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tommyuk
Reviews
Hannibal (2001)
Disappointing Film Not as good as the novel
I finished Hannibal the Novel a little while ago and it was a pretty good read although not as good as Red Dragon or The Silence of the Lambs.So this came on TV last night and I decided to watch it to see if Ridley Scott had done a reasonable job with the source material. I have to say that this film was very slowly paced and lacked the excitement and suspense of both Hannibal the novel and the previous films -Manhunter and The Silence of the Lambs.For me the best part of the novel was the part in Florence when Pazzi had to get Hannibal's fingerprint using the Romanian Gypsy's. This part was cut down heavily in the film.Also Mason Verger's sister Margot was a major character in the Novel and she was completely left out.I thought that the ending was badly altered, the ending in the novel was far more satisfying and made much more sense. If you have yet to read the novel,I would recommend it, it's a lot better.This film felt very rushed, I think it could have been better planned. Perhaps they where under pressure to get the movie made quickly.I believe it performed even better than The Silence of the Lambs at the box office but then it was bound to after the long wait and expectation. It's a pity, a missed opportunity.
Starship Troopers (1997)
Verhoeven has style !
After watching James Cameron's film 'Aliens' in 1986 (which I believe was loosely based on the Starship troopers novel) I have to admit I wasn't really all that impressed with 'Robocop' in 1987.At the time I thought the best parts of Robocop where the ED209 boardroom scene and the in-between TV Commercial shorts which where quite funny.I have to give credit to Robocop though because I really like the way Paul pushed this idea to the limit and incorporated it into Starship Troopers with the satirical Federation broadcasts.He has an amazing talent for visualizing classic Sci-Fi and I think he did a fine job on Total Recall based on Philip K Dick's short story 'We Can Remember It for You Wholesale'. I think Verhoeven is a fantastic director who is not afraid to poke a bit of fun at Heinlein's fictional idealistic future and us also at the same time in our own crazy world.Don't get me wrong I love Heinlein's novels and hope some day that another Director might try and visualise the Mobile Infantry closer to the MI in the novel.I would hope that such a director might adopt some of this film's brilliant concepts such as the Arachnids organic weaponry.I think Heinlein would have been just a little bit impressed with the CGI in this fine film
SpaceCamp (1986)
Mach 25
I remember when this one came out back in 1986 or 1987 because it was a trailer that was on lots of videos that I rented out back then.I never actually bothered renting out Space Camp, I always thought it looked quite lame and as a teenager I was more into B horror movies.Watching it for the very first time this morning some 20 years on made me feel quite old, It reminded me of BMX bikes, spiked haircuts and Coin operated video games .I have to admit I did kind of like it, which is unsurprising because I tend to find that films targeted at family audience's usually do have quite high production values.The plot was quite predictable but it was enjoyable and there where some funny one liners.I have to say that I only realized that Max was played by Joaquin Phoenix or rather Leaf Phoenix after checking it out here.Incidentally I don't think that Space Camp had a theatrical release in Cinemas in the UK and Ireland in 1986.It was sad that the Challenger shuttle disaster occurred that year and that event may very well have affected the films theatrical marketing internationally.
The Music of Chance (1993)
Great but it should have been a Saab not a Beamer
**** Some Spoilers ***** The Music of Chance is a dark, atmospheric and haunting parable of how in a split second decision one's fate can be changed dramatically.The cast in this film are wonderful.James Spader is cast completely out of type as Jack Pozzi an itinerant gambler who stumbles out of the woods to be picked up hitchhiking by Nashe played by Mandy Pantinkin. Jack tells Nashe about how he can win a big game of poker against a couple eccentric millionaires Flower and Stone played by Charles Durning and Joel Grey.Nashe agrees to back Jack with his own limited funds, so begins this cautionary tale.Also adding to the excellent cast is Emmet Walshe and Chris Penn.The acting in this film is superb by everyone especially Spader who gives Jack's character lot's of emotion.A wonderful translation of the Paul Auster novel which is very reminiscent of work by Samuel Becket and Franz Kaffka.
The Bermuda Triangle (1979)
Saw this in the cinema Quite Good
I vaguely remeber seeing this in the cinema in 1979 in Northern Ireland when I was Eight or Nine.It was sort of semi-documentary.It was quite good for an afternoon matinee.We went to see it because the TV trailer looked good.It was similar to another film that came out around the same time Sasquatch, the Legend of Bigfoot (1977) Also Semi-Documentary.I remember the Atlantis theory about a crystal firing a beam at passing aircraft.Far Out,I Love the Seventies.
Nightmare in the Daylight (1992)
Quite good for a TV movie
This is well worth a watch. You are guaranteed to be kept in suspense to the end of the story. Jackie Smith and Christopher Reeve are both excellent as the leads . The characters in the story have lot of depth. Very Good !
Stowaway (1985)
What I remember about Stowaway
If this is the short film I think it is, then it is set in Ireland.A group of children from Dublin go on a barge trip up a canal but as the name suggests a stowaway is hiding on the boat. The story is a little thin but there are some good performances and some nice canal locations. I watched this once or twice because one of my schoolfriends had a part in it.