Duncan_Idaho64 Reviews

Children of the Night (1991)

Not great but worth a 3 AM viewing

[5/10 · 4 January 2006]

This movie is by no means at the top of its genre. In fact the genre may have been better off if this movie hadn't been made. That said it is a fun movie (I should mention that I am one of those people that can enjoy a bad movie all the while knowing it's a horrible film). I first saw it on Sci-Fi channel at 3 AM and then a few months later saw it in the same time slot again. I watched it in its entirety straight through and enjoyed both viewings.

The story is by no means completely hole-free; a lot of the plot involves suspending not only disbelief but also a fair bit of common sense. The acting was definitely B-movie grade but not horrible. The cinematography is also a bit lacking, it feels like the director was trying tell too much of the story with his camera angles and lighting (possibly because of the lack of range of emotions most of the actors seem able to display).

All in all I recommend this movie as certainly better than anything else that you are likely to see in its timeslot. It is worth a look if you really like horror movies no matter how bad, or are in the mood for a fun, bad movie.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Ambitious but falls flat compared with its predecessors

[4/10 · 24 November 2005]

Let me start out by saying that I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series of books, and also that I have very much enjoyed the three previous installments of this series. That said, this movie was quite a disappointment.

The visual aspect of the movie is quite wonderful. The effects are leaps and bounds better than those in the previous ones (the flying scenes look nearly authentic, especially when compared with the quidditch match in the first film).

The acting was not as good as I had come to expect from the regulars in the Harry Potter series, and the casting for installment specific roles was sorely lacking.

The major complaint I have about this film is the disjointed nature of its story and character development. Admittedly fitting a 734 page book (hardcover) into a 157 minute movie is a near impossible task, but the storyline was helter-skelter, with giant character and story leaps becoming apparent only after they happened and then with no explanation.

Overall the film was a disappointment, especially when compared with the three films preceding it. Die-hard fans will see it; and casual ones should also, but only once. It's just good enough to carry the viewer on to the next installment, nothing more.