Topic: Riches Random Reviews

[richierich]

Spy Kids 2 - Island of Lost dreams



The coolest SPYkids anywhere are back for a huge new adventure! This time, Carmen and Juni are on a mission to recover a device that threatens the entire world! They enlist the skills of Mom and Dad (Carla Gugino and Antonio Banderas) - and even their SPY grandparents (Holland Taylor and Ricardo Montalban) - in a thrilling show of family teamwork! With even more cool gadgets, imaginative creatures and awesome special effects...it's nonstop high-tech adventure for everyone!

Rarely does a sequel meet expectations after a good first film, but the 2nd instalment of spy kids actually surpasses the original. With the most bizarre gadgets, imaginative scenarios - from a fantastic amusement park at the beginning, sword fight with skeletons, and to the mini zoos and morphed animals nearer the finale. The special effects are better portrayed on film than the 1st, and again it is spot the star as cameos regularly pop up in minor roles during the movie. The acting bearing in mind 3/4 of the time is being done by children is not too trashy.
Visually pleasing and entertaining.
 

**Carla Gugino mini-marathon

[richierich]

Spy Kids 3



The Spy Kids are back again! This time, their trademark action is combined with the very latest digital technology and the thrill of the 3-D experience to deliver a motion picture event that pushes family fun to the next level! Secret agents Juni (Daryl Sabara) and Carmen Cortez (Alexa Vega) set out on their most mind-blowing mission yet: a journey inside the virtual reality world of a 3-D video game where awe-inspiring graphics and creatures come dangerously to life! As they face escalating challenges through increasingly difficult levels of the game, the Spy Kids must rely on humor, high-tech gadgets and the bonds of family in order to stop a power-hungry villain (Sylvester Stallone) set on controlling the youth of the world! Also starring favorites Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino and Ricardo Montalban in an incredible all-star cast!

Oh dear, I lost the 3d glasses and our regular sets also missing  
Thought I could watch the film without them but oh no, it is regularly just a hazy blur.
Gave up!

**Carla Gugino mini-marathon

[richierich]

Singing Detective



Oscar® nominee† Robert Downey Jr. "gives the performance of his career"* in this acclaimed, all-star movie that weaves sly comedy, suspenseful film noir and spirited musical numbers into one of the most original productions in years.
When it comes to murder, seduction and betrayal, pulp-fiction author Dan Dark (Downey) wrote the book. But now, he's living it. Languishing in a hospital room with an immobilizing condition, Dark has lost himself in the fictional world of his alter ego, a hardboiled detective and dance-band singer living in 1950s Los Angeles. As Dark's grasp on reality continues to slip, he's placed under the care of an enigmatic psychiatrist (Oscar® winner†† Mel Gibson). Together, they plunge into the mystery of Dark's psyche, where everyone is suspect and danger waits at every turn.
Co-starring Robin Wright Penn, Jeremy Northam, Katie Holmes, Carla Gugino and Oscar® winner Adrien Brody**, 'The Singing Detective' hits all the right notes.

The switch of backdrop from UK to USA, the reduced running time, the lack of Michael Gambon in the lead, all diminished this movie in comparison to the brilliant original BBC series.
However with Potter having written this simpler screenplay, and if you had not watched the original, this movie is not bad and would stand alone as an interesting piece directed by Gibson. Downey does his best in the lead, but never seems to manage to portray the pain, desperation and psychologically damaged mind that the disease has brought Dan Dark.
Gibson (with amazing makeup) does a great job as the psychiatrist, and a solid supporting cast do their best with a tricky storyline. A big downer for me was the music, which for some reason had been switched to the 50's and didn't work?
Moving, dark and comic all rolled into one.
 

**Carla Gugino mini-marathon

[goodguy]

Singing Detective

...Based on Dennis Potter's stunningly brilliant 1986 mini-series of the same name...

While this US version is surprisingly good, you need to watch the original 6hour mini-series!! "Stunningly brilliant" doesn't even begin to cover it.

EDITh:
Sorry, if I'm preaching to the choir. Since you are from the UK, chances are somewhat better that you already have.

[richierich]

Singing Detective

...Based on Dennis Potter's stunningly brilliant 1986 mini-series of the same name...

While this US version is surprisingly good, you need to watch the original 6hour mini-series!! "Stunningly brilliant" doesn't even begin to cover it.

EDITh:
Sorry, if I'm preaching to the choir. Since you are from the UK, chances are somewhat better that you already have.

lol - you are preaching to the choir.   
As per my review, I was pleasantly surprised with the adaptation, but of course not a patch on the original tv series, which i must try and source on dvd as I'd like to watch it again one day

[richierich]

Girl, Interrupted



Two time Oscar®-nominee Winona Ryder stars in the fascinating true story of a young woman's life-altering stay at a famous psychiatric hospital in the turbulent late 1960s.
Questionably diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, Susanna (WINONA RYDER) rebels against the head nurse (WHOOPI GOLDBERG) and top psychiatrist (VANESSA REDGRAVE), choosing instead to befriend the resident "loonies" – a group of troubled women including the seductively charismatic sociopath Lisa (ANGELINA JOLIE).
But Susanna quickly learns if she wants her freedom, she'll have to face the person who terrifies her most of all: herself.

A substandard cuckoos nest, with women.
Great acting by Ryder, Jolie and Murphy kept me interested in a film which was at times quite difficult to relate to. Despite the setting, subject matter and a few harrowing moments, this true story is surprisingly uplifting, detailing a number of friendships and a young womans journey into understanding her position in life.
The film provides a believable insight into a mental institution and is very thought provoking, Jolies performance alone is worth the cost of the dvd.
 

**Angelina Jolie mini-marathon

[Achim]

Oh dear, I lost the 3d glasses and our regular sets also missing 
Thought I could watch the film without them but oh no, it is regularly just a hazy blur.
Gave up!

The US release had the entire film in 2-D as well. Guess that would have come in handy for you; watching 3-D without glasses for 30min or more does sound like a painful experience.

[addicted2dvd]

What really sucks is that if something is ONLY in 3-D I can't go see it/buy it. I am blind in one eye... so the 3-D glasses don't work for me anyway. Talk about sucking... I only got to see 1 movie in 3-D in all my life before I went blind in 1 eye (due to an eye injury). 

[richierich]

Beyond Borders



A pampered life in London collides with the stark realities of poverty and hunger in the world's most dangerous hot spots in 'Beyond Borders', a sweeping romantic adventure starring Academy Award®-winner ANGELINA JOLIE* ('Lara Croft Tomb Raider').
While attending a fundraising gala, Sarah Jordan (Jolie), a naïve, married American socialite living in England, witnesses a fiery plea delivered by an intruder – a renegade humanitarian, Dr. Nick Callahan (CLIVE OWEN, 'Croupier'). His plea, made on behalf of impoverished children under his care, turns Sarah's life upside down. Attracted to Nick and his cause, she impulsively abandons her sheltered life in England to work along side him in his effort to aid the refugee camps.
As Sarah's work takes her to these volatile areas, where few people have traveled and even fewer have survived, she discovers that the harsh realities she encounters – and her growing attraction to the charismatic, unpredictable doctor – ignite in her a passion for saving lives...while risking her own in the process.

Despite a very good performance from Jolie and Owen, and a story about aid workers and refugees which surely must be told, there was something missing, perhaps it just didn't gel too well together? Or perhaps it was the voyeuristic feel the viewer has, watching what must be genuine starving Africans in the name of entertainment?
I felt rather guilty after watching this, wondering how much of the box office returns or the Hollywood stars income was ploughed back into countries like Ethiopia or Somalia? And the faked settings in some instances were just too obvious, spoiling the feel of the movie. At times it even felt like this was a political statement and it was being forced down your throat as opposed to us being able to determine an opinion.
Worthy subject, poorly delivered.
 

**Angelina Jolie mini-marathon

[richierich]

Cyborg 2


 
In the year 2074, a cyborg manufacturing company schemes to stop their main competitor by booby-trapping a gorgeous female cyborg with explosives designed to destroy everything in sight. After she discovers their intentions, she teams with a human to stop the nefarious plot. Jack Palance, Elias Koteas and Angelina Jolie star.

Disappointing sci-fi, completely unbelievable scenario and backdrop to the movie, the film unfortunately plodded on with little to save its fate.
The chemistry between the 2 leads was invisible, and only Jack Palance could walk away with any credit. Some of the special effects were interesting, and the fight scenes would prove brutal enough to be watchable, but besides this I struggle to find a positive to note.
An awful sequel, which made the pretty dire first film seem good.
 

**Angelina Jolie mini-marathon

[richierich]

Beowulf



From Academy Award®-winning director Robert Zemeckis* comes a visionary and critically acclaimed adventure unlike anything you have ever seen before! Zemeckis' masterful use of digitally enhanced live-action transports you to a world beyond imagination and brings the fierce battlegrounds of an ancient time to breathtaking life. Featuring incredible footage not seen in theaters and starring Oscar® winners Anthony Hopkins** and Angelina Jolie***, along with Ray Winstone, Robin Wright Penn and John Malkovich, the Beowulf Director's Cut is groundbreaking filmmaking of epic proportions.

Truly amazing feat of ingenuity and animated visual bliss, sadly let down by a fairly average storyline and a pointlessly high volume of gore and bloodletting. I wish I had seen it in its original 3d, but even in 2d it was still stunning, somewhat like a pc game in extreme.
The film felt padded out, the last half an hour was pointlessly long and the tale had been told way before. The characters in general were rather shallow, and I would have liked to learn more of the original story of Beowulf and Grendel. Perhaps too much emphasis was paid to the technology as opposed to the storyline of a movie.
Did anyone else think Beowulf looked like Sean Bean, and not Ray Winstone??
 


**Angelina Jolie mini-marathon

[richierich]

Playing By Heart



A sexy, romantic comedy about modern couples coming together in funny and unexpected ways, Playing by Heart features an amazing cast of hot stars! Paul (Sean Connery – The Rock) and Hannah (Gena Rowlands – The Mighty) discover that...even after 40 years of marriage...they can still learn some very surprising things about each other! Meredith (Gillian Anderson – The X-Files) is a serious theatre director who isn’t looking for a relationship...but has one looking for her in the person of the funny, persistent Trent (Jon Stewart – The Faculty)! Then there’s Joan (Angelina Jolie – Playing God) and Keenan (Ryan Phillippe – I Know What You Did Last Summer), young people searching for love in an L.A. club scene where the rules of dating seem to change every night! A witty, charming motion picture that critics love – you too will fall for this seductive treat!

Confusing and torturously slow build-up, but once the various stories start inter-mingling and you get a better idea of what is happening, the quality of the acting takes over and the final feeling was that it was a cleverly crafted film.
An adult movie, the blend of comedy, compassion, enlightenment and discovery is wonderfully handled, and the cast line-up is very enviable. I'd have liked to see more interaction between some of the main players, but alas not.
Best thought of as an above average made for tv movie.
 


**Angelina Jolie mini-marathon

[richierich]

Rear Window



None of Hitchcock's films has ever given a clearer view of his genius for suspense than Rear Window. When professional photographer J.B "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg, he becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbors play out across the courtyard. When he suspects a salesman may have murdered his nagging wife, Jeffries enlists the help of his glamorous socialite girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to investigate the highly suspicious chain of events...Events that ultimately lead to one of the most memorable and gripping endings in all of film history.

Everything I like in Hitch on display in one classic movie. Suspense in lumps, leading up to the hold your breath flat searching by the captivating Grace Kelly, a barrage of wit and sarcasm with Jimmy Stewart, and a masterclass in storytelling by the big man himself.
This movie has aged brilliantly, it is incredibly watchable and you can't help but be absorbed in following Stewarts peeping tom antics. I had a sense of claustraphobia watching this, and a suspicion of all the neighbours! Great set, great cast, and a scene-juggling finalé to savour.
No better proof that simple and cheap can be made into a masterpiece in the right hands.
 

[richierich]

Gone In 60 Seconds



Academy Award® winners Nicolas Cage ('The Rock') and sexy Angelina Jolie ('The Bone Collector') ride an unstoppable wave of speed and adrenaline in this hot, edgy action hit from high-octane producer Jerry Bruckheimer ('Armageddon').  Legendary car booster Randall "Memphis" Raines (Cage) thought he’d left the fast lane behind - until he’s forced out of retirement in a do-or-die effort to save his kid brother (Giovanni Ribisi, 'Saving Private Ryan') from the wrath of an evil mobster!  But with speed to burn and attitude to spare, Memphis hastily re-assembles his old crew - a rogues' gallery including Academy Award® winner Robert Duvall ('A Civil Action') - and floors it in a full-throttle race to pull off the ultimate car heist: 50 exotic beauties in 24 hours - and the cops are already on to them!  Directed by Dominic Sena and written by Scott Rosenberg, 'Gone In 60 Seconds' is an action-packed thrill ride that comes out fast and never slows down.

Petrolhead and car chase fans dream. Fortunately I am not a chav so these things do not overly appeal as the sole focus of a film. This movie generally drifted past me with little impact. Jolie, Duvall and Cage were ill-fitting cast members, but the performances of Ribiso and Lindo were on the money.
If the film could have changed the leads, introduced humour, and developed the storyline, then it might have worked better.
Empty, characterless and at times as cheesy as a mouldy edam
 


**Angelina Jolie mini-marathon

[richierich]

Life or Something Like It



'Angelina Jolie' and 'Edward Burns' sizzle in this romantic comedy about making choices, making friends and making a mess. Lanie (Jolie) is a beautiful, ambitious newscaster who thinks that having the perfect hair, perfect boyfriend and perfect apartment adds up to the perfect life, until an encounter with a street psychic throws her world into chaos. With the help of her handsome, wise-cracking co-worker Peter (Burns), Lanie must face a destiny as hilarious as it is romantic.

Interesting little movie I had not known much about prior to viewing.
We are spared the typical break-down scenes in other movies where a scenario of impending death is tackled, the approach taken in this movie is very light-hearted, warmly handled and refreshing. I saw a new dimension in Jolies acting, she effortlessly shines in this role and was heads above the rest of the cast. At times her uncanny appearance (with blonde wig) to Marilyn Monroe was spooky.
There is enough originality in the storyline to maintain interest, and I would recommend saving this film for a rainy day, with someone you love.
 

**Angelina Jolie mini-marathon