Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

[dell71]

Death Race 2000
1975. Rated R, 84 minutes.
Director: Paul Bartel. Starring David Carradine, Sylvester Stallone, Simone Griffeth, Mary Woronov.
In the year 2000, racecar drivers compete in the annual "Transcontinental Race," a three day race across the continental United States. Each driver has a navigator of the opposite sex, two of the drivers are female. The winner is determined by some combination of where a driver finishes and how many points they have. They earn points by killing civilians with their cars. Of course, different types of people are worth different amounts with babies (70 points) and senior citizens (100) being worth the most. The race was created by "Mr. President," who's now become a dictator and governs the country from abroad. The race itself is a ridiculous premise but the filmmakers know this and play it to its campy hilt. We get humor from the drivers mowing down pedestrians and the hilarious commentary of our announcing team. In particular, Grace Pander (Joyce Jameson) cracks me up with her "dear friend" schtick. The two overnight pit stops are an excuse for nudity, fighting and yelling. Speaking of yelling, a pre-Rocky Sly Stallone does most of it while obviously hamming it up as Machine Gun Joe. Usually, its about all the adulation his arch-rival Frankenstein (Carradine) gets. At the end of the day, it's a socio-political satire that takes itself even less serious than most. It also gets about 25 years ahead of the reality-TV craze, even about a decade before The Running Man (+1 for Sly over Arnie). Still, it's main strength is absurdity. It flexes those muscles often, making it "so bad its awesome!" MY SCORE: -10/10


Jumping into my Delorean and getting up to 88 mph I arrive at...

Death Race
2008. Rated R, 105 minutes.
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson. Starring Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Joan Allen, Ian McShane.

Plot: Prisons have become privately owned entities. One of them broadcasts "Death Race" worldwide, a series of three day auto racing events featuring inmates driving armed vehicles on a closed course on prison property. Jensen Ames (Statham) is "recruited" by Warden Hennessey (Allen) to replace the series' biggest star.

The Good: It knows exactly what it wants to do and does it. DR is only interested in amping up the testosterone levels via an incessant stream of car crashes, gunshots, explosions and the occasional peek at hot female inmates in tight t-shirts and tighter jeans. All of this is punctuated by shots of Joan Allen talking tough and doing her best "game face." With videogame sensibilities (the cars actually have to pass over various icons on the track in order for certain weapons to be enabled) and attention to "graphics," its an unabashedly aggressive action-junkies wet dream. By the way, those "graphics" are a nice mix of cgi and organic stunts."

The Bad: A minor problem is that its exceedingly dumb. Every action is taken simply because the result promises to be spectacular. That's okay with regard to the race itself but it's even done outside the race. However, if you only want a popcorn movie then that's minor and you let it slide. The bigger problem is only a problem if you're familiar with the original, Death Race 2000. That was a campy satire taken to absurd extremes while keeping it's tongue firmly in cheek. Its silly on purpose, yet still has something to say. All of this makes DR 2000 "so bad its awesome!" This new version keeps only the action and replaces all the rest with grunts and scowls. It takes itself way too seriously like it has something really insightful to say but it doesn't. This makes its stupidity seem accidental which is always worse.

The Ugly: What happens to the guy who says "You can't kill me!"

Recommendation: This is strictly a popcorn movie. Its watchable crap akin to a vapid supermodel. There's nary a thought in its pretty little head and lots of eye candy but easily forgotten once the next pretty girl walks past. Like most remakes, or "reimaginings" it works best if you haven't seen the original.

The Opposite View: Nathan Lee, New York Times

What the Internet Says: 6.7/10 on imdb.com (5/12/09), 42% on rottentomatoes.com, 43/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 5.5/10


So, if you're keeping up you realize I like the movie with the lower score better.

 

[Palooza]

Death Race 2000 is hilariously bad and awesome at the same time.

edit: i wish my hand was a grenade

 

[dell71]

Carbon Copy
1981. Rated PG, 92 minutes.
Director: Michael Schultz. Starring George Segal, Denzel Washington, Susan Saint James, Jack Warden.
Wealthy white exec Walter (Segal) suddenly discovers he has a 17 year old black son named Roger (Washington), much to the chagrin of his wife (Saint James) and father-in-law/boss (Warden). He is immediately fired and kicked out of his home. Wacky riffs involving racial stereotypes ensue. It's one of a long line of 1980s comedies that take a poor black kid, insert him into a situation where he's surrounded by rich white people and/or have a rich white person surrounded by poor blacks (this movie does both), tries to cull comedy from their differences and teach us valuable life lessons about the virtues of racial harmony and tolerance. At all of those things it does okay, not great. It's a decent watch but shouldn't be on anyone's list of must-see movies from the 80s. That said, it is notable for being Denzel Washington's first feature film. MY SCORE: 6/10

 

[dell71]

Repo! The Genetic Opera
2008. Rated R, 98 minutes.
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman. Starring Alexa Vega, Anthony Stewart Head, Paul Sorvino, Paris Hilton.
Organ transplants have become big business for GeneCo, a hugely powerful corporation run by Rotti Largo (Sorvino). They even offer financing. Of course, just like with anything else, if you default on your payments they send the repo man after you. Yup, they repossess whatever organ you purchased, no matter what it is - kidney, lung, heart - and not in a nice manner. They just chase you down and rip it from your body. Nice. GeneCo's top repo man, Nathan (Head) has a daughter with a potentially fatal blood disease and an old rivalry with his megalomaniacal boss, Largo. By the way, Largo's children spend almost the entire movie arguing over who gets the company when Dad kicks. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that it's a musical. Yes, a musical. Imagine an even more twisted and absurd Sweeney Todd. It's truly one of the most bazaar movie watching experiences I've ever had. It has "cult classic" written all over it. I can't stress enough how strange this is. And I loved every minute of it. You haven't lived until you've seen Paris Hilton's face literally slide off her skull while she's on stage crooning a morbid tune. Speaking of the famous heiress, I have to give her kudos for this one. I usually have no use for her but she's a great sport, here, obviously spoofing herself and being pretty funny about it. Those haters at "The Razzies," didn't agree and gave her "Worst Supporting Actress" for this role. For what this movie was trying to be however, I thought she was perfect. And it was everything it was trying to be. As a result, Repo! is easily my favorite "so bad its awesome!" movie of 2008. MY SCORE: -10/10

 

[MVP1991]

Repo! The Genetic Opera
2008. Rated R, 98 minutes.
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman. Starring Alexa Vega, Anthony Stewart Head, Paul Sorvino, Paris Hilton.
Organ transplants have become big business for GeneCo, a hugely powerful corporation run by Rotti Largo (Sorvino). They even offer financing. Of course, just like with anything else, if you default on your payments they send the repo man after you. Yup, they repossess whatever organ you purchased, no matter what it is - kidney, lung, heart - and not in a nice manner. They just chase you down and rip it from your body. Nice. GeneCo's top repo man, Nathan (Head) has a daughter with a potentially fatal blood disease and an old rivalry with his megalomaniacal boss, Largo. By the way, Largo's children spend almost the entire movie arguing over who gets the company when Dad kicks. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that it's a musical. Yes, a musical. Imagine an even more twisted and absurd Sweeney Todd. It's truly one of the most bazaar movie watching experiences I've ever had. It has "cult classic" written all over it. I can't stress enough how strange this is. And I loved every minute of it. You haven't lived until you've seen Paris Hilton's face literally slide off her skull while she's on stage crooning a morbid tune. Speaking of the famous heiress, I have to give her kudos for this one. I usually have no use for her but she's a great sport, here, obviously spoofing herself and being pretty funny about it. Those haters at "The Razzies," didn't agree and gave her "Worst Supporting Actress" for this role. For what this movie was trying to be however, I thought she was perfect. And it was everything it was trying to be. As a result, Repo! is easily my favorite "so bad its awesome!" movie of 2008. MY SCORE: -10/10

WTF is Paul Sorvino doing taking a role in a POS movie like this?

Do you plan on watching Taken soon? I'd like to see what you think of it.

 

[dell71]

WTF is Paul Sorvino doing taking a role in a POS movie like this?

It's a recession??? And yes, he sings.

Do you plan on watching Taken soon? I'd like to see what you think of it.

Hopefully, this week. If not, it'll be next week for sure.

 

[dell71]

Not Easily Broken
2009. Rated PG-13, 100 minutes.
Director: Bill Duke. Starring Morris Chestnut, Taraji P. Henson, Jennifer Lewis, Kevin Hart.

Plot: After several years of marital bliss, David (Chestnut) and Clarice (Henson) begin to have problems. Based on the novel by Bishop T.D. Jakes.

The Good: This is one of those movies that has its heart in the right place. It wants to give married couples pointers on working through difficult times. Our hero, David, is an everyman who's simply trying to be good to everyone. We see most of the movie through his eyes as he navigates the rough seas of his life. The whole thing has a very real feel to it. Kevin Hart's periphery character, Tree, handles the comic relief and does a fairly solid job. In the lead roles, Chestnut and Henson perform well, as usual.

The Bad: It opens up several storylines but doesn't resolve them all. More than not resolving them, it actually seems to purposely toss them aside as our main plot nears it's conclusion. By the way, that conclusion feels more like the first step towards a resolution than actually being one. Lastly, it's appeal is going to be limited, first to people who are or have been married and second to people who are fans of T.D. Jakes. People outside of this group may not get it and think it's overblown.

The Ugly: The story we hear about lotion and bumpy backs. Ewww.

Recommendation: Its not quite a date movie, but it is a solid relationship movie with a Christian slant. Couples who've been together for awhile will find a lot to relate to. Although T.D. Jakes shares much of the same audience as Tyler Perry, don't go looking for any Madea-style antics, here. As expected, Jakes and the filmmakers, play it fairly straight and a bit heavy-handed. It's certainly not perfect, but it is intriguing.

The Opposite View: Theresa Everline, The Austin Chronicle

What the Internet Says: 4.4/10 on imdb.com (5/18/09), 36% on rottentomatoes.com, 43/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 6.5/10

 

[NAHSTE]

Speaking of Taraji P. Henson Dell....I got sucked into Talk to Me last night on HBO. I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was. I know you've reviewed it before, I think in a thread that no longer exists on some other website, but I just wanted to get your quick thoughts on this one again.

I thought it was at the least entertaining as hell. A lot of good performances and cameos. Cast is money. Love Cheadle, love Henson, and love my boy Marty Sheen. Also love Chiwetal Ejiofor in anything he does for some reason.


It's a little cliche and self-serving at times but it's done well enough that it doesn't harm the overall movie.

 

[dell71]

Talk to Me was one of my favorite movies of '07. Since I did save most of those reviews, I just dug it up...

Talk to Me
2007. Rated R, 119 minutes.
Directed by Kasi Lemmons. Starring Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Taraji P. Henson, Martin Sheen.

Plot: The life & times of Washington DC radio DJ Ralph "Petey" Greene (Cheadle) whose major achievement was helping to calm tempers & restore peace to the District during riots that broke out shortly after the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His flirtation with superstardom, which is really what this film is about, helped launch what would become urban media giant, the Radio One Network.

The Good: The movie takes a largely comic approach to what eventually becomes a sad story. Even the sadness of the end is done in an upbeat manner. It's not a comedy but this style works very well. As a result, it's highly entertaining, often very funny yet maintains its identity as a drama. Of course, the real key to all of this is outstanding work turned in by the cast. Don Cheadle continues to prove he's one of the very best in his field. It starts with his voice. He uses a deeper, more gravelly sounding version of his natural speaking voice but it never feels fake. When you see him with the afro, cigarrette hanging from his lips and looking all-around laid back and too cool you expect that deeper voice & he delivers without seeming to force it. As good as he is, he isn't lapping the field. The underrated Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dewey Hughes) turns in another excellent performance. Over the last few years he's made a solid mark on Hollywood (Serenity, Children of Men, Inside Man, American Gangster) & I look forward to seeing what's next for him. Another underrated member of the cast (both in her physicality & ability) that delivers is Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow, Smokin' Aces) as Greene's girlfriend Verona. And I can't forget a pitch-perfect Martin Sheen.

The Bad: Though I said & still believe the comic approach works it does have its problems. Mainly, it chooses to go for the laugh when it can & doesn't cull the full amount of power from its dramatic situations. By the time we get to the end & the movie finally decides to go for the tear-jerker moment its just too jarring a switch to come off as anything other than cheesy. Also, Dewey's relationship with his brother Milo (Mike Epps) is introduced quickly but disappears for a really long stretch & could've added more weight to the movie. However, since that would've meant more screen-time for Epps I'm not too broken up about it. Sorry, I'm not a big Epps fan.

The Ugly: Verona's method of getting revenge on her man. Ouch.

Recommendation: A must-see for fans of bio-pics. It has already been overlooked. I think I saw a commercial for it two or three times then didn't hear anything for a few months. Next thing I know, its already on DVD. Part of this seems to be beyond the movie's control & the fault of its distributors. Though he's not a musician, much of Greene's character is too similar to two guys from recent bio-pics that were both box-office smashes, Ray & Walk the Line. Though, his views on his own fame render him pretty much the opposite of Ray Charles & Johnny Cash. That last fact makes it hard to market since most people outside of DC have never heard of Petey Greene, myself included. Also the ads I saw overstated the role of DC riots in the movie as if this were about some segment of the Civil Rights Movement. It was just an all-around bad PR job. I still say see this movie. For my money, it's one of the best I've seen so far this year.

The Opposite View: Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle

What the Internet Says: 7.6/10 on imdb.com (11/15/05), 81% on rottentomatoes.com, 69/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 8.5/10

Note: If nothing else, this movie is further proof of a movie God...I found out this was originally intended to come out in 2000...starring Martin Lawrence...Thank you Movie God for NOT letting that happen.

 

[dell71]

Yes Man
2008. Rated PG-13, 104 minutes.
Director: Peyton Reed. Starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, Rhys Darby.

Plot: Carl (Carrey) is divorced and depressed. A chance encounter with an old friend prompts him to attend a self-help seminar. At the seminar, he agrees to say yes to anything asked of him in order to help him live life to the fullest.

The Good: This is in Carrey's wheelhouse. It's the type of silly comedy which made him a star. He gets to do outrageous things for outrageous reasons. He seems to be having fun. In turn, we have fun as well. Aside from him, Rhys Darby as his boss/uber-nerd/wannabe buddy Norman is hilarious. We also get funny turns, both slightly more than cameos from John Michael Higgins as the old friend and Brent Briscoe as the homeless guy.

The Bad: It comes off as a reimagining of Liar Liar so there really aren't any surprises to be had, narratively. Just substitute not being able to say no for not being able to tell a lie and it unfolds precisely the way we think it will. Only Carrey's wacky excursions and lack of a son differentiate this movie from that one.

The Ugly: Two things: first, how the old lady who lives next door "takes care" of our hero and second the shameless and seemingly constant product placement.

Recommendation: Fans of Jim Carrey, this is for you. Much like Will Ferrell, you either like him or you don't with little gray area between the two. It's not Carrey's best movie by any stretch, but its a solid effort worthy of a rental when you're in the mood for a silly comedy.

The Opposite View: Richard Luck, Channel 4 Film

What the Internet Says: 7.1/10 on imdb.com (5/20/09), 43% on rottentomatoes.com, 46/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 6.5/10

 

[FirstTimer]

Yes Man
2008. Rated PG-13, 104 minutes.
Director: Peyton Reed. Starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, Rhys Darby.

Plot: Carl (Carrey) is divorced and depressed. A chance encounter with an old friend prompts him to attend a self-help seminar. At the seminar, he agrees to say yes to anything asked of him in order to help him live life to the fullest.

The Good: This is in Carrey's wheelhouse. It's the type of silly comedy which made him a star. He gets to do outrageous things for outrageous reasons. He seems to be having fun. In turn, we have fun as well. Aside from him, Rhys Darby as his boss/uber-nerd/wannabe buddy Norman is hilarious. We also get funny turns, both slightly more than cameos from John Michael Higgins as the old friend and Brent Briscoe as the homeless guy.

The Bad: It comes off as a reimagining of Liar Liar so there really aren't any surprises to be had, narratively. Just substitute not being able to say no for not being able to tell a lie and it unfolds precisely the way we think it will. Only Carrey's wacky excursions and lack of a son differentiate this movie from that one.

The Ugly: Two things: first, how the old lady who lives next door "takes care" of our hero and second the shameless and seemingly constant product placement.

Recommendation: Fans of Jim Carrey, this is for you. Much like Will Ferrell, you either like him or you don't with little gray area between the two. It's not Carrey's best movie by any stretch, but its a solid effort worthy of a rental when you're in the mood for a silly comedy.

The Opposite View: Richard Luck, Channel 4 Film

What the Internet Says: 7.1/10 on imdb.com (5/20/09), 43% on rottentomatoes.com, 46/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 6.5/10

For me this movie reminded me of a cross between "Liar Liar" and "Stranger Than Fiction". I thought it was pretty decent. BTW, what did you think of "Stranger Than Fiction"?

 

[dell71]

For me this movie reminded me of a cross between "Liar Liar" and "Stranger Than Fiction". I thought it was pretty decent. BTW, what did you think of "Stranger Than Fiction"?

I liked it. Very inventive movie. One of Ferrell's better ones.

 

[Palooza]

Dell, I watched a few movies over the past week.. Have you ever reviewed Catch Me If You Can, Collateral or Eastern Promises? All top notch if you ask me.

 

[nflman2033]

Dell, I watched a few movies over the past week.. Have you ever reviewed Catch Me If You Can, Collateral or Eastern Promises? All top notch if you ask me.

two out of three of those are good films.

 

[Palooza]

two out of three of those are good films.

And which one isn't?

Regardless, I didn't ask for your opinion.

 

[dell71]

Hey Dell, thinking about checkin out Valkyrie, is it worth watching?

Haven't seen it myself, yet. I'll be sure to review it here when I do. It'll probably be a couple weeks though, as it sits behind the last 2 Best Pic noms I haven't watched yet, either (The Reader and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and also behind Taken which I hope to watch this weekend.

Dell, I watched a few movies over the past week.. Have you ever reviewed Catch Me If You Can, Collateral or Eastern Promises? All top notch if you ask me.

I really enjoyed both Catch Me If You Can and Collateral but never reviewed either (I may have done Collateral - have to check back through my own archives). Going off memory, I'd probably give Catch Me an 8.5 or 9 and a 7.5 or 8 for Collateral. Eastern Promises has so far eluded me. It just seems to be one of those I can't quite get to - everytime I think about watching it something else catches my eye.

 

[FirstTimer]

Hey Dell,

Review Ernest Scared Stupid.

K

Thnx

Bai

 

[dell71]

Just to repeat a little of my personal history before this particular review, I have a wife...

The Women
2008. Rated PG-13, 114 minutes.
Director: Diane English. Starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing.

Plot: When Mary (Ryan) finds out her husband is cheating on her with perfume sales clerk Crystal (Mendes), her friends and her mom try to guide her through the tough times. Remake of the 1939 film of the same name.

The Good: We have a cast of rom-com all stars giving it their melodramatic best. Each of the ladies makes the most of what their roles have to offer. The pacing and humor are major plusses. It's not fall-off-your-chair funny but it does elicit some laughs. Combine that with a script that pluckily pushes us along from one girl talk scene to the next and you get a fairly quick moving affair (I know, bad pun given the movie's premise). Also a number of recognizable, some even iconic, actresses turn up in bit parts including Cloris Leachman, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen, Carrie Fisher and Debi Mazar.

The Bad: What starts off as a daring artistic choice ends up gimmicky and frustrating. That choice is deciding to not have any males in the movie. In a movie centered around a crumbling marriage, its hard to come off as anything other than man-bashing when it refuses to even show a man. There aren't even any male extras (more on that in a moment). This is illuminated most when you think about Alex (Jada Pinkett Smith). Putting aside the reality that she comes off like a token black, we see she's also the surrogate man. She has what could be a man's name, she's a lesbian so she's obviously into women, a bit of a slacker who parties too much and is generally straight-forward with her views. She is every bit an attempt to give male viewers someone to relate to. And she also helps maintain the ladies only motif by taking our crew to an all-lesbian restaraunt. This scene and the street scenes are filled with beautiful female extras (told you I'd get back to this) and appear solely as an effort to hold guys' attention. The same seems true for the casting of Mendes who's part could've been played by any number of starlets. However, by not having any males at all to project onto we get a strange phenomena. Men in the audience feel attacked and female viewers can only unsatisfyingly beat up a faceless enemy. Well, in the end (spoiler?) there is one male character shown but it feels like a slap in the face. It's like the filmmakers telling us "This is all you get, now be happy with it."

The Ugly: This is completely different movie if our girls pick somewhere else to get their nails done.

Recommendation: This is pretty much for fans of rom-coms. Once you peel back the complicated layers you'll see its the same old stuff Ryan, Messing and the rest have been doing for years. The difference is that those other movies make men caricatures and have them follow the same developmental arc while this one dispenses with them completely and doesn't even pretend to care to give them a chance to put in their two cents. This is interesting at first, but wears thin about halfway through.

The Opposite View: Bob Bloom, Jounal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

What the Internet Says: 4.8/10 on imdb.com (5/22/09), 13% on rottentomatoes.com, 27/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 5/10

 

[dell71]

Hey Dell,

Review Ernest Scared Stupid.

K

Thnx

Bai

Hmm...I'll respectfully deny that request. As a matter of fact, when my kids are with me in the video store I make to walk extra fast past any Ernest movies that may be lurking in the comedy section.

 

[Palooza]

You'll watch The Women but not Ernest Scared Stupid!?!!?

Shame shame I know your name!