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It's
been about a month since it started, but this has been a
wonderful past few weeks at the movies. This year's group
of Thanksgiving pics was the best in years. Not all of
them were outstanding, but none of them were complete
disasters. Let's take a look at them.
 THE
WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
A very good Bond film, plain and
simple. Nothing revolutionary, just a better than average
entry in the long running series. It did nothing to
change the formula, but had rousing action sequences and
some nice, goofy humor. Not even a lame climax and the
worst performance of the year (Denise Richards) could
spoil the fun.
Rating- 7.5/10
Estimated Box Office Take- $130M - Very Good, the highest
total ever for a Bond film.
FLAWLESS
A mediocre film that was just too
lazy and predictable to be great. Still, it wasn't
terrible and it's worth seeing (on video) for some
terrific performances from DeNiro and especially Phillip
Seymour Hoffman. Absolutely nothing special. Flawless
isn't flawless, but it ain't terrible.
Rating- 6/10
Estimated Box Office Take- $7M- A flop. The studio
treated this terribly by giving it a super-low screen
count and next to no advertising.
SLEEPY
HOLLOW
Perhaps the years best looking
picture. Sleepy Hollow is one of those movies in which
every single shot is a work of art. It's not perfect
(some sequences have the cheese factor on high) but if
you're in a good mood this can be a lot of fun. Some
wonderful action, great performances and tight suspense
make this a ride worth taking. Tim Burton movies never
fail to entertain.
Rating-7.5/10
Estimated Box Office Take- $100M - Pretty darn good! The
huge $30M opening insures us we'll be seeing more of
Burton's signature wackiness very soon.
END
OF DAYS
The weakest of all the
Thanksgiving releases, this still was a decent action
flick at least in my opinion. Arnold's performance wasn't
great, by any means, but it was miles ahead of Mr. Freeze
(ugh!). It had some nifty effects, but it's logic and
pacing problems really screwed the film. Still it was
better than Stigmata, and it's nifty story made for a
marginally entertaining night at the movies.
Rating- 5.5/10
Estimated Box Office Take - $70M - not great, but it'll
be profitable thanks to boffo overseas business
American Pie
When
I saw American Pie in theaters last June, I really
enjoyed myself. Being a teenager I truthfully related to
the realistic characters and laughed at some hilarious
moment. Last night I watched the film again on video and
I was shocked to see how well it held up a second time. I
laughed louder than I did the first time, and identified
even more with Jim and friends. Maybe it had to do with
life-changing events that happened to me since I saw it
the first time, but one thing is for sure: It's the best
teen movie of the year. Now before I get tons of letters
screaming, "ELECTION!!!!" let me just say that
I really love Election, but this movie is just a better
movie for teenagers. Election is a sharp satire, while
American Pie is a sweet, funny coming of age story. I
applaud everyone who took part in the creation of
American Pie for crafting a wonderful film for teenagers
of all ages.
Letters
Dear
Jeff Sanders,
Who do you think should play Batman next? I heard Ben
Affleck was up for the part. What do you think of that?
The Fisher King
I
wish all my letters were this concise. As long as Warner
Bros. has the Batman franchise in its grasp it doesn't
matter who plays Batman. I find it strange that the same
studio that made terrifyingly bad superhero movies like
Batman and Robin, The Avengers, and Wild Wild West also
made the wonderful Matrix. Hopefully, WB learned from The
Matrix that it's talent that makes a good movie, not
money. Does this mean I want them to put Batman in the
hands of the Wachowski brothers? Well, maybe….
But I'd prefer it if they just left the Batman thing end.
Do we really NEED another Batman movie? Not as much as we
need another Matrix. To answer your question, I think Ben
Affleck would make an okay Batman, but honestly I
couldn't care less about the caped crusader.
Brief Reviews
Stuart Little - Stuart Little is
a top-notch kids movie. The colors are bright, the lead
character is adorable and the script is sweet and gentle.
However, as adult entertainment the film has the same
problem as Small Soldiers, an almost completely different
kind of movie that also had computer generated main
characters. Both movies have stories that just aren't
"big" enough. Both movies have lots of good
moments but there just aren't enough big to maintain
complete interest. Stuart Little, like Small Soldiers,
promised excitement and laughs. Both movies have them,
yes, but they don't quite have enough. Since I am a big
fan of the book by E.B. White, I was a little
disappointed to see the complete plot of the novel
ditched in favor of a more 90s story line, but this didn't
ruin the movie for me. In fact every time I look at
Stuart Little I just can't help but love the little guy.
Kids will love the movie, some adults might be a bit
disappointed, but most decent human beings will like
Stuart Little.
Man On the Moon - An
intriguing, mysterious little movie about an intriguing
mysterious little man. That little man is Andy Kaufman; a
very strange character. I say character because after
seeing the movie I just can't call him a person. I don't
think he was a real human being. He rarely seemed to have
emotions and the movie realizes this by not trying to
make up a personality for Kaufman. Nobody really knows
whether he wanted to entertain people, or screw with
their heads. Perhaps he was just a wacky nut from the day
he was born. Man on the Moon lets Kaufman be Kaufman, and
lets us watch. Segments of the movie are not enjoyable
while others are simply magical. This almost parallels
the life of Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey gives one of the
best performances of the year and, like Andy seems to
revel in fooling the audience. Director Milos Forman also
likes to play with his audience and that interaction is
part of what makes Man On the Moon so enjoyable.
The Talented Mr. Ripley -
A genuinely effective and creepy thriller, the Talented
Mr. Ripley plays almost exactly like a 1960s Hitchcock
film. The use of colors and shadows as well as
cinematography and graphic design all evoke memories of
Hitchcock. If you are fond of Alfred's classic flicks
than you should run, not walk to your local movie theater
for this disturbing movie. The Talented Mr. Ripley is a
wonderful discussion film, because much of the meaning of
the film is not directed stated but is hinted at by the
actor's looks, reaction shots, and subtle movements. Matt
Damon and Jude Law stand out from a great cast and both
should expect their careers to pick up after this. Damon
is especially great as the title character who is very
adept as using everyday items as deadly weapons. Most
other reviews seem to give away many of the twists, so I
want to say as little as possible. One thing I will say
though is that the movie leaves doors open for a sequel,
which would be fine by me.
That's it for now. Coming up very soon after New Years:
My Year End SPECTACULAR.
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