Day 124: Moonraker

Moonraker
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Starring: Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale & Richard Kiel
Rated: PG
Length: 126 min
Released: June 29, 1979
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
A space shuttle called the Moonraker, built by Drax Industries, is on its way to the U.K when it is hijacked in mid-air and the crew of the 747 carrying it is killed. Bond immediately is called into action, and starts the investigation with Hugo Drax himself. While at the Drax laboratories, Bond meets the brilliant & stunning Dr. Holly Goodhead, a NASA astronaut & CIA agent who is investigating Drax for the U.S. Government. One of Drax’s thugs, the sinister Chan, attempts to kill 007 at the lab but when that fails, he follows Bond to Venice and tries again there. Bond & Goodhead follow Drax’s trail to Brazil, where they once again run into the 7′ Goliath Jaws, a towering giant with metal teeth. Escaping from him, they discover the existence of a huge space station undetected by U.S. or Soviet radar, and a horrible plot by Drax to employ nerve gas in a genocidal project! Bond & Holly must quickly find a way to stop Hugo Drax before his horrific plans can be put into effect.

My Thoughts:
Okay, I never thought I’d say this…but I’m getting soooo tired of James Bond. This is just crazy. My goodness…marathon in deed.

I also want to apologize (again) for the tardiness of some of these posts. I look like I’m a bit behind, and when it comes to the posting I am. I still don’t have the net at home (I know…I’m working on it) so it’s getting hard to do a post every day…but I’m still watching them.

With that said…thank you to all who have been following me on this journey. I’m sure you are getting tired of all these Bond films, like I am. It will soon be over…and then on to something less misogynistic perhaps? We’ll see.

So, Moonraker. The villain with a plot that winks at Hitler’s idea of the “superior” race and the dark days of eugenics in the world of science/medicine. It’s one of the more memorable Bond films with Roger Moore…and probably my least favorite. All the master race, space battles…and so on. It just doesn’t work for me. Space battles don’t belong to James Bond. I know it’s based on a book…but come on. It seemed like they were really stretching for some new exotic place to have a battle. They’ve done just about everywhere on the planet, so they just took it outside.

It kind of has a throw back feel to it, though. Some parts seem like a little wink back at the older Connery bond films that have elaborate futuristic sets and every villain seemed to have the same interior designer that was way to obsessed with “space age” technology.

On an up note…laser guns are sweet and Jaws gets a girlfriend!!! So hey…it’s not all bad. I’m giving this one 3 stars out of 5.

Day 111: Men In Black II

Men In Black II
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Starring: Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones
Rated: PG-13
Length: 88 Min.
Released: July 3, 2002
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Kay and Jay reunite to provide our best, last and only line of defense against a sinister seductress who levels the toughest challenge yet to the MIBs untarnished mission statement: protecting the earth from the scum of the universe. It’s been four years since the alien-seeking agents averted an intergalactic disaster of epic proportions. And now it’s a race against the clock as Jay must convince Kay-who not only has absolutely no memory of his time spent with the Men In Black, but is also the only living person left with the expertise to save the galaxy-to reunite with the MIB before the earth submits to ultimate destruction.

My Thoughts:
I was anticipating this movie so much when it came out. I went in with such hight hopes that it would deliver just like the first one. As it turns out, it has everything the first film had…and that’s it’s problem. This movie had such great potential but just couldn’t deliver an original idea. It literally had all the same jokes, plot points and so on. It was really sad.

The comedic chemistry between Jones and Smith also had some issues. They just didn’t have it in this one. I think part of the reason is because the mentor/mentee dynamic was all out of wack through most of the film. It just wasn’t the same witty humor from the last one. First Jay is “in charge” as Kay has no memory for half the film and then when he gets it back there is this strange power struggle issue about who’s in charge. It made for a couple half way good jokes, but most of the jokes didn’t work as well because of that strange dynamic.

Oh, and don’t get me started on the villain. She had potential, but that was all. It wasn’t the perfect blend of “The Bug” in the first film.

Another thing I hate is when a trailer uses all the best material from the movie…especially jokes!!! If you haven’t seen the trailer yet…don’t. Yes, I know I put a link up for those who just “have to” watch it. However, I have a feeling the movie will be FAR better without the jokes being ruined by the trailer.

Just about the only thing it this that was a real “treat” to watch was Frank the dog. Sure, his jokes seemed a bit juvenile at times, but with that adorable dog dropping those lines and taking on the role of an “agent” it totally worked. It was a lot of fun to see him get a more prominent role.

Still, it was an entertaining movie. Not as good as the other one, but still okay. There is a third film being worked on right now that will be in 3D and released in 2012. Rumor has it the plot will deal with time travel. Seeing as how I’m a sucker for time travel plots I can’t help but be a little excited. Lets hope they learned from MIB II and give us something more original. This one is getting 3 stars out of 5.

Day 110: Men In Black

Men In Black
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones & Will Smith
Rated: PG-13
Length: 98 min.
Released: July 2, 1997
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Men in Black follows the exploits of agents Kay and Jay, members of a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth. The two Men in Black find themselves in the middle of the deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies. In order to prevent worlds from colliding, the MiB must track down the terrorist and prevent the destruction of Earth. It’s just another typical day for the Men in Black.

My Thoughts:
When I saw this movie in the theaters I had no idea what it was about. Come to think of it…this was the first movie I ever went to see in the theaters without knowing a thing about it. I don’t do that very often. I was glad I did with this one. It turned out to be my favorite movie all year. I saw it three times in the theater that year, and had it on VHS and watched it over and over. To this day I can still quote most of the movie.

This movie just works on so many levels. It’s highly entertaining, great special effects, action, story/plot and the actors were cast perfectly. Jones and Smith have perfect comedic chemistry. Their mentor/protege  relationship is so much fun to watch. But all of that wouldn’t work nearly as well without a great villain…which they have. The villain in this film is the perfect blend of creepy, discussing, intimidating and hilarious. The whole film has a great balance of action, menace and  comedy, but the best example of that is seen when watching “The Bug.”

This film has also aged well too. Now over a decade old, it’s still a highly entertaining action comedy. You can probably guess I’m giving this one 5 stars out of 5. More accurately I’d like to call it a 5 star popcorn flick. It’s just such a fun movie to watch. Tomorrow is Men In Black II…

P.S. On a side note, who could forget the hit song and music video of Will Smith’s Men In Black song!!! LOL It’s such a classic 90s hit!!!

Day 101: Renaissance: Paris 2054

Renaissance: Paris 2054
Director: Christian Volckman
Starring: Daniel Craig
Rated: R
Length: 105 min.
Released: September 26, 2006
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Paris, 2042: a dark Rotoscope world of shadows and right angles. Ilona Tasuiev, a brilliant young scientist, is kidnapped, and her employer, Avalon, a major health and beauty corporation, wants her found. Karas, a jaded police captain, is assigned to find her, fast. He seeks help from her sister, Bislane, and they are soon uncovering identify theft, missing files, and hints that something back in 2006 may explain what’s going on. Ilona’s mentor, Avalon’s vice president, a Japanese researcher, an underworld boss, and Bislane’s drug connection all figure in the mix. So does an attraction between Karas and Bislane. What’s behind the kidnapping? Who’s the victim?

My Thoughts:
I had the privilege of watching this movie at the Chicago International Film Festival for my Birthday back in 2006. It was only one of three screenings in the US…and I just loved it. I’m really not one for French films. No it’s not in French…it’s in English, but it was made in France. French Director, crew, motion capture actors…and so on and so on. On occasion they come out with a movie that just blows me away. This is just such a film.

The main thing that turns people off about it is the very stark contrast of the animation which took me a couple minutes to get use to it. To be honest, I think that’s the best part of this film. Not only is the entire film done with ground breaking motion capture acting…the color scheme is done entirely in black and white. There is only a few key placed elements of color and little gray. The fact that they can pull off an entire film with such a sharp contrast was mind boggling. It was such a unique idea.

The use of Daniel Craig for the lead voice was a fantastic idea too. It was a very smart choice on the part of the casting director. The film was released in time to build on the hype of him being the new James bond (which was also a great choice) and gave the English and US audience a point of familiarity to connect with and draw them in.

The story itself was incredibly engaging, action packed, suspenseful, entertaining and it has a thought provoking surprise ending. It is a great film that most people have never heard of…and I highly recommend it. This one is getting 5 stars out of 5.

Day 98: Godzilla

Godzilla
Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria & Kevin Dunn
Rated: PG-13
Length: 139 min.
Released: May 20, 1998
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Following the French atomic bomb tests in the South Pacific, an unknown creature is spotted passing eastward through the Panama Canal. Scientist Niko Tatopolous is called in to investigate the matter, and he quickly arrives at the conclusion that a giant, irradiated lizard has been created by the explosions. Godzilla then makes its way north, landing at Manhattan to begin wreaking havoc in the big city. Even with the combined forces of the U.S. military to fight the monster, will it be enough to save the people of New York?

My Thoughts:
When it comes to the Americanized Godzilla I am a bit of an anomaly because I am one of the few that actually enjoyed it. I know I’ll get a lot of crap for that…and I don’t care. It’s a great sci-fi/monster popcorn movie. Grant it the special effects didn’t age well and it’s nothing like the original Godzilla films…but I don’t care. I hated the original Godzilla movies. They were laughable, they really were. Even the “Godzilla 2000″ film was simply atrocious. The Americanized Godzilla was exactly what I was expecting and hoping for…less cheese and BS special effects, a more intresting and engaging story and a much better cast.

Yet, this film has gotten so many bad reviews. To many it was a “flop.” At the Japanese premier Heisei Godzilla suit actor Ken Satsuma walked out of film early (after the helicopter chase sequence) saying “It’s not Godzilla, it does not have the spirit.” I agree 100%…and I thank God for that. Never mind the fact that it grossed over $380 million worldwide when it was released in theaters. Yeah…some flop.

I also like the little jabs at the USA/French relations and cultural differences, the jabs at Siskel and Ebert by giving the air-head Mayor and his assistant their names, and the little wink at the “Godzilla” vs “Gojira” pronunciation (Gojira was the name of the first “Godzilla” movie released in 1954). They all make it quite entertaining.

Also, like in Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow and more recently 2012, Roland Emmerich stays true to form by demolishing several iconic buildings and landmarks like Madison Square Garden, The Brooklyn Bridge and the Chrysler Building among others, and who doesn’t like that…right?

Is it a spectacular film?…no. Is it a ground breaking special effects movie…no. Is it a fun American interpretation of this classic monster that makes him more believable and keeps him grounded in reality… absolutely. If you have never liked the originals (like me) then you will have a better shot enjoying this one. I’m giving it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Day 96: The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment & Toni Collette
Rated: PG-13
Length: 107 min.
Released: August 6, 1999
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Malcom Crowe is a child psychologist who receives an award on the same night that he is visited by a very unhappy ex-patient. After this encounter, Crowe takes on the task of curing a young boy with the same ills as the ex-patient. This boy “sees dead people”. Crowe spends a lot of time with the boy (Cole) much to the dismay of his wife. Cole’s mom is at her wit’s end with what to do about her son’s increasing problems. Crowe is the boy’s only hope.

My Thoughts:
One of the greatest films ever! Truly a masterpiece! The best M. Night Shyamalan film to date. The drama and suspense are soooo good. The acting and writing are just superb…and let’s not forget that awesome and unforgettable ending!

The most memorable element of the movie is the fright factor. This movie has an element of suspenseful fear in it. It’s not a “horror” movie, but it is a scary movie. Now a days this kind of scary movie is rarely done, and when it is it’s often isn’t done well.

Also, keep an eye on the use of color through the film. In particular, be aware of the use of red. When you see red…pay attention.

There are a lot of strong actors in this film. Combined with the strong writing, the film just comes alive…so-to-speak. There are a lot of powerful scenes. My favorites are often those between Cole and his mom. Haley Joel Osment is excellent in this film. He really steals the show. You can tell for sure why he got an Oscar nomination. It’s just a flawless preformance.

This one is undoubtedly getting 5 stars out of 5.

Day 91: The Matrix: Revolutions

The Matrix: Revolutions
Directors: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano & Hugo Weaving
Rated: R
Length: 129 min.
Released: November 5, 2003
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
As Neo somehow becomes trapped in a train station between The Matrix and the real world, Morpheus, Trinity, and Seraph set out to rescue him by means of the Merovingian. As this is going on, the Machines are approaching Zion with the intent of laying waste to every human there, but they do not realize that something is taking over The Matrix, with the intent of destroying everything: Smith. After Neo is freed, he and Trinity take the Logos and make a beeline for the Machine City. The Machines have reached Zion and the battle of a lifetime rages on. However, there is one way to save Zion and put an end to the war, and that is Neo. He must venture into the Matrix and put an end to Smith’s evil plans once and for all, and if he succeeds, Zion will live to see another day. It’s like the Oracle says, “Everything that has a beginning has an end.”

My Thoughts:
I still don’t get this movie. Out of all the Matrix movies this one is my least favorite. It has great moments…but there are several moments that just drag on and other points that make no sense what so ever. It has less kung-fu action (which is one of my favorite parts of these movies) and a lot of the kung-fu that it does have is WAY to over the top.

The worst part for me is that it left me confused…it really did. I don’t want to get into all the details on why it’s confusing. Especially for those who haven’t seen it yet. But this movie left me with less and less answers and way to may questions. A lot of the stuff I could understand had a lot to do with postmodernism…and I’m not a huge fan of that either.

I also wish the two “ghost twins” from the last one could have made an appearance. They were probably the coolest villains in the whole series and they never show up again…they “died” I guess, which is stinking stupid. They should have stuck around longer. Also, for the most part, this one didn’t take place in the Matrix very much at all. That was a bit disappointing.

Also…the ending is just all wrong. To key characters die, yes. I don’t want to spoil the ending so I won’t say who, but I’ just say it should have been the other way around. One key character survives and a couple others die. It should have been the other way around.

There is a funny little cartoon that addresses some of the problems that I have with the last two films. In particular, the ending of “Revolutions.”

At any rate, “Revolutions” has got its moments. It was particularly cool to watch the sentinel robots attack Zion and see the human resistance defend the city.

Still, I may need to have more of this one explained to me before I can appreciate it to its full extent. Though, Keanu Reeves himself said he has no idea what these movies are about. That doesn’t leave me much hope for me. I’m giving this one 3.5 stars out of 5.

Day 90: The Matrix: Reloaded

The Matrix: Reloaded
Directors: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, & Hugo Weaving
Rated: R
Length: 138 min.
Released: May 15, 2003
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Some time after Neo is revealed to be “the One”, the revolution has taken a drastic turn, as more and more minds are freed from the matrix. The machines, then, gather an immense army to destroy Zion once and for all. Morpheus and Neo eagerly await contact from the Oracle, whom they believe will tell them how to prevent this disaster. Meanwhile, Agent Smith has returned, having escaped deletion. Now a computer virus, he is able to infect anyone he touches, his only purpose is to destroy Neo. Now, to save Zion, the human race, and most of all the woman he loves, Neo, Morpheus and the other rebels must battle freakish program “exiles”, new upgraded Agents, evil masterminds, and a mob of Agent Smith duplicates to reach the Source. But at the Source, Neo must learn the truth about the Matrix, a truth that shakes the very foundations of all that he has known.

My Thoughts:
The first time I saw this film I did not like it at all. I felt it was way over the top, over complicated, poor special effects and un-necessary…shall we say “hanky panky.” One of my biggest problems with the sequels is how much they over complicated the entire plot! I mean, there is still a good 1/4th of the film I don’t get. People have tried to explain it to me…and they still can’t answer all the questions I have about what the heck these movies are about.

I also thought all the sex/nudity was totally from left field. It added nothing to the story at all. It was just pointless.

After a few years and watching it in hi-def I have lightened up on it a bit. While I may still only understand about 75% of what they are about…it’s got some pretty epic sequences. The entire highway chase sequence in particular is just amazing! Like I said the first time I saw this film I thought all the special effects were a bit cheese and way to CG looking. I have a feeling they upped the quality of CG for High Def because they don’t look as bad as I thought they were the first time around. That or they’ve just grown on me and I’m less picky.

Years ago I would have given this one 2 stars, but today…it’s getting 4 stars out of 5.

Day 89: The Animatrix

The Animatrix
Directors: Peter Chung, Andy Jones, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Takeshi Koike, Mahiro Maeda, Kôji Morimoto & Shinichirô Watanabe
Starring: Pamela Adlon,  Clayton Watson, Hedy Burress & Akio Ôtsuka
Rated: NR
Length: 102 min
Released: June 3, 2003
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Anthology of nine short anime (Japanese animation) films tied in to the 1999 blockbuster “The Matrix” and its sequels. “Final Flight of the Osiris”: The crew of the hovercraft Osiris attempt to warn their city of an imminent attack. “The Second Renaissance, Parts 1 & 2″: The story behind the war between man and the machines, how mankind scorched the sky, and the creation of the Matrix. “Kid’s Story”: A teenager is contacted by Neo, and manages to escape the Matrix. “Program”: Two warriors battle in a samurai training simulation when one decides to betray his crewmates and re-enter the Matrix. “World Record”: A champion sprinter manages to break free of the Matrix by sheer physical effort during a record attempt. “Beyond”: A young girl searching for her cat discovers a haunted house caused by a glitch in the system. “A Detective Story”: Private investigator Ash tracks a hacker named Trinity through the looking glass. “Matriculated”: A group of humans capture a machine scout and insert it into a ‘human matrix’.

My Thoughts:
Originally I thought this was going to be super dumb. I don’t like Japanimation at all… or “Anime” as the nerds call it. But this one ended up being pretty cool. They all had their own unique flavor to them, and it gave an interesting lead in to the other two films.

Really there was only about two of the episodes that relate directly to the story of the next couple films, but they give an interesting background on a few minor characters that show up.

Then there are a couple that are totally different, like a detective story or one about a portion of the Matrix that’s got a glitch and causes weird stuff to happen. They were all pretty cool ideas and the animation wasn’t bad…or that annoying. I’m giving this one 3 stars out of 5.

Day 88: The Matrix

The Matrix
Directors: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano & Hugo Weaving
Rated: R
Length: 136 min.
Released: March 31, 1999
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. By day he is an average computer programmer and by night a malevolent hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines which live off of their body heat and imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents, super powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion.

My Thoughts:
The Matrix is hands down the most original movie and film series to come out since Star Wars, and it all started here. This is truly the first detailed and well executed movie to come out for the internet age. The mythology, the story, the acting…and most importantly the special effects are all spectacular and have aged well. The films to come go a bit over the top and loose some of that, but this one is simply perfect.

Not to mention that, like all ground breaking films, it paved the way for a variety of other spectacular action film sequences because of the creation of “bullet time.” That technology has been perfected since then, but it all started with The Matrix.

The first time I saw this film…it blew me away! I knew nothing about it going in to it. What a ride this film was…and still is. As the whole concept of the “reality” of the situation unfolds and the nature of their enemy is revealed…the weight of “reality” of the world and the battle taking place…I just couldn’t believe it. It all just blew me away as it was revealed layer after layer. I remember thinking repeatedly, “This is just sooo cool. This is just sooo cool.”

It really is a crazy idea that is handled beautifully. The perfect blend of kung-fu/action, special effects, sci-fi, mythology…and on and on. It comes together so well.

And let’s not forget the amazing score/soundtrack! So many great songs that blend techno/house music with orchestras. Such a great arrangement and a perfect addition to this unique film. I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars.