Summary: A Civil War Veteran finds himself magically transported to the planet Mars, then forced to participate in a massive war before finally finding love and a cause worth fighting for. Based upon the Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure pulp classic A PRINCESS OF MARS.
Things I Liked: The concepts and storytelling presented and explored during the beginning and ending of the film. The period costumes and sets. The sound design. The computer-generated animation, which, overall, I found to be quite seamless.
Things I Didn't Like: The film's overwrought and bloated midsection. The overlarge cast of characters. The Mars costume designs, prop designs and vehicle designs, many of which felt derivative of past sci-fi and science fantasy films.
Two Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Friday, July 25, 2008
The Dark Knight (2008), Directed by Christopher Nolan
Summary: Continuing his quest to clean up the streets of his beloved Gotham City, the vigilante hero Batman struggles in his quest to capture the Joker: a psychotic new criminal whose sinister tactics prove surprisingly resistant to the masked hero's crime fighting methods.
Things I Liked: The look of the film. The score. The execution of the script, especially with regard to theme. Strong performances all around.
Things I Didn't Like: A few (admittedly minor) logic-related hiccups as relates to the film's plot. Batman's vocal inflection.
Three and Three Quarters Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Things I Liked: The look of the film. The score. The execution of the script, especially with regard to theme. Strong performances all around.
Things I Didn't Like: A few (admittedly minor) logic-related hiccups as relates to the film's plot. Batman's vocal inflection.
Three and Three Quarters Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Sunday, March 9, 2008
The Blob (1958) Directed by Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.
Summary: When a meteor falls to Earth and its passenger - a gelatinous alien life form - begins consuming everything in it's path, it's up to a couple of teenagers and their friends to convince the local townspeople of the danger.
Things I Liked: The props and highly inventive visual effects. The simplicity of the plot. The effective use of tension within scenes. The delightfully campy theme song.
Things I Didn't Like: The exceptionally poor performances of a few of the more minor characters. The unnecessarily long-running time of the more superfluous scenes included for character development.
Three and One Half Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Things I Liked: The props and highly inventive visual effects. The simplicity of the plot. The effective use of tension within scenes. The delightfully campy theme song.
Things I Didn't Like: The exceptionally poor performances of a few of the more minor characters. The unnecessarily long-running time of the more superfluous scenes included for character development.
Three and One Half Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Away From Her (2006) Directed by Sarah Polley
Summary: A man reluctantly helps his Alzheimer's-stricken wife check herself into a rest home then watches helplessly as she develops a close emotional attachment to another resident.
Things I Liked: The film's resolution. The film's supporting characters and the performances of the actors who portrayed them.
Things I Didn't Like: The sprawling, unfocused aspects of the film's first act.
Two Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Things I Liked: The film's resolution. The film's supporting characters and the performances of the actors who portrayed them.
Things I Didn't Like: The sprawling, unfocused aspects of the film's first act.
Two Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Saturday, March 8, 2008
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) Directed by Woody Allen
Summary: A meek waitress's fascination with the cinema intensifies when the leading man in her favorite film literally steps out of the screen to woo her away from her abusive husband.
Things I Liked: The imaginative elements of the story. The acting. The satisfyingly unexpected ending.
Things I Didn't Like: The film's far less interesting (albeit fully realized) subplots. I also felt that the film might have benefited from having fewer incidental characters.
Three Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Things I Liked: The imaginative elements of the story. The acting. The satisfyingly unexpected ending.
Things I Didn't Like: The film's far less interesting (albeit fully realized) subplots. I also felt that the film might have benefited from having fewer incidental characters.
Three Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Monday, March 3, 2008
Once (2006) Directed by John Carney
Summary: The chance friendship and support of a talented Eastern European girl provides an Irish street musician with the strength and confidence to pursue his dreams.
Things I Liked: The truthfulness found in the characters' relationship and situations. Two of the songs.
Things I Didn't Like: The film's ponderous and often repetitive midsection. The pace. More than half of the film's soundtrack.
Two Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Things I Liked: The truthfulness found in the characters' relationship and situations. Two of the songs.
Things I Didn't Like: The film's ponderous and often repetitive midsection. The pace. More than half of the film's soundtrack.
Two Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Man of la Mancha (1972) directed by Arthur Hiller
Summary: Following his imprisonment by representatives of the Spanish Inquisition, poet and playwright Miguel Cervantes sets about entertaining his fellow prisoners with the adventures of the deranged nobleman Don Quixote and his trusty manservant. Adapted by Dale Wasserman from his musical play of the same name.
Things I Liked: Peter O'Toole is brilliant in multiple roles. A couple of the songs, while not as memorable as those of other musicals, manage to be both catchy and powerful. The sets, costumes, makeup and direction all deserve high marks.
Things I Didn't Like: The characterization of Sancho Panza. The film's unnecessarily long running time.
Three Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
Things I Liked: Peter O'Toole is brilliant in multiple roles. A couple of the songs, while not as memorable as those of other musicals, manage to be both catchy and powerful. The sets, costumes, makeup and direction all deserve high marks.
Things I Didn't Like: The characterization of Sancho Panza. The film's unnecessarily long running time.
Three Stars out of Five Stars
FilmWatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
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