TwistedIvory

Normally I'm one to enjoy a mindless action movie regardless of writing, acting or directorial style. These are generally good movies to watch as entertainment in the background. Last night I queued up "Fugitive Hunter." I was disappointed. This movie didn't succeed at anything. It was too flat to have any sort of compelling drama, the action was too badly-choreographed to get any adrenalin flowing, and the movie too itself too seriously to gain any significant "camp" value. The writing and directing were not only sub-par, they were almost laughably bad. Unfortunately they weren't so bad as to inspire actual laughter, but rather only a disbelieving sidelong stare.

Maybe if it's 3AM and you can't sleep and this movie is on cable it might be worth tuning in for a few minutes, but I just can't recommend spending any money on this flick.

I'm glad I passed over this selection in the movie-rental store and instead caught it on Showtime. "Landspeed" featured a horrible cast, terrible, terrible writing, bad special effects and, not least, a laughably unrealistic execution.

Bizarre physics aside, "Landspeed" not only left out innumerable details but managed to mock the selfsame institution it was trying to promote. Landspeed records aren't run only one way, for one instance, and it would be not only ludicrously dangerous but impossible to run two Mach 1+ cars side-by-side, for another.

The acting was atrocious, with every character showboating and every actor attempting to hog the spotlight in practically every scene. Character transitions are abrupt, unexplained and jarring, and this movie is guilty of more stereotyping than 40s war propaganda. The dialogue was stilted and banal and corporate sponsorships were painfully evident and showcased throughout the film.

"Landspeed" relied on the hackneyed "good ol' white boys racing cars" formula to further its plot but ultimately falls far, far short of creating anything approaching believable. Skip over this movie unless you happen to have money literally burning a hole in your pocket and you must dispose of it or you've access to a free showing of this and happen to be exceedingly bored.

This is not just another "Japanese horror film." First of all, it's not even Japanese, it's Chinese. The Eye borrows heavily from The Sixth Sense but injects its own brand of creepy horror. Though the ending isn't the movie's strong point, the film up to that point is genuinely creepy and warrants viewing by anyone who enjoys cinematic scares. The plot itself, even with a slightly tenebrous premise, is still strong and carries the movie. Art direction is slightly above-average, but it's the suspense that really gives this movie its deserved '8.' Find this movie and watch it in the dark -- it's worth it!

Unfortunately, the only copy of Ying xiong that I have or could find was in Chinese with Chinese subtitles. Despite my complete lack of knowledge of Mandarin or Chinese, I still watched it all the way through -- and was amazed. I was able to recognize about 10% of the subtitling from my knowledge of Japanese, but after a point I ceased even trying to catch that and just watched the stunning visuals. This movie was simply stunning, even without spoken comprehension.

It was as if the old style of kung-fu movie met Hollywood and they agreed on a non-trashy piece of work somewhere in the middle. Consider me suitably impressed.

One-line recommendation: Don't let the language barrier stop you from seeing this film.

I did enjoy this movie and its depiction of semi-actual events. However, the length and editing of this movie made me feel as if I'd actually been living for five years during WWII; normally, this immersion in the environment would be wonderful, but in this bleak, depressing scenario the effect was to make me exhausted. The editing depended heavily on close attention to detail and scene, as Polanski is certainly not given to fast editing (thankfully); however, the presence of several spurious scenes ultimately led me to feel tired upon completion of the film. A great movie -- I give it a 9 -- but it could have been better had the movie not felt like an epic crossed with an opus.

Granted, I'm a fan of the classic Zeffirelli version, but this "update" was just terrible. The MTV editing and horrible cinematography were nauseating; the acting was subpar for this story and the casting -- well, to be succinct, Leo DiCaprio had only slightly more talent in this film than Keanu Reeves exhibited in 'Bill & Ted.' This was a butchery of a classic drama. The revisions made to the original only cater to short attention spans and ugly film-making.

I rated this movie as a '4' -- it deserved that much at least because of its portrayal of Tybalt and Mercutio.

Sorry, Baz. I'm a purist on this one.

Certainly, Bourne Identity had a slightly-interesting premise. However, the execution was botched and rendered the film less appealing than it could have been.

The photography was universally bland and boring, except for the action scenes. During the action scenes, the photography was downright bad. The camera edits were confusing and changed perspective so frequently that the "important" scenes came off as unfinished and choppy; it was also quite evident that Matt Damon didn't really know much about what he was doing, as evinced by the camera shifting angles at key points of contact.

In addition to the blasé cinematography, the film had all the key elements of cheesiness that are so prevalent in modern cinema. Cars STILL do not explode when shot with a shotgun; when will Hollywood take Physics 101 and learn this? There were a plethora of completely unbelievable scenes that were clearly only for the purpose of eye candy and were designed specifically for the teenage machismo crowd.

The subplot (notice the singular) was hobbled-together and contrived, as if it were placed at the last minute. Several events were just TOO convenient.. . but, then again, this is Hollywood of which I speak.

I don't know why this film has such a high rating. I'm glad I didn't pay to see it in theaters or rent it. There was nothing redemptive to make this production stand out from the generously-proportioned crowd of which it is part.

I've watched Cube and Hypercube both in the past two days and come out with the conclusion that Hypercube is by far the superior movie, and undeservedly underrated. Theoretically and cognitively, Hypercube pushes boundaries where the first doesn't tread; the first relied on shoddy plot devices and banal dialogue ("You Nat-zee!" "You! Woman!") to further the psychosis, whereas the second used the unpredictability of the situation to develop plot. Granted, the second had a few lacunae in logic and plot, but it was far cinematographically superior. The stark colors and environs conveyed a sense of claustrophobia that the original didn't; furthermore, the use of color was by far more symbolic in the sequel. In the original, the color was simply random and chaotic -- and, worse, unexplained.

My $0.02: Hypercube earns a 9 for imagination and scope. Cube earns a 6 for slipshod photography, dialogue, and plot gaps.

Buy, rent or download Hypercube if you want an immersing experience. If you're reconciled with a couple hours of unintentional laughter, then watch the first.

I've watched Cube and Hypercube both in the past two days and come out with the conclusion that Hypercube is by far the superior movie, and undeservedly underrated. Theoretically and cognitively, Hypercube pushes boundaries where the first doesn't tread; the first relied on shoddy plot devices and banal dialogue ("You Nat-zee!" "You! Woman!") to further the psychosis, whereas the second used the unpredictability of the situation to develop plot. Granted, the second had a few lacunae in logic and plot, but it was far cinematographically superior. The stark colors and environs conveyed a sense of claustrophobia that the original didn't; furthermore, the use of color was by far more symbolic in the sequel. In the original, the color was simply random and chaotic -- and, worse, unexplained.

My $0.02: Hypercube earns a 9 for imagination and scope. Cube earns a 6 for slipshod photography, dialogue, and plot gaps.

Buy, rent or download Hypercube if you want an immersing experience. If you're reconciled with a couple hours of unintentional laughter, then watch the first.