Mr. Deeds ⋆
Mr. Longfellow Deeds is a nice guy from a small town who doesn't bat an eye when two money loving guys
from New York tell him that he had a great-uncle who died and left him a fortune.
One dumb scene after another, this movie follows Mr. Deeds as he
takes his overdone wholesomeness and naïveté to the big city and
ends with him buying Corvettes for all of his friends back home.
Extremely forgettable.
Bedazzled ⋆⋆
Elliot Richards (Brendan Frazier) is a pleaser who fails miserably to
be endearing to those around him. His "friends" try to avoid him
and the girl of his dreams doesn't know he exists. Then the
Devil (Elizabeth Hurley) shows up and offers him seven wishes in
exchange for his soul. This smooth-talking, beautiful woman
beguiles him into signing the contract (and tricks him out of his
first wish) and Elliot sets about trying to wish his way into the
perfect life. Along the way, he discovers that maybe the Devil
doesn't really have his good at heart. With an iffy (at best)
worldview and some objectionable content (as you can guess by the
cover) this is not on our recommended list. However, we did
have some interesting discussion about how futile it is to put one's
trust in the Devil.
How to Steal a Million ⋆⋆⋆
Starring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole, this movie is plain, old fashioned, light-hearted fun.
Devoted to her art fraud father, Audrey Hepburn enlists the help of
the sophisticated and dashing thief she caught breaking into their
home. Together they sneak into a museum to steal back the
fraudulent statue that her grandfather made and her grandmother
posed for before it gets tested by experts and her father's crooked
talents are exposed. Though Audrey Hepburn doesn't glide
stealthily through a field of laser beams and Peter O'Toole's tools
are quite a bit less high-tech than some of his more modern
counterparts, the simplicity of this movie is part of its charm.
Well-written and well-acted, this is a fun flick the whole family
can enjoy.
Rush Hour 2 ⋆
Det. James Carter (Chris Tucker) is on vacation in Hong Kong, wanting to party and meet the ladies. His
host, Det. Lee (Jackie Chan), is hard at work tracking down a Triad gang lord who may be responsible for
killing two men at the American Embassy. Things get complicated as the pair stumble onto a
counterfeiting plot which involves Ricky Tan, an ex-cop who played a mysterious part in the death of Lee's father. Throw in a power struggle among members of Tan's gang and the boys are soon up to their necks
in fist fights and life-threatening situations. A trip back to the U.S. may provide the answers about the
bombing, the counterfeiting, and the true allegiance of customs agent Isabella. This trip may
mean more excitement
than Carter really wanted.
Although Eli is generally a fan of Jackie Chan movies, he had forgotten
how much he disliked this one. When Jackie is the main character,
the humor is usually found in his amazing physical
stunts or in the cute naivety of his use of English, but here he plays the straight man against Chris Tucker's
in-your-face-obnoxious comedy. The action is fun, but not so amazing that it saves the film.
The Crow ⋆⋆
Rock singer Eric Draven and his fiancée Shelly are brutally murdered on Devil's Night, a night when the
henchmen of crime-boss Top Dollar traditionally indulge in wanton acts of violence and arson. One year
later, a crow brings Draven's restless soul back from the dead and he sets out to wreak vengeance upon
his killers. And, gifted with new powers, Draven is a little harder to stop! A simplistic and dark
plot, this movie actually has a bit more depth, with themes of redemption throughout. In the
process of taking his revenge, Draven takes down the whole crime syndicate, restores a relationship between
a mother and daughter, and helps bring a local cop to a sense of resolution. While some of the writing is clever,
the film is mostly famous because its protagonist, Brandon Lee (son of legendary Bruce Lee), was ironically
and accidentally killed during the film's shooting.
Mrs. Winterborne ⋆⋆⋆
Connie Doyle is a naive 18-year-old who runs away from her dad and
on her first day in New York meets Steve DeCunzo, a smooth talking
loser
who invites her to live with him. When he learns she's expecting his
baby, he turns her out on the streets. Down to her last
quarter after months of trying to make ends meet on her own, she
tries to go to a local shelter, but accidentally ends up on a train
heading for Boston. Rescued from the
ticket clerk by a happy-go-lucky Hugh Winterborne (Brendan Frazier),
she gratefully accepts his hospitality and cozies up with his wife
(also largely pregnant). Hugh is heading home after a long
trip in Hong Kong to introduce his wife to his family for the first
time - but they never make it. The train crashes shortly after
Connie tries on Patricia's wedding ring and next thing she knows
she's in a hospital room with a new baby and she's being called
Mrs. Winterborne! Soon the
wealthy Winterbornes take her in. At first she only goes along
with the mistake so that her baby will have a better life than she
grew up with. But soon she falls in love with her cantankerous
"mother-in-law," the Puerto Rican butler, and especially Hugh's twin brother Bill.
Just when her life seems to finally be perfect, Steve gets wind of
her change in fortune and suddenly develops some "paternal interest."
With a clever twist at the end, we've watched this more than once
and can recommend it as a cute flick.
The Inheritance ⋆⋆⋆
A fun flick for girls who love historical costume dramas,
this is a short movie based on Louisa May Alcott's lesser-known work
of the same name. Nothing deep, this sweet story ends how you
want it to: the bad guys get what's coming to them and the heroine
ends up with a dashing hero. Usually movies like this are British so it
took me a minute to get over the American accents. If the boys
are off doing something manly and you're at home with just the
girls, this would be a good way to spend your afternoon.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe ⋆⋆⋆
We first watched this shortly after reading the book and weren't very far from disgusted at the way
they tried to rewrite the dialogue (who has the audacity to think
they can write better than C. S. Lewis???). A few months later
we decided to give it another try, but it got the same response.
Having just finished the book again, we gave this movie one more
chance and were surprised at how few times we gagged. We were more understanding this time of the unfortunate need to make the plot more visually exciting
and I liked the way the White Witch played her part (but who thought
up the blonde dreadlocks?). Visually, this movie is
excellent, though I still think everyone should read Narnia first so
they can develop their own idea of that world before getting
sucked into the modern film-maker's version of it. Our main
complaints are still the dialog and the absence of Aslan's teaching
the children how to be kings and queens. While we have ceased
to think that this butchers the book, we continue to believe that it
fails to capture the heart and soul of Narnia.
Robin Hood ⋆⋆⋆⋆
Our kids will grow up loving this movie. (Either that or they'll roll their eyes at our sentimentality!)
It's a classic. There's nothing more to say about it.
Ivanhoe ⋆⋆⋆
The version that he grew up with, Eli can't dislike this
movie and, while Amanda didn't like it when she first saw it a few
years ago, she didn't think it was so bad this time. To
compare with the longer version we watched previously: Rowena is
more sweet than passionate, uses tears instead of shouts to get her
way, and Amanda thinks she looks like a babe taken straight from the
beaches of 1982 California. Rebekah is actually beautiful, but
her scenes with Brian Guilbert are drastically shortened. The
plot is significantly simplified resulting in less confusion but
also less drama. And the costumes and sets are extremely romanticized
and inaccurate (they look really fake, too!). Wamba the Fool is more witlessly lovable and
Friar Tuck unknowingly exchanges blows with King Richard.
This version's depiction of the storming of Front de Boeuf's castle
beats the other's hands-down, but the final battle between Ivanhoe
and Guilbert is lame (it's like comparing Obi-Wan's final duel with
Darth Vader to the light sabre fights of Star Wars: Episode I). Neither of us have read the book recently enough to tell you which
is more accurate and, while both have quirks, they are both enjoyable
Medieval drama.
The Ultimate Gift ⋆⋆⋆⋆
A very worthy film, we highly recommend this movie.
Jason was once rich, selfish and unthoughtful until his grandfather
died, leaving him a strange inheritance. Over the course of
the movie he receives a series of unusual gifts and in the process
he learns what life is truly all about. Just watch it and
thank us later.
 The Importance of Being Earnest
⋆⋆⋆
Much more off-beat than An Ideal Husband, some
might use the word weird in relation to this movie. It has the
same British tongue-in-cheek humor as that admirable
movie, the same hilarious comments, but on the whole it is
distinctly more trivial. While An Ideal Husband has trivial
characters and trivial lines, it also has a worthy story of
friendship and sacrifice at its heart. This movie is just
about, well, being Earnest! You might remember a line from the
venerable Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice about it being a
practice of elegant females to repeatedly refuse the addresses of a
man they secretly mean to accept. The females in this are very
elegant. If you like British humor you might get a kick out of
how the way women interact with the men they love is exaggerated in this
movie.
 Sneakers
⋆⋆
A light-hearted action movie without much depth, this
has enough plot to keep you guessing and when it's over, you think,
"Well, that was entertaining," and move on with your life.
Probably high paced action in its day, this was one of the movies
topped by Mission Impossible. But if you're in the mood to check
your brain out at the door and want some good, clean,
sneak-past-security-systems fun, give Robert Redford's Sneakers
a try.
 City of Angels ⋆⋆
A beautiful viewing experience
(if you don't mind the idea of angels invisibly walking the
earth in black trench coats), this movie's major
worldview problems offered plenty to discuss. This is the
story of a heart surgeon (Meg Ryan) who's solid atheistic
foundations suddenly crumble when one of her patients dies on
her table. A guardian angel (Nicholas Cage), ready to
receive the dead guy's soul, admires her determination to save a
life and comes to fall in love. Exploring the glories of
the human senses, this movie follows Seth as he chooses between
an eternal life of no pain with musical sunrises and sunsets and
an earthly life of love, touch, smell, and taste. However,
we believe that angels have more purpose than hanging out at the
library and patting people on the back when they have a problem.
Beautifully filmed, there was much to enjoy and the worldview
issues are obvious enough to be easy to talk about. Beware
of one scene where Seth discovers certain aspects of his new
sense of touch.
 River Runs Through It ⋆⋆
Based on a true story about two boys, sons of a
Presbyterian minister, who grow up in Montana. The two are quite
different: the older is studious and level-headed; while the younger
is more daring, willing to take risks, sometimes unwise ones.
The one love they both share is fly fishing. The theme is
learning to love what you can't understand. A well-acted movie
with plenty of lovely scenery. Worth seeing once. (One
very brief scene includes nudity—two sun-burnt backsides).
 Persuasion (the new BBC version) ⋆
It's Austen, but horribly chopped up. We
think they made this movie just to complete their collection, and
they must have done it in a hurry. Poorly filmed, awful sound
quality, bad acting. The characters are inaccurately
portrayed, and drama was sadly lacking. Not worth the time!
 The Chorus (Les Choristes) ⋆⋆⋆⋆
A wonderful foreign film. Set in a school for
troubled boys in France, a newly hired prefect (teacher) bucks the
informal disciplinary policy of "Action, Rèaction!" and
introduces the idea of reform through relationships and his own
passion for music. He starts a boys' choir, and the results
are beautiful.
 3:10 to Yuma
⋆⋆
The basic plot of this movie was far-fetched, totally
implausible. But the heart of this movie - a father regaining
the respect of his son - makes it worth watching. Violent in
the classic western style (though with modern special effects that
make it a bit more gory).
 Mansfield Park
(the new BBC version) ⋆⋆
Better than any other version, this movie still failed to
capture the flavor of the book. But then, how can it in less
than two hours? Dialogue was rushed, characters weren't
developed, and we weren't left with much reason to love the hero and
heroine. Worse than that, though, there were two or three
events that were outright changed from Jane Austen's original plot!
 Don Juan de Marco
⋆⋆⋆
We do not necessarily recommend this movie, but
we greatly enjoyed it. Definitely not suggested for any
unmarried viewers, this is almost a spoof on the idea of Don Juan,
the greatest lover of them all. A disillusioned psychiatrist's
mediocre life gets re-sparked as he listens to the remarkable
life story of a young man who (at one point) lived in a harem.
The scenes between this elderly man and his wife as their love for
each other is rekindled are endearing, while the scenes from Don
Juan's past are told in a larger than life, tongue in cheek
fashion. By the end of the
movie, we still don't know if Don Juan is who he says he is, but he
has helped those around him look at their world with new eyes.
|
 Saints and Soldiers ⋆⋆⋆⋆
A WWII movie based on true events, this is a moving story
about faith, redemption, and friendship. Four American POWs
manage to escape but find themselves trapped behind enemy lines.
Their plan is to hunker down and hide out as safely as possible when
they unexpectedly run into a cavalier British pilot with crucial
intelligence information. All of a sudden their goal changes
from trying to stay alive to trying to travel through occupied
territory ahead of the Germans to warn the Allied troops and
still stay alive. A small budget film with a huge budget look,
we're pretty sure this was written by Christians. However,
there's nothing cheesy or overdone about it and the Christian
character is one you can't help but love and respect.
Tastefully done as far as violence, this is a WWII movie the whole
family could probably enjoy. (Though it is a war movie, so use
discretion if you have a child prone to nightmares.) Highly
recommended.
 Mr. and Mrs. Smith ⋆⋆⋆
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie play John and Jane Smith, a couple with a languishing marriage due to lack of communication--
each of them has a secret they can't reveal to the other: they're both assassins! When both are "coincidentally" assigned to the
same target, their secret comes to light and they are subsequently ordered to kill each other. But it turns out there's more to
their marriage than they both realize, and they learn the values of trust and honesty.
With tongue-in-cheek dialogue loaded
with double meanings, this film is quite well-written. We really enjoyed the fact that it is
about a married couple falling in love, and
didn't mind that the plot is completely implausible - that wasn't the point. The counseling sessions - with the psychiatrist
telling them their problems are "completely normal" - are hilarious! This was just pure fun.
That said, though we know most
teens would enjoy the lighthearted story and entertaining action sequences, we believe this movie is rather raunchy and not
appropriate for unmarried viewers.
 Iron Man ⋆⋆⋆
Although as a kid I had little exposure to Marvel (or DC) comics, I used to draw my own character called
"Eagle Man." I had never heard of Iron Man, so I didn't really have any interest in seeing the movie,
but when I saw a preview, I realized that Iron Man was basically my superhero with a much cooler
storyline and an Achilles heel I never imagined.
Tony Stark is a wealthy weapons manufacturer and while showing
off his latest missile in the Middle East, his convoy is attacked; he is wounded and captured by terrorists, who
demand he build them a missile. Knowing that their promise to let him go when he finishes is a lie, he decides
instead to build a powerful armored suit and after three months manages to escape. When he arrives home he
decides to shut down his weapons manufacturing division and publically refocuses his company on energy (Ark reactor)
technology. This decision will have drastic financial consequences, and escalates tension between Tony
and his right-hand man Obadiah Stane, who has been selling weapons to both the US military and its enemies.
Over the next few months, Stark privately develops and tests a new version of his armored suit, complete with slick
weapons and flight system. Meanwhile, Stane shows his true colors, building a competing armored suit, and completing
his betrayal by stealing Tony's power supply. The movie climaxes with a huge battle between the two, and ends with
Tony revealing to the world, "I am Iron Man."
Morality-wise, Tony Stark has no problem sleeping around (this
is not focused on), but when he makes a decision to make his life count, he is willing to stick with it, no matter
what the personal cost. Overall this is not a deep film; just a flick with lots of special effects and action. There
are no really surprising plot twists, but the story, writing, and acting works well enough for it to be plenty of fun.
 Fools Rush In ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
One of our favorite movies as a couple, this tells the
story of Alex Whitman, a night club contractor from New York, who
gets a short-term job in Las Vegas. While experiencing the
cuisine at a local diner, he meets Isabel Fuentes: they have a brief
conversation about fate - and end up spending the night together.
Three months later, he's hard at work on the night club, and she
turns up to simply "inform him" that she is pregnant with his baby.
This turn of events escalates as he meets her large Hispanic family
and then proposes and marries her that night! As you can
imagine, this rushed marriage results in plenty of surprises for the
two of them - and everyone who surrounds them! Cleverly written and
delightfully acted by Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek, this movie
explores the themes of commitment, faith, trust, communication...and
a married couple truly falling in love with each other.
 Miss Potter ⋆⋆⋆⋆
Recently added to Amanda's (lengthy) list of favorites, this is a sweet movie based on the life of
Beatrix Potter, the author of Peter Rabbit and many other
tales.
Don't know how accurate it is, but it's just fun to watch with
lovely scenery, Victorian costumes, and an adorable acting job by
Ewan McGregor. Some find it feminist, but we don't know how
you can think that after watching Beatrix's friend say that all the
blessings of singleness are "hogwash" if you have someone who loves
you. Another excellent choice to watch with the girls in the
absence of the guys.
 One Night with the King ⋆
We didn't have high hopes at the outset and this movie didn't change our expectations. The Book of Esther is God's
romance novel and has plenty of drama and tension with all its,
"Meanwhile, back at the palace..." Why then did the
film-makers have to gloss over the main plot points of the divinely
inspired story and add in ridiculous, modern romanticism? We
didn't think it was worth the time it takes to say its name.
 Sense and Sensibility
(the new BBC version) ⋆⋆⋆⋆
Since we love the Emma Thompson version of this movie, we were a bit skeptical that there could be anything better
-
but this newest adaptation does a tolerable job holding its own in
comparison. I could give you a run down of which characters I
liked better in which version, but it's mostly personal preference
and might get me in trouble (for example, I liked the new Edward
much better than that wimpy, stuttering Hugh Grant - please don't
kill me!). You will get a good idea of Jane Austen's novel no matter which you watch; the older one does an
excellent job seamlessly fitting together an abridged version of the story while this one is able to include more because of its longer running time.
Eleanor bursts into tears when Edward proposes no matter which one
you watch.
 Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail ⋆
The only reason to watch this movie is so that you will know what people are talking about when they quote long passages of it from memory. Except
the quotes are usually more funny than the original. Offbeat
and random, the most this got out of us was a few oh brother's and
several rolling of the eyes.
 Ivanhoe ⋆⋆⋆
We didn't enjoy this much during the first three
quarters, but the last part made it all worth it. Overall, it
is poorly filmed with weird camera angles, cheesy choreography on
the large-scale action scenes, too much quick cutting back and
forth, and no wide-angle shots during the joust scenes. Many scenes
are short and choppy and the extra depth it tries to bring in from
the classic novel is more confusing than interesting. However,
it very realistically portrayed Medieval England in all its
gritty detail: as one reviewer commented, "You could almost see the
lice on the Saxons." Rowena is a passionate character worth
rooting for and Brian De Bois-Guilbert is a multi-faceted villain
with depth. We started enjoying ourselves during the climactic
battle between Ivanhoe and Bois-Guilbert. Surprisingly,
this was very well-choreographed and Sir Brian's last line made us almost
sorry that he had to die. Amanda especially enjoyed watching
Rowena transform from a jealous and suspicious bride to a loving and
smiling wife after Rebekah's wise and tasteful lies about what she
and Ivanhoe talked about during their imprisonment. Whether or
not this is accurate to the book, it made for a satisfying ending.
Some might find parts of this enjoyable film violent and gory, but
it's mostly cheesy and overdone, though Sir Brian does lose an eye
during his last battle.
 Miss
Congeniality
⋆
A chick flick in the standard sense, this movie isn't
worth much. The plot is one-dimensional, the humor is silly,
and there was quite a bit of gay awareness stuff layered in.
Watch While You Were Sleeping instead.
 Hitch⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
This is probably our favorite movie as a couple. We
saw it in the theater for Valentine's Day when we were engaged and
again on our honeymoon. Since then I don't know how many times
we've watched it and we still laugh every time he accidentally kicks
her in the head as he's trying to get on her jet ski! This
movie makes us smile from beginning to end and we're still smiling
as the credits roll. So, why do we like it? It's partly
sentimental: it hit the perfect nerve at the perfect time. But
it's also extremely well acted, the characters are real, and we love
Albert! Alex Hitchins is full of quotables like, "Begin each
day as if it were on purpose," and "Any man can sweep any woman off
her feet. All he needs is the right broom." Higher class
than your average slapstick romantic comedy, the humor of this movie
is in the punchy dialogue and the romance is rooted firmly in
reality. Another point we appreciate is that there are no
bedroom scenes, though there are some set in a bar where there's
some verbal innuendo.
 Anna and the King of Siam⋆⋆
Significantly dramatized and filmed in a grand, epic
scale, this movie is a feast for the eyes. With
the book by
Margaret Landon fresh in her mind, though, Amanda had a hard time
figuring out where a lot of the story came from. We don't know
how accurate the book was, but the movie bears little resemblance to
it, especially in events that happened on a national scale. A
betrayal by the king's top general, politically correct
anti-colonialism, and a scene at the end with the king dancing with
"the woman he loved," left Amanda at least confused and indignant as
the credits rolled.
 An Ideal Husband⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
Witty and brilliant, almost every line of this movie is
quotable and yet, at its heart is a touching story about sacrificial
love and forgiveness. Gertrude Chiltern is upright and
principled and her husband, Robert (with a blossoming political
career), was to her an ideal, "set apart from common life."
Their life seems perfect, but when Mrs. Cheveley shows up with a
dark secret from Robert's past it's up to Lord Goring - the idlest
man in London - to set things right again. We love the part
when... but we love every part so you should just watch it for
yourself. This movie comes with our highest recommendations.
If you're worried about very brief nudity barely seen from across a big
dark room, close your eyes for five seconds after Phipps opens the
curtains in the first scene. There is also a short
(beautiful, if I might add) scene showing how much Robert and
Gertrude love each other.
 Finian's Rainbow
⋆⋆ (Even less for Amanda!)
Fred Astaire's last film, this movie
(made under the influence of the sixties) is goofy.
Some people love the wackiness, others can't stand it. Eli
enjoyed himself but Amanda thinks the writers were high on something
(maybe it was the menthol-tobacco that the characters were trying to
create). How else could they come up with a story about
singing tobacco sharecroppers, an Irish man trying to plant his
stolen pot of gold close enough to Fort Knox that it will grow more
gold, and a white bigot who gets turned into a soul-singing black
fellow, all of which happens in Rainbow Valley, Missituky. The
leprechaun was the only part worth watching.
 Catch Me If You Can
⋆⋆⋆⋆
This has been a favorite for a while. Based on a
true story, a boy (Frank) runs away after his parents get divorced
over money troubles. Brilliant, but with hardly any ethics, he
begins a series of cons trying to get enough money to reconcile his
parents - a futile cause. Over the course of his three-year
crime spree, he impersonates an airline pilot, a doctor, and a
lawyer, all the while forging and passing bad checks. An
FBI agent (Carl) follows the paper trail, eventually capturing
Frank, but not before coming to understand that he's a lonely kid
and forming a unique relationship with him. Frank learns that
money can't buy love; experiences justice; and gains freedom through
honesty.
 Northanger Abbey (the new BBC version)
⋆⋆⋆⋆
After seeing Persuasion, we didn't expect much,
but this movie was quite good. It was well-acted, the screenplay
flowed nicely and accurately portrays the book, and the filming was
scenic, to boot.
 North and South (x2 for Amanda!)
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
One of Amanda's top three favorite historical dramas,
this movie contrasts England's Southern agricultural countryside
with her Northern industrial cities. Valuing commitment to
one's principles, it tells of Margaret Hale's father leaving the
complacent South over a "matter of conscience"; and of John Thornton
risking bankruptcy because he doesn't believe in "speculating."
Throughout it all, Margaret urges everyone to listen to the other's
point of view and face each other man to man (not master to worker;
not accused to accuser; not rich to poor). Similar in plot to
Pride and Prejudice, many men prefer this over other historical
movies set in this period because the hero is shown working hard,
not drinking tea and playing cards.
Upcoming Reviews:
Outbreak
⋆⋆⋆
Dune
⋆⋆⋆
Mask of Zorro
⋆⋆⋆
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
⋆⋆
The Interpreter
⋆⋆
Prince Caspian
⋆⋆⋆
Shawshank Redemption
⋆⋆⋆⋆
Juno
⋆⋆⋆
⋆ = Not worth
seeing. The movie has major problems, such as: being poorly
filmed, sketchy/stupid plot, bad acting, perhaps a significant
problem with the worldview presented.
⋆⋆ = The
movie may have issues, but it's worth seeing once. We won't think much about it
later.
⋆⋆⋆ = Enjoyable
and worth watching more than once. Nothing incredibly special
though, and not something we would highly recommend to others.
⋆⋆⋆⋆ =
An excellent
movie. Plot, acting, filming, themes, etc. are all quite good.
Worth owning.
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ = An
all-time favorite. The only thing dividing this from a
four-star is our personal taste. It just has something that
makes us love it. We could watch this several times a
year. |
