TallGuy

Admittedly, I did not see this movie in a cinema but on TV at home. Back then, when it came out, neither the plot nor the mixed reviews really enticed us. But now we did enjoy the ride.

In response to all those complaining about a slow start or incoherent plot: in my view, that is the point of the movie. It sets its absurd tone from the start and is much more an exercise in dry, absurd comedy than in plot and action. Not much happens, situations repeat with small twists, the American salesman activities of the main figure go nowhere and any success seems to happen without any of his doing - that's the point, not a flaw in writing! There is also some satire, not subtle, and a lot of moments which made both of us smile, Overall, not a masterpiece, but if you can accept the quirky tone, a very enjoyable entertainment. Tom Hanks, as expected, just shines, but we also really liked various of the other actors in their roles. If you have not yet seen it and it passes by, give it a chance, just keep your mind and sense of (absurd) humour open.

My wife and me simply enjoyed this peculiar take on an action movie/comedy - seen on TV in our case. I guess you need a sense for the slightly odd humour in this flick, which is neither really serious nor a parody in the usual sense. Unlikely elements abound, they're not mistakes but a gleeful play with the tropes of action and adventure movies. A few more serious undertones in a father-son relationship allow for some grounding of the boy's character. Conscious, enjoyable camp, well worth the 90 minutes duration, not overstaying its welcome.

Watchable for the production values and the stars, especially Alicia Vikander, but also the other major side roles. I saw this on TV when I wanted a move not challenging my brain and there it delivered. A quite enjoyable ride, just don't start thinking about the plot too much. Almost better than expected, but far too predictable and far too simple n various aspects of the script to get a higher rating,

I cannot quite fathom why people hate this movie. It is peculiar in its special mix of stage artificiality and movie tricks, the story makes as much (little) sense, as in the stage show, the look is unusual and not everything works, but we were entertained. Btw, our group included real fans of the musical able in principle to sing along the main tunes.

Possibly I'm too critical of this movie, because it has a connection to a true story that is much more dramatic and strange. The start is nice enough with Viktor being trapped at the airport and trying to figure out what to do. But then a whole lot of Hollywood clichés come rolling in and even the good performances by many of the actors didn't quite save the movie from little mental groans in my head. It felt a bit as if the script writers and other movie makers had tried to recreate a feel-good movie from more innocent times. It surely worked for many people but did not quite work for me. Individual scenes made me laugh at loud, some others made me just wince slightly as another layer of sugary-sweet feel-good dressing was added to a formula recipe.

Finally we went to see this movie on the (not-so) big screen of a local art-house cinema. I definitely enjoyed it, but it's nothing truly special. The humour ranged from predictable to quite funny, avoiding boredom. Some slightly deeper themes were touched on lightly. The actors were decent, especially the two male leads, but largely restricted to typecast roles. While at first the jokes about the prejudices and clichés within France are funny enough, I would have preferred a slightly more subtle treatment. On the positive side, the movie has no delusions of grandeur, it tells its simple story in a nice straight forward way. I guess some of its enormous success in France stems from the fact that for once we don't have Parisians as main characters but everyday people from 'France profonde'.

All in all, more a pleasant rosé, nice to drink but not really lasting, than a premier cru.

I'll try to be brief. This is quite simply one of the most intelligent SF movies - or movies in general - ever. Jodie Foster is great as the hard nosed scientist with realistic doubts and worries. The visuals are nice and this is one of the extremely rare movies that get their science and the portrait of scientists at work mostly right! It has a few shortcomings, like a bit too much schmaltz in places and some rushed developments, so for me it does not end up at the absolute top. But if you can digest a non-action SF with some actual thinking going on, treat yourself to an enjoyable and inspiring experience.

Recently saw this again and it's quite simply good entertainment living mostly from the interaction between the main actors. The science is cheesy in places and I have to hold myself back to not rant about the ending, but this is balanced by some self-effacing humor and just enough realism to make it all work.

This one I skipped in the movies but actually have watched twice already on TV. It's close to a no-brainer but at least the action has entertainment value and keeps the movie from becoming boring. A real solid C movie. Final hint: just skip the very last scenes to avoid saccharine poisoning!

This movie with its unique mixture of seriousness and satirical tone is one of my all-time favorites, deftly mixing precise character studies with broad strokes painting a real epic as the result.

Judging from the comments it goes over some people's heads but if you haven't seen it yet and have any interest in the topic then get out and rent it or buy the DVD!

Seeing this movie again many years after my first encounter - which was a big disappointment - I was surprised to almost like it. Sure, the actors are hamming it up, the special effects are quite cheesy and the story is quite forgettable. But the science is actually less bad than I remembered - if one forgives the common misconception of gravitation as vacuum cleaner - and some of dialogue even funny. Enjoy with a big bag of chips and some beer...

Tom Hanks successfully carries this movie, which centers on a single character like few others for a large part of its time. It is an unabashed vehicle for Hanks.

Still, I was less impressed with his performance (good, not great) than others on the Net. Helen Hunt is good as always, but finally does not really get a chance to display her skills fully. Like in Forrest Gump, I felt that serious moments were somewhat awkwardly acted - since I have seen better from both Hanks and Hunt in other movies, I'll blame the writing or director.

In contrast to others, I did not feel this movie was "disjointed", the very distinct parts make sense from the story-telling point of view and emphasize the experiences of the main character.

All in all I enjoyed this movie and it lingered on for while, even though the heavy, heavy Fed-Ex exposure almost managed to spoil it for me.

In the surprisingly long runtime - that did not feel long at all to me! - Mike Leigh gives us a good look not only of the famous duo Gilbert & Sullivan but of the Victorian background in which their works were created as well.

Besides the very enjoyable scenes out of G&S productions (and I'm not necessarily a fan of light opera or G&S), the movies main strength is to also show us a glimpse of the reality behind the glamour displayed on stage. Some of the darker issues touched are quite poignant, but - in contrast to many others - the movie thankfully never becomes preachy about these issues and refuses slick resolutions.

When I saw this movie in the cinema I was quite disappointed and utterly confused why anyone would launch such a mess of a story. Learning later that the studio hat cut maybe half an hour explained a lot, but not why anyone would think this was an improvement! Still, I have seen much worse movies in my life and there are a few nice scenes. Now if someone could patch together a better version from the mess they must have created in the cutting room we might have a nice popcorn flick.

I've seen this one twice - once in the movie theatre and once on TV. While there are undoubtly many better movies, even in its genre, this one holds up quite nicely. The main reason probably being the main characters which bring some substance to an otherwise trivial exercise.

One of the most forgettable films about the Arthurian legend. The only saving graces are some nice visuals and the interplay between the main characters. Not worth the money for a movie ticket, DVD or video but you don't have to switch off if it runs on TV.

My first impression of this movie was really bad. There are much better versions of the Robin Hood story on film. On second viewing though (TV), with much lower expectations and a different mindset, I found it a nice enough diversion.

While this one is no highlight in Sean Connery's or Meg Ryan's career it is better than many people make it be. It's main failing may be that it lacks a certain level of excitement we have come to expect from such films. On the other hand, it arrives at a little bit more depth than most of its contenders - which may have worked against it ...

I've loved Time Bandits on first viewing and this feeling hasn't changed on several repetitions. The surreal plot and somewhat quirky humour work great for me. There are a few lengths, though, so it doesn't quite make it to the absolute top ranking. If you haven't seen it, and have found some British humour funny, try it out. It may not work for you but if it does, you'll be in for a real treat!

This must be one of the most underrated, or generally ignored movies with Sean Connery. The main reason is probably that it deviates so sharply from the usual, swashbuckling Robin Hood impersonation with clear cut heroes and villains.

Instead, we have here a bittersweet story of aging heroes, betrayed ideals and the relentless tooth of time. Some wonderful acting, slightly melancholic humour and probably the most realistic treatments of the Robin Hood myth ever.

Check it out, if you want to see something different from the typical Hollywood treatment.

Recently saw this one on TV again, rekindling some childhood memories. The plot is laughable but does not even seem to take itself seriously. There is a hunch of some of the Bond movies with the mysterious almost-all-powerful villain, improbable chase and action sequences and a behaviour by the main figures that sometimes defies any attempt at rationalization. Watchable for the 60's feel, some comic and some burlesque scenes.

This movie is less easily accessible than other movies by Akira Kurosawa. None of the samurai honor, swordfighting action or visual beauty of his more well known efforts, Still, if you give yourself the time to view and appreciate it, it is a strong, involving movie with better staying power than most of what hits the silver screen in a typical season.