bikeride-2 Reviews

Armageddon (1998)

Worst movie I've seen in a long time

[1/10 · 19 March 2000]

This movie stinks from the opening scenes to the last. I'm the first to allow a lot of willing suspension of disbelief, but this went too far. The beginning explosion in space features flames and noise - neither are possible in space. The scenes on the asteroid contradict not only common sense but the movies own description of what gravity is like on the asteroid (one minute the characters sail off into space, the next they are jumping around and falling down. And finally the heroic end of the movie is witnessed all over the world, shown with scenes from heartland America to Asia - all during day time! Daylight all over the world in Bay's mind. And you could see it shining through his ears. He's a moron with too much money. Well, I guess that sort of defines Hollywood. Beyond that, the portrayal of 'roughnecks' is the director's own idiotic imaginings, The love story simply got in the way and was infantile anyway. The music blew, too.

Eye of the Beholder (1999)

Intriguing

[8/10 · 27 February 2000]

I liked the fact that you didn't really know the characters - you are just dropped into the middle of their lives. That gives them a history beyond the movie. And the ending left you wondering even more. It sure bewildered me. And that's not necessarily bad. It wasn't all candy wrapped in a Hollywood pakage. Uncertainty is life. Some people can't grasp that. If you have to have answers spoon fed to you, forget it. The photography and scenes were great. Ashely Judd (sp) was excellent. The soundtrack was the best - from the Massive Attack guy. But it isn't available on CD!! That was a big mistake. Probably some stupid legal crap prevented it.

Drive (1997)

Surprisingly decent

[8/10 · 27 November 1999]

Other comments I saw were positive, so I tried it. It really is pretty good for its genre and class. The fight scenes were like something from mainland China - Good hands, not just showy kicks. Good, but too short, escrima-like scene. And Hardison is a good actor and there wasn't too much (but a little) of the irritating dialogue as in other movies (like in Rush Hour or Lethal Weapon 4). There were even jokes about this genre of movie - at the end Dacascos makes a typical bad pun ("Time to blow" as some rocket blows up) and Hardison looks at him and says, "Blow?" Another scene Dacascos, on the run, gives police a phony name - "Sammo Hung." Definitely worth the rental price.

Wing Chun (1994)

Good Action

[7/10 · 7 November 1999]

I forgot I had taped most of this off TNT a while back. I watched it again and am really beginning to enjoy how good Donnie Yen is. Easily as good as Jet Li and seems to have a greater acting range ( Jet seems always so serious and intense). But I need to see more of each. Anyway the fight scenes are good, good and varied techniques, though not looking like really wing chun. Unnecessarily speeded up (these guys are fast enough) and too much wire fu - typical Yuen Woo Ping it seems. It would be good to see Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen together in a modern film.

Once Upon a Time in China II (1992)

Not the Action I expected

[6/10 · 7 November 1999]

From all of the comments (here and on other sites) I had expected this to be on par with Fist of Legend for the fight scenes. It is not. While very well photographed and directed, and the story is very good, the fight scenes seemed to be few and far between and short-lived (except for the final scene which was unnecessarily reliant on wires). I have the DVD version and may go back to look at the actual of minutes to verify my impressions. One thing that becomes clear - Donny Yen is every bit as good as Jet Li, in wu shu and acting, and deserves a wider audience.

Fight Club (1999)

Nice twisted movie

[16 October 1999]

Nicely done, sucks you in with humor, good editing and narrative view, and criticism of the consumer/material world (like the world where writers sell their novels to the movies...?) that has been said many times before but is restated well. Like, Sixth Sense, the twist comes near the end. The ending was kinda weak though - I'm not sure it was what it could have been. But by that time you should be into the movie enough to let it...slide. Good soundtrack, too.