streetsmarts101 Reviews

Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000)

Who the hell is (Keith) Curt Cornelius?

[8 November 2006]

I came to the BH 90210 universe pretty late. I didn't start watching until the third or forth season, but became immediately hooked. Luckily I was able to catch the prior seasons during reruns a year or two later. I've always felt that the Brandon Walsh (Jason Priestley) character was the heart, soul, and moral center of the series. He had his demons of course, but don't we all. The other majors characters were well cast, and really made you think about the years when we were in high school. But there's one thing that's bothering me, especially since I looked up the IMDb page when the show was finally being released on DVD. I've seen almost every episode of this series. I admit I didn't watch it as much after Jason Priestley left the show. But for the life of me I can't remember a character called Keith, who supposedly according to IMDb was in 291 episodes. Does anyone know who this guy is, or is this a typo by IMDb?

Take the Lead (2006)

Take The Chance

[5/10 · 10 April 2006]

First off, let me say this. You've seen this movie a million times before. From the 'Black Board Jungle' from the 50's, to 'To Sir With Love' in the 60's, 'Dangerous Minds' and 'Sister Act 2' in the 90's, the formula is exactly the same. Well meaning teacher, or non-teacher (usually Caucasian) goes into the inner city to help mold the lives of the usual assortment of troubled kids who just want to be noticed and loved. On a side note, I find it amazing that Hollywood continues year after year to make the same movie over and over again. Come to think of it, I really shouldn't be surprise. It is Hollywood after all, the land of originality. But back to my review. After having said all that, and knowing within my head that I've seen this story done so many times, I have to admit I really enjoyed the film. Don't ask me why. Maybe it was the mood I was in. I definitely wanted to see something light and breezy, because the rest of my day would be pretty hectic. Somehow the film affected me in unexpected ways. I tend to be an idealist, and freely admit that I'm the perfect sucker for this type of film.

My recommendation is for you to go and experience this film. Don't expect to see the finest film ever made. Just go in and let it wash over you. You'll be surprised.

Batman Begins (2005)

Finally!!!

[10/10 · 6 June 2005]

I got a chance to see 'Batman Begins' just this past Friday evening. I must say that before seeing the film, I felt in my heart this is the 'Batman' film we've been waiting for. Within ten minutes into the movie, I turned to my date and said to her, "This is it! This is the movie!" I just can't believe that after all these years, Warner Bros. finally got it right. For me the most intriguing part of the film, apart from the great script, and great acting, was Christopher Nolan's decision to base the film in reality. Deciding that Batman could really exist in our universe and our world was a stroke of genius. Another aspect of the film that's so refreshing is that instead of the focus being on the villain, Batman is the film's star. And rightly so. It's amazing what can happen when a studio leaves a respected director, and the creative team alone, and allow them to make the best movie possible. The only two negatives that I can think of is Katie Holmes and the fight sequences. Holmes does indeed look like a teenager playing grown-up. Her performance isn't bad per SE, it's just that you really don't buy her as an Assistant D.A. As for the fight sequences, I felt the cameras angles were too tight on the action, edited too quickly, and lit too dark so that you really couldn't tell what was going on and determine who was hitting who. Maybe we can attribute this to the fact that Nolan is not an action director. Hopefully the next film will open up the fight sequences so we can actually see Batman use the martial arts skills he developed during his exile. But apart from those relatively minor quibbles, the film is excellent, and I'm definitely going back on opening day June 15th, and seeing it a second time. A third and fourth viewing is definitely not out of the question.