This & That 12.23.02: New Releases, LOTR, 187, Ocean's 11
Posted by Michael Dalvano on 12.23.2002
This week Michael discusses the overload of great new releases, The Two Towers, Ocean's 11, 187, Extreme Measures, and more...
There are so many new films opening up that I can't wait to see, including Gangs of New York, Catch Me If You Can, Chicago, About Schmidt, and a few others. Plus I still haven't seen The Hours, Adaptation, or Far From Heaven. I know the whole point of end-year releases is to take advantage of timing for the Oscars, but seriously, how are movie fans expected to see every one of these movies when there are almost ten Oscar-level films released within a week or two of each other? I just think it's a bit rediculous. You're telling me some of these films couldn't have been released the weekend The New Guy and Unfaithful were the only new releases?!
Anyway, the first order of business this week is obviously The Two Towers. I bought tickets the day before, and went to see it on opening day. The three stories that were followed were all done very well. The Gollum/Frodo stuff was all fantastic, and by far the best of the three stories. Gollum was without a doubt the best CGI special effect ever created, and he looks so real, that you would never look at him as being a computer generated character. His look and voice are almost exactly how I had pictured him when reading the book, and the way his schizophrenic personality was shown on screen was excellent and genuinely creepy at times. The whole Aragon/Gibli/Legolas storyline is actually quite slow, and drags on for a while. But once the Battle at Helm's Deep commences, it reaches amazing levels in visual effects and battle/action sequences. The hobbits that got lost in the woods, Merry and Pippin, play their parts well and kept me entertained, but this is obviously the weakest of the three stories that are followed. The end scene, with the attack on the second tower, is a visual spectacle, but nothing compared to the Helm's Deep battle. I really love Legolas and Gandalf's characters, and wish they would have done more in this film. Gandalf especially was a bit of a let down. Even when he returns, he doesn't get much time in the film, and it kind of leaves you wanting more. I have several small complaints, like why the hell did Aragon keep dreaming about Liv Tyler's elf character if she was not going to tie-in to the movie at all later on? The third film better explain that. But overall, the movie is very enjoyable, and a must-see on the big screen. I just wish that of the three hour running time, the middle hour didn't slow down so much. I look forward to the eventual Gandalf/Saruman battle and the conclusion to the travels of Frodo, Sam, and Gollum. With so many differences between the final version of the film and the book, I can only imagine what kind of twists the 3rd installment of the Tolkien Trilogy will hold.
I watched 187 this weekend, starring Samuel L. Jackson. I always heard good things about the film, but I had never seen it before. So while I was flipping through the channels late Saturday night and came across it, I figured I'd plop myself there on the couch for two hours. That turned out to be a very good decision, and the movie was absolutely fantastic. Jackson plays the role of a school teacher in a REALLY bad neighborhood, who has problems with many of his students, including very bad problems with a specific gang of the area. One of the gang members is in his class, and the two start up a VERY personal rivalry. Vandalism and theft are only the beginning, and eventually it turns into a game of Russian Roulette with lives on the line. The movie gives us a great morality check, and makes you stop and wonder if what Jackson's character is doing is right or wrong, and just how far should he have gone? If somebody messes with your family, disrespects you and everyone else around you, and physically abuses the people they live with at home ... don't they deserve to be taught a lesson? The question here, however, is HOW Jackson's character goes about teaching the student this lesson. It's a very dark and an extremely thought provoking film that you won't soon forget.
If anyone hasn't seen the remake of Ocean's 11, then I suggest you do so. Many people (older people) will do nothing but complain that the original was so good and shouldn't have been redone. But see the movie for yourself, and you'll see just how fantastic it is. The casting for the film was perfect ... especially in the cases of Matt Damon and Bernie Mack. The entire cast is funny and clever throughout the movie, especially Mack and Don Chaede's characters (where the hell did that accent come from). There's no wasted time here ... from the first scene, Daniel Ocean starts his recruiting and sets up a plan to knock off 3 Las Vegas casinos. The first third of the movie is recruiting ... the 2nd third is the planning and personal stuff ... and finally, the plan goes into action in the last third. One scene with Damon and Mack arguing about racial issues is absolutely hillarious. Mack says, "You might as well call it WhiteJack," and claims he's only being fired from the casino because of his race. Ocean's 11 is clever and funny with lots of cool twists, and after watching the film, you'll find yourself in a very good mood. It's overall just loads of fun, with cool characters, funny lines, and great execution of the actual robbery. Without a doubt one of the best of last year.
Now just a little recommendation before I close. I just got a copy of Extreme Measures on DVD. Hugh Grant and Gene Hackman star in this classic thriller, that if you haven't seen, you're really missing out. Grant's character is a doctor who comes across a patient with a very odd spinal problem. The patient is wearing a strange hospital band that can't be identified, and later on, the patient's body disappears before autopsy can be performed. Grant's character goes to extreme measures to find out exactly what is going on, and his path to find it is an exciting one. Be sure to check this one out if you haven't seen it.
