[Movie Archive] [Top Ten] [Sign Guestbook] [E-mail Me] [Home]

Movie Archives (M-N)

M | N
For movies A-B click here For movies C-E click here
For movies F-G click here For movies H-J click here
For movies K-L click here For movies O-Q click here
For movies R click here For movies S click here
For movies T-V click here For movies W-Z click here


Madeline
It looks cute, because it is. It looks childish, because it is. But I really enjoyed watching Hatty Jones play the young orphan girl Madeline and get into mischief all over Paris. Frances McDormand (Fargo) who plays her boarding school teacher performs well also in this silver screen adaptation of the Madeline books. I can't recall opening the books, but I knew they were there, and now I regret not having been entertained by one when I was smaller. Though Madeline's mischief and naivete can really make your hair grow gray (even while sitting in a theater), it't actually quite entertaining. I was very responsive to everything going on the film (a sign of good ambience and directing.) No action, loud explosion, or meteors, which is a nice change. I am sure that adults will be able to sit through this movie, but I recommend it more for children.
GRADE: B

 Magnolia
Magnolia is a three hour sorrowful little movie about coincidence and human fragility. The all star cast (Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, etc.) portray separate lives that weave together all in a couple days work. Some might say the movie is too long, too weird, too deep, but I think the main theme is well stated in the first few minutes of the movie. Yeah well, then I guess it really shouldn't have taken three hours to talk about chance and coincidences. But the movie was interesting enough (directed and written by Paul Thomas Anderson) that you kinda forget about the length.
GRADE: B+

 Mallrats
This movie has bad acting, crappy dialogue, sagging boobs, etc. Just the usual that can be expected from Kevin Smith who's also responsible for Chasing Amy and Clerks. The reason(s) that kept me from giving this movie a D or worse was the fact that there was actually a nice plot underneath it all: two relationship-clueless guys (Jason Lee and Jeremy London) who lose their girlfriends (Shannen Doherty and Clair Forlani) and try to knock sense into themselves to get them back. The humor in this film is rude and hilarious. Also stars (and this ain't no cameo!) Ben Affleck.
GRADE: C-

return to top

Man on the Moon
Very engaging! I don't know who Andy Kaufman is, but I think Jim Carrey was convincing, cause he sure wasn't himself. Man on the Moon was fun to watch. It upset, humored, angered, and saddened me. I don't know what more to say since the movie is based on someone I don't even know (well, I kinda know him now that I've seen the movie), but I think it's worth watching even if you don't know who Andy Kaufman is. If you do know who he is, then...then...it's up to you!
GRADE: A-

 The Mask of Zorro
Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Anthony Hopkins make this movie spectacular! As the aging Zorro (Hopkins) finally escapes prison, he finds a young friend , all grown up in Alejandro Murieta (Banderas). He trains him to become Zorro and to fight and revenge his brother's death as well as find his daughter Elena (Zeta-Jones) who was captured and raised by his enemy Don Rafael Montero (Stuart Wilson). The movie is full of swords, horses, and beautiful cinematography. And though a few scenes may seem ludicrous, it is overall very entertaining. I would not be surprised if this movie won an Oscar in any particular category.
GRADE: A-

 The Matrix
The Matrix is thrilling sci-fi action and excitement that you wish would never stop! Incredibly is how Keanu Reeves plays Neo, the one Morpheus (Lawrence Fisherborne) believes is the savior of the world we believe to be, but is now called the matrix. The movie is definitely visual effects driven, but the plot and it's characters are not bad either. It is unlike any movie I have seen in a long time, which makes it so enjoyable (though I have heard comparisons to another similar movie, but I can't remember the name). If you're an action fan or a Keanu fan, this movie is not to be missed. In fact, anyone who is not a proclaimed anti-everything-but-sentimental-family-drama-movies fan, is liable to see this movie...at least once.
GRADE: A

return to top

The Matrix Reloaded
Remember back in 1999 when there was no hype for The Matrix and it turned out to be the greatest action movie ever? Fast forward to 2003: what happened to our innocence? I can't help but feel that people turned this innocent movie phenom into overly hyped up eye-candy. So when the goods came, people are taken aback by the fact that this sequel didn't give them the same "woah" that the first one did. Well, of course! Do you remember how absolutely eye-popping and revolutionary the first Matrix was? How can you expect something twice as good when you didn't even know how good you would get it the first time? Ok....my ranting is due to the fact that people placed too much hope and then complained because their hope bubble burst. I'm not saying The Matrix Reloaded satisfied my expectations, but maybe I wasn't supposed to expect too much in the first place. Back to the review: The Matrix Reloaded is a 72 hour race to stop the sentinels from digging into Zion, the last human civilization, which strangely, is in the pit of the earth. Though the 72 hour ride doesn't conclude in this episode (The Matrix Revolutions will finish off the triology), The Matrix Reloaded does a lot of explaining, to some chagrin, and a lot of set up for the next movie. Neo (Keanu Reeves), a superman of sorts now that he has "conquered" the matrix, is now fighting replicating Agent Smiths (Hugo Weaving). Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) are out to save the Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim), holder of the key to the matrix mainframe, from a pair of wraith-like, dread-locked programs (Adrian & Neil Rayment) and car-smashing agents. Introducing Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith), former flame of Morpheus, who heads up her own ship to help save the trio. New characters are the Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), human epitome of all deadly sins, and his wife Persephone (Monica Belluci), who typifies the "beautiful, but deadly" cliche. We get more of the Oracle (Gloria Foster), and more insights to the philosophy that the directors Larry and Andy Wachowski try to mesh with this sci-fi action movie. This movie is great, because there are so many layers to pick apart and analyze and so many ways that action and fighting are incorporated. But the movie's many possibilities are also it's downfall, because you start to think that maybe the way "this and that" was filmed could have been better or all the jibber-jabber philosophical talk could have been reduced to a two minute speech instead of a ten minute tirade. But let's go back to the first Matrix. Would I feel the way I do about this sequel if I hadn't seen the first one? Would I find this movie to be equally stellar if I could clear my conscience of the first movie's remnants? (Sound like the Oracle talking, doesn't it?) I like the overall Matrix storyline. I like the characters and the action. The Matrix Reloaded is a slighter weaker film when compared to the first, but standing alone, on the whole, without comparison.......I still like it a lot.
GRADE: A
Matrix Revolutions
What can be said about one of movie history's greatest trilogies? Yes, really, the Matrix movies have spawned a generation of pseudo-philosophers and math geeks (none of these are bad things). And that is really a good thing, considering the masses are becoming more and more like plain ol' mindless tech-zombies. Anyways, I won't rant on that. Instead, I will say that the thoughtful goodness of Matrix 1 and the clean-cut action of Matrix 2 were both missing and/or sadly distorted and meshed together in Matrix 3. Did anyone else get the feeling that the Wachowskis invented an idea too good to be let go? So, there really is no easy way to say goodbye to Neo (Keanu Reeves), Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and the rest except to piece together some soupy graphics, pretend like there's more to philosophize about, and wave ciao. No really...what I'm trying to say is that no one wants to see the end of the Matrix movies, but "it is inevitable." And there is no perfect way to end anything this good. Hence a dappier, sappier, cheesier Matrix 3. Plot-wise: this one is the finale to the machine vs. human war. Two sides fighting each other, unknowing that another enemy lies between. The same fun characters appear: Niobe (Jada Pinkett-Smith), Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), Persephone (Monica Belluci), Seraph (Collin Chou), etc. Want a spoiler? The movie will end. And it will end with an "eh"? Did I like Matrix Revolutions? After one viewing, yes and no. Yes, because it is supposed to provide some sort of conclusion, I can't get enough of Neo's blind love for Trinity, and it's funny to hear Trinity call the Merovingian, "Merv". No, because I can't figure out what the conclusion is and I have a sinking feeling there may not be one. *Upon a second viewing, I think I need to retract from my notion that the Wachowski's are in over their heads. In fact, I would say they know exactly what they are doing, but probably didn't show that as much as an audience would have expected in Matrix Revolutions. I must also revise the standpoint that the Matrix is a trilogy, when actually it is a 2-part movie made in 3 parts. I think Matrix 1 stands well on it's own, but 2 & 3 require a viewing as a whole. This is, however, debatable. The second viewing allowed me to divert my attention from the action and fighting and more into the details of what is actually going on. As in, what is the purpose of the new characters? What is this war really about? That sort of stuff. I don't think you'll NEED two viewings to ENJOY the movie (it actually, it very good), but you will probably need at least two viewings to understand the spectrum of what the Matrix movies intends to cover.
GRADE: B+


Me, Myself, and Irene
Perhaps the Farrelly brothers who directed this disgustingly humorous movie are actually becoming cliche. Let's face it, you can only have so many gross and disgusting scenaries that make you cringe with laughter until you have to think of something better, and that usually ends up just being plain gross and disgusting and not really funny. I actually miss good ol' humor based on funny lines and funny people. Me, Myself, and Irene little satisfies the old fashioned humor. In any case, there's some comedy in this movie, but not enough to ever be fully satisfied. What is this movie about? Jim Carrey plays Charlie Baileygates, nice, Rhode Island police, father of three. Carrey also plays Hank, Charlie's mean and brutal schizophrenic self. Charlie/Hank falls for Irene Waters (Renee Zellweger), wanted by the FBI for some obscure reason. Carrey is perfect for this pychotic role, but the movie would be better with more verbal humor than situational.
GRADE: C+

 Memento
Memento is really interesting and creative. It stars Guy Pearce who is can't create short-term memories. Thus, he can't hold very long conversation, he can't remember things he did 5 minutes unless he write it down or takes a picture and even then, he has a hard time remembering things. He's out with a vengeance to kill the man that raped and murdered his wife. Then there's Carrie-Anne Moss who's trying to help him with something or maybe he's trying to help her. Either way, this movie can get quite confusing but at the same time intriguing. Very unique in style and deliverance of a very new plot.
GRADE: B+

 Men In Black
This movie is hilarious yet satisfyingly short. At a mere one hour and thirty-six minutes, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are great as the "men in black," controlling the alien nhabitants of earth and kicking out the alien "bugs". Ya gotta see this movie, because it's not only something that everyone is talking about, but it's actually quite good.
GRADE: B+

 Men In Black II
Very funny and witty. Men in Black II stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, who both work for a secret government operation that moniters alien activity on planet earth. Though Jones was neurolyzed to reality in the first movie, it's up to Smith to get him back into the black suit to fight a long-ago alien enemy in the shape of Lara Flynn Boyle. Also starring Johnny Knoxville as a two-boneheaded alien and Rosario Dawson as a witness to an alien homicide, MIBII delivers witty lines by fun characters beside a mundane plot.
GRADE: B

 The Mexican
The Mexican is about a quirky, love-hate couple Jerry (Brad Pitt) and Samantha (Julia Roberts) who split ways when Jerry takes on a "mob job" to retrieve a pistol called "The Mexican" in Mexico. Samantha is upset and heads to their previously planned getaway in Las Vegas, but not before being kidnapped by Leroy (James Gandolfini), a sensitive killer. The pistol carries a curse and a tragic love story that will eventually parallel Jerry and Samantha's near the end of the movie. (No, I'm not purposely giving the movie away.) It's a cute comedy played by Hollywood's best. It's funny that these celebrities' star qualities don't overshine on the movie. You really just end up enjoying it, laughing, and liking it. Drawbacks? Well, you'd think this plot could go on forever, and it probably could, and it kinda does. There are so many tiny plot twists, you start wanting to head to Mexico and get that stupid pistol yourself so Jerry and Samantha can have their peace. :)
GRADE: B+

 Minority Report
This movie is awesome! The plot is very interesting and exciting: Tom Cruise is a futuristic cop who prevents crimes predicted by "precogs" who can see future murders. Cruise is then "seen" to be a murderer and he's out to prove his innocence. Though some might find the plot semi-predictable, the action and entertainment wrapped into this futuristic movie is enough to keep you on your edge of your seat. Director Steven Spielberg has truly made up for the blunders of his last movie A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, another futuristic movie, but with a trying and non-conceivable outcome. Minority Report reclaims the magic that Spielberg has been known to create. Also starring Colin Farrell as a government investigatory of the "pre-crime" department that Cruise works for, this movie should not be missed!
GRADE: A-

 Mission: Impossible 2
Though a change of pace from the first one, I wouldn't necessarily say it was for the better...or for the worse. A definite plus is that this "mission" IS possible. AKA: They'll make it clear what the plot is. However, the plot is perhaps not inventive enough: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) must recover a deadly virus and its antedote. But who's following the plot when John Woo is directing? You're in for a joyride of stunts, crashes, explosions, and fighting. Ving Rhames returns as Hunt's loyal sidekick. Thandie Newton plays the love interest that spurns Hunt on his adventure. It's all fun and games that'll leave you wondering "what has the Matrix-like craze started?!" (Though I'd say better directed and choreographed than the Matrix.)
GRADE: B+

 Mission To Mars
Such an interesting plot and such good actors wasted on a bad script. Mission to Mars stars Tim Robbins, Gary Sinise, Jerry O'Connell, Kim Delaney as astronauts, probing the planet Mars. When something mysterious kills off 3 astronauts, more are sent to retrieve the survivor. But what is the weird storm that killed them? Though very intriguing and amusing, Mission to Mar's weakness lies in a dialogue that's so bad, it's laughable. It's a coin toss on whether it's worthy to be watched or not.
GRADE: C-

 Monster's Ball
By far, the most painful movie I've ever watched, Monster's Ball deals with human issues of pride, racism, love, death, family. Billy Bob Thornton and Heath Ledger are father and son prison guards at the same prison a black woman (Halle Berry) and her son (Coronji Calhoun) go, to visit their soon to be executed husband/father (Sean Combs). Unable to live up to the pressures of family pride, both guards eventually forgo the prison guard-life. By chance, Thornton encounters Berry and falls in love with her, both unknowing their peculiar relationship until too late. Monster's Ball stabs the core of human emotions, but without being an overly melodramatic film. It goes just deep enough to leave you feeling, thinking, and wondering about the human condition in its broken circumstances.
GRADE: A

 Monsters, Inc.
Pixar is incredible. They created yet another great movie for kids and adults. Monsters, Inc. is about a company that provides energy to the "monster world" by scaring little kids while they sleep. Sully (voice of John Goodman) is the "top scarer" at the company and his assistant is Mike (voice of Billy Crystal). Together, they are the top duo at Monsters, Inc. But when a little girl (whom Sully later calls Boo) enters the monster realm, it's up to Sully and Mike to return her to her world while trying to keep her safe from their evil competitor Randall, the monster that let her into Monsters, Inc, in the first place. It's an adorable movie with lots of laughs and even some tears. Very very enjoyable!
GRADE: A+

 Mr. Deeds
Adam Sandler is too famous to make a really amusing and funny film now. He's personally type-casted himself too. But despite all that, he still has some of the best side-kick characters. In Mr. Deeds, Sandler is Deeds, a small town nice guy who inherits $40 billion. Trying to win publicity points is newswriter Winona Ryder, who goes undercover to get the scoop on Deeds. Predictably, they fall for each other. Peter Gallagher is Deeds' "nemesis," who tries to get Deeds' claim on the fortune he was inherited. Ok, so the great side-kick character is Deeds' butler, played by a very funny John Turturro. With him, the movie was just tad more than random giggles and under-your-breath ha-ha's.
GRADE: C+

 Mulan
First off, I really enjoyed the fact that this movie gets straight to the point. It's a simple plot of a young, Chinese girl who pretends to be a boy to take her old father's place in battle. The music score is nothing big like Disney usually does which is actually a good thing, because the music doesn't overtake the story. Ming-Na Wen, Pat Morita, B.D. Wong, and Eddie Murphy provide voices.
GRADE: B+

 Mumford
Light humored and a quirky plot, Mumford is about a guy named Dr. Mumford (Loren Dean) who poses as a psychologist for the town of Mumford. He's good at his job and helps the town and its people problems even though he's bogus. This movie has a great cast (which includes Jason Lee and Alfre Woodard) and is, in a word, enjoyable. I guess I didn't expect much from the movie except to enjoy it, and it was godo at doing that. Perfect to watch when you feel like watching a movie.
GRADE: A-

 The Mummy
The Mummy was a fun, scary, and silly adventure. Fun because the explorers looking for a lost Egyptian burial site are somewhat gutsy (and not) and get into a bunch of trouble with other explorers and born-again mummies. Scary because the special effects (which are integrated well yet not too spectacular so it wasn't TOO great) made for some frightening mummy resurrection scenes. And silly because the movie has a sense of humor that comes off as corny but infectious. It's reminiscent of Indiana Jones movies, but not nearly as good.
GRADE: B+

 The Mummy Returns
A REALLY FUN movie! The Mummy Returns delivers a very fun and exciting sequel to The Mummy. The returning cast of Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser), Evelyn O'Connell (Rachel Weisz; yes, they are married in this movie), Jonathan (John Hannah), Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), and Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr) is joined by Rick and Evelyn's son Alex (Freddie Boath) and the Scorpion King (wrestler, The Rock). In this episode, the O'Connells must stop Imhotep, the risen-from-the-dead bad boy of the first movie from defeating a soon-to-be-risen-from-the-dead Scorpion King otherwise the Scorpion King's minion army will be under Imhotep's command to rule the world. And that's not good, because that was the whole point of the first movie. So there's new special effects, funnier lines, and awesome hand-to-hand combat sequences. There are some moments where you wonder if you should be laughing or if this scene was accidentally cheesy, but overall, it's a really enjoyable movie and keeps you guessing: How will a silly, adventurous, tomb-raiding family save the world?!
**Just so my readers know: I have seen this movie 3 times in the last 4 days. Is this movie really that good? No. It's not brilliant or awesome or spectacular the way "Saving Private Ryan," "Shawshank Redemption," or even "The Usual Suspects" might be. But this movie was really entertaining. It's comparable to the Indiana Jones trilogy. (Raise your hand if you've seen "Temple of Doom" or "Last Crusade" more than once.) Some who have seen this movie say it's cheesy and kinda pathetic, and I'll admit that there's definitely a lot of cheese, but somewhere while this movie was being made, they probably decided to just let the jokes hang loose. So yeah, it's cheesy, but so what? If you want to be entertained for two hours and a half, this is it.
GRADE: A-

My Best Friend's Wedding
Although she can never top Pretty Women, Julia roberts comes pretty close to it in her latest film. Basically, in this movie, she tries to break up her best friend's wedding. He best friend (Dermot Mulroney) is engaged to the annoyingly giddy, Kimmy (Cameron Diaz), which I wish I could choke to death. The movie ends in a way that pisses me off, but it's still a good movie. Check it out!
GRADE: B

return to top

Mystery Men
Mystery Men is star-studded (Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Greg Kinnear, Geoffrey Rush, etc.), stupidly funny, and upbeat movie. After Captain Amazing (Kinnear) is kidnapped by Casanova Frankenstein (Rush), wannabe superheroes, Mr. Furious (Stiller), Blue Rajah (Hank Azaria), The Shoveler (William H. Macy), and others go and attempt to save him. The movie is ridiculously funny. It's corny, but not exactly cheesy. It's a nice, positive two hour to spend.
GRADE: B

 The Negotiator
Not a bad movie for two Oscar winning guys (Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey). Though the dialogue and opening scenes were really slow and somewhat lacking, the movie picks itself up well with negotiator, Danny Roman (Jackson), taking on the Chicago PD to prove his innocence in the case of police fraud and his murdered partner. Chris Sabien (Spacey) is the other negotiator who is trying to help Roman and save the hostages. Jackson and Spacey make a great duo and the movie is overall quite entertaining and slightly comical. However it's twists and turns could be somewhat predictable, but ironically at the same time, hard to follow.
GRADE: B+
The Notebook
Never have I felt so wretchedly emotional over a movie (and book). The Notebook is adapted from a Nicholas Sparks book of the same name. Anything by Sparks is sure to be sappy, but given the right cast and crew, you're not likely to be dissatisfied. The Notebook interplays between two generations, an elderly man (James Garner) reading from "a notebook" to an elderly woman (Gena Rowland). The other generation is a pair of teens (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) enjoying the summer of their youth and the findings of first loves. The realization by the young girl's parents that the couple are of two separate economic worlds splits the two apart. One world war later, the girl is on the cusp of marriage, only to find her childhood love in the newspaper. They meet, the emotions of youth return, and they are now forced to make choices that will change their lives forever. (How's that for an ad?) Director Nick Cassavetes weaves a spectacular and beautiful world in both generations. What surprised me is that the sappy potential of such a movie was not at all exploited onscreen. This is a truly remarkable and visually stunning movie of intense emotional depth and themes. Sure to be a cult classic among chicks and hidden favorite of supposed men.
GRADE: A+


Nothing To Lose
Not a very classy or high structured movie, Nothing to Lose does have a lot of laughs. Tim Robbins is great and Martin Lawrence (from the sitcom Martin) is pretty good too. Not a great plot, but a very funny movie.
GRADE: B

 Notting Hill
The movie starts out slow and verbose and starts to get irritating. But then it kinda grows on you. Before you know it, you realize that this is a pretty cute and charming movie. Hugh Grants plays William, a travel bookstore owner who encounters the famous actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts). Unseeming as it may be, the commoner and the celebrity start a small but potential relationship. It's a sometimes unbelieveable and sometimes bothersome dialogue that kinda grows on you.
GRADE: B

 Nurse Betty
Nurse Betty is a very odd movie. Renee Zellweger is Betty, a Kansas waitress with amnesia from the shock of her husband's (Aaron Eckhart) gruesome murder. She thinks she is the ex-fiance of Dr. David Ravell(Greg Kinnear), a soap opera star, so she travels to Los Angeles to find him. Her husband's murderers Charlie (Morgan Freeman)and Wesley (Chris Rock) follow her because they are looking for drugs which they failed to find in the process of off-ing Betty's husband. The story is strange ad gets even stranger when Betty eventually finds Dr. Ravell. It's not as funny as I thought it would be, but it's got a moral message at the end (kinda turning it into an afterschool special-type movie).
GRADE: B

 The Nutty Professor
Eddie Murphy shows his zaniness once again. Playing practically half the character in this film, Murphy stars as a overweight and shy college professor who discovers a "potion" that makes him thinner. But it also brings out a side of him that's an obnoxious jerk. Jada Pinkett also stars. This movie is an great comedy. You'll definitely enjoy it.
GRADE: B+

M | N
For movies A-B click here For movies C-E click here
For movies F-G click here For movies H-J click here
For movies K-L click here For movies O-Q click here
For movies R click here For movies S click here
For movies T-V click here For movies W-Z click here


NOTE: A grade of A is a highly recommended film for everybody.
A grade of B is a moderately recommended film for anybody.
A grade of C is generally geared toward a particular fan.
A grade of D is an unrecommended film.
A grade of F is a really bad film that is recommended for your extremely bored amusement.

This page hosted by
   wn
Free Home Page

1