Movie Reviews & More
Catwoman (2004)
I knew as soon as previews came out for this movie that I would have to see it for cheap because even the trailers made it
look stupid. But in some respects, you have gotta give this movie props for making it through 10 years of cast and directorial changes, out of development hell to the big screen.
I think though that was kind of the point. The audience after Batman Returns has long since past. This movie wasn’t poorly made, just got lost for maybe a thought originally to cash in on the popularity of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.
It didn’t suffer from bad dialogue, but almost worst, just a really stupid plot. A cat breathes on Halle Berry and she has magical
powers. I asked myself, is that so much different than a radioactive spider? Yes, at least that is a little believable. Halle Berry
looks painted gold and walks like a robot most of the movie, and the action sequences which are nicely envisioned are so choppy it is hard to follow.
Either way, I didn’t expect much and I got what I expected.
Cast Away (2000)
I cannot remember a movie that Tom Hanks has done that I didn’t love. I saw Cast Away soon after it came out, and thought,
cool movie, but probably won’t ever watch it again.
Tom Hanks get stranded on a desert island after his plane crashes into the ocean. He is left for dead, and seems to not be able to survive. But after four years, he is still hanging on and with his volleyball named Wilson, he makes one last effort to try to find help.
The thing about this movie, other than the turmoil that Tom Hanks overcomes, physically and mentally, is that it is a whole movie
of him, alone, on an island. 90% of the movie is just with Tom Hanks, and he carries the weight incredibly and convincingly. He makes you believe that he is stranded and at wit’s end. And then there is Helen Hunt. The pain you sense between the two characters when they finally meet again. (Helen Hunt is his fiancee) She always plays very powerful parts, and this one is no different. A sad, but very powerful movie.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Those freaking Brits.
Although gruesome at parts, this movie was so hilarious my face hurt. With everything you could expect from British humor minus a movie that revolved around vulgar activity, Shaun of the Dead is a movie with perfect timing. When it doesn’t seem like it can get any worse for a loser electronics manager, it does. His girlfriend breaks up with him, his step dad is breathing down his neck, and his friends want him to kick out his grotesque roommate (think Jon Belushi but English and non-deliberately dumber).
Then, something cataclysmic happens, and all off a sudden, 90 percent of the population is turned into zombies. Shaun seeing his chance to make something of himself, sets out with his roommate to kill as many as they can in the funniest possible way.
Dodgeball : A True Underdog Story (2004)
This is a fun movie. Ben Stiller starts out really funny as this over the top macho gym guy. By the end of the movie, you feel like the end of every one of his other movies, irritated like nails on a chalkboard.
But a movie about one of the greatest childhood games ever, is really enjoyable, in particular, a sequence during the training of the underdog “Average Joe’s Gym” team that involves wrenches, balls, and incessant hits on the characters.
Vince Vaughn is his goofy self, and Christine Taylor (The Wedding Singer)is the hot girl with the smokin arm. There are the predictable parts, but it is fun to watch all of the bizarre cameos that have become a part of the ring of movies done by Ferrell, Vaughn, and Stiller. From Shatner to Chuck Norris, they’re all there.
The Girl Next Door (2004)
I was hoping for a teen angst movie about a changing world of sex and drinking, instead I got a confusing movie that was trying to be deep, and funny, and to have a believable plot. The movie starts out with Matt, the main character, falling in love with Elisha Cuthbert who just moved in next door. But then he finds out she used to be a pornstar,
starts to hate her, treats her badly and messes things up. It was a neat love story, she was upset because he looked at her differently, and that is what she wanted, but then it took a turn for the worse. All of a sudden Matt was caught up in the seedy underworld, owing producers big money, risking his great future, and jail, all for this girl.
There was so much focus on his being this bright kid with a future and it was moving towards the idea that he was reconsidering everything for this girl, but this movie had a long rambling stretch where it couldn’t figure out what type of movie it wanted to be, teen angst, or thriller. Overall, it wasn’t nearly as fun as it should have been for a Friday night popcorn fun show.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
I was glad that I at least tried this movie, but it did make me contemplate whether the movies that I found so hilarious when I was in high school like Happy Gilmore and Tommy Boy were really that funny, or if they were a period in my life.
I hardly laughed at this movie, and this the fact that Woody Allen had something to do with it, maybe that is why the over the top crying scenes and long awkward silences in the audience were really painful. Either way, I still think Wil Ferrell can be funny, but has to still prove that his silly characters can carry a movie the way Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, or way back as far as Eddie Murphy SNL alums could on the big screen.
Looney Tunes Back in Action (2004)
As I have gotten older, I have developed a fondness for the old looney tunes cartoons. This movie, is nothing like that. But it is crazy to watch. With tributes to old movies, tongue in cheek humor and a seamless blend of live action, 3-d animation, and 2-d animation, this was a visually cool movie. It was kind of a fun one too. Looking for something fun to do and wanting Daffy to finally get a "starring" role in some sense, then watch this one.
