DaViD´82

Even though the genre is fantasy, the books are grossly lacking in fantasy because of stupid propaganda. In this respect, Adamson remained faithful to the original. He filmed a routine family movie about how four underage brats, with the help of the incredibly egocentric furry Jesus, slaughter hundreds of innocent fathers. And despite the severely ridiculous final fifteen minutes (although the White Witch's mobile arms factory from number one remained unsurpassed) and even though the pace is slow, it is a better movie than last time. It's nice to look at; it's nice to listen to (unless Lucy and Aslan are talking); Dinklage, the mice, and the bad guys make it move along pretty nicely, but they can't make up for the wretchedness of the child "actors", especially the character of Lucy, despite all their efforts. A shorter running time, more tolerable kids, and a director with imagination might have made it a better movie. But that's not very likely in this case. So it gets three feeble-hearted stars.

It's been barely a few days since I complained while reviewing The Cassandra Crossing that it wasn't an ideal movie to watch with an elevated temperature. Howl’s Moving Castle is the exact opposite. It's hard to find a more ideal movie to spend time with during an illness. Overall, Miyazaki's imagination is a good one for delirious states of mind. One immediately understands him better. This is the most mature project to come out of the Ghibli studio so far (even though it’s an adaptation of a children's book). It lifts your mood, delights, surprises you with the untrodden plot paths it takes and, above all, completely disarms you with its ideas and originality. A genuine work of art, and not only in terms of the animation. Personally, I wonder if it is even possible to go further in the field of classic, hand-drawn animation. I sincerely doubt it.

An outstanding movie. Or rather, almost. The prolog spoils it. Nothing against it in principle, it has its place and a reason here, but it really didn’t have to swell up to eighty minutes long. And here Akira feels a pressing need to impart something big, but does so too obviously and zealously. On the other hand, there is a large number of scenes that knock you off your seat. But those are just moments, not the whole movie. And not even Akira’s masterful direction or the unforgettable performance by Takashi Shimura is enough to support the immensely long running time. But for Czechs this movie has a very positive message. It shows us that even in Japan bureaucracy was just as impervious and corrupt (Kafka style) at the beginning of the fifties as ours is to this day. So at least we aren’t (or weren’t) alone in this.

I must remember for next time that watching a movie like this with a fever really isn’t a good idea. The Cassandra Crossing can be very convincing. So much so that it is more than just another seventies disaster movie. For a long time it look like it deserves the highest accolade. But there’s always a “but". And Cassandra’s “but" comes after about ninety minutes, when the movie very dumbly transforms into a completely different genre. Then not even the excellent Harris can stop it drowning in B-movie action thriller waters and so The Cassandra Crossing may make a safe claim to being the older sibling of Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. But without Steven “wobbly flab" Seagal. What a great shame.

Rather than begging for support from outside, this traveler on his way to Australia should have looked for it in his own ranks. Mainly from Mr. Bowers. Because it seems that he wasn’t enjoying himself much at the typewriter when writing this. It’s hard to explain otherwise that about half way through this loses any punch, perspective and humor that it had. So it’s left up to Jim Rockford to save it. And that’s rather too little.

The whole picture begins shamefully with a premature climax. With those fantastic opening credits. However, after them a movie follows that finally deserves to be described as a fantasy, because it manages to shatter any fantasy you may have. My joy knew no bounds. But it was killed by the same thing that kills all similar movies. CGI scenes for no reason at all and the movie’s greatest boon that I mentioned above. Where before your fantasy was working full on, then the creators use a computer instead. And the whole atmosphere is spoiled. Unfortunately, afterward it’s impossible to return to what once was. There are moments when it almost looks like things will return, but it never makes the return fully. Plus, despite the excellent orchestral music, many scenes have pop songs as background music with hellish texts (a perfect example is when they are painting the room - the music ruins the whole scene). I wouldn’t like to give you the impression that Terabithia is a bad movie. It isn’t. In fact, of the current glut of kids’ movies from across the ocean, this is the clear king. But it’s very clear just how much better it could be. I could kick the filmmakers in the butt for wasting this amazing potential. They might learn from it for next time.

It’s a hard life for your regular pimp. Especially when somebody begins stealing his floozies. This initial situation gives rise to a very unusual picture that, as we are used to in South Korean movies, stands on the dividing line between many genres. It certainly doesn’t slip into and remain in the initial rut of tedious “chase" thriller. The filmmaker gradually calls to mind absolutely different movies. For instance, with its sharp criticism of the work of the police, this reminds of Memories of Murder, while getting closer with the cheated daughter reminds of “relationship creation" movies. But most it reminds me of Public Enemies. Maybe too much. Just the humor is missing. Thank god. And it’s framed inside one single day and lots of storylines. A very big bite for a debut. But it works excellently, even so. It may lack memorable moments, but due to that it all holds together in one perfect whole. Which is almost incredible when you consider how it keeps jumping around. It is above average in acting terms too, and so just the unnecessary length is detrimental.

A really weird French obscurity that could have made a cult movie. That is, if it had been at least a little good. It had the idea and the potential to be good. But just in theory, I’m afraid. Neither the screenwriter nor the director managed to save it, because William Klein wrote and directed this himself. I was expecting a parody a bit like The Man from Acapulco or Who Wants to Kill Jessie , but all I got was an amateur satire on the global political climate with no good ideas, perspective or humor. It’s just torture watching how Noiret tries to get at least something out of his foam rubber man. And I should tactfully remain silent about the others. It’s all filmed in two rooms with production design that makes the pasteboard scenery of Czech fairytales look almost convincing. In fact, somehow nothing at all works in this movie. A rightly forgotten work.

Or: How the Russians (I know, he’s from Kazakhstan, but still) pays Czechoslovakia a “friendly" visit, like they did in 1968, this time for American money. I’ve liked Bekmambetov ever since Night Watch, but back then he didn’t manage to keep total control. Then, in Day Watch, he let go of the reins far too much. At the beginning of Wanted, my hopeful smile was wiped from my face by the opening action scene. It’s a long time since I saw such dumbness and pure awkwardness on the silver screen. It’s just far too much. I awaited in horror what was to come. But then it managed to push itself off the bottom of the anti-talent pool to incredible quality. Even the Palahniukesque toiling of the main “pimp" indicated that Timur and his gang might manage after all. And then it really gets going, one idea after another. This is an inaccessible action movie in all ways, despite having a functional story, good actors and even that stagnating Danny Elfman is on his way to the top again. And last but not least, you have to get used to an approach where loads of teenagers are fondling their darlings in the street. I mean pistols, not girls. This is a stylish celebration of weapons. But you know what? The arms industry couldn’t hope for a better commercial.

A movie about a really great family movie featuring a clown and even Groucho Marx. It’s just crying out to be watched at home with your nearest and dearest. So you can then see which of the family gives up first, then who’s second... Because Rob Zombie proves that he is a regular madman. But talented. He filmed something on the fence between many genres. But this something is stylish, uncompromising, funny just at the right moments and the acting is great in the most important roles. The accompanying roles were more a question of “he says, dude, and I says to him, dude" so in some places it becomes wearing. Rob enjoys his directing immensely, not getting too worried about things like budget. It looks like the first comic book Preacher, but without the irony. The atmosphere is so stifling and dusty that it’s exactly like something from McCarthy’s “Border Trilogy". Even so, I was wondering throughout the movie if he was on the sheriff’s side, on the cast-outs’ or if he was disinterested. What I must applaud Zombie for is that he managed to leave me unsure. In any other movie you can see more perversion and infinitely more violence. But only on the almost forgotten Henry (and in one scene of Fincher’s Zodiac) has a movie murder been this “realistically" disturbing. A few errors can be found here and there, but they are absolutely made up for by the performances of the Haig, Moseley and Forsythe trio. They meet the most stringent standards. Not just in this genre. Which applies to The Devil's Rejects overall. P.S.: The comment about their performance applies only to the original language version. The Czech dubbing remained true to the title of the movie and is truly like this was rejected by the devil himself.