drxym Reviews

In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco (1993 TV Movie)

Not bad for a TV movie

[7/10 · 12 September 2005]

Okay, I'm not a big fan of TV movies, but I thought that Timothy Daly's performance in this effort was magnetic and the script was above par. Watching as Koresh rants, raves and twists the bible's message to his captive audience really gives you an idea how he may have lead people to follow him to their doom. If there is a weakness with the film, it is that it portrays the various government agencies as well meaning but two-dimensional wholesome boobs. I find it laughable that other reviewers think this film is fascist - both sides are portrayed rather favorably with the exception of Koresh. If the film has any message, it is that if you're a member of a heavily armed and whacked out cult with a megalomaniac pedophile for a leader, it is no surprise to anybody if you bring "armageddon" down on yourself. The Branch Davidians discovered the hard way and frankly if they were stupid enough shoot back at the feds then they got what they deserved.

I also found the film ends rather abruptly after the feds gathered their dead from the initial raid. Perhaps the production thought that was the best place to cut the movie and rush it out to TV as soon as possible. Even if that is their reasoning, the ending is disjointed and misses some of the drama that could have been captured from the ensuing siege.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Dull plot, CG laden and general waste of potential

[5/10 · 13 May 2005]

The plot of this film and Jar Jar Binks have been mercilessly parodied and its not hard to see why.

This film really does have one of the most boring plots. The framework for this movie is a trade federation blockade and politics of a galactic senate. Great. Within this framework we have a couple of Jedi occasionally hacking their way through various CG robots, some *extremely* irritating and unconvincing CG characters, a rather good but overlong pod race in the middle and a dull denouement where yet more CG characters fight CG robots inter-cut with the Jedis fighting a baddie called Darth Maul. CG is okay in doses, but it does not make up for a saggy plot or other deficiencies.

Darth Maul is the most interesting thing about the film and he is woefully underused. Aside from being a bad ass fighter, we have no better clue who he is or what he wants. Recall previous Star Wars where the duels were accompanied by a duel of words - Obi Wan Kenobi squaring up to Vader, or Vader vs Luke Skywalker. The words were as interesting as the fighting itself and I bet most fans can recall them. The Jedis and Darth Maul size each other up, and fight in near silence. What a waste. As someone wrote for Slate (if I recall), why not use the opportunity for Maul to expound his beliefs and perhaps even semi-convince the "maverick" Jedi played by Liam Neeson of what he is trying to do.

Aside from this, not much else sticks in the mind. The acting is universally wooden, thanks no doubt to the amount of CG filling each scene - "Mr Neeson stand in front of this green screen and say your lines to the tennis ball on a stick. We'll fill in who you're talking to and the space port you're standing in later.". The child actor playing Annakin is irritating, and the CG Jar Jar is even more so.

I have to say that Attack of the Clones went some way to mitigate the annoying Jar Jar by making him the tragic instigator of the Clone Wars. But if ever Lucas ever re-cuts these films (as he is wont to do when his bank balance dips below several billion), he should re-voice this annoying creation and give him half as much to say.

Max Q (1998 TV Movie)

Pointless and moronic in the extreme

[21 September 2003]

Obviously the writers of this mulch had this brief - "Imagine Apollo 13 but on the shuttle with a sexy imperiled crew trying to get back to earth". If this sounds stupid, that is because it is.

Throw in some dreadful special effects, a low budget, a total disregard for reality & physics and a plot which consists of one over the top crisis after the next and a happy ending. The actors however do make the best of a bad situation, but this one is a total dud.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Great effects, dull plot

[6/10 · 16 May 2002]

I wonder if people will ever learn... This marks strike two for Lucas. The second in his "prequel" trilogy represents a triumph of special effects and action but a giant leap backwards in terms of plot and dialogue.

The special effects are outstanding, but it would be nice if Lucas actually used some of that money to hire some decent script writers. As it is, the actors flatly speak their silly lines and in the end you're just waiting for the next action sequence to begin. Particularly excruciating is the romance between Anakin & Padme which explores every cliché in the book and drags on and on. Fortunately when the action does arrive, it is very exciting and the ending is pretty good with a nice arena sequence and showdown between Yoda and Dooku.

I actually rewatched this movie just recently on TV (a gap of three years since I first saw it) and if anything the acting comes across as even more wooden. The script isn't just bad, it's a rotten egg. With hindsight I see why every scene is filmed with CG eye candy - to distract from the train wreck in the foreground. As with the Phantom Menace, I don't believe the actors are at fault here. You get what you expect when you actors stupid lines to say to blank space in front of a green screen.

It is a slightly better movie that the Phantom Menace but nowhere near as good as the original three.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Snorefest

[4/10 · 21 April 2002]

Some of the stunts in MI:2 are great but that's all can be said for it. The dialogue is terrible, the plot is boring and the twists and turns are laughably far fetched. John Woo made a terrible career move when he directed this clunker.

What plot there is involves stealing a virus before the bad guy can get it but it does so in such a ham handed way that you just don't care. Nor for the zero-chemistry romance between Cruise & Newton. Worse yet, there is hardly any originality here, all the Mission Impossible tricks are ripoffs from the first movie - rubber masks (employed multiple times), computer hacking, dangling on wires, breaking into a building etc. It's just desperate how cliched it all is.

Mystery Men (1999)

Okay, but lacks punch

[6/10 · 1 April 2002]

Mystery Men had the potential to be truly funny, but my feeling throughout was that it was a wasted opportunity. The script has some funny lines, but a combination of poor delivery and truly bad direction dooms this movie to being so-so.

Most of the problem can be lain at the feet of the director. For some reason he likes to shoot characters saying their lines straight to the camera from eight inches away. Not once, but all through the movie and it looks terrible. Add to this some wasted set pieces, dodgy special effects and the movie constantly sags.

Still, the dialog is not bad and it's fun to watch a bunch of very stupid heroes take down the master villain.

The General (1998)

A great film, note to DVD viewers

[8/10 · 17 January 2002]

This is a great film, but I should warn people who are watching this on DVD that some versions ship with a black and white on one side and a colour version on the other.

Do not watch the colour version! For some reason this version has different dialogue (and possibly editing) particularly with regards to swearing - freaking replaces f**king etc. I don't know why this is so but maybe the movie was watered down to get some lesser rating. Whatever the reason, watch the black and white version and see the movie as it was meant to be seen.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Funky goodness

[9/10 · 17 May 2000]

I love this movie! A funky soundtrack, deadpan humor, a clever heist and a mean villain make this one cool flick. If you've never seen it before, rent or buy it now!

Reservoir Dogs fans might find certain things about this movie very familiar...