JohnnyFrench Reviews

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

Seriously underrated.

[7/10 · 15 February 2014]

In my opinion, many people do not appreciate this movie as much as it deserves because they systematically compare it with "Planet of the apes". Sure, it is a sequel, but it has the good idea to show us aspects of the POTA universe we could not guess watching the first movie. For example, the "citizen council" part of the movie is amazing and allows us to see why this sort of theater in Ape city was built for. The existence of amazingly complex submachineguns can make us suppose that apes copied human military technologies for centuries, and so on. To make it short, we go further.

Plus, follow me or not, I think Ted Post's very classical directing aged much better than Franklin J. Schaffner's for the first movie. The "sometimes bizarre" directing of POTA is IMHO becoming a weakness as time gradually passes.

It does not mean this movie is unflawed. Sure, from time to time, budget limitations are obvious, the first part of the movie is too much based on the first one, we don't learn enough about the mutant society and Heston's part, at his demand, is too short.

But this sequel really adds something to the first movie.

The Black Shield of Falworth (1954)

A very honest chivalry show...

[7/10 · 14 February 2014]

Chivalry was a popular movie theme concept at the beginning of the fifties. "Ivanhoe" produced by MGM was a huge box-office success, and I suppose all studios wanted to make cash on it at this time. It gave us "Knights of the round table", "Prince Valiant", etc. The result here is not the best you could have setting the story in the XVth century England, because the elements of the script are too traditional (some would write cliché) to have a very exciting show. After the first 15 minutes of the movie you're actually able to predict the fate of all the characters, no matter they are good, bad, or ugly.

Does it mean "The black shield of Falworth" is an annoying movie ? Hell no, especially if you're under 14. The classical components of the script (young and pretty heroes, very very unpleasant baddies, action, treason, climax and final victory of honor and justice) are well managed, the dialogs and situations, if predictable, are quite entertaining. I know that because I watched it for the first time on videotape in 1994 (time passes, yes), and wasn't disappointed watching it yesterday.

So, even if it is not the best chivalry movie of the era, you can trust it not to be bored during a rainy WE afternoon with your children. By the current times, it is much.

Revolution (1985)

Rather good movie, but bad release date

[7/10 · 15 May 2011]

So. What do we have here ? A decent movie, well served by a solid international cast. Good production values, impressive but realistic sets and locations. Very good historical accuracy : the XVIIIth century military fans will find their happiness, maybe as well as in "Barry Lyndon".

The only real weakness of the movie, IMO, is the very 80s "stylish and over the top" direction of Hugh Hudson (the same can be said about his "Greystoke" classic).

Therefore, why does this movie have a so poor rating ? I think it is the script's fault, but not in the sense it is uninteresting. Actually, the movie shows people living in difficult times, having to make decisions about political questions that are far beyond their comprehension (excepting the Kinski character), and "choosing" their way forced by circumstances. If Pacino really becomes an insurgent through the movie, it is much more because he has personal resent against the "Brits" than by feeling himself "American". Unfortunately, this film was released in the middle of the eighties, when the American public was not receptive to this point of view. The "America is back" mainstream of the time just didn't want to admit that a "normal" guy living in 1774 wouldn't care much about the American independence, just because this independence or the maintain of British rule don't affect his everyday life.

But, be serious, it is the way most of people work, isn't it ?

Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

An almost forgotten gem, resurrected by the DVD

[8/10 · 23 March 2009]

I watched "The Forbin project" ("Le cerveau d'acier" in french) as a kid ; I was about 8 in this time, so it was 20 years or so ago. I remember I was scared by this cold, logical and omnipotent machine. I kept a very impressed memory from this movie.

Seeing it again recently by pure chance, I was more or less ready to be deluded, as often when you're rediscovering movies you liked as a child. To my greatest surprise, I was truly happy to measure that my remembering was right. This movie was way advanced for its time : all the "sci-fi" aspects that perhaps seemed silly to a 1970 audience have become true : web transmissions, webcams, artificial intelligence and so on.

The scariest thing about the real main character of the movie, US-made supercomputer Colossus, later known as "World Control" after its fusion with its soviet counterpart, Guardian, is it acts the way you would act if you resigned all your human feelings, keeping your intelligence.

Colossus will certainly lead mankind to a safer, logically ruled, world. But this world will be a hell, as well as a golden cage for an intelligent bird.

God has created Mankind at His image, and Mankind created Colossus at its own, by its own laziness to solve its own problems.

If you please, you can consider THX 1138 as a kind of sequel of this movie (it was released one year after this one).

To conclude, a very pessimistic movie, in a "Planet of the apes/1970 era" tone and style. A special mention to Eric Braeden, who precisely played a POTA universe crucial character a little time later.

The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)

Fall of the peplum empire...

[8/10 · 10 February 2004]

Unfortunatly, the public unsuccess of this quite good film was the beginning of the end of this kind of historical films named "peplum". The reason ? Probably the fact that there were many peplums (just remind "Spartacus", "Cleopatra" or "Ben-Hur") in the beginning of the sixties, tiring the public with this sort of big movies. A poor destiny for a great film !