Reviews

Episode III, written and directed by George Lucas, had the task of bridging the 28 year gap between Episodes I-II and Episodes IV-VI, so let me put that one to rest quickly for all you fans out there – it was done superbly as only the creator himself could have done. Episode III continues the torments of Anakin Skywalker, believed to be the Chosen One by some in the Jedi Order, but having lost his mother in Episode II, Anakin is now consumed by the thought that he will lose his wife, Padme, and that thought drives his conflicts about whether to support the Jedi, who offer wisdom, or Chancellor Palpatine who offers Anakin the secrets of life and death through the dark side. You know the choice Anakin makes, so the question is whether Lucas convinces us as to why Anakin goes over to the dark side. And that also is handled quit well. I actually found myself siding with Anakin a few times, asking myself how could they do that to him? As far as the world goes, it's rich and spectacular, if only we could have spent a little bit more time exploring it, but "the worlds" are only a background to Anakin's story – as it should be. So what can I add? The special effects are incredible, the battles stupendous, the light saber duels better than all before, and as a friend said, all to come. The scene of Darth Vader's rising before our eyes, an instant classic for film fandom, can only be compared to the creation of Frankenstein's monster. This isn't the greatest film ever made, but it is a great Star Wars film – a must-see for fans. Unfortunately, if you are not familiar with what's come before or after before you see III, there is no way you will be able to appreciate all the nuances. Tomorrow, I plan on watching my copy of Episode IV, because it will have more dimension than ever now. You may have also heard that this is the first Star Wars film to earn a PG-13, and while there are some terrible images planted into our heads, this plot is actually the most adult oriented, dealing with inner conflict and politics, so expect the little ones to stir in their seats between the battles.

While checking director Raja Gosnell's (`Scooby-Doo 1 and 2') resume I learned he had been editor of the little known comedy-horror classic, Troma's 1987 `Monster in the Closet.' So before I go on, forget what you think you know about Troma films to find and rent `Monster in the Closet.'. Meanwhile, in this second `Scooby Gang' installment we find our five heroes (Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Linda Cardellini as Velma, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, and Scooby Do) getting back to their cartoon roots when a mysterious masked madman brings a collection of monster costumes (worn by previous Scooby-Doo cartoon bad-guys) to life to terrorize the town of Coolville, home of the Mystery Machine. Someone on the last film's production team must have read the reviews of `Scooby-Doo 1' and listened because `Scooby-Doo 2' follows the cartoon formula that gave the television series it's signature style. Back are the locations we've come to expect: an abandoned, condemned mining camp; a desolate, decaying, haunted mansion, and a spooky, foggy swamp. And, as in the cartoons, our gang needs to unmask-unmask (if you're a fan of the cartoon you understand otherwise wait to see the film) the madman behind this who-can-it-be mystery, while Shaggy and Scooby try to prove to themselves that they too are heroes. Don't expect a work of art, but do expect lots of cartoon comedy, fart jokes, whacky chase scenes, and a few lines and scenes thrown in for the adults. One of my favorites was at the opening of the museum exhibit when the Scoobys walk the red carpet. Various groupies attached to each of the heroes greets them and, of course, the group that greets Shaggy is definitely stoned. The monsters unleashed are more funny than scary, which makes this a good intro to horror for little ones. (We need to start raising the next generation of horror fans.) They even added some depth to this cast with Seth Green (Austin Powers and Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as the museum curator; Alicia Silverstone (Batman and Robin, The Baby Sitter) as the Reporter; and the great character actor, Peter Boyle as Old Man Wickles. Fans of the Scooby-Doo cartoon series will certainly enjoy this film while others will get some cheap belly laughs.

It's reloaded and upgraded as the underground city if Zion prepares to defend itself against an attack by 25,000 octopus-like probes. Now it's up to the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar (Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus; Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity; Harold Perrineau as Link; and, of course, Keanu Reeves as Neo, the chosen one) to save these remnants of humanity. But this is but one of the many plots in a multi-tasked story that sometimes gets tongue-tied in it's attempt to convey the twists and turns, much of which I can't tell you about without spoiling the film. I can tell you that the Matrix program is experiencing too many rogue programs as attempts are made to reboot the system. We also learn more about the Orifice (I mean Oracle) that changes some of what we learned in the first film. Most importantly, the filmmakers did manage to outdo themselves with action scenes and fighting affects that kept me mesmerized with their eye-popping choreography. Even the one-line tongue-in-cheek humor worked every time. I really enjoyed the first Matrix and did enjoy the second. The only thing that bugged me was the verbose attempts to explain what was going on, leaving me asking `What did he say?' much too much. If you liked the first film, you must see the second, but if you never saw the first, you must rent and watch it before you attempt the second or you will not know what the hell is going on. Finally, don't leave during the final credits (as most of my audience did) or you will miss a preview of the third film when the credits complete.

In Rob Zombie's first celluloid outing, two couples on a rode trip documenting weird out-of-the-way places to visit travel a side rode searching for the truth behind the Doctor Satan legend. And they get enough material for an entire book when they are held hostage by the Fireflys, a family who become the couples worst nightmare. If you think you've seen this before, you haven't! This is `Texas Chainsaw Massacre' meets `Clive Barker' with `style.' Rob Zombie does a great job in the writing and directing departments by interweaving surrealistic, flashback, and film negative scenes with colorful characters and a story that does follow the rules most of the time, but deviates enough to keep it fresh. One of my favorite techniques is his breaking away to documentary style scenes where the killers talk to the audience as if in an interview or just put on a show in the middle of the mayhem and carnage to reinforce our assumptions that these characters are totally insane. But that's the true horror, because there is absolutely no way to reason with these people. They are going to do some horrific things to you and that's it, so expect some bloody horror here. This one is for die-hard fans of the slasher genre who enjoy watching other peoples' nightmares. This is not for the faint-hearted. And I liked it, a lot, even though I'll never look at full-body rabbit costumes the same way again. Kudos to Capt. Spaulding; Mother, Otis, Baby, and Tiny Firefly.

Harry returns to Hogwarts School and brings the rest of us along if box office receipts are an indicator. This time, someone has opened a secret chamber releasing a monster and the only thing to do is close the school. Enter Harry and his pals. Again, the visuals are top notch and again the film is ripe with scenery and atmosphere. And again the plot falls flat leaving me uncaring even when the characters seemed so distressed. One thing bugs me about that game Harry plays. If catching that little "thing" that Harry always does wins the game, then why do they keep score for the other balls if they don't matter? The only phrase that came to mind was "Much Ado About Nothing." And it was too long. See you at the next one!

Director Stuart Gordon ("From Beyond," "Re-Animator") returns to give H.P. Lovecraft another Hollywood spin with "Dagon." In this "re-imagined" telling, a young wealthy couple on holiday in the Mediterranean are forced ashore when a storm wrecks their yacht. But instead of a safe harbor, Paul (Ezra Godden) and Barbara (Raquel Marono) find a nightmare world where "Night of the Living Dead" meets "The Island of Doctor Moreau." For the inhabitants of this small coastal village have made a pact with . . . a fish! But don't get me wrong, Gordon goes for gore and not laughs in this graphic horror tale. Fans of the "B" Director will enjoy this outing where every door opened leads Paul further into his Lovecraftian nightmare.

Starting with a child's bad dream this film quickly became a filmgoers nightmare. There is nothing worth mentioning here. Beside no batteries for any flashlights in the film, there is no story worth your time, no acting, no writing, no directing. The only horror is that films like this still get made in Hollywood. Shame on you, Wes Craven, for adding your name to the title. (Interesting, I couldn't find Craven's name attached to any part of the film at IMDB.com

As a fan of Tom Clancy political thrillers I was excited to see another of his novels hit the screen. In the film version, a young Jack Ryan must thwart the plans of a Neo-Nazi organization trying to start a war between the USA and The Soviets by exploding a nuclear bomb in Baltimore and blaming the Russians. Unfortunately, I found I couldn't care less. I don't fear Neo-Nazis and as for nuking Baltimore…. This film version drifted from the novel and ended up apolitical. Where were the fanatical Muslim terrorists? Was it Harrison Ford's absence from the lead role or my having grown up with the threat of nuclear war that made this film so ho-hum. The only thing I feared was that this film would never end. Go if you must, but the only thing you'll have to fear is giving up two hours of your life in a darkened theater.

Al Pacino plays Will Dormer, a top cop from Los Angeles sent to Alaska to investigate the beating death of a seventeen year-old girl. Is there a serial killer on the loose? I'm afraid not. Pacino's character brings career problems to Alaska that cause him to have trouble sleeping in the twenty-four hour Alaskan daylight. Dormer's problems are complicated when he accidentally shoots and kills his partner while hunting the killer. But is it an accident or murder? (His partner was the only one who new Dormer's secret past and could end his career.) Another reason for the insomnia. Enter Robin Williams as the teen's murderer (it's not a secret), witnessing Pacino's (Dormer's) "accident" and blackmailing the cop to help him evade capture. I won't get into the twists and turns, the director's playing with light, or the Alaskan scenery, but this was not what I expected. I ended up staying to watch Pacino (he is one of the greats after all), but found myself disappointed with this thriller turned drama. I wanted to go looking for a serial killer. The one thing I did notice was Robin Williams makes a great nut. He looks so innocent and timid, so harmless, a perfect serial killer. I hope we see more of him as the bad guy in the future. I just wanted more of that.

What can you say about a cultural phenomena? Yes, again the special effects were mind blowing, but again, special effects don't make a film great. Episode II follows Anakin trying to deal with his conflict: should he love Padme, even if it means breaking his Jedi oath; while Obi-Wan investigates a multi-layered plot against the Republic and its Jedi guardians. Fans of the series will love seeing more back story revealed (meeting Boba Fett's father, seeing C3P0 and R2D2 first teaming up, seeing the first plans for the Death Star, meeting the aunt and uncle who will raise Luke), watching Anakin slowing changing to what will become the Dark Lord himself, and a cool battle between the Jedis and their new enemies. But too many flat spots, sprinkled with flat acting, scenes that reminded me of "Blade Runner," and pedestrian dialogue, grounded this latest installment on an earthly plane. When the action finally comes, the film is over and I felt cheated. If it wasn't for the best scene in the film (watching Master Yoda fight with a light saber), I would have been "totally" disappointed. With the Yoda scene I am only "partially" disappointed as I cautiously await Lucas' last shot at redeeming his pop culture crown.

This by-the-book sword and sorcereress adventure finds Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson leading a rag-tag band of rebels that includes "the kid," "the funny sidekick," and "the enemy turned friend.," against an evil war lord. While lacking the graphic tension of a Conan film or the campy tongue and cheek of Xena, this was a respectable action vehicle for launching The Rock's" film career. Better looking than Arnold and certainly more eloquent, Dwayne Johnson definitely has screen presence and is rather likeable. I expect to see more of him as an action hero and that's not a bad thing.

If you like films that don't end with closing credits but continue to play in your mind as you drive away from the theater, than you'll love "Frailty," directed by Bill Paxton (coming a long way since his directorial debut with the video "Fish Heads"). "Frailty" is about a widowed mechanic (Paxton) trying to convince his two young sons that God has chosen them to kill demons disguised as ordinary people. After producing a list (also provided by a divine vision), the "family" goes hunting, snatching, and chopping to do God's work. But don't fear if you're getting queasy, there's no blood and guts, the audiences' torture comes from watching the two sons ( the "frailty" of the title) trying to deal with their father's divine calling … or is it madness as one son comes to believe. There's something about children in creepy films that makes them even more creepy. Remember the brother and sister in "The Others" (2001)? And my favorite, the undead little boy in "Pet Sematary" (1989). "Frailty" is a tight, top notch psychological thriller (not horror! Read my article, The Many Faces of Film) with great acting (Paxton, McConaughey, and Matthew O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter as the kids), great directing, and a unique and creepy story told in flashbacks that will leave you feeling twisted at the end. But isn't that why we go to see films like this? Just don't go alone because you'll need someone to talk to when it's over.

It's Jason Voorhees in space as the hockey masked killer finds innovative high-tech ways to dispense with a platoon of space marines (one gets impaled on a giant corkscrew. After his body winds down, a comrade says, "He got screwed."), and the usual assortment of trapped, sex starved teens. If you're a real fan of the genre, you've seen all the previous Jason , Freddy, and Michael Myers films (a promo for "Halloween: Resurrection" screened during "Jason X"), so how can you avoid this newest addition to the series? And fans won't be disappointed. "Jason X" delivers plenty of laughs, and plenty of teens you just hope will get killed good because they're so annoying. Killings include freezing a victims head to smash like glass, decapitations and plenty of impalings on Jason's famous machete. There is even a scene where Crystal Lake is recreated with holograms and Jason gets to kill two bikini clad campers by banging their sleeping bags together (yes, with them in it). The audience with me had fun laughing out loud, so go with a group. If you like cleavage with your cleavers, don't miss "Jason X," while we wait for Jason to meet Freddy, which is finally in production!

Leading off the summer 2002 film season is Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man," the story of a bullied high school senior who is bitten by a genetically mutated spider to become a somewhat tragic superhero. Toby Mcguire's Peter Parker/Spider-Man is very likeable and it is great fun watching Spidey swing through the caverns of New York City. And, as usual, Willem Defoe becomes totally absorbed in his Jeckle/Hyde role as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin. As with all his roles, Defoe appears to be having so much fun with his character that he makes himself fun to watch. But alas, the parts are better than the whole. While colorful CGI images of the Green Goblin flying through the air, tossing bombs and tackling Spider-Man, (who looks so cool) fed my appetite for enjoyment, the plot never quite got off to a solid roll or pace, bouncing between the story of Parker's tragic love for MJ (Kirsten Dunst), his own coming of age angst, and the Goblin's quest for revenge. But by the end, Parker has accepted his lot in life and the Goblin's hate for Spider-Man is passed to Osborn's son (Parkers best friend) so the story can continue in a sequel. And you can count on me to be standing in line with my ticket.. Hopefully, by then, the story will be rolling along just fine.

If you like films that don't end with closing credits but continue to play in your mind as you drive away from the theater, than you'll love "Frailty," directed by Bill Paxton (coming a long way since his directorial debut with the video "Fish Heads"). "Frailty" is about a widowed mechanic (Paxton) trying to convince his two young sons that God has chosen them to kill demons disguised as ordinary people. After producing a list (also provided by a divine vision), the "family" goes hunting, snatching, and chopping to do God's work. But don't fear if you're getting queasy, there's no blood and guts, the audiences' torture comes from watching the two sons ( the "frailty" of the title) trying to deal with their father's divine calling … or is it madness as one son comes to believe. There's something about children in creepy films that makes them even more creepy. Remember the brother and sister in "The Others" (2001)? And my favorite, the undead little boy in "Pet Sematary" (1989). "Frailty" is a tight, top notch psychological thriller (not horror! Read my article, The Many Faces of Film at www.thechiaroscuro.com) with great acting (Paxton, McConaughey, and Matthew O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter as the kids), great directing, and a unique and creepy story told in flashbacks that will leave you feeling twisted at the end. But isn't that why we go to see films like this? Just don't go alone because you'll need someone to talk to when it's over.

I started off liking this film by playing Venn Diagram (What's different? What's the same?) between this and the 1960 George Pal classic. That was fun. There are plenty of subtleties and homage's for fans of the original to enjoy. I didn't even mind that they changed the location to turn of the century New York and took some liberties with their views of the future; after all I wasn't there to see Rod Taylor again. But this time machine goes nowhere! While I didn't miss the blond-haired, blue-eyed Eloi bimbos of the 1960 version, I did miss the 1960's Moorlocks and the lack of any tension and sense of wonder I experienced with the 1960 version. I was bored and didn't care about anyone in this future! Go if you want to play Venn , otherwise wait for the rental. I wonder how the producers of this film will react to their own tag line: "Where would you go?" How about back in time to try again?

I'll admit, it's been a while since any film has moved me, and after reading some other critics reviews I wasn't expecting much as Mel Gibson leads the Vietnam era 7th Cavalry (Yes, of Custer fame.), now riding helicopters, into their first mission. And they land on an ant hill. It's 600 Americans against 4000 NVA soldiers (reminding me of Pork Chop Hill, 1959). I tolerated the first act as overblown melodrama, but found myself sucked in bad by the second act. Sure there was plenty of graphic fire fights for us action fans, but the scene that broke me up was when the yellow taxi cabs delivered telegrams to the wives of the soldiers killed in action while the battle was still going on. I'll admit, I lost it. Would this film have carried itself without Mel Gibson, I don't think so, but add great directing, cinematography, and one of the most hauntingly timed musical scores (that included chanting Buddhist monks) to heighten scenes and you have a moving war film that tries to remind us that plenty of good people (American and Vietnamese) died in Vietnam. If you go, bring tissues.

If you're looking for action in your war film skip this one. But if you don't mind an interesting drama about prejudice among Americans in a German POW camp, which although slow at times, leads to an interesting pay-off with a twist that (kinda) makes the whole thing worth it, then check it out. I especially enjoyed the subdued though "grizzled" looking Bruce Willis as Colonel McNamara and Marcel Iures as the camps' German commander.

This (short of "The Wall") is the best Pink Floyd video experience. The long guitar and sax solos, along with eye-catching video and three luscious ladies singing backup, Money, Comfortably Numb, Us and Them, Wish You Were Here, Run Like Hell, plus more! What more could you want? Where's the DVD?

The Lost Boys is an innovative retelling of the Peter Pan story. The title "Lost Boys" comes from Peter's band of boys who escaped reality to live forever in never-never land. Vampires never die, never grow old. Peter went searching for a mother for his boys. The Head Vampire is searhing for a mother for "his boys." Compare the names of the characters. Splat-stick comedy with bite.