"Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" is the second movie of the original "Star Wars" trilogy, and the fifth overall.
The Rebellion's celebration of the destruction of the Death Star is short-lived. The Galactic Empire is pursuing them all over the galaxy...driven by Lord Darth Vader's obsession with finding Luke Skywalker. While hiding out on the polar planet Hoth, Luke has a vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi...who tells him to seek out the Jedi Master Yoda. While Luke travels to Dagobah to learn the ways of the Force, his friends have their hands full. Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO are being relentlessly chased by the Empire...and the Millenium Falcon keeps breaking down on them. Add a group of bounty hunters, a city in the clouds, and a shocking secret revealed...will this spell the end of the Rebellion?
Many (yours truly included) consider "Empire" to be the best of the original trilogy...and quite possibly the best of the entire series. This is a much darker tale than most of the rest of the saga (with the possible exception of "Revenge Of The Sith"). While there are some spectacular action sequences (the chase between four TIE Fighters and the Millenium Falcon through an asteroid field is especially thrilling), there are not as many as in some of the other movies of the series. You do, however, have the first exceptional lightsaber fight...between Darth Vader and Luke.
It is the interaction between the characters that truly makes this movie special. The banter between Han Solo and Leia is especially amusing...watching as their love/hate relationship continues to grow. Another great interaction takes place between Luke and Yoda...as we watch him attempting to become a Jedi Knight like his father before him.
The last half hour of this movie contains quite possibly the biggest shock in movie history. Even watching it for the eighty-fifth time...you still get chills.
For an awesome sci-fi classic...and the best of the "Star Wars" series..."Empire Strikes Back" is the one.
Starring - Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, and Frank Oz. Directed by Irvin Kershner.
Time - 2 hours, 7 minutes. Rated - PG (Sci-fi violence)
Monday, April 9, 2007
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Review - The Covenant
"The Covenant" is a horror/thriller, featuring a young cast of mostly unknown actors and actresses. It is based on a graphic novel by Aron Coleite and Tone Rodriquez.
Caleb, Pogue, Tyler, and Reid are best of friends...almost like brothers. They attend a well-to-do private school in New England, and seem to have it all. As a matter of fact...they not only seem to have it all, they may have more than others think. The four boys are descendants of four families who all survived the Salem witch hunts...and they have inherited incredible power. But when someone is using their power to haunt them...can they find out who...and more importantly...why?
This movie was a lot better than I thought it might have been. The plot is pretty simple...four teens with amazing powers suddenly find a problem in their otherwise perfect lives. For a cast of virtual unknowns, they turn in a surprisingly good performance. The four "Sons Of Ipswich" are especially entertaining. The special effects are good, but the movie doesn't completely rely on them to tell the whole story. And as is always the case in a story such as this...they leave the ending ripe for a sequel.
All in all, "The Covenant" is worth scaring up for a good time.
Starring - Steven Strait, Laura Ramsey, Sebastian Stan, Taylor Kitsch, and Chace Crawford. Directed by Renny Harlin.
Time - 1 hour, 37 minutes. Rated - PG-13 (Violence, disturbing images, partial nudity, language)
Caleb, Pogue, Tyler, and Reid are best of friends...almost like brothers. They attend a well-to-do private school in New England, and seem to have it all. As a matter of fact...they not only seem to have it all, they may have more than others think. The four boys are descendants of four families who all survived the Salem witch hunts...and they have inherited incredible power. But when someone is using their power to haunt them...can they find out who...and more importantly...why?
This movie was a lot better than I thought it might have been. The plot is pretty simple...four teens with amazing powers suddenly find a problem in their otherwise perfect lives. For a cast of virtual unknowns, they turn in a surprisingly good performance. The four "Sons Of Ipswich" are especially entertaining. The special effects are good, but the movie doesn't completely rely on them to tell the whole story. And as is always the case in a story such as this...they leave the ending ripe for a sequel.
All in all, "The Covenant" is worth scaring up for a good time.
Starring - Steven Strait, Laura Ramsey, Sebastian Stan, Taylor Kitsch, and Chace Crawford. Directed by Renny Harlin.
Time - 1 hour, 37 minutes. Rated - PG-13 (Violence, disturbing images, partial nudity, language)
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Review - Resident Evil
"Resident Evil" is a horror/action movie based on the popular video game series of the same title.
In the beginning of the movie, we are shown a top-secret lab facility. Someone has just stolen an experimental virus...but not before releasing a sample into the lab. Knowing the threat it represents, the computer system that monitors the lab locks it down and kills everyone inside. We then meet Alice...a young woman in a large mansion. The only problem is...Alice can't remember who she is or why she is there. Or why there are automatic weapons in her underwear drawer. When a mysterious stranger and a special forces unit show up...they take Alice with them into the Hive...but who will make it out alive?
Movies based on video games seem to run in the same circle as movies based on comic books. They are either spectacular (such as Mortal Kombat) or absolutely dreadful (Bloodrayne). Thankfully, "Resident Evil" ranks closer to spectacular. The action sequences are incredible and hard-hitting. One of the most entertaining parts of the movie is watching as Alice slowly remembers who she is...and more importantly, what she is. Her returning memory also gradually fills in holes in the plot...just at opportune moments, usually.
Loads of fun to watch and an entertaining entry of the horror/action genre..."Resident Evil" is a good play.
Starring - Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius, James Purefoy, and Colin Salmon. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.
Time - 1 hour, 40 minutes. Rated - R (Violence/gore, language, sexuality/nudity)
In the beginning of the movie, we are shown a top-secret lab facility. Someone has just stolen an experimental virus...but not before releasing a sample into the lab. Knowing the threat it represents, the computer system that monitors the lab locks it down and kills everyone inside. We then meet Alice...a young woman in a large mansion. The only problem is...Alice can't remember who she is or why she is there. Or why there are automatic weapons in her underwear drawer. When a mysterious stranger and a special forces unit show up...they take Alice with them into the Hive...but who will make it out alive?
Movies based on video games seem to run in the same circle as movies based on comic books. They are either spectacular (such as Mortal Kombat) or absolutely dreadful (Bloodrayne). Thankfully, "Resident Evil" ranks closer to spectacular. The action sequences are incredible and hard-hitting. One of the most entertaining parts of the movie is watching as Alice slowly remembers who she is...and more importantly, what she is. Her returning memory also gradually fills in holes in the plot...just at opportune moments, usually.
Loads of fun to watch and an entertaining entry of the horror/action genre..."Resident Evil" is a good play.
Starring - Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius, James Purefoy, and Colin Salmon. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.
Time - 1 hour, 40 minutes. Rated - R (Violence/gore, language, sexuality/nudity)
Review - Dawn Of The Dead (1978)
"Dawn Of The Dead" is the second in George A. Romero's "Living Dead" movies.
The zombie epidemic which started in "Night Of The Living Dead" has spread rapidly. Major cities are becoming graveyards...and unfortunately, the bodies are wandering around. A newspaper reporter, her helicopter pilot boyfriend, and two SWAT officers decide to take a news chopper and try to find somewhere less populated by ghouls. They take up residence inside a large shopping mall...close the place off and clean out the "inhabitants". But soon, their paradise is threatened by another source - a gang of all-too human looters.
While this one was in color (where the original "Living Dead" was black and white), this is still a pretty low-budget film. The special effects are pretty cheesy by today's standards. It is interesting to imagine what it would be like to live inside a shopping mall (a mall that includes a grocery store and a gun store...but hey, it is a movie).
It is also interesting to watch apparently how easily the world we know and love can unravel. These are people who had jobs, lives, friends...and now, their only instinct is survival. Romero also gives a sly commentary on our obsession with material possessions. The characters living inside the mall wear designer label clothing, expensive jewelry, and play poker with money they took from the bank inside the mall. One character becomes enraged when the looter gang breaks into "their" mall.
An excellent horror movie with a subtle social message...when there is no more room in Hell, the Dead will walk the earth. "Dawn Of The Dead" is an excellent sequel.
Starring - Ken Foree, David Emge, Gaylen Ross, Scott H. Reiniger and Tom Savini. Directed by George A. Romero.
Time - 2 hours, 6 minutes. Rated - R (Violence, language, horror gore)
The zombie epidemic which started in "Night Of The Living Dead" has spread rapidly. Major cities are becoming graveyards...and unfortunately, the bodies are wandering around. A newspaper reporter, her helicopter pilot boyfriend, and two SWAT officers decide to take a news chopper and try to find somewhere less populated by ghouls. They take up residence inside a large shopping mall...close the place off and clean out the "inhabitants". But soon, their paradise is threatened by another source - a gang of all-too human looters.
While this one was in color (where the original "Living Dead" was black and white), this is still a pretty low-budget film. The special effects are pretty cheesy by today's standards. It is interesting to imagine what it would be like to live inside a shopping mall (a mall that includes a grocery store and a gun store...but hey, it is a movie).
It is also interesting to watch apparently how easily the world we know and love can unravel. These are people who had jobs, lives, friends...and now, their only instinct is survival. Romero also gives a sly commentary on our obsession with material possessions. The characters living inside the mall wear designer label clothing, expensive jewelry, and play poker with money they took from the bank inside the mall. One character becomes enraged when the looter gang breaks into "their" mall.
An excellent horror movie with a subtle social message...when there is no more room in Hell, the Dead will walk the earth. "Dawn Of The Dead" is an excellent sequel.
Starring - Ken Foree, David Emge, Gaylen Ross, Scott H. Reiniger and Tom Savini. Directed by George A. Romero.
Time - 2 hours, 6 minutes. Rated - R (Violence, language, horror gore)
Review - The Toxic Avenger
"The Toxic Avenger" is probably the ultimate example of a B movie. It's a science-fiction/action movie, which has become a long-running series.
Melvin Junko is the prototypical nerd - a skinny janitor at a health club in Tromaville, New Jersey (the Toxic Waste Capital Of The World). Insulted and bullied, one day after a particularly cruel prank, he jumps out a window into a barrel of toxic waste. Melvin is transformed into The Toxic Avenger...a monstrous, hulking creature who sets out to clean up the town of all bad guys.
Oscar material, this ain't, folks. This is about as low-budget and low-brow as you are going to get. The best way I can adequately sum it up is...it's so bad, it's almost good. Almost. The majority of the movie is gore, topless women, and more gore.
If you watch this movie...about the main reason you're doing it is so you can say you did.
Starring - Andree Maranda, Mitch Cohen, Mark Torgl, Pat Ryan, and Jennifer Prichard. Directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz.
Time - 1 hour, 27 minutes. Rated - Unrated (Violence, language, nudity, adult situations)
Melvin Junko is the prototypical nerd - a skinny janitor at a health club in Tromaville, New Jersey (the Toxic Waste Capital Of The World). Insulted and bullied, one day after a particularly cruel prank, he jumps out a window into a barrel of toxic waste. Melvin is transformed into The Toxic Avenger...a monstrous, hulking creature who sets out to clean up the town of all bad guys.
Oscar material, this ain't, folks. This is about as low-budget and low-brow as you are going to get. The best way I can adequately sum it up is...it's so bad, it's almost good. Almost. The majority of the movie is gore, topless women, and more gore.
If you watch this movie...about the main reason you're doing it is so you can say you did.
Starring - Andree Maranda, Mitch Cohen, Mark Torgl, Pat Ryan, and Jennifer Prichard. Directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz.
Time - 1 hour, 27 minutes. Rated - Unrated (Violence, language, nudity, adult situations)
Review - A Knight's Tale
"A Knight's Tale" is a semi-historical action film, which takes medieval jousting and turns it into something between professional sports and a rock concert.
When his knight dies before a joust, young William does the unthinkable and takes his place. This is because only men of noble blood are allowed to joust...and William is most certainly not. However...he wins, and this encourages him to try to get better. With the aid of his fellow squires Roland and Wat, he begins to train and heads off to enter another tournament. On the way, they encounter a naked man wandering down the road. He introduces himself as Geoffrey Chaucer, and also informs them that the tournament requires proof of nobility...which he is adept at forging. With a new identity as "Sir Ulrich von Lichenstein of Gelderland", William quickly becomes the rising star of the jousting world. Along the way, he encounters an undefeated jouster, the heir to the throne of England, and an enchanting young lady. Can William realize his dream and become champion? Or will his past catch up to him?
Historical movies with jousts and sword fights are nothing new. Historical movies with jousts and sword fights set to songs such as Queen's "We Will Rock You" and BTO's "Taking Care Of Business" is something new. "Knight's Tale" tells its story with a sly wink...and the main reason it works is simply because it never takes itself too seriously. The jousting sequences are unbelievable...and the blows taken by the jousters will make you wince. The sub-plot involving William and Jocelyn is a little tedious...but not unbearable. And as with most sport-related movies, you can tell how this movie will end halfway through. But it is still a pretty entertaining film...provided you realize what you're sitting down to watch.
"A Knight's Tale"...ye shall truly enjoy it, if a good time is what ye seek.
Starring - Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany, and James Purefoy. Directed by Brian Helgeland.
Time - 2 hours, 12 minutes. Rated - PG-13 (Violence, brief nudity, mild language)
When his knight dies before a joust, young William does the unthinkable and takes his place. This is because only men of noble blood are allowed to joust...and William is most certainly not. However...he wins, and this encourages him to try to get better. With the aid of his fellow squires Roland and Wat, he begins to train and heads off to enter another tournament. On the way, they encounter a naked man wandering down the road. He introduces himself as Geoffrey Chaucer, and also informs them that the tournament requires proof of nobility...which he is adept at forging. With a new identity as "Sir Ulrich von Lichenstein of Gelderland", William quickly becomes the rising star of the jousting world. Along the way, he encounters an undefeated jouster, the heir to the throne of England, and an enchanting young lady. Can William realize his dream and become champion? Or will his past catch up to him?
Historical movies with jousts and sword fights are nothing new. Historical movies with jousts and sword fights set to songs such as Queen's "We Will Rock You" and BTO's "Taking Care Of Business" is something new. "Knight's Tale" tells its story with a sly wink...and the main reason it works is simply because it never takes itself too seriously. The jousting sequences are unbelievable...and the blows taken by the jousters will make you wince. The sub-plot involving William and Jocelyn is a little tedious...but not unbearable. And as with most sport-related movies, you can tell how this movie will end halfway through. But it is still a pretty entertaining film...provided you realize what you're sitting down to watch.
"A Knight's Tale"...ye shall truly enjoy it, if a good time is what ye seek.
Starring - Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany, and James Purefoy. Directed by Brian Helgeland.
Time - 2 hours, 12 minutes. Rated - PG-13 (Violence, brief nudity, mild language)
Review - Infamous
"Infamous" is a drama, based on the novel by George Plimpton called "Truman Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances, and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career".
The movie itself centers around Truman Capote, the well-known writer. Capote reads a small blurb in the newspaper about the gruesome murders of an entire small-town Kansas family. With the aid of fellow writer and longtime friend Nelle Harper Lee (the author of "To Kill A Mockingbird"), Capote travels to Kansas to uncover the story. At first, his bizarre big-city ways alienate him from the Midwestern crowd...but slowly, he works his way in. When the killers are caught, he goes to get their sides of the story. He has little trouble with young Dick Hickock...but enigmatic Perry Smith proves something of a challenge.
The movie itself is something of a historical drama. However, it also goes between segments where people from Capote's life (friends, lovers, fellow writers) discuss him. The movie didn't move along particularly well. Some of the parts seemed thrown in just for the heck of it. The section where Capote visited Perry Smith in prison seemed especially long, and some of the parts of it didn't seem to fit in to the overall story. There are some disturbing moments to this movie, including the execution of the Clutter family and a few unsettling moments in prison as well.
All in all, "Infamous" isn't a terrible movie. Slightly on the long side, and it does tend to drag at points. However, some terrific performances make it worth a look.
Starring - Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow, Daniel Craig, Jeff Daniels, and Peter Bogdanovich. Directed by Douglas McGrath.
Time - 1 hour, 50 minutes. Rated - R (Language, violence, sexuality)
The movie itself centers around Truman Capote, the well-known writer. Capote reads a small blurb in the newspaper about the gruesome murders of an entire small-town Kansas family. With the aid of fellow writer and longtime friend Nelle Harper Lee (the author of "To Kill A Mockingbird"), Capote travels to Kansas to uncover the story. At first, his bizarre big-city ways alienate him from the Midwestern crowd...but slowly, he works his way in. When the killers are caught, he goes to get their sides of the story. He has little trouble with young Dick Hickock...but enigmatic Perry Smith proves something of a challenge.
The movie itself is something of a historical drama. However, it also goes between segments where people from Capote's life (friends, lovers, fellow writers) discuss him. The movie didn't move along particularly well. Some of the parts seemed thrown in just for the heck of it. The section where Capote visited Perry Smith in prison seemed especially long, and some of the parts of it didn't seem to fit in to the overall story. There are some disturbing moments to this movie, including the execution of the Clutter family and a few unsettling moments in prison as well.
All in all, "Infamous" isn't a terrible movie. Slightly on the long side, and it does tend to drag at points. However, some terrific performances make it worth a look.
Starring - Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow, Daniel Craig, Jeff Daniels, and Peter Bogdanovich. Directed by Douglas McGrath.
Time - 1 hour, 50 minutes. Rated - R (Language, violence, sexuality)
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