Rocky II delivers a knockout punch as a riveting drama that surpasses the original. Writer/director Sylvester Stallone has crafted a smart, compelling sequel that captures the spirit of the first film while taking the story in a new and interesting direction. Yet, in a lot of ways it’s the same story as the original, but with some nice twists and reversals: riches-to-rags Rocky Balboa is given one last chance at the world heavyweight boxing championship by Apollo Creed (who himself needs to be redeemed as the undisputed champion). This Rocky installment is very cinematic with some impressively well-crafted fight sequences and training montages: such as the iconic scene of Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art with hundreds of fans following him. Rocky II takes the series to the next level and is a classic film in its own right.
Gritty and intense, Run All Night is an exciting crime thriller. To save his son mob hitman Jimmy Conlon kills the son of his boss, starting a war that threatens to destroy them all. Liam Neeson and Ed Harris give incredibly strong performances that are quite compelling. And, the director does a good job at creating suspense and tension. Still, the plot’s fairly predictable and some of the characters are underdeveloped. Though it’s a little formulaic, Run All Night is entertaining and full of thrills.
Director Francis Ford Coppola brings a new vision to the Bram Stoker classic, Dracula. Putting a reincarnation spin on the story, Dracula pursues his lost love across time and finally discovers her in Mina Harker. With a cast that includes Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, and Anthony Hopkins, the film has an interesting array of performances. Ryder gives a near perfect performance as Mina Harker, and Hopkins delivers one of most unique and entertaining interpretations of Van Helsing. The visual and directing style is distinctive and attempts to convey the unconventional nature of the original novel. However, the film’s visuals and storytelling are also problematic at times. While the film is remarkably faithful in some aspects, extraordinary liberties have been taken with others. Bram Stoker’s Dracula delivers a vivid new interpretation for a new audience, but is a far cry from the original novel.
Two of Universal’s biggest monsters collide in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. After discovering that he’s immoral Lawrence Talbot journeys to Castle Frankenstein in search of Dr. Frankenstein’s notes on creating life, but instead he finds the Monster himself. Lon Chaney, Jr. reprises his role as Talbot and Bela Lugosi taken on the Frankenstein role. The performances are pretty good, and the script does a fairly decent job of resurrecting Talbot and at finding a reason for him to cross paths with Frankenstein. However, there’s a little bit of a bait-and-switch going on, as the story’s more about discovering Frankenstein’s secret journal than the monsters fighting. But the Frankenstein/Wolf Man fight does come, and doesn’t disappoint. Fun and entertaining, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is a well-crafted film that enriches Universal’s Monster series.
With Boris Karloff’s departure from the franchise, it’s left to Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. to carry on in The Ghost of Frankenstein. In this chapter the Monster is freed from his sulfur tomb when villagers blowup Castle Frankenstein, allowing Ygor to rescue him and sneak off in search of Dr. Frankenstein’s second son, Ludwig Frankenstein. Unfortunately, Lon Chaney Jr.’s depiction of the Monster is rather bland and doesn’t convey the emotional expressiveness that Karloff gave. Also, the story is formulaic for the most part; though there are some interesting aspects to it. The Ghost of Frankenstein is an underwhelming sequel that stretches for material, but it still delivers an entertaining adventure.
Scream 4 is but another uninspired horror film that’s more about cheap scares and less about story. Returning to where the series started, the film finds Sidney going back to Woodsboro on the anniversary of the original murders and Ghostface coming after her family. Campbell, Cox, and Arquette return once again, and are joined by Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, and Rory Culkin. While not as insulting as Scream 3 was, this chapter seems needless and repetitive. There are some clever callbacks to the previous films and the kills are rather intense, but the characters are too underdeveloped for any of it to have much of an impact. Scream 4 fails to revive the series, and instead delivers a mediocre horror film that offers the same old Scream formula.
Scream 3 is complete garbage, and has devolves into the very thing that the series started out mocking. Now in trilogy territory, Sidney must once again confront the Ghostface Killer when he taunts her with clues to her mother’s past as he kills off the cast of the latest “Stab” movie. Campbell, Cox, and Arquette return and are joined by Parker Posey, Patrick Dempsey, Lance Henrikson, and Jenny McCarthy. The story is abysmal, and the acting (if it can be called such) is terrible. There’s nothing clever or insightful in this film, it’s just insipid tripe. Scream 3 is a sad, pathetic sequel that bears little resemblance to the original.
Terror returns to Crystal Lake in Friday the 13th Part 2. When a new group of counselors gear up to open a new camp at Crystal Lake, local urban legend Jason Voorhees comes out of the woods and goes on a murdering rampage. The story is pretty thin and is full of plot holes; especially the ending (which completely falls apart). However, the directing does a pretty effective job at building tension and suspense; particularly given the relatively low level of blood and gore. While there are a number of problems with Friday the 13th Part 2, it's still a chilling horror film.
The classic horror film Friday the 13th helped to launch the teen slasher genre and began one of the longest running franchises in cinema. The tale follows a group of teenagers who go to Camp Crystal Lake to help with the grand re-opening, but unbeknownst to them a killer is on the prowl. The acting is rather poor, as is the directing. The film tries to play as a murder mystery, but it's not that effective. Friday the 13th is a flawed film that hasn't aged particularity well, but it still has some good scares.
The John Carpenter cult classic Escape From New York is a dark and gritty action film with a unique vision. In a dystopian future the island of Manhattan is turned into a maximum security prison controlled by the inmates, but when Air Force One crashes into the prison the military turns to notorious criminal Snake Plissken as their only hope to sneak onto the island and rescue the President. Kurt Russell, Isaac Hayes, Donald Pleasence, and Ernest Borgnine make for a strong cast and deliver good performances. Russell in particular does an excellent job; creating a captivating anti-hero that became one of the most iconic film characters of the ‘80s. Additionally, Carpenter's directing is quite vivid, and creates a fascinating aesthetic and atmosphere that enhances the story. Escape From New York is a compelling and edgy thriller that has become a sci-fi classic.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets ratchets up the crazy by a factor of 10. This time Ben Gates is on a quest to find the lost City of Gold in order to prove that his great grandfather wasn't a conspirator in the Abraham Lincoln assassination. Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, and Jon Voight return, and are joined by Ed Harris and Helen Mirren. Cage and Kruger easily slip back into their roles and recapture the magic that made their characters so fun in the first film. However, this plot is just too convoluted to go with. There are a lot of fun moments, but the adventure's not as interesting or entertaining as the original. The story is weak, but National Treasure: Book of Secrets manages to deliver a fun and solidly entertaining adventure.
Chevy Chase is back for more misadventures in the hilarious comedy Fletch Lives. After inheriting his great aunt’s estate in Mississippi, Fletch is framed for murder and has to uncover who’s behind it. Once again Chase delivers a great performance, though the character is a bit less edgy than in the previous film. Additionally, the sketches aren’t as organic; coming off as rather board and cartoonish. Still, the comedy’s really good and the mystery is involving. Fletch Lives is a lot fun and is full of laughs, but it doesn’t have as good a story as the original.
Director Robert Zemeckis delivers a fun and outrageous adventure in Romancing the Stone. When her sister is taken hostage in Columbia romance novelist Joan Wilder is forced to come up with the ransom, but after taking a wrong turn she ends up on a wild adventure with a treasure hunter. Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito form a great cast and deliver solid performances. The story is fairly well told, however the characters are a bit underdeveloped and there are some weaknesses in the plot. Still, the action sequences are impressive and exciting, and the comedy works quite well. Romancing the Stone is a thrilling action film that's tremendously entertaining.
“The timeline skewed into this tangent…” Back to the Future Part II is a spectacular mess. Its ambition gets ahead of itself, resulting in a disjointed and convoluted film that, while entertaining, isn’t very cohesive. While Marty and Doc are visiting the future Biff steals the time machine and alters the past, forcing Marty and Doc to go back to 1955 and undo the damage to the timeline. The first half of the film is a train wreck, but the second half (when they return to 1955) is brilliant. The writing is especially clever in the way it interweavers the story through the first film and expands upon it. And the cliffhanger ending is outstanding, acting like a shot of adrenaline that revs up the energy of film to end on a thrilling climax. Despite the clunkiness and plot issues in the first half, Back to the Future Part II manages to deliver a fun and exciting adventure.
Legend is a classic ‘80s fantasy film from director Ridley Scott. When Darkness plots to extinguish light from the universe by killing the last unicorn a group of pure souls embark on a quest to save her and restore the power of light. Starring Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, and Tim Curry, the cast is quite strong; as Sara gives an impressive performance and Curry is brilliant as Darkness, and is completely transformed by the makeup. Additionally, the sets and costumes are wonderfully imaginative. Visually, it’s an astonishing film that’s incredibly artistic and stylized. Also, Tangerine Dream provides a surreal and enchanting score that complements and enhances the material. Exceptionally well-crafted and compelling, Legend is a magical film.
A well-crafted psychological thriller, The Number 23 is subtle in its intrigue and powerful in its story. After Walter Sparrow receives a used book titled “The Number 23” for his birthday, he becomes obsessed and comes to believe that the book has a secret code in it and that it’s trying to tell him something. The casting is quite good, and features Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, and Rhona Mitra; Carrey in particular gives an especially impressive performance. And, Joel Schumacher does an excellent job at creating a dark noir visual style that has a sense of foreboding and mystery. Still, there are some weaknesses in the storytelling; as the plot gets a little convoluted and attempts one too many twists. Yet while it has some problems, The Number 23 is a compelling and provocative film.
Planet of the Apes is a classic science-fiction thriller that provides a thought-provoking adventure that terrifies the imagination. Co-written by Rod Serling (creator of The Twilight Zone), the story follows a group of astronauts that crash land on a strange planet in deep space that is ruled by apes. Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, and Kim Hunter lead the cast and give strong performances. And the set designs and costumes are fascinating, and add a lot of rich texture to the film. Additionally, the ape makeup effects are amazing and still holdup. But it’s the brilliant storytelling, full of mystery and intrigue, which makes the film so compelling; delivering one of the most powerful and iconic endings in cinema. Smart and suspenseful, Planet of the Apes is a landmark film that launched one of the longest and most successful franchises.
George Lazenby, the Bond the time forgot, takes the helms of the Bond series in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Obsessed with finding Ernst Blofeld, leader of the crime syndicate SPECTRE, James Bond infiltrates his mountain retreat and learns of a maniacal plan to release a series of deadly poisons throughout the world. The absence of Sean Connery looms large in this film, and Lazenby isn’t up to the task of playing Bond. But the miscasting doesn’t stop there; Blofeld is also recast, played here by Telly Savalas, who doesn’t carry over any of the same mannerisms or characteristics established in the previous films. Everything feels out of sync, from the story on through to the actors. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a weak Bond film that’s poorly written and goes against form.
Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau team-up for the hilarious screwball comedy Grumpy Old Men. The story follows two life-long rivals and neighbors who take their juvenile games and pranks to a new level to compete for a beautiful, free-spirited woman who moves in down the street from them. Lemmon and Matthau are incredibly funny, and are backed by a strong supporting cast; including Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, and Daryl Hannah. And while the comedy is a lot of fun, there’s also a lot of heart; with a touching message about the bonds of friendship and making the most out of life. Grumpy Old Men is a terrifically entertaining film that has something for everyone.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is a cinematic masterpiece that delivers horrific scares. When a young girl goes missing after stealing $40 thousand dollars, a private investigator tracks her last known whereabouts to the Bates Model. Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh lead the cast and give strong performances. But, it’s Hitchcock’s brilliant directing that makes the film so powerful. He does an amazing job at building a suspenseful mood, and at crafting intense scenes. Psycho is a smart, groundbreaking film that has become an immortal classic.
Paul Greengrass takes the helm of the Bourne series in the exciting and gritty sequel, The Bourne Supremacy. The story continues as Jason Bourne finds himself on the run when he’s setup for the deaths of two CIA agents. Matt Damon, Brian Cox, and Julia Stiles return, and are joined by Joan Allen and Karl Urban. The plot’s overly complicated and isn’t as compelling as the mystery of the first film. And, the action is a bit overcharged and noisy. Yet, The Bourne Supremacy is a smart, well-crafted film that’s thrilling and intense.
Director Richard Donner has crafted an action film classic with Lethal Weapon. It’s the ultimate buddy cop film; a cop on the edge, Martin Riggs, is paired up with a seasoned veteran, Roger Murtaugh, and the two must work together in order to bust a drug trafficking kingpin. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are brilliantly cast and have a great onscreen chemistry as a buddy cop duo. And, Gary Busey delivers a solid performance as the relentless villain going after Riggs and Murtaugh. The action and fight scenes are especially well done; adding a lot of energy and suspense to the film. Lethal Weapon is a riveting, high adrenaline action film that’s a lot of fun.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is one of the greatest comedies of the ‘80s. Steve Martin and John Candy have incredible chemistry, making for one of the best comedy duos of the era. And, the misadventures of these two traveling from New York to Chicago are both relatable and hilariously absurd. But, beneath the hilarity is a tender and emotional story about friendship and family. Writer/director John Hughes has crafted a timeless classic in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which continues to delight and entertaining audiences today.
The psychological thriller Don’t Say a Word is an impressive and intense film that’s smart and well-crafted. The story follows a preeminent psychiatrist that must get a 6 digit number from a mental patient in order to save his daughter who’s been kidnapped and is being held hostage. The casting is phenomenal, and includes Michael Douglas, Brittany Murphy, Sean Bean, and Jennifer Esposito. Douglas is in top form and Murphy gives an inspired performance that nearly steals the film. Additionally, the directing is quite good and does an excellent job at building suspense and intrigue as the plot unfolds. There are a few weaknesses in the storytelling, but overall Don’t Say a Word is a captivating and powerful film.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a smart and well-crafted film that helped to revive the teen slasher genre in the late ‘90s. Based on a novel, the story follows a group of 4 high school graduates who accidentally get into a hit-and-run, and then take a vow of secrecy after dumping the body. The cast is quite good, and includes Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr. (though some of the acting is a bit weak). Still, the storytelling is well-done and keeps an air of mystery and suspense throughout the film. While I Know What You Did Last Summer sticks to the same old tropes of the slasher genre, it does so in a clever and inventive way that’s a lot of fun.
Scream 2 delivers another thriller that’s a lot of fun. This time a copycat killer is reprising the Ghostface killings on the campus of Sidney's new college. The cast has a good mixture of returning stars, such as Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and Jamie Kennedy, and new stars, like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Timothy Olyphant, and Rebecca Gayheart. It’s hard for a sequel to repeat the same scares as the original, and the kills in this film don’t quite measure up to those of the original. However, it does a fair job at creating a fresh new story while remaining true to the series formula. Additionally, the film offers some interesting satire on horror movie sequels. So while Scream 2 isn’t as thrilling and well-crafted as the original, it’s still an enjoyable slasher with some good scares.
Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3D attempts to deliver a new dimension of terror. Jason continues to clean up Crystal Lake, this time by taking out a group of teenagers vacationing at a lake house. The story is complete garbage and doesn't make any sense. And the acting is atrociously bad, but not as bad as the cheesy 3D effects (which are incredibly obvious and distracting). However, Jason receives his iconic look in this film, finally donning his trademark hockey mask and arming himself with a machete. A poorly made horror film, Friday the 13th Part 3 fails to live up to its predecessors.
The Dark Crystal is one of the most unique and imaginative fantasy films of the ‘80s. From writer/director Jim Henson comes this dark tale about a young boy named Jen who must embark upon a quest to heal the all-powerful Dark Crystal before the celestial Great Convergence, which could end the world. Astoundingly, all of the characters in the film are puppets that have remarkably creative and interesting designs. In fact, the entire visual style of the film is especially vivid and surreal. The Dark Crystal is a strange and bizarre film that's oddly fascinating and compelling.
Fletch is a classic ‘80s comedy that’s outrageously fun and full of laughs. Chevy Chase stars as Irwin Fletcher, an investigative reporter whose exposé on L.A. drug smuggling takes a bizarre turn when he receives an unusual proposition from a wealthy businessman. The film is especially effective at using the type of SNL sketch comedy that Chase is so good at, and he gives a seminal performance that made Fletch into one of the most popular and beloved characters of his career. Additionally, the storytelling does an impressive job at building intrigue as Fletch’s investigation unfolds. Cleverly written and brilliantly executed, Fletch is a hilarious comedy that’s tremendously entertaining.
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year is a delightful and whimsical feature full of the festive adventures of the Hundred Acre Wood. The first half of the feature is a recut version of Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too, and is followed by a second story about the New Year's resolutions made by the Hundred Acre Wood gang in order to prevent Rabbit from leaving them. The voice work is pretty good, and is fairly consistent with the established characters. Additionally, Carly Simon provides a charming soundtrack that's lighthearted and soothing. Yet there's nothing particularly inspired or original about Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year, making it a rather mediocre (but enjoyable) animated feature.
