The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Josh B]

Insidious 2: 2.5/5

Meh

[Spirit Zero]

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

Six years after the original smash hit and Dante comes along with this newish sequel. The intro to the film is an animated Looney Tunes segment with Bugs and Daffy which is meant to hint at the wackiness you were about to see, not good.

The plot this time is virtually the same deal as before but this time its set in New York and within a huge futuristic skyscraper, well for the time anyway. Of course the other reason for this sequel was mainly to do everything over again with much better effects and creature puppetry. Now I'm all for this no doubt but at least they could of gone for a fresher storyline.

There are many problems with this sequel which is a shame as the effects are indeed much better (although the original films were damn good). It starts off OK with good continuity seeing old Mr Wing again in his little shop with 'Gizmo'. Unsure if the first film setting of this Chinatown location was in New York though, I always kinda thought it was San Francisco for some reason. Anyway it makes sense that the old man dies and Gizmo is left alone in the world, not too sure about the fact they bulldoze the little store before clearing it though.

Eventually the film sticks to its new location for the action within this skyscraper. I still find it funny that this huge building would have its own animal testing floor filled with various animals of all shapes and sizes. Also the fact it appears to have lots of shops and eating establishments along with filming studios and its own TV cable network! all this with office areas higher up where lots of desk jockeys work feverishly to look good for the big boss 'Clamp'. Obviously its all just setups for the Gremlin action to come but it really seems quite odd that this building has everything in it as if it were a mall when its suppose to be a place of business and work.

I guess the main issues begin when the Gremlin mayhem kicks off. It all starts out fine and relatively sensible if lighter in tone, but it just gets ludicrous. The first thing that hits you straight in the face is the horrendous slapstick schlock that Dante gets the creatures to do, the first film had it but it was set within a dark tone, this film is virtually a cartoon (as laid out for you by Bugs n Daffy at the start). I really enjoyed the different ideas they used with the Gremlins...a bat hybrid, a spider, an electric poltergeist-like Gremlin, an intelligent Gremlin, a Gremlin made up of vegetables and naturally the obligatory female Gremlin. But the whole thing came off like 'The Muppet Show', albeit Muppets with a more sadistic crazy edge.

The female Gremlin was clearly a play or rip off from 'Miss Piggy' if you ask me, right down to the awful little musical number where she/it appears in a very 'Muppet-esque/Piggy' way from beneath a huge self portrait picture.

The other thing that irked me was the hideous self parodies/meta-references of the franchise and others. A cringeworthy self indulgent sequence where a movie critic is giving the original film a bad review and is then attacked by Gremlins, the bat hybrid Gremlin flies out of the building crashing through a wall leaving the famous Batman logo as a hole, some Gremlins where anti-Gizmo t-shirts and there is a Gremlin logo on the cable network when it goes down. And finally there's the sequence midway where the film actually stops as if Gremlins had invaded the cinema where you the audience were watching. We then get an embarrassing cameo with Hulk Hogan breaking the fourth wall, did it really have to go that far Dante?.

The inclusion of Dick Miller's character and his wife felt very forced too, not only that but I'm pretty sure they were killed off in the first film. There was no reason for them to be in this film other than some visual recognition from the first, a simple link. The whole notion that those two characters were suppose to stay with 'Peltzer' and 'Kate' in their small apartment is so stupid, and why would they be visiting them anyway??. These people weren't that close in the first film, just neighbourhood folk.

Plus I noticed Dante literately cast everyone he has ever worked with in this film, even Rick Ducommun and Henry Gibson get some screen time here. Amazing cast of character actors and cameos in this film.

Gotta ask but why is it everytime Gizmo get wets and produces new Mogwai they always turn out evil?. How come none ever turn out nice like Giz? you'd think they would genetically be like Gizmo. I didn't really like the new goofy Gremlins, it just felt like The Three Stooges and was just dumb, the various cartoon sound effects didn't help either. I know the film was suppose to be lighter but Jesus those new Gremlins were annoying, the two evil none insane Gremlins were nice and errr...evil, but again they didn't really look too different, the effects guys didn't wanna move away from the mohawk look did they sheesh!.

All the Gremlins look fantastic in this new film I must say, the detail and animatronic puppet work is astoundingly good from the realistic skin colour and patterns to every small snarling facial movement. There are also some nice effects using stop motion and bluescreen which are obvious but do still hold up quite well, it all shows how well these effects can work. It might be most costly sure but I think everyone would agree its worth it in the end, the final result looks awesome especially with the vast numbers of Gremlins on display this time. Beats the f**ck outta CGI I can tell you.

I want to like this film but its hard. The idea is reasonable giving us a wider range of Gremlins with new designs and more havoc, which is what you wanted really, but they dumbed it down too much. A lighter version is not a problem but the self referential jokes and small nonsensical plotless sequences felt more like a collection of sketches from a TV show (the 'Phantom of the Opera' Gremlin sequence). It makes the whole film feel like a spoof when its not really meant to be, not to that degree anyway, and the fact that the female Gremlin survives simply makes a mockery of films finale, who cares.

I love the creature effects and there are still some really nice moments of Gremlin gore and horror which hint at what could of been. Unfortunately it just gets lost in a sea of zany childish wackiness that doesn't really appeal to adults, fans of the original or kids because its still a bit too scary for them, so really it has no decent target audience.

5.5/10

[Spirit Zero]

Gremlins (1984)

Probably one of the first horror comedies supposedly for all the family. Released back in 84 at a time when there was some incredibly stiff competition at the box office, namely 'Ghostbusters'. The film opens at Christmas in a typical small all American apple pie town blanketed under a layer of snow. My first thoughts when seeing this again was how similar this town square looked to the town square of Hill Valley in 'Back to the Future'.

Straight away you can't help but love the atmosphere this film is setting, the opening credits play out to Darlene Love's popular 1963 song 'Christmas', everything looks so cozy and charming as kids play in the snow. All this is of course after the more Spielbergian opening of how little 'Gizmo' gets discovered in Chinatown, a very 'Indiana-esque' look and feel about that whole sequence, you can tell its an Amblin production. Isn't that little Chinese boy wearing the same baseball hat as 'Short Round' from 'Temple of Doom'? or the same look perhaps?. Don't miss the Indiana Jones billboard nod at the start either.

I think the one thing that always stuck with me (and everyone else I'm sure) was the fact this film was actually pretty scary and dark. Considering it was a young persons film and advertised as just that it was edgy, I remember always hiding behind a cushion when watching this. The whole concept of little green monsters hiding under your bed or in the clothes cupboard is pretty terrifying for kids, its the stuff of bedtime legend, so this film really hit home in so many aspects at the time.

What still impresses today are the special effects, the cute lill Giz puppet is clearly just a puppet or advanced Muppet but geez it still looks good!. His huge round eyes, little snout, big floppy ears and that adorable little chirping voice of his. I don't think anyone can deny that little tune Giz whistles or hums is almost as iconic as the electronic sound from 'Close Encounters'...and downright lovable. But its the facial expressions we see on close ups that really impress me to this day, the way he rolls his eyes in loathing or looks frightened, the little guy still genuinely looks quite real.

'bright light! bright light!'

The same can also be said for the evil Gremlins and their reptilian appearance. These guys really do look scary and nasty, you know you wouldn't wanna get bitten by one of these guys. I also love how dated this film is, how un-PC it is. The Gremlins are clearly show smoking virtually all the time! drinking booze, getting drunk, smashing everything and even using lethal weapons including guns!. Can you imagine a kids film in this day and age showing stuff like that lol! this film could almost be seen as advocating yobbish behaviour and saying drinking, smoking and trashing property is fun. It really is quite the eye opener when you see some of the things these Gremlins get up to, you half expect to see them grunting away whilst mating on a table.

Never really understood how Mogwai seem to reproduce as they do, never explained. The idea is a bit silly really, just like the three rules. Water makes them reproduce, but why? how? from their back?? how do they drink or do they? surely this would be hard to avoid, plus wouldn't he be smelly and disgusting with all that fur?. They can't eat after midnight...that doesn't make much sense because that means he can never really eat doesn't it?. Oh and is Gizmo the only Mogwai left? you'd think there would be lots.

The film does has many levels or stages I think. The whole tranquil little snow capped town with all the townsfolk knowing each other does homage 'Its a Wonderful Life', they don't hide this though as its shown in the film. The grumpy and somewhat sadistic 'Mrs Deagle' is clearly a little homage to 'The Wizard of Oz' and the wicked witch character, she even says the same lines at one point. At some points the film is very humorous with silly Gremlin slapstick and tomfoolery, visual gags and overall light-hearted laughs that kids would enjoy. On the same note there are also many more points in the film where it does really get close to the bone. You get a quick hint of this early on when the professor gets killed or half eaten which is a tad unnerving.

The tone shifts from one end of the scale to the other quite dramatically, it can be a bit mind boggling. A good small example would be when the Gremlins are all in the bar drinking and smoking (its all good kids). There is much craziness going on which can be seen as light comedy but all of a sudden 'Stripe' whips out a gun and shoots a fellow Gremlin in the face!. This causes much laughter all round from the little critters but it does kinda get you thinking doesn't it, hey kids its fun to shoot people in the face haha no consequences accept for hilarity and drinks all round!.

The same could be said for the Gremlins attack on Peltzer's mum in the kitchen. I think this is the first really graphic attack sequence in the film, some quite nasty justice for the little terrors. The infamous microwave sequence, head in a blender, stabbed to death with a big knife and all rounded off with a decapitation into the fireplace!. The whole finale against Stripe is very dark too as this Gremlin is trying to kill 'Peltzer' is some pretty gruesome ways, no holding back here kids, chainsaw to the face!!.

I'm not even mentioned the depressing tale spoken by Cates character of why she hates Xmas, pretty bleak stuff right there. Then of course there's the excellent melting sequence of Stripe as he meets his demise right at the end. Much like the melting moments in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' that bit always had me half looking back in the day, twas cool but scary, I guess that's why us kids liked it back then. The sound effects made that scene so much more disgusting with all the bubbling and squelching, loved the dogs reaction too, that dog really jumped on many occasion in the film hehe poor fella.

Its corny and cliche but they don't make kids films like this anymore. I guess that could be a good thing because kids these days are exposed to so much stuff, but I suppose you could argue they wouldn't find it scary because they are more immune. Back in the day times were simpler and we didn't have all the tech stuff you have now so films like this really blew your mind and I think we enjoyed them more because of it. I think films like this felt more special because they looked real and gave you something you wouldn't normally see, no internet or CGI back then kids.

I always did like Hoyt Axton's (loved his performance and character) last few words in this film...'Well, that's the story. So if your air conditioner goes on the fritz or your washing machine blows up or your video recorder conks out; before you call the repairman turn on all the lights, check all the closets and cupboards, look under all the beds, 'cause you never can tell there just might be a gremlin in your house'. The thing is back then when you were a kid, you DID check in your clothes cupboard and under your bed before going to bed.

8.5/10

[Al_The_Strange]

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

We live in a massive world full of beauty and danger; at some point, everybody is called upon to move across the Earth's surface, to meet strange new people, and to do something amazing. Some people's achievements may be more amazing than others, but most everybody has the potential and opportunities to turn their life into an adventure.

Walter Mitty's secret life is full of highly imaginative aspirations for adventure. As a quiet man low on the corporate totem pole, Walter spends half of the movie only dreaming of having adventures. In some of the film's standout moments, the guy will suddenly throw himself into a burning building to save a dog, or challenge somebody to a fight, or step out of a painting and just be awesome. In the last half of the film, he actually steps up and has his adventure, traveling to Greenland, Iceland, and Afghanistan to fulfill the last, most important assignment on his job. Between the wild fantasy scenes and the gorgeous imagery of Walter's journeys, the film is imaginative and exquisite. Through the picture, there are occasional moments of light-hearted comedy, some slapstick, some touching romance, and plenty of drama. The film offers a little bit of everything.

With the premise outlined above, the film has some inherent strengths of its own. It is a well-structured plot with enough dramatic threads to keep the story rolling without much drag. Characters are pretty fun to watch, and I can actually relate to Walter at times. The themes are pretty notorious for being spelled-out and blatant, with absolutely no subtlety; at times, the message is literally printed on the film itself, spelled out for all to read. I do find the themes of courage, love, and life inspiring, and I personally didn't mind them being shoved into my face, but many viewers find it distasteful. I have no idea how Ben Stiller's telling of this story compares to the original 1947 film, or the original book, but this film stands pretty well on its own. The only real complaint I have is that (the real-life) parts of it are rather incredulous, and there are moments where it feels like an extended commercial (many viewers have griped about the endless product placements, but I felt the movie played out a bit like an airline commercial at times).

All that being said, the film is very competently-made, with exquisite photography and slick editing. Acting is pretty decent, and the writing (despite being totally unsubtle) is alright. This production has some fine-looking sets, props, and costumes. Locales are phenomenal (this film makes me want to see Iceland now), and the special effects get the job done. This film uses some interesting music as well.

I've seen my fair share of the world in my time, so I couldn't help but to root for Walter as he set out to see the world for himself. I think this film embodies some inherently heartfelt themes worth exploring, and the film is decently entertaining as it sets out on its adventure. It gets a bit of a bad rap for being totally unsubtle and rather commercialized, but my only complaint is that I expected something a bit more powerful. Regardless, I felt that this was a fine film with plenty of heart and inspiration.

See the film. Better yet, see the world and have an adventure.

4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Very Good)

Recommendation: Sure, why not?

[Al_The_Strange]

The Wolf of Wall Street

If you've seen The Goodfellas or Casino, then you'll know the story of The Wolf of Wall Street. This is another tale of a criminal whose ambitions sweep him away into a debauched world of dirty money, out-of-control substance abuse, and a downward spiral of corruption that inevitably leads to his own undoing. Only thing is, this is less about the gangsters and mafia, and more about the white-collar crime. The guys wear suits, work in proper offices, and everything they do is just business; funnily enough, this whole movie still plays out like a gangster film.

Based on the memoirs of Jordan Belfort - the real-life stock broker who made millions by selling shoddy stocks to average joes - the film showcases one seriously messed-up slimeball of a man. If his scheme sounds familiar, it's because it's been the inspiration behind the 2000 film Boiler Room, and this film covers much of the same concepts, albiet with better structure. The film maintains a close and intimate focus on the man as he rises to power, suckers thousands into his schemes, and then lives a life of extreme excess. And it is extreme: the whole film becomes laden with drugs, sex, superficial luxuries, material things, and characters who want nothing more than to take and consume everything. The sheer corruption becomes palpable on-screen, and I couldn't help but to shake my head at numerous scenes when I saw just how far these wolfish characters have gone in their unrestrained partying and debauchery. I have no clue as to how closely this film adapts the real-life events, but at times it's almost hard to believe that things could have gone this far. And yet, the excesses serve to underscore key themes and criticisms on the American dream; the pursuit of money and success, through any means, remains the main drive of the characters and the movie, and it leads to a fairly hard-hitting downfall.

This film features good-looking photography and editing. Acting is great: Leonardo DiCaprio is practically perfect as the titular character, and the rest of the cast pulls their weight really well (including Jonah Hill, who seems to fit into his character's archetype very comfortably). Writing is really sharp and good; the film is full of great lines and great speeches. There are some great-looking sets, props, and costumes on display in this film. Music has a varied mix of songs, and they're all used really well for their intended effect.

The Wolf of Wall Street is every bit as good as Martin Scorsese's work with The Goodfellas and Casino. All these films work with similar plots and themes, but TWOWS is a gangster film masked by the thin veil of upper-class corporate swindling. Regardless, it is a film that candidly shows the crimes and excesses in full, before proving that, even for the super-rich, crime still doesn't pay.

4.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Perfect)

Recommendation: Yes.

[Al_The_Strange]

47 Ronin (2013)

I haven't seen the earlier renditions of the tale of the 47 Ronin, but I have seen my fair share of samurai movies and Asian fantasy films. Offhand, I found this English-friendly epic to be serviceable, but not exceptional.

The film does have its moments though. There are a few decent fight scenes, with characters hacking and slashing their way through enemy armies and weird beasts. With giants, tengu (bird-men), a shape-shifting witch, and lots of grand-looking locales, the film tries its best to look epic and otherworldly.

The only problem is, the film never really goes above-and-beyond on any level. The action and battle scenes pass by without leaving much of an impact. That just leaves the story to fill in the gaps. It is not an inherently bad story; the plot is pretty solid and has plenty of dramatic strings to keep it together. The characters are enjoyable to watch. Above all, the film tries its best to tug at some heart strings, showcasing an outcast hero (and later, an entire band of outcast heroes), and a tragically-doomed romance that permeates through the entire picture. There were times when I really rooted for the characters, to see if good will triumph over evil, and to see if the guy will finally hook up with the princess. Do be warned though: the film has one serious downer of an ending.

The film has some okay-looking photography and editing. I wasn't that fond of the acting and writing; it can be hard to take Keanu Reeves seriously, but with the rest of the cast speaking in English, it felt extremely counter-intuitive, if not outright stereotypical or cheesy. The script felt very simplistic and cliched. This production uses okay-looking sets, props, and costumes. Special effects are okay, with a few standout moments. Music is okay.

As it is, 47 Ronin strikes the middle ground for me: not that great, not that bad either. It is a bit of a shame, because this film was tutted to be a fantasy epic on a level that's supposed to be an Asian Lord of the Rings. At best, I'd say this is just a hair better than The Forbidden Kingdom, but I don't think that says much. The film is fairly entertaining and it has a few good moments, but I couldn't help but to think that there are oodles of better movies out there. If it's samurai action you want, why not give Seven Samurai, Harakiri, or even The Last Samurai a try? If you're looking for fantasy, there's always Painted Skin, The Promise, and even The Ninja Scroll.

3/5 (Entertainment: Average | Story: Average | Film: Average)

Recommendation: Nah.

[Abdrewes]

The mark of a great film is one which manages to capture interest apart from the grace-notes and backstage ancillary details that may be found. Noting the threads which link it to an artist's oeuvre comes secondary to catching each photon that bounces back from the silver screen. So while there are points of commonality between Martin Scorsese's latest film—a maddening three hour rush that is graced with more heedless abandon, gall, and energy than the sum of all of the action epics and sex farces that have graced the multiplexes this year—and the crime films and black comedies he has made in the past, but it is meant to be taken on its own terms. The Wolf of Wall Street, based on the the memoir of swindler come inspirational speaker Jordan Belfort, charges at you like the virile, cocaine snorting lions at its center that defined Wall Street malfeasance during the period of extreme economic deregulation of the 1980s.

The tale is familiar. Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a fresh-faced, wide-eyed New York salesman with a malleable set of moral values, is turned on to the get-rich-quick possibilities of “pump and dump” fraud which employs artificial inflation to sell cheap stock at a higher price. His cicerone into the mechanics of this world is none other than Matthew McConaughey's Mark Hanna, who explains that cocaine, frequent masturbation, and the services of hookers catalyze the adrenaline rush and nimble fingers needed for optimal work flow. His brief appearance as a paternal figure casts a shadow on every deal Jordan seals. Factor in the dutiful wife and a pesky SEC agent (a type-cast Kyle Chandler), and the rudiments of a rise-and-fall biopic are in place. His burgeoning solipsism will slowly open ruin's door for the Stratton Oakmont dynasty.

Before the inevitable fallout, however, we are specters to a raucous bacchanalia of bad behavior with Jordan as our welcoming host. The amount drug use and fornication escalate to unseemly levels. The fact that the AIDS crisis broke out mere years before is apparently of no consequence to them. Also not weighing on their conscience is the wreckage they lay impart on not only their client's pocketbooks, but to the locales their party ventures to. At one point, the restoration of an entire floor of a luxurious Las Vegas hotel is charged as a company expense. That the real life Jordan Belfort was fined $110 Million dollars of restitution (of which he has only paid around ten million dollars of) seems insufficient. What is chronicled here defines decadence. The Jordan Belfort as seen in The Wolf of Wall Street is throwing money away at his every whim—at many points literally, and in a Brechtian manner, no less, that asks us to consider the immorality of his actions as he locks eyes with us.

The way The Wolf of Wall Street allows you to be absorbed by a parade of hedonism gives it its unique pull. This comes as no knock on the moral compasses of those whose fantasies are titillated because it ultimately debunks, and renders them fallacious during the denouement. In essence, it operates like Goodfellas: the first three quarters furiously implicate you into the twisted operations and indulgences of criminals, all the while never allowing a full glimpse of the trail of wreckage left behind but small grace notes (only a few times do voice over narration and flash forwards inform us of the fates that befell several gentlemen who mixed with Belfort and his company), then swiftly pulls the rug from right under. It puffs up our deranged desire to conquer like chest pounding gorillas (on several occasions, Wolf goes so far as to paint man analogous to dominant, predatory animals) then ruthlessly incises through through the layers of wealth built upon deception to reveal its hollow core. There's ultimately a feeling of underlying sadness and great loss to the conquests of our motor mouthed swindler once the comedy dissipates.

There have been other films that detail the ruin that befalls the greedy in the economic sector, but few of them adhered to the “show, don't tell” rule to this degree. One party, one debauched exhibition of misconduct after another is accumulated, without any of them feeling alike. No two scenes convey the same thing due to Scorsese's assured control over tone. They go from rom gently comic, frat-boy lotus-eating to buffoonish excess which entail flying helicopters and sailing luxury yachts while intoxicated. We are given an extravagant rise and fall, with all the larger than life indulgences, but without an underpin of a patronizing voice. Sermonizing is largely absent from the the narrative, so the audience is allowed to feel anything from pit-of-the-stomach disgust to envious wonder.

[LegacyCosts]

"Sermonizing is largely absent from the the narrative, so the audience is allowed to feel anything from pit-of-the-stomach disgust to envious wonder."

I rather enjoy films that don't tell you how to feel, especially when the moral choices on screen are either ambigious or deplorable. A show me, don't tell me policy is about as good as it gets for films on crime/morality or a lack thereof. This has gone from a -5 on my interest level to must see. It just sounds like so many things I love about ol MS and I hope this can break this 14-15 year long streak of films I haven't cared for from him.

bacchanalia, there is a word you don't read everyday.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by LegacyCosts

"Sermonizing is largely absent from the the narrative, so the audience is allowed to feel anything from pit-of-the-stomach disgust to envious wonder."

I rather enjoy films that don't tell you how to feel, especially when the moral choices on screen are either ambigious or deplorable. A show me, don't tell me policy is about as good as it gets for films on crime/morality or a lack thereof. This has gone from a -5 on my interest level to must see. It just sounds like so many things I love about ol MS and I hope this can break this 14-15 year long streak of films I haven't cared for from him.

bacchanalia, there is a word you don't read everyday.

I believe the word "bacchanalia" was used in the film too!

Legacy, this is really something radically different than what I was expecting. I kid you not when I say it's the most energetic film of the year...not time notion the funniest. WOOF has little in common with the other DiCaprio collaborations.

[LegacyCosts]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I believe the word "bacchanalia" was used in the film too!

Legacy, this is really something radically different than what I was expecting. I kid you not when I say it's the most energetic film of the year...not time notion the funniest. WOOF has little in common with the other DiCaprio collaborations.

I look forward to it. I'll post my thoughts soon.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by LegacyCosts

I look forward to it. I'll post my thoughts soon.

Yes!

[Al_The_Strange]

Good review boss. WOWS is pretty awesome, but I think you've articulated its essence in a much better manner than I did.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Good review boss. WOWS is pretty awesome, but I think you've articulated its essence in a much better manner than I did.

Thanks! I think you boiled the film to its essence too, btw. And hey, you did touch on the performances unlike me. I always have a tough time with making acting evaluations feel germaine to my prose. Leo is great. Like I've told everyone in the last few days, he has a really tough job. HE has to convince you that every eye in the room is devouring his every word like it was a writ from on high, and he ACES IT!

Just for kicks I was telling some buddies afterwards to picture this movie if it had been made with Magnolia era Tom Cruise (1999) as Befort..

[Spirit Zero]

Casper (1995)

I recall this film popping out of nowhere really, saw a trailer for it out of the blue, liked the look of it and went to see it. The creepy Addams Family visuals along with some really sweet looking effects hooked me and overall I really enjoyed this little kiddie flick.

The plot is a simple Scooby Doo type affair really. There's a big old spooky mansion where Casper and his three uncle ghosts reside. An evil tyrannical female inherits the mansion and wants to find the treasure hidden within its bowels (then tear it down), problem is the ghosts. So she hires Bill Pullman (a paranormal therapist) and his daughter Ricci to get rid of the spooks.

This being a kids flick its very predictable so I needn't tell you how things unfold. What I will say is the film is a highly enjoyable ghostie adventure with some really nice looking cobweb ridden sets, charming locations, quirky humour, acceptable performances and great CGI amazingly.

The ghost effects on Casper are really nice and hold up well today. He's easily the best of the bunch visually, he looks quite realistic actually. The three naughty uncles are slightly more cartoonish looking and act so. The jokes and slapstick from them is very childish, you can see the one liners and sight gags coming a mile off but that's expected. Other ghosts that materialise during the film also look more like cartoons and not as effective as Casper, not too sure why Pullman's wife appears as a proper human though when all the others are CGI, emotional moment I guess.

The other thing that impresses is how well the actors interact with the CGI spooks, believe it or not but they do look in all the right places and at the right times. You'd half expect this film to have hokey effects and badly directed live action but its really good all the way through. There are some unnecessary quickfire cameos that's for sure, the only clever one was seeing Dan Aykroyd turn up as 'Ray Stantz', I liked that.

Hot on the heels of a certain Charles Addams creation Ricci follows on with her adopted kooky persona with this halloween caper, and its suits her perfectly. Pullman is a blundering but lovable father to Ricci's character whilst Casper is voiced nicely and acted well by a young Devon Sawa in human form. The only let down is the rather lame villainess and her henchman played by Eric Idle who didn't really need to be here.

At times this film is actually very sweet and can bring a lump to your throat, it has that sickly sentimental touch, especially during the finale. But overall this is a great fun film if you enjoy light-hearted supernatural silliness. To sum up it isn't too far from a kids version of 'Beetlejuice' or 'High Spirits' and much better than the Eddie Murphy vehicle 'The Haunted Mansion'.

7/10

[Spirit Zero]

Space Jam (1996)

Not too sure why this film is called Space Jam but I guess it sounds kinda cool doesn't it. Despite the fact the film stars all the Warner Bros Looney Tunes characters the whole thing is really all about Michael Jordan. A fictional account of a small segment in his career if you will.

So if you haven't already guessed the film is also all about basketball, this makes me wonder if the film was as much of a hit here in the UK as it inevitably was in the US. Obviously the Looney Tunes characters had a lot to do with the appeal for many as the film serves as more of an animated adventure rather than a true basketball feature. That being said it does give plenty for both sides of this spectrum.

Should I really have a go at the plot? this is after all a cartoon of sorts. Basically MJ must do battle on the court against some aliens who want him to be their slave within their intergalactic theme park. Thing is these crafty aliens have pinched the talents of fellow NBA All-Stars Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, Shawn Bradly, Pat Ewing and Charles Barkley (what about John Stockton or Scottie Pippen?). So end of the day its Michael Jordan vs a selection of other NBA players, guess who wins? I wonder what the films trying to say?.

As far as an animated flick goes this is a fun time, its bright bold and colourful, there's plenty of toon action, the usual visual gags, in-jokes, sly homages etc...and of course the WB roster is always good see. The problems I have is the fact the animation is nowhere near as good as the classic original toons of Chuck Jones and co naturally...and they never will be ever again. The voice talent is nowhere near as good as Mel Blanc and co...and they never will be again. Plus of course they mix in CGI with hand drawn animation which kinda works in places but looks awful in others.

I think the worst voice work going in this film must be the attempt at 'Pepe Le Pew'. Wasn't a fan of the stereotypical female version of Bugs either, wasn't required, was just added for the young female audience and felt totally out of place. On the other hand the baddie alien characters weren't too bad if a little bland, they became more interesting in massive monster mode of course. I think if I were Bradly I might have been upset my animated alter ego was made out to be a slow towering numbskull. Using Danny Devito as the chief alien badguy was a smart move, again his character wasn't overly intriguing and kinda standard in design but it worked.

The actual basketball game is good fun even though you'd think it wouldn't be. Its certainly looney, has some slick moments, a nice 'Pulp Fiction' homage, the gag about Michael's special drink is cute, its fun watching the lofty NBA Stars trying to act and Bill Murray adds some much needed fizz for adults. You know what happens in the end, its no surprise, luckily it is a good ride getting there. Definitely an unexpected hit straight outta left field.

6.5/10

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Spirit Zero

Casper (1995)

[Show spoiler]I recall this film popping out of nowhere really, saw a trailer for it out of the blue, liked the look of it and went to see it. The creepy Addams Family visuals along with some really sweet looking effects hooked me and overall I really enjoyed this little kiddie flick.

The plot is a simple Scooby Doo type affair really. There's a big old spooky mansion where Casper and his three uncle ghosts reside. An evil tyrannical female inherits the mansion and wants to find the treasure hidden within its bowels (then tear it down), problem is the ghosts. So she hires Bill Pullman (a paranormal therapist) and his daughter Ricci to get rid of the spooks.

This being a kids flick its very predictable so I needn't tell you how things unfold. What I will say is the film is a highly enjoyable ghostie adventure with some really nice looking cobweb ridden sets, charming locations, quirky humour, acceptable performances and great CGI amazingly.

The ghost effects on Casper are really nice and hold up well today. He's easily the best of the bunch visually, he looks quite realistic actually. The three naughty uncles are slightly more cartoonish looking and act so. The jokes and slapstick from them is very childish, you can see the one liners and sight gags coming a mile off but that's expected. Other ghosts that materialise during the film also look more like cartoons and not as effective as Casper, not too sure why Pullman's wife appears as a proper human though when all the others are CGI, emotional moment I guess.

The other thing that impresses is how well the actors interact with the CGI spooks, believe it or not but they do look in all the right places and at the right times. You'd half expect this film to have hokey effects and badly directed live action but its really good all the way through. There are some unnecessary quickfire cameos that's for sure, the only clever one was seeing Dan Aykroyd turn up as 'Ray Stantz', I liked that.

Hot on the heels of a certain Charles Addams creation Ricci follows on with her adopted kooky persona with this halloween caper, and its suits her perfectly. Pullman is a blundering but lovable father to Ricci's character whilst Casper is voiced nicely and acted well by a young Devon Sawa in human form. The only let down is the rather lame villainess and her henchman played by Eric Idle who didn't really need to be here.

At times this film is actually very sweet and can bring a lump to your throat, it has that sickly sentimental touch, especially during the finale. But overall this is a great fun film if you enjoy light-hearted supernatural silliness. To sum up it isn't too far from a kids version of 'Beetlejuice' or 'High Spirits' and much better than the Eddie Murphy vehicle 'The Haunted Mansion'.

7/10

[Show spoiler]

I wish Universal would release this on Blu-ray. I know it's not something that would sell a ton of copies, but I remember enjoying it when it came out.

[Steve46]

Here's an excerpt from the introduction to my upcoming book on movies:

"I would rather watch something which gives me pleasure than watch something out of respect."

I hope you enjoyed it

[yhzmr]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

I wish Universal would release this on Blu-ray. I know it's not something that would sell a ton of copies, but I remember enjoying it when it came out.

It is enjoyable. It's one of those films that both kids and adults can enjoy. It also features one of my favorite James Horner scores.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Thanks! I think you boiled the film to its essence too, btw. And hey, you did touch on the performances unlike me. I always have a tough time with making acting evaluations feel germaine to my prose. Leo is great. Like I've told everyone in the last few days, he has a really tough job. HE has to convince you that every eye in the room is devouring his every word like it was a writ from on high, and he ACES IT!

Just for kicks I was telling some buddies afterwards to picture this movie if it had been made with Magnolia era Tom Cruise (1999) as Befort..

Right on, thank you for the feedback.

The film might have done okay in 1999, but I don't think Cruise would have done as good of a job as DiCaprio did. I think the style of the film might have been different (not that it wouldn't be pure Scorsese, but looking at Bringing out the Dead, I think movies of that era had a different tone, feeling, and composition back then, I dunno...), and I'm not sure if it would have been as graphic.

I can't help but to look back on Boiler Room and think that WOWS blows it out of the water.

Originally Posted by Steve46

Here's an excerpt from the introduction to my upcoming book on movies:

"I would rather watch something which gives me pleasure than watch something out of respect."

I hope you enjoyed it

Cool, let us know where we can find your book. I also agree with your quote.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest rental: Terror of Mechagodzilla

In the original Godzilla series, the monstrous city-stomping lizard confronted a space-aged robotic version of himself in Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla. This sequel picks up where that film left off, with humans tampering with Mechagodzilla's remains at the bottom of the ocean. Naturally it doesn't go very well.

At this point, things in the Godzilla franchise has ventured into some extremely campy and far-out sci-fi B-movie territory. Not only does this film feature Godzilla and Mechagodzilla duking it out, but there are also dinosaurs and aliens hailing from the third planet of some black hole. Yep, dinosaurs, mutant radioactive lizards, a giant mecha, and space aliens all inhabit the screen together. Come to think of it, there was a cyborg in the mix too, wasn't there? It makes for a rather convoluted and mixed viewing experience.

When it comes to the actual mass destruction, it's all shoved toward the end of the movie, feeling a bit short, and with very little that stands out. The rest of the film is focused on the drama (including huge heapings of people in war rooms and command centers, aliens scheming, and some kind of romantic subplot), which is not inherently bad, but it drags at spots and never really gives the film much momentum.

As mentioned above, the story can be a bit nutty, but it has its moments. The characters have a few standout moments (thanks largely to the love story that's thrown in), but a lot of them take the back seat to all the conspiracy surrounding the monsters.

This film is made with good, but never great, photography and editing. Acting and writing are generally not bad. This production has some very cheap and gaudy-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects. The model work, monsters, and compositing/projection effects have not aged well, and look pretty bad. Music is okay.

Terror of Mechagodzilla struck me as a pretty cheesy B-movie, offering a mish-mash of numerous crazy ideas. Despite the clash of aliens, robots, and monsters, the film didn't really engage me that much, and it felt dull overall. Fans might dig it though.

3/5 (Entertainment: Average | Story: Average | Film: Average)