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485,673 | 386,241 | 483,460 | 5 |
Froggy KNOWS she didn't do it
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As you might have already guessed from the title , this episode is not dealing with a murder , but with a theft : to be more precise , with the theft of some top secret plans for a fighter plane from the desk of an English engineer . The main suspect is an American lady that many believe is a spy working for the Germans , but Hercule Poirot , who has been invited to the same house for the weekend , is not convinced that the case is that simple . This is a rather trifling episode of the Poirot series , and maybe the easiest way to explain that would be to say that murder mystery stories are usually more engaging than pre-WWII spy stories . But then again , " this is a matter of national security " , as one character says . No , I think the problem lies elsewhere : in the fact that , if you think about it , the story and its outcome would have been essentially the same WITHOUT Poirot's involvement ( can't get into more detail without spoiling it , but think about it ) . On the plus side , Inspector Japp gets some laughs in this episode , particularly when he's trying not to look at the female suspect while she's getting undressed in the next room . ( )
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486,419 | 386,241 | 99,088 | 5 |
Not up to its predecessors .
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The last and weakest film in the " Back to the Future " series . Short on invention ( especially compared to " Part II " ) and not terribly funny , this lighthearted comedy-Western relies heavily on the viewer's good will , established by the previous parts , and his / her familiarity with the characters , to camouflage the fact that the time-travelling premise is already wearing thin . But the frantic climax was impressive enough for me to give this an extra half-a-star . ( )
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487,324 | 386,241 | 106,753 | 5 |
Interesting film , but what a hideous ending ! !
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This movie holds your interest and keeps you wondering , up until an ending which will make cry out " Oh boy ! " . It's so gruesome and far-fetched and off-base that it's positively ludicrous . On the plus side , Drew Barrymore burns up the screen with a much steamier performance than the one she gave in " Poison Ivy " , and the " good guys " are unusually likable ( in an unforced way ) for a horror film . ( )
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486,813 | 386,241 | 95,652 | 6 |
One-note horror drama .
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This somewhat slow and drawn-out horror film gets increasingly predictable as it moves along . About halfway through , the basic plot pattern ( a telepathic connection between a man and a monkey ) has become perfectly clear , and there are no surprises left . But the movie does offer some compensations ; among them , the acceptable acting and the gruesome climactic scene . All in all , an average horror entry . ( )
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486,113 | 386,241 | 88,000 | 6 |
Time capsule .
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Extremely predictable and full of stereotypical characters and tired jokes , " Revenge Of The Nerds " can be best viewed today as a time capsule . Definitely an 80's film that shows its age . A few funny moments and some ( brief ) nudity provide a measure of fun . ( )
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485,632 | 386,241 | 264,395 | 6 |
Too much of a good thing .
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Plot twists are like some pills : take a few and they're good for you , take too many and they can seriously damage your health . The trailers for " Basic " look exciting , it has a dream cast ( I could listen to Samuel Jackson swearing all day long ) , . . . . indeed for about an hour or so , this is an unusually absorbing film ; you feel like you're " in " the action , not just watching it . But it doesn't know when to quit ; there comes a point when even the purpose of the investigation itself is cancelled out . And the ending practically ruins the entire film ( much like it happens in another good-until-the-end thriller , " Under Suspicion " ) . The original ending , which is mentioned in some of the other comments , sounds somewhat more reasonable . ( )
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487,175 | 386,241 | 52,564 | 6 |
Why all the irony ?
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How come there are so many negative reviews about this one ? It actually holds up better than many other sci-fi films of that period ( wasn't " Teenagers From Outer Space " also made in 1959 ? ) , and if it's clunky at times , its clunkiness is part of its innocent charm . The effects and the matte drawings may not be perfect , but they're sure colorful and entertaining , and the movie's restrained approach ( at least more restrained that the title indicates ) is most welcome . The presence of a woman scientist is also worth noting ; although her treatment by the ship's captain is often sexist , ultimately she proves to be quite intelligent and competent . ( )
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487,030 | 386,241 | 118,636 | 6 |
Interesting , but falls short of greatness .
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Apt Pupil is an undeniably interesting psychological drama . Bryan Singer's directing doesn't reach the levels of brilliance of " The Usual Suspects " , but it's careful and technically flawless . His material presents some serious problems , though : the movie's moral message is ambivalent at best , and at the end we are pretty much asked to admire the young hero for using his " mentor's " blackmailing methods so effectively . And the story DOES contain some amazing coincidences that are hard to accept ( the kid recognized a man from a 40-year-old photo ? ) . Ian McKellen's performance has been widely praised ; I thought that he was never as menacing as he was meant to be . But Renfro is excellent , and David Schwimmer seems astonishingly ideal for his role . On the whole , a gripping movie , but rather forgettable - and it goes on too long .
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486,695 | 386,241 | 112,895 | 6 |
Pleasant enough , but not many laughs .
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Pleasant if at times crude , this comedy misses a few too many opportunities for laughs but has better-than-usual computer morphing effects and benefits from the likable performances of Tim Daly and Lysette Anthony , who have genuine chemistry as a pair , and the perfectly sleazy one of Jeremy Piven . On the other hand , Sean Young is still the same beautiful , untalented actress we have always known . ( )
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487,051 | 386,241 | 78,158 | 6 |
Stupid but palatable .
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This corny sequel to " Escape To Witch Mountain " is full of stupid and convenient plot devices ( smart goat ! ) , the performances by the kids are awkward , Bette Davis and an obviously slumming Christopher Lee are here only to lure some adults into thinking the movie might have some interest for them too ( it doesn't ) and the special effects run hot and cold ( some good , some embarrassments ) . Despite all that , the film does have a few good ideas , such as pitting the two " magical " kids against each other for much of the duration . Of course , they are both so obnoxious that I was secretly hoping they would go ahead and kill each other off , but no such luck ; this is Disney , after all . ( )
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486,601 | 386,241 | 65,063 | 6 |
Allen has done better .
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This scattershot comedy offers a couple of chuckles ( check out the " cleverly hidden " camera Virgil uses to study a bank ) but overall is not as funny as some of Woody Allen's other early comedies . Not to mention the overly grainy , drab look of the film that may have been partly intentional , but that doesn't make it any less annoying . Pleasant enough , but I'd rather re-watch " Bananas " instead . ( )
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485,656 | 386,241 | 30,637 | 6 |
Too talky
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This adaptation of Shaw's play has bright moments , and Hiller is beautiful in an unusual way , but it's so insufferably talky that you beg for more quite moments as a relief .
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487,044 | 386,241 | 118,577 | 6 |
Not a total success , but not a dog either .
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Burn , Hollywood , Burn is not an altogether successful satire . It's shapeless , it's talky , it's self-conscious , it has essentially no plot and it wastes Eric Idle's talents badly . However , giving it " zero stars " or labeling it " one of the worst movies ever made " , as so many reviewers have done , suggests that there is nothing worthwhile to be found here at all , which is pretty inaccurate . There are , in fact , some big laughs in this movie , especially when Stallone ( explaining why the " Rocky " pictures are deeply religious ) and Jackie Chan ( demonstrating how he feels about any director who tries to " control " him ) are parodying their screen images . There are also some biting satirical remarks about the role of the director in a big Hollywood blockbuster and the marketing strategies the studios are prepared to use to get the audiences where they want them . At one point , a producer says : " We don't have a movie . So what ? We have a 30-second trailer . We can release that to theaters and charge full price ! " How far do you suppose this way of thinking is removed from reality ? ( )
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485,674 | 386,241 | 676,186 | 6 |
Not a very difficult problem , I'm afraid
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When a woman is murdered on a ship cruising around Egypt , the captain asks Hercule Poirot - who happens to be on board , along with Captain Hastings - to investigate the matter . This episode boasts the usual high production values , but the mystery itself is transparent . It all relies on a single gimmick , and I was able to call it as soon as it was happening on the screen . Since I'm far from an expert at solving murder mysteries , I imagine that most viewers will solve this one prematurely , too . That leaves us in the position of being AHEAD of Poirot - a position as infrequent as it is undesirable . At least the actual revelation is done in an interestingly offbeat way . ( )
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487,482 | 386,241 | 105,156 | 6 |
Morbid , intriguing , trashy .
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It would be the easiest thing to simply dismiss this film as yet another sleazy erotic melodrama ( which it undoubtedly is ) , but the result is too intriguing , and too offbeat , to be ignored . Although this film will disappoint those who are expecting a well-made thriller or even an explicitly erotic movie because it's tame and practically suspenseless , it has an air of weirdness and morbidity that places it slightly above most of the run-of-the-mill entries in this genre . The performances are mostly one-note but convincing enough . Visually , it's a grim , underproduced film , but it does have a " special " atmosphere .
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486,711 | 386,241 | 87,945 | 6 |
Good low-budget fun if you like sexy & tough girls
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The beginning is awful : trying to convince us that we are on an alien planet , Fred Olen Ray shoots everything through a red filter - it worked in " The Angry Red Planet " , it's a pain on the eyes here . But soon enough the action moves in the Prison Ship of the title , and the film turns into a cross between sci-fi and WIP - and furthermore , the kind of WIP I like : less focus on torture and humiliation , more on catfights ( there are 2 , both very good ) and the final escape . The special effects are enjoyably cheesy , though I , for one , would prefer to see as a climax a hand-to-hand fight between the heroine and the female warden instead of the laser space battles we do get ( some of them apparently lifted from other sources ) . The girls are pretty sexy and put a lot of spirit and energy into their roles , especially Sandy Brooke who should have had a longer B-movie career . ( )
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486,360 | 386,241 | 95,726 | 6 |
Too bland .
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The writer and director , Alan Alda ( who also stars , sporting an unflattering haircut ) , enters Woody Allen territory here , but the result is unfortunately bland and forgettable . He seems to know all the right moves and maintains an agreeable tone , but there isn't enough wit in the lines , or enough laughs , or enough insights into the characters . Ann-Margret does look sensational , however . ( )
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485,946 | 386,241 | 65,112 | 6 |
Serviceable , workmanlike spy thriller that will never end up in anyone's " Top 10 Hitchcock films " list
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Topaz is at its best when Alfred Hitchcock lets the camera tell the story : there are several small but brilliant moments in this film . But while his direction is still masterful , his pacing certainly isn't - the film often feels talky and plodding . The abrupt ending is another problem - one of the alternative endings , the airport one , sounds much better ( unfortunately I haven't had the chance to see it yet ) . Frederick Stafford is no Cary Grant or even Rod Taylor , but he does the job ; so do the rest of the actors , with Phillipe Noiret a standout in a brief role and Karin Dor adding a touch of sensuality to the proceedings . On the whole , " Topaz " is not even among Hitchcock's Top 10 pictures , but his fans will still have fun spotting his touches here and there . His cameo - a wheelchair-bound man who suddenly gets up and starts walking ( ! ) - is just one of them . ( ) EDIT : I finally did see the airport ending : it is undeniably better than the present one , but still a bit too abrupt .
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486,248 | 386,241 | 95,742 | 6 |
One of the best - highly imaginative !
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Nightmare on Elm Street 4 is one of the best entries in the series . Okay , the first is considered a classic , maybe because it had a feeling of poetic surrealism that is indeed lost here . But , come on , it is the FOURTH Freddy film , did you REALLY expect it to be scary ? Freddy delivers indeed too many puns , however some of them actually hit the mark . After all , the quality of a slasher film doesn't depend exclusively on how " serious " and " vicious " the killer is - he was more serious in " Part 2 " , which was an embarrassment , he was less serious in " Part 3 " , which was an imaginative , entertaining film . As for " Part 4 " , it has way-above-average acting , a polished look ( just compare it to some early " Friday The 13th " cheapies ) and some gruesome , stunning visual effects . Above all , the movie exploits more possibilities about the links between reality and dreams than the " classic " original did . It is worth seeing .
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487,151 | 386,241 | 101,320 | 6 |
Ambition certainly doesn't lack ambition . . .
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. . . but the result is only partially successful . Part of the problem is that the narrative plods to such a degree that for the most part the whole film seems pointless . It's only in the last 30 minutes or so that you realize what Lou Diamond Phillips ( who wrote the script and stars ) was up to ( SPOILERS FOLLOW ) : he cleverly and subtly reverses the usual genre formulas , turning his character , who is supposed to be the hero and the person for the audience to identify with , into the real villain of the film , while the now cured ( ? ) , ex-psychopathic killer , who is shown to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown throughout the movie , turns out to be the character who must save the day ! ( END OF SPOLIERS ) . So this is one of those rare films where you don't know where the story is going just by looking at the video cover , and that alone makes it somewhat recommendable . ( )
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486,921 | 386,241 | 30,473 | 6 |
Slow , but clever .
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Considering its age ( almost 65 years old ) , this movie has held up reasonably well . Granted , it is a bit slow and dull ( it runs only 69 minutes but it feels MUCH longer ) , and Boris Karloff is not convincing , of course , as an Oriental . However , he does capture the Oriental philosophy of his character , and the plotting itself ( particularly the killing method ) is ingenious , worthy of a fine crime novel . ( )
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486,729 | 386,241 | 56,552 | 6 |
Tame and routine .
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Three-part horror anthology film ; mediocre overall . The first story is a familiar tale of supernatural revenge , with Vincent Price giving the weakest of his three performances - in three totally different roles - for the film . He is much more enjoyable in the second story , which is played mostly for laughs , but despite the clever plotline and also a weird , noteworthy performance by Peter Lorre , it all doesn't add up to much . The third story is , in my opinion , clearly the most intriguing and successful one ( and Price is unusually sympathetic ) , but it ends completely illogically . The whole film remains disappointingly tame from beginning to end , but you may still find a couple of worthwhile moments , especially in the last episode . ( )
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486,665 | 386,241 | 70,552 | 6 |
Better than " The French Connection " . . . .
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. . . . but that doesn't say much . Actually , it's a totally unexceptional crime story , but Enzo Castellari manages to uplift parts of it with his gimmicks and camera tricks . If Sergio Leone had directed a straight crime flick , the result might have been close to what Castellari achieves here . ( )
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486,486 | 386,241 | 95,542 | 6 |
Unremarkable movie with some remarkable fighting
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In " Dragon Fight " , one of his earliest and least-seen films , Jet Li is part of a Chinese team that comes to San Francisco for a martial-arts exhibition . However , after the show one of his partners ( played by Dick Wei ) decides that he doesn't want to go back to his country , and during his getaway he accidentally kills a cop . Jet is wrongly accused of the crime , gets arrested , escapes and finds refuge in the home of a guy who had seen and admired him in the show , while Dick becomes a well-paid assassin in the service of a gangster . Through a few too many coincidences , the paths of these two former friends cross again . . . Because so few people have seen " Dragon Fight " ( it hasn't even been released on DVD yet ! ) , there is a temptation to say that it's a " hidden treasure " in Jet Li's filmography . Well , it isn't . It is a rather unremarkable movie . But what is remarkable about it is some of the fighting , which is refreshingly realistic ( the word " refreshingly " goes for those who , like me , hate flying-fu ) . Jet Li is at his most youthful , handsome and likable , but " Dragon Fight " is almost as much Dick Wei's film as it is Jet's . This is the only time they worked together on a film , and their final showdown is definitely worth waiting for . ( )
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485,606 | 386,241 | 66,212 | 6 |
Too gimmicky , but suspenseful .
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In the first half , the elliptical narrative is very confusing for a first-time viewer ; throughout the movie , the direction is sometimes unnecessarily gimmicky , employing fast cutting and close-ups a little too often . Still , the movie has some truly suspenseful set pieces ( where you're afraid that even an accidental " wrong " glance may destroy everything ) , several nude scenes with Ursula Andress and a kicker of an ending . Much better than " Dollars " with Warren Beatty . ( )
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485,709 | 386,241 | 70,544 | 6 |
Highly imaginative , but obscure .
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This animated film is a feast of imagination , filled with bizarre images and creatures . . . . but , like most mainly visual films , it cannot sustain your complete attention , even for only 70 minutes . Yes , it's an allegory , that much is clear , but sometimes you feel as if you need a guidebook to interpret the symbols . Still , any fan of adult animation should watch this once . ( )
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485,800 | 386,241 | 118,744 | 6 |
No " Rosemary's Baby " , but not bad .
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Call her campy if you want to , but the fact remains that Jessica Lange , even in a bad day , still easily out-acts the ever-smug Paltrow and the lifeless Schaech ; those two bring almost no personality to their roles , and their affair seems to be having nothing going for it besides sex . As for the film itself , it is rather slack for a thriller , with poor continuity and an awkward ending ; certainly the fact that filmed scenes weren't included in the final cut didn't help matters at all . But it is smoothly directed and not quite as bad as its reputation suggests . ( )
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487,308 | 386,241 | 66,195 | 6 |
Enjoyable film runs out of steam in the second half .
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The Owl and the Pussycat is an uneven but generally enjoyable mix of comedy and romance , with a few dramatic undertones . There are some genuine laughs and some touching moments , but the movie's loudness occasionally goes over-the-line . Streisand is alternately appealing and annoying , sometimes both in the same scene . Segal is very enjoyable in his " everyman " role , and he makes the picture worth watching , although it does run out of steam in the second half .
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486,151 | 386,241 | 65,206 | 6 |
Page's acting saves this film
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It takes quite some effort to get used to the grainy visuals and the ( initially ) confusing storytelling of this movie , but Geraldine Page's performance eventually puts it across : it's ( the performance , not the movie , unfortunately ) scary , uncompromising and totally convincing . Some suspenseful scenes here , but nothing terribly memorable . . . . ( )
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486,780 | 386,241 | 83,530 | 6 |
Mostly funny .
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Yes , many of the gags do seem to have come out of the recycling bin . It's still a fairly funny film anyway . It's literally jam-packed with jokes ( sometimes two or three are running on simultaneously , in the same frame ) and if you don't like one , chances are it will be followed by a better one after only a few seconds . And the acting by almost everyone is very good ; they never slip out of their characters . ( )
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485,792 | 386,241 | 78,295 | 6 |
Pedestrian thriller .
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When the plot of a movie is so simple that it can be summed up in three words - " killer stalks woman " - the movie inevitably will have to be padded out with lots of scenes in which nothing in particular happens , so it can reach the 90-minute mark . " Someone's Watching Me ! " is no exception . Simply put , this film has good camerawork by John Carpenter , but a boring script also by John Carpenter . Lauren Hutton's appearance is dazzling , but her acting less so , and some of the pseudo-hip dialogue she's given is just plain terrible . ( )
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487,480 | 386,241 | 39,035 | 6 |
Occasionally shrill but watchable .
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Too often shrill and sappy as a musical , but as a straightforward ( and perhaps fictionalized - I wouldn't know ) biography of composer Jerome Kern it's OK , with a fair performance by Robert Walker in the central role . Genre buffs should check it out - after all , it's packed with stars - but others aren't likely to be very impressed by it . ( )
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485,778 | 386,241 | 361,399 | 6 |
Not quite a blast , but better than " Die Hard 4 " !
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Having recently seen the fourth chapter of the " Die Hard " series and being somewhat disappointed by it ( because it felt more inspired by the James Bond movies rather than by its predecessors ) , I watched " Blast ! " looking for a more genuine " Die Hard " - like experience - and indeed I got it ! What's almost uncanny is how closely this 2004 straight-to-DVD movie resembles the 2007 blockbuster : a technology-heavy villainous plan , a hacker / nerd as the hero's sidekick , a female martial arts expert as the villain's right-hand woman , a kid ( OK , not a 20-something daughter , but still . . . . ) that needs to be rescued , etc . However , unlike " DH 4 " , " Blast ! " stays faithful to the formula of the first 2 " Die Hard " movies ( trivia note : they were written by the same man , Steven De Souza ) , and keeps the action mostly confined to a single space ( an oil rig ) . " Blast ! " ' s climax is also much better , with TWO simultaneous fights AND a race against time going on ! Eddie Griffin is actually quite credible as an action hero , Vinnie Jones has his moments as the villain ( when Griffin tells him what a disaster his actions will cause , he responds " if you look closely , you can see a tear forming under my eye " - that made me laugh out loud ) and ( unlike Timothy Olyphant ) he can fight too , and Nadine Velazquez is awesome and sexy as his henchwoman - I hope her appearance in Jet Li's upcoming " War " helps her gain more recognition , she deserves it . Overall , I enjoyed " Blast ! " more than " DH 4 " , more proof that bigger doesn't necessarily mean better . ( )
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487,464 | 386,241 | 61,385 | 6 |
Light but spirited .
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Featherweight , thin comedy is nonetheless enjoyable and extremely watchable . Predictable , to be sure , with often juvenile jokes and some simplistic " dramatic " moments , but the stars are very appealing and the general feel-good spirit of the film may actually cheer you up . Excellent underplaying by Redford . ( )
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486,279 | 386,241 | 35,173 | 6 |
Spotty
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Probably not one of Abbott and Costello's shining moments . It's funny in spots ( " Go ahead , back up " ) , but it lacks comic momentum . 5 musical numbers are simply too many for an 80-minute comedy . The numbers are interesting in their own right , but not well-integrated into the story , and not as catchy as some of those in another A & C film of the same period , " In The Navy " . And although I have absolutely nothing against Black & White films , the tropical island setting of this one might have benefited from being shot in luscious Technicolor . On the plus side , the special effects are very impressive for their age , and as Luana , the island tribe chief's daughter , Nan Wynn is a dazzling exotic beauty - without exaggeration , one of the most beautiful women I have EVER seen . ( )
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485,909 | 386,241 | 38,988 | 6 |
No classic , but fairly good .
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An adequate and thoroughly watchable film noir which doesn't quite rank with the great films of its genre ( like " The Big Sleep " ) , perhaps because the pacing is kind of slow and the storytelling is somewhat drawn out . It does set up some intriguingly complex situations , however , and it's well-acted by all the leads , with Lizabeth Scott especially appealing ( in an Ingrid Bergman sort of way ) as the " good , vulnerable girl " and Kirk Douglas impressive in his film debut . ( )
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487,121 | 386,241 | 66,249 | 6 |
Unconventional detective movie .
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A revisionist take on the Sherlock Holmes myth ; the title character is humanized and turned into a complicated , flawed individual . Unfortunately , the main story is not terribly compelling and the movie never hits the mark as a mystery , but you can still admire the depth of the characters and the fine , elegant recreation of the era in which the action takes place . ( )
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487,247 | 386,241 | 497,468 | 6 |
The best match is the opener !
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1 ) 6-Man Invitational for the Cruiserweight title . Kid Kash vs . Funaki vs . Jamie Noble vs . Paul London vs . Nunzio vs . Gregory Helms . A great choice for an opener . Fast-paced match with lots of high spots . 2 ) Mickie James vs . Ashley , with Trish as the special guest ref . A mediocre match . You get the feeling that Mickie would like to get more technical ( nice single-leg boston crabs ) , but the match is pulled towards a catfight , probably to cover up the inexperience of Ashley . Don't get me wrong , though , Ashley is undeniably learning . 3 ) JBL vs . The Boogeyman . What can I say about this ? Awful , but at least short . 4 ) The Royal Rumble Match . The middle part is kind of exhausting , but the beginning and the end , when the action can be followed more clearly , are very entertaining . The constant dedications to the memory of the late Eddie Guerrero are a matter of taste , though . Personally I find them distasteful . 5 ) Edge vs . John Cena ( WWE title ) . An average match that offers something we haven't seen before : Cena getting out-wrestled most of the way , but coming out on top at the end ! Who would have thought ? 6 ) Kurt Angle vs . Mark Henry ( WH title ) . Before the match , Angle cuts a HILARIOUS promo ( " Oh , and by the way . . . . Mark Henry , YOU SUCK ! " ) . The match itself tells an interesting story : Kurt realizes that he can't beat the World's Fattest - em , I mean Strongest - Man with sheer technique , so he has to resort to cheating tactics ( chair shots , etc . ) . After the match , the Undertaker appears and , with the help of some ridiculous pyrotechnics , makes the ring collapse .
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487,159 | 386,241 | 95,389 | 6 |
Disappointing . . . . ( SPOILERS )
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I didn't much like this movie . It's odd and unusual enough to keep you off-balance , but the plot has some gaps and unexplained parts . . . . . ( SPOILERS FOLLOW ) Early on , we see a man committing a most brutal murder , but ultimately it is revealed that the " Ripper " is someone else . The whole behavior of the first man strikes me as inexplicable . Perhaps there is a curious kind of connection , a bond between the two killers , but it is never made clear . This script looks like a part of a greater whole that we don't get to see . ( )
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487,360 | 386,241 | 48,037 | 6 |
Strange , mildly interesting black comedy
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The Criminal Life Of Archibaldo De La Cruz is a hard movie to describe . At first , I thought Bunuel was trying to create some Hitchcock-like tension , but later on he seemed to be going more for a black comedy a la Charlie Chaplin's " Monsieur Verdoux " ( the hero's murderous plans keep getting interrupted at the critical moment ) . Unfortunately , his direction here is mostly flat and unexciting , with only occasional glimpses of his trademark flair ( the look on the boy's face when he sees the blood at the beginning , the " dream murders " , the scene where a woman refuses to kiss Archibaldo so he kisses a mannequin that looks like her instead ) . It all leads to an unexpectedly happy ending . Probably not one of the main films that Bunuel will be remembered for . ( )
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485,813 | 386,241 | 91,635 | 6 |
Rather good , but it runs out of steam .
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This film often becomes the target of hostile and sarcastic comments ; while it is no masterpiece , it certainly doesn't deserve that treatment . It's surprisingly thoughtful , with many offbeat touches here and there ( which somehow never seem pretentious ) , and many realistic moments and " everyday life " observations that add dimensions to the characters . Maybe people are disappointed because the film doesn't really score in the " erotic " department : Mickey Rourke is magnetic but Basinger just doesn't cut it - her only really " hot " scene is her strip-tease , which is also the least explicit one . Although the film suffers from a repetitive story , and eventually , exactly like its characters , runs out of steam , it still seems somewhat underrated .
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485,786 | 386,241 | 210,075 | 6 |
Rodriguez is worth watching ; the movie , however , isn't .
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Michelle Rodriguez gave an amazingly naturalistic performance in " Girlfight " - she's a real talent . But her character is utterly unsympathetic throughout , and what's worse , the filmmakers don't seem willing to acknowledge that and set her up as the heroine . They argue that the right place for a stuck-up girl who can't control her violent urges , thinks the whole world owes her something and likes solving her problems by punching people in the face is the boxing ring - I say it's the loony bin . The romantic subplot is trite and shallow - Rodriguez and Douglas fall " deeply " in love after meeting twice . Good performance by Joe Mantegna look-alike ( and act-alike ) Jaime Tirelli , as the coach . ( )
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486,645 | 386,241 | 108,609 | 6 |
You dirty creeper !
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The " sequel " to the cult Hong Kong hit " Naked Killer " ( which , unfortunately , I have not seen yet ) is , according to all sources , a much different film . Not the best way to get acquainted with modern Hong Kong cinema , but a fair enough ride for more seasoned fans . Meandering and unpleasant at times , with the usual uneasy Hong Kong mix of different tones , but technically well-made ; Chingmy Yau's charming presence and Simon Yam's good performance make up for a lot of other deficiencies . Warning : the DVD subtitling is OUTRAGEOUSLY bad ; not even eight-year-old kids make so many grammatical and spelling errors in each written sentence . ( )
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487,546 | 386,241 | 78,058 | 6 |
Some funny scenes , but painfully labored storytelling
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Odds And Evens is not one of the best films of the Bud Spencer-Terence Hill team . There are some funny scenes ( Terence pretending to be an amateur at playing cards , Bud explaining what happens to him when somebody wakes him up abruptly , Bud's encounter with a drunk truck driver ) , and the final showdown takes place on a boat that hosts a small casino - needless to say , the boys make full use of its props . But the storytelling is labored , tiresome and naive ; the 111-minute running time is way too much for a movie of this type . If more gags were as witty as the last one , we'd be onto something here . ( )
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485,929 | 386,241 | 285,861 | 6 |
Only mildly compelling
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Owning Mahowny is not a bad film , and you probably won't regret seeing it . On the other hand , you don't need to rush out to see it , either . It's based on a true story , but I'm not quite convinced that it was a story worthy of being made into a film . Let's see , what are the two main things we learn from this one ? 1 ) If you embezzle large amounts of money from the bank you work in , you'll eventually get caught , and 2 ) If you're an obsessive gambler you're doomed , because most of the time you'll be losing and even when you're winning you won't be able to just pick up your winnings and walk away . I think we all knew these things before we sat down to watch the film . A lot of praise has gone to Philip Seymour Hoffman's acting here ; indeed , he is so good at portraying this monotonous man that I found him . . . well , monotonous . Minnie Driver ( in what is possibly the most unflattering haircut of her career ) is wasted as Mahowny's ever-understanding girlfriend . The truly outstanding performance is given by John Hurt as the enigmatic casino boss , who simultaneously pities , admires , likes and exploits Mahowny . If you're interested in movies about obsessive gambling , you might want to check out the 1974 flick " The Gambler " , with James Caan . ( )
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486,445 | 386,241 | 78,055 | 6 |
A lot of sex , a little gore and an anti-imperialist message !
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If you're looking for gore in this film , you'll probably be disappointed . Apart from two brief moments of cannibalism and the slaughtering of two dead pigs , there is nothing else worth mentioning . I believe that this time D'Amato's heart was more in the erotic aspect . And he either got lucky or he got smart with the casting here , because it is spot-on : the actress who plays Papaya has a face that looks a little like Pam Grier's and a body to die for ( and some men do ! ) , and the blonde female lead is even more gorgeous , and a fairly capable actress as well . The true climax of the film is a 3-minute lesbian scene between them that is very well-done - one for the anthology books , as these things go . To sum up , as a horror film this gets a but as an erotic film it gets a .
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486,580 | 386,241 | 95,271 | 6 |
Just fair .
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I had heard and read a lot about this movie being the best sequel to the original " Halloween " , so I must say that I was somewhat disappointed by the result - although it IS superior to the overrated " Halloween H20 " . The series had already become so formulaic by that point that the elements of suspense and surprise had pretty much evaporated . This is basically a run-of-the-mill ( and somewhat bland ) slasher film . But there are redeeming qualities : good acting by Pleasence ( he's positively chilling in his final scene ) , Cornell ( just SO sweet ! ) and Harris , a great ending , some imaginative touches ( like the appearance of multiple Michaels in one almost surrealistic scene ) and the competently executed action set pieces . The killings themselves , however , lack originality ; only the first one ( a grisly thumb-through-the-forehead thing ) really stands out . ( )
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486,493 | 386,241 | 66,482 | 6 |
Unique ( non ) movie .
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This was the first Andy Warhol-Paul Morrissey film I ever saw ; the shock value wears off a bit after a while , but its boldness and uniqueness never do . " Trash " will probably offend anyone who's not prepared for it , with its full-frontal nudity , close-ups of needles entering veins and a scene of a woman who replaces the impotent hero with a beer bottle as her sexual companion ( ! ) , but the dialogue ( which seems to have been written on the spot ) has a ring of authenticity and Joe Dallesandro walks around in a constant stupor so utterly convincingly that it's hard to believe he wasn't actually " on " something when this was being filmed ! But be warned : the script is non-existent and the transitions from one scene to another are often very abrupt . ( )
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486,004 | 386,241 | 70,328 | 6 |
Mediocre Bond outing
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Mediocre seems to be the best word to describe this movie : as Bond flicks go , it's nowhere near the bottom of the barrel ( " Diamonds Are Forever " , " The Man With The Golden Gun " ) , but it's not at the top of the list ( " Goldfinger " , " For Your Eyes Only " ) either . It certainly begins promisingly enough , with lots of humor , and contains perhaps more offbeat elements than any other Bond movie ( the voodoo rituals , the funerals / celebrations , the fact that EVERYBODY seems to be on Bond's tail ) . But in the second half dialogue and plotting are forgotten ( something that , contrary to popular belief , never happened in the best series entries ) , and the film degenerates into a series of frankly boring chases . Moore makes a comfortable and assured debut as 007 ; Jane Seymour is a lovely but bland Bond girl ; and Yaphet Kotto may be one of the best actors ever to play a Bond villain , but his part is underwritten . ( )
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487,563 | 386,241 | 91,431 | 6 |
Uneven Jackie .
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Armour of God features incredible chase sequences , amazing stuntwork and creative use of various props in the fight scenes . The problem is with the " linking material " , which is weak and sometimes even boring . So it's not the best film to start with if you've never seen a Jackie Chan movie before . Unfortunately , I watched the 88-minute version with the corny English dubbing - try to avoid that one if you can . ( )
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486,015 | 386,241 | 91,428 | 6 |
Brandon Lee's first film
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Legacy of Rage proves that Brandon Lee had enough talent to become an action star in his own right , without counting only on his famous father's name . He is a strong , likable , handsome , assured and charismatic hero - and this is only his film debut ! And when he gets angry , he is one dude you don't want to mess with . Regina Kent is adorable as his girlfriend , and Michael Wong turns in a convincing performance , as he changes from a bitter young man to a ruthless crime boss . The film itself is rather slow and unexceptional story-wise ( half prison flick , half revenge flick ) , distinguished from similar American fare mostly by a few superb hand-to-hand fight scenes and the amount of blood in the climax . ( )
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487,183 | 386,241 | 303,758 | 6 |
A pretty solid low-budget thriller
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Julie Du Page , as a sexy , efficient assassin who likes to strip down to her lingerie before killing her victims ( well at least they die happy ) , is a large part of what makes this movie work . She effortlessly switches from sweet to ice-cold to aggressive , and she knows how to use her sensuality to work over Erika Eleniak's teenage son . Erika , as a divorced mother with financial problems who makes the wrong move by giving a car ride to Julie , appears to be a little bland at first , but as soon as the life of her son is put in danger , she turns into quite the wildcat . Given all the build-up , however , the final confrontation between the two women could have been longer . Also , the script seems to be running around in circles for large periods of time . But overall " Betrayal " ( or " Lady Jane Killer " - a much better , less generic title ) is not a bad little movie . ( )
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487,069 | 386,241 | 83,806 | 6 |
A witty but convoluted thriller .
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Incredibly convoluted mystery-thriller is highlighted by witty dialogue ( " Well , it's not what you'd call involuntary homicide " ) but has a few TOO many twists . Caine gives another astonishing performance , but I've watched " Deathtrap " three times and that " stormy " resolution always seems barely comprehensible .
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486,694 | 386,241 | 108,656 | 6 |
Chan is effective in one of his more serious roles .
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Although the complete lack of comedy may disappoint some of Jackie Chan's fans , I found him quite fascinating to watch in this more serious part ; he proves , once and for all , that he CAN act , and he handles his complex relationship with the chief villain ( who is not as one-dimensional a character as you might expect ) particularly well . Perhaps if you're unaccustomed to Hong Kong action cinema , the frenetic pacing and chaotic storytelling , combined with the ( bad , of course , but not unacceptable this time ) dubbing , can create a disorienting effect . But the action starts early on and never lets up , and the fight scenes , while not numerous , are AMAZING . ( )
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487,157 | 386,241 | 100,881 | 6 |
Weak plot but stylish direction ( SOME SPOILERS )
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One of Lucio Fulci's last films , this is a cross between a murder mystery and a horror shocker . It has a rather weak script and resolution ( it just doesn't seem to matter much who did it one way or the other ) , but it's stylishly , sometimes imaginatively directed by Fulci . ( SPOILERS FOLLOW ) . . . . . . Some viewers called this too tame ; I guess it depends on your standards . It does feature a gruesome autopsy scene , repeated shots of worms munching on a rotting corpse , a attack by decomposed zombies ( ! ) and a scene of a man who spits blood . Not your normal " mystery " stuff , I'd say . ( )
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487,300 | 386,241 | 70,355 | 6 |
Should've been more forceful .
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Magnum Force is probably the best of the four " Dirty Harry " sequels , and it presents Harry in a different , more human light , but it still has more than its share of problems . Harry takes too much time to figure out the case , the direction lacks rhythm , there are too many drawn-out action sequences than go on for so long that the suspense evaporates , and there are also a few too many clumsy tracking shots and awkwardly fast camera movements . Oh well , at least Eastwood is still in top form and the music score is just great . ( )
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487,432 | 386,241 | 95,348 | 6 |
Sometimes funny , could've been funnier .
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This movie has some undeniably funny moments , but overall it's not in the league of " Naked Gun " . The jokes don't come fast enough . And although you're not supposed to take this sort of thing seriously , you may get the feeling that the movie trivializes some serious problems ( like drug addiction and youth gangs ) by making fun of them . Still , any movie that features both Jim Brown AND Isaac Hayes ( with a few notes of his classic " Shaft " theme to boot ) is at least worth a look . ( )
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486,579 | 386,241 | 65,491 | 6 |
Grisly but surprisingly good .
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Most of the reviews I've read about " Mark of the Devil " tend to over-emphasize the " graphic torture scenes " aspect of the film , but if you're expecting this to be just a sickening piece of trash cinema you may be surprised . The historical context lends unexpected weight to the story , and there are some interesting character conflicts between Herbert Lom and Udo Kier . Although repellently violent at times , and definitely not for everyone ( that " removal-of-a-tongue " scene is pretty grisly ) , this film does not deserve to be sloppily dismissed . ( )
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486,216 | 386,241 | 108,565 | 6 |
A beautiful but muddled film . . . .
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Sumptuous-looking , beautifully photographed , meticulously produced . . . . this movie seems to do everything right visually . But its story , very engaging in the first half , runs out of steam in the second . Story points and character motivations are often muddled , and I never got a complete and clear idea of where and when exactly the passionate love affair between the two basic characters started to go wrong . And yes , it is sometimes erotic ( mostly thanks to the very beautiful Karina Lombard ) , but it never becomes as steamy as you may have heard . ( )
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486,930 | 386,241 | 83,739 | 6 |
An absorbing piece of exploitation .
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Death Wish meets " The Blackboard Jungle " in this brutal , increasingly violent thriller . If I were to judge it from a strictly objective point of view , I'd have to be very negative - it's a totally exploitative piece of work . But there is something inherently absorbing about this movie , and you simply can't take your eyes off it . Its 93 minutes pass like a breeze , and for that alone it probably deserves two stars . Has pretty good acting , too .
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486,354 | 386,241 | 87,597 | 6 |
Juvenile fantasy .
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Basically kid stuff , although it may engage some adults occasionally . Variable special effects ( the explosions look particularly unconvincing ) but very good makeup . The scenes set on earth , with a robot that has taken the place of the hero while he is fighting for the protection of the universe , produce some charming moments - like the one where the robot " fixes " a problem with his ear or his attempts to flirt with the hero's girlfriend . The scenes set in space are less successful ( even " Moonraker " had more impressive set design ) . And the basic story ( despite beginning from a good premise ) is silly ; " the frontier is about to collapse " and " we're under attack " ? Who cares about that stuff anyway ? ( )
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487,509 | 386,241 | 109,552 | 6 |
Better-than-expected .
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I wasn't a big fan of the relentlessly unpleasant 1990 original , and this direct-to-video sequel certainly didn't look too promising . After viewing it , however , I found it superior to the first film . It follows the original's formula closely but emphasizes action instead of violence ( although there is still an element of sadism ) . It's a slicker-than-expected production , with plenty of mayhem and noise , which also re-creates some of the cool visual tricks that the original's director Sam Raimi had used . And Larry Drake returns as Durant with an utterly convincing performance .
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487,413 | 386,241 | 118,100 | 6 |
Interesting but uneven and overlong .
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This film has a complex , multi-layered structure that grabs your interest . . . but not much substance underneath . There's no real mystery to the plot , and no real revelations about " human nature " either . Well-acted all around - including a little boy who is wise way beyond his years . ( )
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486,393 | 386,241 | 43,476 | 6 |
Nothing special , but worth watching for its three stars
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There is a scene somewhere in the middle of " Double Dynamite " where Frank Sinatra and Jane Russel are lying on their beds in two rooms separated only by a thin wall and start singing to each other ; the camera lingers on Jane's face and smile , and it's a delightful moment . The rest of the movie is not quite on that level , but the three stars make it worth watching anyway : Sinatra is likable , Russell is dazzling , and Groucho Marx has some laugh-out-loud zingers ( " You're getting married ? Where is the ceremony taking place , Alkatraz ? " ) , and does some of his trademarked eyebrow-raising as well . In fact , I would say that this is a better showcase for him than the Marx Brothers ' last film " Love Happy " , in which he was essentially just a guest star . " Double Dynamite " is a minor film , but it passes the time very easily . ( )
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487,219 | 386,241 | 100,740 | 6 |
Great special effects in the service of thin stories .
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The first story is thin , and features some surprisingly bad acting from such well-known names as Christian Slater and Julianne Moore . The second story is also thin , but better than the first , and features solid gore effects . Harrison's direction is also at its most imaginative in this one . The third story is the best of the lot ; although it feels rushed and underdeveloped , it has great special effects and a chilling " moment of revelation " . Overall , not bad but nothing special . ( )
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487,133 | 386,241 | 91,778 | 6 |
OK rehash .
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This fair sequel to " Poltergeist " is better than the original in many respects ( performances , humor , scare factor ) . But it's burdened with a stupid script that destroys most of its chances . Julian Beck has a particularly threatening screen presence , but he seems to belong in a GENUINE horror movie and not in this just-acceptable rehash . . .
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486,626 | 386,241 | 100,778 | 6 |
Arguably the best in the series
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The Iron Angels ( Alex Fong , Moon Lee , Kharina Sa , Fong's new male partner , and another guy called " The Computer " - no sign of Elaine Lui this time ) go to Thailand to stop some terrorists . That's pretty much all the plot you need for this one . For pure fighting fans , this is probably the best film in the series . Moon Lee has more fight scenes than in the previous films and looks pretty lethal : one of her best moves is when she jumps on a guy , wraps her legs around his waist , flips backwards , lands on top of him and punches him straight on his face ! And Fong has an extended Muay Thai ring match against a local fighter . But shootout fans won't be disappointed , either ; a gunfight near the end has an INCREDIBLE body count that easily rivals that of most war movies . The girls-with-guns factor is brought down a little by the absence of Elaine Lui , and the fact that Kharina Sa is given nothing to do , but goes up again with the addition of several female baddies , the leader of whom is a pretty muscular blonde . There are also notable Bond references : we get the female version of the Bond vs . Red Grant train fight in " From Russia With Love " as Moon Lee takes on a Japanese killer lady ( who even has shoe-knives ! ) , the blonde villainess pets ( not a cat but ) a baby croc , and at the end the heroes attack the terrorists on jetpacks like the one Connery used in " Thunderball " - only these are equipped with inexhaustible machine guns ! ( )
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486,746 | 386,241 | 64,639 | 6 |
A little better than its reputation .
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This sci-fi drama isn't altogether successful , yet it manages to be slightly better than its reputation . There are some really dull spots , but for a " commercial " picture like this ( full of people in uniforms ) the acting is good ( why is Crenna so neglected ? ) , and a few quiet character scenes hit the mark .
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485,650 | 386,241 | 113,303 | 6 |
Entertaining enough .
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I haven't read Dean Koontz's novel , but most of this movie's faults can be traced back to predictable and simplistic script , which bears a strong resemblance to " The Eyes Of Laura Mars " . Otherwise , this is an entertaining horror thriller , with trippy " tunnel vision " ( literally ) sequences , flashes of dark humor and the usual good performance by Jeff Goldblum . The " good vs . evil " climax does come off a bit cheesy , but that doesn't happen because the effects are not good ; it happens because of the way in which they are employed . ( )
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487,453 | 386,241 | 39,631 | 6 |
Chaplin and Black Comedy : an uneasy encounter .
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One of Chaplin's most ambitious films , but today more interesting for its historical importance than for its actual content . It gets better as it goes along , gradually building to some cleverly staged comic sequences , but it is morally vague , rather stagey and , worst of all , awfully protracted ; we have to wait for a long time to get to the good stuff . This film is mostly a matter of taste . The outstanding performance is not given by Chaplin , but by Martha Raye , who , not coincidentally , is in most of the movie's best sequences . ( )
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487,312 | 386,241 | 113,313 | 6 |
Quirky action-comedy with quite possibly THE sexiest woman of the 90's
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I don't know if it's her hairstyle ( short hair looks great on some women - she is clearly one of them ) , or her soft makeup , or her attitude , or the way she handles a gun , or the way she fights . It's probably a combination of all of the above that makes Tia Carrere SO sexy in this movie it's distracting - you may find yourself focusing too much on her and not paying enough attention to the rest of the movie . Thomas Ian Griffith shows a flair for self-spoofing , a quality I always appreciate in an action hero , and Donald Sutherland clearly had a good time playing an eccentric , soft-spoken assassin . A quirky sense of humor , occasionally amusing dialogue ( " When did you stop trusting me ? " " January 30 , 1968 " ) and some big explosions add up to an unpretentious and generally fun little action-comedy . ( )
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487,052 | 386,241 | 221,885 | 6 |
A workmanlike sci-fi thriller .
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The Contaminated Man is an efficiently but also very routinely made thriller , unoriginal and unexceptional in the extreme , right down to the ruthless " national security " agents who value the secrecy of their projects more highly than human life itself . For what is essentially a chase film , there is not enough urgency in the story . Peter Weller is remarkably convincing in a role that requires him to look much older than he really is , but he fails to gain much audience sympathy - he may be captured or he may escape , but we don't care very much one way or the other . ( )
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485,783 | 386,241 | 113,326 | 6 |
Several notches below Jackie's best work .
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Atrocious dubbing , gratuitous violence , moronic dialogue , chaotic plot . . . . " Rumble In The Bronx " is so bad in so many ways that it's hard to know where to start . It has only two major fight scenes ( with Jackie against many but not especially skilled opponents ) , and only one truly noteworthy stunt . The only reason this movie was such a big hit is that when it came out , in 1996 , most people hadn't seen enough Jackie Chan movies , so they had nothing to compare it to ; if it were released now , it wouldn't stand a chance . ( )
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487,456 | 386,241 | 83,131 | 6 |
Certainly better than " Private Benjamin " . . . . .
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. . . . but that's not really much of a compliment . It does provide a more accurate ( or at least more convincing ) portrayal of the Army life ( even though it's all done strictly for comic purposes ) , and it has some very funny moments ( the basketball - through - the - window - glass gag had me laughing out loud ) , but eventually it runs out of steam and becomes ( oh boy ! ) an action movie . Great cast , though , with enough on-target one-liners for Bill Murray and an especially appealing performance by the 22-year-old Sean Young . ( )
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486,292 | 386,241 | 104,667 | 6 |
Slightly overlong but entertaining fare
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I am under the impression that in most of the films they have made together , Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton are partners ; " Lady Dragon " twists that situation around - this time they are opponents . And they are both at the peak of their physical powers : Cynthia looks amazingly flexible , and her acting is better than usual as well , and Richard is just highly enjoyable as the villain ( after setting a man on fire , he says to his henchmen : " Don't just stand there . Put him out before he ruins the lawn ! " ) . The story is just a standard revenge tale - I think the main " inspiration " here was Jean-Claude Van Damme's " Kickboxer " . There is also a kung-fu kid , a sensuous mistress for Norton , a wise old Oriental master ( of course ! ) , and a wild cars-vs . - motorcycle chase . " Lady Dragon " is no masterpiece , but for low-budget American / Indonesian martial-arts fare , it's above-average . ( )
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486,927 | 386,241 | 100,637 | 6 |
Overloaded with wisecracks .
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If you've ever wondered what a horror film written by a Woody Allen wannabe would come out like , then check this one out . It's imaginatively directed , has a typical but enjoyable " haunted place " premise , solid makeup effects . . . . it's an all-around good job , but with one major flaw : the dialogue is overloaded with cheeky wisecracks and witticisms ( sample : " You want scary ? Go shopping with my ex-wife " ) that sometimes hit the mark , but are too often delivered at the most inappropriate moments ( even while the hero is battling an evil ghost ! ) . ( )
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486,400 | 386,241 | 109,427 | 6 |
Enjoyable Hong Kong actioner
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Although this movie has that feeling of sloppiness not uncommon in low-budget HK action films of the 90's , it does offer two beautiful , brave women in the main roles , and I can think of many worse ways to spend some time than watching them do their thing . While neither Jade Leung nor Anita Lee are , as far as I know , real-life martial artists , they throw themselves into their roles with energy and spirit . The fight scenes have a Jackie Chan flavor to them , with props and surroundings coming into play . Jade plays a suicidal , edgy cop that is clearly modelled on Mel Gibson's character from " Lethal Weapon " , and she does some impressive stunts , including a probably " Police Story 3 " - inspired scene where she hangs on to a flying helicopter ! ( maybe she was doubled for parts of the stunt , but it's also clear that she did a lot of it herself ) . Anita is sweet and girlish , but when it's time for action , she's all business . You gotta love a bikini cutie with a gun ! My main complaints about " Satin Steel " are the somewhat jarring moments of graphic violence ( including a cut-off ear ) in what is generally a lightweight film , and also the over-use of slow motion in some action scenes . On the other hand , the over-use of slow motion when Jade Leung is running is more than welcome . ( )
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485,829 | 386,241 | 109,417 | 6 |
Clever , if familiar .
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All the others have already mentioned " Body Heat " as one of the key influences on the makers of this film , so I'd like to point out that the story line also bears a strong resemblance to " No Way Out " : the man who is supposed to be investigating a case also has to hide the fact that he is the mystery figure everybody is looking for ! The story is smartly written and well-planned , and when you watch this for the first time , you'll be genuinely surprised by some of the plot developments . The film is , unfortunately , too derivative and familiar to be outstanding , but it IS boosted by some great performances ; watch for a young Benicio Del Toro , already showing a unique screen presence . ( )
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487,026 | 386,241 | 144,814 | 6 |
Superior to " Carrie " . . . . .
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. . . . . but that's not really much of an achievement , since " Carrie " was such an annoying and overrated picture . I have to admit that this sequel is superior to the original in most respects : it offers better characterizations , superb effects and a final shock that is much more cruelly effective than the one in " Carrie " . However , the film suffers from a predictable storyline . The filmmakers add a few twists of their own in the first hour ( including a surprisingly tender love scene ) , but finally the film starts following the original's formula dutifully . And that " revenge " excuse for all the violence is even less satisfying this time . ( )
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485,983 | 386,241 | 60,865 | 6 |
Neat whodunit
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As almost everybody has already noted , " Circus of Fear " is not a horror movie , despite the title , the advertising and the presence of Christopher Lee ( in a secondary role ) . It's a cross between a crime caper and a whodunit . And as soon as you get over your initial reservations , it turns out to be an engrossing film that keeps you guessing all the way to the end . The story is full of strange , shady , secretive and suspicious characters , but the revelation of the killer's identity still comes as a shock ( to me at least - it blew my theory away ! ) . Apart from the sometimes overemphatic music score , this 40-year-old movie still holds up today . And who wants to miss any opportunity of seeing Klaus Kinski playing . . . . Klaus Kinski ? This guy only needed a cigar , a few close-ups and two or three lines of dialogue to look creepy ! ( )
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485,665 | 386,241 | 78,740 | 6 |
Actually , it's watchable .
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The fourth and last " Airport " movie is not really too bad ; it nearly drowns in soap-opera cliches at times , but some of the action scenes are decently spectacular ( especially near the end , when decompression slowly tears the plane apart ) . The people who made this obviously knew that they weren't going to be taken very seriously , and that the film wasn't destined to become a classic , but at least they didn't try to rip the audience off ; they cared enough to deliver a watchable movie . And it's nice to see George Kennedy calm and relaxed for once . ( )
|
486,654 | 386,241 | 60,880 | 6 |
Clumsy thriller . Thank God Segal is in it !
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I wanted to make a list of all the things that are wrong with this film , but I can't - such a list would need much more than a thousand words . People tend to like it because " it's not like the Bond movies " ; well , it's not - it's like " The Ipcress File " , except that " The Ipcress File " was a genuinely smart and atmospheric movie , while " The Quiller Memorandum " is a clumsy , dated spy thriller full of pseudo-hip dialogue and plot holes . And considering how terrible its one fight scene is , it's certainly a blessing that it doesn't have any more . George Segal is a fine and always engaging actor , but the way his character is written here , he doesn't really come across as " a spy who gets along by his brains and not by his brawn " ; he seems interested almost exclusively in the girl he meets , not in the case he's investigating , and ( at least until the end ) he seems to survive as a result of a combination of his good luck and the stupidity of the villains . I'll give this horribly dated film a generous rating anyway ; hell , you don't see a cast as great as this one every day !
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487,174 | 386,241 | 78,767 | 6 |
Undemanding horror fans will get what they expect .
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Passable horror film . Marginally better than what ( immediately ) followed it in the series . Not as creepy as " The Omen " ( which it resembles in its " freak accidents " ) , but also not as overblown as the overrated " Poltergeist " . Who knows , if Spielberg had produced this one too , today it might also be considered a horror classic . However , Rod Steiger should have been instructed to calm down a little before his big church scene . ( )
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487,292 | 386,241 | 64,728 | 6 |
Arty thriller .
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A somewhat " arty " kidnapping film , directed in a cold , detached style that doesn't get us very involved , and also shows little compassion for the poor victim ( although Pamela Franklin's expressionless performance is also to blame for that ) . However , Brando and Boone are very good ( despite having to play characters that are NOT well-developed ) and there is an ambiguous , interesting ending . ( )
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485,743 | 386,241 | 109,327 | 6 |
The ending is a cop-out .
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Uneven horror film is worth watching most of the way , but finally blows it all with the cop-out ending it has devised to get the hero out of the tight spot he has gotten himself into . Furlong is utterly believable in his role and hits all the right notes , but the " Trickster " is an overly jokey character who doesn't fit in well with the tone of the rest of the movie . This guy is even lamer than Freddy was in the " Dream Child " . ( )
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485,625 | 386,241 | 64,816 | 6 |
Sluggish , atmospheric French thriller .
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Sluggish is the key word here . In the movie's sluggish first hour , director Jacques Deray does little except perfectly capturing the atmosphere of summer heat - the blazing sun , the rippling water of a pool , the sensuousness of the almost-naked bodies . . . . while the characters say things like " I'm going to shave " , compete in swimming and go shopping . Because this is also supposed to be a thriller , a murder must eventually come - and it comes after 80 minutes , in an atmospheric and memorable , but also poorly motivated scene . The aftermath of the murder is as sluggish as its preparation . It's really a well-made film , but maybe TOO suggestive - the audience has to fill in too many blanks . Another problem , already pointed out by a previous reviewer , is that Birkin ( the young girl that catches Delon's eye ) is a lot less attractive than Schneider ( the woman he already has by his side ) ( )
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487,114 | 386,241 | 109,303 | 6 |
Familiar but enjoyable .
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Nothing more than a formula action picture , a studio product , but well-done and fairly enjoyable . Stephen Hopkins proves ( again , after " Predator 2 " ) to be adept at filming frenetic action scenes and he shows confidence in the way he uses the camera , especially in the " long shots " . Tommy Lee Jones is kind of one-note as the villain , and not very satisfying , but Jeff Bridges gives depth and credibility to his role , and the supporting cast is above-average . Oh , and there ARE some spectacular explosions . ( )
|
485,910 | 386,241 | 60,424 | 6 |
A moderately pleasant comedy .
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There are undeniably some bright moments in " The Fortune Cookie " , and the much-praised performances were indeed excellent . But this movie is fatally overlong ! Its one-joke premise cannot really sustain 120 minutes , so the second half too often seems to meander . Combine that with the static nature of the plot and with the fact that this is the kind of comedy that produces only mild amusement ( and moral messages ) , not belly-laughs , and you'll end up with a rather middling flick . ( )
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487,373 | 386,241 | 462,229 | 6 |
Solid , undemanding entertainment with a good cast
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I found " Code Name : The Cleaner " to be a harmless , entertaining little spy comedy-mystery , and was somewhat surprised to find so many negative reviews about it . The plot is intriguing enough to keep your attention and adds up quite well , Cedric The Entertainer is more often funny than not , Lucy Liu and Nicollette Sheridan are both very sexy ( no James Bond film since " Goldeneye " has had such a dynamite female combo ) , and the action / martial arts parts are surprisingly solidly handled : Mark Dacascos and Lucy Liu are in top form , and even Cedric and Sheridan get to perform some moves ! Strange as it may seem , Liu does better action work here than in both " Charlie's Angels " films ! On the whole , this is not the kind of movie that will change your life , but it's perfectly watchable just the same . ( )
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486,793 | 386,241 | 43,255 | 6 |
Inconsistently funny , but fascinating from a technical standpoint
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Very funny in spots ( " How did I ever graduate ? " - " I slipped that guy 20 bucks ! " ) , slow-going in others ( despite the complete and welcome absence of any musical numbers ) , " Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man " is probably not one of the duo's best films from a purely comedic standpoint , but it is nevertheless fascinating , if only for its amazing special effects . Clever , elaborate photographic , editing and other tricks are employed to achieve such effects as the invisible man removing his bandages from his head which is completely transparent while the rest of his body is not ( " There is no reason to lose your head over this " , observes Lou ) - effects that in our digital age would probably be achieved by pressing some buttons in a computer . That's why you have to appreciate the effort and creativity that went into making such things happen . ( )
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485,853 | 386,241 | 109,254 | 6 |
Passable , mildly enjoyable .
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Passable action comedy , certainly not as bad as its reputation suggests . The emphasis is on the action , with some good stuntwork , but there a few mildly funny comic bits as well . Although he works with recycled material here , Eddie Murphy comes through with a likable performance , and the direction is less loud and aggressive , more well-balanced and cool than Tony Scott's work in " BHC II " . ( )
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486,414 | 386,241 | 57,193 | 6 |
Mammoth comedy that could have been funnier .
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Gigantic car-chase comedy is somewhat better than the similar " Great Race " ( made two years later ) , but that's not much of a compliment . The pacing is highly inconsistent , because there are too many side trips and Spencer Tracy shows a rather heavy spirit , and the mammoth length diminishes its comic power considerably . Still , it has its undeniably enjoyable moments and a good , delirious climax . ( )
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487,132 | 386,241 | 95,904 | 6 |
A pleasant surprise .
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No great shakes in terms of scripting and originality , but this interesting horror film has an unusual , realistic edge that sets it apart from most routine thrillers . Well-drawn characters and first-rate effects make this a perfectly decent , if minor , effort . The explosive final sequence is very well-edited .
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487,001 | 386,241 | 47,574 | 6 |
Dazzling but forgettable musical .
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This musical certainly has everything money can buy ; you can almost see money dripping from the screen . The use of colors is truly dazzling ( and best appreciated on the new DVD ) , and some of its musical numbers are showstoppers ( my favorite was Monroe's " Lazy " - oh , the way she pronounces the word ! ) . But the story is flimsy even for a musical , and the direction is impersonal throughout - there are virtually no close-ups in the entire film ! The wide-screen framing certainly helps the musical numbers , but when we have a scene with two people just talking to each other and the camera STILL refuses to go closer to them , the result is a frame with a lot of empty space on the sides and two figures that you can barely see in the center . Honestly , if some of the " dramatic " scenes were played by impersonators of the stars , nobody would know the difference ! ( Monroe not included , of course ) . ( )
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487,401 | 386,241 | 109,275 | 6 |
Acceptable sequel .
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A belated , acceptable sequel-remake of Hitchcock's superb 1963 film , this isn't quite the turkey you might expect to see after all the excessively hostile reviews it has received . Well-paced and well-shot , it builds to some fairly good attack sequences ( it's much gorier than the original , of course ) . However , it lacks that special apocalyptic edge that Hitchcock's film had ; it seems to be much more modest . ( )
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487,358 | 386,241 | 22,268 | 6 |
Predictable early-30s comedy elevated by wonderful cast
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There are two main things going against " Platinum Blonde " : it's drearily predictable and simplistic ( how long will it take Williams to realize that Young is the right gal for him , and that he prefers his old lifestyle ? ) , and apart from a few shots that take advantage of the rich family's huge house , it has no cinematic ( visual ) interest . What it does have is a lot of snappy dialogue , some funny moments ( " Your mother wants to kiss me ? Give me back my letters ! " ) and a wonderful cast - especially the women : Jean Harlow really is the kind of woman that could seduce you and make you do crazy things , and Loretta Young really is the kind of girl you'd want to spend the rest of your life with . But even in the supporting cast ( the butler , the mother-in-law , the newspaper boss ) , everyone fits his or her role perfectly . ( )
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487,519 | 386,241 | 92,130 | 6 |
A mixed bag .
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The movie begins badly , with some racing scenes that go on for so long you may start thinking you're watching a James Bond flick . Then it wastes some more time by following the characters in their everyday activities , which are of little interest . But when the couple from " A Man And A Woman ' is finally reunited , Lelouch shows that he still hasn't lost his touch when it comes to quiet dialogue scenes , in which expressions speak as loudly as words . And the idea of filming a movie ABOUT the story we saw in the first movie makes for an intriguing re-examination of the original from an unusual perspective - the perspective of the fictional character who starred in it . But Lelouch still can't stay concentrated on the things that really matter , and even when he later introduces a new , completely unexpected story thread ( the " adventure " in the desert ) , he keeps intercutting it with another film-within-a-film , which is boring and pointless . The final impression is that of a film with many good things in it , but also a whole lot of flaws . ( )
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487,169 | 386,241 | 69,754 | 6 |
Thoroughly demented !
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Don't bother looking for a single sane character in this twisted , demented sickie , because there isn't one ; you just keep watching and waiting to see who will prove to be the most perverse of them all . If you can accept the hard-to-swallow premise , then the film is fairly entertaining . Plus , it has an AMAZING ending . You won't see it coming , no matter how good you think you are at predicting plot surprises . ( )
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486,447 | 386,241 | 22,158 | 6 |
Perhaps their most anarchic film . Not their best
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Most Marx Brothers fans agree that their first five films , made for Paramount , were generally better than their remaining eight . Among their early films , however , " Monkey Business " is probably the one that is most rarely mentioned ( OK , maybe it is mentioned more often than " The Cocoanuts " ) . There is a reason for that : although this may be the single most anarchic Marx outing , it is not one of their best . Anarchic also means disorganized , and this has its good and its bad points : there is almost no plot to get in the way of the comedy ( good ) , but there is also a missed opportunity to go further with the idea of the Groucho-Zeppo and Harpo-Chico teams working for rival gangsters ( bad ) . There are no musical numbers involving secondary characters ( good ) , but there is a piano solo and a harp solo back-to-back in the last 15 minutes ( bad structure ) . Seeing this film today , it is Harpo's physical comedy that seems the most timeless in my opinion . Sure , Groucho could deliver his lines incredibly fast and some of those lines were decades ahead of their time , but Harpo is the life of the film's most memorable bits , like the puppet show or his impersonation of Maurice Chevalier . He is like a visitor from another planet , where people are allowed to do all the things we want to do but can't . He's extraordinary . ( )
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486,637 | 386,241 | 83,336 | 6 |
Just a few worthwhile parts . . . .
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Essentially a monster feature ( complete with ecological messages ) , given an " arty " treatment . Visually , it's quite interesting - there are many great tracking shots from the wolves ' point-of-view , in which weird color filters and other tricks were used cleverly . I also found the gore effects remarkably convincing . But the narrative often plods , and Albert Finney's performance is perhaps the weakest part of the entire film ; he just seems thoroughly disinterested and resigned . ( )
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