"Batman" 1966 Movie Review

I have been looking forward to and also dreading watching this old movie, primarily because it is the first Batman movie ever made. Now that Christopher Nolan has completed his recent Batman trilogy and I have seen every other Batman film, I thought now was as good a time as any. First of all, this is definitely not the same town, same villains, or even same hero that current Batman fans are used to. The original onscreen Batman made famous by Adam West is not anything like the portrayals from Michael Keaton to Christian Bale. With all that being said, I didn't have high hopes for this movie initially anyway. And yet, I was still disappointed. The story line follows the infamous Batman, whom every single citizen loves (again another difference), and his sidekick Robin, the Boy Wonder. They are chasing down four classic villains who are the Penguin, the Joker, the Riddler, and Catwoman. I have never been fond of Robin, and this movie didn't help a bit. There has been only one other movie with Robin (thank goodness), which was ironically called "Batman & Robin" (also terrible). All of the villains have been later portrayed onscreen, and significantly better I might add, by the following actors:

The Penguin- Danny DeVito
The Joker- Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger
The Riddler- Jim Carrey
Catwoman- Michelle Pfeiffer and Anne Hathaway

The whole of this movie is dumb, cheesy, and I have no intention of ever watching it again.

2/10

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"The Majestic" Movie Review

Jim Carrey has always amused me with his quirky characters and how he can transform himself into silly but hilarious roles. But it wasn't until I saw this that I ever saw him as a serious actor. If this is the first Jim Carrey film that you see, you would never know that he is a comedian. Movies about the movie industry draw me in right away and this is no exception. A young Hollywood writer is off to a great start in his career. He has just written his first film, he has a movie star of a girlfriend, and life is good. However, that changes in a second when he is falsely accused of being a communist and as a result is fired from his job. After drinking too much, he goes for a drive and ends up falling from a bridge into a river. When he wakes, he is taken in by a nearby town who are mistaking him for a war veteran named Luke. His "father" is certain this is him and as a result they reopen a worn down movie theater that Luke was very fond of at one time. As I was watching, I couldn't help think of "Luke, I am your father". Please excuse my inappropriate Star Wars reference. This has exactly what a movie should have: strong characters, romance, suspense, and an excellent message. Sadly, this is one of the least known films in the careers of both director Frank Darabont. But I encourage you to see it and although quite long, I think you will get something out of it.

10/10

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"What's Eating Gilbert Grape" Movie Review

Notice that the title of this film does not end with a question mark. It is not a thriller or a mystery; it is simply a visual description of the problems affecting a family with problems. The movie follows the daily life of an unhappy young man by the name of Gilbert who is dealing with caring for an autistic younger brother and a morbidly obese mother. This is a film that I believe everyone should see because it gives you a must greater respect for obese people and for caretakers in general. The acting is top-notch with an exceptional performance by Leonardo DiCaprio as the autistic boy. When everything comes together, what you get is a sad and moving experience.

9/10

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"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" Movie Review

The idea of life on the sea, living our adventure after adventure, has always fascinated me. This is the first real  movie of that nature that I have seen (save "Pirates of the Caribbean"). The story is of a crew during the Napoleonic Wars that are on a mission to take down another ship. Of course, the other ship has the same orders, resulting in several scenes of cannons damaging said ships. The lead stars, Russell Crowe as the captain and Paul Bettany as the doctor, are a great pair whom you may remember from "A Beautiful Mind". The film is well done and realistic. The only downfall is that it is a bit difficult to follow and it is somewhat slow on top of that. It is definitely worth watching, but just be aware.

8/10

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"Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" Movie Review

This movie opens with Steve Martin sitting in a meeting bored and ready to leave. He has a plane to catch. He gets to the airport as fast as he can and runs into a friendly but very annoying man who he winds up sitting next to on the plane. Due to a blizzard, the flight isn't about to land in Chicago as planned. The two become stuck in Wichita and from then on we watch this odd couple have misadventure after misadventure in the hope of finding their way home. As this fight between cynical and obnoxious goes on, we get to see Steve Martin and John Candy at their best. I'm sure you can guess which is which. The movie does drag on a bit but the ending is worth waiting for.

7/10

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"A Beautiful Mind" Movie Review

What if you saw things that weren't there? Met people that didn't exist? Went through life not knowing what is real? Sadly, that is the case for real life doctor, John Nash. He has schizophrenia. But he doesn't know it yet.  He is a brilliant mathematician who is socially awkward and doesn't like people. The few people he does like are his roommate Charles and his boss Parcher. The problem is, they may be imaginary. When his wife tells him that he has delusions, he doesn't believe it and will stop at nothing to prove that he is right. Russell Crowe plays a very convincing schizophrenic and does a great job portraying this horribly troubled doctor at various stages in his life. I love movies that are based on true stories, such as this one, and what makes them even better is if they are inspirational, such as this one. It is indeed a beautiful movie and one that demands multiple viewings.

10/10

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"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" Movie Review

"Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.
His skin was pale and his eye was odd.
He shaved the faces of gentlemen
who never thereafter were heard of again.
He trod a path that few had trod,
Did Sweeney Todd,
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Those are the opening lyrics to the 1979 Broadway production with Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou. The movie version, made 28 years later with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, will blow you away. The entire film is so unique and so strange that you can't help but take in the awe of it. It is the story of a troubled barber who was imprisoned after a judge took his wife away. Years later, he returns to London where there is no sign of his wife and now his daughter is locked away in the Judge's house. His goal now, is to bring in customers, primarily the Judge, and slit their throats so that his new friend, Mrs. Lovett can make them into delectable "meat pies". And the best part of it all is that it is a musical and all of the actors, never previously singers, have unbelievable good voices that are very enjoyable to listen to and fit the story. The majority of musical films seem to be quite upbeat and contain large amounts of dancing, but this has neither. I prefer dark musicals such as this and also "Les Miserables", because I think it is harder to bring those emotions out in song and this kind of musical has much more meaning to me. Every actor in this picture does an incredible job in their individual role and I don't believe that a single actor was miscast. What's more, the writer of the stage musical, Stephen Sondheim, approved which he often doesn't do with movie adaptations. Tim Burton really scores on this one.

10/10

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"Young Frankenstein" Movie Review

Oh, where to begin. In my opinion, "Young Frankenstein" is one of the funniest movies ever made. From the first scene with Gene Wilder lecturing his class, to the "Abby Normal" sequence later on, this film is a joy to watch and will have have you smiling all the way through. After his grandfathers death, Dr. Frankenstein (pronounced Fronkensteen) begins experimenting with the idea of bringing dead humans back to life with the help of assistants Igor (pronounced Eye-gor) and Inga. From brief chuckles to bursts of hysterical laughter, this movie has it all. An interesting factoid is much of the equipment you see in the laboratory are original prop pieces used in the classic Boris Karloff film. Also note how the film was shot in purposely in black and white, despite the complaints from the studio. Later a Broadway musical written by director Mel Brooks.

9/10

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"Mrs. Doubtfire" Movie Review

Dear children of the world,
Why hello! My name is Euphegenia Doubtfire, dears, and I am very happy to be here today and to tell you about my movie. It all starts with a man by the name of Daniel Hillard. He and his wife, Miranda, were blessed with three wonderful children, like all of you. But their parents didn't get along, dears, and they had to separate  It was a very sad day for everyone. Daniel could not be without his children and soon after he was transformed into a housekeeper, me, Mrs. Doubtfire. I tried my best to be the most loving housekeeper in the whole city of San Francisco! In this way, Daniel got to see his children every day. I hope you watch this glorious film that is hilarious and heartwarming at the very same time, dears. It goes to show a fathers devotion to his children and also that divorce can be a painful thing.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Doubtfire

9/10

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"Ed Wood" Movie Review

This is definitely a good movie about bad movies. I had seen every Tim Burton film except this and his remake of "Planet of the Apes" so, due to my interest in old movies and in Johnny Depp, I thought I would finally sit down and watch it. And I'm glad I did. Edward D. Wood Jr. was a bizarre filmmaker who movies are legendary for being awful. But he doesn't know. He is happy and optimistic about every penny he can get and every person he can meet. He is especially excited when he sees the no longer acting, Bela Lugosi, played by Martin Landau, winning him an Academy Award. The movie was shot entirely in black and white, primarily because no one knew how Bela Lugosi would look in color. And it looks incredible. From the promising start with the graves and the lighting, it really feels like an old horror movie. Now, the movie as a whole was good but it there are some questionable aspects of it such as the language, which was unnecessary, and the way Ed's crew disrespected the Baptist church. Other than those and a few other things, the film was a lot of fun to watch and was interesting to see an important piece of Hollywood history. Now, I''m gonna go watch some of Ed Wood's bad movies!

7/10

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"The King's Speech" Movie Review

Public speaking is not an easy thing to do. But it is even harder when you have a stammer/stutter. The Duke of York (Bertie) has struggled with this all of his life and has been seeking help but has found none suitable for him. His wife finds a different kind of treatment given by a man named Lionel Logue that is described as "unorthodox and controversial". As Bertie begins seeing this "doctor", he notices an improvement. Initially, when I heard about this movie and all of the raving reviews, I was honestly afraid I would find it dreadfully uninteresting. But when I did see it, I was surprised at how amazing and interesting it really is. You can add mine to that long list of positive reviews. Colin Firth, whom I had previously seen in "Disney's A Christmas Carol", won an Academy Award for this role, and rightfully so. He is so compelling and believable that is is hard to imagine him not being in this role of the Duke. Also, Helena Bonham Carter, in a role noticeably different than her usual, pulls off Queen Elizabeth very well and fits into it much better than one might expect. And, of course, Geoffrey Rush is perfect as the untrained doctor. This beautiful achievement easily fits into my top ten films. 

10/10

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"Awakenings" Movie Review

I have seen two movies with Robin Williams playing an initially dismissed doctor. This one and "Patch Adams", which was not that great. I am very pleased to say that this one was absolutely amazing. The fact that it is based on a true story makes it that much more brilliant. Robin Williams is a doctor who, when joining the staff of a hospital, tries a new medicine on the unresponsive patients that reside there. Although the staff has high hopes when the medicine seems to work, things may not be as wonderful as they appear to be. Robert De Nero is flawless in his role which was Oscar-Nominated and, as far as I'm concerned should have won. Be prepared to cry. 

10/10

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"Nicholas Nickleby" 2002 Movie Review

Being a longtime fan of Charles Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol", I thought I would give his others a try and I decided to start with the 2002 adaptation of "Nicholas Nickleby".  Nicholas is going through a tragic time after his father dies and the families needs are now no longer met. His coldhearted uncle, played to perfection by Christopher Plummer, sends Nicholas to a workhouse for children with horrible owners who, true to that time, beat the children and treat them very badly. Nicholas begins to develop a friendship with a crippled young boy called Smike. It is interesting to see how Charles Dickens, himself a poor a miserable child, incorporating these details into his own stories. This is a refreshing film with a spectacular cast. Harry Potter fans will enjoy seeing David Bradley (Filch) in a different role.

8/10

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"9" Movie Review

I hate boring movies with underdeveloped characters. Such a movie is "9". A group of rag dolls with a number from 1-9 on their backs are living in a post-apocalyptic world and battling robotic monsters. This is the plot of the movie and the idea is creative but the way it is presented is extremely uninteresting. Although the running time is only 79 minutes, I was begging for it to end within the first half hour. I don't have much else to say about this movie other than, although the voice actors are well-known and it is produced by Tim Burton, the film is unpleasant and not worth watching. If only every aspect of it were as good as the animation. Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow" ironically made it in there which was a nice touch but not enough to redeem it.

4/10

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"Secret Window" Movie Review

"You stole my story." the mysterious man at the door says. A dazed and confused Mort Rainey looks back at him and hesitantly says that he doesn't know him. "I know that, that doesn't matter, I know you, Mr. Rainey, that's what matters". Then repeating himself for emphasis, this Southerner says again: "You stole my story."

Mort Rainey is a writer who, as you can see from the above conversation, is accused of plagiarism. Now, he is certain he hasn't committed any crime but this strange man named John Shooter is persistent and demands justice. But the more Mort fights back, the more Shooter continues to fight back; harder. This entertaining, if fairly average, thriller is based on a Stephen King short story called, "Secret Window, Secret Garden". Johnny Depp is good in the role of the targeted author and it is fun to see Len Cariou, the original Sweeney Todd, starring alongside him who was to play the same role only three years later in the movie adaptation. The scenery is also quite beautiful. Although it is a fascinating film, no doubt, I am not sure it is worth repeated viewings. I suppose I will decide that when I revisit the movie at a later time.

7/10

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"Coraline" Movie Review

Neil Gaiman is the Tim Burton of literature. While Tim Burton is making movies like "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Corpse Bride", Neil Gaiman is write novels such as "Coraline" and "The Graveyard Book". This is not a better person to bring this story to life than Tim Burton collaborator, Henry Selick. Coraline Jones is a young girl who feels neglected by her parents and doesn't want much to do with her neighbors Miss Spink, Miss Forcible, Mr. Bobinsky, and her new friend Wybie. While exploring her new house, she escapes to a strangely sinister, yet perfect world. She finds better parents, better food, and a better home. The only strange thing is: everyone has buttons for eyes. The more she spends time there, the more she realizes that it is not what she wanted. In this spooky tale, you will find great lessons of thankfulness and appreciation. However, it is not a movie you will want to be showing to sensitive or easily frightened children, as it is creepy and filled with abnormal images. I have read Neil Gaiman's original novel and, because it is such a visual and imaginative story, I think that it works better onscreen. The stop-motion animation captures it better than another other form of storyteller could and it looks absolutely stunning.

9/10

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"Groundhog Day" Movie Review

What would you do if you had to relive the same day over and over? Would you go insane? Kill yourself? Fall in love? On one of Phil Conners least favorite days of the year, February 2, he reports the weather just like he does every other day. But somehow he makes it through the day with his sarcastic comments and bad-mannered nature, waiting for tomorrow; hoping it is better. But tomorrow never comes. This movie brings so much more to the table than one would expect. Bill Murray is perfect in the lead role who learns important lessons throughout. The fact this it is labeled as a comedy is one that I think is wrong; that is merely one of the qualities that it offers. It is hilarious, heart breaking, touching, and inspiring, all of which I would hope to see in a film. I loved it so much that I even want to put the song "I Got You Babe" as my alarm in the morning.

9/10

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"Little Shop of Horrors" Movie Review

A man-eating plant. How bizarre of a concept can you get? And to push it even further, make it a musical. With Rick Moranis in the lead role. He plays an employee of an unsuccessful flower shop. After an eclipse, he finds a strange and interesting plant that he has never seen before. The plants diet: blood. This film, which was based on a Broadway musical, which was inspired by a non-musical movies, has its ups and downs. Ups: Steve Martin as the sadistic, almost-Joker like, boyfriend of Audrey. And the cameo appearances by Bill Murray and John Candy were amusing. But other than that, I didn't find the movie as entertaining or funny as I hoped. The ending was less than satisfactory. Now, I have read that there are two endings: the original "happy" ending (the one I saw), or the intended Director's Cut that was finally just recently released on Blu-Ray, which I am quite interested in seeing. Perhaps watching the other would change my opinion of the film. I sure hope so. All in all, it wasn't horrible, but it could have been better.

6/10

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AHH!!

I apologize for my lack of posts! Especially none during the holiday season when I said I would, and was heartily look forward to. Things get busy when we don't always expect and since I am but an average teenager, I don't necessarily have time to sit around and watch movies (though I wish I did). So I hope you readers will bare with me while my posts may be scattered and not consistent.