I put Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at the same disadvantage I give most sequels; I watched its illustrious (and not so illustrious) predecessors. I always watch the Indy films now in chronological order starting with Temple of Doom. (This has the advantage of getting the bad one out […]
Carry on Nurse is the first entry in the “Carry On” series that really establishes what the future installment would be like. Although Carry On Sergeant laid done several of the ground rules (group of disparate characters thrown together, etc.), the cheekiness and generally bawdy air that permeates the series begins here.
The story is […]
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was, box-office-wise, the apex of the Star Trek film franchise (although The Motion Picture sold more tickets). It’s amazing to think that this is the only Trek film to have grossed more than $100M at the box office. This is particularly notable today, when just having […]
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service introduces George Lazenby in the role made famous by Sean Connery, James Bond. It would prove to be Lazenby’s only outing as the secret agent, but not because of a lack of quality. It’s true that Lazenby is a bit of a drag on the film (it was […]
Having watched all the Superman films, I decided to follow that up with a review of the “90s” Batman films. * This encapsulates Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
To kick things off, here’s my famous quick and dirty guide to the Batman films:
Batman: directed by the artsy Tim Burton, produced by […]
Having watched the previous Superman cinematic outings one at a time, I decided to watch the entirety of Christopher Reeve’s output in the character in one go. Including both versions of the second film, this runs to five: Superman, Superman II, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest […]
I get a lot of flack from certain quarters for my fandom of the Fantastic Four film series (on display in my review of the first film). Perhaps I’m more forgiving because I love the original comics so much. But whatever the reason, I also really enjoyed the sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of […]
I am probably unduly fond of Graffiti Bridge, Prince’s 1990 sequel to his groundbreaking Purple Rain. On almost every level (except the music - mor on that later), Bridge is inferior to Rain. The story is more convoluted, the dialogue more stilted, the sets look more fake. But there’s something deep inside […]
I don’t have a whole lot to say about Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. It has always been my least favorite of the original crew “Star Trek” films. This is mainly because it feels to me like an obligatory film, not one that grew organically.
Wrath of Khan had proved that Star […]
The serial Batman and Robin is a mixed bag as far as improvements over its predecessor are concerned. While it sticks closer to the source material (no need for war propoganda in 1949), its plot and characterizations aren’t nearly as strong.
First of all, Batman and Robin shows the dynamic duo (Robert Lowery and Johnny […]
I’ve previously covered 2005’s King Kong and wrote a full review here, but I thought this time around I’d do a kind of contrast and compare, tale of the tape kind of thing alongside the 1998 version of Godzilla. So let’s see how they stand up to each other.
Approach
Godzilla took the more common road […]
Atom Man vs. Superman is the second Superman movie serial, the last appearance of Kirk Alyn in the role and a vast improvement over the original Superman.
The main reason this one is an improvement is the appearance of a much better villain (and Superman’s main nemesis at that): Lex Luthor. Played here by the […]
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is the last of Disney’s “package” films (if you don’t count Fantasia 2000, which I don’t). But, unlike the package films of the 1940s, which consisted of individual stories that were often later split up as shorts, the segments in Winnie the Pooh were pre-existing shorts, created […]
Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster us best known for serving as the turning point of the original series as far as Godzilla is concerned. He makes the turn from villain to hero in this film, teaming up with established characters Mothra (already a hero) and Rodan (villain of his own film) to defeat a new […]
King Kong vs. Godzilla is my favorite Godzilla film. Yes, I know that other films have more depth to the storyline, or better effects or a higher monster count. But this one has Kong and that’s all that really matters. *
Not that I’m completely smitten by this film just because of the big […]
In the history of Walt Disney Feature Animation, there has only ever been one film to get a true sequel (that is, a narrative film followed by another narrative film). The Rescuers was a surprisingly successful, quirky, little adventure film. Years later, straight-to-video sequels would be the order of the day, but the […]
When the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum crossed the Atlantic, the lead role of Pseudolus (originated by Zero Mostel) went to British comedian Frankie Howerd. After re-fashioning the role to fit his cheeky sense of humor, it was a huge success for him. In 1969, in an […]
When Toho made the 1995 film Godzilla vs. Destroyah, they intended it to be the final Godzilla film for awhile. They had recently licensed the character for a big-time Hollywood film, so didn’t want to get in the way of that proposed new franchise. Well, the Hollywood version of Godzilla, though performing well […]
When I saw Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery in the theaters, I was extremely impressed. As I have mentioned before, I’m a big fan of 1960s sci-fi and adventure movies like Barbarella and Casino Royale with their big sets and peculiar point of view. It was clear to me that writer/star Mike […]
How the mighty can fall in the eyes of the public. It is a well known axiom that sequels are generally inferior to the original. Especially when the original is something of a genre-defining project. Such is the case with Ghostbusters and its put-upon sequel Ghostbusters II.
Ghostbusters was, of course, a groundbreaking […]
Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 are two of Disney’s more interesting releases. Originally envisioned by Walt Disney as an “event” (one that you would dress up for, as if going to a real concert), Fantasia was a financial disaster for the company, almost bringing them to ruin.
And it wasn’t all that warmly received critically, either. […]
Now, I’ve been a big fan of Bob Hope since the days of my youth, when the local independant station used to show his movies every saturday or Sunday morning. (This is also the cause of my love for Godzilla and Blondie movies.) But ever since then, my favorite has been Son of […]
Toy Story 2 is one of those rare occasions when the sequel outdoes the original. While Toy Story is a wonderful film, but its biggest draw is the (then) unique style of animation used. By Toy Story 2, it would take more than CGI visuals to grab an audience. It does this […]
After delving deeply into the Superman mythos last year, I was in the mood to revisit one of the lesser known corners with 1984’s Supergirl. First of all, it has a lot of problems. The story is a bit nonsensical and the character of Lara/Linda/Supergirl isn’t properly fleshed out. (Is she an […]
Film #001 - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Film #002 - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Film #003 - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Film #004 - Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Film #005 - Star Wars: Episode V - The […]
Viewed December 19, 2006
Pokémon Heroes is the 2003 entry in the annual Pokémon film series (and the last to be released theatrically in the US). Like the TV series, it follows the adventures of Pokémon trainers Ash Ketchum, Misty and Brock as they learn about the world of Pokémon. This time, they come […]
Viewed December 18, 2006
Herbie Fully Loaded picks up the story of the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own last seen on the big screen in 1980’s Herbie Goes Bananas. (There was also a 1997 TV remake/sequel of the original film, The Love Bug, that is not necessarily in continuity.)
Fully Loaded […]
Viewed December 17, 2006
No Time for Nuts is a 3D animated short included on the DVD release of Ice Age: The Meltdown which, like Gone Nutty before it, stars the “sabre-tooth squirrel” Scrat. This one involves Scrat coming across a time machine and travelling all through time in chase of his constantly-on-the-move one remaining […]
Viewed December 10, 2006
The Santa Clause 2 improves on the original film by sticking more closely to a festive mood, but gets somewhat muddled with too many plotlines.
The main focus of the film is Santa Claus (aka Scott Calvin, played by Tim Allen) and his search for a wife, as required by contract (the “Mrs. […]
Viewed December 9, 2006
Having established the characters in the first film, Shrek 2 gives a sense of how extendable they are, that is, how much the characters can stand up to continued adventures. Now, I had been told that Shrek 2 was better than Shrek, despite its review being more negative. I certainly […]
Viewed November 28, 2006
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is a project I feel like I’ve waited for my whole life. (In reality, I only learned about it five or six years ago.) I could go on and on about why I loved this movie and why it’s so much better than the […]
Viewed November 25, 2006
The Cheetah Girls 2 is the second Disney Channel Original Movie in a series based on books by Deborah Gregory that chronicle the trials and tribulations of a girl singing group in-the-making. Having faced difficulties finding their common voice in the first film, in CG2, they travel to Barcelona, Spain to […]
Viewed November 18, 2006
GoldenEye is about as perfect an introduction to a new James Bond actor as anyone could ask for. The last Brosnan Bond that I needed to see, I finally sat down to watch it during the opening week of his successor’s first film, Casino Royale*. (I’m holding off watching that one […]
Viewed November 7, 2006
Mater and the Ghostlight is a cute little short that is included on the Cars DVD and features a new adventure for Mater, Lightning McQueen and the gang from Radiator Springs. It’s not Pixar’s best DVD exclusive short (that would remain, IMHO, Mike’s New Car), but it’s still a good one.
The key […]
Viewed November 5, 2006
One of the biggest hurdles that most Disney straight-to-video sequels have to clear is maintaining the tone of the original film. Some fail spectacularly (The Lion King 2), while others are surprisingly strong (Alladin and the King of Thieves, Bambi II). Of course, some ignore the original tone completely and […]
Viewed October 31, 2006
Halloween II picks up almost immediately after the conclusion of the original Halloween (1978). (It actually recaps that ending before continuing). Rather than following the more obvious choice of detailing another Halloween night, the action never makes it to the next morning, meaning that the events of both films cover […]
Viewed October 28, 2006
Superman: Brainiac Attacks is a straight-to-video animated movie that carries on stylistically from Superman: The Animated Series while reworking the basic characterizations. In fact, these changes to the characters has caused quite a stir amongst fans of the series, who feel that this movie doesn’t properly follow the precedents set.
Okay, I […]
Viewed October 27, 2006
House of Frankenstein sees the Universal Monster series crawling towards its end. Only House of Dracula reamains and it’s not looking too promising.
Well, HOF has one thing going for it, the return of Boris Karloff to the series. Unfortunately, he’s not playing either the Frankenstein Monster, nor his other major […]
Viewed October 22, 2006
Son of Dracula picks up the story of Dracula several years after the events of Dracula’s Daughter. Unlike that earlier film, however, it does little to try and maintain continuity. There is, for instance, no mention of the aforementioned Countess Marya Zaleska. In fact, things are left ambiguous as […]
Viewed October 16, 2006
The Ghost of Frankenstein is the first of the Universal monster movies that I’ve seen that really disappointed me. A few good scenes and another quality performance as Ygor by Bela Lugosi make it worthwhile, but it’s just not on the level of the other films.
The story picks up several years […]
Viewed October 14, 2006
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is really much more a Wolf Man movie than it is a Frankenstein film. In fact, it seems to ignore the continuity that was established in the “Frankenstein” series, acting as if the monster had not been seen since the end of the original 1931 film.
Lon […]
Viewed October 13, 2006
Freddy vs. Jason is exactly what you think it is: no more, no less. It’s a virtual non-stop parade of death and mayhem, with only a light sprinkling of thought and character.
Now, this is a film that was developed by focus group, if ever there was one. There’s clearly no […]
Viewed October 10, 2006
Scary Movie 4 is even more all over the board than the previous entries in the series both in the quality and the sources of its jokes.
The first odd thing about Scary Movie 4 is the filmmakers’ apparent insistance to maintain continuity with the previous film. The first twenty minutes of […]
Viewed October 8, 2006
Anyone who thinks Bela Lugosi was a one-hit wonder just needs to see Son of Frankenstein. Not only does it sport a ripping good story and beautiful sets, it features one of Lugosi’s greatest characters (and one that people seem to seldom remember he created): Ygor. But he’s no […]
Viewed October 4, 2006
Dracula’s Daughter is the surprisingly good follow-up to the classic 1931 film Dracula.
The story picks up almost immediately after the destruction of Count Dracula at the end of the first film. (Although John and Mina Harker have disappeared). Professor Von Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is found with the […]
Viewed September 29, 2006
Okay, so maybe my Disney obsession is getting out of control. I mean, I know there’s more of the faux Bob & Doug McKenzie in Brother Bear 2, but did I need to see it so soon? Well, probably not. But it wasn’t bad and the addition of two […]
Viewed September 28, 2006
Bambi II is a film I honestly never thought they would make. I mean, it’s one thing to trot out The Lion King 2 or The Little Mermaid II or even Cinderella II: Dreams Come True. But a sequel to Bambi? Well, I prepared myself for the worst and […]
Viewed September 16, 2006
Daredevils of the Desert is one of the “Young Indiana Jones” TV movies. Now, I can’t be sure if it’s an episode of the TV show expanded into a film or a film that was later condensed into an episode, but creator George Lucas refers to it as a “film”, so […]
Viewed September 8, 2006
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the airing of the first episode of Star Trek, I watched the only theatrical film that I had not yet seen: Star Trek: Nemesis. Now, I’m not a big fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation (sorry, Earl), so I didn’t have high expectations. […]
Viewed August 31, 2006
Tomorrow Never Dies is the second entry in the James Bond series to star Pierce Brosnan (and the third I’ve watched - I’m going backwards, remember?). Although the story and villain are quite weak for a Bond film, excellent performances from most of the major cast are able to elevate this […]
Viewed August 24, 2006
A Dairy Tale: The Three Little Pigs is a short that is included on the Home on the Range DVD and features the characters from that film. The style is much more simplistic than the original film, not much more detailed than typical Flash cartoons found on the web. It […]
Viewed August 15, 2006
Now, I’m not a big fan of the X-Men films. But, then again, I’ve never been a big fan of the X-Men. I’ve never been able to buy the central conceit that mutants can be compared to other oppressed groups (take your pick). The problem with the comparison for […]
Viewed August 14, 2006
As you may know, Toy Story 2 began its life as an intended straight-to-video release, until Disney got a look at what Pixar was cooking up and upgraded the production to a theatrical release. But eventually Disney did produce a straight-to-video movie featuring the characters of Toy Story. […]
Viewed August 11, 2006
Back in 1992, when Quentin Tarantino was the poster boy for “new cinema” with his groundbreaking film Resevoir Dogs, I was more impressed by Robert Rodriguez’ film El Mariachi. There’s no question that Resevoir Dogs is more professional (especially the acting talent) and slicker. But El Mariachi showed that Rodriguez […]
Viewed August 1, 2006
Ice Age: The Meltdown has confirmed something that I felt for a while: that production company Blue Sky is the only studio that really gives Pixar a run for their money quality-wise. I’ve still not seen Robots, but Ice Age was the first non-Pixar CGI animated film I ever bought as […]
Viewed July 24, 2006
In 1991, Pixar created a couple of short short cartoons for Sesame Street. If you’ve watched the show (and who hasn’t), you know the kind of thing; a simple, straightforward demonstration of a concept or idea. Light & Heavy examines the notion of the difference between light and heavy objects […]
Viewed July 20, 2006
After the end of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry spent most of the 1970s trying to get another project going. He came up with several ideas, but one he kept returning to was the idea of future distopia and the man from the past who tries to bring peace back to the […]
Viewed July 18, 2006
So, like, I was totally going to avoid watching the “Pink Five” series, because what little I had seen of it was, like, so stupid but then, I, like, thought that maybe I’d better watch them because they’re, like, really well known and people would wonder why I hadn’t seen them and […]
Viewed July 13, 2006
There was a time in the late 80s when there was no cooler person on planet Earth than Andy Sidaris. I mean, here’s an Emmy Award-winning sports television director who throws it all away to make action films starring Playboy Playmates. And for a while there, he had a nice […]
Viewed July 11, 2006
I don’t care that it’s comedy. I don’t care that he’s a cartoon walking around in the real world. I don’t even care that the material is basically advertising for American Express. The two short films that make up The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman portray a viable, legitimate […]