Saturday, July 12, 2003

I have created a new link to Other Interesting Weblogs. If you are a weblog publisher/page-owner and have been kind enough to add my site to your links list, let me know, and I'll be glad to include your weblog in my listing. 4:20:30 PM      MOVIE - THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN - Review Rating $$$1/2 (OUT OF 10) STARRING - Sean Connery (Allan Quatermain), Naseeruddin Shah (Captain Nemo), Peta Wilson (Mina Harker), Tony Curran (Rodney Skinner), Stuart Townsend (Dorian Gray), Shane West (Tom Sawyer), Jason Flemyng (Jekyll and Hyde) & Richard Roxburgh (M). DIRECTOR - Stephen Norrington (Blade, The Last Minute, Death Machine) Based on the comic book mini-series by Alan Moore. I had very low expectations going into The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen based on the previews. Often, in such instances, the movie will turn out to be a pleasant surprise and exceed your low expectations. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, unfortunately, is so bad that it failed to meet, let alone exceed, my low expectations. The premise of the movie is that some of literature's most famous characters join forces, in an intellectual version of the Fantastic Four, to save the world. While the characters may have come from literary masterpieces the script certainly didn't. In fact I can't remember one intelligent insight. There's also an almost complete lack of character development as well. Like Allan Quatermaine (Connery) I'm still "waiting to be impressed". This fictional tale, unlike the story in Pirates of the Caribbean, is a highly contrived rehashing of the notorious villain scheming to take over the world. Aiding and abetting the lack of believability of the plot is a striking lack of attention to getting the details right. In one scene, Quartermaine and Sawyer (West) are chasing Hyde (Flemyng) across the rooftops of Paris. Despite blasts from Quartermaine's shotgun and the stomping of Hyde (who's as large as the Hulk) not even one citizen awakens and gawks out the window. Incredible, yes... believable no. The same things occurs as Venice is being blown up. The special effects aren't extraordinary either. The blowing up of Venice is so obviously a miniature set that it's almost unintentionally funny. The 21st century version of the Nautilus is singularly unimpressive and pales in comparison to the sub featured in the 1954 film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Sean Connery, who does manage to instill some swagger into the Quatermaine character, is the only bright spot in this otherwise dismal production. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen...isn't. Alternative Reviews: Roger Ebert's Review Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Peter Traver's / Rolling Stone Review The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Official Web Site Search Feature: Google It! 12:59:02 AM      MOVIE - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL - Review Rating $$$$$ $$$ (OUT OF 10) STARRING - Johnny Depp (Capt. Jack Sparrow), Geoffrey Rush (Capt. Barbossa), Jonathan Pryce (The Governor), Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann), Orlando Bloom (Will Turner), Jack Davenport (Norrington), Damian O'Hare (Lt. Gillette), Lee Arenberg (Pintel), Mackenzie Crook (Ragetti) & Giles New (Murtogg). DIRECTOR - Gore Verbinski (Mouse Hunt, The Mexican, The Ring) Loosely based on the Disney Company's Pirates of the Caribbean theme park rides/showcase. Movies released during the summer are, for the most part, variations on very well established formulas. Most, are not meant to provoke a lot of thought on part of the movie patron, which is the last thing folks seeking refuge from sweltering heat want to do. The summer movie season is supposed to bring us lighthearted films that are simply meant to entertain and make the studio's huge sums of money. Surprisingly, despite the fact that the ingredients of a good summer flick are well known, it's actually hard to produce a good summer film. Pirates of the Caribbean is one of only a handful of this year's crop of summer films that manages to put the pieces of the puzzle together properly. Part of the reason that Pirates of the Caribbean works is the quality of the script. The story is, of course, a fantasy. This relieves the screenwriters from from having to work too hard to get the audience to suspend disbelief. However, they don't abuse the freedom, and the legend they have created is as believable as any good fairy-tale is. The cast, led by Depp and Rush, give excellent performances that lend credibility to the tale as well. In many ways this is Depp's movie. His quirky charm comes through in spades and makes Captain Jack Sparrow a scene stealing instant hit. The quality of the special effects, decent jokes/one-liners, the mandatory love triangle and action complete the puzzle that makes Pirates of the Caribbean a successful and entertaining summer blockbuster. The only caveat I have is that the movie could easily have been shorter. Pirates of the Caribbean rates an 8 out of 10 because "it is what it is". It won't make my Top Ten List for 2003 but it is one of the few films this summer that I actually enjoyed watching. Pirates of the Caribbean is a slick, well-executed and entertaining paint by numbers summer flick. No more, no less. Running time - 134 minutes Alternatives Reviews: Roger Ebert's Review Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Pirates of the Caribbean Official Web Site Search Feature: Google It! 12:44:33 AM

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