DeadDog Reviews

Evolution (2001)

Standard summer comedy (bit of a spoiler)

[2 July 2001]

Evolution is one of those summer comedy films Hollywood releases as a relatively safe bet to make money - use an established director (Reitman), make it similar to something that worked before (Ghostbusters), but use the latest CGI effects if possible, and have a leading name who is well-known, but not too pricy.

The result in this case is something that is better than the average summer comedy (I have an ability to laugh at stupid jokes, but most summer comedies push that beyond the limit), but will probably have disappointed if you were expecting either something as good as the original Ghostbusters or something with a decent plot.

Which is the other thing - I read in other comments that this was originally intended as a sci-fi thriller (written by the same chap who did Arachnaphobia and John Carpenter's Vampires). Although some of the seriousness remains, I suspect the reason they changed it to a comedy may be partially because some bits are too sterotypical (things you learn from films - no US general ever listens to any advice whatsoever) and the way they tie the film up at the end is too contorted compared to some of the better ideas that they had before to fit in a thriller. I can just see the suits now saying 'Well, it's a good idea, but the plot's a little thin, the characters are two-dimensional, and we really don't like the ending as it is. So let's make it a comedy, give it to Reitman, and end it with a big monster and lots of slime, and most people won't care...

Given my tolerance for silly jokes - 7/10.

Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979–1982)

Classic sketches, even if you can't remember the '80s

[8 August 2000]

The reason that NTNON isn't remembered as much as it could be is the sheer topicality of many of the sketches. The company bosses acceding to the increasingly outrageous demands of the Union bosses - "and his daughter to be phased in at a later date" - are still funny, but were probably funnier still at the time. Of course, there are plenty of other sketches that don't require a full knowledge of Britain in the early Thatcher years to appreciate, and if you ever get the chance, it's worth catching them.

And the songs are still brilliant. Altogether now - " I Like Trucking"

Love, Honor and Obey (2000)

It feels like three different films merged together in a slightly unsatisfactory whole

[4/10 · 5 April 2000]

Having been offered a ticket to a preview at short notice by a friend, I had no prior knowledge of the film other than having seen a small advert of it - in other words, I knew the cast, and that's it.

There are moments of mindless violence and gun-toting that wouldn't look out of place in a film like Goodfellas. There are moments of domestic conversation that could have been from a Mike Leigh film (as I've since heard, the film allowed the stellar cast to improvise much of the dialogue, which explains that impression). Finally, there is the occasional character and situation that could be straight out of a Carry On film.

The problem is that, had the film stayed pretty much to anyone of these individual films, it could have been very good. Although some of the actors and actresses are quite up to doing a film in any of the three styles, for me the parts don't quite mix. I was never sure in the scenes of violence whether someone is going to be hospitalised in a Carry On sense, or sent to the morgue, Goodfellas style.

Anciano and Burdis could well go on to make some very good films. But in future, I hope they make them one at a time, not three at once.

American Beauty (1999)

Not the greatest ever, but certainly one of the best of the year

[9/10 · 1 December 1999]

A number of people, I've noticed, have been shocked that this film is so high up in the IMDB charts. I was myself, but I'm not going to deliberately vote less just because of that. If I only gave one ten a decade, then it wouldn't have got top marks, but given the quality of acting in this film, I can't really give it less than a nine.

If I had one little complaint, its that the film does show signs of being directed by someone with a theatrical background. The cinematography isn't exactly astounding, merely workmanlike.

I wouldn't describe it as the best film ever, but I wouldn't be surprised if it picked up a few Oscars either.

Ronin (1998)

Nearly a great film, but, oh dear.

[4/10 · 26 November 1998]

This was very close to being a really good film - the car chases are great, the action is rather realistic (the body count for passers by is rather large), but you never get to see enough of most of the characters to feel for them - DeNiro is the only one with any background at all, and although Jean Reno is great, it's because he's Jean Reno rather than the script. As for most of the others - just cyphers to support DeNiro and Reno. Then there's the fake 'Oirish' accents of Jonathon Pryce and Natascha McElhone - couldn't they have got real Irish actors to do the parts, or just written a different script that didn't require them? The 'denouement' over the radio ruins the plot for anyone who actualy knows anything about the Troubles.