So last weekend I took in a ton of movies, some I had seen before and was watching again--but have never reviewed here---and some I was seeing for the first time. Like for instance:
1) War of the Worlds--First things first. Is Tom Cruise just a huge asshole or what?
What in the name of Sam Hill would he know about a woman with post partem depression? Ahem....now, with that out of the way....I liked the movie, liked the special effects...liked the whole "nasty aliens" concept....but.....he should've gotten someone else besides Cruise to be his leading man. First of all, the kid who plays Tom's son in the movie--his 16 yr old son by the way--is like a full head taller than him. I would've preferred your Tom Hanks or Mel Gibson in this role. Cruise just doesn't seem old enough for the part, not to mention tall enough. All that aside, the movie is good popcorn stuff, and Dakota Fanning has officially replaced the kid from the Sixth Sense as best kid actor going today. ***3/4 (mostly for good effects)
2) Fallen--years ago I saw a great "B" movie called "The Hidden" with Michael Nouri & Kyle McLaghen about this alien who came to earth and who could jump from body to body until the host body could no longer sustain him. Somewhat similar here in this Denzel Washington movie except its not an alien who's jumping from body to body---its a...um....ya know...demon. Pretty creepy stuff and a very good supporting cast, including Donald Sutherland, John Goodman & James Gandolfini. ***1/2
3) Shrek--finally got around to watching the DVD of this excellent animated film and it still holds up. This is the best work Eddie Murphy has done, in his hilarious supporting performance as "donkey", since he did "Coming to America"---and that was like 2 lifetimes ago. ****
4) Shrek 2--Murphy is really funny again, but gets the movie stolen right out from underneath him by....no kidding here.....ANTONIO BANDERAS. He is flatout a riot as "Puss N Boots"--deadly feline assassin. He's worth the price of admission all by himself, but is aided further by some terrific spoofs, including a great one near the film's end of American Idol. Really, really funny and one of those rare sequels that is better than the original. ****1/4
6) Bourne Identity--I've said it before, I'll say it again. Ben Affleck wanted to be a movie star, Matt Damon decided to become an actor. That's why all of Damon's movie are so much better than his longtime friend's. This is a topnotch spy thriller, probably just about what Brad Pitt & Robert Redford were shooting for a few ago when they made "Spy Game". Great story, good performances by a stellar cast (including Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Franka Potente & Julia Stiles) & some excellent action scenes. Probably the best film of its type since "Ronin", and if you know me--that's high praise. ****1/2
7) Bourne Supremacy--and just when I say that---this one is just a click better than the original. That almost never happens, and I watch two examples in one long weekend! Stellar supporting cast is joined by the always good Joan Allen & a terrific car chase, adding up to a slightly better than the original film. ****3/4
8) Terror By Night---the old Sherlock Holmes thriller pops up on TCM one morning! These films were terrific fun, especially the ones that were made as well as this one. Basil Rathbone as Holmes & Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson were always loads of fun, and this is one of their better entries. ***1/2
9) Saboteur--I'm a huge fan of Hitchcock...especially his stuff from the 40's & 50's, when he was at his creative zenith (at least in my opinion). This fine film, although now slightly dated, is essentially a very fun chase film across the United States as the traditional "wrongly accused man" (here's its Robert Cummings) is aided by the blond woman (Priscilla Lane--very underrated actress and a knockout to boot) as they try and stop a group of Nazi spies from sabotage. Great stuff! ****
10) Blood on the Sun--to be honest with you, this film was a gift from my parents.
Its a James Cagney film, which is good---but it wasn't supposedly one of his better films--which is bad. Surprisingly though, this is a very solid film, as Cagney plays a news reporter covering Japan in pre-WWII days. Some of the "Japanese" are pretty embarassing, as they're portrayed by americans in pretty bad makeup, but the storyline is fairly exciting. Hey, its no "White Heat", but its not bad and better than I thought it would be. ***
11) Boys of the City--the other film that my parents got me, and fun in a goofy Abbot & Costello sort of way. The East Side Kids, lead by Leo Gorcey, who would later become a Dead End Kid & finally a Bowery Boy....go out intothe country and get involved in a haunted house & a crooked judge (say what!!).
Goofy Saturday afternoon fun, although one particular character is so overbroad in his portrayal that you'll be embarassed for the film. **3/4
Later,
Jeff
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