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Reviews
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Benedict Cumberbatch fights Carrie and The Evil Dead
Recipe for this film was simple. Take a bazillion dollars worth of insanely good special effects, and give it to a horror movie icon on a magic mushroom high. Nowhere near as endearing or self explanatory as most instalments in the MCU, this was just a wild ride of sight, sound and scares held together by a great cast and wicked CGI doing their best to overcome a weak script and ridiculous plot.
If you've ever had sex on a roller coaster and wondered what you should be cheering about more while simultaneously confused AF, you will really appreciate this movie. If not, it's still a great way to ingest some popcorn and check your brain at the door for 2 hours.
The Avengers (2012)
Finally, a movie to unseat The Dark Knight!!
This movie rocked on so many levels it is hard to know where to begin. From story, to cinematography, to perfect use of CGI, to humour, to music, to stuff blowin' up real good... Avengers proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Hollywood has NOT forgotten how to make an entertaining movie.
As a lifelong Hulk fan, I was blown away by Ruffalo's depiction of Bruce Banner and his big green friend was entirely awesome! Although Hulk/Banner was clearly my favourite, not a single character in this movie felt wasted, underused or overdone. They meshed seamlessly for the tasks at hand after being well introduced to Marvel newcomers over the first 50 minutes or so.
Absolutely MUST SEE cinema, on the big screen. Movies like this were why we invented popcorn and IMAX. Not only is it the best superhero movie of all time...it is one of the greatest movies of any genre ever made.
Miss March (2009)
A "MISS" of epic proportions...
It's been a long time since I've written an IMDb review but I feel I would be doing movie fans--and humanity--a disservice by not taking a few moments to describe how painful this movie is. It's only slight better than "Son Of The Mask" which I rank as my worst movie of all-time. Believe me...use the 90 minutes to call your grandmother or that old friend you keep putting off because you're "too busy"...or do some exercise...or clean up your garage. ANYTHING but sit on the couch and corrupt your humour glands with this filth.
I am not a prude by any means...I love any kind of smut and filth if it's done properly (i.e. American Pie; There's Something About Mary; etc)...but how this train wreck got produced is beyond me. That anybody in Hollywood in charge of writing the cheques for something like this could read the script and think "yeah, this deserves a budget of $XXXX!!!" makes me fear for the future of moviedom.
In the interest of fairness (what little this piece of trash deserves), I gave it a two instead of a one because I did chuckle--not a genuine LOL, but a guffaw--at least once in the movie and perhaps as many of three times. Certainly not more than that. And the saddest part is, the concept had the capacity to be a decent, poignant, road-trip movie with a decent script and some decent acting. But no, instead we are subjected to a 9-year-old-boy's masturbatory nightmare of degrading and scatological humour.
Avoid at all costs! Or better yet, jot down your own idea for a movie on your cocktail napkin next time you and your buddies are at the bar. No doubt somebody in Hollywood will write a big cheque for it.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Getcha popcorn ready...HULK SMASH!
I suppose any review about a comic book movie must be preceded by a few disclaimers as to the reviewers objectivity. I've been a Hulk fan for more than 30 years, since I started wearing my first Hulk T-shirt at around age 5. I love the big green guy and all the angst and brooding and power and potential carnage he represents...especially knowing that somewhere deep within that poisoned, rippling, veiny interior is a sensitive soul struggling to stay attached to its compassion and humanity. I really liked Ang Lee's 2003 version but I absolutely LOVED this version! The other disclaimer would be that while I am just as fond of "thinking" movies like Schindler's List or Flags of our Fathers, I also freely embrace the "summer blockbuster" and am more than happy to check my brain at the door and munch away on m lapful of over-priced goodies while things blow up real good in front of me.
So with that, you already know my opinion of this newest rendition of The Incredible Hulk. The other reviews who have given this movie an 8-10 have pretty much said it all...so I am not going to elaborate on the awesome destruction scenes, the CGI (which I thought was incredibly well done and realistic), the dialogue or what have you. Quite simply I thought it was perhaps the greatest summer smash movie of all time (in a very elite group amongst T2, Jurassic Park, True Lies and Transformers).
Stepping away from my Hulk manlove for a moment, and trying to find some objectivity...I can let readers know that the movie is not without some technical flaws which, if you know in advance and can forgive the filmmakers for, it will likely enhance your enjoyment of the overall product. Some attempts to create humour or "classic memorable lines" in summer blockbusters do not always work, and the Hulk has its share of cheese that made me wince. For example, in trying to pay homage to the classic Bill Bixby TV series, Edward Norton's Bruce Banner (who is very weak in his Portuguese) says to a colleague in Brazil..."Don't make me...hungry...you wouldn't like me when I'm hungry!". Yes, I admit I laughed, but was secretly miffed at the openly cheap attempt to create humour from a classic line...because the part of my brain that I didn't check at the door realized that "faminto" and "zangado" don't sound enough alike that a person uttering a sentence in a newfound language simply wouldn't make that mistake. There were other examples as well of things that appeared to be created for the cheese-factor that simply would not happen in real life (or likely the comic book for that matter). Things like Bronsky saying to the Hulk "Is that all you got!?" when he wasn't yet quite sure that his body could withstand a massive beating and when any other mortal man would be crapping his pants...or as the Abomination speaking fluent English. Why could a man who only recently became the Abomination talk freely in his native tongue, while Banner has been the Hulk for years and finally took everything he had just to grunt "HULK SMASH!"?
And finally, the scene in the cave with the Hulk and Betty Ross. As a movie maker and a seller of comic books...you've just asked me to suspend all disbelief and accept that a giant green monster can withstand a barrage of 50-caliber shells bouncing off his chest like Nerf balls...but then you want me to believe that when he accidentally bumps his head in a cave it's going to hurt so much that he yells out in pain? Again, I understand the motives behind all this stuff...and it is funny, so the humour can be appreciated...it's just that it becomes "frying pan in the face" obvious to anybody watching this movie that it tries just a wee bit too hard to be all things to all people. But for 2 hours, it really does succeed in doing that. 9/ 10.
Ghost Rider (2007)
Good popcorn flick...
Those who are part of the motorcycle culture will definitely appreciate this movie a lot more...but you don't need to ride to have a good time here.
Awesome special effects, a great soundtrack, a few good "jump out of your seat" startles, and some decent chuckles all contribute to a worthwhile couple of hours for those willing to check their brains at the door and just enjoy the fantasy ride.
Don't believe all the critics trashing this one. Go into it knowing full well that Nicolas Cage will over-act like crazy...that many of the lines and scenes will be very cheesy...and that the story will be ridiculous. Armed with those expectations and a bucket of popcorn, you will definitely be more impressed than you thought you would be.
Superman Returns (2006)
Too much X-Men scenery...too little heart
Bryan Singer, get off the X-Men kick dude! What a shame that Christopher Reeve's memory wasn't honoured in a better fashion. Take one of the greatest superhero movies ever made (Superman The Movie, 1978) and turn it into a lengthy film noir with a few decent special effects (VERY few) and lots of empty time spent staring at digitized artsy vistas of crystal shards. This wasn't supposed to be a rip off of the Spiderman "constantly searching my soul for who I am schtick", it should have been a feel good movie that made us care about the characters and loses us in childhood charms and imagination. Instead it took a very adult turn about redemption for past hurts, the agony of choosing between our heart and head, etc. etc. Just not a very good effort. On the positive side, the new guy playing Superman did an admirable job replacing a Hollywood legend in Christopher Reeve and with a better script and directing would be a lot of fun to watch. Worth a rental but save your big screen admission for Cars!
Godsend (2004)
A few good scenes but not enough to carry this meandering tale
Decent acting by Robert de Niro, Greg Kinnear and yes, even Rebecca Romjyn-Stamos...along with a few good startles to keep the blood rushing...are still not enough to save this relatively slow story that can't decide whether it wants to be a drama about medical morals or just a good old-fashioned horror story that throws reality to the wind. Either focus probably would have worked with this cast and concept. Instead, we either get a horror story that's not nearly scary or spooky enough...or a medical drama that's got so many bush league unrealistic scenes as to be laughable.
For example, at one point the primary characters are stopped at a crime scene...only the police actually allow the individuals to bring their vehicle to a halt EXACTLY where the disturbance is in plain view!! Gee, do you think a real police force might have actually forced traffic to stop about 50 feet back where they might not have an impact on the crime scene, or otherwise be traumatized by it? This is just one of several goofy examples that I would be willing to overlook in a horror movie that has me jumping out of my seat at every turn... but in a movie that wants to bill itself as a "thinking person's" thriller...it's like being hit in the face with a frying pan.
Do yourself a favor if you want a fix of "real" DeNiro---go back to the oldies section and pick up Goodfellas, The Untouchables or Taxi Driver. If you absolutely have to add Godsend to your "seen it" file, make sure you get it with a 2-for-1 coupon and watch it on a boring Sunday afternoon alone on the couch, curled up with a tub of Ben & Jerry's---then it would be okay.
Son of the Mask (2005)
"The crappiest piece of crap in Craptown!"
Little did I know when I heard those lines uttered early on in "Son of the Mask" that they were actually going to be the best way to describe the movie itself. Forced into the theatre by my 10-year-old daughter, the only saving grace to this abomination was that we were using free passes...and sadly, that my daughter actually enjoyed it. But like they teach you in Economics 101...nothing in life is free. I would gladly pay triple the regular admission price to have the 2 hours of my life back that were squandered on this callously waste of time and celluloid. When I see garbage like this, it makes me wonder what is in the watercoolers in the boardrooms of production studios in Hollywood. I'm absolutely convinced that anybody with a $500 mini-DV camera and a head injury could have produced a more entertaining feature film. ABSOLUTE GARBAGE! The only thing preventing a lesser vote than I gave it was that ZERO wasn't an option.
Saw (2004)
Best thriller I've seen in a long time!
In an era when the classic horror movie seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird...along comes "Saw". It's tough to extol the virtues of this film without giving away any elaborate plot details...but suffice to say it's so nice to see an intelligent thriller for a change, one that chills us through its diabolical nature and psychological discomforts as opposed to gratuitous gore and "jump" action sequences.
Despite it being ripped by some reviewers for a number of reasons, I didn't think it was that poorly written, casted or acted. The story draws you in to the point where the actors and their lines become secondary anyway.
I've long since stopped being scared by monsters, demonic possession, serial killers that border on the ridiculous (i.e. Freddy or Jason)... but I'm still frightened of sociopaths with intelligence and access to the right tools. The main bad guy in this movie, Jigsaw, could easily be walking amongst us in our neighborhoods. Now THAT's scary.
Great flick and highly recommended for horror fans. 9/10.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Does for superhero movies what Rocky did for boxing movies!
A remarkable achievement, this is not just a great Marvel comic flick it's a great flick period. Even if a person had been living under a rock for the past 30 years and had never heard of Spiderman...they couldn't help but get wrapped up in this touching and courageous story about a societal underdog overcoming his self-stigmatization and learning to believe in himself again...ultimately triumphing in life and love. I absolutely loved the fact that the CGI and fight sequences weren't the sole purpose of the movie...but merely enhanced what was already a splendid tale. Too often we see the reverse of that...where producers, directors and screenplay writers take a few spectacular special effects and try to wrap a mediocre story around it. This is the complete opposite...a story about a human being who happens to be blessed (or cursed) with a gift that he's trying to come to terms with. The fight and flying sequences just complement the story seamlessly. I can't wait for the DVD and will probably be paying for it again at the theater before it ends what is sure to be a long run! 10/10.
Mystic River (2003)
Clint Eastwood delivers the goods bigtime!
What a fabulous movie. Clint Eastwood has become so multi-talented since his days gracing the big screen in a poncho and a stubby cigar...squinting across the plains of central Italy for Sergio Leone. He even did the musical score in Mystic River! I can't recall the last time I saw so many Oscar-worthy
performances simultaneous in the same film. The raw emotion conveyed by all
the principal characters, and right down to the supporting cast, did this well- scripted story justice. In my view, the only facet of this movie that kept it from "perfection" was the seemingly unrealistic manner in which the Boston Police
seemed to tolerate the vicious treatment of Sean Penn's character's underworld henchmen. I found it a bit of a jarring suspension of disbelief in what was otherwise a wonderful story. 9/10.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
High Plains Drifter: Samurai Style
What a great movie--Tarantino combines several genres in this masterpiece of
visceral eye-candy but I wouldn't call it a "rip off" as so many others have before me. For visual reference...think "Sergio Leone directs Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".
Uma Thurman is fabulous as the near supernatural "anti-hero". Much like
Eastwood's High Plains Drifter...we find ourselves cheering for this woman even though she's just as much of a blood-thirsty cold-hearted bitch as the people she's vowed to gain her vengeance from.
I think all the nay-sayers are confusing documentary and fiction with pure
entertainment. That's what is so classic about Tarantino: he remembers why
people go to watch films! A complete escape from reality with a few visually stunning fight scenes and an ending that compels you to rush out and watch
Volume 2 as soon as possible.
I had but one complaint...and that was a scene early in the movie where The
Bride chews the fat small talk style with a Japanese restaurant owner. Scene played out too long and was the only one that bordered on boring. 9/10.
Troy (2004)
Spectacular big-screen entertainment but lacking character
As a fan of movies that utilize the big-screen and digital sound experience to the max...I couldn't help but like this movie. The sweeping vistas, the epic battles, the sharp treble of iron clanking on iron. This is why we pay $50 for admission and popcorn these days for a night out at the movies.
Having said that, it's still nice to see a movie in the theatre that you can walk out and say--"man, that would be just as enjoyable on my 27" Sony at home".
Unfortunately, Troy doesn't quite cut it there. Eric Bana and Peter O' Toole give fabulous performances as Trojan royalty battling their own wisdom--a father
who still believes in help from the Gods and a son firmly grounded in reality. Unfortunately, everyone else -- including Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom -- either suffers from bad acting or a bad script...and we find ourselves not giving a damn whether these primary characters live or die.
Troy was much better than I expected, given the marketing idea to cast only
Hollywood's current crop of sexiest leading men, but still falls short of being a classic (such as Return of the King). Although the story is somewhat grounded in history (the origin of the term Achilles heel, the famous Trojan horse scam), the special effects, costuming and cinematography needed to be complemented
by a more enriching story and characters to truly rank amongst the top epics
Hollywood we've seen so far. 8/10.
Big Fish (2003)
Alice in Wonderland for grownups
Wow! Take a tumble down this rabbit hole and see what Tim Burton's fantasies bring you! This was a spectacularly told story about a son's quest to find what his father was really all about...only to discover he knew it all along.
An extremely moving tale that dares us to dream and reminds us to stop and
smell the roses along the way wherever we go. A definite classic that has
rightfully been embraced by the movie-watching public and taken its place in
the IMDb "Top 250" of all time.
The Rundown (2003)
Great Escapist Fun -- Check Brain at the Door and Enjoy!!
What do you get when you cross John Rambo's wilderness survival skills with the Terminator's invincibility and wrap it up in the charm of Indiana Jones? Why, you get Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in his most enjoyable role to date...hamming it up in the Jungle with Sean William "STIFLER" Scott!
This movie was so much better than I expected. I suspected based on the cast that I couldn't possibly be in for anything more than a poorly acted, cliche-riddled action flick. Well, I got that and much more. All the cheezy "Matrix-style" fight scenes (that have become so prevelant in Hollywood these days) aside, there was a definite chemistry between Johnson and Scott that made for an enjoyable ride. Think "Desperado" meets "The Odd Couple".
Christopher Walken played the usual psycho bad guy with zest, and some lesser knowns fill out an admirable supporting cast that manages to flesh out a pretty sparse script and plotline with zeal. Make no mistakes...this movie was all about the Rock's muscles, Stifler's "pain in the ass" mischievious boyish charm, and lots of bullets that never actually kill anybody. If you're looking for an Oscar winner, look elsewhere. If you're looking for some cool action scenes wrapped up in a lot of laughs, while treated to some beautiful scenery of the Hawaiian landscape...this is a great trip! 8/10.
Cold Creek Manor (2003)
Only decent acting saves this snoozefest from a "1" rating
How do you spell boring? Try "C-O-L-D C-R-E-E...." well, you get the picture. After 60 minutes of watching this tripe I was convinced they were saving all the super suspense and the extremely clever plot twists for the end. NOT! I
watched to the end only to continue to be disappointed. This idea should have been condensed into a one-hour Law & Order episode...not drawn into a 2-hour
feature film. Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone are fine actors, but their talents are wasted with this weak script, and only serve to turn an otherwise "bomb"
rating into a 5/10 with some minor excitement in the final 10 minutes. Juliette Lewis is the same pathetic little white trash whore that she always plays (talk about a sad type-cast). If you want a good horror movie about a haunted house skip this lame effort and rent "The Changeling".
X2 (2003)
Potential for a classic sci-fi but falls just short
I gave this one an 8, for marvellous special effects and score that complement rather than detract from the movie...and for acting in which all the main players take their characters and related abilities seriously...allowing us to suspend disbelief. Where it falls just short is in trying to string too many storylines together all at once and never really allowing us to just be absorbed in the drama or adventure...because we're always trying to figure out which stream we're now following. The downside to this is that if people haven't seen the first movie...they don't really get to know the strife that each of the characters is suffering within themselves and society. Overall though, an excellent job of putting comic book to big screen with mostly believable action sequences...a few good quips for Wolverine (though not as many as X1, I thought)...and a pretty good story. Needed just a little bit extra though to match up to Raiders of the Lost Ark or Aliens.
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Oh my gawd is this horrifically horrendous or what!?
Okay, let's start with why I gave the movie a 3 instead of a zero: excellent soundtrack...some cool cars...some kick ass extreme motocross riders. Oh, and maybe half-a-point for Demi Moore lookin' fine in a black bikini. Well, now that we've taken care of the eye candy attractions...I honestly can't begin to describe how pathetic the script, the acting, the plot, and the plausibility truly are. Suffice to say that this cartoon makes every Batman movie and every James Bond
movie you've ever watched seem completely believable by comparison. Even
Jason Voorhees would have died in some of these situations...but not our
Angels! This piece of celluloid tripe can't decide whether it wants to be a
comedy, an action movie, a spoof, an homage to 70's TV shows or just a 90
minute rock video. Would serve well as background accompaniment while
dressing up in black leather and doing the nasty with your spouse when hopped up on mescalin...but little more than that. Don't say you weren't warned!!
In the Light of the Moon (2000)
Why are all the dead people breathing!?
Decent acting and a stick-to-the-truth storyline are marred by the C-grade special effects in this one. People who know the basic story of Ed Gein will appreciate the story told here, as it attempts to humanize one of America's most infamous serial killers. Beyond the headlines and the hype there was the sad & pathetic life of one little boy ruined by a twisted mother's fanaticism. I didn't mind the fact that the movie was slow & not scary (I went in expecting more of a documentary than a slasher-flick) but I was appalled by the terrible effects and props. All the dead people are visibly breathing in their coffins; the burning bush effect looks like something I could have done on my iMac; the cash register in the store always shows $2.22; and some of the gore effects like the shrunken heads etc. look like the early attempts of a young Tobe Hooper or Peter Jackson before they broke through with their cult classics. It gets a 5/10 from me...could have been a 7/10 with better attention to detail and actors who can hold their breath!!
Road Trip (2000)
Refreshingly enjoyable!
I must admit seeing Tom Green's ugly mug on the cover of this one gave me great pause; I have never been a fan and was not willing to endure 90 minutes of fecal matter, vomit and dead kittens presented under the guise of comedy! However I heard from some friends that this was one worth watching so I gave it a go, and am glad I did. Thankfully Green's character was not central to the story (he acts as the stay-at-home narrator to the boy's wild road trip) and was surprisingly low key for his standards. Tonguing a lab rat and a video shot of his butt crack was as much as we were forced to look at...and in the context of the story they were well-placed jokes.
This movie seemed to roll up "Revenge of the Nerds", "There's Something About Mary" and "American Pie" all in one. Nice to see movies where the nerdy or average guys (as opposed to the hunky BMOC's) can have some fun in college too and get the odd piece of tail. Some real funny physical comedy and some great lines as well. Nothing overly gross or offensive but enough female nudity (at least in the unrated DVD version I watched) to keep your average 15-year-old schoolboy drooling.
My wife and I are in are mid-30's (children of the 80's) and we both laughed out loud on several occasions. Nice throwback to our youth when, at one point on the highway, the road trip crew cranks up some Twisted Sister and has some fun. Overall, don't let Tom Green's presence scare you---this is a funny movie with elements for everyone.
Jackass: The Movie (2002)
A funny mind is a terrible thing to waste...
I picked this up off the bargain rental shelf out of pure morbid curiosity and, like I knew I would be, am ashamed at myself for contributing to the Jackass economy. The truly sad thing is that amidst all the puke, fecal matter and dangerously unfunny fireworks displays...Johnny Knoxville gives us the odd hint that there is an actually brilliant comedic mind at work in there. Rather than continue to explore the truly funny ideas which require some forethought and set-up however (i.e. professional make-up artists making the gang look like old men...then crashing their electric scooters in the streets...or an elaborate domino-effect ending that fails on many levels), JACKASS too often falls back on the grotesque and juvenile schticks (anal insertions, crapping and fighting) that require no brains. I can't say the same thing for all the retards in this movie...but if Johnny ever matures a little bit he just may have the makings of a career in comedic film.
Scary Movie 2 (2001)
Haven't you got hair to wash instead?
Not worth my time to give more than the 4 lines required by IMDB to have my comments registered! Take away the somewhat funny cursing parakeet, and my rating goes from a 3 to less than zero. Pure crap; I can't believe this franchise is filming a 3rd installment up in Vancouver as I write.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Pathetic--"Little Nicky" on Ritalin
What a terrible waste of celluloid, Adam Sandler's comic talents and the viewers' time. Sorry all you artsy-fartsy types in the Academy and the general public who WOWED this one to way more hype than it deserved, but this movie was just plain boring. Maybe one or two redeeming qualities as Sandler does his usual freak-out schtick and unleashes a tirade of profanities...but that's it. For all of you who really want to see a true work of neurotic art...rent an old Woody Allen classic, a Stanley Kubrick film, or one of Jon Cusack's recent movies. They're all better than this piece of crap.
xXx (2002)
At least you're SUPPOSED to laugh at Austin Powers!
I can only plead with the script writers for XXX not to try and remake "Monty Python and The Holy Grail" and cast Vin Diesel as Gallahad or King Arthur. They botched this Bond rip-off so bad I can only imagine what they'd do to the aforementioned comedy classic. Basically, a bunch of drunk & stoned twenty-somethings decided to make a younger, hipper Bond movie and apparently wrote the script on the inside of a greasy pizza box. This film has no idea where it's going from ground zero. Vin Diesel essentially copies every Bond move, except on a Generation XXX scale (replace the skis with snowboards, the Aston-Martin with a '67(?) GTO--that apparently changes colour from black to blue to purple to burgundy (BRUTAL CONTINUITY!!)--and the hot sexy Monte Carlo babe with a poorly accented Euro-Goth). I can't believe IMDB voters have actually settled on a 6 for this movie...or that someone who has gained the respect of Hollywood as a decent actor (Samuel L. Jackson) would lent himself to this tripe. Vin Diesel tried too hard to upstage his success in the Fast & The Furious by actually pretending to act in this movie...and it failed miserably. F&F worked because he played the cool, strong silent type...a much better role than a secret agent who's "witty & intelligent" quips come off more like a chimpanzee attempting Hamlet. Save yourself the rental charge on this one and rent a classic, real James Bond movie...or watch the Fast & The Furious over again...or simply watch Austin Powers where at least when you double over laughing you know that you were supposed to be doing so. A 4 on my scale only for the explosions and the GTO (I'm a muscle car fan and loved the '70 Charger in F&F). Take out the GTO in this one and we're looking at a 2.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Might have worked as a two-hour "made-for-TV" special
As a child of the '80s and somebody who grew up with Steven Spielberg's greatest stuff...and then was amazed by the more mature epics of Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan...I tried very hard to watch A.I. with an open mind, and follow along with Steven as he attempted to combine the magic of E.T. with the melodrama and message of his more recent works. Alas, I merely kept falling asleep!
What a tragic waste of celluloid considering the amazing talents at work here in William Hurt, Haley Joel Osment and the wizardry of ILM. It is far too long and convoluted...and appears that Spielberg couldn't decide whether he wanted to tell a schmaltzy love story or deliver a neo-political message about the potential dark future of humanity. I called this one "Pinnochio meets the Terminator" and it ended up making neither story line very exciting.
There are some definite magical moments and well delivered emotional sequences, and the cinematography--particularly in the latter part of the movie (i.e. underwater Manhattan, Rouge City)--is incredible. But we still find ourselves yawning through most of the filler that makes this epic almost 2.5 hours long. Spielberg should have made this a "made-for-TV" special (which would have made it about 85 minutes long allowing for commercial breaks) and then he could have left in all the great parts without the multitude of boring, go-nowhere scenes that attempted to show humanity's attitude toward thinking machines.
If you were a big fan of Teddy Ruxpin, rent this movie just to see the super version of him in the future. Sadly, the main character's sidekick in this movie (just called "Teddy") was probably the character with the best script and received the most human empathy despite being made of steel, wires & fake fur. If you're a Spielberg fan and want to see a really great movie...leave this one on the shelf and spend a weekend with Jaws, Poltergeist, Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T.