Vix's Movies > Movie reviews by Vix

Save me from the ending!

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 22 August 2007 04:52 (A review of The Abyss)

In The Abyss, James Cameron weaves a number of plot lines - a rescue mission for a submarine, encounters with alien life, the perils of the Cold War and the redemption of love - in a manner that actually works until the ending.

The movie is at its most successful when it plays on your fears of the deep to create a tense atmosphere. What is more remarkable is that the special effects and cinematography are still stunning after 18 years.

While the characters may be stereotypical at times, the actors make you care what happens to them. Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio do a great job in walking the tightrope between intense and vulnerable as the estranged couple who come to settle their differences. Michael Biehn is wonderfully over the top in playing the rapidly unraveling Navy SEAL team leader.

My main problem with The Abyss is that the coda neatly ties up the movies plotlines in one grand Hollywood-style gesture.
This feel good ending doesn't do the previous 2 and half hours of the movie justice at all. If The Abyss ended 15 minutes earlier I would have been very satisfied.

0 comments, Reply to this entry

A total disappointment

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 20 August 2007 02:19 (A review of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace)

The only thing redeeming quality of Phantom Menace that the Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi fight scene was one of the best I had seen. That is it.

It seemed like George Lucas tried to dazzle us with special effects because he had forgetten to put in a halfway decent plot. The dialogue was wooden, the pacing off - at some times I was bored out of my mind and at others totally confused by what was happening.

Even watching it again on DVD I kept on fast forwarding to the better parts. All in all, I watched The Phantom Menace in 5 minutes. I'm still surprised at how badly Lucas screwed this up.

1 comments, Reply to this entry

Hard to digest

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 20 August 2007 01:50 (A review of Fast Food Nation)

Fast Food Nation takes a look at how the fast food industry affects people's lives and by doing so examines fast food culture, corporate america and illegal immigration. It is based on Eric Schlosser's non-fiction book of the same title.

I don't know why I got the impression this movie was a comedy because it's not. It's a DRAMA about how corporations control our lives and the lengths that they will go to in order to maintain their profit margin. Richard Linklater capably directs an ensemble cast, letting you follow each one, almost like a documentary.

Sometimes funny, at other times ironic or tragic, Fast Food Nation is ultimately quite depressing. Even though each character's life is changed by the end of the movie - some for good, others for bad, there is this feeling of hopelessness - the impossibility of taking on the corporate american behemoth.

I don't eat a lot of fast food but I can't bring myself to eat a Big Mac after watching this movie, especially because of the last 10 minutes.

0 comments, Reply to this entry

Powerful

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 19 August 2007 09:31 (A review of The Joy Luck Club)

This is a tale of four Chinese women and their struggles in dealing with their mothers. Through a series of flashbacks, the Joy Luck Club asks the question: Can mothers and daughters truly understand one another when their cultures are literally oceans apart?
By the end of the movie, hanky in hand, the answer is a resounding yes.

I preferred the mothers' stories about life in China - luscious visuals with tales of tragedy, hope and determination. While at times the daughters come off as clueless brats, I could still relate with their disconnect with their mothers.

1 comments, Reply to this entry

Simply the best

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 19 August 2007 09:05 (A review of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark)

As a child I wanted to be Indiana Jones, going off on some adventure, saving the day from evil forces. Back then I preferred Temple of Doom but having re-watched the series as an adult, nothing can beat Raiders of the Lost Ark in terms of story, humor, score and outrageous stunts.

From the opening sequence of the Paramount logo turning into an actual mountain to the closing credits, Raiders takes you on an action-packed ride. I love the way this film was shot - the use of silhouettes (the sequence in Nepal is one highlight) gives me shivers each time I see it. It's plain to see that all involved brought their talent to the table in this movie.

A classic for all time.

0 comments, Reply to this entry

A fun movie!

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 16 August 2007 09:39 (A review of Independence Day)

All you need to know about the plot of Independence Day is: "Aliens come to destroy humans. Humanity kicks ass (after near devastation)".

This is a summer blockbuster in the purest sense. The acting is decent (Judd Hirsch is a stand out as Jeff Goldblum's straight talking father), the action is over the top and some of the plot devices are cliched.

But still, Independence Day doesn't try to be anything more than a fun, thrilling, popcorn movie - just sit back and enjoy the ride!

2 comments, Reply to this entry

Good movie but it's too long

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 16 August 2007 03:23 (A review of Catch Me If You Can)

On the surface Catch Me If You Can feels like one of those fun caper movies. It's interesting seeing how Frank Abagnale Jr (DiCaprio) executes his cons.

But this also a story of a family breaking apart and the lengths that this young man goes to in order to get his family back.

Great cast - the performances are outstanding and sets are delicious - the attention to detail to create the ideal of the 1960s is superb.

My main problem with Catch Me If You Can is that it starts to drag. The multiple endings (the movie could have finished off in France) left me feeling let down instead of uplifted.

0 comments, Reply to this entry

Fascinating

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 15 August 2007 05:01 (A review of Metallica: Some Kind of Monster)

This documentary follows heavy metal band, Metallica as they head into the studio to record their album, St. Anger. For the better part of two years, the film crew captures the growing rift between members and uncertainty over the band's future, James Hetfield's departure to deal with substance abuse, their intense therapy sessions, and their eventual coming together to finish the album.

Some Kind of Monster is not one of those tour diary documentaries that you come to expect from rock bands. It's a real, in your face look at a band in crisis. Though often times uncomfortable to watch, this documentary is a fascinating look at the men behind the behemoth that is Metallica.

0 comments, Reply to this entry

Good to see John McClane again

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 13 August 2007 05:20 (A review of Live Free or Die Hard)

Live Free or Die Hard (what a stupid title) is a popcorn roller coaster ride - fun while you're there but forgettable soon afterwards.

The action is soooo over the top that you might find your eyes permanently rolled at the back of your head from all the unbelievable action and "plot twists". Plus, Timothy Olyphant as Thomas Gabriel is one of the weakest villians EVER! There was absolutely no tension between him and John McClane. I can put up with convenient story lines in an action movie but give me a halfway decent villain to match wits with my good guy.

Still it was great to see Bruce Willis as John McClane and Justin Long is a real find.

0 comments, Reply to this entry

The Bourne trilogy ends on a high note..

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 13 August 2007 04:24 (A review of The Bourne Ultimatum)

...but you'll probably need motion sickness pills to watch this on the big screen.

Picking up where The Bourne Supremacy left off, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is still trying to come to terms with his past. As his search for the truth continues to put him at odds with the CIA, senior officials (including David Strathairn) spare no effort to try and kill him.

Fast paced and tense, The Bourne Ultimatum never lets up. It's a whirlwind of action that just sweeps you along for the ride. Matt Damon is brilliant in this - he embodies Bourne's calculating, emotionally wounded nature perfectly. You really see his desire for a different life. Joan Allen too is great as the only top CIA official willing to give Bourne a chance. The only wasted character here is Julia Stiles. She reprises her role as Nicki, a tech from the Treadstone Project, but really this role could have been given to anyone else.

The Bourne Ultimatum is an intelligent, high caliber action movie.
So why just 6/10?

Well as with The Bourne Supremacy, Paul Greengrass' insistence on overusing the shaky cam detracts from the action on screen. Instead of putting me in the action, at times I had to look away because of the sick feeling from trying to follow (unsuccessfully) what was happening on screen. The Bourne Ultimatum ought to get an 8 1/2 out of 10 but I'm deducting 2 1/2 points for the stupid shaky cam.

Even with the improvement in camera movement over The Bourne Supremacy, if your stomach can't handle it, I suggest you wait for The Bourne Ultimatum to come out on DVD so you can enjoy it on a smaller screen.

1 comments, Reply to this entry