Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

[Senser81]

HE'S A P-T-P'r...

THATS PRIME TIME PIZZA BAYBEE!!!

DELL'S SCORE: 10/10​

 

[Palooza]

Very good write ups man, I agree with your grading system and non-biased approach to watching film.

I don't know if you've seen or heard of it, I recommend "In Bruges".

thanked for In Bruges.

 

[dell71]

I swear to God, these reviews just keep getting worse and worse. Giving a movie a demerit because it DOESN'T have Dick Vitale in it? Lemme guess, did you give Blue Chips a 10/10 score?

Here is what Dick Vitale thought..."I just talked to Jon Scheyer, and he said that he liked to eat pizza. Now that I think about it, PIZZA IS AWESOME BABY!!!"

lmao! But no, didn't give Blue Chips a '10' and the "demerit" was much more for the other stuff in that section, not specifically for Dickie V's absence, but point taken on his rambling and way over the top nature. However, you forgot that he would note how Duke is a legit national title contender and Coach K is the best coach to ever roam the sidelines.

Very good write ups man, I agree with your grading system and non-biased approach to watching film.

I don't know if you've seen or heard of it, I recommend "In Bruges".

Thanx...BTW, I reviewed In Bruges here. See the first post in this thread for a list of & links to all the reviews here.

 

[dell71]

The Proposal
Directed by Anne Fletcher.
2009. Rated PG-13, 108 minutes.
Cast:
Sandra Bullock
Ryan Reynolds
Betty White
Mary Steenburgen
Craig T. Nelson
Denis O'Hare
Malin Akerman
Oscar Nunez​

Plot: When book editor Margaret Tate (Bullock) learns she is about to be deported to Canada she forces her assistant Andrew (Reynolds) to marry her so that she may remain in the United States.

The Good: Along the way, there are several gags that are genuinely funny. Usually, these involve either Betty White, as Andrew's "gammie" who is about to turn 90 years old, or the local everything Ramon (Nunez). White exhibits the gift for comic timing that's served her well over the years and is helped by the fact that her character has the best lines. As Ramon, Nunez is over the top as an easily detestable pest of a man. However, he seems to derive such joy from his antics that we occasionally get caught up in the madness.

The Bad: The story is a complete paint-by-numbers rom-com. To say it's easily predictable is an understatement. Nothing that has any bearing on the outcome of the story happens at all. If you don't agree, you've probably never sat through a movie before. There was also one thing we got too much of and another of which we got not enough. The Ramon character falls into the too much category. He's one of those movie characters that holds hundreds of jobs in a small town because, well, it's small and no one else could possibly work there (yes, italicized for sarcasm). True, he has some funny moments but in the end, it's overkill. On the not enough side there is the power struggle between Margaret and a colleague she tries to fire. More of this could've added to her anxiety and gave us some splashy arguments with tension different from the sexual one the rest of the movie is built on.

The Ugly: The "easter-egg" hunt.

Recommendation: It's not quite the blemish on cinematic history some have made it out to be. That said, it's completely unremarkable. Aside from the fact that Sandra Bullock, who has a squeaky clean and bordering on virginal image, does an almost-nude scene, there's nothing to separate it from the thousands of other chick-flicks that have come before. So, if rom-coms are your thing...or your significant other's thing...go for it. If not, don't worry. It's another movie that you've seen, even if you haven't seen it.

The Opposite View: Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

What the Internet Says: 6.8/10 on imdb.com (2/26/10), 43% on rottentomatoes.com, 48/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 4.5/10​

 

[Houston]

lol do you watch movies even though you know they're gonna be horrible?

 

[dell71]

lol do you watch movies even though you know they're gonna be horrible?

I try not to have pre-conceived notions, but sometimes yes. In this case, the wife saw the commercial a few dozen times and wanted to see it. She thoroughly enjoyed it, btw.

 

[Palooza]

I try not to have pre-conceived notions, but sometimes yes. In this case, the wife saw the commercial a few dozen times and wanted to see it. She thoroughly enjoyed it, btw.

I respect dell's reviews all the more because he has to make sacrifices with his viewing seeing as how he has a wife and kids.

 

[dell71]

I respect dell's reviews all the more because he has to make sacrifices with his viewing seeing as how he has a wife and kids.

Appreciated. Wife actually sees all the scores I give and usually disagrees with me. She's gonna have a fit when she sees The Proposal.

 

[Leftwich]

Appreciated. Wife actually sees all the scores I give and usually disagrees with me. She's gonna have a fit when she sees The Proposal.

Tell her:

:learnvsn:

And all will be forgiven.

 

[Senser81]

Hey Dell, have you given a review for Tron? I saw it on TV the other night, and I forgot how weird it was. I believe it was the first Disney movie to have a PG rating.

 

[dell71]

Hey Dell, have you given a review for Tron? I saw it on TV the other night, and I forgot how weird it was. I believe it was the first Disney movie to have a PG rating.

No review for Tron. I hadn't watched that in 20 years or so. You've stoked my interest in seeing it again, though.

 

[dell71]

Che: Part One - The Argentine
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
2008. Rated R, 135 minutes.
Cast:
Benicio Del Toro
Demian Bichir
Santiago Cabrera
Vladimir Cruz
Julia Ormond
Jorge Perugorria
Edgar Ramirez
Catalina Sandino Moreno​

Plot: Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Del Toro) leaves his native Argentina to help Fidel Castro (Bichir) mount a revolution in Cuba. Based on a true story.

The Good: It effectively darts back and forth through time to create a quilt-like narrative. At first, it feels like a bunch of almost random pieces of Che's life sewn together. As we move along, we can see how they fit together. In that regard, it's reminiscent of war-movie classic, The Battle of Algiers. We see Che become a hero to many, and whether or not we agree, we can understand why. In the lead role, Benicio Del Toro is perfect. Through him, and masterful storytelling, we see Che as a righteous, intelligent and determined man. We also see a man that can hide the disappointments that occasionally arise during the Cuban Revolution from the world, but not from the viewers.

The Bad: Throughout the movie, we hear the world media refer to Che as a pariah and a murderer. To this day, he remains a controversial and polarizing figure. However, we never really get a glimpse of why that is. He never addresses the charges. We know he kills during combat but it's for a cause the movie presents as just. When he sentences three of his own men to death, it's totally justifiable by the code of ethics we're told these men live by. Therefore, we get a decidedly idealistic view of the man.

The Ugly: What those men did to get executed.

What the Internet Says: 7.4/10 on imdb.com (3/2/10), 72% on rottentomatoes.com, 64/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 9/10​

Che: Part Two - Guerilla
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
2008. Rated R, 135 minutes.
Cast:
Benicio Del Toro
Franka Potente
Norman Santiago
Joaquim de Almeida
Pablo Duran
Demain Bichir
Juan Salinas
Lorenzo Ariel Munoz
Antonio Peredo
Lou Diamond Phillips​

Plot: After helping Castro (Bichir) stage a successful revolution in Cuba, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Del Toro) travels to Bolivia in hopes of doing the same there. Based on a true story.

The Good: Del Toro's work in the lead role continues to be remarkable. In this half, it's a much more tortured performance. We see a man whose massive reputation does most of the heavy lifting in the hard life he's chosen because his body is no longer able to. Yet, he still soldiers on in pursuit of a goal that constantly puts not only his life but the lives of others in danger, as well. Del Toro is masterful in his conveyance of this. Part Two also gives us more of the enemy he's trying to overthrow. We see the powers that be plot and strategize to neutralize him, deny his presence to the world and hope to kill him. In Part One, the military dictatorship in Cuba is mentioned, even shown, but still largely faceless.

The Bad: Like the first part, there are lots of references to other times and events in Che's life. However, once again Che himself is presented as an almost angelic figure whose main fault is that his undonditional love for his people places him and his followers at risk. He truly seems messianic, at times. This part also suffers from a lack of tension and flare. The storytelling in the first part draws us in by bouncing around making us wonder how it all jives, then slyly revealing a cohesiveness we weren't sure was there and creating a dynamic subject. It keeps us intrigued. Here, that style is replaced by a much more linear, slower style and the outcome is never in doubt. We have time to pick up on it's flaws while we're waiting around for the other shoe to drop and put an end to it.

The Ugly: Getting the tick out of the little boy's eye. Yuck.

What the Internet Says: 7.0/10 on imdb.com (3/2/10), 76% on rottentomatoes.com, 64/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 6/10​

OVERALL​

The Opposite View: Jake Wilson, The Age (Australia)

Recommendation: History buffs and war movie fans should have at it. It's also for those of you who view Che as a heroic figure. In any case, it's a sprawling epic that prefers to magnify a group of seemingly small incidents to create a big picture rather than minimize a few major events to fit a time frame. I reviewed it in two separate parts because it's been released as two separate DVDs (I believe it was released in this manner theatrically, as well. Make no mistake, this is one four and a half hour movie split into two equal parts (timewise). In that regard, it's much like Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill but, with obviously more serious intentions. In any event, should you venture into the jungle with Che bring your reading glasses unless you're fluent in Spanish.

MY SCORE: 7.5​

 

[Houston]

WTF I've never heard of that. Benicio Del Toro is one of my favorite actors, I'll have to find that movie.

 

[dell71]

Audition
Directed by Takashi Miike.
1999. Rated R, 115 minutes.
Cast:
Ryo Ishibashi
Eihi Shiina
Jun Kunimura
Tetsu Sawaki
Miyuki Matsuda
Renji Ishibashi​

Seven years after his wife has died, Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) wants to marry again. When he tells this to his friend Yoshikawa (Kunimura), who happens to be a flimmaker, the two decide to hold a fake movie audition to help him find his very own leading lady. Of course, the woman he falls head over heels for, Asami (Shiina), has some serious issues. Occasionally, a great ending can elevate a movie beyond the sum of it's parts. Such is the case, here. What happens over the last thirty minutes or so has to be seen to be believed, though you'd find yourself brave for stomaching certain portions of it. It's both psychological and gory, making it all sorts of unsettling. And you will come to fear "this wire". On the surface, it's reminiscent of but even more twisted than Misery. Dig deeper and it proves to be more complex, as well. That's because it can strangely be seen as both a feminist and anti-feminist film. On the pro side of that ledger, it might be construed as a warning for all us simplistic, hedonistic guys given to objectifying and/or idealizing women. Conversely, our villain is a female completely dependent on the singularly focused love of men to determine her self-worth. The two sides of this coin create an intriguing horror flick.

However, Audition is not without problems. The first deterrent for many will be how slow the first two-thirds of the film move. Secondly, there seems to be no solid basis for our hero's instantaneous love. To be fair, he actually becomes smitten with her even before meeting her in person, which is fine. The problem is she's undeniably creepy the first time he lays eyes on her and behaves oddly and depressed throughout, doing nothing to sustain his initial infatuation. The effect is we don't get what it is about her that he likes so much. Of course, he may be into withdrawn, fragile emo chicks but we never get that indication. Then, we get to that finale and most of that is forgiven, so there.

In all, it's a solidly creepy movie we think is a bit more reserved than the director's other movies (Takashi Miike is best known for directing what's basically a live-action and ultra-gory anime, Ichi the Killer). Of course, in the end it really isn't...well, maybe a little. Subtitleophobes beware: we're speaking Japanese.

MY SCORE: 7.5/10​

 

[nflman2033]

Audition
Directed by Takashi Miike.
1999. Rated R, 115 minutes.
Cast:
Ryo Ishibashi
Eihi Shiina
Jun Kunimura
Tetsu Sawaki
Miyuki Matsuda
Renji Ishibashi​

Seven years after his wife has died, Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) wants to marry again. When he tells this to his friend Yoshikawa (Kunimura), who happens to be a flimmaker, the two decide to hold a fake movie audition to help him find his very own leading lady. Of course, the woman he falls head over heels for, Asami (Shiina), has some serious issues. Occasionally, a great ending can elevate a movie beyond the sum of it's parts. Such is the case, here. What happens over the last thirty minutes or so has to be seen to be believed, though you'd find yourself brave for stomaching certain portions of it. It's both psychological and gory, making it all sorts of unsettling. And you will come to fear "this wire". On the surface, it's reminiscent of but even more twisted than Misery. Dig deeper and it proves to be more complex, as well. That's because it can strangely be seen as both a feminist and anti-feminist film. On the pro side of that ledger, it might be construed as a warning for all us simplistic, hedonistic guys given to objectifying and/or idealizing women. Conversely, our villain is a female completely dependent on the singularly focused love of men to determine her self-worth. The two sides of this coin create an intriguing horror flick.

However, Audition is not without problems. The first deterrent for many will be how slow the first two-thirds of the film move. Secondly, there seems to be no solid basis for our hero's instantaneous love. To be fair, he actually becomes smitten with her even before meeting her in person, which is fine. The problem is she's undeniably creepy the first time he lays eyes on her and behaves oddly and depressed throughout, doing nothing to sustain his initial infatuation. The effect is we don't get what it is about her that he likes so much. Of course, he may be into withdrawn, fragile emo chicks but we never get that indication. Then, we get to that finale and most of that is forgiven, so there.

In all, it's a solidly creepy movie we think is a bit more reserved than the director's other movies (Takashi Miike is best known for directing what's basically a live-action and ultra-gory anime, Ichi the Killer). Of course, in the end it really isn't...well, maybe a little. Subtitleophobes beware: we're speaking Japanese.

MY SCORE: 7.5/10​

7.5 huh, what did you give Ichi the killer, i liked Audition way more than Ichi

 

[dell71]

7.5 huh, what did you give Ichi the killer, i liked Audition way more than Ichi

I can see it both ways but I liked Ichi more...8.5 iirc.

 

[Fox1994]

Really interested in seeing Che. Since seeing Way of the Gun, everytime I see Benicio Del Toro's name I want to watch the movie. Inevitably, I'll have to pass on some of the allegedly crappier ones (Wolfman).

 

[Houston]

Really interested in seeing Che. Since seeing Way of the Gun, everytime I see Benicio Del Toro's name I want to watch the movie. Inevitably, I'll have to pass on some of the allegedly crappier ones (Wolfman).

Definitely not his best movie or his best character but Things We Lost in the Fire has some of his best acting as a recovering Heroin addict.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_We_Lost_in_the_Fire

 

[dell71]

Definitely not his best movie or his best character but Things We Lost in the Fire has some of his best acting as a recovering Heroin addict.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_We_Lost_in_the_Fire

Very solid movie.

BTW, for all of you waiting on my review of Moon, I finally got my hands on a copy after a few misfires so I really will have it up sometime in the next week or so.

Still don't have my home computer back up so the reviews will continue to be a little on the slow side.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

LOL @ Che Guevara as an angelic or even heroic figure.

I've been wanting to check this film out, but I haven't given myself to 4+ hours of the same film yet...it is on my Netflix Instant queue, so, I'll get around to it soon.

Either way, great review dell...I'll let you know what I think when I get to it. Maybe this week, you've piqued my interest in seeing it again, so we'll see.