Rick's Movie Review

THIS IS IT

The new documentary/concert film about the late Michael Jackson's comeback concerts, This Is It, will be in theaters for a two-week run. What is remarkable about the film is that we get two films. The first is a behind-the-scenes look at how what would have been a massive production was coming together. The second is a film where Jackson performs some of his most memorable hits going all the way from his days in The Jackson 5 up to his most recent work.

Tragically, his death cut short his attempts to bring his special brand of showmanship to the world. However, This Is It brings us as close to it as possible under the circumstances. One soon forgets that they are seeing a man days from death, but instead a first-class singer and dancer whose only goal is to entertain. It's easy to get back into the music and be amazed that at 50, Jackson could still move with grace.

Well, there it is on This Is It. If you miss it in theaters it will be on DVD probably next year. However, don't be surprised if you find it on Oscar Night among the Best Documentary Feature nominees.

DECISION: A

For an extended review of This Is It, visit http://rickscafetexan.blogspot.com/.

Rick's Movie Review

X-Men Origins: Wolverine: Not Up to Scratch

We've had a good number of origin films recently: Casino Royale and Batman Begins come to mind. We already know the characters, but we're able to both see how they began and be reintroduced to them in a new light. That was because they took the source material seriously: too seriously perhaps, but the aforementioned films were better than the ones that preceded them. Now we have X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which tells us the back story of one of the most famous of mutants. Overall, it's a nice try, but not what it could have been.

The thing is, the movie is a routine action picture, nothing more, nothing less. That might be OK, but I was expecting more. I was expecting to find out about Logan/Wolverine, but the only things I learned were that he's over 150 years old and he fights with his brother Sabertooth a lot. They had three fight scenes, which always ended in a draw. In fact, that's what the movie boils down to: a series of fight sequences with unconvincing special effects. You also had Deadpool and Gambit (my favorite) being underused. For the latter, he added nothing to the plot except name recognition. For the former, his backstory would have been more interesting. Hugh Jackman (as Wolverine) and Liev Schreiber (as Sabertooth, whom I remember as Orson Welles from RKO 281, about the making of Citizen Kane), gave it a good try but couldn't rise above the material.

Overall, it was a sorry disappointment. I'd advise you to wait until it gets to the second-run theaters. You won't have to claw your way in to see it.

DECISION: VOTED DOWN

For the extended review of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and a review of Star Trek, visit http://rickscafetexan.blogspot.com/

Rick's Movie Review

Earth: What a Wonderful World

Earth is a new documentary from Disney, and it is beautiful. It basically played like a condensed version of the BBC's Planet Earth and The Blue Planet. The film takes place in a year on the planet. It starts in January at the Artic, where we find a family of polar bears. From there, we descend to the woodlands, then on to the desert and rainforests. Midyear, we are in the ocean, where we encounter a whale and her calf before wandering to the Kalahari savannah. Here, it is a herd of elephants that we meet. Each story is balance with scenes of their surroundings, and the other animals they share the territory with. In December, we find ourselves in the Antartic with the penguins.

The narration by James Earl Jones (whose voice is as impressive and distinctive as Citizen Kane's Orson Welles) is both informative and entertaining--a great mix. We are treated to beautiful images of nature that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Kids will get a kick out of the polar bear cubs, the Birds of Paradise, and the monkeys.

My favorite part was when the birds flew over the Himalayas. It's a beautiful film about the wonders of our planet, and a subtle warning about the dangers we face due to climate change.

DECISION: VOTED UP
To read the full review of Earth, visit http://rickscafetexan.blogspot.com/

Rick's Movie Review

Watchmen: As Seinfeld Might Ask, 'What's the Big Deal?'

The point of a movie version of a book is to be as faithful to the source material as possible without confusing or alienating those who haven't read it. For example, I've read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Gone With the Wind and I appreciate the movies even while knowing characters were dropped and things were changed because it stayed true to the written page. While I haven't read Oliver Twist or Rebecca, I could follow the plot and enjoy the movies in spite of not knowing what I was missing. The films of these stories were successful because they were handled by expert filmmakers who managed both not alienate the readers and introduce the stories to new audiences.

The same cannot be said for Watchmen. I confess to never having heard of Watchmen until publicity for the movie put it on the map. Now that the movie is out, well, I can only wonder what all the fuss was about.

The film seems an amalgamation of various other films. Visually, you have touches of Apocalypse Now and Dr. Strangelove. Take an element of The Incredibles (superheroes being murdered off one by one), a bit of X-Men (superheroes/mutants being outlawed), throw in some Cannibal Holocaust (very intense violence) and a dash of Gore Vidal's Caligula (a sex scene & frontal nudity that puts the 'graphic' in graphic novel.) Given the reputation of the novel, I'm suprised they didn't have a scene echoing Citizen Kane, given that I was lead to believe Watchmen was something akin to that.

Perhaps the book is a masterpiece--I've been told so anyway. However, something got lost in translation, and at 163 minutes it leaves someone who hasn't read the book in the dark. Ultimately, this was made for the core fans, not the general public. And in that, it can only be a failure.

DECISION: VOTED DOWN

To read the full review of Watchmen, visit http://rickscafetexan.blogspot.com/

Rick's Movie Review

Oscar's Golden Movies

I can't write about 2009's Best Picture nominees since I haven't seen them all (though I'm working on it). Instead, I'll write about which are the best Best Picture winners of the ones I've seen. Out of 79 winners (1928's Wings and 1933's Cavalcade are not available on DVD), I've seen 61. And out of those, my Top Ten are...

10.) The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Proof positive that what is terrifying isn't what you actually see but what you imagine.
09.) West Side Story (1961). Only 9 musicals have won, and out of all of them (from 1929's The Broadway Melody to 2002's Chicago), this one is the one I'd say is the best.
08.) All About Eve (1950). The cleverest, wittiest, smartest film written about what fools we mortals are.
07.) Ben-Hur (1959). Still the standard by which all epics are measured. It's worth watching for the famous chariot race alone.
06.) Lawrence of Arabia (1962). For all the battle scenes and great performances by Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif, this really is an epic film about one man's soul.
05.) Rocky (1976). The perfect movie for its time. After Vietnam, after Watergate, Americans were reminded of how we see ourselves: perhaps not the smartest or most cultured of people, but one with determination and a willingness to go the distance no matter what the odds.
04.) All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). The greatest case against war ever filmed. Try not to cry when the main character begs forgiveness from the man he's had to kill.
03.) The Godfather, Part II (1974). While the first one is brilliant, it is in watching how the rise of Vito Corleone brings about the moral fall of his son Michael that makes this a truly great experience.
02.) Schindler's List (1993). No film has come close to showing us the evil that men do, or the goodness that man can achieve. Neither should be forgotten.
01.) Casablanca (1943). This is as close to perfection as one can get. Quibble over plot points if you must, but in this film, everything just comes together to create an unforgettable masterpiece.

If Citizen Kane hadn't lost to How Green Was My Valley (which in any other year would have been a good choice) you bet that would be on my list. Just goes to show the Oscars are one way to judge a film. That's why you should see them yourself and make your own decision. All these titles are available from the El Paso Public Library.

DECISION: ALL VOTED UP

Rick's Movie Review

Valkyrie: Tom Cruise Does Things Reich

Valkyrie has been plagued by controversy from the offset. The picture's release was delayed many times--not a good sign. Tom Cruise's generally loony behavior did not help. However, were people judging a film based on the star's off-screen antics rather than his on-screen performance? I have always been of the mind that what one should judge is what is on the screen itself. Now we can decide whether Valkyrie, the film, is worth watching. My view is yes.

This is based on the true story of a conspiracy to assassinate Adolph Hitler by a group of army officers a year before Germany's defeat. This plot was headed by Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, played by Cruise, who plants a bomb next to Hitler in The Wolf's Lair, his Eastern Front headquarters. The film goes through all the planning and execution (no pun intended) of the plot, and of what happens after the attempt was made.

Since people know HOW it ends (at least one hopes people know) the real drama comes from A.) seeing how the plot was built up, and B.) how it went wrong. My brother Gabe (history major) found it fascinating. I found it...competent: neither a disaster or a masterpiece. The directing was adequate, the story remarkably historically accurate, the look evocative of Nazi Germany, and the acting acceptable (only David Bamber, playing Hitler, was weak to me. The actor playing Hitler for a second in Citizen Kane was more believable).

As for Tom Cruise, I did not find his lack of a German accent to be an issue. It's called Suspension of Disbelief: if we accept he's playing a German, we don't HAVE to hear an accent. It would have been distracting if he HAD an accent.

It isn't perfect (much like the real-life events). The first third is a bit slow, and in spite of its two-hour length you get only a vague idea of who the conspirators are and what motivates them. I got no insight into von Stauffenberg's beliefs, character or exactly how he joined the plot. Still, it told its story well enough, though not brilliantly. In short, the film will never be a great film, but it is a good one. It's an interesting story that will hopefully lead people to want to learn more about World War II. However, it will be a second-tier WWII film, never ranking with real-event war film masterpieces like The Great Escape, Downfall, or Bridge on the River Kwai.

DECISION: VOTED UP

Rick's Movie Review

Quantum of Solace: James Bond Is Bourne Again

I'm sure Daniel Craig and the owners of the James Bond franchise wanted to avoid doing something perceived as silly such as Moonraker or Die Another Day. However, they may have gone overboard in trying to force a newer, grittier James Bond on us. The latest effort, Quantum of Solace, is not the Citizen Kane of Bond films. It's really a sorry disappointment.

I fell asleep for a few moments, and who falls asleep at a Bond movie? Well, when your Bond movie doesn't have Q, Miss Moneypenny, elaborate gadgets, the traditional opening with the Bond theme, a bevvy of beautiful women, and a supervillain with an elaborate plan for world domination, is it really a Bond movie?

The plot, as I understood it, has 007 stopping a shadowy group from trying to take over...Bolivia's water supply. Does he work for MI6 or Greenpeace? He is aided by a beautiful woman...whom he doesn't try to seduce. When he has a love scene with field office agent Miss Fields, it seems almost perfunctory, and he doesn't look like he's enjoying it.
There are a couple of good action sequences, but I hate all that shaky camera work that's become popular. I couldn't follow much of what was going on. My friend & I argued over whether Bond knew someone was still alive when he pulled him from the trunk and used him as a human shield. That is rather reprehensible, but the lowest point is when Miss Fields is found dead. If you've seen the Connery films, you'll know why I refer to it as the "Oil-finger" moment.

The initials are J.B., but they don't stand for James Bond. They stand for Jason Bourne, or a Jason Bourne knock-off. Even the more serious Bond films like From Russia With Love had a sense of fun, a wink to the audience that ultimately, this was fantasy and not to be taken seriously. That is the problem with this and Casino Royale: they take themselves deadly serious.

What is the Quantum of Solace? That sounds like something this Bond suffers from, since he seems more comfortable on a psychiatrist's couch than on the couch with the psychiatrist. He's such a dour, morose Bond, that one ultimately doesn't care for or about him. I sure hope he lightens up next go round. I haven't seen every Bond film, but my friend has, and was shocked to hear him say this was the WORST Bond. After seeing Q.O.S., I'm inclined to agree.

DECISION: VOTED DOWN

Rick's Movie Review

Films at the Plaza

Once upon a time, people would go to a movie house that played ONE movie, two if it was a double-feature. Today, it’s all multiplex: six, eight, fifteen different films in one place. Sometimes you can see the same feature on TWO screens: a big screen, and a bigger screen.

I have nothing against multiplexes. However, watching movies should be an experience rather than an activity. The film series at the restored Plaza Theater was an extraordinary and rare event. I don’t know about others, but for myself, it made me love movies even more.

I saw seven films: Casablanca, The Omega Man, Planet of the Apes (1968 version), From Here to Eternity, Jason & the Argonauts, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and The Road Warrior: Mad Max 2. All were in the main theater (Kidd Hall) except for Mad Max 2, which was in the smaller side theater (the Philanthropy). They were an extraordinary two weeks.

I recommend all these movies, but for my favorites…

Well, I thought From Here to Eternity was the weakest. This Best Picture winner was superior over a film similar in theme & setting: Pearl Harbor, but I wasn’t as enthusiastic about it now as when I first saw it. To me, it hasn’t aged well, but for first-timers it’s a treat. The Road Warrior wasn’t as violent as I thought it would be; the word sparse is best used to describe it. Still, it told its story well, with good action, strong acting, and limited dialogue. If I’m involved in the story and characters, it’s on its way to being good.

I enjoyed The Omega Man slightly more than I Am Legend (the third version of this story, The Last Man on Earth being the first), but the original Planet of the Apes trumps the barbaric remake. I took my brother to see it, since he’d seen the remake first and hadn’t seen the original. Gabe’s conclusion: the first is better. The ending of the ‘68 version is still shocking, while the 2001 version had audiences groaning or laughing.

Casablanca will always have a special place in my heart. It Is One Of THE Great Films, for those who give it a chance. However, for sheer enjoyment, my favorite is still 20,000 Leagues. Even now, the special effects outshine most anything done via computers. It’s exciting, full of adventure, good for all ages but most of all, it’s just fun.

If there’s a repeat next year, here are some of my recommendations: Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments, The General, Nosferatu, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Evil Dead, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Seven Samurai, The Way We Were, Predator, Saturday Night Fever, Rear Window, Strangers on A Train, Duck Soup, Aliens, Rebecca, The Phantom of the Opera (1925, 1943, 2004 versions), The Adventures of Robin Hood, Lawrence of Arabia, Mommie Dearest, Double Indemnity, and finally, Citizen Kane. If you have suggestions, let me know.

Rick's Movie Review

Batman Movies: From Worst to Best

With The Dark Knight finally in theaters, I thought it would be good to look over the six feature-length live-action Batman films and count down from worst to best.


At the bottom is Batman & Robin: a disaster in every way. Mixing the gothic nature of the first two films w/the camp of the TV show is like making chocolate cake w/onions. Batman Forever (Num. 5) is slightly better, but not by much. Here, the Seeds of Death are planted. The bright lights and over-the-top performances start to stun you with its idiocy. The 1966 film is basically an extended episode of the Batman TV show, but it has its own charm which makes it enjoyable. Batman Returns (Num. 3) has a bit too much of Oswald Cobblepot’s (aka The Penguin) childhood issues, but Christopher Walken and Michelle Pfeiffer’s brilliant performances make it a worthy successor. It is basically a tie between Batman Begins and 1989’s Batman, but I’ll give the edge to the latter. Begins is the first to put the focus almost squarely on Batman himself as opposed to the villains, and the performances are first-rate, but with Burton’s version, it all worked. The story was straight, the performances are almost iconic, the visual style became the standard, and the music is instantly identifiable, all of which Begins cannot claim.

As for The Dark Knight? I’d put it at Number 4, between Batman Returns and the TV film version. I don’t think it’s the best Batman film, let alone the Citizen Kane of comic book film adaptations. Even now, I think Jack Nicholson is a better Joker than Heath Ledger. The former was gleefully malevolent, completely within his comic book origins, while the latter was just a sociopath with bad make-up. If anyone from this movie should WIN Best Supporting Actor, it should be Aaron Eckhart. Am I right? Am I insane? Defend your point (or mine). Let me know by posting comments. Thank you kindly.