bobniche Reviews (6)

Go (1999)

Something's missing

[7/10 · 1 June 2001]

Watching Go was a strange experience. The plot progression and premise were fairly interesting and the cast were generally likeable, but overall the film just lacked that special something to really pull me into the film. The cast itself was pretty much solid especially with the 2 lead actresses. They were all nicely defined with their own unique quirks and all. The various interwoven story threads were not bad and the whole thing flowed nicely and was funny when it was supposed to be funny etc. All the mini-stories and how they all came together was pretty cool. What disappointed me was the fact that I expected more from this film. The potential was there for something special but in the end it just came as 'solid' and 'not bad'. The film just seemed to waltz me by and by the end of it I had forgotten most of it (except the talking cat).

So all in all, the film is not bad. In fact it is rather good, just not great when it should have been.

Wild Things (1998)

Tries to be smart, ends up stupid

[6/10 · 1 June 2001]

Wild Things has many things going for it; initially anyway. The cast of beautiful people look good and play their parts well enough. The plot starts of with loads of suspense and really makes you wanting to see more . Of course there's THAT scene. And there's Bill Murray as well. But then midway thorough it all comes undone, badly.

The film tries very hard indeed to be intelligent by constantly second-guessing the viewer via the means of twists and swerves but fails badly. The twists don't add anything worthwhile and instead sabotages the whole story, leaving gaping plot-holes everywhere. The characters are also just unbelievable. They try the 'you think you know them but you don't' trick but instead they come up with characters that have no real 'character'. They constantly switch personalities and then back again at will with zero sense behind it. All these would probably have been overlooked but for the fact that the 'BIG' twist right at the end just encapsulates all that is wrong with film and then magnifies them. The ending just well happens and the viewer is just left wondering 'what the?!'. It doesn't build towards it, it just happens leaving one shaking one's head in disbelief and disgust. NOT intelligence, pure stupidity.

A too contrived film with an ending that's just ridiculous ruins what could and should have been a cracker. What promised to be a smart, sexy thriller turned out to be a damn ugly mess.

The Mummy Returns (2001)

Entertaining Rehash

[7/10 · 25 May 2001]

Well the Mummy Returns is exactly that. Entertaining no doubt but ever so similar to the first film. The returning cast return playing exactly the same characters with some extra 'revelations' casually thrown in. As a pure entertainment it isn't bad at all. However much was brought over from the first film you wonder where all the good ideas have gone (the special effects?). The Scorpion King was good but was ultimately superficial but the O'Connell offspring was a tad irritating. Everything else is frighteningly samey, even certain plot devices were recycled. Once again we are treated to Imhotep's face chasing our heroes and we get another oddball pilot.

Of note is the substantial amount of visual effects the viewer is assaulted with. Some were great (the oasis) but some were rather disappointing (the Scorpion King) but as a whole they worked well and gave a film a nice sheen.

All in all rather fun but nothing new. People who watched the first film will know what to expect. Just leave your brain at home, sit back and enjoy. I give this a 7.

Vertical Limit (2000)

Somewhat rubbish

[3/10 · 25 May 2001]

There is just so little to recommend about this film with so many things going against it. Dumb plot, poor dialogue and next to zilch excitement. The entire cast struggle with shallow characters that are hard to care about.

Recommendation to avoid.

American Psycho (2000)

Brutally funny but something's missing

[7/10 · 25 May 2001]

America Psycho is a good satire of 80s culture; taking shots at everything from yuppies to music to politics. And it is pretty damn funny at it as well. Christian Bale is perfect as the somewhat unhinged Patrick Bateman and is suitably OTT. His analysis of his CD collection is hilarious.

However the film does have its flaws. For one thing the plot is a little thin and the whole affair runs out of steam towards the disappointing ending. Also the supporting cast although stellar on paper seem almost anonymous as they drift in and out of the story.

American Psycho is cool and sleek with Bale in a killer role but falls just short of a perfect translation of very difficult material. Recommended.

Tenchi Muyo! (1992–2005)

Simply brilliant

[8/10 · 25 May 2001]

The original series that launched 3 spin-offs and 3 movies, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is by far the pick of the bunch. Although the series spans several genres it is more of a comedy at heart with its light hearted tone. This series perfectly encapsulates the whole Tenchi universe. Its art and animation is lush and gorgeous and the plot (or plots) is (are) relatively solid although the writers lose it occasionally after the first 6 episodes. Thrill-seekers may bemoan the absence of heart-stopping moments in the action scenes but the series' true strength lies in its characters.

The characters are compelling and genuinely appealing with deep and well-developed personalities. Even the pipe organ-playing(!) villain is cool! The character interactions are seldom boring, often being very funny and sometimes touching as well. One drawback is that is unfinished. The plot kinda meandered towards the end but then a ton of new plot threads were introduced which weren't resolved making the series seem incomplete.

Hopefully we'll see more of this series (which has been hinted) in the future but for I heartedly recommend this series to anyone. Simply put, it is simply brilliant.