The year is 2054. A technology has been developed, using a trio of specially gifted psychics (called precogs), to "see" a murder take place before it does. The pre-discovery system is known to be flawless, and people are incarcerated for "future murder". John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is a detective in the so-called Pre-Crime division of the Washington D.C. police department, and he whole-heartedly believes in this system... until the precogs see him committing a murder. The kicker: He's never even met the supposed victim. Anderton finds himself running for his life, both to avoid incarceration, and to prove his future innocence.
I really liked this movie, for a few reasons. First, there's the summer movie "given": Special effects aplenty. They work for this movie. Each of the gadgets seems to fit the world Steven Spielberg (director) is showing us. I was drawn into this world, and the 2 hour and 20 minute running time seemed to fly right by.
Another reason I liked this movie so much was the story. This was the type of movie that had such a potential to hurt my brain. It wasn't a "time travel" movie, but it did deal with temporal mechanics and try to argue whether or not the future is set in stone. The way the climax was set up seemed to be telling us that once the future is told, there's no changing it. And yet the movie followed through logically, and without the "ow" that usually accompanies temporal mechanics. Every aspect of the movie (at least on a first viewing) made perfect sense, and each new element presented locked another piece into the puzzle of how Anderton is supposed to kill a man he doesn't know.
Suspense was present, especially in three particular scenes. One, "the" climax, which I won't discuss. The second is what I consider the climax, again, which I won't discuss, but you'll know what I mean when you see it, and the third, after a delicate eye operation, after his team has sent mechanical "spiders" around to eye-scan everyone and confirm their identities. (He wasn't supposed to remove the bandages for 12 hours, and with the bandages on, the spiders couldn't scan him, so he hid. Some good tense moments in that sequence.)
Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, Minority Report is a solid science-fiction movie that also features Max Von Sydow as Lamar Burgess, the man who formed Pre-Crime, and Colin Farrell as Ed Witwer, who is set to take over Anderton's job once Anderton is apprehended.
This movie is rated PG-13 for violence, brief language, some sexuality and drug content.
SCORE: 8 -- Steven Spielberg has done it again by directing a wonderfully-woven story and blending in just the right amount of special effects, while still delivering a healthy dose of action and suspense. And, if anyone still swoons, Tom Cruise. What more could you possibly want in a movie? Recommended! Return to top
Summer 2001 kicked off with a special effects-laden sequel to a 1999 action blockbuster. The entire cast of characters returned for round 2, and a couple of additions were made. Brendan Fraser (Rick), Rachel Weisz (Evelyn), Oded Fehr (Ardeth Bey), Patricia Velasquez (Anck-su-namun), Arnold Vosloo (Imhotep), and John Hannah (Jonathan) all return from the original film. WWF's "The Rock" superstar Dwayne Johnson makes his film debut as the Scorpion King, and introducing Freddie Boath as the O'Connels' young son Alex.
Eight years have passed since the events of the first film (first being relative, of course). Rick and Evelyn have gotten married, had a son, and now the three tour the world as an archaeological family. Unfortunately for them (and fortunately for us, the audience), events are transpiring that will bring the evil Imhotep to life once more. And this time, he will command the army of Annubis and destroy mankind.
The O'Connells are again swept up in the legend as they race against time to not only stop Imhotep and the Scorpion King, but also to save the life of their son who has unwittingly set some of the events into motion.
Some pros: Action, action, action! From opening to end there is lots of action. Freddie Boath as Alex was cute and funny, spouting off one-liners and always getting the better of the bad guys around him. Of course, Alex gets the funny from Papa Rick, who has a ton of wise-cracks of his own. It's his way of dealing with the stress of having to go up against villains who have been dead for thousands of years. The story portion was pretty good, too.
Some cons: While The Mummy seemed to be a somewhat character-focused piece, this film seems to leave the characters behind, focusing instead on the special effects. While the story was engaging, that same lack of characterization made the story superficial. Also, the revelation about Rick and Evelyn's pasts was amazingly contrived and incredibly convenient for the resolution. Some of the effects looked like effects, and kept me from being as drawn in as I was for the first. The CGI Scorpion King at the end just didn't work.
Despite all the cons, the pros outweighed them considerably. The action alone made me love the heck out of this movie. Also, when the effects worked, they really worked. The Mummy Returns is just one cool movie.
It sets us up for one heck of a Summer season.
This movie is rated PG-13 for action/adventure violence.
SCORE: 8 A fun sequel to a fun movie, Mummy Returns is action-packed, with lots of humor thrown in. In spite of some quibbles I had, I think fans of the 1999 movie will enjoy this one just as much, if not more. Recommended!
Well, Mulan is out now, and I would like to go on record: I'm sorry, Disney, for ever doubting you. This movie is why I go to see animated movies.
Quick breakdown of the story: Mulan is under pressure to bring honor to her family by getting married and being the best little wifey she can be. However, anything she does backfires. When the Emperor demands that one man from every family join the army against the Huns, her father falls under the obligation, as there are no sons to go in his stead. She knows that her father would not survive -- he had been injured in the last warm -- and disguises herself as a man to take his place. Her family discovers she is gone (and that her father's armor is also missing) and asks their ancestors to protect her. Enter Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy) the little dragon. He provides much of the comic relief, as does the little cricket Mulan was given by her grandmother for "luck". So under the guise of Ping, Mulan reports to basic training. The rest, you'll have to see for yourself -- really.
Murphy, as well as the rest of the cast (including B.D. Wong as the captain) do a splendid job in this funny, enjoyable, and even a little lesson-evoking, movie. Besides the music (which is always good when Disney's involved), one thing I liked about Mulan was that love was not a major story element. Sure, she felt attracted to the captain, and at the end he felt that way toward her, but unlike Hunchback, Aladdin, Cinderella, and most of the others, it wasn't overpoweringly present. It was just there. The plot didn't revolve around, "Oh, will they fall in love and live happily ever after?" It was more "They like each other. WOW! Look at that avalanche!"
Also well done was that the moral of the story wasn't pounded into us a hundred times, as it was in Aladdin and Little Mermaid. The moral of "follow your heart" (my interpretation, of course) was taught through Mulan's actions. Not by the Genie's advice to Aladdin or Sebastian's song to Ariel. Mulan had to find what was right for herself, and she couldn't do it by being bound to tradition. I really liked that.
Murphy -- well, what can I say? He's hilarious. He gets Mulan into much trouble during training with his incessant prattling, but in him she has a good friend.
Animators did a splendiferous job (yes, I know I've used that word before. Sue me!), especially the CGI people. The computer animated people were less obvious this time than they were in Hunchback, which offered a more consistent look to the film.
Was there a drawback to the movie? No, not really. However, as much as I liked it, the story itself was not particularly my cup of tea. Still, it's not a movie you'll soon forget.
This movie is rated G despite its violence. Appropriate for all audiences.
SCORE: 9 Disney continues its tradition of high quality movies with a lesson. They chose well when they cast it, and they pulled it off nicely. However, it failed to de-throne The Lion King as my all-time favorite. I will be buying it when it comes to video. Highly, highly recommended! Return to top
If you like Alien invasion comedy action thrillers, you're gonna love this movie. Me, I like Alien invasion comedy action thrillers. If you like Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones, you'll love this movie. Me, I like Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. If you're interested in a good time, pick up Men in Black.
Smith plays an NYPD officer who finds himself in over his head when he tries to arrest a suspect who isn't quite what he appears to be. (The twin eyelids were only the second clue.) Suddenly he finds himself auditioning for a "new strike force", thanks to Agent K (Jones).
Agent J is born. Now he's battling aliens and completely baffled by how widespread the alien influence is (not all aliens are bad, you see...). K's explanation is a little rod which produces a memory-wiping effect when its camera flash is activated. Any new memory can be suggested in the moments of disorientation that follows, and the subject will believe it.
Another useful tool in their crusade is the "scandal sheets"... tabloids like Weekly World News and Sun, who are constantly printing stuff about aliens and supernatural occurances.
So what's the plot? The Galaxy. A big bug of an alien wants it and goes as far as assassinating the leader of a rival world to get it. Then members of the owning world are orbiting the earth and they want it, or they'll destroy the planet. Tough spot to be in.
Smith and Jones (heh... I still can't get over that!) were born to play opposite one another. Both have a natural charisma that draws an audience into their roles (I first noticed Smith's in Bad Boys, and Jones's in The Fugitive). It was only a matter of time before they teamed up.
Linda Fiorentino is Dr Laurel Weaver, one part love interest for Smith, one part innocent bystander drawn into the entire alien agenda. (She seems to keep autopsying the dead aliens.) I was impressed by her performance, right down to the Faye Wray impersonation at the end. Heh.
All in all, this is a great movie. Awesome special effects, great story and dialogue, top-notch actors! What more can you want?
This movie is rated PG-13 for language and violence. Not appropriate for young children.
SCORE: 8 Laugh your head off at the humor, this movie is funny! Smith and Jones are superb, as are Fiorentino and even Rip Torn (as Zed). Slow to start the "central" story, but you may not really notice that through the laughter. Highly recommended! Return to top
The premise: A 9-year-old autistic boy named Simon (Zeus and Roxanne's Miko Hughes) cracks the Government's top-secret encryption code and becomes the target of the NSA's (National Security Administration) top guy (The Juror's Alec Baldwin). A rogue FBI agent (The Fifth Element's Bruce Willis) gets caught up in this tangled web of conspiracy and vows to protect the child. Pretty spiffy, eh?
Based on the novel Simple Simon, by Ryne Douglas Pearson, Rising (Name changed to make it sound more exciting, perhaps?) takes us on a wild ride through the streets of Chicago, being chased by government agents who are out to kill us, being able to turn only to our good friend in the Bureau -- and even he doesn't believe us.
In addition to these problems, we have our little friend Simon who doesn't trust us because (in his own words) "Art is a stranger." Every time we try to save his life, he kicks, screams, and yells (remember, he's autistic). So while we're dodging bullets, we're also trying to break through his shell to get him to understand that we're his friend. He doesn't realize that his parents have been killed by the NSA, or that our lives are in danger every time we round a corner. And why are our lives in danger? Like I said: Simon likes puzzles, and inadvertantly cracked a supposedly uncrackable code (and they call it Mercury).
I really enjoyed this movie. I was drawn into it, scared half to death by it, held my breath through much of it. Cheered, gasped... you name it, I probably did it. A combination of Eraser (Jeffries trying to protect the "witness" Simon), Conspiracy Theory (Uncovering the plot, and only one woman believes him), and Die Hard (Willis is quick to shoot and even strikes his Die Hard pose at the end), it keeps you guessing while the suspense builds.
Baldwin's character Kudrow, for his evil methods, is a kinda sorta sympathetic character, though not really. Mercury was created to protect the identities of thousands of "undercover agents" (for lack of a better term) serving in all kinds of global positions. If one person can crack the code, then that person could be used to compromise those identities. Hence, the child must be killed. A nice load of poppycock, and fortunately Jefferies doesn't buy it.
I did have a problem with the backstory on Jefferies. He's haunted by a recent botch-job of a hostage situation and taking some kind of pills to "dowse" the memory. A line or two by the best friend ("I thought you were through taking those.") hinted that he'd been hooked for awhile, but it was not explored. Also, the way Jefferies refused to let Simon out of his sight hinted at another possible aspect of his life (such as the loss of his own child), but nothing was ever said on that either. I would have liked to know why Jefferies felt so compelled to be Simon's protector when Simon didn't even trust him.
Still, Willis's portrayal of this agent was right on-target, and Hughes (who's grown up on the screen) continues his tradition of solid performance. The writing could have been a little better -- the audience is assumed to know what autism is and how it affects people, and the script dishes out some untrue stereotypes about autistic children -- but the end result is still a worthy view.
This film is rated R for language, violence, and heart-stopping suspense. Appropriate for mature audiences
SCORE: 7.5 Full of action, suspense, and good performances, this movie is sure to thrill, or at least entertain. The climax leaves a little to be desired (though only a little), but the suspense builds quite nicely throughout. Highly Recommended!