stephenjamesb-1 Reviews

Superman Returns (2006)

Revisiting Superman Returns 16 years later.

[6/10 · 13 June 2022]

I always like to look at a film years later to see if my original thoughts on the film still stand, in this case 2022 compared to 2006.

Seeing that Returns is more a sequel to the second film they kind of forgot the finer points of what came before it. For example in the first film the conversation between Superman and Lois in the original interview "Can you read my mind" sequence Clark refers to Peter Pan, in the same sequence Superman says "Peter Pan flew with children Lois". In the new film Superman asks who Clark was in another CYRMM type of sequence.

It was like the story tellers picked and chose elements from the original 2 films, incorporated them into the new script without realizing that the accompanying elements when told didn't connect with the original plot points. Too many continuity issues.

There are things that the story lacked and that's what made the film a little bit more mediocre for me. The action sequences were very well done and you could see that they put money in the film.

My only other complaint about the film and I remembered this when I saw the film in 2006 was that at times Brandon Routh was trying to be Christopher Reeve rather than make the role his own. He even cracks a joke in DC's Legends of Tomorrow when referring to Supergirl "She looks like my cousin" while not even playing the part of Superman anymore.

Scream 4 (2011)

Best line in the film and also very telling..

[8/10 · 17 April 2011]

Although I didn't think this film re-invented the wheel it was also better than I expected...

The only film I remember was the first since it was the best and most memorable, I've completely forgotten the 2nd and thankfully the 3rd.. But the most memorable thing about the 4th film was the one of the very last lines spoken by Neve.. "1st rule about remaking a original movie... You don't .... with the original.." This may be a line in the film but it tells a lot about the the film industry today and especially when it comes to the needless remakes of older horror movies... If you look at all these remakes, there's very very few films that actually are better than what their original counterparts were..

The line also has a side meaning as well, not directed at the horror film industry as a whole.. But directly to Warner Bros and New Line Cinema in general.. After the abomination of the REMAKE of a Wes Craven's masterpiece A Nightmare on Elm Street in 2010, it was in my view pure garbage and a slap in the face to the true fans of the film.. The film had so much promise but was a massive let down and I think was an insult to Wes Craven himself.. SO when that line was spoken I just smiled and I couldn't agree more..

Scream 4 might not be memorable, but that line and that meaning.. WAS

Friday the 13th (2009)

A fresh take on the original series..

[9/10 · 1 March 2009]

I have been a long time Friday the 13th fan, and when I heard that they were doing a "remake" of the original film, I had to wonder if this was going to be actually GOOD.. Despite some flaws in the film, overall I was very happy with the outcome of the film..

Knowing that this is the first Friday THE 13TH film in over 20 years it was nice to see the links to the roots of the series.. It's nice to finally see them doing justice to the series and not make it some watered down excuse for a horror film that seems to be the norm in Hollywood these days.. If they had done this then we would have gotten some PG-13 teen friendly crap that people in their 20's and 30's would have despised.. Friday the 13th has always been a slasher film and this is exactly what we were blessed with..

They didn't go away from its roots, change it to Saw and Hostel and make this torture porn, it would have been a massive mistake and would have not been true to the spirit of the series..

The only difference between the new film and the old is how Jason was handled, we get a smarter, more sadistic Jason..

A worthy addition to the Friday universe..

The Longest Yard (2005)

One of the worst films let alone remakes that I've ever seen...

[1/10 · 22 December 2007]

There have been some good remakes and there have been some bad remakes of great films... Then there was this film (I'm being kind when I refer to it as a film) Now you take a film that is a classic, which the 1974 version is most certainly one of the best sports movies ever made.. The idea was fresh, funny and well done... Then 31 years later this truly dreadful movie gets released.. The whole problem was trying to do a carbon copy of the original film.. But they failed to even make a copy of the original film.. The original had character development with Crewe, Caretaker, Nate Scarboro, Captain Knauer, Warden Hazen and Unger.. This didn't...

The film failed to create character development, it was introduce the characters give them a few insights and then just cut to the football game... It was like the filmmakers actually believed taking shortcuts in the actual story and relying on the people who actually enjoyed the first movie to know about the backstory..

Other problems with the film was just throwing in so many homophobic stereotypes and other racial jokes that truly detracted from what would have been moderately passable film.

This was all in the first 25 minutes until I got so annoyed with a total waste of celluloid that I turned it off and watched the original..

If they were smart enough they should have continued on the story not just have remade it, use the ideal that was established in the original film where Burt Reynolds (Paul Crewe) is still in prison for pissing off Eddie Albert (Warden Hazen) much like John Steadman (Pop) did, then have Sandler's character whatever they would call him be arrested for something similar.. If they did that then they could of had a good movie.. They didn't.. SO you got this piece of garbage..

Big Man Japan (2007)

Absolute B-movie goodness...

[10/10 · 15 September 2007]

I saw this as part of the 2nd to last movie of Midnight Madness 2007 at the Toronto International Film Festival... This is such a bizarre absurdly funny movie especially the last 30 minutes of the film...

I think I was in the minority of the movie viewers since most of the people there were of Japanese or Chinese decent.. But regardless of what your culture everyone was enjoying the film. I have to wonder if the film makers ran out of money for the final battle scene.. Too funny..

Hopefully this will get picked up for domestic distribution in North America it would do well for the intended audience...

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

If you can, see the UK version...

[9/10 · 27 May 2007]

If you look at the alternate version section of the IMDb for this film...

It says that there's a difference between the US and UK version... Where the film ends after the "blessing" scene in the UK version compared to the US version where it shows Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth talking about their future's..

I saw the film 2 years ago at the Toronto International Film Festival.. The version that I saw was the UK version, at the time the director talked about the differences between the 2 films.. They added the extended ending to the US version for American audiences.. When I saw the US version I found it way too sappy and too sugary for my liking... I was glad that what I saw at the TIFF was in a way how the movie should have ended with Mr. Darcy sitting back and smiling after he gives Elizabeth his blessing..

The UK gets a perfect 10, Gave it a 9 for the US version because the ending ruined what I considered a pretty much perfect film...

Shortbus (2006)

Like a gory car wreck, you try and look away but keep looking...

[8/10 · 13 September 2006]

First of all I am a "straight" man so I wont let this cloud my review of this film...

I found this movie hard to watch at times but the fact that this was toted as "real" sexuality peaked my interest in the first place. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into but even my own preconceptions were shot to hell by this.

If you have a problem with the interactions of 2 or more of the same sex partners then this is NOT the movie for you... But if you can keep an open mind then it may be something that may give you some insight into the homosexual culture.

Like most people I had seen sex in one form or another already on screen but that was something that was somewhat scripted... This movie was as real as you could get without seeing it live I guess would be its best compliment.... But its not all about just throwing people out there to have sex and film it.

There are deeper subjects that John Cameron Mitchell tackles, such as fears of not being loved as you once were by your partner, trying to achieve orgasm that a lot of women might have a problem and just finding true love....

As I said about the car wreck, even though the film made me incredibly uncomfortable I found myself trying to open my mind to other things so I kept looking back at the film, to see what the message thats trying to be portrayed to those with a closed mind...

Where the Truth Lies (2005)

USA Citizens, if you want to see the original form... See it in Canada

[14 September 2005]

I saw the movie today at the 2nd showing of the Toronto International Film Festival.... The movie will be released in Canada in the way that I had seen it today, uncensored and uncut.

The scene in question isn't explicit at all, well the part that the MPAA is crying about that implies that one of the characters as being homosexual, there's no full frontal male nudity, a lot of female nudity from Alison Lohman, Rachael Blanchard, and Kristin Adams there is some interaction between Lohman and Adams but it is done tastefully..

So again, if it doesn't get played in your market and you can get to Canada go see the movie....

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Should have been a longer pause between Matrix's

[9 November 2003]

I watched the first film on the Friday, the second on the Saturday and the final on the Sunday. My impression is this, they should have released/made this film later than sooner...

I know that Village Roadshow and Warner Bros wanted to capitalize on the success of Reloaded as soon as possible attempting to generate as much revenue as they could, but the flaws in this showed in the biggest of ways...

1. The film was not as good as either of the 2, the highway chase in Reloaded was a lot better done and alot more exciting.

2. Bane, I know most people know that the Smith character was in the Matrix and not near Zion, but the way he talked and refering to Neo in that world as Mr Anderson, true that he was written with the Smith program inside of the Matrix before leaving, but since Neo can see things that most of the people couldn't see in the form of energy and code who did he think he was talking to...

3. Although I liked the fight at the end of the film and thought it was good that they didnt make it some short 2-3 minute ordeal, it didn't bring anything new to the table it was like there was nothing new in it.... Neo gets copied over and destroys Smith from the inside like a virus...

4. What happened to the Oracle from the second film to this film, it explained that something happened with her and the Merovingian, but what?????

5. What happens to everyone now..????

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003 Video Game)

Purist Star Wars game ever...

[9 August 2003]

I love this game...

This has to be the purist connection to a Star Wars game than any that has been made before.. The Jedi Knight series is great but there are many many other games that you could say it resembles but doesnt distingush from...

Bioware out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is ver well known for their NeverWinter Nights and Baldurs Gate RPG's, people say that this game is esentially a PC Game being played on the Xbox, where may be true, it's still one of the best XBox 1 games that will ever be made.

It'd be hard to explain what the game's all about because you dont really know, it plays out alot like Star Wars:A New Hope in the way that you have to save a high ranking deligate that is in part Jedi and is vital to the Republic.. You assume a character that is in Luke Skywalker's shoes, not really realizing his/her place in the universe and is connected to the force, and yet not a Jedi...

The best part of the game is the ability to purposely make your character on the road of the darkside.. You do not have to make him/her a goody goody, you lie, you cheat and you steal and you can extort and kill.. The replay value is greater than most videogames, you choose your own path..

2001 gave us Halo, 2002 gave us Splinter Cell, 2003 has given us Star Wars..

My only question is... Why are the prequels not as good as Knights of the old Republic..