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Film
Prophet's Movie Reviews Page 1
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter
Film Prophet's Review...
An inspiring artistic science-fiction film by Stanley Kubrick pictures a
movie of intelligence and the classification between humans, animals,
and computer technology, which this movie believes the computer can be
the future. The movie has a few chapters showing the looks of early ape
men, lunar surface in space, and beyond the infinite Jupiter. A big
movie at the time with the USSR and the USA in the space race. the movie
has terrific art direction and visual effects, as it primarily focuses
on the scenery. Kubrick loves the use of imagery with a blend of
classical music score in the background that has become very famous.
This slow-paced poetic film for the most part was dead silent, including
the sound of human breathing within a spacesuit during some scenes. For
the acting, Kubrick's films never have a deep, stunning cast. Rather, he
just needs people who can act and lets his directing do all or most of
the work. The movie begins with the powerful, main musical score that's
heard quite frequently. Then, for almost thirty minutes, the movie shows
the life of apes with little communications and tricks of survival. They
are amazed at the newest, littlest things. Kubrick does an excellent job
without much dialogue, though, he seems to used way to many long, boring
transitions that felt the need to fast-forward from the real-time with
no speeding in the film techniques. There were many screen shots of
overviews of planets and space. The first spoken words don't come in
until the next chapter, which is the main culmination. The main chapter
shows a supercomputer named HAL of the 9000 series, who guides a couple
of astronauts to discover the origin of life. HAL 9000 can communicate
and see as he claims to be very reliable and 100% error free, but the
astronauts don't fully trust the machine as the computer tries to take
over the important mission. A ground-breaking directed movie by one of
the top filmmakers of all-time.
Final Grade: B/B+
The Station Agent (2003)
Starring Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle
Williams
Film Prophet's Review...
When his best and only friend dies, a man born with dwarfism inherits a
small place in New Jersey and stays there to live without public
attention. He wanted to be alone, but he still attracted people to him.
He befriends a talkative hot dog vendor, who enjoys every aspect of
life, and a separated wife dealing with her own problems with a loss of
a son. All three join together in a little neighborhood next to train
tracks meeting with each other time after time discussing their own
life. The story is about the life of a midget, where the screaming and
laughing doesn't seem to get to him. He is very modest, doesn't own a
phone, and doesn't drive a car as he uses his feet to travel. He also
meets a young librarian with an abusive boyfriend and a young African
girl who talks to him every so often. The story is peaceful as the tone
and direction is calm. The dialogue and acting matched just right as
everyone gave an above average show. It's the best I've seen Patricia
Clarkson. The scenery was a perfect fit as well. The sound design is
like a Puerto Rican tempo. It's a simple story, but with complicated
relationships. The midget tries to stay out of affairs, but he is pulled
into friendship. Every time he has a personal chat with his new friend,
the other person's cell phone interrupts their conversation. Phone calls
take away from what people are doing at the moment and this movie makes
phones evil. Every time a person gets contacted by phone, it's bad news.
The hot dog vendor's father is sick, the young librarian's boyfriend is
insensitive, and the woman's husband returns at her home. It shows that
everyone can dissolve in problems and not just the midget who gets made
fun of because of his height. Besides the act, the movie contains
humorous drama dialogue and the train chasing sequence is funny. "This
isn't so bad, right?"
Final Grade: B
Zoolander (2001)
Starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wlson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell, Jerry
Stiller, Milla Jovovich
Film Prophet's Review...
A male model named Derek Zoolander, Stiller, befriends a rival named
Hansel, Wilson, after being brainwashed by Mugatu, Ferrell, to kill the
Prime Minister of Malaysia. Derek is rejected by his family who consists
of Jon Voight and Vince Vaughn and stumbles upon a reporter, Taylor.
It's an average movie written and directed by Ben Stiller. What I mean
by average movie is the direction and writing is standard as it's
nothing bad or nothing too great. The movie has a big cast of stars,
including random celebrity cameos that were funny to see, especially the
unpredictable Billy Zane. Film Prophet has never liked Jon Voight's
facial expressions, but Christine Taylor has a wonderful look on screen
and Stiller was great. The story does contain some drama-like scenes
with convenient music in the background afterwards leading to the look
of the same shot at a setting of a building in the city. The dialogue
wasn't so strong and seemed daft, though, it worked well in relation to
the characters speech. Great timing of hilarious one-liners like, "It's
than damn Hansel. He's so hot right now." The story began to follow the
plot of The Manchurian Candidate a bit, so this movie is close to being
a comedy version of it. At least it beats Envy.
Final Grade: B-/C+
The Terminal (2004)
Starring Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci, Chi McBride
Film Prophet's Review...
Victor Navorski, Hanks, is an immigrant who arrives at one of New York
City's airports from his fictional Eastern European homeland, Krakozhia,
where there is a war and crisis. The airport won't let him into the city
because his nation doesn't exist as well as his passport and paper work
are unacceptable. Without a place to stay, he makes the airport's
terminal out of his home and comes across some people who work in the
airport and a flight attendance, Zeta-Jones. who draws a romance angle
with Victor. A hopeless, lost, and trouble-free man of simple honesty
brings hope to surrounding individuals in varied circumstances. There's
nothing in terms of visual effects that goes down. A fist wasn't thrown
and a gun wasn't shot. It's real people living in a real world without
major-like fantasies. The setting takes places at one airport, which is
very beautiful. Spielberg does a tremendous job every scene with camera
angles and uses lighting adequately. The movie displays humorous
situations visually and orally. There is a great balance of drama and
comedy, which makes the film elite. A funny moment after the next with
lots of laughs and a few tears. It's a film that takes a look at
Americans after 9/11 on one man closed in its border. It also reminds us
of what it can be like back in the old days. Spielberg definitely does a
great job on defining his characters and makes connections between them
with little communications. Tom Hanks was exceptional as well as the
fantastic supporting cast of characters, where the dialogue and
screenplay are above par. Catherine is always wonderful and I love
seeing Chi McBride on the big screen. John Williams also does musical
work here, who is perhaps the best musical composer in all of movies. We
are always waiting for something. The most amusing and enjoyable film of
the year thus far.
Final Grade: A-
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Starring Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts,
James Spader
Film Prophet's Review...
Andie, Ringwald, is a smart girl with beauty looks living in a poor
fashion and has a not so popular reputation in high school among the
other girls. She hangs with her friends and her childhood guy friend,
Duckie, who has always had a crush on her and always seems bothersome,
but has not admitted his feelings. A new guy from school, Blane, is rich
and with the popular guys and arrives first on scene where she works.
Andie now has a crush on him and Blane starts liking her. In this 80s
fairytale, the direction and tone was enjoyable. Yet, the movies in the
80s are characteristic where men wear their hair big and women wear big
dresses that no one today wears with long earrings. The movie consists
of crushes, lies, emblematic soundtrack, jealousy, old computer
technology, pink, staple guns, hoes, and riding bikes. An amusing story
of a typical teenage girl life during the 80s. John Hughes, the director
of the film, knows his critique very well. He has a great resume of
writing all the Home Alones, The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller's
Day Off. Film Prophet can't have a review of this movie without giving
propers to Molly Ringwald's acting performance, who was enchanting and
delightful.
Final Grade: C/C+
Jesus Christ Superstar
(2000)
Starring Glenn Carter, Jerome Pradon, Renee Castle, Fred Johanson
Film Prophet's Review...
The story of Jesus Christ is shown from the point of view of Judas in a
rock musical. Andrew Lloyd Webber composes the music as he tells the
story in a different way. The story was portrayed in a more of a dull
way of a singing Jesus. It was shown as an acted out play on a
post-modern setting of the sets that weren't pleasing. The actors looked
liked a bunch of hippies as they way over-acted. The camera liked to
zoom in and out and pan all around the setting. There's more of a focus
on the setting structure than the characters and story. The whole movie
consisted of dreary, terrible super slow scene transitions. The musical
direction was dreadful, the costume design was horrible, the singing got
infuriating, and the makeup wasn't great at all. I think I killed my
speakers by listening to this. I strongly advise you to spare your
eardrums. It was just a bunch of people wandering around without
dialogue and would just start strangely sing. Besides Jesus, the main
character, Judas, was black. Before this, the last musical I saw was
From Justin to Kelly. At least they had a compelling story direction
where the dialogue balances most of the singing. The singing and art
direction in that movie was a bit tremendous and made this movie look
like junk. This movie looks like a musical play than an actual movie as
it was meant to be on stage. Let's just all dance with Jesus and have a
glorious parade filled with annoying lyrics and screeching singing. This
isn't a movie. It's just a show... a bad one I'd say. The Who's in
Whoville were so much better. The performers should be ashamed of
themselves. If they have ever watched this movie in its entirely, they
got to be thinking it's a reason why none of them really became musical
stars yet. The dancing display was so bad, including the poor job on the
editing. The tale is suppose to be powerful, serious, and dramatic...
not with despicable behavior. Maybe that's why it is: A - a remake from
a 1973 film B - TV movie and C - Not a U.S. movie. This is an example of
a review that's all three and now you see why Film Prophet does not do
TV movies or foreign produced films. There were even tanks in the movie.
The "crucify him" part didn't come in until about ten minutes left in
the film and the sequence was just terrible. Film Prophet can finally
say, "worst movie ever." I wasted my time with this movie.
Final Grade: F
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Starring Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Warren Clarke, Carl Duering,
Michael Gover
Film Prophet's Review...
Directed by Stanley Kubrick on a marvelous adapted screenplay, the story
focuses on a gang of four innovative teenagers where they go on a riot
every night and make people's lives a misery hell. The low-life punks
with naughty behavior commit crime as they taunt and rape helpless
women. After the lead goes outrageous on the other three and on the
victims, the other three turn their back on him and leave him for the
police to find. He is sent to an institute and he agrees to aversion
therapy. He begins to receive more than equal punishment than he
committed. After being brainwashed, it is ironic now that he hates
violence. This movie is the most stood-out picture ever. Kubrick takes
the movie to an extreme point. He exemplifies grotesque horror and
torture with disturbing images. The use of "Nadsat" slang language was
effective as well as the classical score surrounding almost every scene.
The musical score grabs hold of the tension, where the main theme comes
along startling. The nature of violence in this darkly, ironic film was
brilliant and at the same time, alarming. Haunting art direction,
makeup, costumes, camera work, and film editing were the fundamental
components used by Stanley to capture the audience's attention all the
time. No one leaving from this film can forget Beethoven's 9th symphony,
where it was used to enthrall over the main character in the government
institute. The cast with no clear cut stars was enormously well acted.
The story was so convincing that the audience would feel being
discomfort and trashed around much as most of the characters. The
message is so powerful...law of society and punishing behavior where the
outcome alters a person and others. When he is sent away, the movie
shifts on a change of control and attitudes. It adjusts the fears of
physical pain on the character as he listens to lectures and preaches
when he is forced to. The theme of retribution is displayed by the other
three members when he gets out of the institute, including a man whose
wife was killed in front of his own vulnerable eyes. It questions crime
demonstrated by the government and how far they can take things without
going past the limit. A special movie... the boy who cried wolf...
filled with irony as he now is the helpless victim in the act.
Final Grade: B+/A-
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Starring George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette
Lewis, Salma Hayek
Film Prophet's Review...
Two fugitive brothers, Clooney and Tarantino, attempt to cross boarders
to Mexico from Texas. In order to do so, at a motel, they take a family
hostage in their RV who is also heading to Mexico. The family must
follow orders given or else they will die. When they stop at a bar to
meet someone, some unusual things begin to happen. Before all this, the
beginning showed the setting and atmosphere as a dangerous place. The
two brothers are outlaws as it seems they are like on a bloody crime
spree. Quentin's character is a liar, psychopath killer, and a sex
offender. A strong performance shown by Clooney and Juliette Lewis was
great. The screenplay by Tarantino illustrates the violence by the two
brothers in scary moments. Beside Ice Cube, not many people produce,
direct, write, and act. The audience is taken into the kidnapping plot
not knowing what's to come until a haunting turning point strikes out of
no where. The audience is just as shocked as the characters are on
screen by a change of event... and what I mean is that the people in the
bar are well... vampires and when they bite victims, they too will turn
into vampires. Tarantino changes the whole conflicted story around. The
brothers and the family must try to co-exist and kill the vampires to
survive now. The sequences were very thrilling to say the least and some
moments were super intense and frightening. Excellent use of violence
during the film in needed parts for the characters and the visual
effects were the key to this film basically as it's well done. Some
hilarious lines are said such as, "What's in Mexico... Mexicans,"
"Welcome to slavery... no thanks, I already had a wife," and "A
time-life book... I mean a real book." What an extreme adventure! Do you
believe in vampires?
Final Grade: B/B-
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Starring Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Wiley Wiggins, Michelle Burke,
Esteban Powell, Ben Affleck
Film Prophet's Review...
On the last day of school at a high school, the seniors take charge
against the incoming freshman as everyone attempts to get drunk, laid,
or stoned during the final day. The football players are also asked to
sign a petition not to do that stuff by their coach. The movie takes
place in a small town Texas in 1976, where the year can be related to
the dress of clothes, cars, drugs, big and long hair, and t-shirts. It
examines one day at the beginning of school to the end of the night. The
movie worked a great side on both gender roles where the seniors are
hazing the freshmen. It seems as though they don't have a care in the
world at the moment and their spirit is blessed with freedom. With the
new freshman arriving in, the story shows the significance of superior
tease over the lesser with the bullies trouble the freshmen. An
excellent soundtrack filled with rock music. In this teenage party film,
it is strictly just the social life of teenagers and their bonds along
with beer, goofy stunts, a party, and driving around at night that are
observed. For everyone, it's an age of growing up and sharing the times
they have with friends. "That's what I like about these high school
girls. I keep getting older, they stay the same age."
Final Grade: B-
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Gemma
Jones
Film Prophet's Review...
Bridget Jones, Zellweger, is a single working woman in her 30s who
decides to keep a diary as a New Year's Resolution where she will shape
up her life. In order to do so, she will keep the truth inside the diary
as a personal change of clothing, weight, communicating, and men. She
begins to take an interest in two men, where one of whom is her
co-worker, Grant, and the other is her common acquaintance, Firth, where
Bridget seems to come across every now and then. Firth makes a random
appearance in every social party and occasion where Bridget keeps
running into him. Zellweger uses voice overs as if she is writing in her
diary. All the actors do a fair job with a great use of British accent.
Recently, Firth has become a great supporting actor in these types of
movie situations. The performance by Zellweger is what charms the movie
over. She was so great at acting every moment with charisma and
personality. In various times, she was amusing providing excellent
thoughts from her diary that were laughable. The witty direction
examines a woman who is fed up with her use of cigarettes and sex life
and she begins to take control. The movie showcased a great romantic
soundtrack and adult-level dialogue. Though, there were some slow
moments of patterns in the film where she must come to a decision
between Firth or Grant. In between her complicated relationships, there
is a theme of understanding your true self.
Final Grade: B-/C+
The Stepford Wives (2004)
Starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Glenn Close, Bette Midler,
Christopher Walken, Jon Lovitz
Film Prophet's Review...
A recently departure TV show president, Kidman, of shows of balance
power between genders that focus on women always winning suffers a
breakdown and is moved out of Manhattan by her husband, Broderick, to a
well-mannered community of Stepford, Connecticut. They find out all the
wives are harmonious as they try to find out what's going on there
before it's too late. The clothes, houses, and basically everything
seems up-tight in a glistening, comical style. Stepford is like perfect
with no poverty or crime, mainly because everybody in the film is white
(drum hit). After the first hour, it turns into a deeper tone that moves
quickly. The delightful, gleaming cast is one of the highlights of the
film. The thing I like about Broderick is that he didn't stop acting
after Ferris Bueller even with a couple of failing movies as he kept
going. Likewise Brad Pitt, Kidman is always wonderful in every role she
chooses. Kidman pulls the audience into her every move and the comedy on
the most parts grabbed me in because it was distinctive from most comedy
films. The direction of the comedy performances was really on hand. Yes,
the CGI dog robot falling down the stairs was a bit funny and Glenn
Close's laugh and cheerful personality was amusing. If you don't find
this movie funny for the most part, you have no sense of humor. The AOL
thing was neat... "is that why the women are so slow?" Besides the
comedy, the movie was inimitable because it's a mystifying fantasy that
examines why these wives are so perfect-like while their husbands are
all just average males. The supporting women are endearing with ideal
figures and flawless smiles. A peculiar ending, but unveiled some great
themes of happiness, romance, beauty, and precision. An enjoyable movie.
Final Grade: B-/B
Sleepers (1996)
Starring Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Brad Renfro, Brad Pitt, Ron
Eldard, Billy Crudup, Dustin Hoffman
Film Prophet's Review...
Directed by Barry Levinson, four childhood friends acted so cruel one
day to a hot dog vending man that the result paid a big price that
changed their lives forever. All four are sent to a reforming school
where several guards torture them horribly with strict rules, violent
orders, and even commands that led to sexual encounters. When they get
out of prison many years later, they are now adults as they get their
chance for revenge. It's a cast with a no true lead, yet, an ensemble.
Hoffman is a lawyer who comes in later in the movie as he has won zero
cases. De Niro is a priest who is admired by the four boys. Brad Pitt's
appearance in the later half of the film completely surprised me. I'd
got to say Pitt is outstanding every time he's on screen for any movie.
Bacon's character was the true enemy in the movie. He was the lead tense
tormenting guard towards the four boys who gave them pain, suffer, and
memories as they had to be tough and strong. Bacon was absolutely eerie,
but in the end, throughout the entire movie, there was hell to pay
either way. In the beginning of the film, there was a voice over
narration that began to setup the film focusing around its setting,
atmosphere, and characters, where the scenes moved around too quickly
going character by character on hand every minute. The direction was
weary because there was more than fifty scenes and some of them could of
been taken out to make the movie shorter in case for a stronger
concentrated drama. Besides of the cast, the whole movie flow was
average. The drama was average, too. A story about friendship, abuse,
and payback. A long ever modifying journey. "There's a first time for
everything."
Final Grade: B-
Garfield: The Movie (2004)
Voice of Garfield by Bill Murray Starring Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love
Hewitt, Stephen Tobolowsky
Film Prophet's Review...
The character of Garfield is in a CGI version of the comic fat cat
himself who has it made until he's up against a dog named Odie. Odie
gets attention now from their human owner, Jon. After Odie is kidnapped
by a ruthless TV dog trainer, Garfield feels a bit responsible so he
gets out of the house and finds his friend. Hewitt is Garfield's
veterinarian and Jon's romantic interest. In the movie, it looked to be
more on the funny side for young children as it is nearly entertaining
for the most part. The dialogue by Garfield isn't what he would really
say in comics. Most parts intended to be humorous, but failed at some
times. It's only seventy minutes in length, which is more or like a TV
special. Garfield is a talking cat who speaks English to his owner Jon,
though it doesn't seem like he knows he talks as Garfield addresses his
thoughts on his mind in voice or else this would be a silent movie for
the most part. Odie doesn't talk, but Garfield's friends communicate
with him. Despite the fact, Garfield is relatable to most humans:
Conceited, likes to watch TV a lot, becomes jealous of others, lazy, and
eats too much food. It hurts me to think that this movie should of came
out in the mid-90s when pet talking movies like Homeward Bound were a
bit prestige. The holiday cartoons are really where Garfield is at his
best. The peculiar direction is not in the best of shape, though, it
follows the original story and keeps it cool at times. The whole
Garfield to the rescue sequence was neat to watch. A wonderful,
emotional end that elevated the entire movie.
Final Grade: C
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Julia
Roberts, Andy Garcia
Film Prophet's Review...
Danny Ocean, Clooney, just got out of prison from stealing. He joins up
with a partner, Pitt, to plan a robbery of three Las Vegas casinos in
one night that's worth one-hundred fifty million total. They are against
huge odds of making it work, so they organize the plan with a crew they
recruit of nine others. Danny Ocean's ex-wife, Roberts, is paired with
the owner of the casinos, Garcia, as Danny must choose between getting
her or the millions... if it works out above plan, he can take both
somehow. The tone and setting of the film came off excellent as it
provided the smooth direction to match with the swiftness of the
dialogue. The chemistry between Clooney and Pitt was great to see,
including the extraordinary cast on display down to the last supporting
performer. Don Cheadle is part of Ocean's Eleven and he is perhaps one
of the top supporting character actors in the past ten years. Also, if
there's one actor who always finds his best roles, it's got to be Brad
Pitt. He is great in every role as he is excellent here as well. There
are also some humorous moments throughout the film. Along with hidden
schemes of Ocean's plan carried of task by task through each character's
attributes, the story makes the criminals look like the protagonists.
The better than first-rate plot had a magnificent working screenplay in
the movie that worked every corner and angle with releasing tons of
energy. A great ending.
Final Grade: B+/B
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Starring Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans,
Christoper McDonald
Film Prophet's Review...
The lives of four individuals are affected by drug usage. A widow
mother, Burstyn, gets hooked on diet pills after finding out she will
make an appearance on TV. So now, she wants to lose weight to fit in a
red dress she wore to her son's graduation. Her son, Leto, makes a
living on various drugs. Including in the addiction is his girl friend,
Connelly, and his friend, Wayans. First, the aspects of the movie... on
some scenes, the screen divides in half while the sound moves from left
from right when the sound is made from the side of the split screen.
This is shown during the relationship between the mother and son before
the mother gets on the pills. Later, they meet again and the split
screen isn't there anymore because both of them are now on drugs. The
camera work uses some freaky zooms of drug intakes as screen transitions
come from pans that speed up on close shots. The odd, unusual aging
mother makes a big deal out of everything she comes across that ponders
the value of happiness with her old friends, but it's probably pretty
typical around the world of her acts and such. The mother watches a paid
programming show on TV, which seemed to be always on her television no
matter what. It got repetitive, but we find out more about the
commercial each time she watches it again. The host of this show was
McDonald, who is always great to watch in his supporting roles, while
the crowd is excited and chants several phrases such as, "Be be
excited!" He claims the juices program changed his life in three ways...
three ways. He first points out no red meat, so the mother acts on that.
The movie then later on reveals the second of no refined sugar, so the
mother takes this advice. Expecting to go on TV and lose some weight, it
becomes serious as the third does not come in clear and is mumbled away
because it's what the mother is hearing, since the drugs have taken her
in. It never tells us the third and leaves it mysteriously open. As from
the start, the characters start off with mild addictions as then they
become serious and frustrated of things that aren't going their way. The
main cast of actors showcased strong, anxious acting that was profound.
Leto was superb and Wayans can do drama performances, while Connelly was
fine, but not her best work. The dialogue felt dragging and depressing
as it gave the movie a disturbing tone with the very well composed
musical score. The first-rate makeup and setting designs gave the
visuals an unique look. The characters faced challenges of irrational
problems that they did not deal with correctly as the movie sends an
anti-drug message out there. The film pictures an inimitable society
based on standards that poses on what people should be because it's on
television and it's what people see in medium forms. Everyone had to
feel great about themselves all the time to match up. There's so much
pressure in the world in this movie and it shows an extremely brilliant
side of it. The story focuses on the most irritating things a person can
suffer through, and then exposes it even more. It exemplifies the fears
of being old and lonely and always worrying about what's to come next.
The most sickening, twisted finish ever out of turning events. The exact
end touched Film Prophet's heart sincerely. "We got a winner... we got a
winner!"
Final Grade: B+
The Red Violin (1998)
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jean-Luc Bideau, Jason Flemyng, Sylvia
Chang, Greta Scacchi
Film Prophet's Review...
To the present day from 17th century Europe, a prominent violin, known
as the red violin, is about to be auctioned. During the auction, the
story reveals the history of the violin and the various people it had
affects on before the finish of the auction happens. The movie
introduces a new character into the auction as then the movie flashes
back to discover another chronicle story of people that encounter it
through the construction of the violin, from various stations of
society, to present day. In the beginning of the film, the wife of the
constructor picks five cards from a fortune teller as the teller reveals
each card one by one to determine the future. Her husband had future
plans of a newborn child to use the instrument as this begin the
sacrifices that had to be made. The views are always different and
something is added to the expedition. The powerful story follows the
course of the violin, where people risk to keep the violin in safe
hands, as it starts in the Golden Age and traces forward. Music was one
of the forms of entertainment with passion that was taken serious as it
will begin to diminish through time. The violin gave people in different
generations something to act upon and cherish as they would be in
merriment, but tragedy would strike at the end of their road. The film
is shot wonderfully and the visuals are broaden enhanced by the
astounding musical score. From French language to Chinese, the current
day is spoken in English where Jackson is a violin expert with dignity
and becomes obsessed with the red violin when he discovers the
collection its had. The timeline of the movie is also pretty impressive
and keeps the settings vivacious. The journey of the violin designated
to rebirth among those who had the fortune to use its distinctive
qualities. A histrionic, final conclusion to the violin and the movie.
"You need a lot more than inspiration."
Final Grade: B
National Lampoon Presents
Dorm Daze (2003)
Starring Marieh Delfino, Patrick Renna, Cameron Richardson, Chris Owen,
Edwin Hodge, Tatyana Ali, Boti Bliss, James DeBello, Danielle Fishel,
Jennifer Lyons, Tony Denman
Film Prophet's Review...
Film Prophet thought to give the majority of the young cast credit
because they all deserve attention after this movie. Most of the
performers were enjoyable as they were recognizable with familiar faces
from past films. On a day just before Christmas break, a student hires a
prostitute named Dominique for his roommate and at the same time, a
French foreign exchange student, also named Dominique, arrives in the
dorm building. There is also a couple of estranged relationships
involved in the dorms and a case of a purse with thirty grand inside,
thus, this ensues a cycle that displays confusion among each other with
mistaken identities in the co-ed dorm. That's just the beginning as the
plot gets twisted and it presents an all-around dorm rage. The movie
starts off common like other teenage college films where guys talk about
having sex with alternative music in the background. Yet, some of it is
tiring to hear of over and over, but then the story gets out of control
and it becomes pretty wild and entertaining that grabs the viewer into
the movie. The movie focuses on one day in the same dorm. Although,
everyone has their own circumstances that has to be met, including
several incidents and problems, so it's all nuts as they all counteract
scene after scene through brilliant character intersects. The movie is
truly crazy, bizarre, and clever that acts so fast that there's so much
going on inside one dorm building. Yet, the movie is more involved in
the up-beat plot than delivering comedy. The plot needs to be resolved
in the middle of the film to calm the tension down a bit, but it doesn't
happen. This is where the extremely well developed plot kicks in with
mysteries and schemes that will eliminate the need of tons of comedy
presence every minute. An infrequent crazy movie where the ending will
awe you.
Final Grade: B-/C+
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi,
David Huddleston
Film Prophet's Review...
Jeffrey Lebowski, Bridges, known as The Dude, is not your ordinary hero.
He is a lazy slacker who is unemployed when one night a couple people
break in his house and his rug is peed on. He gets upset over the fact
his rug was pissed on as he finds out there is another Lebowski in town
who is a millionaire, Huddleston. His wife owes some pornographers a lot
of money as The Dude gets tied up into a complicated tale involving The
Big Lebowski's proclaimed kidnapped wife and a million dollars. Bridges
and Goodman act at slobs who are Vietnam veterans where they are
hilarious at times dropping the f-bombs minute after minute and using
the nickname, Dude, repeatedly. Both characters look different from the
actor to make them look like bums. The music and setting selection is
peculiar, while the dialogue was descent, but weary at times when the
movie escapes the story into fantasy dream sequences of The Dude that
were a bit futile. Goodman's character is angry and egocentric, who
takes bowling very seriously and plays by the rules. The camera seemed
to like close ups of Jeff Bridge's legs here and there also. Great
bowling moments, yet, a big portion of the movie takes place in the
bowling alley as it never shows The Dude bowl once. The storyline
element is absolutely astounding by the Coen brothers. The Dude is
caught up in the middle of all the trouble, where there are laugh out
loud comedy moments. It's a narrative of just a man who has his ups and
downs, where he gets involved in mistakes for the other Lebowski until
his friend, Goodman, thinks otherwise and starts questioning the plot.
"Ah, f*ck it dude. Let's go bowling."
Final Grade: B+/A-
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Starring Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Harvey
Keitel
Film Prophet's Review...
Five strangers are organized to steal some diamonds, however, the police
were on scene before they can make the easy getaway as they hideout in a
vacant warehouse to discuss what happened. They now suspect one of them
is a rat in the group as the movie goes on a course in flashback mode to
introduce several characters given the names Mr. Colorname like Mr.
Pink. It shows us what happens before the crime starts and ends while
the missing pieces come in at the end. The opening scene had talks of
Madonna's Like a Virgin and why not to tip a waitress, which was comical
and at the same time, thought provoking. Now this is a movie with
magnificent acting by the cast of men. Buscemi gives a strong,
meaningful uproarious performance as its his best role of his career.
Quentin Tarantino also does a stupendous job directing and acting in the
film as he delivers an astounding, unique film that's hilarious, cool,
and innovative. You'll laugh so much, you might begin to choke on your
food. He used great camera angles that transfers the looks of several
characters when words are spoken by others. The screenplay is excellent,
where too many movies have tried to copy the look and development of
this movie. The drama had powerful, loud top-notch dialogue that was
always a step ahead. "You don't need proof when you have instinct."
Final Grade: A-
Blade Runner (1982)
Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah
Film Prophet's Review...
Directed by Ridley Scott, set in Los Angeles 2019, a retired Blade
Runner, Ford, is needed and forced to re-enter the unit when five
replicates escape from an offworld colony to Earth Before time of the
movie, blade runners, a special police unit, fought off the replicates,
who are manufactured biotech human commodities with fixed lifespan that
will expire. These replicates don't know much about themselves as they
are expected to be terminated upon detection. Ford is the man hired on
the job and through questionings and photographs, he must find out who
the five replicates are and eliminate them. The inventive and redolent
film was technically trendy with its art direction and visual effects.
Of course, when movies before 2000 think future twenty-first century,
they show flying automobiles. This film defies science-fiction
ambiance to a mesmerizing degree. It is its standout aspect which is highly
well known for its cinematography. The science-fiction film pictured a dark,
cloudy-like atmosphere, outstanding makeup, and the dialogue sometimes however was a bit off-centered from the
point. Ridley Scott is a top director in the industry as his direction
is the same in most of his movies. He uses long pauses to forecast a
look at the surrounding, less significant dialogue, a slowed down pace
until the end, and without many in your face sequences. In the puzzling and dense story, Ford knows that replicates
don't have families and begins to have feelings for one of the five,
Young, as she may be implanted with memories. Sean Young and Daryl
Hannah, both females, were both captivating, especially the presence of
Young. These replicates have mesmerizing character attributes and
deaths. Though, with some sorts of benevolence showings, the movie
rarely contained any sort of happiness, smiles, and jestings as for most
of the movie, it was ghastly and that is what the movie wanted, which
creates an incredible atmosphere and locale. "Where did I come from? Where am I going?
How long have I got? All I could do was sit there and watch him die."
"It's too bad she won't live, but then again, who does?"
Final Grade:
B+/B
Risky Business (1983)
Starring Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Curtis Armstrong, Joe Pantoliano
Film Prophet's Review...
A smart suburban teenager, Cruise, who plans for the future at
Princeton, is home by himself as his parents leave for vacation. When he
mistakenly wrecks his father's Porsche, he must raise enough money to
get it fixed. In the beginning of the movie, Cruise's character has
dreams and fantasies about his future in college and with a girl and
hopes it won't be ruined. He expresses his thoughts using voiceovers as
the camera looks in first person. He is on track to go to Princeton,
though suddenly, a mysterious female, De Mornay, arrives at his house
after a phone call made to her to spend the night. Cruise finds out she
wants to get away from her pimp, Panoliano, as she stays in Cruise's
house. Cruise's character plays innocence here for a bit, until he
starts to take his best friend's advice towards every once in a while,
you got to say what the f*ck and take some chances. After several things
go wrong, he starts his own service business in his house one night with
several females and his high school friends in need for raising money.
Of course, when everyone thinks of this movie, they would first think of
the dancing scene with Cruise in his house with music on and his pants
off. The scene is quite over-rated, yes, but it's an ageless moment. The
direction is on the settling side as there were not many exciting
sequences, rather merely vivid, with a great soundtrack. It turns out
with the girl he meets that he has the time of his life.
Final Grade: B
Blue Velvet (1986)
Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern, Isabella Rossenllini, Dennis
Hopper
Film Prophet's Review...
After his father is hospitalized, his son, MacLachlan, finds a human ear
on his way home in a field. Not pleased with the police's reaction, he
and the detective's daughter, Dern, try to find out what's going on.
What happens appears to be drugs, kidnapping, and murder led by an evil
man, Hopper, who has taken in a peculiar woman, Rossenllini, and her son
as she is forced to do troubled things. The movie kicked off with a very
disturbing beginning that started off pointless and needed over sixty
minutes to develop. It contained a below average set-up and musical
score with horrible cinematography. The direction by David Lynch tried
to make the suspense look cool, but it was so sluggish. There were way
too many boring scenes with terrible sequences in the first hour as the
acting and dialogue was poor. Film Prophet still doesn't like Kyle
MacLachlan, infact, he is awful. Then, Film Prophet was finally relieved
when Dennis Hopper came on the set thirty minutes within. Hopper was the
best part of the film as he was incredible and with him, this movie was
not all that bad. His tremendous character voice had some hysterical
lines such as when he asks MacLachlan what kind of beer he drinks,
MacLachlan responds with Heineken as Hopper shouts out, "Heineken? F*ck
that sh*t! Pabst Blue Ribbon!!" and "Let's f*ck... I'll f*ck anything
that moves." On the mystery, the story contained a weird affair between
MacLachlan and Rossenllini while he is in love with Dern. The movie
shows that there is a strange world out there that is hidden and kept a
secret.
Final Grade: C+
The Defiant Ones (1958)
Starring Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Theodore Bikel, Cara Williams
Film Prophet's Review...
Two convicts, one white, Curtis, and one black, Poitier, run away after
a truck carrying the two crashed during the night. To make progress to
go many miles to catch a train with their wrists chained together, they
have to work, survive, and communicate together. As they attempt to cope
along with each other, the cops and the dogs are after them as one
claims, "They probably will kill each other before they go five miles."
A great on-screen pair of Curtis and Poitier as their performances were
eminent, as this movie was just the beginning for Poitier. Noticing that
they share comparisons, they begin to develop respect and companionship
as the story carries on. At the time the movie was filmed, it was
unusual to see a white man together with a black man on-screen, but in
this case, they are chained up and running to get away from not each
other, but from the cops. The story was momentous, mentioning different
topics as well as the use of the word thanks. The black and white
cinematography was dark-effected with dimmed lighting. A gratifying,
soothing movie.
Final Grade: B/B-
Dances with Wolves (1990)
Starring Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant
Film Prophet's Review...
Directed by Kevin Costner, the historical drama that earned best picture
and best director at the Academy Awards shows John Dunbar, Costner, who
accidentally became a hero to leave a troop to a victory during the
Civil War. Courageous, unafraid, and independent, he is desired to be
posted at a frontier afterwards before it's gone. He comes to an
abandoned old soldier fort to wait for men to return as he finds out he
is not actually alone as he has to mangle with the Indians and wolves.
Since he has trespassed on their believed territory, he must communicate
with wild animals and repugnant Indians, who dislike whites. Knowing
that they don't speak the same language, he makes impressions on the
Indians showing white customs and the meaning of trade while the Indians
gradually assimilate their on culture on him. Dunbar becomes friends
with the tribe and discovers a white woman who can speak some English in
the tribe. He gets respect from the Indians as he loses his white man
customs. Seen literally dancing with a wolf at a fire, he earns the
nickname 'Dances with Wolves.' The sound and cinematography were
beautiful as it shows real conditions and life at stake while looking
for scarce buffalo. With great acting, it kept the three hour movie
active. The movie shows Indians are made to be savages to whites when
first encounter, but they are truly devoted and dedicated to family and
their own culture. It illustrates the transformation Dunbar has moving
into the Indian culture as he looks at himself in a new way now. It
seems like they are all on harmony as then the movie begins to show that
it is the whites who are actually the vicious murderers. They make more
progress on failure than success.
Final Grade: B+/B
Club Dread (2004)
Starring Brittany Daniel, Kevin Heffernan, Jordan Ladd, Bill Paxton,
Samm Levine
Film Prophet's Review...
It's all fun at Pleasure Island, owned by a has-been singer, Coconut
Pete, until an unknown killer is on the loose murdering a group of young
people one by one then onto the next. Surrounded by wild males and
appealing females, the staff must track down and solve who the murderer
is in order to get off the island before they get killed. This movie is
an example that Hollywood needs to stop making teenage serial killer
movies. They have been way too common in the past years and their box
office sales have gone down the pipe. They aren't really scary or making
anyone laugh so hard that they are on the ground rolling. Let's face it,
it got stale a year after I Know What You Did Last Summer was out.
Scream went too far with three of them, but then they got smart and
stopped. With weak comical suspense that had no determined plot and poor
expositions, it was just a bunch of insecure young people on an island
where one is alone for no apparent reason to be sliced by some
psychopath in a dark costume as the camera makes a sharp turn away from
the clip at the moment the knife is raised. The killer never seems to
slow down even though when the killer gets hurt. Also, there are a
couple of Stifler wannabes who use horny phrases with foul language.
Nothing will match up to Stifler and it's only funny with Stifler does
it because his character has an original acquire to it. Though, credit
is given on some moments that were creative as the direction moved quite
smooth while it was somewhat entertaining, which is a small plus. No
matter how fast they run and how slow the killer walks, most of them
never escape in time.
Final Grade: D/C-
The Manchurian Candidate
(1962)
Starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury
Film Prophet's Review...
Raymond Shaw, Harvey, returns to the U.S. from the Korean War with a
medal, but his platoon don't really remember what happened. It is said
that Raymond saved their lives, though, what really happened was they
were brainwashed and hypnotized when they were captured during war,
especially Raymond. The opening scene shows a group of soldiers on land
as it appears they are going on a helicopter, yet, the film does not
show what happens after as we skip right to the U.S. At night, two of
the soldiers start have recurring, wicked dreams, which leads to
nightmare exhaustions, as Ben Marco, Sinatra, decides to investigate
Raymond. The question is what is controlling Raymond with the effects he
has at home... he is commanded by a trigger found out later in the film
and Ben wants to know what is going on. Raymond's past consisted of a
lovely girlfriend, whose father becomes a Russian president nominee,
where Raymond's controllable mother pulls him out of the relationship
and into the Army. The tension existed of Communism and the red scare,
attempting to remove the fear of any left-wing associations. The movie
is well-plotted with bright dialogue and first-rate acting. The film
editing was terrific, as the movie used scene dissolves into
brain-washing sequences. A stylish look to the movie. Marco must help
Raymond so that he must understand to carry on by telling him what is
brainwashing him before things get worse and it's too late. A staggering
ending... a tremendous movie all around.
Final Grade: A-
Basic Instinct (1992)
Starring Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne
Tripplehorn, Wayne Knight
Film Prophet's Review...
In this erotic murder mystery, a detective who used to drink and smoke,
Douglas, investigates a sex murder as he encounters a manipulative and
attractive woman, Stone. The murder is related directly from one of her
novels she wrote. Douglas' character gets too involved as he becomes
part of her next novel that she is writing it as it happens. Deep, dark
situations containing unknown lies leads to questioning of psychopath
behavior. Stone's character believes she can get off the hook because
she is attractive and thinks she can get away with it, but that's not
just it. She is a rich lesbian who enjoys sex with men to get pleasure
out if it as she writes books before the events happen. Douglas gets
involved with her as she also has a jealous lesbian friend. A great part
of the movie was the steamy questioning scene where cops ask Stone
questions about the murder. Afterwards, she passes a lie detector test
as Douglas believes there are faults in the test as she is lying. The
plot opens up conspiracy with affairs and trickery going behind people's
backs. What are the evil motives behind the opening sex murder... who is
involved... you just can't tell about people, even the ones you know
inside out. The plot is fascinating that includes set-ups by characters
with suspicions. Douglas is so powerful in this film while the dialogue
is superb and the direction is great. A twisted, intense final clip.
Final Grade: B
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
(1986)
Starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffery Jones
Film Prophet's Review...
Ferris Bueller, Broderick, decides to take a day off from school by
pretending he is sick to stay home. As a kid who knows all the tricks to
get out of things, he sets plans for the day. First, his best friend,
who is really sick at home and is afraid of most things including his
father, is persuaded by Ferris to use his father's Ferrari as then they
get Ferris' girlfriend out of school. Furthermore, the principal, who
gets no respect as he is in disbelief with proof of Ferris' bad
attendance record, tries to hunt him down. His frustrated sister is
tired of Ferris getting away with everything in the eyes of her gullible
parents. Ferris, along with his best friend and girlfriend, take off
from school in adventurous day in Chicago as they try to get away with
it without anyone noticing. An original movie by John Hughes presenting
classic moments like being sick with a phony fever in bed before school
and Ben Stein taking attendance roll. The slackers parade a day in
Chicago as it turns out to be the best day of their lives. Moreover, the
direction is the only downside to the film as there were times in the
movie where there were several slow transitions that lacked the pace at
awkward moments. Nevertheless, it's a great, timeless teenager fantasy.
Final Grade: B-/B
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Starring Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
Film Prophet's Review...
The movie explores the view of youth in women's soccer in Europe,
although, it's called "football" in England. Not a U.S. film, there are
two young females, who each have soccer talents, where one is an English
girl and the other is an Indian girl, where the Indian girl's potential
is denied by her family including a non-encouraging mother and a sister
who is about to get married. The coach of the team pursues the Indian
girl to be on the team after the English girl invited her over for a
try-out. Both girls would like to go to America in hopes to get in a
college and play professional soccer. However, the Indian family wants
her to stop this "football" non-sense and stick to family values and
tradition. She tries to stay on the team, where she might be involved in
a love relationship with the young British coach. In the world's most
popular sport, the story is just mild and set-up is typical. Keira was
wonderful, but the rest of the movie didn't live up. It wasn't funny at
all as the movie circled around an Indian family's religion and country
views, including arranged marriages. The real drama came during the
conflicting times of her final match and her sister's wedding, but the
drama wasn't released there as expected as it tried to turn more
comical, but it was not successful. The movie does prove people can
change in various situations.
Final Grade: C-/C
The Day After Tomorrow
(2004)
Starring Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emmy Rossum, Arjay Smith, Ian
Holm
Film Prophet's Review...
A climatologist, Quaid, tries to warn and save the world from a
dangerous global warming attack. He makes a promise to his son,
Gyllenhaal, that he would get to him in New York City, while it is being
take over by an Ice Age. Freezing temperatures, hurricanes, floods,
earthquakes, tornadoes, and other related catastrophes that raises the
level of a change in the environment. With eye-popping dazzling,
disastrous special effects, doomsday occurs on the day after tomorrow of
the notice. The movie sends a message of global warming to show what an
Ice Age could look like if one happens in the far-out future. The
preparations people make today for the future will be non-existent and
erased come the danger posing to mankind. It shows mother nature is
stronger than humans as nature can not be controlled. Animals have a
sense of upcoming hazards as there seems like there is no hope during
the disaster. Humans must survive this attack that caught them off
guard. The movie pin points on the Earth as if it were in an end as
people are just a standard of living now. The pictures and sound were
powerful, although, the dialogue was a bit weak, but the acting was
above par for an average cast in a big budget film. The movie shows how
science can truly dominate over law and policy. Emotional occasions
occur in the film with a vision of a scary thought of the world coming
to a halt. The ending had to be.
Final Grade: B-
Back to the Future Part III
(1990)
Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Lea
Thompson, Thomas F. Wilson
Film Prophet's Review...
As continuing from 1955, Marty receives a letter from Doc Brown written
back to the year 1885. Marty finds out on a tombstone that Doc Brown
died in 1885 weeks after writing the letter. So, Marty finds the
time-traveling machine hidden in a cave where Doc Brown left it as Marty
travels to 1885 to keep Doc from being murdered from yet another member
of the Tannen family. However, saving Doc leads to a number of obstacles
before going back to the future. The movie never loses any sense of
craziness as they try not to mess up their lives even more. The chain of
events are all out fanatic with re-occurring scenes. There is a
progressive change of generations in the McFly family from great, great
grandfather to a great grandson. Tannen is perhaps the most under-rated
bad guy character to hit the screen as he brings troubles to Marty and
Doc all the time. Traveling in time is too much too painful by going on
a journey of reminiscing. We all make decisions that affect our lives.
Think about your future! A wonderful ending chapter to the trilogy. The
future is not written as it can be changed.
Final Grade: B-
Back to the Future Part II
(1989)
Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Thomas F.
Wilson, Elisabeth Shue
Film Prophet's Review...
Doc Brown, Marty McFly, and his girlfriend Jennifer time-travel to the
year 2015 to straighten out the future of their children. In the midst
of making sure Marty Jr. does not go to jail, Biff Tannen takes the book
of Sports Almanac of 50 Years and steals the time machine to travel back
to the young Biff in 1955 to give him the book, which the Biff in 1955
then uses to bet on sports and becomes very famous and rich and ends up
marrying Marty's mother as seen in 1985, the present date. To restore
the present, Doc and Marty must go back to 1955 at the exact point where
Biff gets the comic as they must retrieve the book without
counter-flicking themselves in the previous adventure. Extremely well
written script typing in characters as they over-lap back from 2015 to
1955. The connections of sequences are very thoughtful and clever. The
second is still exciting and engaging bringing in tons of energy. The
movie is mainstream entertainment as everything seems to go wrong for
Doc and Marty as they try to overcome every little thing to restore the
presence. Most brilliant, irritating cliffhangers ever... what an epic.
Final Grade: B/B+
Back to the Future (1985)
Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin
Glover, Thomas F. Wilson
Film Prophet's Review...
Michael J. Fox is Marty McFly, who enjoys skateboarding, playing the
guitar, has a girlfriend, and lives in a dysfunctional family, is
invited during the night by Doc Brown, Lloyd, for one of his
experiments. When the experiment somewhat goes wrong, Marty is sent to
1955 in a time-traveling story that utilizes nostalgia craze. As a boy
from the '80s to the '50s now, Marty must find Doc Brown and tell him
about the time machine so he can get back home without doing harm with
his presence to change the events of the past leading into the future.
Although, he changed the future by interrupting an incident that
involved his mother falling in love with his father as now he must get
his parents to fall in love to set things straight by making his future
right again. Astounding direction by Robert Zemeckis, who builds up
amazing energy sparks. The excellent flow of the story had a wonderful
feeling about change, love, and teenage innocence. The theme of
self-confidence, towards his younger father for Marty to stand up for
himself so that Marty can exist in his generation, will ensure his own
birth. It was engaging with a bracing script that had great timing of
hilarious dialogue. Hysterical performance by Lloyd and an incredible
show by Fox, his best ever. An enjoyable, funny movie with tons of
laughs that was enthralling... wow.
Final Grade: A-
The Seven Samurai (1956)
Starring Takashi Shimura, Isao Kimura, Kamatari Fujiwara, Toshiro
Mifune, Yoshio Inaba
Film Prophet's Review...
Actually, the title in Japanese is Shichinin no samurai released in 1954
Japan. Yea, this is the Film Prophet who only rates U.S. movies, but
hey, this is the greatest Japan movie ever made. The movie is also part
of the Criterion Collection, which also features The Hidden Fortress,
where Lucas' Star Wars was based on. Set in 16th century Japan during a
period of civil war, the story concerns a group of poor farmers who are
in a midst of suffering from drought and forced labor and even worse...
bandits. They attempt to hire some reliable, valiant samurai to help
defend their village against raiding bandits. The first samurai hired is
a veteran, who helps recruit six more samurai. Together, they try to
organize the defense of the village before the bandits return and burn
down homes, steal food, and kill farmers. "Defense is harder than
Offense." The samurai work for just three meals a day as benefits to
defending the village, which contains families and plantations of food
like rice. The seven samurai gave confidence to the farmers as they
fought with swords, pitchforks, and spears, where the some bandits use
guns.. The outcome approaches as the farmers will have their land, but
the samurai won't. An original story in a black and white adventure with
English subtitles that has been retold several times. The in-depth plot
fine points the focus on the samurai and the farmer's adjustments to
war. The story leaves the bandits mysterious and indistinct, not knowing
much of their personal values other than their evil morals. The humorous
Japanese dialogue benefited as it always seems like Japanese talk like
they are frustrated and angry. The movie is well built around a long
movie with great sequences. To the people of the farm, the samurai were
heroes in a slight territory, but were greatly honored and gallant. A
masterpiece to be accredited.
Final Grade: B+/A-
Man on Fire (2004)
Starring Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Marc Anthony, Christopher
Walken, Mickey Rourke
Film Prophet's Review...
Denzel acts as a remorseful man who moves to Mexico City as he hired as
bodyguard for a wealthy family with a single daughter. Film Prophet just
had to see what the buzz was about since it has been lasting in the top
five box office charts for over a month now. Based on a true story, the
movie shows that kidnapping is very common in Latin America. Rich
families need protection so they get a bodyguard for their child. This
is significant because people may kidnap an unsafe child and ask for
ransom, which happens here. Denzel's character is bold and he likes to
keep to himself. He is enigmatic, reads the bible, as his character
progresses. Though, we all know Denzel is a great actor, but the
eyepiece in this film is Fanning. Fanning acts as the daughter who
Denzel is hired to protect as this girl could be a big hit in ten years
if she keeps acting. The beginning shows Denzel and Fanning's characters
develop a bonding relationship between a bodyguard and a girl. In the
midst of corrupt police and organized crime, there is some serious drama
in the film as the plot becomes deeper and messed apart. For a long
movie, the camera techniques were a bit awkward. The movement in some
parts kept speeding up using jump cuts and zooms in and out with
shifting pans. A movie about vengeance comes into play.
Final Grade: B-/C+
Awakenings (1990)
Starring Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner, John Heard
Film Prophet's Review...
Based on a true story, a new doctor, Williams, finds himself in a
surrounding cast of comatose patients. They have been this way for
decades now, missing most of their life. The doctor tries the drug
L-dopa on an immobile man, De Niro, as he awakens in now 1969 New York.
Later, the drug is now used by the rest of his patients as they develop
awareness and reactions that they haven't had in a long time. A story
about rebirth and a brief miracle on people to observe life in a
different way... the way we take for granted. Of course, there are side
effects that begin on the first patient, De Niro. The moving journey
shows the doctor's case studies are remarkable as he discovers patterns
on the polite, quiet, and respectful patients. Now, they are given life
back, but sadly enough, that glimpse is taken away shortly. We learn
that not everything can be perfect as these depressed, physically
impaired are diseased. With an uplifting score and a great art design,
De Niro comes in and gives an incredible performance like usual. The
movie was a bit on the down side at times in the beginning though of
characters like the doctor just wondering around with a calm mood.
Despite the fact, it was a delightful film.
Final Grade: C+/B-
Shrek 2 (2004)
Voices by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz
Film Prophet's Review...
The movie starts where the first one left off as Shrek and Fiona return
home from their honeymoon to find a letter from Fiona's parents inviting
them over. However, what her parents don't know is that she is an ogre.
The situation at hands is that the Fairy Godmother wants Fiona to fall
in love with Prince Charming, who was suppose to marry her and rescue
her from the dragon in a tower. Shrek now will do what he can to make
Fiona happy. It's an enormous tale of "happily ever after" parables... a
movie for all ages. So what if the movie isn't a Pixar film... Shrek is
the best non-Pixar CGI film yet. The movie can provide audiences to
giggle cutely as the donkey usually comes in at silly, comical relief
while the cat character, Puss in Boots, is funny as well. With a great
cast of voices, it's still funny to see their still outcasts as ogres.
There were plenty of unexpected spoofs of other movies in this film like
the upside-down kissing and the one ring moments. Although, the main
music score could be better as it got repetitive for awhile, the
mid-story might actually have some children just a little bored. Thanks
to the nice love story involved with a fantastic concluding ride, it was
saved.
Final Grade: B-/B
Aliens (1986)
Starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser,
Bill Paxton
Film Prophet's Review...
The lone survivor of the first movie, Weaver, is discovered in hyper
sleep over a half of a century. She is taken back to Earth and presents
her story, yet, people are in disbelief since there is no proof of such
a creature. The plan now is to go back to the planet with her as an
advisor with a new cocky, tough crew of marines to destroy the aliens
and the remaining eggs. Up till they reach sight of the creatures, the
alike incident occurs as she is thrown back into her nightmare once
again. There are many differences from the first such as the change of
directors as James Cameron takes over the sequel. The dialogue is better
with more intense action and more energetic techniques. There are more
vicious aliens into broaden sequences. Cameron attempts to match the
direction of the first as he captures a great story after the revealing
discovery in the first movie. Imagine an alien popping out of your
stomach anytime... this cornerstone helps create the image of the
sequel. The strong performing cast is led by Weaver. Most everything in
ideal horror scenes today came from this brilliant movie. Encounter
scenes from movies like Anaconda, Godzilla '98, The Matrix Revolutions,
and Jurassic Park, are just some examples that prove this film is a
model for others. An original film... a must watch.
Final Grade: B+
Alien (1979)
Starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt,
Veronica Cartwright
Film Prophet's Review...
Directed by Ridley Scott comes a classic science-fiction film about a
space ship crew answering a signal from a nearby planet when they
discover later unknown creatures aboard. The sci-fi movie had a quiet
atmosphere that built up the wait to see what kind of danger the crew
would be leading into. Yea, the movie requires tons of patience. Though,
with little significant dialogue, the acting was superb. The Alien
looked so cool, yet at the same time, so horrifying. The Alien creatures
are perhaps the most horrendous, mystifying beings in any movie. With
the presence of the space tanker, it made the movie look spooky. Ridley
Scott has a terrific sense of knowing when to keep the crowd still and
then hype the mood immediately using appalling music. The visual effects
and art direction were special. The effects were scarce, but when it
happened, for example, the quick release of the gore was distinctive in
the movie. It's definitely over any teen-horror movie that has been out
recently. Furthermore, not many people can forget the alien popping
scene. A defining film in cinematic times.
Final Grade: B-/B
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Starring Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Billy
Connolly
Film Prophet's Review...
Two poor Irish brothers from their dead-end jobs help not themselves,
but others around them to rid evil and crime in Boston. The two have a
notion of god to give them a mission to get rid of all human evil on
Earth as they are guided by god's will and can not be killed. Williem
Dafoe's character is a highly intelligent FBI agent while he leads a
group of cops on the first assignment to figure out what happened on the
night of St. Patrick's Day in an alley, where a couple dead bodies are.
This then leads to other ones that are similar as the two Irish brothers
take out Russian mafias. Then, the FBI agent on scene explains to the
cops what really happened using clues as he corrects a cop who speaks
where he is always hilariously wrong. Risking their lives for bloodshed,
the brothers align with a crazy Italian as the cops try to trace the men
down while their next killings occur in creative ways, where they are
soon hyped by the public at the end by killing off the evil. Now THIS is
an amusing crime-gun-violent film. The movie makes speaking several
foreign languages look cool. The movie has a similar direction and tone
as Snatch, but this movie tests thoughts and beliefs of god's mission
versus ethics. Funny skits and great acting led by Dafoe, who was
amazing and powerful. The music score was humbling as it matched with
the action sequences. Film Prophet is glad to see a sequel out in the
future for this movie because this is a movie that should have one. An
awesome, cool movie.
Final Grade: B/B+
Clerks. (1994)
Starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, Marilyn
Ghigliotti
Film Prophet's Review...
Director Kevin Smith's first movie, as he debuts his idiotic sexual
stoned characters of Jay and Silent Bob, as Smith acts as Silent Bob. By
the look of the cast, the movie's budget was very, very low as it was
also produced in black and white. The comedy goes on a course of a day
of two clerks, as Dante works in a local convenience store and his
friend next door, Randal, works in an adult video store. Dante is
dedicated to his job and struggles to get through the day with his
ex-girlfriend's death and another girl's engagement. His friend Randal
comes in and brings on his opinions about customers and sex. The freaky
introduction of Dante set the tone. The movie was inventive with several
points like smoking, but there was no constant story. The movie would
drift away from the plot and indicated to various discussions that led
to confusion, depression, and anger, which were the key issues.
Although, Kevin Smith did a great job with a '90s black and white movie
with no stars and no strong performances, his writing kept the viewer's
attention for a little longer with the addition of some funny moments.
The movie lost touch with the whole basic concept towards the
middle-end, but then the movie was relieved when it got back on track.
Final Grade: B-/C+
Spaceballs (1987)
Starring Bill Pullman, Rick Moranis, Mel Brooks, John Candy
Film Prophet's Review...
Director Mel Brooks creates a spoof on Star Wars and some other films
around the time. Using the original Star Wars story, Brooks changes the
concepts around and turns it into a comedy. Princess Vespa escapes from
the planet of Druidia before she gets married to a sleepy Prince, who
she does not love, but later will be kidnapped by the evil race of the
Spaceballs. The King of Druidia asks Lone Star and Barf up in space to
rescue the princess for a million bucks, whereas Spaceballs asks the
King for all the air in Druidia for the princess. Rick Moranis plays the
comical part of Darth Vader as 'Dark Helmet' where he brought on the
best comical performance in the movie. Michael Winslow is also in here
using his classic voice as sound effects. Mel Brooks is known for making
great parody movies, but this comedy-satire has some stale humor. Of
course, there were some laughs such as Lone Star asking 'Yogurt,' "Will
we ever see each other again?" as Yogurt responds with, "Who knows? God
willing, will meet again in Spaceballs 2: The search for more money,"
the beaming part scene, and "Why are you always preparing... just go"
just to name a few. Brooks still managed to capture a descent plot and
characters from Star Wars. He also added in where characters can stop
for a moment and talk to the audience escaping from the story. The
Princess could not really act and the movie had some images and
references that were a bit gross. Despite the fact, it's a movie with a
dozen of laughs.
Final Grade: B-/C+
American History X (1998)
Starring Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Avery Brooks, Ethan Suplee,
Beverly D'Angelo, Fairuza Balk
Film Prophet's Review...
Derek Vinyard, Norton, returns home in California from prison after
killing some blacks who were breaking in his car at night. His past was
filled with hate, racism, and nazi beliefs after his father was killed
in the line of duty by a minority, which led his view to alter. His
young brother, Danny, Furlong, is following his footsteps as now Derek's
task out of prison is to convince Danny of his new justification. The
movie looks back at the events leading to the current day showing pain
and suffer that occurred. Danny's principal gives him an assignment due
in one day titled 'American History X' to write about his older brother.
The creepy, unpleasant atmosphere of Nazi gangs against Africans and
Asians examines racism in communities, which black culture impact and
influence on the white culture. A solid written story about deep issues
within the country where the things mentioned in this film were thought
provoking. Norton is the centerpiece of the movie as he delivers one of
the top strong performances in the last ten years. His character's image
transforms from a white community, where whites are superior, to the
changing results in the prison where he starts to listen and settle
down. The acting was great, especially the tension at the emotional
family turn at the dinner table. The movie explores the cycle of violence and forgiveness
with race and family. It starts with hate and torture toward the blacks
in the community as it slowly moves away when Derek is in prison showing
different perspectives of how blacks see white trash… really prying, who
is worst, blacks or the white trash displayed in this movie.
Final Grade: A-
Se7en (1995)
Starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, R.
Lee Ermey
Film Prophet's Review...
One at a time, a serial killer murders people in unordinary ways, each
of who represents one of the seven deadly sins: Gluttony, Greed, Sloth,
Lust, Pride, Envy, and Wrath. The killer believes the sinners deserve
this horrific punishment. The forensics case is assigned to two men. One
about to retire and the other is young and determined, who may replace
him, as they team up. After each gruesome killing, they discover clues
in some fashion of signs, hints, or notes unseen that trail on to the
next death of seven. Although, they too become part of the killer's
plan, except it's rather everyone alive. "We see a deadly sin on every
street corner, in every home, and we tolerate it. We tolerate it because
it's common, it's trivial." Director David Fincher no doubt is a great director at twisted
subject matter. The deceiving plot captures a devilish side by
particular moments during the film, where some play out at the
detectives. Fincher builds an oppressive atmosphere into horror,
especially the last thirty minutes. The
killer discusses innocent people against the committed seven sins that
nobody is innocent. The
quiet tension gave the movie a haunting development past the
conversations as well. On a side note, the cliff notes
scene was humorous, along with other parts. Freeman's experienced character is inexplicable as
Fincher does not hand out all the details of the past on characters,
including Pitt and Paltrow, but rather the trifling ones that expand the
plot. Spacey gave the best performance in the movie in his limited time.
"Ernest Hemingway once wrote, "The world is a fine place and worth
fighting for." I agree with the second part."
Final Grade: A-
American Beauty (1999)
Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena
Suvari, Chris Cooper
Film Prophet's Review...
"It's hard to stay mad with so much beauty in the world." Winner of best
picture, best actor in Spacey, and best director in Sam Mendes comes an
excellent psychological drama that examines human relations with a
closer view at life. Lester Burnham, Spacey, is a middle-aged man, who
is stressed by his wife Carolyn, Bening, and vice-versa. Their daughter,
Jane, Birch, is a depressed and insecure teenage. Neither of them have a
family life that is on the right track. When Jane's parents watch her
cheerleading, Lester meets Jane's friend, Angela, Suvari, who has a
sudden impact on Lester. It seems that they develop a flirty
relationship as this makes Jane uncomfortable. The Burnham's
next-door-neighbors' son, Ricky Fitts, Bentley, sells dope for money and
uses his video camera to capture interesting images and actions,
especially Jane and her relationship with her parents. Ricky finds
himself broken at home with a controllable father, Cooper. Later on,
Ricky and Jane become a couple as Carolyn has an affair with another
man, Gallagher. All of this ties into the hand's of one man who turns
people's lives from his life. Lester is an amusing, relatable character
as Spacey is the star of this movie. It is humorous with a beautiful,
smooth direction by Sam Mendes. The music score by Thomas Newman is
pretty and compelling... Newman never goes wrong. I wonder why I never
appreciated this movie before. It was wonderfully written with terrific
cinematography. Film Prophet does not value movies where performers
can't act. This movie is the opposite. The acting was stupendous from
this all-around outstanding cast. What surprised me of the casting is
that Chris Cooper is in this film as Film Prophet was going to put him
on his favorite movie artists list. Chris Cooper has now turned five
Film Prophet favorites into gold. "There's nothing worse in life than
being ordinary." "I'm just an ordinary guy with nothing to lose."
Undeniable themes were expressed such as teenage innocence, especially
the character Ricky. Sexual frustrations were observed truthfully and
amusing. More concepts were expressed like marriage is just a show...
why is it a mandate to get married? It's just a concept. Couches,
furniture, it's not life... it's only stuff. The movie is a tragedy in a
way because it identifies with Lester's failure and his fears of getting
old and out of shape. The movie is aspiring... completely a masterpiece.
Final Grade: A+/A
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Starring Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, James
Cromwell, Danny DeVito
Film Prophet's Review...
From the Academy Award nominee for best picture comes a stimulating,
dynamic movie that reminds us of the film noir classics with a crime
drama '90s tension. A massacre at an all night diner stirs up the L.A.
police department, especially three men. Ed Exley, Pearce, is the golden
boy and the youngest with high intelligence and joined the force
originally to find who killed his father, an ex-cop. Bud White, Crowe,
is aggressive and tries to remain under control. His partner was one of
the victims in the shooting. Jack Vincennes, Spacey, is buddies with
DeVito who helps out celebrities and briefly narrates the story. Each
goes on their own way to investigate the crime, that was believable,
with series of questionings that later on each way would connect to a
single path to find the truth in L.A. A creative, brilliant plot design
with blindside strikes. It made Mexicans and Africans look inferior to
the all white race L.A.P.D. in the 1950s. The movie had a great flow of
camera movement with direction of the angles and superb dialogue. I'm
not a fan of Crowe, Pearce, or Spacey, but here in this movie, Film
Prophet declares Crowe is excellent and Bud White is his best character
of his career. In fact, all three are the best they have been. It's
their best work and it helped with great roles as these performances
certainly kicked off their acting careers. The most intense acting in
this movie was exceptional and sharp. An awesome, incredible movie.
Final Grade: A-/A
Envy (2004)
Starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Rachel Weisz, Christopher Walken
Film Prophet's Review...
Envy is a powerful word. In this movie, Jack Black and Ben Stiller are
long time best friends and neighbors when Black becomes staggering after
he thinks of an idea to invent a spray that makes poo disappear. Stiller
does not believe in this idea, as Black finalizes his invention to the
market called "Vapoorizer" as it shocks Stiller, and his wife, Weisz,
that his invention works. Black becomes rich as their long time friend
bond starts to go outrageous. Walken plays a peculiar role as a Rob
Schneider supporting like character. Fun for the typical viewer. The
wigs looked goofy on Stiller and Black as it added to the concise comedy
throughout the film. Although, the theme song was alarming. The song
with the deep, drunk country male like voice about Envy became
repeatable, which occurred almost every ten minutes. All the performers
in this movie did a fine job acting. Without Stiller and Black, this
movie would not subsist. The promoting of this movie depleted at a low
level to get out there. A gracious, enjoyable film.
Final Grade: C/C+
Troy (2004)
Starring Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brian Cox, Diane Kruger,
Peter O'Toole, Sean Bean
Film Prophet's Review...
With tons of hype of a great cast and so on, the movie was not
disappointing at all. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen as he adapts an
enormous historical epic about Troy against the Greek forces. Greece is
led by King Agamemnon, Cox, who will do anything to win a victory over
Troy as the Greeks want to take Troy. Though, the prince of Troy, Paris,
Bloom, took and "stole" his love who is Helen the Queen of Sparta,
Kruger, away from her husband in Greece before the war in Troy. Greeks
now land hundreds of ships before Troy with the greatest warrior among
them, Achilles, Pitt. The Greek warriors now look up to him as he gives
them courage and power. The King of Troy, O'Toole, and his eldest son
Hector, Bana, collide the forces of Troy against Greece for the hope of
the city. The scenery of the waters, ships, land, and the sky was
beautiful, including the graphics of the battles with great fog and dirt
presence. The central point character is Achilles, as he is the backbone
strength coming from Greece, and without him, who knows how this war
would end. Achilles is powerful, defiant, independent, but people depend
on him. Achilles is the perfect character for Brad Pitt. The beginning
showed the anger between the two sides with above average dialogue as
the direction captured almost every important part of this time of
Greece during the war in Troy. There is enough beef and affectionate
scenes involving Bloom and Pitt with their love ones as it is the women
who were one of three things significant of the time. Men honored and
loved women, their gods, and the country. There was a worthy amount of
balanced female influence. I loved Brad Pitt's love angle of a "slave
woman," who reveals to Achilles later that she is more than just who he
thinks she is, in Troy where he saved her from hungry Greeks, including
King Agamemnon. Speaking of that King, Brian Cox was a lot of fun to
watch. The movie showcased the King's superior might as well as family
ties, which were both a strong parts of the movie. The direction flowed
nicely with the day to day movement, especially the magnificent one on
one battles and the thousands against thousands of men as it appears so.
The music matched well in these battle scenes, which contained amazing
energy sparks. There were intelligent war techniques and strategies that
were mesmerizing. There is tons of war drama with love and relations
between the characters as it reached its peak with the incredible
turning point involving Achilles' young cousin. "It never ends."
Final Grade: A/A-
Snatch. (2000)
Starring Jason Statham, Alan Ford, Brad Pitt, Ewen Bremner, Benicio Del
Toro, Vinnie Jones
Film Prophet's Review...
Two men in Europe get pulled into the world of boxing, robbery, guns, a
dog, money, promoters, Jews, and gangsters all mixed to hunt down where
the priceless stolen diamond is. The diamond changes hands or places in
a chain reaction of situations with every character. Directed by Guy
Ritchie, Europe looks like a strange place, well at least for these guys
in this bizarre environment. There was many weird characters in result
of not having a constant flow of a movie as a new character was thrown
in every ten minutes. Also, there was no female impact in this film. A
movie needs a bit of balance on the genders. For this movie, Ritchie
escaped that and made sure not any character can really be the lead.
Pitt was a missing piece in the movie as it was rare to see him. Besides
Pitt, I can only really put up with one of the most charismatic
character actors in the last ten years, Benicio Del Toro. The movie
needed more Brad and Benicio than just twenty total minutes. The story
entails by Turkish, as one of the two men, as he narrates the plot in a
first person narrative voice, which was highly irritating due to his
accent. There was too many accents going back and forth in this movie.
The British, Irish, and Russian accents were just so fake and phony of a
tough European man that didn't work just as much as the weak costume
design. The sick script was not that funny of a crazy movie, though, the
robbery scenes were hip. With over usage of profanity, there were some
interesting sequences involved in the film that were comical. I think a
comical theme out of this movie can be, "I hate dogs." A killer ending.
Final Grade: C+
Laws of Attraction (2004)
Starring Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore
Film Prophet's Review...
Two top New York City divorce lawyers who never lost a big case go up
against each other as they begin to share an interesting relationship
that gets in the way of their jobs. As the story progresses, Moore's
character denies attraction to Brosnan's character, as Brosnan seems to
not only win the court battles, but her too. It's a mature screwball
romance comedy with slim humor. It's nice to see at least one of these
kinds of movies out per year instead of a teen-comedy-romance film every
couple months, which are becoming too frequent these days. Overall, the
performances as witted characters were eminent and Moore kept the movie
alive. By way of an elegant music score and a cunning story, the
dawdling script was a bit weak.
Final Grade: C
Van Helsing (2004)
Starring Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham
Film Prophet's Review...
Legendary and famous fictional character Van Helsing hunts down Dracula,
werewolves, female vampires, Frankenstein, Wolf Man, and other monsters
in 19th century Europe. The big budget monster smashing movie shows a
great mix of all the popular monsters dissolved in one story. It felt
like watching The Mummy Returns and Hellboy with the historical
background, fearless and intelligent characters, and the never ending
violence. In fact, the director Stephen Sommers did direct both very
fast paced The Mummy movies. The movie started off with the creation of
Frankenstein and showing Dracula's evil supremacy, which was a creepy,
thrilling start. Seemingly, there was more action than dialogue, where
the suspense and special effects were slightly above average and held
constant throughout the film. The music score had a loud, upbeat tempo
keeping the viewer's attention longer. With monster movies, the
performances are something to keep an eye out. In this movie, the
performances were spectacle and it's definitely the best Hugh Jackman
has been. The whole adventure was an exhilarating ride with stirring
phases that ended crazy.
Final Grade: B/B-
Mean Girls (2004)
Starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried,
Tina Fey
Film Prophet's Review...
Screenplay written by Tina Fey, a girl, Lohan, who grew up in Africa
begins to go to a public high school in Illinois, where she experiences
many things from her female classmates by mixing in with the popular
girl's group and having a crush on one of their ex-boyfriends. This
movie can be called a "girl's comedy" about innocence in high school,
but this H.S. movie is not a dull one. The story set it up right. In H.S.,
students can in trouble for the most random, littlest things. A student
can't go through four years of H.S. without getting into some trouble,
unless that student is a boring nerd. H.S. did suck at a way, it seems
as everyone tried to make each other miserable, including the adults, as
the students would go "behind their backs." Anyways, this movie pretty
much shows that at all angles. The plot is a mix of a lot of movies out
there. Though, it wasn't really funny like other H.S. movies and the
drama intensity was given to the characters rather than the viewers, it
was a captivating story that went deeper for what it's worth. The movie
had a fairly paced movement with stimulating scenes after another, that
moved before and after the plan to "get back" using H.S. girl
techniques. There is some great acting at the young level here by all
the members of the cast, too. "It just makes it ok for guys to call you
sluts and whores." A delightful, composed finish.
Final Grade: B/B-
Welcome to Mooseport (2004)
Starring Ray Romano, Gene Hackman, Maura Tierney, Marcia Gay Harden,
Fred Savage, Rip Torn
Film Prophet's Review...
A popular retired U.S. president, Hackman, moves in to his home town in
Mooseport as he is convinced to run for major, not knowing his plumber,
Romano, was also convinced by his wife almost to run for major. Both
characters are obviously goofy, thus making this a comedy, except the
comedy was borderline. The beginning was pretty lame and slow that tried
to speed up. Hackman isn't as great here in laid back roles, especially
where the comedy isn't there, or when it is there, it's not even funny.
It was sort of uninteresting and dull. The movie showed how usual plenty
of political satire and jokes occur where reporters and all and this
movie proved it. The news and media mixed them into a small town battle
for the title of major. Although, the story and laughter sort of tuned
up later, it was more of a TV-movie like sense.
Final Grade: C/C-
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Starring Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis
Film Prophet's Review...
The movie entails a story about a girl on her 13th birthday wishing she
can be older and fast to it. When she wakes up the next morning, she is
30 years old, living in New York City with a boyfriend. She now is a
magazine editor and tries to find out what happened between her age of
13 to 30 as she tracks down her best friend, who is a boy, when she was
younger. The movie shows an innocence of her character. She starts out
with puberty and the typically 80s dress and thoughts as a child and the
next day she's a lot older. The one strong point of the movie is the "7
minutes in heaven" scene with the young Garner in a closet, blindfolded.
However, the best scene in the movie tracing Garner at a party with
stale music trying to bring life into the party with Michael Jackson's
Thriller. The movie, filled with 80s songs, is sort of like a girl
version of Tom Hanks in the movie Big, where he becomes an adult, but
still with the childish acts and knowledge, but the world in this movie
is also grown up where Tom is the only one who grew up, while his best
friend and mom are the same age. In this movie, her best friend grows up
with everyone else as she is in a big magazine business let's say where
people rely on her decisions as an editor. There is slight comedy found
in some cases, and also a few twists and romance angles. The scenes were
filled with personal excitement with expectations settled, and a
conflict of determining the right path to choose with a intercept of
unpopular vs. popular, carried out as a theme. Garner did a fine job
like a Witherspoon in Legally Blonde, adding in both witted and smart
comedy and drama. The story will put a smile on your face. "Love is a
battlefield." A nice, cheerful ending.
Final Grade: C+/B-
The Punisher (2004)
Starring Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Will Patton, Rebbeca Romijn-Stamos,
Samantha Mathis, James Carpinello, Laura Harring, Roy Scheider, Mark
Collie
Film Prophet's Review...
Based on the Marvel Comics, this movie tells a fantastic story of FBI
undercover agent, Frank Castle played by Jane, does his last undercover
assignment, as one of the mafia dealers dies... who is the son of the
boss of the mafia... Howard Saint played by John Travolta. Devastated
over the loss of his son, his wife tells him to get his family so Howard
sends his guys at Castle's family reunion in Puerto Rico, where they gun
down his family, including his wife and son. The mafia now believes
Castle is dead, but he remains alive as the lone survivor, who is
claimed to be dead. He now lives in a small building with two guys and
Romijn-Stamos. After five months, with no arrests made, he goes to take
matters into his own hands carefully without being traced. The first
sign he gives was taking off his tombstone and planting it in a golf
course, thus shocking the mafia of his return. As he wears a black
t-shirt with the sign of a white skull, a gift given from his son, he
begins to set his sights on the people who were responsible for the
murders of his entire family. Along his way, it is tougher than anyone
can think. The drama-action film portrays a typical revenge like film,
but with a smooth touch and nice graphical displays. I loved the serious
mafia look in black sunglasses and in their black outfits and sometimes
trench coats without a grin with a stare. Here, Will Patton does an
outstanding job as Howard's best friend in the mafia. The movie contains
excellent violent encounter sequences. This is one you have to see for
yourself. There is no dumb score being played during these sequences,
which made it haunting. Thomas Jane could be come a household name soon.
He did a great job as being "The Punisher". His character was similar to
being a nice guy like Spider-Man, except The Punisher has no
supernatural abilities like most superheroes. Film Prophet believes this
movie is like a 21st Century of The Godfather, not really, but you get
the picture sort of. There are plenty of interesting villains sent out
to get at him. One of them was wrestler KEVIN NASH, who matches in a
heck of a one on one combat with Castle... this scene wrecked havoc.
There was a constant level of intensity throughout the film. It always
pondered me of asking "What's Next?" The blackmailing scene on the mafia
with Travolta and Patton was highly powerful. (I'm not going into more
of this, no more spoilers, but it is really deep.) A super filled
exciting finish to a blast of a movie. Travolta and Jane don't meet till
the end! Brilliant dialogue at the end, a plan created from the
Punisher. Great memories can save yourself... a tough, keep going theme
containing a never ending thriller.
Final Grade: B+/A-
50 First Dates (2004)
Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Dan
Aykroyd
Film Prophet's Review...
Adam Sandler here finds love at first sight with Drew Barrymore one
morning at a breakfast restaurant, but he finds him self back at the
same place trying to win her back every morning because she has
short-term memory loss. Thus, the next day she does not remember Adam as
he tries to make her fall in love with him again. That's got to be
rough... being lied to everyday by the same people with the same outcome
and same things all day. Life is a setup. There are dozens of humorous
moments with classic funny one-liners by the supporting cast, including
Sean Astin, such as "Are you staring at me or her because you're
starting to freak me out," "Looks like a stupid a$$hole to me," and "Can
I have that... I need something to wipe my a$$ with" with the guy in the
breakfast restaurant. Drew and Adam make a believable and affectionate
on screen pair in an enjoyable comedy-romance film. Technically, in
almost all of Sandler's movies, he has a love interest, but they are now
found more dominantly of late. An all around a pleasing, delightful
movie. I'm feeling love from these movies lately like from this one, The
Butterfly Effect, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Final Grade: B
The Alamo (2004)
Starring Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric
Film Prophet's Review...
This movie was a big surprise... surprise that it was a major
disappointment. There wasn't much to the film... it was boring, the
acting was terrible, and even the battle scenes were lame... and that
battles didn't start until about two hours within the film. The
beginning was humdrum, dry, and futile. The general viewer would expect
some violence, as seen from the poster to the right, but the battles
didn't occur until the last some odd last minutes in the movie. The
action level was very low and the movie was out-stretched with over 2
hours! I still don't like Dennis Quaid or Billy Bob Thornton. Since the
acting wasn't up to par, the audience won't feel anything from the
performance, nor the movie. The movie needed more fiction or history
significance and in depth reasons on what is going on here to like
someone who doesn't know what The Alamo is. True, we don't know much of
what was said by who and when during the course of the last few long
days of some of the dead men. Although, all you here during the movie
was, "I'll defend it with my life" and "Remember the Alamo." The
dialogue was sincerely dull. I actually had some deep yawns a few
times... the direction was terrible... no... painful. The supporting
characters were nothing much either. This is not a moving movie like
other movies I have reviewed. It was a true historical event, but so was
Titanic, April Morning, and Seabiscuit and this movie does not match
with that caliber. This is a bottom five war flick Film Prophet has ever
seen. The battles were even awful. The battles should be at least half
of the movie. There was no additional storyline in the movie... no
connections or drama is being made other than the fact their lives, led
by Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and Sam Houston, depend on defending the
fort from Mexico. The movie needed to show other effects on other people
like on political issues. The love interests and family life were mild
and poor. Male dominated movies are never that great anyways. A dreadful
emotional, inspiring movie. The blood even looked faker than ever. Its
ashamed because it could have been a reasonably descent movie.
Final Grade: C-
Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
Starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah
Film Prophet's Review...
In closing the last few chapters of Kill Bill, Uma Thurman's character
has one final quest: To Kill Bill. Also in her way are his sister and
his brother, each who have parts in the massacre during a wedding
rehearsal of Uma Thurman's character, leaving her family dead and
putting her in a coma. Kill Bill 2 starts out with a black and white
look, showing the past, of the ten minutes before her family dies by
Bill and his associates. Kill Bill 2 is slower in pace than the first
movie, which allowed Uma and David to shine, with less killing, since
she basically has killed off almost everyone in her way to get to Bill.
This movie focuses on the primary characters, the bride, Bud, and
Elle... then Bill and the surprise that was revealed at the last second
of the first movie. The beginning felt suspenseful with a rush of
adrenaline not knowing what to expect and thinking that some bullet will
fly from somewhere to start violence. The movie contained sharp visuals,
excellent direction, and great camera angles with funky Mexican-Western
tunes. Some of the movie contained prequel types of clips... such as the
marriage rehearsal, showing the bride and Bill together in the past, and
the best part of the movie... Pai Mei, the lonely old master with a
long, narrow white beard who lives in a far up temple. He teaches and
trains the skills she earns. This part was absolutely hilarious. The
training was brutal to make her tough. Quentin Tarantino did not use the
traditional shoot and kill method in this movie. He re-invented new
death tricks such as the five-point palm heart exploding technique,
buried alive, poison, eyeball, and snakes. The dialogue was filled with
comedic relief, saving long conversations that were serious, yet
amusing. The timing was perfect all the way to the ending credits.
Final Grade: B+
Soul Plane (2004)
Starring Kevin Hart, Method Man, Tom Arnold, Snoop Dogg
Film Prophet's Review...
At last, we actually have a real comedy that will make you laugh. At
some points, I couldn't concentrate because some scenes and dialogue
were so hilarious as it was followed by even more laughter. Such moments
as the 50 cent, Mr. Mailman, fried chicken, music video, toilet adapter,
and the sexual references were humorous. The movie entails as Kevin
Hart's character is dishonored on an airplane and loses his dog as then
he wins a million dollar lawsuit against that airline and decides to
make his own airplane filled with cool music, dance club, and some
beautiful stewardesses. Tom Arnold and his family are the only four
white people to join on the flight. The beginning was a funny ending to
an introduction seeing the finish of his dog on the airplane. The movie
had a fine pace and excellent movement. Though, a strong story piece was
missing, it still was THE best rap-starred movie that is worth seeing.
Also in the movie were Stevie's dad from Malcolm in the Middle and that
kid Ryan from Punk'd. A funny quote for him was in the casino on the
airplane as he says "Someone should call the cops 'cause I'm killing
these mofos". Snoop Dogg's dialogue was just as funny as his free verse
on live television. The dialogue of this movie was clever and it helped
with the addition of excellent choices for characters. Soul Plane is a
voyage of comedy.
Final Grade: B-/C+
Taking Lives (2004)
Starring Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland
Film Prophet's Review...
I don't want to see any more of these types of creepy, wicked, weird,
killer cop type movies about a FBI agent trying to catch a serial killer
released in the U.S. again because the bottom line is when the movie is
over, it compares no where to the great The Silence of the Lambs as it
attempts to be a wannabe, but it doesn't work. The movie starts off real
slow as reaches no storyline. The director, who knows why, uses French
actors with French ascent with boring dialogue that I felt I rather read
subtitles than listening to them speak. The conversations were pointless
as they went no where. The supporting cast was terrible. At least, in
some parts, Ethan Hawke grabbed me in. There was no excitement or peak.
The movie didn't get me involved until the end, which was way too late.
The director tried too hard on some scenes that were just so
meaningless. The music sounded something from a freaky horror movie as
it matches plenty of disturbing images of disgusting wounds, but not
really. The problem with this movie is we never get to see who the
actual murderer is as this leads a mystery since the murderer takes on
his victim's identity, but we never see this! During the movie, we don't
know anything about what the murderer does other than what we hear from
his peculiar mom. The murderer takes people's body parts and changes
himself. The ending was a bit moving, but it ended abruptly.
Final Grade: C-/C
Win a Date with Tad
Hamilton! (2004)
Starring Kate Bosworth, Josh Duhamel, Topher Grace
Film Prophet's Review...
A girl from a small town wins a date with a popular male celebrity.
Their date goes well, but then is conflicted afterwards between the
girl, Tad, and the girl's long time best friend. Hopeless romantic
plot... weak, sad dialogue... like when the best friend tells the girl
he loves her and finally admits it after twenty some odd years she says
"I have laundry to do," which was so miserable. This entire movie was
really predictable... girl starts to like this over-whelming, charming
guy, but the right guy for her may be her best friend. I was not
attached to the beginning of this movie... the movie had annoying
music... horrible selection that had all upset cheesy songs... worst
soundtrack maybe. The "Win a date" contest part went so fast that the
contest seemed like it didn't even happened. Kate Bosworth with bangs
does not work well either. I've seen a lot of better teen romance
sequences. This was just boring. A Walk to Remember bulldozed over this
movie. I felt nothing from it. There's no comedy at all... no serious
drama... no action... no nothing. There was no antagonist and if there
was, tad was a nice guy. It was basically just about the girl making
decisions and everyone has a "Tad Hamilton." Though, the last hour got
better, I was dragged. Happy endings are not always great to see. And
the movie ended on a 'The End' note... the final grade for this movie
was a bit generous.
Final Grade: C-
Hellboy (2004)
Starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans
Film Prophet's Review...
Hellboy is a strong, powerful character. The movie starts in 1944 when a
mystical testing goes out of control as Hellboy, the son of Satan, is
born without horns. He is then saved by man, where Hellboy calls him
father. He is raised by the FBI as a positive force, not knowing who he
truly is. Hellboy is now grown up, his father is very old, and he is
sent on a mission that brings him back to his origins of evil roots to
help mankind as he is accompanied by some agents and a woman who Hellboy
has feelings for and she has a certain gift too. The overall look of the
movie is remarkable... way better than what the trailer had to offer.
It's exhilarating and eerie. The direction and adaptation were upright
as the use of mythical legends adds an extra aspect to this engaging
movie. The pace of the movie was a bit infrequent, though, the movie was
quite a bit intense with some eye candy for a few scenes. The beginning
looked like something from the Monster Squad. Excellent theme song...
simply entertaining sequences one after another... a hundred times
better than DareDevil movie last year (sorry, I couldn't stand anything
of that movie). Hellboy is morally and fictionally the opposite of The
Passion of the Christ. What makes a man is the choices he makes and how
he decides to end them.
Final Grade: B
Walking Tall (2004)
Starring The Rock, Johnny Knoxville, Neal McDonugh
Film Prophet's Review...
The Rock captivates the entire movie. There haven't been many plan
action movies with a single "heroic" figure in them. Based on a true
story, The Rock, who is really the next Arnold, left his town to go to
the Army as we see him come back and finds out his old friends are not
his friends no more as the town is messed up with drugs and a corrupted
casino. The Rock is fed up with the whole town, security, and polices,
so he lays the smack down on all their candya$$es. Well, the movie
didn't pick up until about 20 minutes within the film. Yes, the movie
was a bit too short , but the rest of the movie surprised me, especially
the turning point with the middle court scene. The Film Prophet has now
seen all The Rock's movies and this is definitely his best character and
performance. The movie was way above what I expected. It's also the best
I've seen Knoxville's acting skills in a movie. If I talk more about the
movie, I will end up giving spoilers and I don't want to do that because
the plot is actually well done. Though, the last fight was just not
believable if the boss "bad guy" could almost be a match for The Rock in
a fight. On a side note, an even showing all around.
Final Grade: B-
The Rundown (2003)
Starring The Rock, Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken, Rosario
Dawson
Film Prophet's Review...
This action-comedy movie gives The Rock a great presence to the screen
and a great chemistry with Seann. The Rock is sent to Amazon by his boss
on his last mission to "rundown" and get his son. When The Rock arrives,
he finds out the environment is distorted with Walken in order as Seann
knows where a valuable artifact is, and Walken wants it... eh. It was
nice to see a pure action movie like this with a 90s-like plot, but the
dialogue was mild and the story was so so. The Rock's acting skills are
nothing more than average in this movie. The action sequences are above
average with smooth choreography, especially when The Rock faces several
freaks alone... reminds me of Kill Bill: Vol 1 scenes, but less brutal.
There was a very amusing scene before and after The Rock got his foot
stuck in a trap and was then hanged by a tree... then the sickest
monkeys I have ever seen came on. Yet, the movie seemed almost like a
cartoon, like when The Rock and Seann roll and fall down a long
mountain, they get up with no injuries at all. There is also a whole
bunch of plot holes like why does The Rock hate using guns and why the
heck did Seann's father want his son so badly to return home from the
Amazon... too many questions leaving from the movie... and too many
deaths. However, the intensity level is not as high as great action
films, The Rundown is what an ACTION movie is all about... ACTION... and
strictly that.
Final Grade: C+
Elephant (2003)
Directed by Gus Van Sant
Film Prophet's Review...
The director fictionalizes an average, yet large high school during a
course of one day, where it finishes like a Columbine wipe out takes
place. Interestingly, Gus makes no attempt to convey the underlying
causes for the two young men's decision to kill. I don't know how to
review this type of movie, as it can be misunderstood by people coming
at it from the wrong view. Movies like Elephant are very rare. They
never get much public attention due to the poor casting and low budget.
This movie shows how idiotic, alienated, beautiful, bizarre, weird,
ignorant, and senseless high school can be. All the typical genres of
students going on with their lives, but how will their day end? The
movie examines high school events in an artsy way, which leads up to an
unbearable tension finale. High school looks like a scary place now...
the structure and how high school works with gym class, library, and
lunch shows us the negative, deep side, rather than giving us the
answers. Gus makes the viewer want to know more as the movie goes along.
The movie focused on the silent side of super long scenes, perhaps
because high school is slow paced like walking around in hallways,
covered by a touch of Beethoven's "Fur Elise" on the piano. This builds
up slowly, as it introduces our characters, with brilliant scene cuts,
in high school before the slaughter. At times, the movie was
mis-leading. There's little significance in the dialogue... there isn't
much of it. The camera angles were very unique, giving us a look of
other characters, and then repeating the scenes in a different view.
This is interesting to show high schoolers lives are physically
intersect, but sometimes unconsciously... smart writing. The imagery is
almost beautiful, yet painful to watch. At the end, when the tension is
finally released, the explosion will hit the viewer with a
heart-thrilling type of energy that is chilling, yet quiet and creeping.
It's haunting with butterflies in stomach type. Tons of irony and twists
at the end... and how it ends makes the viewer put in a shock.
Final Grade: B-/C+
The Ladykillers (2004)
Starring Tom Hanks, Marlon Wayans, Irma P. Hall, Ryan Hurst
Film Prophet's Review...
One word: Boring. This movie was tedious! I don't care if people e-mail
me saying, "Come on now, Film Prophet, the Coen brothers are cool and
Tom Hanks never goes wrong." I cherish Tom Hanks movies, but this one
was wrong for Tom. How is this a comedy... the only ok funny parts were
when Tom Hanks laughs a lot and when the boat comes by the same bridge
several times during the night and everyone dies, which was sweet
because I didn't like the characters at all. I couldn't stand Irma P.
Hall's character, perhaps the most annoying character I have ever seen
on screen. Plus, she wants to give millions of dollars to an unknown
college... all that work by the cast of men was pointless. Oh, and that
cat in the movie, even though I like cats, irritated me. On to the plot,
well, what plot... the average viewer would have no clue where this
movie would be heading or leading into because it gives no details
whatsoever. The plot was not deep enough. Could this dialogue get any
worst... where's the entertainment? Yes, this movie is a remake as
mastermind goofball criminals try to get to a casino vault through a
basement of some single old black lady, who finds life highly enjoyable
for some reason. Since this movie was rated R, who knows why, the movie
should have shown her smoke some drugs or something just to express why
she acts like this. Overall, the movie gave me a minor headache. I was
in a bore.
Final Grade: C-
Pleasantville (1998)
Starring Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen,
Jeff Daniels, Paul Walker
Film Prophet's Review...
The whole image of seeing two nineties teenage siblings into a fifties
sitcom was definitely imaginative. Reese and Tobey are trapped into a
black and white tv show where life begins to change. It shows life can
be sometimes wonderful and new and other times just scary. I can go into
a more deep review, but then no one will want to read that so I will try
to keep it simple and short like usual. I liked how when Reese asks
what's outside of Pleasantville and she got all blank stares because
there isn't anything. You ever see Leave it to Beaver classics? Imagine
yourself inside that world. You will be hearing, "How bout some
marshmallow squares. Those are swell," and "Honey, I'm home." The
breakfast scene was great... all that food in the morning before school.
The beginning of the movie was very funny... lots of giggles. Well,
anytime something changes different about Pleasantville's culture, color
gets added to something. Pleasantville began to recognize changes such
as having sex, bigger size beds, words in books, etc. They changed a
black and white family show, but then real changes occur drastic. Things
were all pleasant in Pleasantville before things became unpleasant.
"Maybe you only know it when it's gone... you can't stop something
inside you." The adaptation was beautiful... the scenery, great sounds
and music score, art direction was fabulous, and the editing was
terrific. Tremendous acting as well... when Tobey and Reese are fully
grown adult actors, this is the movie we will look back on to see them
in their younger years. Pleasantville is about the power of change.
Final Grade: B
Matchstick Men (2003)
Starring Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, Bruce Altman
Film Prophet's Review...
Nicolas Cage plays his typical role as he is a phobic, compulsive con
artist as he and his partner about to pull off a big con when the con
artist's daughter arrives on set. A review for a con artist movie is not
easy since I can not go into the plot unless I give spoilers. Well, the
movie had a mediocre beginning showing Cage's cleanness routine and fear
of outside. Some of the early scenes gave me a notion of old people
humor, but then the movie sped up after that going into some serious
stuff. A funny part is when the daughter asks her dad if that's why he
is a criminal and three cops get out of their booth in the diner behind
them without hearing. This girl, Lohman, is a really great actress. (See
Big Fish too) How she speaks and looks is a glorious addition to screen.
The direction and camera angle were great as well. It always seemed like
there was more to the plot and then that shows. The lottery con scene
was really, really creative. I enjoyed that. An emotion, intense finish,
with one gigantic twist before the ending. There may be a theme of
don't
trust anybody. Looking back on this movie, the whole
screenwriting was smooth and perfect, not missing a piece.
Final Grade: B/B-
Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind (2004)
Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Kirsten Dunst, Mark
Ruffalo, Elijah Wood
Film Prophet's Review...
A phenomenal portrayal of a fairly dysfunctional relationship that Kate
nor Jim knows how to deal with so Kate in the movie has her memory
erased of Jim as when Jim finds out of this, he wants to go through the
same process. During the removal process of Jim's memories, they both
have second thoughts. The movie is awkward, though it expresses thoughts
and feelings we should all look at when having a relationship. What this
movie did effectively was to show how relationships break down and then
go to show negative aspects of that person as the bad moments out weigh
the positive ones. It took some real insight about human nature to write
this one. Yet, removing part of the brain to forget stuff is becoming
too common of a movie plot similar to like The Butterfly Effect, 50
First Dates, and Paycheck. This movie should have been out like it was
suppose to last fall. Now its chances at the Academy Awards are not so
well anymore. Thus, my expectations of this movie dimmed and fell. As
for the crew, there was some superior acting on hand. I would like to
see Kate Winslet's buzz last a year, as she had a very enjoyable
performance and maybe her best. During the middle of this movie, I lost
focus. I guess this is a fantasy-romance film, but in sometimes it is
close to a comedy-drama, so it's nowadays called melodrama almost.
There's a really nice scene/memory about 20 minutes before the movie
ends where Jim meets Kate for the first time near some body of water on
a small beach at a BBQ. I'd have to say it needed a slight boost in
drama, although Charlie Kaufman (Yes, from Adapation.) did splendid.
Final Grade: B/B+
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Starring Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer
Film Prophet's Review...
The movie wasted no time and got into the horror action after a nurse's
daughter becomes one of the undead to bite her man. Then the nurse hooks
up with a cop and others to hideout in a mall. Although, it's only a
matter of time for more scares and gore, where it delivers. The zombies
run fast to consume the rest of the human to turn into zombies. Some of
the down sides of this movie: Little character development in the
beginning, horrible sound, bad exposition, poor dialogue, the beginning
was pointless, what plot, it wasn't strong enough, and there were way
too many "eww" and gross moments/voices. I couldn't tell if this was
intended to be a comedy or a horror film. This movie was probably the
scariest movie in a while though. However, it is a remake of a remake of
one of my favorite movies, the original Night of the Living Dead in
1968... that's the way to go. Some cool things I got from Dawn of the
Dead: The Burt Reynolds part was funny, "Yea, tell him to kill Burt
Reynolds." My favorite part is past the middle of the movie when the
newborn baby gets shot in the face immediately (no more spoilers given).
I was excited. I also hate dogs... damn all those over-rated, loud, and
aggravating creatures. What a thrilling, exciting ride for a finish!!!
Oh, and stay for the credits. You won't want to miss it!
Final Grade: B-
Secret Window (2004)
Starring Johnny Depp, Maria Bello, John Turturro, Timothy Hutton
Film Prophet's Review...
Where to begin, well, the movie is based on a novel by Stephen King and
Depp was excellent as usual. Depp plays a writer who is accused of
stealing a strange man's story, but more odd things happen. The movie
itself is categorized as a horror story, which wasn't going anywhere in
the first hour and led to a bore. The story was slower than your typical
horror films too. The direction was a bit off and the editing and music
could have been a lot better. The scenes were too long talking about the
same subject scene after scene, "Oh, I didn't steal your story," with no
resolution until the mystery ending. Could two people in the world
create the same exact story? One of the things (the only thing I should
say) I did pull from this movie was I learned what "rubberneck" means.
By and large, it had a cheap, sick resolution like the movie Identity,
but it's like the same dull schizophrenic denial type crap that tries to
act hip you get tired of.
Final Grade: C/C-
The Girl Next Door (2004)
Starring Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Chris Marquette, Timothy
Olyphant
Film Prophet's Review...
The first time I saw this movie poster was on campus and from the
picture, it looked like "another teen movie." Boy, was I ever wrong.
Lesson: Do not let your gut tell you anything from seeing a commercial
or looking at a poster. This movie was magnificent and inspiring. Film
Prophet got so much energy during this movie and only the best can do
that. My heart was pumping twice as normal. The story adaptation was so
complete and wonderful. An attractive girl moves next door to a male
high school class president. The movie went deeper than just that and
further. It felt like there was a climax every moment... it was upbeat
and I was drawn into the story every step of the way. A movie I can
relate to (or used to in high school). I always wanted to have a new
drop-dead beautiful girl next door that would change my life to the
better, but it never happened. If it did, I would so want this to be it.
Push me to my limits and then beyond that. I wish I could live in this
kids shoes, but it's only a movie, right. I even thought of a prom
entrance just like this. It's like my idea of an ideal movie for me was
stolen, except it's better than what I expected. The story was so true.
Pep rallies were the stupidest thing... there was more respect from the
students to the tall, jock guy than for the quiet, class president who
no one knew. High school is the place of more stereotypes than anywhere
else. People would shout out anything just to be funny in high school.
Chris Marquette, in Film Prophet's view, played the #2 funniest high
school character on screen as Eli to #1 Steve Stifler on American Pie.
His sexual references are hilarious with great timing. The scenes are
better than any "teen" movie Film Prophet has ever seen... the comedy is
silly and perfect. This movie is like a dream come true for me and to
maybe any average male teen. I pictured me in these situations Emile
Hirsch played in. It's like a fantasy dream to life. The camera
direction was even great as sometimes it made me see through the main
character's eyes, Emile, then cut back to looking at him. Like I said,
it's a dream come true for me, and even to Justin R., as the character
Eli got his dream similar to Justin R.'s of being a sweet porn director.
FINALLY, a "teen" movie with fine acting and dialogue. The characters
were impressive. Elisha Cuthbert's character was sexy and sophisticated.
She played the perfect personality I want to see in a "girl next door."
On another note, the music played throughout the film was brilliantly
selected. I usually come out hating "teen" movies, but I fell in love
with this one. The story has a touch of Film Prophet favorites, Taxi
Driver, Final Destination, Cruel Intentions, and plenty more in way.
It's cool to see a fantasy-comedy(drama) movie like this. I just wished
it was out a few years ago. This movie tells a lot, especially at the
end. I felt affection for it and it was irresistible!
Final Grade: A-/A
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
(2003)
Starring Antonio Banderas, Johnny Depp, Salma Hayek, Eva Mendes, Williem
Dafoe, Enrique Iglesias
Film Prophet's Review...
This movie tries to be cool, but it isn't. It's another one of those
revenge movies with backstabbers and corrupt people, except it's poorly
directed. Although, the special effects and sound quality are above
average, it focused way too much on the action. First of all, the movie
has no enduring storyline and if it had one, it was hard to find. The
movie changes every ten minutes. Also, why do the bad guys always miss
hundreds of bullets? The movie got a bit pointless and boring in the
middle with seeing new characters appear, disappear, and re-appear, then
eventually die. Depp was the highlight of the movie for me. I do say
that after seeing another performance by Depp, who makes the most out of
his weird role, he really adds a lot to his character and movies. Salma
Hayek was stunning for a disappointing five to ten minutes she was in
for. Frankly, this movie was somewhat a waste of my time and I came off
disliking most of it than I wanted to.
Final Grade: C
The Passion of the Christ
(2004)
Starring James Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern
Film Prophet's Review...
A defining moment in religious history... of all mankind. Mel Gibson is
capable of being a great director as he stuck to the story and portrayed
it better than most who have in the past. For the kids, there is a
reason why this is rated R without graphic nudity or English profanity.
(the whole movie was in subtitles) There were whipping scenes that
lasted way too long and showed lots of blood. Sitting in the audience,
it felt every time Jesus was whipped, the audience felt as though they
are being whipped too. I KNOW they felt the pain of him carrying the
cross and being nailed to it since I heard way too many tears and
blowing out your nose sounds. As for the acting job, I thought the
casting was terrific. Everyone played their parts well. I think I'm
going to limit my seeing of watching true stories I know the outcome to
since it's based on true works because it spoils the entire movie for
me, like in Miracle. The movie was a memorable film, but I didn't feel
enough depth in the story for me to watch it ever again. It needed a
longer ending, showing the effects on those who were there and left
after Jesus went and less showing of beating him up with various items.
Final Grade: B/B-
Whale Rider (2003)
Starring Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Cliff Curtis, Vicky
Haughton
Film Prophet's Review...
I wanted to see just how terrific Keisha Castle-Hughes is, similar to
what I did when I saw Charlize Theron in Monster in early January.
Monster made me feel literally sick, except this movie made me feel
nothing at all. Yea, she is the youngest nominated leading actress for
the Oscars, but those two younger girls in In America were a heck a lot
better than Keisha, sorry. I'm not hating her performance, but it was
nothing spectacular. I felt nothing from this over-rated, non-excited
performance. I was unattached to this story... the move reached no
emotions to me. It dragged on about nothing. It is one of the slowest
moving films ever, where this movie requires TONS of patience. It was
like... was this all this movie had to show? Yea, it's about a different
culture, Maori culture, and about love and triumph. Still, the dialogue
was extremely boring as it never peaked any excitement whatsoever.
Final Grade: C-/D
Pirates of the Caribbean:
The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush
Film Prophet's Review...
Will Turner, a young British blacksmith teams up with a notorious,
nonconformist pirate, Jack Sparrow, Depp, to save the governor’s
daughter Elizabeth Swann, Knightley, from dangerous pirates led by
Captain Barbossa, Rush, who happen to sail on the curse ship of the
Black Pearl.. One thing that makes this worthwhile
was that this is Disney's first PG-13 movie. The
direction turned this story into an inclusive great quality entertaining film.
The story was fantastic in this movie surrounding the special effects
and every character. It's probably the best pirate adventure film since The Goonies. The
performers in this movie were superb
and Depp was excellent, eventually earning an Oscar nomination.
Outstanding sound and music score... there were no weak pieces...
nothing but fine things can be said about this movie. There were
hilarious moments at the times... a movie so enjoyable and highly
entertaining and yet this is another great movie that influences one to
take fencing classes. The movie was a blast of fun!
Final Grade: A-/A
Miracle (2004)
Starring Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson, Noah Emmerich
Film Prophet's Review...
Known as the greatest American sports game, Miracle is a true story
about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team where they faced the powerful
top ranked Russian hockey team. Yep, that's the movie for you. I had the
thought the whole time that USA will beat Russia. It spoiled a lot for
me, although, the ending will give plenty the chills, the direction was
a key to make this movie and it worked out fine. Miracle does not have a
star stunning cast, but Kurt is the man of this movie. Even though his
fake looking hair was annoying, he did a remarkable job portraying the
great coach Herb Brooks. It was an inspiring story of believing in a
miracle and feeling hope for the underdogs. There are very few hockey
movies out there, but the hockey action in this movie was super. Hearing
the young Al Michaels during the action made me come to a conclusion
that he is the best play by play commentator in America. "Do you believe
in a miracle!?" So, this movie was educational in a way, with a typical
result of a happy endings. Let me hear the chants... U-S-A, U-S-A,
U-S-A, U-S-A, etc.
Final Grade: B-
Girl With A Pearl Earring
(2003)
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson
Film Prophet's Review...
Check it, a movie with no plot with a mild story can be excellent? You
better believe that. Scarlett Johansson, a Film Prophet favorite, was
the entire movie really, which made it better... she was in almost every
scene and was centered around throughout the whole movie. She has been
in mature roles for her age of late and Film Prophet sees her being a
top actress in the future. The movie was beautiful... well deserving
nominations for art direction, cinematography, and costume design. The
art direction continued to capture and amaze me. The sound was excellent
too... the movie had a quiet and calm relaxing feeling to it. The camera
angles showed us the strong facial expressions at times as the acting
was superb... like the score. Outside the plot, it had a lot folks. The
outcome of the movie was a moving masterpiece.
Final Grade: A-
The Butterfly Effect (2004)
Starring Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Ethan Suplee
Film Prophet's Review...
First time I saw the trailer was during the Return of the King and it
looked like a promising, fine movie. Later on, that view faded away for
whatever reason during its opening week. Somehow, someway, I watched
this movie since a lot of people told the Film Prophet it was okay and I
got to say, and I don't say this often, it was better than what the
trailer showed. The trailer did not focus on the plot at all, rather
showing Ashton looking confused at various points. The acting by Ashton
in this movie was ok since his character was a tough one to do, but he
gets the job done in this movie. The storyline in this movie kept me
watching, especially seeing the first effect of Ashton's blackouts. The
scene cutting made it disturbing to see Ashton go back, meeting some old
friends and some new ones. With the character changes here and there, it
got a bit confusing, yet entertaining. I say Amy Smart did a great job
with the character changes, but the kids expressions were just so
meaningless to watch. It was like they were zoned out and couldn't move
as they mumbled throughout the whole film. A love story and a thriller
with journals and time traveling all in one movie made this into a
hopeless outcome. Film Prophet did in fact enjoy the changes little kid
Ashton made to return back as a young adult to see what screwed up
changes he made.
Final Grade: B+/B
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