him. It's a good plot executed greatly.



ACTING:The acting in this movie is very good. Mike Myers plays a funny and entertaining role as Austin Powers and Dr. Evil. This has to be one of his most memorable performances. Elizabeth Hurley also played a pretty good part as Vanessa Kensington. The cast is nearly all-star and delivers a great comedic performance. The shiners besides these two would be Michael York as Basil, Robert Wagner as Number Two, Seth Green as Scott, Mindy Sterling as Frau, Will Ferrell as Mustafa, and Joe Son as Random Task.

SCORE:The score was pretty good. It had a few memorable themes and some familiar songs. The theme song to Austin Powers has also become quite memorable.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie is a lot of fun. The humor is very creative and goofy. I like how this movie makes fun of the majority of older spy films and just pokes fun at the genre. This movie has become one of the most iconic comedies to date because just about everyone I know recognizes the name Austin Powers. This movie is just a lot of fun and isn't really meant to be taken seriously, so kick back and lose yourself in it.

OVERALL,a good comedy with a great plot, very good acting, memorable score, creative and goofy jokes, an accurate parody of the spy film subgenre, an iconic comedy name, and just mindless entertainment.