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12 Angry Men (Friedkin) 2005/04/16
I read the script of the original Reginald Rose play 12 Angry Men a few years ago but have never seen a staged production, nor the classic 1957 Sidney Lumet movie. This 1997 remake by William Friedkin works quite well...

24 Day 4 - and thoughts on future days 2005/05/29
For what it's worth, some suggestions on future seasons of 24.

A Clockwork Orange 2005/01/27
I don't think I've seen a movie as defined by its world and its language before. The world was pretty much established by the production design in the opening pullback (a great "Okaaaaaaaaaay... uhuh" moment) and the rant by the...

A Few Good Men 2005/06/14
I've always loved A Few Good Men - even when I used to be embarrassed watching a Tom Cruise movie.

A Very Long Engagement 2005/01/10
I got lost a bit in the detail of the plot and the multitude of characters, but the narrative spine was quite clear. At first I thought the ending was underdone, but then I felt myself very moved as the credits ran. The pathos was on a slow fuse.

Alien Resurrection (Special Edition) 2005/02/07
There are some good things about Alien Resurrection: I like the premise of cloning Ripley in order bring back the aliens, and visually it has some wonderful moments (such as Ripley sinking into the alien hive). But ultimately it just doesn't gel.

Angels in America (HBO) 2004/10/28
I've tried in the past to distil the principles of transforming a work from one medium to another. Most broadly, I think it comes down to two: 1) The new work has to work as an example of the new medium. 2) The new work has to be true to the "core" (whatever that is) of the source material. But what's interesting about Angels in America is that the "core" of the work is - in large part - the very theatricality which would make it difficult to work as a piece of television.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress 2005/05/10
Dai doesn't play up the atrocities of the times. But like his characters, he is discreetly, playfully subversive.

Barry Lyndon 2005/01/28
I don't know why, but I was expecting a romp. Maybe because I got Barry Lyndon mixed up with Tom Jones (which is now also on the to-see list because of John Varley's enthusiastic endorsement), or maybe because the DVD...

Batman Begins 2005/06/16
Thankfully, the only nipples we glimpse through an outfit are those of Katie Holmes.

Battlestar Galactica 3.01 & 3.02 - "Occupation" & "Precipice" 2006/10/09
BSG season three certainly opened with a bang.

Battlestar Galactica 3.03 - "Exodus Part 1" 2006/10/15
Exodus" supplied answers in a by-the-numbers fashion.

Battlestar Galactica 3.04 - "Exodus Part 2" 2006/10/22
There's a difference between predictable and inevitable storytelling. "Exodus Part 2" contains both.

Battlestar Galactica 3.05 - "Collaborators" 2006/10/31
Philosophically, I liked Roslin's universal pardon. It makes a powerful statement about truth and reconciliation as opposed to justice and revenge. Emotionally and thematically it worked as a cap to the episode. But, unlike last week, I worry now that Roslin's action does indeed restore the status quo a little too much. We'll see.

Battlestar Galactica 3.06 - "Torn" 2006/11/18
We learn more about the specifics of Cylon physiology in this episode than we've done in two and a bit years.

Battlestar Galactica 3.07 - "A Measure of Salvation" 2006/11/23
Roslin's decision was understandable but her smile after making it - though not without self-awareness - was chilling. Damn she's come a long way.

Battlestar Galactica 3.08 - "Hero" 2006/11/25
I hate Baltar.

Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance 2006/10/08
The ten "webisodes" tell a self-contained story: two men reach a decision about their involvement in the New Caprica resistance; one breaks left, the other right.

Buffy "Chosen" - farewell to the Hellmouth 2003/05/22
I guess it was too much to hope for: That the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer would be better than Babylon 5's "Sleeping in Light", the best final episode of any TV series, ever....

Buffy/Angel - best romantic partners for the characters 2004/11/17
There's a difference between what's best for a person in a relationship, ie the character in the TV show; and what's best for heightening the drama on the TV show. The best TV relationships are usually full of angst and pain, which you don't usually wish for in a real relationship. With that in mind...

Capote 2006/10/05
Capote is a character piece that tackles a broader theme: the relationship between an artist and his own humanity.

Catching up on movies... 2004/12/17
Sometimes I'm motivated to post and other times... bleargh. Anyway - short comments (sometimes shorter than the movies deserve) on Capturing the Friedmans, Supersize Me, The Human Stain, Ginger Snaps, Intolerable Cruelty, The Producers, Cold Mountain and Nicholas Nickleby....

Children of Men 2006/11/01
One of - perhaps the - best science fiction movies of recent years.

Closer 2005/02/14
Great performances by all four stars. If I had to choose between them I'd say that Clive Owen just nudges ahead of Natalie Portman. but really there's not much between all of them, and I suspect I've only gone for...

Constantine 2005/02/28
Other than through a handful of appearances in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing and a couple of Neil Gaiman titles I'm not really familiar with the Hellblazer mythology, which makes me ineligible to judge Constantine from the point of view of...

Control Room 2005/04/07
Truth is a greasy pig.

Credits and residuals on Battlestar Galactica webisodes 2006/10/19
If the principle for ongoing compensation for creating a story or a character or a production design holds true across all these media - theatrical features, television, radio and so forth - then without a doubt the principle must also hold true for internet, mobile and other distribution channels.

Das Experiment 2005/06/10
I believe that it's the system - as much or even more than the individuals - which is responsible for the behaviours dramatised in the film.

Deep Impact 2005/01/09
I know a lot of people find this movie boring or pretentious but I always vastly preferred it over its contemporaneous counterpart Armageddon. I liked that the emphasis was on the drama instead of the action and that the film...

Demonlover 2005/05/25
I lost interest because it's difficult to be engaged when you don't know what's happening to the characters or who they really are.

Der Untergang (Downfall: Hitler and the End of the Third Reich) 2005/04/25
It's Ganz who dominates the film, but it's Harfouch who resonates. She is devastating.

Doctor Who and the Daleks 2005/06/13
Stripping the Doctor of the Time Lord aspect of the TV show's mythology really takes away from the mystique of the character.

Ed Wood 2005/01/15
Ed Wood successfully walks a tightrope: parodying the acting and directing style of bad B-grade movies while still evoking truth in performance. Johnny Depp only rarely goes beyond pastiche but Martin Landau deserved his Oscar....

Elektra 2005/06/01
Ultimately Elektra had intentions, I think, to tell a personal, mythic, kick-ass story, but they just weren't realised there on the screen.

Equilibrium 2005/04/17
Equilibrium is a dystopian SF action thriller in which writer/director Kurt Wimmer more often than not resorts to cliche and hyperbole.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004/12/23
Good, but not great. Not the brilliant "best movie of the year" it's been characterised at. I'd rank it behind Being John Malkovitch and Adaptation... though I'd have to watch all three movies again to confirm this order. Guess I'm...

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 2005/04/24
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas tried very hard to be loud and brash and look-at-me, but only succeeded in being boring.

Garden State 2005/06/15
Good performances all-round but it's Natalie Portman who totally dominates the movie.

Girl With A Pearl Earring 2004/11/11
Scarlett Johansson deserves the accolades she got for this role (as well as for Lost in Translation). She goes down as one of the few child actors (Horse Whisperer) who lived up to their potential. Essie Davis is also very...

Good times for genre television 2004/11/21
A few years ago I was lamenting the lack of quality science fiction and fantasy on television. It snuck up on me, but things have changed....

Groundhog Day 2005/01/09
Something I only picked up when rewatching Groundhog Day: the climax is unusual. Normally you ramp up the conflict and danger before saving the protagonist, but in this movie the big tour de force sequence just before the clock turns over to a new morning is where everything goes right for Phil.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse 2006/11/05
The torturous shooting of of Apocalypse Now has become legendary - scheduled at six weeks but taking nine months (about the same length as principal photography for all three Lord of the Rings movies), running millions of dollars over budget...

Heat 2005/05/18
Heat is about emotional attachment and detachment and the costs thereof.

Hellboy (the movie) 2004/12/08
Not having read the Mike Mignola comic book I can't say whether the movie is true to its source. If it's not though it would have to be a noble effort. If Buffy had been a seven foot, cigar smoking...

Hero and Collateral 2004/11/10
Hero: Don't believe them when they say that it's not like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It is, but that's a good thing. Collateral: Develops nicely, climax unbelievable....

Heroes 1.01 - "Genesis" 2006/10/16
Heroes shows the emergence of a super-powered group of "Homo Superior" but, I'm willing to bet, will never put any of them in a costume, except perhaps for a laugh.

Heroes 1.02 - "Don't Look Back" 2006/10/20
I wasn't engrossed by this episode at all.

Heroes 1.03 - "One Giant Leap" 2006/10/26
The cliffhangers have been the best part thing about the series so far.

House of Flying Daggers 2005/02/17
I'm beginning to get the hint that the martial arts cum tragic love story movie is a genre of Chinese cinema, what with Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Zhang Yimou's Hero and now Zhang's House of Flying Daggers. (Though...

House of Flying Daggers OST 2006/10/17
Some of the tracks are achingly beautiful, drawing a tear from the eye. Others threaten to deteriorate into Kitaro-like blandness.

House of Sand and Fog 2004/11/12
Some stories are epic and not so well told (cf Troy, Van Helsing) and some are intimate and very well told. House of Sand and Fog is a very small, even prosaic, story about two people who are driven by...

Hypercube 2004/11/18
Cube was a good little movie. Interesting concept, well developed tension (sometimes effectively stretched to near breaking point), modestly budgeted but well executed production design, a hinted-at milieu that was semi-plausible, and Nicole deBoer. Hypercube wasn't. The dialogue was baaaad,...

Im Toten Winkel: Hitler's Secretary 2004/11/11
Amazing interview with Traudl Junge who as a young woman was one of Hitler's secretaries and who was there in the Bunker in the final days of the war, even writing up his final political testament and personal will. In...

Independence Day 2005/01/07
It's crap - but it's good crap: it succeeds on its own terms. The DVD commentary (extended edition) talked about how unusual it was for them to take time out from the action in the third act to resolve all...

King Lear (James Earl Jones) 2005/05/20
The bit of casting that worked best for me though was Tom Aldredge, in fact three years older than Jones and looking it. This Fool was much more of a contemporary of Lear's than the stereotypical youth of other portrayals. Aldredge's performance, coupled with that common bond of age - which never quite reaches camaraderie - made for a rendition both powerful and affecting.

Kingdom of Heaven 2005/05/07
Technically Kingdom of Heaven is a bloody (no pun intended) impressive achievement. Dramatically it's watchable but unremarkable.

Leon (version integrale) 2005/01/19
Leon (aka The Professional) is moving into my "all time favourites" list. It was damn impressive the very first time I saw it (going in totally blind, without knowing a thing about what the movie was about, I was blown...

Lolita (Kubrick) 2005/01/23
Have never read the book, though it's been recommended by a few people, so wasn't really sure what I was in for. Did expect the subject matter to be risque, even perverted... and so it was. But what I didn't...

Lord of the Rings movie trilogy 2005/01/08
I guess, like the first Spider-Man movie, LOTR doesn't stand up to repeat viewings that well. Sure, technically it's a remarkable achievement and I'm sure the discs will spend a lot of time in my DVD player... but for me to really love a movie it has to hit me in the gut or in the heart. LOTR doesn't.

Lost 3.01 - "A Tale of Two Cities" 2006/10/06
Ultimately, it's not about the monsters, or the encounters with impossible people from the past, or the mystical healing power of the island ... Well, actually ...

Lost 3.02 - "The Glass Ballerina" 2006/10/13
Yunjin Kim is the series' most natural performer. The standard of acting is generally quite high, but with Kim I never get the sense that she's acting.

Lost 3.03 - "Further Instructions" 2006/10/25
"Further Instructions" lacked the punch of the better episodes; it was watchable, but a place-holder. So far this season, the show is one for three.

Lost 3.04 - "Every Man For Himself" 2006/11/02
While the idea of "the only way of getting the respect of a con man is to con him" is a good one, the con itself - and some of the resulting character beats - was near on laughable.

Lost 3.05 - "The Cost of Living" 2006/11/22
Shit. Certainly didn't expect that.

Lost 3.06 - "I Do" 2006/11/24
Take my love, take my hand ...

M 2005/06/12
The final trial is a fantastic inversion of justice, like seeing the negative of a film print come alive.

Man on Fire 2005/02/10
People at TBBS have raved over Dakota Fanning and having now seen Man on Fire I can see why. There is an intelligence behind her eyes that's very reminiscent of a young Jodie Foster. An old soul and prodigious talent...

My Architect 2005/06/02
Worth a look even if you're not interested in architecture or father/son stories.

Office Space 2004/12/28
This has been popular cult (or cultishly popular?) favourite for years, and having finally caught it I can see why. Like Dilbert it appeals to anyone who's ever been a cubicle cog in a corporate machine. The film starts off...

Open Water 2004/11/30
Open Water is to Jaws as The Blair Witch Project is to ... err... not actually familiar enough with horror films to know what the best parallel would be. Suffice it to say that like Blair Witch, Open Water was...

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism 2005/01/05
Depressing....

Paper Clips 2006/10/04
The lessons of tolerance and diversity becomes powerful, not because of the sheer magnitude of the paper clips gathered (around 29 million at last count), but because of the personal stories that are revealed by those it touches.

Plenty 2005/05/14
Meryl Streep's performance in Plenty is unmarked by any trademark mannerisms.

Postcards from the Edge 2005/05/13
Whenever Shirley MacLaine breezes in it's like an invigorating sandstorm.

Primary Colors & 1776 2004/10/29
Must be on a political movie kick right now. Seen Primary Colors several times now and the tightness of the script continues to astound me. I'm amazed how the scenes accomplish so much with such economy and humour and drama....

Princess Mononoke 2004/11/15
Six years after this highly acclaimed movie came out I finally get to see it. I can see why it got the raves it did. Best thing about it was the complex eco system of the tribes of man and...

Ran 2005/04/13
I tried watching this Akira Kurosawa retelling of King Lear when I was in high school but just couldn't get into it. It was one of the few movies that I couldn't finish. Rewatching it now many years later I...

Revenge of the Sith 2005/05/19
The first half was mediocre, Hayden Christensen was bad, but the operatic intensity of the second half made me leave the cinema on a high.

Rick 2005/04/15
Writer Daniel Handler is better at creating an interesting, complex character than he is at constructing the mechanics of his downfall. And Bill Pullman more than lives up to the task. His Rick is sadistic, introspective, ambitious, insecure, misogynistic, protective and quirky.

Rome 1.01 - "The Stolen Eagle" 2006/10/07
I doubt any Roman drama will ever be able to surpass I, Claudius in drama and audaciousness, but Rome promises to be an engrossing, entertaining ride.

Rome 1.02 - 1.06 2006/10/28
This show definitely has my interest. Will keep watching.

Run Silent, Run Deep 2006/11/11
Wise wasn't particularly effective in staging the action sequences or ratcheting up the tension. But that's of little consequence: the strength of the film lies elsewhere.

Sapphire & Steel: Assignment One 2005/05/12
I think the show had promise, especially with the interaction between the two leads. But ultimately I wasn't inclined to sample more.

Seabiscuit 2005/01/16
On the commentary for Ed Wood the screenwriters talked about the decision to focus on one period of Wood's life - his relationship with Bela Lugosi. It would have been too unwieldy to tell his entire life story. Seabiscuit is...

Sideways 2005/05/23
After a meandering start the film comes into focus once Virginia Madsen's character Maya appears.

Sorkin influences - 1776, Broadcast News 2004/10/31
It occured to me when watching 1776 that there were inspirations for The West Wing in that musical. The to and fro of the debate on important issues, the propensity for speech making, a character called Josiah Bartlet(t) ... though...

Spider-Man 3 speculations 2004/12/01
The overarching thread in both Spider-Man movies has been the love story between Peter and Mary Jane, even more so than the "with great power comes great responsibility" theme. I have a strong suspicion that Mary Jane will be killed in the third movie.

Stalag 17 2005/06/05
There's something about World War II prisoners of war that produce great movies.

Stanley Kubrick: a life in pictures 2005/01/29
Having now seen all of Kubrick's films after (but not including) Paths of Glory I felt ready to break out this documentary included in the Kubrick DVD collection - one of the few substantive extras in the entire set... a...

Star Trek: The Motion Picture 2005/03/13
The biggest problem with the movie is that it resolves the primary conflict too soon. TMP revolves around Kirk's obsession with regaining the Enterprise and the effect this has on his command ability. Unfortunately this conflict is resolved less than one hour into the film: the old dog/young dog tension goes away; and with it our interest in Kirk's character.

Stay 2006/10/03
It becomes clear quite early that Stay is a mindfuck film in the vein of Fight Club or Jacob's Ladder. The directorial conceits hit you over the head with this, so the final scene is no surprise at all. However...

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 1.01 - 1.04 2006/10/12
While Studio 60 almost certainly won't have the weight of The West Wing, it might just have more heart.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 1.05 - "The Long Lead Story" 2006/10/17
A relatively soft episode. Some nice moments, but as a whole it didn't come together.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 1.06 - "The Wrap Party" 2006/10/24
The foundation was good writing. So, much kudos to those in the room who helped "break" the episode, Melissa Myers and Amy Turner (story credit) and, of course, Aaron Sorkin (teleplay) for the best (post-pilot?) Studio 60 yet.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 1.07 & 1.08 - "Nevada Day" 2006/11/15
Not as funny or as touching or as tightly written as "The Wrap Party", and not really successfully fleshed out to 90 minutes, but still very entertaining.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 1.09 - "The Option Period" 2006/11/21
Product placements this episode: Nokia (twice). Adidas. Universal Pictures. Apple (thrice, twice via iPod brand). Gibson Guitars (thrice). Final Draft. Sony (twice). Samsung (twice).

Tape 2005/04/19
Shabby production values doesn't stop me from recommending the film.

The American President 2005/04/02
Seen this movie a half dozen times since it was released, and enjoy it no less. Noticed something this time however that escaped me previously. A quick point out of the way first though. I don't know how he does...

The Aviator 2005/03/10
All these things made the film a bit too artificial to be completely engrossing. Though it occurs to me now that this is the case with most of Scorsese's movies. Even The Age of Innocence (my favourite of his films) had some very formal, elaborate set pieces that showed off the craft more so than the story. The difference being, in that movie the tale wasn't as ambitious, the main actors served their characters better and the directorial flourishes didn't get in the way of the drama; none of which can be fully said for The Aviator.

The Bourne Supremacy 2004/12/23
Decent sequel to a decent prequel. No idea what the original Chamberlin movie or the books are like. Supremacy is grittier than Identity... The fight sequences aren't as influenced by the (at the time) in vogue Hong Kong martial arts...

The Company 2005/04/15
Nicholas Hytner in his commentary for Centre Stage admitted that the reason he directed that film - for all its simplistic storyline and stock characters - was for the opportunity to film the dance sequences. Joss Whedon's inspiration for the...

The Departed 2006/10/20
One day Martin Scorsese is going to win his Director Oscar. The Departed could have been that movie ... might still be that movie in fact.

The Final Cut 2005/04/23
In many ways, The Final Cut is the victim of its own success. After all, once you've given the big FU to the King then any other protagonist is small fry.

The Forgotten 2005/04/14
The movie has a very good cast, good production values, good direction, and commendable intentions but is let down by the writing - as so many movies are. The end result isn't bad, just not particularly good.

The Game 2005/02/05
Saw this when it first came out and had very little memory of it except for the ending. This time I watched it knowing what to expect and with an eye of seeing if the twist was feasibly set up....

The Grudge (remake) 2005/04/02
The Grudge doesn't break any ground but it succeeds on its own terms. Worth seeing once.

The Incredibles 2005/01/05
Pixar's track record has been pretty remarkable - every single one of its features has been watchable and The Incredibles is no exception. Unlike all of its predecessors however this one didn't feel like an animated movie... not sure precisely...

The Interpreter 2005/04/20
Thrillers I think are driven - and ultimately defined - by plot and unfortunately the writers couldn't quite make this one jell.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou 2005/04/21
Like Anderson's previous movies The Life Aquatic is quirky, formal and possessing of a wonderful texture.

The Life of David Gale 2005/04/18
The Life of David Gale contains elements of drama, murder mystery and thriller. As a mystery it doesn't quite work because there's a shortage of suspects, leaving little room for misdirection. As a thriller the tension isn't ratcheted high enough. But as a drama, both political and personal, the film is quite effective.

The Luzhin Defence 2005/06/09
The Luzhin Defence is part gentle romance, part chess thriller, and who'd have thought that mix of genres could exist!

The Manchurian Candidate (Demme) 2005/04/01
It's difficult to comment on this film without comparing it to the classic first version... made more difficult because although I saw the original some months ago I don't recall it with sufficient detail to be confident in my comparisons. (I think I liked parts of it very much but also felt the flow was somewhat awkward.) Nonetheless, here goes...

The Matrix Reloaded - the poetry of violence 2003/05/19
TMR is basically a bigger and arguably better retread of the first movie. At the time TM came out I described it as "Star Wars for the 90s", and the sequel - what with all the goings on at the Rebel Alliance - pretty much affirmed that. Hopefully the Wachowski brothers will have the sense to stop after three. The Matrix Reloaded takes the tradition of poetry of violence and, at key scenes such as the ones above, elevates it to the near-sublime.

The Nine 1.01 - "Pilot" 2006/10/18
Promising. Very promising.

The Omen (2006) 2006/11/08
Entirely perfunctory.

The Once and Future Voyages... 2005/05/15
With the screening of Enterprise's "These Are The Voyages..." some hours ago the franchise ends an uninterrupted tenure on TV that extends back to 1987. Where will Star Trek fans get their new Trek fix from? From themselves. Virtual Enterprise will aim to tell bold, innovative stories that will continue to take advantage of Enterprise's unique prequel status, that don't neglect certain characters, that will allow people to grow and things to change, that take chances in subject matter and form, that emphasize meaningful drama over meaningless action or technobabble, and that remain true to the fundamental ethos of Star Trek in all its incarnations.

The Phantom of the Opera movie 2005/01/06
If you can't wow the audience with stage effects, as in the stage musical, then what do you wow the people with on film? The movie's failure to solve this critical problem is what causes it to come up short.

The Singing Detective film 2004/11/25
The Singing Detective is possibly the most highly acclaimed television series ever and while I personally rate some other shows higher there's no denying the intelligence, sophistication and passion in Potter's writing, the cast's acting and the overall production. So...

The Stepford Wives (Kidman) 2005/05/24
Behind Glenn Close's plastic smile I thought I detected an actor trapped in her contract, silently screaming "Oh God, what have I done?! Get me out of here!"

The Village 2005/02/14
M. Night Shyamalan (hey, I spelled that right without checking!) has always been the master of tension, and The Village, though not his best work (still, and I suspect, always, The Sixth Sense), has long moments where you long for...

The War of the Worlds (1953) 2006/11/13
One of the interesting things about this The War of the Worlds is the implicit faith the film places in science.

The West Wing: fathers 2005/04/13
Have just come off a major The West Wing binge. One of the themes which becomes more obvious when you're seeing the show in such a concentrated form (we're talking the first four seasons in a couple of weeks here!)...

To Kill a Mockingbird 2005/04/22
To Kill a Mockingbird deals with rape, forbidden sexual obsession, racial prejudice, mob hysteria and human hypocrisy. Would it have had the same impact if it didn't view these through the eyes of children?

Torchwood 1.01 - "Everything Changes" 2006/11/16
A decent - though not outstanding - episode which served its purpose: establish the major characters and tone of the show.

Torchwood 1.02 - "Day One" 2006/11/19
Torchwood is Angel to Doctor Who's Buffy.

Torchwood 1.03 - "Ghost Machine" 2006/11/20
"Ghost Machine" didn't feel the need to show off its "mature viewers" tag. But it did demonstrate that, so far, Torchwood is pretty standard SF fare.

Traffic (mini series) 2005/02/14
This six-hour (that's TV hours, each of which equals 44 real minutes) mini series has a similar structure as the same-titled Soderbergh movie though it is not as well executed. (I've not seen the original BBC mini series Traffik which...

Trekkies 2 2005/05/30
If anything, I think Trekkies 2 shows even more than its predecessor the inspiring side of fandom as much as the whacky.

Troy 2004/11/11
Despite the fact that Troy manages to attain some emotional resonance in the last 45 minutes by and large the movie comes across as perfunctory, mainly I think due to a by-the-numbers script riddled with mostly bad dialogue. All the...

Van Helsing 2004/11/12
Stephen Sommers' The Mummy was one of the most likeable adventure movies in recent years. Charming, witty, exciting and tongue firmly planted in cheek; a worthy successor to Indiana Jones. On the other hand The Mummy Returns was everything its...

Vanity Fair (2004) 2005/04/07
I've not read William Makepeace Thackeray's novel so I don't know if this latest version of Vanity Fair (the tenth according to imdb) is true to the book. It did remind me, in setting and subject matter, of the recent...

Watchmen movie - thoughts 2005/03/16
I've been a fan of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's Watchmen graphic novel since its publication. I remember being hooked by the horrible, hilarious gag on the last page of the first issue. And from there it went. More than...

Why a Firefly movie when you can make an entire season for the same dosh? 2006/10/08
This is the fundamental problem with direct-to-DVD distribution: it cuts out the biggest, most lucrative source of revenue.

Wimbledon 2005/04/03
The best romantic comedies are equally about both characters. There are exceptions, such as Tootsie, but arguably that movie was a comedy and growth story first and a romance second anyway. Wimbledon is billed as a romantic comedy, but is...

X-Men: The Last Stand 2006/11/12
Overall, The Last Stand is a mixed success. It worked well for what it was - a popcorn movie, but it could have been much more.