ca_localgirl Reviews

The Animal (2001)

Decent, entertaining enough, NOT boring!

[7/10 · 6 November 2001]

This was a short, charming and nonsensical movie which I really enjoyed. There are lots of good laugh scenes, and the plot keeps moving at a fast enough pace.

There were some cute quirks in the story line itself that made the movie and characters even more enjoyable, despite the rest of the plot being fairly predictable.

Michael Caton, who played the mad animal doctor, was absolutely hilarious. Rob Schneider does a really good portrayal of Marvin, the goofy wannabe police officer whose life is saved by getting rebuilt with animal parts after a big accident. He's definitely a funny actor who pulls off this type of roll well, and with impeccable timing. Marvin's love interest, played by Colleen Haskell, delivered her lines ok enough but the chemistry didn't really seem to be there between the two. The Rianna character definitely had the potential to be one of the more interesting characters, but most scenes with her in it had Marvin stealing (or saving) the scene.

All in all, this is a really fun comedy and delivers a laughable viewing experience. Of course it's completely unbelievable at times, but that just adds to the amusement if you let it. Don't expect it to make sense, just sit back, be entertained, and get ready to laugh!

Serendipity (2001)

Predictable, drawn out, unlikely...

[4/10 · 6 November 2001]

This is one of the movies where the trailer gives away the whole plot, and the movie reveals no unexpected events, twists or ideas. The main message of this movie is cute, heartwarming and inspiring, but its method of delivering this is way overdone. The exact same situations and thoughts are repeatedly presented to you over and over again. It seems long and drawn out, with the situations that were designed to create suspense being overly predictable, silly and annoying.

I have only seen three John Cusak movies (this one, America's Sweethearts and High Fidelity), and I'm about to conclude that Cusak is a mediocre actor, at best. His character, Jonathan Trager, is barely likeable in this movie. He is insensitive and uncaring towards his current girlfriend, he comes off as creepy and desperate when he first meets his mystery lady played by Kate Beckinsale. This was probably one of Molly Shannon's better performances, however that's not saying much...

If you've seen the trailer, you've already seen all the originality the movie has to offer.

Joy Ride (2001)

Typical Teen Thriller/Horror Flick, but a good one

[6 November 2001]

This was a pretty good movie as far as a teen thriller/horror flick. LeeLee Sobieski was unexpectedly absent for at least the entire first half of the movie, so at the beginning it appears to be the humorous story of Lewis and Fuller (played by Paul Walker and Steve Zahn) as they travel across country. At one point, the movie felt like all events had summed up, everything went back to normal, about half way through. It could have ended right there but there's a definite second wind of scary action, dread, car chases, suspense and terror. This movie was like seeing "I Know What You Did Last Summer" AND "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" in one. Ted Levine is terrifying enough in his radio broadcasts and telephone calls to rival the scenes from the villain from "Scream". This was, surprisingly, one of the better movies in this genre, managing to put an original twist on the stuff Urban Legends are made of.

Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

An emotional comedy/drama that's worth your time

[9/10 · 6 November 2001]

This film had me laughing, smiling most of the way through, and also compelled me to think, feel and reflect. This was an extremely well directed movie based on a poignantly honest and touching memorandum.

The story is told of Beverly D'Onofrio, as seen through the eyes of her 20 year old son Jason. Although Beverly herself wrote the book with the same name and had a lot to do with putting this movie together, It still portrays her in a truly human and honest light, -- mistakes and all-- and sometimes not too flattering.

Beverly doesn't seems to find true love in the form the husband she marries as a teenager to "do the right thing" after she finds out she's pregnant. Her father is ashamed and angry with her, and thinks only of what is good for him and their reputation. These issues are sad, but are dealt with so often and are real.

The development of her notably close relationship with her best friend Fay was one of my favorite things about the film. It brought out the wonderment and beauty of sharing your dreams and happiness, as well as the painful times, with the ones who care about you. Drew Barrymore and Brittany Murphy are both amazing and talented actresses who fitted their rolls beautifully.

Although I already had a pretty good idea of the plot outcome from the synopsis of the original novel and from watching the trailer, it was still incredibly worth it to go along with this exceptional bunch of characters for the ride.

Legally Blonde (2001)

Annoying yet heartwarming

[6/10 · 24 October 2001]

I've never been a fan of Reese Witherspoon, but her character in this ditzy movie is actually extremely likeable.

I would never have chosen to see this movie on my own, but my 12 year old niece enjoyed it beyond belief.

At first, it reminded me too much of "Clueless" with the airhead L.A. rich girlies. However, the plot and premise did have a bit of originality and the movie ends exactly how I found myself hoping it would. The fact that even I cared about the characters and the outcome by the end of the movie is what I think makes it a decent movie.

If you can stand the stereotypical dumb blond aspect and the superficial pretty girl mentality, it actually wraps up with a pretty good message.

The Others (2001)

Chilling!!

[10/10 · 24 October 2001]

This is one of the best movies I have seen all year, and one of the top horror stories ever told. It's creepy, simplistic, and eerie.

I was impressed by the enchanting simplicity of the plot, the lack of need for "Hollywood" special effects, and the haunting atmosphere that loomed over everything from beginning to end.

The first half, or even three quarters, seemed to move along a bit slowly, but it felt necessary to build the suspense to the point where I was biting my nails in anticipation of the inevitable.

Nicole Kidman's character, Grace... I was torn between empathy and disgust for her at times, but she definitely succeeded at captivating me with their lives and story. Predictable in parts, but it still leaves you guessing. This was a quality ghost story, with an old fashioned ambiance; downright spooky.

I was in awe of the ending, a fairly intelligent premise. It's the kind of movie that lets you escape reality for a while by entertaining you, but at the same time, returns you to the "real world" with your spine tingling, wondering if there isn't some possibility of truth... Chilling.