Reviews
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)
Had to swallow a lump or two
I remembered watching this movie when I was younger and it affecting me a lot. Well, I re-watched it recently and it has lost none of it's power.
The acting in the movie is adequate without ever being great (the notable exception being Tom Conti who is fantastic in his role as the misunderstood titular character).
However, the movie moves beyond the acting and once you are embroiled in the atmosphere and realism you become oblivious to any acting shortcomings.
The movie must be one of the most accurate depictions of human nature in a war. It has a diverse range of characters yet none of them becomes a caricature. It certainly doesn't sink into the good vs evil mindset that many war movies do.
The violence is graphic and shocking despite lacking the visceral realism of Spielberg's later war movies.
The ending of the movie still affects me, even after repeated viewings. I still have to a lump or two to stop from crying even now.
Overall, recommended for anyone with an interest in a non-stereotypical movie about war. Not for the faint of heart though.
Batoru rowaiaru II: Chinkonka (2003)
This one's a mess
After loving the first battle royale, I was extremely disappointed in this and struggled to make it through the whole movie.
Most of the faults have already been pointed out. The acting (not really a feature of even the first film) is laughable. Fujiwara, who was well cast as the naive Shuya in the first film, looks totally out of place as a hard bitten terrorist/freedom fighter.
The rugby coach was one of the worst actors I have ever seen, hardly a suitable replacement for Kitano.
The direction is full of choppy cuts, meant to convey a sense of fast paced action but effectively just turns the movie into a bloody mess.
Obviously the movie wasn't helped by the untimely demise of the director. Avoid this one and watch the first instead.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Lucas plays it safe
Definitely the weakest of the original trilogy, this movie is similar to the two "prequels" in that it reads like a checklist.
GL: What was the most memorable scene in Star Wars? The space battle over the death star? Okay, let's make a new Death Star and have a space battle over it. Check.
GL: What was the most memorable scene in Empire? Vader's revelation? Okay, let's make another revelation about Luke's family. Check
Empire was a great movie because it took Star Wars in a totally different direction and provided a totally different tone. Jedi is the weakest because it is a rehash of all the things that made the first movies a success, with none of its own flavour.
Oh, and also because it had Ewoks in it. Damn them!
Tron (1982)
A guilty pleasure
This is the movie equivalent of, say, the song "tainted love" by Soft Cell. In other words, it's so cheesy and 80s that you can't help liking it.
In reality it was simply an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the relatively new video game industry. Jeff Bridges plays the inventor of a popular video game called "Space Paranoids". Gee, I wonder what that was supposed to be?
The movie has a ridiculous plot, but that adds to it's charm. Apparently, this was the first movie to use computer generated special effects. However, in this instance, the word "special" is equivalent to that used in "special" olympics, or Star Wars "special" Edition. Still, while the effects look dated, the glow universe in the movie has a unique charm and still looks good.
Apparently there are rumours of a Tron 2 being made. I'm sure if it happens, it will be full of computer generated virus monsters and hideously overblown special effects to attract the kids. It's a shame really because the charm of the original lies in it's underachievements.
The Last Samurai (2003)
You know what you're getting
Luscious scenery and well choreographed fight scenes offset what is basically a predictable and derivative script.
The script is tailor made for Cruise in his "Disenchanted hero" role, a la "Top Gun" and... well pretty much every movie he's ever made. The ending is as predictable as it is cheesy.
Also an attempt to cash in on the popularity of sword battle movies from the last few years.
Still worth watching for performances from Ken Watanabe, Timothy Spall (who should be cast in more movies) and Japan itself, which turns in a splendid performance of perfect sunsets and verdant mountains.
Overall: 5 / 10
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Extremely disappointing
I am not a huge fan of Tarantino, but I have enjoyed some of his earlier works. However, one of my friends raved about this film so i was looking forward to it.
I have no problem with the lack of plot in the film. One of my favourite movie of all time is Battle Royale, which has even less plot. However, I do have a problem with the mixed genres.
While a fan of the genres that the movie is derived from, I felt the end result of the film is a jumbled mess. Massive blood sprays may look fine in anime, but in this movie it is distracting and unecessary.
Also, Uma Thurman is not an actor. She has one character that she plays in all her movies. Basically she always plays a pouty little b*tch. I don't know if she's like that in real life but I'd like to see her stretch herself. Even someone like Harrison Ford, who admits he is no actor, moved away from his typecast in "The Mosquito Coast".
Of course this is only my opinion, and I seem to be in the minority, but I really had to force myself to finish watching this one.
My rating: 3 / 10
Pinpon (2002)
Simple and touching
This was one of those movies that I really had to force myself to watch and ended up loving.
It's a story more about the nature of friendship than the actual sport of ping pong.
As with a lot of Japanese cinema, the movie takes a while to get moving, but don't let this deter you. The special effects are fantastic. Basically, I didn't even know there were special effects until I'd finished watching it.
There are a few laugh out loud moments, although some of the humour requires a knowledge of Japan. My favourite moment is the boy who doesn't want to play in the tournament because his opponent is Chinese.
While I should have found the ending schmaltzy, I actually found it quite touching. I have no hesitation in recommending this movie to anyone.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
From the Spielberg cookbook
"Recipe: Take a brace of good actors, a "SF" script and mix in about 500 pounds of sugar."
You end up with this overly sentimental rubbish from Spielberg, who appears to be trying to recreate E.T. for the special effects generation.
The acting is fine and there are good performances from Jude Law and Brendon Gleeson (in a small role). However, even this can't save the script from abject failure.
Also takes the title for the worst ending since "Mission to Mars." It's not even okay for small kids because of it's few violent scenes. I would have far preferred to see the Kubrik version.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The hype will die down
The conclusion to what has been a seriously overhyped trilogy. As of the time of writing, this movie was rated #4 in IMDB's top 250. However, I suspect that much of that rating is due to overexcited fanboys (I hate that word but couldn't think of a substitute), and the film will slip a considerable number of places in subsequent years.
Return of the King is probably the second best of the three films, surpassing the lackluster "Two Towers" but nowhere near as good as "The Fellowship". I enjoyed the first half of the film considerably and was prepared to accept it as a good final installment.
Unfortunately, like "The Two Towers", the film moves from the sublime to the ridiculous with the introduction of the battle scene.
I'm afraid I am not a fan of CG animation in live films. While the character of Gollum was well produced, the CG in the battles in lackluster and obvious. It is like being slapped in the face whenever it appears.
Even leaving out the CG however, the biggest insult I find is that the main characters have to do everything. This was a particular problem in "The Two Towers", where the three heroes held off a whole army of orcs, but it is also prevalent in the battle in this movie.
Sure, I've heard of suspension of disbelief, but it can only go so far.
Unlike most people, I didn't mind the long ending with Sam and Frodo but the film had already been ruined for me before that.
Pitch Black (2000)
Good action, just don't think too hard
This movie makes an above average action/horror flick or a below average sci fi movie. The cinematography is nicely done and there are some nice special effects, but the life cycle of the aliens is beyond ridiculous, and the timing would have to be an amazing coincidence. Watch it; it's entertaining, just don't think about it.