Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

[dell71]

I think you would love Sandlot even without the kids, Dell. It's actually a pretty solid watch as an adult too. I caught it on HBO last night and couldn't believe how moved I still was. The acting is so-so, but the writing is as good as it gets for that genre. And the character bonds between the kids just feel so real. Ultimately, this movie encapsulates what the 1990s were for me (which is weird since it is set in the late 50s lol). As Palooza can attest, I devoted a very emotional facebook status to the movie last night. As you can see, I have a soft spot for it, so I'm rather biased in my estimation, but by all means watch this movie.

Thanx. I definitely plan on seeing it. Unfortunately, this movie falls between my childhood and parenthood so I just never got around to it.

 

[calgaryballer]

When Reagan sucked.

BigPapa already corrected Dave on this, I am slow

 

[FirstTimer]

I should also point out a movie that creeps up into my Top 5 all the time is Almost Famous. GREAT movie IMO.

 

[FirstTimer]

Very fucking solid top 5. I only add the fucking for emphasis, and because I've had 4 or so beers and I have very much marijuana on me and in me. But I can't argue with a single movie on that list.



I think you would love Sandlot even without the kids, Dell. It's actually a pretty solid watch as an adult too. I caught it on HBO last night and couldn't believe how moved I still was. The acting is so-so, but the writing is as good as it gets for that genre. And the character bonds between the kids just feel so real. Ultimately, this movie encapsulates what the 1990s were for me (which is weird since it is set in the late 50s lol). As Palooza can attest, I devoted a very emotional facebook status to the movie last night. As you can see, I have a soft spot for it, so I'm rather biased in my estimation, but by all means watch this movie.

Nahste I agree with everything you said about The Sandlot. It's a great movie for quotes, laughs, reflections, it revolves around baseball and it's a solid movie no matter how old you are. Whenever it is on I always sit down and make time to watch it.

 

[NAHSTE]

I should also point out a movie that creeps up into my Top 5 all the time is Almost Famous. GREAT movie IMO.

Yeah, that's another one that you can't easily forget. One of the most rewatchable movies ever, and it gets better every time you watch it. I'll have to modify my official top ten someday to include that one now that I've seen it about 5 times more since HBO started running it.

 

[Palooza]

Almost Famous is a great movie, good call on that FT.

Saving Private Ryan was on TNT a few weeks back and it was almost done when I turned it on. Ever since, I've been waiting until I could go home and pop in the DVD. Finally, today is that day.

 

[NAHSTE]

Sorry, FT, but I have to retract what I said about not being able to argue with a movie on your list. The Patriot, IMO, was just another average period movie. Didn't even see it up there at first, but yeah, just had to say that.

Not sure why I never did like it, maybe it was Mel Gibson, or the white-washed racism, or that we had to watch it civics class in high school.

 

[calgaryballer]

I thought that movie was beyond stupid. Maybe it's because I am Canadian, but I found it was long winded and silly

 

[FirstTimer]

Sorry, FT, but I have to retract what I said about not being able to argue with a movie on your list. The Patriot, IMO, was just another average period movie. Didn't even see it up there at first, but yeah, just had to say that.

Not sure why I never did like it, maybe it was Mel Gibson, or the white-washed racism, or that we had to watch it civics class in high school.

I'm a history geek and my favorite period of American History is the Revolutionary Generation.

 

[dell71]

City of God is one of the best movies of all time.

City of Men was pretty snazzy too, but just not as amazing as the first City. I recommend City of God all the time to anyone who enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire, because Slumdog took so many of its themes and style from City of God.

Another one of my all-time faves.

 

[NAHSTE]

City of God is in my top 5 as well. I have Departed, Children of Men, and City of God all tied for top 3, then Godfathers I and II round it out.

 

[NAHSTE]

That's funny. I was gonna comment on that as well. It was very obvious that Slumdog took a lot from City of God. I don't like Slumdog as much anymore for that reason. City of God was much better at pulling it off and had a much better cast of characters than Slumdog did.

I see the similarities but don't think they are similar enough to compare them directly. They are both really awesome movies that had a lot of similar themes and settings, but other than that the stories are worlds apart.

One is a non-linear account of three different decades in the slums of Brazil, the other one is a non-linear account of an Indian boys life, set against a gameshow in which he wins a million dollars.

The underworld "how the other half lives" undertones are present in each one, and stylistically there are a lot of similarities, but they are still very different movies IMO.

Both awesome, but I agree that C.O.G. is superior.

 

[dell71]

Nah, haven't seen Nobody's Fool...sorry.

Moving on...

Soul Men
2008. Rated R, 98 minutes.
Director: Malcolm D. Lee. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac, Sharon Leal, Adam Herschman.

Plot: Floyd (Mac) and Louis (Jackson) were once superstars as part of a Motown style 1960s group called "The Real Deal," along with lead singer Marcus Hooks (real R&B star John Legend) who went on to a legendary career as a soloist. After Hooks' death, the two reunite for a tribute show to Marcus, despite years away from the stage and lots of unresolved issues between them. Hijinks and shenanigans on their way to New York ensues.

The Good: At it's core, its about two older gentlemen with larger-than-life personalities talking a lot of smack to one another and anyone who crosses their path. Both Mac and Jackson excel at saying outlandish things that make you laugh even though you know you probably shouldn't think they're funny. The two also forge a very believable chemistry, allowing them to seemingly ad-lib their way through much of the movie. And for those of us who saw their first <ahem, ahem, cough, cough> "adult" movie back in the late 1970s or early 1980s, there's a Vanessa Del Rio sighting.

The Bad: The plot unfolds in a completely unsurprising manner. It's so paint-by-the-numbers it simply relies on the mouths of the two stars to keep it interesting. This is problematic because on those rare occasions when only one or neither of them are on the screen the movie can no longer mask it's weaknesses. Even when they are both on the screen, it just trudges through things we already knew would happen.

The Ugly: Bernie Mac literally hits below the belt. Ouch.

Recommendation: Fans of the two stars should really like this movie. It showcases their personas and lets them have fun. Since they seem to be having so much fun its easy to let implausibilities and cliches slide. For people who aren't big fans, particularly of Mac, then it'll be an easily forgotten road movie that breaks no new ground. RIP to both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, who also appears in the movie. Warning: Extremely potty-mouthed, our heroes use the various conjugations of mf as a noun, verb and adjective and most places a comma, period or exclamation point should go.

The Opposite View: Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com

What the Internet Says: 6.4/10 on imdb.com (3/28/09), 45% on rottentomatoes.com, 49/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 7/10

 

[dell71]

Milk
2008. Rated R, 127 minutes.
Director: Gus Van Sant. Starring Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch.

Plot: The later years of Harvey Milk (Penn), the first openly gay elected official in the United States.

The Good: For a biopic to work, you should have a larger than life performance from the actor in the lead role. Sean Penn definitely delivers the goods. He exudes more than enough of the charisma needed to not only get people to follow him but to assist him in blazing new trails. The cast around Penn also sparkles. This is mostly no surprise since it's a talented lot. However, there is one cast member who did pleasantly surprise me, James Franco. I thought he was terrible in all three Spiderman movies and Flyboys and merely adequate in anything else I'd seen him in. He was actually very good, here. Great acting without great material is a waste. Fortunately, the script is really strong and the pacing is near perfect. By focusing on just the last decade of Milk's life, it's slightly over two hour run time fits snugly.

The Bad: It does fall into the biopic trap of making it's subject a saint. Early on, the movie establishes that homosexuality isn't a flaw, which is fine. However, they failed to find any other real flaws in him other than caring too much. Any problems he has are caused by his relentlessly focusing on "the big picture." Even when he backstabs a fellow official, it's quickly made to seem as if he had no choice but to do so.

The Ugly: Nearly everything about "the Latino man" including what eventually happens to him.

Recommendation: This is a powerful movie about a man with a cause. It's superbly written and acted. Perhaps best of all, many of the things that happened in this story set in the 1970s are still relevant today. Certainly, Milk's main message of "hope" echoes a certain recent political campaign. For some, I suspect the cause will be too much to get with. If you're in that camp, I suggest you steer clear of the movie all together. The rest of us can enjoy it.

The Opposite View: Alonso Duralde, MSNBC

What the Internet Says: 8.0/10 on imdb.com (3/29/09), 93% on rottentomatoes.com, 84/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 8.5/10

 

[NAHSTE]

Good review of Milk. Summed it up for me. Very powerful but a bit too praising of its title character. Brilliant work by Penn and the rest of the cast. Van Zant's direction is brilliant too.

And yeah, that Latino dude is such a buzzkill.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Good review of Milk. Summed it up for me. Very powerful but a bit too praising of its title character. Brilliant work by Penn and the rest of the cast. Van Zant's direction is brilliant too.

And yeah, that Latino dude is such a buzzkill.

To be fair, this guy is the Martin Luther King of the gay community, obviously, praises will be given in droves.

 

[dell71]

Cadillac Records
2008. Rated R, 109 minutes.
Director: Darnell Martin. Starring Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Columbus Short, Beyonce Knowles.

Plot: The history of Chess Records, home to Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Muddy Waters (Wright), Little Walter (Short), Howlin' Wolf (Eamonn Walker), Etta James (Knowles), Chuck Berry (Mos Def) and label owner Leonard Chess (Brody). It was also known as Cadillac Records because Chess would often buy his artists brand new Cadillacs.

The Good: This is a lively affair that merrily bounces along. The movie effectively uses music to create wonderful scenes and to bridge one scene to the next. That music starts with Muddy's down-home blues, moves on to Berry's pioneering Rock and Roll sound and James' heart-wrenching ballads. The acting is a major plus. Jeffrey Wright continues to make me believe he's perhaps the most underrated actor working today. He fully inhabits his characters and does the same for Muddy Waters. Brody is solid as ever. Columbus Short (of Stomp the Yard and Quarantine), whom I was losing faith in, delivers his best performance as does R&B superstar Beyonce Knowles. She ably portrays James as a woman who attempts to mask her fragility with tough talk and tough drugs. The cast also includes Gabrielle Union (as Muddy's wife Geneva) and Emmanuelle Chriqui (as Chess' wife Revetta).

The Bad: It's way too fast. It keeps the accelerator to the floor and rarely lets up. That's fine for an uproarious comedy or a thrill-a-minute action flick. For a drama that's trying to recreate larger-than-life personas and obviously wants us to feel their joy and pain, it's not. Instead of us really identifying with these people and going through the highs and lows with them, it often feels like old-school newreel journalism. We get a bunch of quick scenes in chronological order as we're told in a cold, clincal manner "this happens, then this, then this and this and this, the end." We never get attached enough to be happy or sad for them. For a movie about people who reached deep into their souls to create beautiful music, it has surprisingly little soul of its own.

The Ugly: Little Walter making sure no one steals his name.

Recommendation: CR is a fun little movie because it showcases the music and has some great acting. If it weren't so hell-bent on getting to the end as quickly as possible and really digging into the emotions that went into making the music, it would've been a real winner. As it is, it's decent but forgettable.

The Opposite View: Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail (UK)

What the Internet Says: 6.7/10 on imdb.com (3/30/09), 68% on rottentomatoes.com, 65/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 6/10


Sidenote: Separate movies on any of these people could be great but I would particularly like to see one about Chuck Berry.

 

[NAHSTE]

To be fair, this guy is the Martin Luther King of the gay community, obviously, praises will be given in droves.

Definitely, and much deserved. But like dell said, I still want to see some flaws out of my title character. They did show that initially, he was complicit with drug use and promiscuity, but those are the only things they showed of him that any one who wasn't a homophobe could take objection with.

An MLK biopic would be just as incomplete without the womanizing IMO. You gotta have the full scope.

But Milk is still a great movie and from what it seems like dude was a great great man.

 

[dell71]

Definitely, and much deserved. But like dell said, I still want to see some flaws out of my title character. They did show that initially, he was complicit with drug use and promiscuity, but those are the only things they showed of him that any one who wasn't a homophobe could take objection with.

An MLK biopic would be just as incomplete without the womanizing IMO. You gotta have the full scope.

But Milk is still a great movie and from what it seems like dude was a great great man.

Honestly, you hit the nail on the head but I think that's also the reason we haven't seen a real MLK biopic yet. There's just too many people interested in protecting his legacy to let that show up on the screen.

There were a couple of TV flicks made about MLK but neither was at all interested in anything besides marches & speeches. Though, the one starring Paul Warfield in the title role wasn't terrible.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Definitely, and much deserved. But like dell said, I still want to see some flaws out of my title character. They did show that initially, he was complicit with drug use and promiscuity, but those are the only things they showed of him that any one who wasn't a homophobe could take objection with.

An MLK biopic would be just as incomplete without the womanizing IMO. You gotta have the full scope.

But Milk is still a great movie and from what it seems like dude was a great great man.

I thought the drug use, the promiscuity, and the political backstabbing where a good set of "faults" to focus on in the film...especially the drug use and promiscuity, considering they are two of the demonizing stereotypes of homosexuals.

If they did a biopic of MLK, I'm sure they'd touch on the womanizing, but it'd be a very small part of the picture and wouldn't be a focus and it might get pushed aside but brushed upon similar to how they portrayed Harvey Milk's fault.

Also, must remember the film was written by a homosexual that was inspired to come out by learning about Harvey Milk, so, of course, with that said, I think they did a decent job covering faults, when even the writer was excessively pro Milk.