S Reviews

Safe House | Save the Last Dance | Saving Private Ryan | Saving Silverman | Scary Movie | School of Rock | Scream | Scream 2 | Scream 3 | Second Best | Sexy Beast | Shadow of the Vampire | Shaft | Shakespeare in Love | Shallow Grave | Shallow Hal | Shanghai Knights | Shanghai Noon | She's All That | Shoot To Kill | The Siege | A Simple Plan | Simon Birch | 6 Days 7 Nights | The Sixth Day | The Sixth Sense | Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow | Slappy and the Stinkers | Sleepy Hollow | The Slums of Beverly Hills | Small Soldiers | Small Time Crooks | Smoke Signals | Snake Eyes | Snatch | Sneakers | Snow Falling on Cedars | Soldier | South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut | Space Cowboys | Species | Species 2 | Speed 2 | Spellbound | Sphere | Spice World | Spider-Man 2 | Spy Kids | The Spy Who Loved Me | Star Kid | Star Trek: First Contact | Star Trek: Insurrection | Star Trek: Nemesis | Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan | Star Trek III: The Search for Spock | Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace | Starcrash | Starship Troopers | State and Main | Stigmata | A Stir of Echoes | Suicide Kings | Summer of '42 | Swimming Pool

Safe House (1999)
(unrated)
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Patrick Stewart plays a man who may or may not have been involved with secret government assassinations. His daughter and her husband don't believe his stories, especially since his mind is starting to deteriorate from Alzheimer's disease. They hire him a caretaker to look after him, which he resents. The movie focuses on their relationship, as more gets revealed about their characters. This movie is mildly suspenseful, and is fairly intelligent. The script is just above average, but the acting makes it really good and keeps it from seeming too generic. Not great, but still fairly entertaining.

Save the Last Dance (2001)
(PG-13)
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After failing an audition to ballet school and then finding out her mom died, a white girl moves to Chicago to live with her dad. She starts attending a high school composed of mostly black students where she falls in love with a black guy. Her new boyfriend helps her to create a new routine for a second audition for the ballet school while they deal with people who are very opinionated about whites and blacks falling in love with each other. The movie takes on several issues that can lead to an interesting dramatic movie, including loyalty to friends, interracial dating, and dealing with the loss of a parent, but they all seemed to be let off a little easily for most of the movie. Although there are several very good dramatic moments, the film tends to go more for looks than drama and drags itself down slightly. It still kept me entertained, but it could have been better if it focused on the dramatics of the story and let the eye candy take care of itself.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review

Saving Private Ryan (1998)
(R)
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A man has just lead his group of soldiers to victory in a (very bloody) battle during World War II when he is given orders to track down a man who's three brothers have died in battle and send him home from the war. He takes a group of seven other soldiers and goes in search of the man. When they eventually find him, he refuses to desert his friends defending a bridge, so the group decides to stay and try to keep him alive during the climactic battle. The film has a few messages it's trying to convey, and does a decent job, but the hilight of the film is that Steven Spielberg actually succeeds at inserting the emotion he almost had in Schindler's List. The effect they used of removing a frame of film every fraction of a second or so during part of the battles scenes I found kind of neat, but was beaten into the ground during the course of the movie. Over all, it's a well made example of war, and a decent movie.

Links:
Radio Free's Review
D-Day Web (Info about the war Saving Private Ryan is set during)

Saving Silverman (2001)
(PG-13)
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A young man falls in love with a manipulative and controlling woman, and his loser friends she made him dump try to set him up with the former girl of his dreams who he had never worked up the courage to ask out. The movie has some good moments, and some that are just pointless or gross. It doesn't find it's mark enough to keep everyone entertained, but people who love dumb, silly movies may enjoy it.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Scary Movie (2000)
(R)
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A parody of recent movies, primarily Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. The movie goes after dumb jokes and makes no attempt to hide that they would do anything for a laugh. It does manage to pull off a fair amount of good jokes, but, of course, anyone who has seen the previews has already seen most of them. Good for a few good cheap laughs, but not a classic parody.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review

School of Rock (2003)
(PG-13)
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After being kicked out of the unknown rock band he formed, a slacker secretly poses as his roommate for a substitute teacher job in order to gain money to contribute his share of the rent. He creates a class project called "rock band" and ends up teaching his students about how to think for themselves and fight for what they believe in. The movie is funny in a cute, "I can do everything I wished my fifth grade teacher did" sort of a way. While it comes off as fairly contrived, the film has a lot of heart and actor Jack Black really works hard to sell the lead character. While many of the adult actors should have been allowed a little more room to work their magic with their characters, the film still manages to be solidly entertaining.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Reel.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Scream (1996)
(R)
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A group of teens are getting killed by a guy in a mask. The concept for this movie has been overdone, but this movie puts a twist on it by having a very self aware sense of humor that lets it poke fun at itself and other movies of it's type. The jokes are well written, and the scares are well timed.

Links:
Everything there is to know about Scream
Radio Free's Review

Scream 2 (1997)
(R)
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Though not as well thought out as the first Scream movie, I still enjoyed this one. The series's self aware sense of humor was still there, and some of the jokes were classic. The scary stuff was almost as fun as the first movie. I think they should have taken the time to flesh the story out a little more, though.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Tyler's Scream 2 Page
Radio Free's Review

Scream 3 (2000)
(R)
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Some people start dying while working on the set of the movie "Stab 3", which is where one of the survivors of the first two Scream movies is working as a consultant. A new killer turns up there and kills some of the actors leading to what is promised to be the end of the series. The film was actually fairly good, with some new jokes and a few good "jump out of the shadows" surprises. It benefits from not being rushed out as fast as "Scream 2", and is therefore much better. The directing is very good, and the acting is believable enough to sustain the movie. Overall, if you liked the first, you'll most likely enjoy this one as well.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Mark Stewart's Scream 3 News Page

Second Best (1994)
(PG-13)
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William Hurt is a lonely forty-year-old who decides to adapt a kid, and tries to convince an emotionally underdeveloped ten-year-old boy to let him be his new father. The movie looks at what it's like to feel alone in the world, and how people hold on to and are affected by the memories of the times with people they love. The story could have used a little more fleshing out, with the relationship between the man and boy seeming a little underdeveloped to me. However, it still had several good moments that made it a mildly interesting look at the psychology involved in trying to make this type of relationship work and trying to start over emotionally.

Links:
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Sexy Beast (2001)
(R)
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Video Pick of the Week
(6/15/03 - 6/21/03)
Ray Winstone plays Gal, a retired mobster. He spends his days lounging by the pool with his wife and friends in Spain. His life is perfect - that is until Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) pays him a visit. Logan needs Gal for one final job in London, and he WON'T take no for an answer. This pretty much sets up the plot, in which a battle of wills ensues between Gal and Logan. Kingsley steals the show as, quite possibly, the most menacing movie villain seen in years. His performance earned him an Oscar nomination. The supporting cast is excellent as well; Winstone playing the hapless victim of Logan's psychotic persistence. Although the plot and story are fairly basic, the strong acting and stunning visuals combine to form an entertaining package. Easily one of the year's best films.

Links:
Roger Ebert's Review

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
(R)
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A director hires a vampire to play the role of a vampire in a movie, but doesn't inform his cast and crew of this fact. They then try to make the movie while the vampire looks for blood among his new associates, especially the leading lady whom he has a crush on. The story is based around the making of a real movie called Nosferatu, but adds the idea of what would have happened if the actor playing the vampire really was a vampire. The movie is mostly just talk, but is well acted and directed and is fun to watch.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Peter Brunette's Film.com Review
Ernest Hardy's Film.com Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Shaft (2000)
(R)
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A black cop tries to corner a rich white man who killed another black man into his day at court, through any means at his disposal. The film is constantly making something happen, going almost instantaneously from action to plot development and back. The result is a fast paced movie which is fairly exciting, but didn't leave quite as much time to think as I would have liked.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review

Shakespeare in Love (1998)
(R)
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William Shakespeare is trying to write a now play that should be a hit and help with the financial problems at The Globe Theatre. He can't seem to start writing the play until he starts using what's happening to him in real life for inspiration. The movie has no basis in how the play Romeo and Juliet was actually written, but makes a great story. The story is very entertaining, the movie moves at a good pace, and the actors are great. A movie that any romantic will love.

Links:
Official Studio Site

Shallow Grave (1994)
(R)
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Video Pick of the Week
(5/18/03 - 5/24/03)
What's a little murder among friends? Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston (Gone In Sixty Seconds), and a young Ewan McGregor star in this dark thriller directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting). Three friends living in a London apartment decide on a new roommate from a long list of applicants. When they find their new tenant dead in his room, they also discover he was carrying a suitcase loaded with cash! Will they give in to their greed, or will they do what they know is right? The character development in this film is superb; you're never really sure who is the most corrupt. Those who liked Trainspotting should check this one out.

Links:
Roger Ebert's Review

Shallow Hal (2001)
(PG-13)
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They?ve finally done it. The directors behind such films as There's Something About Mary, Kingpin, and Me, Myself & Irene have started to grow up. And just in the nick of time, with media temporarily becoming mindful of the violence it?s subjecting the public to and cleaning up their act a little. The result is Shallow Hal, the Farrelly brothers? latest attempt at making fun of other people?s pain.

The movie focuses on two friends and their difficulties moving beyond a women?s looks when looking for Ms. Right. Finally, one of the friends meets an evangelist who changed his mental perception so only people with good personalities look good to him. This drives him to start trying to pick up women few guys would chase after, including the daughter of his boss. Everything I thought would happen did, even though the directors do avoid a few cheap shots they could have taken. These jokes have been replaced by what almost seems likes a conscience, pushing the characters through several touchy-feely scenes that are easier to watch than I would have thought. Instead of seeming just tacked on, they seem to have been part of the story, although sometimes an overly preachy part. These scenes will most likely disappoint people who go in expecting the all-out comedy the previews played the movie up to be.

Overall, the film manages to be entertaining enough to be worth a watch. It is mildly offensive, but nothing compared to the Farrelly brothers? earlier movies. It also managed to remain intelligent enough to hold my interest for two hours, although any longer would have been pushing it. With any luck, the brothers will soon graduate to more intelligent fare, but this is a presentable warm-up.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review

Shanghai Knights (2003)
(PG-13)
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Every so often, a sequel surprises me. I?ve seen too many movie sequels drop the ball and not live up to their predecessor. Many aren?t even worth the time to watch. However, the occasional sequel will actually overshoot my expectations, reminding me why I still spend money on them. These sequels I find to be nearly as entertaining as the original film, carrying on the original ideas and story but going in there own direction. To my surprise this was the case with Shanghai Knights.

The film continues the story of Shanghai Noon, a cute Jackie Chan comedy set during the 1800s in the American west. The first film showed Chan playing a Chinese Imperial Guard who comes to America to save a Chinese princess. While in America, he teams up with an outlaw played by the smart aleck comic Owen Wilson. This time around, however, Chan is looking for the man who killed his father. Chan?s sister tracks the man to England, and Chan naturally reteams with Wilson to give chase.

I really wasn?t expecting much when I went into the movie. I was dreading the idea of the same jokes from the first movie repeated ad nauseam, with slight modifications of the trademark Jackie Chan stunts. While this was the case to a point, it was hardly as bad as I feared. Writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar expand the characters and plot over the course of the movie to make it feel somewhat fresh, and came up with some new comedy material as well. I even got the impression that they were writing for a slightly more exclusive audience than the first film, trying less for a movie the whole family would enjoy and more for an older audience. This was especially brought out by director David Dobkin, who gave the film a slightly darker edge to go with the mildly risqu� jokes sprinkled throughout the film. Not what I?d expect from a movie linked to Disney, but a welcome surprise none the less.

The film has a few other surprises as well. In a topical comedy like this, when a joke runs very long, it gets tired quickly. The first film was guilty of this in several scenes. However, Dobkin keeps the pace up throughout Shanghai Knights, never allowing it to get caught up in it?s own creativity for too long. A shift in style and a completely new slate of supporting characters can also do in a sequel, alienating viewers who enjoyed the first movie and want more of the same. Again, Dobkin managed to work well with what he was given, never making the film seem too contrived or irrelevant to the first film. Overall, Shanghai Knights came off as a fun ride. However, be warned that it still carries on much of the silliness of the original film. Therefore it?s not only safe, but also fairly vital to leave your brain at the door.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Entertainment Weekly's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Shanghai Noon (2000)
(PG-13)
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Jackie Chan comes to America in the 1800s to find a Chinese princess. He teams up with a train robber to take on the man holding her hostage. This movie was Jackie Chan's second American movie, which gave it a more American pacing and storyline than most of Chan's movies. He also recorded it in English, eliminating the necessity of sub-titles or dubbing. This is able to add to the fun of the movie, as Chan gets himself into several fights which he finds creative ways out of. The stunts aren't as spectacular as most of Chan's foreign movies, but it is still entertaining.

Links:
Official Studio Site

She's All That (1999)
(PG-13)
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After getting dumped by his girlfriend, a popular high school student makes a bet with his friends that he can make any girl prom queen in the short time left before prom. After his friends choose a loner art student for him, he starts trying to work her up to fitting in, only to fall in love with her in the process. The movie tends to be fairly generic, but is well made and enjoyable even while I knew what was going to happen next. The actors were able to make it seem fairly real, and the script and directing were fun enough to keep it entertaining. Overall, a teen romance film that works even while sticking to the clich�s.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Shoot To Kill (1988)
(R)
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A cop goes after a killer trying to escape to Canada through a forest. The cop is assisted by a man familiar with the wilderness who's wife is being held hostage by the killer. The first half hour of the movie isn't quite good enough to be exciting, but isn't quite bad enough to be funny. It then gets to the woods, and has some mildly exciting, though generic action. The parts that don't involve action tend to drag, but do sometimes get amusing. Overall, not great entertainment, but does have some good parts and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Links:
Roger Ebert's Review
Washington Post's Review

The Siege (1998)
(R)
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Terrorists are bombing New York into oblivion, and the FBI has to figure out what to do. This is a very well thought out story, which had me believing that it could actually happen. The story is very suspenseful, the acting is very good, and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. It also explored the ideas around "martial law" very well, showing the good, bad, and ugly of what could happen if we were ever forced to enact it.

Links:
Official Studio Site

A Simple Plan (1998)
(R)
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Three guys find a bag full of money in a crashed airplane. They decide to hold onto it until someone finds the plane, and if nobody misses the cash, they'll use it themselves. If someone does start looking for it, they'll just burn int and pretend nothing happened. While waiting for someone to find the plane (if one of them were to say they found it, it would be too obvious), several things go wrong, driving the whole situation spiralling downwards. The script was very good, showing what happens when people get caught up in greed. The acting was very good. I really believed these characters could exist and would do what they did. Over all, the film the film does a good job of showing how greed can bring out the evil in people.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Simon Birch (1998)
(PG)
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This film centers on two friends, both twelve, one of who was born so small doctors didn't think he would last his first night. The boys have to deal with many problems, some of which turn rather funny (a Christmas pageant gone haywire), other turning very serious (the friends have to deal with the fact that one of them accidentally kills the other friend's mom at a baseball game). The film was handled very well, not allowing the melodrama to bog it down too much. The acting was the hilight, with all of the actors involved turning in great performances. Overall, a very well made look at a very dramatic part in some people's lives.

Links:
The Joseph Mazzello Fan Page's Simon Birch Page

6 Days 7 Nights (1998)
(PG-13)
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After arriving on an island for a vacation with her boyfriend, a woman is called to work nearby. She talks the man who flew her to the island into flying her to her job and back, and her boyfriend stays behind to wait for her to return. After taking off, the plane encounters a storm crashes on a deserted island. The story is fairly generic, but the movie is well done for it's style. It is fun at times, and has a good sense of humor.

The Sixth Day (2000)
(PG-13)
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Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a man living in the near future who is unwittingly cloned. Since there is a law against cloning humans, the company responsible tries to kill him and destroy the evidence, leaving only one of him alive. He then fights back against the company, causing the typical action movie violence while the movie begins to explore the implications of what having the power to clone people could mean to mankind. Even though I am beginning to tire of the typical Schwarzenegger movie, this one is written, directed, and acted well enough to be fairly enjoyable.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

The Sixth Sense (1999)
(PG-13)
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Bruce Willis stars as a psychologist who works with children. He meets a boy he thinks he could help, but needs to gain his trust so that he could discover the boy's secret. To know much more about the story is almost to know too much. The film focuses almost entirely on the characters themselves, and the actors pull it off surprisingly well. The directing is very well paced, and the music adds to help make a very eery feeling. Overall, a very thrilling and very good ride.

Links:
Official Studio Site

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
(PG)
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As much a fan as I am of the science fiction and fantasy genre, and as much as I was looking forward to seeing this movie -- I was disappointed. The visual effects themselves were pretty good, but the monocrome coloring of the film really let down on what would have been some amazing cinimatography (especially when they were in the mountains). The score was entirely uninspired. Furthermore, the acting was pretty weak, despite the impressive resumes of all the actors. I think having nothing real for the actors to react to (because the whole movie was filmed in front of a blue screen) pretty much left them relying on the strength of the script -- which was unfortunately boring. All in all, this movie was by no means bad. It was just very boring.

Links:
Official Site
Bullz-Eye.com Review

Slappy and the Stinkers (1998)
(PG)
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A group of kids try to rescue a sea lion from captivity like they saw in "Free Willy". This results in them getting in a lot of trouble at school. The movie was very slow and fairly boring, but did have a few good cheezy moments that I actually found funny. Don't bother with this movie unless you're in the mood for a cheeze kids film.

Links:
Cinema 1's Slappy and... Page

Sleepy Hollow (1999)
(R)
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Based on the story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, with Icabod Crane being sent to a remote city to investigate a group of murders reportedly done by a headless houseman. The movie is very good to look at and get caught up in the imagery and how eerie it sometimes gets, and that helps to carry the story, which is not as fleshed out as it should be. Overall, good as a "just for fun" movie, but could have been a lot more with a better story.

Links:
Official Studio Site
A Fan's Site

The Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)
(R)
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A movie about a family trying to live in Beverly Hills on a very small income during the 70's, seen through the eyes of a teenage girl. The acting is good, and some of the jokes and dramatic situations work. The movie tries to be inspirational in the end, and does it fairly well, but not great. The best scenes are about the way people interact with each other (the secret female language, the girl discussing her problems with other people, ect.) Over all, decent entertainment, but nothing to get worked up over.

Small Soldiers (1998)
(PG-13)
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With an impressive cast including Jay Mohr (Picture Perfect), Phil Hartman (Sgt. Bilko), Kirsten Dunst (Jumanji), Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager - TV), and Denis Leary (Wag the Dog) and the voices of Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive), Frank Langella (Dave), Kevin Dunn (Dave), Sarah Michelle Gellar (I Know What You Did Last Summer), and Christina Ricci (The Addems Family) and crew including director Joe Dante (Gremlins), composer Jerry Goldsmith (L.A. Confidential), and animatronic design and effects by Stan Winston (Jurassic Park), this star studded movie turned out to be a very fun, although a little twisted, ride. This came as a surprise to me, since I've found that, in Hollywood, too many cooks (or big names) tend to kill the soup. This is a very good family movie (although I would leave the younger kids at home for this one, it does tend to get a little more intense than most family movies). They designed the movie to be able to play to kids and adults, and were very successful. The story is about some action figures created by a toy company with computer chips in their heads that give them intelligence. They are able to think for themselves and are programmed to fight the enemy figures. Of course, they get loose into the city, and all hell breaks loose around the house of the kid who let the toys loose. Fun and very well made.

Links:
Official Studio Site

Small Time Crooks (2000)
(PG)
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Woody Allen takes another stab at writing, directing and staring in a movie. Three thieves try to break into a bank, but the cookie shop Allen's wive opens as a cover brings in more money than they were expecting so they try to adjust as they become overnight millionaires. Allen then spends the rest of the movie trying to deal with his marriage as his wife attempts to join the members of the rich class where she never fits while he remains a slob. Although the film has it's funny moments, they are never given the time they need to really take hold. The movie seems to enjoy setting up the jokes more than actually telling them, so the humor never reaches the level it should. Overall a presentable movie, but it could have been better.

Links:
Official Studio Site (Dreamworks SKG)
Official Studio Site (Intermedia Film)

Smoke Signals (1998)
(PG-13)
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A young Indian man learns that his father has died, and another Indian agrees to give him money to get to where his dad died and get his ashes, but he has to come too. The movie focus on these two characters the entire way, showing flashbacks and continuing the story in present day. Some of the story feels forced to me, but most of it was well made. The acting was great, and the story more believable than most movies I've seen. Over all, fairly good.

Links:
Box Office Magazine's Review

Snake Eyes (1998)
(PG-13)
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A well made film centered around an assassination of a senator at a boxing match. A cop who is there at the request of the head of security for the match tries to figure out how and why the senator was killed. The acting was great and the writing was good. I really liked how interesting they were able to make the main character, but the rest were a bit shallow. The only real problem I had with the movie was that they gave away who was behind the conspiracy to kill the senator half way through the film. If they had left it a mystery until the end, I think I would have found the movie more interesting. As it is, the movie is well made and fairly enjoyable.

Links:
Official Studio Site

Snatch (2000)
(R)
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A comedy with a very fast, MTV pacing and lots of violence. The film follows several different people who all somehow become involved with a stolen diamond. The movie is full of people who aren't quite as smart about crime as they think they are, and plays on this for laughs. It is fun and has several scenes that are mildly humorous for people who enjoy fast, violent movies.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Sneakers (1992)
(PG-13)
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The movie revolves around a group of people who are hired by banks and other companies to break into their buildings to test how secure the building is. This group is called upon by the government to find a "little black box" that has the ability to break any U.S. government code, which they are told has fallen into the wrong hands. This leads to some plot twists which force the group to try to save themselves from all the different groups that want to get the box for themselves. Good acting, a good story, and great characters help make this movie a really enjoyable ride.

Links:
Roger Ebert's Review
The Washington Post's Review

Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
(PG-13)
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A newspaper writer decides to cover a trial in which could change the life of someone from his past. The story between them is played out in flashbacks during the trial, while he tries to figure out how to move on with his life. An interesting but slow film, it only mildly held my interest, never really giving out enough information to justify how long it was taking to get there. The acting was great and it had an interesting story, but it moved too slowly for it's own good.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Radio Free's Review
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Soldier (1998)
(R)
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A fairly generic but fun and well made action movie. Set in the future, a soldier is trained from birth to become an unfeeling killer. After 40 years, he is replaced by better soldiers, and left for dead on a planet that's used as a big dumping ground. He is greeted by a group of people, and then has to defend the people from the new soldiers. The special effects are great, and the action is fun. The plot is even a little interesting. Over all, I've seen it all before, but it's still fairly fun the second time around.

Links:
Official Studio Site

South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999)
(R)
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This is exactly the same as the television show, except the writers are able to get away with a lot more to get a laugh and someone decided to throw in music. The parents of South Park decide they need to do something about their kids use of profanity after seeing a movie, which gives the characters a chance to use as much profanity as possible. All of the joke are of the "push the envelope as far as possible" variety, but if you're a fan of the humor, you'll enjoy the movie. Overall, great fun for people who still secretly laugh when someone says a dirty word.

Links:
Official Studio Site

Space Cowboys (2000)
(PG-13)
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A group of former test pilots who were disbanded when the government replaced them with NASA regroup to finally get their chance to get into space to repair a broken Russian satellite. The acting is great, and although the actors are just playing the same characters they've been playing for years, they're still fun to watch. The script has many two dimensional characters and situations that never develop as much as I would have liked them to, but goes far enough to be a decent film.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Second Official Studio Site
Peter Brunette's Film.com Review
Sean Means' Film.com Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Species (1995)
(R)
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An alien gets loose in America, and it's up to a group of scientists to stop it before it kills us all. The characters and effects are very well done, and help give the movie a feeling that it could happen. I could really get a feel for the way the characters thought, which helped build the suspense. The overall movie is fun, and not as gruesome as it could have been (a plus in my book).

Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review
The Washington Post's Review

Species 2 (1998)
(R)
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Well made, but excessively gory. They brought back the survivors from the first movie and regenerated the alien. The plot is an excuse for gore and nudity, but is fairly well thought out for this style of movie (as if that's saying anything). The cast was fairly good, especially Michael Madsen (back from the original) and James Cromwell. The movie is very gross when it shows aliens being born, and they grab any opportunity to do this (which of course means that another female has to bare her breasts for another sex scene, so the alien baby can be created). good only if you like the slasher genre of films.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Dark Horizons's Species 2 Page
Radio Free's Review

Speed 2 (1997)
(PG-13)
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This movie seemed long and boring to me. It involves a cruise ship taken over by a madman, but moves to sluggishly too be a good action movie.

Links:
Cinema 1's Speed 2 Page
Dark Horizons's Speed 2 Page

Spellbound (2002)
(G)
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I have been known to sometimes cringe at the word documentary. Not that I think they're bad necessarily, just so few people seem to be able to get them right. Everything from the mundane science class educational video to the "been there, done that" feeling of reality shows on TV, something about documenting real life has become almost boring. So it was a welcome relief to finally find one I truly enjoyed. And, to my surprise, it's about spelling, one of my least favorite and most difficult subjects from school.

The film focuses on eight kids entering the national spelling contest in 1999. It spends it's first half looking into their lives, showing who the kids and their parents are, where they come from, and how they got to the nationals. The second half is the national contest itself, in all it's dramatic glory. The most interesting part of the film for me was getting the feeling of being a kid again myself, onstage along with the contestants. This helped build the tension as the contest continued on, and towards the end I was hoping there would be a stand-off between two of my favorite kids being followed by the cameras. I won't give away what happens or how far the featured contestants makes it, but I will say it is amazing how exciting a spelling bee can get with the right perspective. This is something the ESPN cameras picking up the final rounds of the contest can't always get across, but this film pulls off amazingly. Now if only movies that claim to have a plot could make me care as much for their characters.

Links:
Official Studio Site
San Francisco Examiner's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Sphere (1998)
(PG-13)
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A suspense film that follows the book a little too closely. While the movie works, I think it could have been better with a few creative liberties. The story involves a group of scientists brought to the site where a space craft of unknown origin is found. The movie loves playing mind games with the audience, but is basically fluff. Most of the suspense in the book comes from the emotions of the characters and the science lessons that author Michael Chriton keeps giving the reader working together, but the movie only has time to touch on everything quickly instead of fully explaining itself. Like The Rainmaker, this movie could have used less to do and more time to do it.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Cinema 1's Sphere Page
Radio Free's Review

Spice World (1998)
(PG)
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This is one of the cheeziest movies I've seen this year, even beating Wild Things by a little bit, and it help this movie. The movie is about The Spice Girls, not focusing on the real people, but on real people playing the images they try to create. The singers try to come off as Ginger Spice, Baby Spice, Scary Spice, ect. and do a decent job. The definite high point of the film is the cheezyness of it all, and this helps make many of the jokes work. It also eliminates the need for real acting, since laughable acting just makes it more fun. A fairly enjoyable ride, if you leave your brain at the door.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review

Spider-Man 2 (2004)
(PG-13)
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Spider-Man clashes with Dr. Octopus in the much-anticipated sequel to "Spider-Man". Peter Parker is going through something of an identity crisis; his responsibilities as Spider-Man cause him to miss class, lose his job, and even to lose Mary Jane Watson to another guy. Meanwhile, a freak accident transforms fusion pioneer Dr. Otto Octavius into Dr. Octopus, a villain with mechanized tentacles. Undetered by the accident, the Doctor is obsessed with making his fusion theories work - no matter what the human cost. In almost every way, this second installment is a vast improvement over the first. The story is more interesting, the character development is deeper, and the special effects are more believable. It's these qualities, character development in particular, that set the Spider-Man franchise apart from the other comic book films. Hopefully, other filmmakers will sit up and take notice.

Links:
Official Studio Site

Spy Kids (2001)
(PG)
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A brother and sister team up to save the day when their parents, former spies who retired to raise their children, are captured by the resident bad guy. The movie is a little shallow, never developing the characters as much as I would have like and devoting the bulk of it's time to staring mindlessly at whatever cool looking thing the movie has to offer at that moment. However, the movie still manages to be fun to watch, even if it isn't as interesting as it could have been. Overall, great action movie for for young and pre-teens, and adults most likely won't be bored.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
(PG)
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Video Pick of the Week
(7/13/03 - 7/19/03)
007 teams up with Russian agent Triple-X to stop a megalomaniac's plans for world domination. Few will argue that this is Roger Moore's best performance as James Bond. In fact, all of the film's key elements - story line, action, sexual innuendo, locale, and even acting - work exceptionally well to create one of the best installments in the series. TSWLM is also memorable for 007's car - a Lotus Esprit which transforms into a submarine (Q has really outdone himself this time!).

Links:
007.com

Star Kid (1998)
(PG)
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A fairly generic kids movie that adults will find very predictable, but kids who like this kind of movie will enjoy it. A geeky boy (Joseph Mazzello, from Jurassic Park) finds a cybersuit from another planet and uses it to beat up the school bully, and then an alien.

Links:
Official Studio Site

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
(PG)
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The eighth Star Trek flick has Captain Picard fighting the Borg on his ship and trying to correct the damage they did to earth. This movie has great character development, both for the Enterprise's crew and the new characters they made for this movie. The story was interesting, and the effects were great.

Links:
Cinema 1's First Contact Page
The Star Trek: First Contact Sector
MovieWeb's First Contact Page
Star Seeker's First Contact Page

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
(PG)
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The Next Generation Star Trek crew must stop a group acting on Federation orders to relocate the inhabitants of a planet against their will. The acting is good, as it always is with this crew, and the humor throughout the film is great. The story could have stood to be tweaked a little, to make it a more larger than life. The movie didn't seem to be as exciting as it could have been, and most of what happens has already happened in one of this crew's television episodes anyway. Still a fun movie, but it could have been better.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Dark Horizon's Star Trek 9 Page
TrekWeb's ST9 Site

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
(PG-13)
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For those keeping score, the odd/even rule is still in effect (the odd numbered Trek movies are forgettable, while the even numbered ones are watchable). This 10th installment in the series is a vast improvement over Insurrection. The Next Generation crew must help settle a Romulan political dispute that threatens the security of the Federation. In a surprisingly linear style, director Stuart Baird allows the storytelling to carry the movie without getting hung up on moral issues. Unlike many brainless action flicks, the special effects and light humor are simply the icing on the cake. Overall, a solid adventure.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Roger Ebert's Review

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
(PG)
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Video Pick of the Week
(7/6/03 - 7/12/03)
The crew of the Enterprise embarks on a training cruise, unaware that an enemy from the their past, Khan Noonien Singh, is plotting his revenge. Of all the Star Trek films, this one easily stands out as the best. With its exciting story line, engaging musical score and terrific pay off, The Wrath of Khan is a sci-fi epic that all moviegoers can enjoy, not just the loyal trekkies. A director's cut of this film was recently released; I highly recommend it.

Links:
startrek.com

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984)
(PG)
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Video Pick of the Week
(7/20/03 - 7/26/03)
The crew returns to the Genesis planet to rescue a regenerated Captain Spock. Despite being the most downbeat installment in the series, this movie is a great follow up to The Wrath of Khan. The acting, while hokey at times, is still some of the best the franchise has to offer (the final scene in particular is very well done). In fact, many would probably agree that TSFS represents the Star Trek film series at its zenith. The later films just don't have the same "epic" feel.

Links:
startrek.com

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
(PG)
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The beginning of the Star Wars story, picking up before the first three movies. It shows several of the characters from the original series and adds a few more. Unfortunately, none of the characters were developed very well in this movie. It tends to just present the story without putting any emotion behind it, and it looses the excitement and interesting characters of the previous movies. All I found interesting were the visual effects (of which many were great, but some were obvious enough to almost be funny) and the occasional new bit of information about "the force". Overall, It had great potential. If I had cared more about the characters, it would have been great, but as it stands, the special effect are the only noteworthy part.

Links:
Official Site
Star Wars Prequel Fequently Asked Questions Page

Starcrash (1979)
(PG)
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You've heard of spaghetti westerns? This is spaghetti sci-fi, if there is such a thing. Starcrash is basically an Italian rip-off of Star Wars (our theory is that George Lucas saw this film and felt so sorry for the producers that he didn't bother suing them). The film features Caroline Munro (Naomi from The Spy Who Loved Me), Christopher Plummer and David Hasselhoff (?!). The story revolves around two smugglers who are enlisted by the Emperor of the Galaxy to stop an evil Count with a secret weapon - or something to that effect. Nearly every production aspect of this movie is a disaster, most notably the special effects; the spaceships look like legos sprayed with Krylon. The dialogue, which is 90 percent dubbed, was enough to leave us in stitches; rarely did the words synch up with the actors lips. Put simply, Starcrash is cornucopia of a b-movie fun - especially if your name is Dan or Jason.

Links:
Stomp Tokyo Review

Starship Troopers (1997)
(R)
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Another good special effect movie, this time in the action category. Earth is threatened by a bunch of bugs, so we declare war on the Bug's planet. Though full of plot holes and mass amounts of gore, this movie is fun none the less.

Links:
Starship Troopers Information Page
Radio Free's Review

State and Main (2000)
(R)
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A film crew from Hollywood invades a small town in Vermont to make a movie, causing typical movie chaos. The movie is a mildly entertaining look at people trying to keep it together as their job goes off course. There were enough jokes that work to make the movie mildly amusing, and the cast and crew handled it well enough to keep my interest up in the film.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Film.com's Review
Roger Ebert's Review

Stigmata (1999)
(R)
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A atheist woman becomes a stigmatic, a condition in which she spontaneously receives wounds similar to what Jesus would have had when he was crucified. The Catholic Church becomes interested, and sends a man to investigate. He then discovers that the woman may have given him information that the church is trying to keep hidden, and tries to figure out what it is and what to do with it. The movie is very hip in a MTV sort of a way, and people offended by movies that question the motives of religious leaders probably won't like it. It is very well made for it's style of film, though, and should entertain people who grew up watching MTV.

Links:
Official Studio Site

A Stir of Echoes (1999)
(R)
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Kevin Bacon plays a man who suddenly becomes able to see ghosts. Although this movie seems very similar to The Sixth Sense, it has some small differences, and plays almost like a good sequel. The film has a very down-to-earth feel, and focuses on how the family reacts to the father being able to see a ghost. It is a goos suspenseful drama, and most fans of down-to-earth ghost stories will enjoy this one.

Links:
Official Studio Site

Suicide Kings (1998)
(R)
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A group of twentysomethings kidnap a man they believe can get back a friend who's been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. The man they kidnapped then starts trying to figure out what's happening so he can get out of the situation. The acting is fairly good, especially from Christopher Walken as the kidnapped man, although he plays his usual psycho character. The story is entertaining enough, but could have used something to make it a bit more interesting. The twists at the end are the high point, but it takes a long time to get there.

Links:
Official Studio Site
Cinema 1's Suicide Kings Page

Summer of '42 (1971)
(PG)
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A teen goes to an island for the summer and learns about the birds and the bees with the help of the other vacationers on the island, including his two best friends and a woman who's husband joined the army. The film moves rather slowly, and many films have covered the same ground as this movie, so it gets a little boring at times. This film is one of the better written, directed and acted films of it's kind though, and gives you a good look at the mind of a 15 year old boy. Over all, about a third of the movie was too sluggish for me, but the rest was fairly entertaining.

Links:
Leonard Maltin Summary Review

Swimming Pool (2003)
(R)
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Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) is an English author who is growing weary of the monotony in her career. Seeking inspiration, she accepts the invitation of her publisher to stay in his summer house in France. While there, she begins work on her next novel, only to be interrupted by the arrival of her publisher's daughter, Julie. The more Sarah learns about Julie, the more intrigued she gets. She even begins a new book centered around her, and attempts to dig up as many personal details as possible. While the interaction between Sarah and Julie produces most of the tension, the story line still tends to stagnate from time to time. Similarly, the characters lack the depth needed to fully develop the story. Fortunately, there are plenty of gratutious sex scenes to keep us from falling asleep (even Rampling gets into the act! Guess she misses Zardoz). An interesting film that could have used more punch.

Links:
Roger Ebert's Review
James Berardinelli's Review

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