Director Quentin Tarantino is back from directorial slumber in this live-action, samurai, B-movie slaughter-fest. Kill Bill Vol. 1 he calls it (Vol. 2 to be released February 2004). 5 years of writing, revising, and planning and audiences are given this bloodied showcase of a vengeful "Bride" (Uma Thurman), hunting the assassins she used to kill with: Vivica A. Fox, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, and David Carradine. The movie is about style and pop-art. Tarantino fuses Japanese samurai fighting, anime, funky music, and over-the-top death dealing with his smart, catchy dialogue. From my own perspective, Tarantino can be somewhat hard to "get." He's quick and nostalgic. You gotta follow up with the cult films, foreign films, old films. I like Kill Bill because it's fresh. I'm turned off a bit, because I can't stand the sight of blood spraying like a Bernini Fountain.
GRADE: B+ Legally Blond
Very cute and cheesy funny. Legally Blonde is another "Clueless," but with a more grown-up crowd. It stars Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, the California blond who goes to Harvard Law to win back her boyfriend (Matthew Davis). When she gets to Harvard, she meets up with her boyfriend's fiance (Selma Blair), a helpful upperclassmen (Luke Wilson) and a nasty professor (Victor Garber). Elle is the epitomy of the stereotypical blond ditz, but her seemingly useless Cosmo-magazine knowledge turns out to be surprisingly helpful in the courtroom. It's fun. Check it out. :)
GRADE: B+
Legally Blond 2: Red, White, and Blond
It's too bad that a movie about a giggly, self-empowering woman like Elle Woods is only good once....but we that should have been well predicted. Legally Blond 2 is pretty much Legally Blond 1, but less pink. Unfortunately, you can only take so much of a character like Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) and just leave her alone. I could really do without seeing her trying to embrace self-realization and fighting on behalf of all quasi-looking bimbos (which she isn't of course). In Legally Blond 2, Elle marches to Washington D.C. to lobby against animal testing when she discovers that her chihuahua's mother is in a cosmetics lab testing facility and won't be able to attend her wedding (hello??). So under a seemingly do-gooder congresswoman Rutledge (Sally Field), Elle proposes a bill to ban animal testing on cosmetics against preconceived notions of her capabilities. If the Bend-and-Snap could be made into an actual fad (which I think is the most ridiculous male-attention-getting "tool" ever!), then the makers of Legally Blond have every right to make a Legally Blond 2. But it's not a fad and all we did was giggle at how Elle realizes that she's smart and capable like everyone else. Except when it came to making LB2. Basically, I think the sequel was unnecessary and didn't have the right "ta da!" feel of the first.
GRADE: C+
The Legend of Baggar Vance
The Legend of Baggar Vance isn't an extremely "interactive" movie. You just kinda sit there and watch it, going with the flow. It's about a Savannah golfer (Matt Damon), who loses his swing after coming back from WWI. He returns in a drunken, mindless state, forgetting the important things in life like his love, Adele (Charlize Theron). But then comes the mystical Baggar Vance (Will Smith), who pops out of nowhere to be Damon's caddy in a tournament that will lift the spirits of a depressed Savannah. At first glance, the movie seems to be simply about losing your touch with life and trying to reclaim it. Well...it is just that, but also a bit more. It takes some time to think about what the story and director Robert Redford is getting at, but movies aren't entirely meant for deep analysis. Nevertheless, if you figure out the all-encompassing theme of the movie, it is sure to be much better than if you don't.
GRADE: B
Legends of the Fall
A somewhat war, somewhat romance, somewhat hearty-provoking film. Legends of the Fall has everything except laughs (well, maybe a small smile here and there). Brad Pitt makes a worthy effort to portray the somewhat wild brother of three in this movie. Can't say too much about the movie overall, exceot that it's a bit of a chick flick. Lots of hunky Brad, and lots of thinking involved. Oh yeah, excellent war scenes! Very heart wrenching!
GRADE: A-
Lethal Weapon 4
Avid fan or not, you'll find Lethal Weapon 4 to be loud and wordy. I have seen the past LWs, but since I was so young, I can't really remember them. What I do know is that this one kept me entertained longer. It's explosive and has an awesome car chase that left nail polish in my mouth. But the wordiness added an unnecessary 15 to 20 minutes. (The movie is a little over 2 hours.) Joining Mel Gibson and Danny Glover (and past cast members Rene Russo and Joe Pesci) are Chris Rock, as a loud and funny new cop who's the father of Glover's daughter's unborn child, and Jet Li (a longtime personal favorite of mine from past Chinese action/period movies), as an evil Chinese "guy" who's making fake money to pay for the release of four evil prison guys. Li's martial arts abilities are not used to the full extent, but it's enough to make you appreciate him on a Jacki Chan level. I recommend the movie if you like noise, fire, and biting your fingernails, or if you're a long time fan. Otherwise, don't see it.
GRADE: B-
Life is Beautiful
Life is beatiful is a beautiful, emotional movie. Roberto Benigni plays a loving father and husband who uses his humor and optimism amid the depressioning situation of Nazi concentration camps. It is very, very heartfelt and touching. It is very hard for me to say anything more about this movie, because there are too many emotions I am feeling. It is something you will just have to experience for yourself, if you can handle it.
GRADE: B+
Life or Something Like It
Angelina Jolie just doesn't strike me as a happy-go-lucky news reporter, trying to redefine life when a homeless prophet tells her she has one week to live. Maybe another actress could have been better casted (Ashley Judd perhaps?). Nevertheless, that's what this movie is about. Edward Burns stars as her cameraman/ex-boyfriend and later confidant. He tries to give her a better purpose in life than just career ambition. Blah...is what I think of this movie. Though Edward Burns wasn't terrible.
GRADE: C
The Little Mermaid
Classy tale. Ariel is so pretty and Prince Eric is so handsome (yes, I know they are
cartoons) they almost make me sick. Almost. I really enjoyed this movie for its outstanding musical score, its simple plot, and its Disney-ness. It's a really good movie to watch on a rainy day or boring afternoon. And...it's pretty short. So it's not just a loooong girly movie.
GRADE: A-
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Little Nicky
Little Nicky is really really funny. It's good ol' Adam Sandler humor and gives you what you expect (and some of what you might not expect). Sandler plays Nicky, the third of the Devil's (Harvey Keitel) sons. When his older brothers escape Hell to run amok on Earth, it causes the gates of Hell to freeze and the balance of good and evil to become uneven. So Nicky has to go get his brothers..... Along the way, he makes some friends, gets a love interest (Patricia Arquette), and discovers who his mom is. If you don't expect a lot (which is what you should do if you see a Sandler movie), then you'll enjoy the movie a whole lot more. I sure did!
GRADE: B
Little Women
A moderate adaptation of the novel with the same name, Little Women is star-studded (Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandan, Claire Danes, Gabriel Byrnes, Christian Bale, Kirsten Dunst, Samantha Mantha, etc.) and simply acted. It's not elaborate or super special in any way. I suggest this movie if you like theme-based chick flicks or if you happen to need to get a book report done on this book.
GRADE: A-
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
The first of the Lord of the Rings triology was AWESOME!!!! I've never read the book but am very very eager to. So you definitely don't have to read the book to enjoy the movie. The Lord of the Rings is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's books about a ring created by evil to bind all evil and ultimately conquer "Middle Earth." It's a fantasy genre, complete with monsters, elves, wizards, etc. Stars Ian McKellan, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, etc. If you like epic films, fantasy books, Star Wars, don't mind sitting for 3 hours on your fanny, and definitely don't mind the fact that this is the first of a three-parter (HINT HINT on the ending....), then goooooooo watch it. If you aren't this kind of person, watch it anyways. It's what a "movie experience" is all about.
GRADE: A+
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
It's hard to say a nasty thing about this movie because of it's fantastic predecessor. But standing on its own, The Two Towers is almost equally grand and marvelous a movie. In the second installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, we find Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) on the confounded path to Mordor. Sneaking along and ultimately joining them, is the mysterious creature Gollum (CGI-masked, but acted by Andy Serkis). Meanwhile human Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) are on a path to find captured hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd). The latter two hobbits ultimately escape the clutches of orcs and encounter the Ents, mystical talking and walking trees. The former trio encounter the nearly fallen kingdom of Rohan. What culminates is the magnificently structured and filmed battle between humans/elves/dwarf and orcs at the Rohan fortress of Helm's Deep. Director Peter Jackson creates a masterpiece of warfare with this movie, while portraying the perilous trek to destroy the ill-willed ring. However, what is distinctly different and most improbably to avoid is the incohesive storyline of this installment. While the first movie is a cohesive tale of the fellowship journeying closer to Mordor, the second is a sporadically told trio of journeys. All are necessary, but for the movie-watcher it may seem that too much is being told for too little a time (even at 3 hours long). Without comparison, The Two Towers is yet another spectacular movie. But in sight of its prequel, it lacks in smooth narration and ultimately ends feeling too disjointed.
GRADE: A
Lost and Found
A guy likes a girl, there's a dog, an old lady (well, several), a strange friend, and a guy who's after the same girl. Sounds like There's Something About Mary doesn't it? Well, that's where the similarities end. Lost & Found is not even half as funny, though it does have it's own occasionally disgusting moments (it's a pretty "crappy" scene though, excuse the pun *hint hint*). This movie stars a lifeless David Spade as Dylan, the guy in love with new next-door neighbor Lila, played by Braveheart star Sophie Marceau. The plot is basically the typical romantic-comedy: guy likes girl, girl has problems, etc. You can figure out how the story goes. Sadly, it does not perform as well as There's Something About Mary.
GRADE: D
Let the holiday romantic comedies begin! This one is especially enticing with its star-studded ENGLISH cast. English movies really are THAT much more entertaining. The ensemble consists of Hugh Grant, Colin First, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, etc. Taking place in England (and a bit of France, Portugal, and Wisconsin), this is a movie about ten tales of romance or some other love-induced mayhem. (Aren't all romantic comedies?). Your standard formula plus the English charm. Likeable and cherry, just like most holidays.
GRADE: B+
Another bland-looking film by Sofia Coppola. Bland-LOOKING, but ultimately a real treat. Bill Murray stars as a celebrity in Japan, shooting a whiskey commercial and beginning his mid-life crisis. He finds solace in Scarlett Johansson, a young wife residing in his hotel who shares his insomnia. Theirs is a friendship launched by shared lost and soul-searching desire, while staying in a foreign country. The movie mood is sombre, yet light. Bleak, yet not hopeless. Sad, and inviting. Sofia Coppola is able to spill emotional longing and solitude the way her dad spills blood and guts. Well casted.
GRADE: B+
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