Movies beginning with the letter "L"

Liar Liar
The Lion King
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Lost in Space
The Lost World: Jurassic Park

WARNING:Proceeding beyond this point means you're willing to look at all of the reviews in NO particular order... if you wish to see them alphabetically, I suggest you return to the top of the page and click on the movies you wish reviewed...

Lion King II:
Simba's Pride

Could it be possible? A Direct-to-video Disney sequel that doesn't suck?? One with the action, comedy, and characters that made the original so great?

Mmmm... could be.

Skar is dead. His would-be followers, including his "consort" Zira, have been banished from the Pridelands by King Simba. However, Zira is hatching a plot to re-take the throne from Simba... it involves her "son", Kovu -- Skar's Chosen One.

The mission: Zira's other children sabotage the first hunting mission of Kiara (Simba's daughter) by setting fire to the fields around her... Kovu then "saves" her, thus gaining favor in the eyes of Kiara and Nala (You remember her from the first movie, right?) and infiltrating the enemy camp. Once there, he is to gain Simba's trust and then kill him.

All does not go according to plan. Kovu falls in love with Kiara and comes to like Simba as well. He wishes them no harm. When word reaches Zira about this, she is outraged and wages war on the Pridelands.

Historically (well, from my viewpoint), Disney's d-t-v sequels are awful! They contain maybe one or two of the "original" voices, the animation is substandard, and the music sound like it should be piped into an elevator's speaker system. Surprisingly, Lion King II is the exception. Most of the originals are back for this one (including Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, and Robert Guillaume) -- so many, in fact, that Rowan Atkinson's absence sticks out like a sore thumb.

The music is equally surprising. The first song, "He Lives In You" (which is from The Lion King's companion CD Rhythm of the Pride Lands, and not LK2's soundtrack), is a superb into, comprable to "Circle of Life" in its aptness. While I admit that the characters seem to break into song every 5 minutes, the music is really not that bad. (I particularly enjoyed "We Are One", which Simba sings to Kiara.)

Neve Campbell (*gasp*) and Jason Marsden, while an on-screen couple I never thought I'd see, voice Kiara and Kovu wonderfully. All of the characterizations are good, in fact -- with the exception of Zazu (Why couldn't Rowan do it??). Pumbaa and Timon again provide sorely needed comic relief, though the jokes seemed somewhat tired this time around. This didn't stop me from laughing, though.

Animation: Again, not up to par with the theatrical Disney, but still much better than the other sequels. (Return of Jafar seemed like it belonged on Nickelodeon!) My main complaint here was that the fire looked computer generated -- it was, but it still shouldn't LOOK it.

All in all, if you liked The Lion King, you should enjoy this one as well. It doesn't even come close to matching the original, but it does make one valiant effort indeed.

This movie is Rated G, despite its violent content.

SCORE: 7 Much better than typical Disney sequels, story-wise, animation-wise, and music-wise. Still, it was one that didn't really need to be made, and that brought the judgement down a bit. Nice vocals, with most of the originals returning (even Mouphasa was voiced by James Earl Jones!). Recommended, even for Lion King fans.Return to top

Lost in Space

Warning! Warning! This movie is not like the campy series of the 1960s! Danger! This film is full of neat special effects and lots of cool explosions! My sensors indicate, however that it's a little thin on plot!
(Hee hee.)
Okay, seriously, now... It is a time of dire emergency. The recycling programs of today don't work, and earth is soon to be incapable of supporting life. The government is working on an exodus program, but must first build hypergates. They've already started constructing the earth half, but one must also be built at Alpha Prime. In come the Robinsons, the father of whom is in charge of this program. They are about to embark upon a ten-year journey to Alpha Prime, spending the journey in a cryogenic sleep.
Bad news... there's a radical group who want to be the first to colonize Alpha Prime. They stage an attack to destroy the work on the Hypergate, and when that fails, they hire Doctor Smith (Gary Oldman) to sabotage the Robinsons' ship, Jupiter II.
16 hours into the trip (after everyone is tucked away in their cryo-tubes), the Robot on the ship attacks, destroying system after system, waking the Robinsons from their slumber. Genius Will (newcomer Jack Johnson) manages to usurp control of the robot and send it back to the robotics lab, but the damage is already done... and they find themselves hurtling toward the sun. How to escape? Use the hyperdrive. Only one problem with this: If you use the hyperdrive without a hyperGATE, there's no telling where you'll end up. Get the title yet?
As I stated, there really isn't a whole lot of plot here. They go from adventure to semi-connected adventure, and the only underlying theme is the desire to go home. The foundation story (what I've already described) is solid and makes their plight plausible, but as I watched the film I felt it was disjointed and somewhat incoherent. I wanted... well, I don't know what I wanted, but whatever it was, I didn't really get it.
Lost in Space is still a really good movie, though, because of the characters, who were totally re-developed for the non-Leave it to Beaver remake. William Hurt plays the father, a moody and obsessive scientist whose time with his family in the last couple of years can be counted on one finger. Mimi Rogers is the mother. Trying to keep her family together, she's not afraid to tell Hurt how she feels and point out exactly what the problems are. Matt LeBlanc does a surprisingly good turn as the libido-enhanced Don West. Heather Graham is Judy, who has followed in her father's footsteps, right down to the moody and obsessed part. Party of Five's Lacy Chabert is Penny. She's against the trip from the beginning. She feels that her parents are ripping her away from her life and that there's no point to saving a world she won't even know in ten years. And then we have Will, who just wants his father to notice him... maybe be a little proud of what his son can do. Of course, without Oldman's Smith, there's no evil genius. No manipulative villain to make the lives of our heroes a living heck.
One note on the movie that I didn't particularly care for was the little creature that they found on a derelict vessel. Penny ended up adopting the little thing, but the computer-generated animal was cartoony and never quite fit the look of the movie. He/It never served any purpose, and could have been eliminated from the script, and we would have never missed it. Yes, it's a cute little thing (in its way), but unnecessary.
And, as you probably suspected, they left it wide open for a sequel. I just hope they make that sequel and that the characters remain true to form in the sequel. (It was a Catch-22 for the makers. Bring them home and look contrived and short-sighted, or leave it open for more movies and look like you're in it for the money.)
At any rate, it was a breathtaking spectacle that I wouldn't mind seeing again.

This movie is rated PG-13 for violence and language, as well as scenes of suspense. Not appropriate for young children.

SCORE: 8 Breathtaking effects and great characters add with suspense to bring a quite plot-less story up to a watchable level. The actors do a fabulous job of bringing their re-written characters to life, and what little connection there is in the film is brought about subtlely, which I found great! Highly Recommended! Return to top

Lost World: Jurassic Park

If you've read my review of the first Jurassic Park, you know that it's my favorite movie. So you can imagine that my expectations for a sequel would be pretty high -- even higher, as it is my opinion that JP did not need a sequel.
Lost World takes up four years after the first movie. Ian Malcolm (played again by Jeff Goldblum) is summoned by Hammond (Richard Attenborough, in one of three cameos by other original cast members) for a mission to observe a second island. It seems that the dinosaurs were bred on this one and then transported to the park from the original film.
Malcolm refuses the offer, until he learns that one of the team members he's to be working with is his girlfriend -- and she's already there. It becomes a rescue mission for him, and soon he's on the island, to discover that his daughter snuck along for the ride. As if things weren't bad enough, Hammond's nephew, who has taken control of InGen (Hammond's company), is leading another team to capture the animals to make a Jurassic Park in San Diego.
So... did Lost World meet my expectations? No. I was pleased by the cameos at the beginning (the other two were Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello as Lex and Tim), but sorely missed the other players (Sam Niell as Grant and Laura Dern as Satler). I also rather resented the fact that this movie made many aspects of the first movie a "lie". If, as Hammond stated, the animals were bred at Site B, why did they have that genetics lab at Site A? Another thing that bugged me was T-Rex's "acute" sense of smell -- when Grant and Lex were practically up a dino's nose in the first, and remained undetected.
Did I hate it? No. The suspense from the first movie was there. I wanted to hide behind my seat in the theater. I cringed. I nearly screamed. It was a wild, fun, ride. Unfortunately, it was almost a re-telling of the first film with different characters. Once again, it was a "dinos vs man -- let's race to get off the island" movie.
To their credit, the stars of the film were very good. Julianne Moore as Sarah was an excellent compliment (and at times contrast) to Goldblum's Malcolm. Vanessa Lee Chester did a good job as the "token kid" of the movie (that would be Ian's daughter), though she didn't have as much to do in this film as the kids did in the first. (One good note on her character was the gymnastics skill she showed in distracting the Raptors in the shack.) And, of course, the dinosaurs were monstrous works of computer-generated art.
Perhaps what bothered me most about this movie was its greed factor. Jurassic Park made a ton of money for Spielberg, Universal, and whoever else... Then Michael Crichton (who wrote the book) came out with The Lost World -- for the sole purpose of basing a sequel movie on it (and very very loosely!)... WHY? The story had been told. To me, they just cheapened the franchise with a sequel.
I just hope they don't try to make Jurassic Park III...

This movie is rated PG-13 for violence and language.

SCORE: 6 Again, a well-told suspense-filled movie, but one that didn't need to be made. Full of plot holes (when viewed as a continuation of the first film) and contradictions. The cast and effects crew did some magnificent work, but in the end it wasn't enough to satisfy me. It's a good movie... but not recommended. Return to top

The Lion King

         I like Disney movies. I always have. Movies such as Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and others too numerous to mention, have been viewed and muchly enjoyed by my entire family. Guess which is my all-time favorite... You guessed right!
         From the opening song (which I'd heard before other movies at least five times prior to The Lion King's release) to Simba's fight to the finish with the evil Skar, this movie thrills, delights, and downright entertains.
         Simba (voiced by a young Jonathan Taylor Thomas) hasn't quite figured out what it means to be king. His father Mouphasa (Darth Vader himself-- James Earl Jones) is trying to teach him, but he just doesn't get it. Simba thinks it's all about being brave and doing what you want, but Mouphasa knows it's much more than that. That's on the one front.
         Meanwhile, Skar (Jeremy Irons) is plotting to take the throne from his brother. To do that, he forms an alliance with the hyenas (two of which are voiced by Cheech Marin and Whoopi Goldberg [Yay!]). The plan is to cause a stampede, trap Simba in the stampede, and when Mouphasa tries to rescue the cub, stop them both from escaping.
         It half works. Mouphasa is killed in the stampede, and Skar convinces Simba it's his fault. "Run away," he tells the cub. "Run far away, and never return." So Simba does just that. It's in the desert where he meets up with Pumbaa and Timon (the latter done by Nathan Lane), a warthog and (weasel?) another critter whose philosophy is "Hakuna Matata"-- No worries. Simba grows up (voiced now by Matthew Broderick) with this philosophy, and when he meets his childhood sweetheart Nala, he refuses to return to Pride Rock, despite the fact that Skar has taken over as king and ravaged the land.
         Why do I like this one so much? The music. Whoopi. The comedy. The excitement. Whoopi. The thrills and chills. Whoopi. There is just so much to like about this movie (Whoopi) that it's impossible not to like it! It's interesting to note that Rowan Atkinson (Bean) does an amusing turn as Zazu, Mouphasa's bird best friend and advisor, and Robert Guillaume (Please correct my spelling) gives a few good lines as the "medicine monkey" Rafiki.
         If you're one of the three people who have still not seen this excellent movie, you really are missing out.

This movie is rated G, though I don't know how. There are scenes of violence and more than one death, as well as a suggestive scene between Simba and Nala. During "Be Prepared", I heard some small children crying in the theater, they were so scared, but I don't think that will be a problem on the video, as the theater was dark. You can turn lights on watching the video. The MPAA says it's appropriate for all audiences, but I'd use judgement.

SCORE: 10 As perfect as any Disney movie can be. Despite the few oopsies I noticed in the MPAA rating, that did not detract from my enjoyment of the film. You have to see this movie!! Recommended infinity. I'll keep bugging you till you tell me you saw it! Return to top

Liar Liar

         It's a well-known fact that any movie Jim Carrey makes is gonna be pretty high up on my personal "to see" list, if only because Carrey is my personal idol. Still, some of his films are funnier than others. Ace Ventura, Pet Detecive, for example, was excellent, while its sequel, When Nature Calls, left me a tad dry. I loved his appearance in Batman Forever, though The Cable Guy was less than terrific. Lay all of your fears aside, though... Liar Liar is the best Jim Carrey movie ever.
         Fletcher Reede (Carrey) is an attorney. An unscrupulous one, in fact, known for "stretching" the truth to the point of breaking it and tossing out the window entirely. Having gone through a divorce, Reede is left with a son about to turn five. Max, played by Justin Cooper, idolizes his father (much in the same way I idolize Carrey), and would give anything to just spend time with him. The ex-wife Audrey (a stunning job by Maura Tierney) tolerates Fletcher because she knows how much Max loves him and vice versa.
         Things reach a sort of breaking point as Reede's job interferes yet again with visitation with his son. At his birthday party the following evening, at 8:15, Max makes a wish. "I wish that for one day, Dad couldn't tell a lie." And the wish, miraculously, comes true.
         The sudden compulsion to tell the truth gets in the way of a case worth "truckloads of money". Jennifer Tilly is the client that Carrey is trying to save from a bitter divorce that will leave her with nothing. Unfortunately, to win the case, he must lie. Do you see the problem? < grin >
         Havoc ensues as Reede struggles with his inability to lie while still trying to win the court battle based on a prenuptial agreement involving adultery. He even goes so far as beating himself up to get a continuance, which would have worked had the judge not asked if he could continue.
         It just occurred to me how involved the plot really is in Liar Liar. While Fletcher is fighting for victory in the court room, Audrey's new boyfriend Jerry (Cary Elwes of Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Twister), who is moving to Boston, asks her and Max to come with him. Since Fletcher is such a liar and a bad father, she reluctantly agrees. "I'm taking him where you can't do this to him anymore," she tells Fletcher at one point.
         From the first scene, where Max tells his teacher that his mother is a teacher and his dad's a liar, I was hooked. Much of this is typical Carrey-ism, from his reaction to his lies to the way he talks to his screen son. However, I feel the need to point out that my best friend despises Carrey. I dragged her, kicking and screaming (Okay, she asked me to go with her), to see it. I was shocked, stunned, and surprised to find that she laughed just as hard as I did throughout the entire movie. That has to say something good about it.
         Swoozie Kurtz turned in a good performance as the other attorney in the case, though I was a bit surprised by her appearance in a Jim Carrey movie. I've always found her to be so serious that I wouldn't have thought she could bear to work with Jim, but she pulled through it relatively unscathed. In fact, the outtakes shown during the closing credits proved she has just as much a sense of humor as any other comedic actor. Impressive...

This movie is rated PG-13 for strong language and adult themes. Recommended even for non-Carrey fans, though not appropriate for younger children.

SCORE: 9 Over-the-top Carrey has always been a plus in my book. Still, with the serious and sappy moments, it proves he's a very versatile guy, despite what "insiders" would have you believe. Justin Cooper and Maura Tierney throw in some much needed family values. Tilley and Kurtz were also good in their roles. What brought the score down to a Nine, though, was Elwes's character. "Magoo", I believe Fletcher put it. I was embarrassed for him when Jerry tried to imitate "The Claw", a game Reede always played with Max. It was awful! Still, Carrey had so much screen time that he completely stole the show-- as usual.

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