Reviews

If IMDb allowed for negative numbers to rate movies, this one would get '-1199'. It would be a challenge to deliberately create a movie this terrible, and for Luke Wilson, it has to be an embarrassment on his resume. There had to be an outstanding contractual obligation for him to do this or maybe he was a victim of 'shotgun casting'.

Fortunately I got my money's worth as I watched this on a plane. I fear some may categorize this piece of feces as a 'cult classic' for future cable channel broadcasting. Mike Judge's previous work, Office Space, is a perfect example of that. However lightning doesn't strike twice. It is hard to describe how bad this film really is, but please, it is not worth investing your time to find that out.

In concept it sounds like a great idea, but the writing and directing is so terrible that maybe their significant others actually performed the work. There were so many opportunities to be just a bit more clever with the story and the dialog, but it it never breaks that membrane. Give me Ringo Starr in Caveman. That was fun idiocracy!

I won't obsess further, but I had to vent somewhere to get this thought poison out of me. Note: Near the end of the credits a message scrolls up, indicating that 'this entire movie was entirely cut on a computer'. If only that was true...........

I watched Darkman again after its release 16 years ago, and it was as enjoyable to watch now as it was then. The special effects remain impressive and haven't aged in comparison to the likes of the original Terminator. It is a film that can be appreciated in many respects; making it in my opinion, one of the most underrated films of all time.

Casting, writing, acting, music score, and directorship are all well executed here. With empathy to the audience, it strongly establishes the story and characters from the beginning and offers a plausible explanation for the creation of 'Darkman'.

The director pays tribute to several classics throughout the film. There is an 'Oz'-like scarecrow dance and scenes reminiscent of Hitchcock films and the Phantom of the Opera. However, with great foresight, this film now serves as a model for any comic-book hero-oriented movie (even though the Darkman character was not based on a comic book!).

One memorable performance comes from Larry Drake, who plays a powerful thug that collects 'trophies' from his victims. I remember back when the film came out that many were taken aback by his casting, since he was best known back then for playing a mentally retarded character on television's 'LA Law'. He was completely believable in this role, and arguably deserved of Oscar consideration.

I can't say enough about this film. With a romantic sub-plot it should even appeal to audiences of the female persuasion (I hesitate to call it a date movie although it was back in 1990 for us!).

Sit back and enjoy a classic from the last 20 years and be thoroughly entertained...

If Troma, the Farrelly brothers, and Mel Brooks ever conspired to produce a movie with baseball as a centerpiece, it probably would end up looking a lot like Major League. The film benefits from excellent casting, clever writing that leverages these characters, and being able to take itself lightly. Take a look at the 'goofs' section and you'll see that it is riddled with issues! If anything, it means the audience is attentive enough to pay that close attention and probably by viewing the movie on multiple occasions. I think it adds to the movie's comedic angle, albeit accidental, to see the stadium clock set at 10:40 am during a game! Great elements exist throughout. The lowly Indians of the 80s taking on the Yankees, their bitter rival that also serve as the unlikable bully. There is the wild rookie, the veteran player's last chance, the love triangles, the loathed owner, and Bob Euker! This is one of those films that has moments that burn into memory. Fortunately, when it ends up on a cable channel, I'll stick with it because there is always a good moment ahead. Note: This review does not apply to the sequel! It confirmed the law of diminishing returns. 'II' is the dreadful counterbalance to the original.

While this film was well done, I am stunned at both the average voter rating on IMDb and it earning the Best Film for 2005. This is a 'tidy' account of racial conditions in the USA, but no more cutting edge than the content found in any 'All In The Family' sitcom from the 70s. There is little character development, with each being one-dimensional regarding their personal discriminations. If this film is supposed to deliver a message, it was lost in my viewing. It appeared that every character's racial subjectivity was influenced and primarily based on the most recent event with that race. In my opinion, racial conditions have improved and evolved in our country further than this film suggests. Personal discriminations in the film are not subtle and are stereotypical to a fault. It was void of subtleties and wit that truly represent an individual's approach and reaction in real life. Comparing this to the other nominees this year, I wonder what criteria the voters based their vote upon to select Crash as the winner. This would be a 'surf-through' movie if you passed over it on the Lifetime Channel (only A-list cameo appearances save it from this deserved placement). This is a 'one-watch' movie and will likely date itself quickly. I am sure the idea for the film came out of a graduate student's thesis and would work well in stage form with an ethnic cross-section of serious undergraduate drama majors.

I was a late blooming Cash fan and did not fully appreciate his talents until his death. I was looking forward to seeing this movie, and both Juaqin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon have you believing without a doubt that they are Johnny Cash and June Carter. The mannerisms and their chemistry work well throughout the movie. And even a day later from watching the movie I still am amazed at their singing skills. They nailed it! Where I was slightly disappointed was in either the writer, director, and/or the cinematographer's ability to really capture a moment with heightened intensity or gravity. For example, there is a moment of desperation where Cash is at a bank to cash a check, but there is not a feeling of desperation to the viewer at that moment. I compare this to a similar scene in Cinderella Man when Russell Crowe is requesting government relief and the viewer feels the impact there. It was never effectively communicated why essential elements occurred. What pivotal moment led him into the drugs? There were enough scenes to depict a problem but you never see it evolve. Did June have the same feelings as Cash for marriage? The movie implies she gave in to the proposal to some respect. There should have been an intimate scene between June and a secondary character to affirm her feelings. I guess the movie just has a feeling of going on a nice ride, but it never ratchets the emotional content from one scene to another. And while fiction, it would have been good to see a moment where the 'passing of the heart baton' occurs between his first wife and June. Maybe fictional, but it was effective in Sound of Music. I suspect that the creation team was trying to adhere to fact as much as possible per the family's advisory and may have been limited in taking some license in the story. It is an enjoyable movie regardless, and as much as a Cash fan as I am, I cannot see this winning Movie of the Year. With that all said, I hope they consider a 'sequel' to cover the remainder of their lives together. There is plenty of material, from the television shows, events in Jamaica, the Highwaymen, the lifetime achievement award in country music, the detachment from the industry, the efforts with Ruben, and then the final days together. This would be a totally different movie, but the actors would be perfect to carry on the line...

For entertainment value, I guess this has some endearing qualities as my wife and I were able to exchange comments throughout the movie about its absurdity. Considering the caliber of Spielberg, you would expect higher expectations and somewhat of a tenable premise. Tom Cruise, who could have easily surrendered this role to Ben Afleck, Carl Lewis, or a tomato can, somehow is able to overcome challenges that no one else on the planet is able to accomplish. He is the only person able to have a working civilian vehicle, to slice a monster's tentacle, and to blow up a 'tripod' that the entire US military forces are unable to defeat. There is a reason that War of the Worlds was perfect for radio. Even in this case it is best treated as theater of the mind. The special effects are excellent and carry through well in surround sound, but that still is not enough to dedicate 2 hours of your life for.