Category Archives: Movies

Castle in the Sky (1986)

16 Wednesday Jul 2014

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Air pirates board an airship and threaten many lives.
A girl climbs out the window and hopes that she survives.
As pirates try to grab her, she slips and falls to earth,
But she’s saved by her crystal, which has a hidden worth.
 
It floats her down to safety, where Pazu’s arms await,
An engineer’s apprentice, who wonders of her fate.
He takes her to his cottage, and when Sheeta awakes,
He tells her how she floated, the crystal as her brakes.
 
He tells her of his father, who saw a floating isle
Called Laputa, a legend he’ll find in daring style.
But Dola and her pirates arrive to claim the lass,
And they both flee as pirates continue to harass.
 
The military shows up, but Sheeta’s scared of them.
Our heroes float to safety, suspended by her gem.
Once they speak with a miner, who warns them of the same,
The girl reveals that “Laputa” is part of her full name.
 
The government abducts them, imprisoning the pair,
And Colonel Muska spells out to Sheeta why she’s there.
He shows an ancient robot, advanced technology
That Laputa holds somewhere, which she will help them free.
 
When Pazu is sent back home, he teams with Dola’s gang
To rescue Sheeta, but she is having quite a bang.
She reawakes the robot, which goes on a rampage,
And Pazu saves her just in time as giant guns engage.
 
To find the floating island, they join the pirate crew,
For Dola and her pirates are nicer than they knew.
Since Muska took her crystal, he’s on his way as well,
And both airships are threatened by storms that crash and swell.
 
Pazu and Sheeta land on a peaceful grassy plot,
Just one of many turrets that Laputa has got.
They tail a lonely robot, discovering in awe
The lofty, ancient ruins that once were Laputa.
 
But then the military arrives to plunder loot,
Though Muska’s digging deeper for things of great repute.
The agent kidnaps Sheeta, descending to the core,
And taps the castle’s power which he was looking for.
 
He names himself a royal, like Sheeta, and a king,
And massacres the army as robot hordes take wing.
As Pazu hunts for Sheeta, she with her crystal flees.
Again they find each other, but Muska’s hard to please.
 
When they are at a standoff, the kids know what to say,
A spell of great destruction, which serves to save the day.
The pirates and the children escape and reunite,
But both Pazu and Sheeta fly off within their kite.
___________________
 

When Cartoon Network decided to play several Studio Ghibli films back in 2006, I steered clear of it due to my family’s poor reaction to Spirited Away, but I recall seeing a commercial that included a scene of giant robots climbing through hallways. I had no idea from which film it was, but the scene stuck in my head. When I eventually gave anime another chance and saw Castle in the Sky, I was delighted that I not only recognized that scene but also loved the movie. Castle in the Sky is the highest movie on my list directed by famed animator Hayao Miyazaki (though not necessarily the highest Studio Ghibli film), and it is a rousing adventure that showcases Miyazaki’s brilliant imagination.

Since Studio Ghibli had not been founded by the time of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky was the studio’s first official film, one that I think is much better than the more well-known Spirited Away. The hand-drawn animation is often beautiful, and certain scenes, like the impressive destruction at the end, are even spectacular. Set in a Welsh-inspired world of flying machines and steampunk inventions, the film (inspired by the floating island of Laputa in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels) is reminiscent of an Indiana Jones story with its crystalline MacGuffin and a race between pirates and the government to find an ancient civilization of power. Though Muska is a more straightforward villain than others in his filmography, it also bears Miyazaki’s recognizable fingerprints, such as his favoring of nature over technology and his love of flight. It even includes a cameo for the squirrel-fox from Nausicaä.

In the Disney dub, James Van Der Beek and Anna Paquin are likable as Pazu and Sheeta, respectively, though Paquin’s accent fluctuates a bit. Cloris Leachman sounds like she’s having fun as the no-nonsense pirate matron Dola, and Mark Hamill lapses into his famous Joker voice as the villainous Muska. My favorite thing about the film, though, is its score. Joe Hisaishi exceeded even Nausicaä’s score with his glorious orchestral compositions. Thus, the final Japanese song “Carrying You,” which borrows the film’s best theme, is in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame. Castle in the Sky is a classic of Japanese animation that has wide appeal to Western audiences. Even my anime-despising VC had to admit that it was “pretty good.”

Best line: (Louis, a pirate) “Mom, you amaze me. How do ya know these things?”   (Dola, while eating) “Oh, well, ya can’t be a sensitive woman like me without learnin’ a few things. Sheeta and I are exactly alike: all warm and mushy and sensitive!” [burps]

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 9
Watchability: 8
Other (I like other films more): -3
 
TOTAL: 45 out of 60
 

Next: #176 – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

© 2014 S. G. Liput

157 Followers and Counting

 

The Terminal (2004)

15 Tuesday Jul 2014

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Poor Viktor Navorski is nationless,
No visa, no passport, no funds.
His country Krakozhia suffered a coup,
Abandoning traveling sons.
 
Frank Dixon, the customs official,
Tells Viktor his country’s deposed.
He can’t let him into New York with no visa;
The U.S., for Viktor, is closed.
 
His only choice now is to wait there,
To wait with no ending in sight,
Surviving off crackers and bathing in sinks
And sleeping on benches at night.
 
He teaches himself better English
To fit in where he will reside.
Yet Dixon just wants Viktor out of his hair
And goads him to just sneak outside.
 
But Viktor is clever and honest.
He figures out ways to buy food,
But Dixon endeavors to sabotage him
As part of a one-sided feud.
 
Navorski runs into Amelia,
A flight attendant passing through.
She’s dating a married man but deserts him
In favor of Viktor, who’s true.
 
He also befriends those who work in the airport,
And finds his own job in construction.
When one of his confidants wants to propose,
He helps with long-distance seduction.
 
When Dixon reveals to Amelia the truth
That Viktor lives in the airport,
She asks Viktor why, and he pulls out a can
Of papers he’s there to escort.
 
His father got signatures of the jazz greats,
Except Benny Golson on sax.
He came there fulfilling a promise he made
Until he then fell through the cracks.
 
The war in Krakozhia soon comes to an end.
Amelia gives Viktor a pass
To leave for one day, which she got from her beau
For coming back to him with class.
 
Yet Dixon then blackmails Navorski
To get him to just fly away
Till one of his comrades delays Viktor’s flight,
And gives him his requisite day.
 
So Viktor Navorski departs for the doors,
With all the employees’ support,
And even security won’t arrest him
When he at last leaves the airport.
 
He goes to the hotel where Golson is playing
And gets him to sign when he’s asked.
His promise fulfilled, Viktor gets in a taxi
To leave for Krakozhia at last.
___________________
 

It’s hard to believe that someone could live like this in an airport, but The Terminal is reportedly based off Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian refugee who lived in a Paris airport for seventeen years. I didn’t much care for The Terminal the first time I saw it. I thought it was entertaining enough, but that the whole reason behind Viktor’s stay at the airport was weak. For him to go through so much inconvenience for the sake of a jazz musician’s autograph just didn’t seem worth it to me and was somewhat underwhelming, especially since his relationship with Amelia didn’t endure for long either.

But, mainly due to my VC’s further viewing, I gave it another shot and recognized many things to appreciate, despite the lackluster ending. Tom Hanks turns in yet another masterful acting job, speaking Bulgarian and displaying the same innocence and unlikely luck as Forrest Gump. His pathetic scenes early on, such as making a sandwich out of saltines and ketchup, instill sympathy for the character and his plight, and the clever ways he deals with the situation may be improbable but make him even more likable. Stanley Tucci is also skillful as the by-the-book jerk who tries to both get Viktor out and keep him in, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is lovely as Amelia, though her character’s arc isn’t really satisfying.

Viktor’s daily interactions with the airport employees make it reminiscent of a “meet ‘em and move on” film, and Zoe Saldana plays an unrealistically wedded Trekkie, unintentionally foreshadowing her involvement in the Star Trek reboot. Steven Spielberg lets the story flow effortlessly, and John Williams’s score is one of his under-appreciated gems. Borders may have gone out of business, but its signs and the plentitude of other product placement make the airport feel quite realistic.

The film may have several scenes that don’t quite pull off the drama they’re attempting (the “goat” medicine standoff, Gupta’s sacrifice), but it skillfully exhibits some of the ridiculous regulations of bureaucracy. Also, even if the signatures in the can may seem trivial to me, the promise to his father certainly meant a lot to Viktor so I’d say the end is more effective than I had first thought. Overall, The Terminal is a lesser Tom Hanks treasure that excels in its characterization and makes living in an airport an admirable thing.

Best line: (Viktor, to Enrique, after being unable to pronounce the word “cheat”) “She’s a nice… nice girl; she won’t take your chitting.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 9
Watchability: 9
 
TOTAL: 44 out of 60
 

Next: #177 – Castle in the Sky

© 2014 S. G. Liput

157 Followers and Counting

 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

14 Monday Jul 2014

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(This poem is more detailed than others; spoiler alert.)
 
Erebor was a mighty kingdom, built by dwarves with gems and gold;
Men of Dale and forest Elves bowed down before their kings of old,
But the dragon Smaug arrived to claim their treasures and their throne,
And the dwarves were scattered, dreaming of their vengeance and their home.
 
Bilbo Baggins is a Hobbit, living in his cozy hole,
Happy to avoid adventures other than a Sunday stroll.
Smoking on his doorstep one day, Bilbo has a sudden meeting
With the roaming wizard Gandalf, who discusses Bilbo’s greeting.
Bilbo soon retreats inside Bag End, not knowing what’s in store;
Soon there is a fateful knock upon the hobbit’s rounded door.
 
There upon his threshold is a large and pushy dwarf named Dwalin;
Once he shows himself inside, he’s followed by his brother Balin;
Then come Fili, brother Kili, and more dwarves, in all thirteen.
Gandalf then explains he brought them with the promise of cuisine.
Lastly, Thorin Oakenshield arrives to finalize the band;
Bilbo is displeased at this reunion, sudden and unplanned.
 
After feasting on his food, the dwarves discuss why they are there;
They plan taking back their homeland, though they’re cautioned to beware.
Gandalf promised them a burglar, and he chose Bilbo as such,
But the hobbit’s overwhelmed and not pleased with adventures much.
Bilbo claims he cannot go, so they depart to start their quest,
But he soon decides to leave and join with Thorin and the rest.
 
Not far into their adventure, they run into three large trolls
And are caught before Bilbo outsmarts their culinary goals.
Gandalf saves the company, but Radagast, a wizard brown,
Then arrives reporting there’s an evil of bygone renown.
He has been to Dol Guldur, where ancient wickedness yet grows.
Who this reborn foe could be is too disturbing to suppose.
 
Orcs attack astride their wargs, and Thorin’s band is forced to flee
To Rivendell at Gandalf’s urge, though Thorin does so grudgingly.
Lord Elrond still welcomes them and offers food to every chap
And reads the hidden moon-lit letters on a valued Dwarvish map.
This provides a deadline to attain the Lonely Mountain’s height.
Gandalf meets with fellow leaders to discuss things in the night.
 
After Thorin leaves the Elven city, lest their fortunes change,
Thirteen dwarves and one small hobbit climb the Misty Mountain range.
Thunders rumble, mountains crumble, as stone giants fight and toss,
Yet the team locates a cave without a single member’s loss.
Bilbo then is tempted to return back home, for he’s no aid,
But then goblins catch the party, threatening their escapade.
Bilbo manages to flee but falls into a cavern, where
He perceives a golden ring, as well as Gollum’s lightless lair.
With his glowing dagger, Bilbo is too deadly to be harmed;
Therefore, Gollum plays a game of riddles with the hobbit armed.
After teasers back and forth, the hobbit meets with sly success
When he gives his twisted foe a question Gollum cannot guess.
 
In the meantime, Thorin’s being taunted by the goblin king,
Who intends to seal their doom, most likely with much suffering.
Gandalf suddenly appears to free them all and find a route;
Massive combat then ensues as they all battle their way out.
Bilbo finds the ring makes him invisible, but mercy shines
When he spares poor Gollum’s life and joins the dwarves outside the mines.
 
He explains why he came back because he’ll help howe’er he can,
But then they are chased into some cliff-side trees without a plan.
Thorin’s foe, a large pale orc called Azog, wants his blood at last,
And he nearly claims his life till Bilbo saves the dwarf outcast.
Gandalf calls the eagles for a rescue in the nick of time,
Thorin thanks the hobbit for his stand against the goblin slime,
And a distant dragon waits to guard his hoarded gold sublime.
___________________________
 
Trekking through the wilderness are Thorin, Bilbo, and the rest,
Fleeing from that ugly orc, who’s proving to be quite the pest.
Gandalf leads them to a house as they are hunted by a bear,
Which protects them from the goblins after giving them a scare.
Waking up, they meet their host, who was the bear, the sequent morn
And get some wary new assistance from the skin-changer Beorn.
 
Next, it’s further on to Mirkwood, site of dark affairs of late.
Gandalf says that he must leave and bids them walk the path, not straight.
As they journey through the forest, it exerts a strange effect,
And they act as if they’re drugged and soon are lost through their neglect.
After Bilbo climbs a tree and sees the Lonely Mountain near,
Giant spiders capture them and wrap them in a web of fear.
 
Bilbo frees himself in time and saves his allies with his ring,
And his dagger proves its sharpness and is christened by him Sting.
As the spiders close around them, elves appear and slay them all,
Taking all the dwarves as prisoners back to their King Thranduil’s hall.
Legolas then cages them since Thorin does not bargain well;
Kili, though, can’t help but flirt with lovely wood-elf Tauriel.
 
Bilbo, still invisible, discovers how to get them out,
Freeing them and placing them in barrels, though they have some doubt.
Soon they’re floating down a river, but before the elves step in,
They’re attacked by hordes of orcs, led by that one with pale skin.
Legolas and Tauriel assist in slaughtering a lot
As the dwarves escape through carnage, but young Kili still is shot.
 
After landing near the lake, the group encounter bargeman Bard,
Who agrees to smuggle them to Laketown for a price that’s hard.
He is less than popular among the village government,
Who consider him a rebel, sowing protest and dissent.
Though he helps the dwarves inside, their need for weapons makes them rash,
And they raid the armory but are arrested in a flash.
 
Thorin then reveals his name and earns the village’s support;
Bard, however, fears the dragon his ancestor could not thwart.
No one listens to his doubts but revel in the king’s return,
And they see the questers off without the tiniest concern.
Bofur, Oin, and Fili stay to care for Kili’s injury
And are ambushed in Bard’s house by orcs that just won’t let them be.
 
Bilbo finds the hidden keyhole in the rocky mountainside
And must go within alone to find the jewel of Erebor’s pride:
Burglaring the Arkenstone is why they brought him on this quest,
So he wanders through the giant halls, an uninvited guest.
Smaug, the great and powerful, can smell him, even with the Ring,
And speaks to him in mocking tones to learn why he is visiting.
 
Back in Laketown, Tauriel and Legolas arrive to save
Everybody from the orcs, as well as Kili from his grave.
Gandalf, meanwhile, has been busy, looking into Dol Guldur,
Where he now suspects an evil so severe he must be sure.
He stands up to Azog’s orcs but is brought low by one dark lord:
Sauron has returned in force and with a massive goblin horde.
 
In the mountain, Smaug decides to burn the burglar, guaranteed,
And though Bilbo tries the exit, he is stopped by Thorin’s greed.
All the dwarves then scatter through the lofty vaults of their king’s house,
And the dragon chases them in one huge game of cat-and-mouse.
Thorin will not die like this and chooses to have vengeance still.
Thus the dwarves light up the forge, for they’ve a dragon yet to kill.
 
After many close escapes, they fill a giant, ancient mold,
Using Smaug’s own dragon fire to produce their molten gold.
With no time for it to set, the statue that the crafters make
Melts away to gild the dragon, all (they think) for vengeance sake.
Yet this only angers Smaug, and he flies off to show his ire.
He will take revenge on Laketown, and his visit will be dire.
Bilbo watches as the dragon plans to scorch the town with fire.
_____________________
 

The Hobbit is admittedly an overblown story, at least as told by Peter Jackson. Tolkien’s story is so much simpler than The Lord of the Rings, but Jackson ratcheted up the epicness of the classic children’s story to spread over another trilogy. This is both a benefit and a liability.

On the plus side, Martin Freeman wonderfully steps into the role of Bilbo Baggins, originally played by British thespian Ian Holm. His awkward mannerisms are perfect for the role, and his moment of mercy toward Gollum rang true, something that will end up saving the world by the time of Return of the King.He is a laudable hero to follow through the adventure. Ian McKellan reprises his lovable role as Gandalf, and it is certainly enjoyable to reunite with the lovely tranquility of Hobbiton and with characters like Elrond and Galadriel, even if some have no place in this story. The action scenes are also the highlights of the films. In the first film An Unexpected Journey, there’s the gargantuan stone giant battle, the over-the-top goblin free-for-all, and the harrowing domino-tree escape, and The Desolation of Smaug has the cringe-worthy spider scene, the amusement-ride-style barrel chase, and the slam-bang confrontation with Smaug himself. These scenes exceed those in the Lord of the Rings for bombacity but sometimes threaten to take over the films.

On the negative side are mainly the characters. When I first heard that The Hobbit would be a twosome and then a trilogy, I thought Peter Jackson would use that extra time to build on each of the dwarves, get to know them, and make the audience care for them since some don’t survive the end (I’m purposefully not reminding myself who). Yet with only one more film to go, I’d say he’s failed at that. I like the handsome Fili and Kili for their bravery and daring, kindly old Balin for his prudence and affection for Bilbo, and Bofur for his comic side and for the fact I recognize James Nesbitt. Indeed, these four get the bulk of the dialogue and screen time. The others are just along for the ride, tagging along, distinguished more by the styling of their hair and beards than anything else. Heck, Bombur hasn’t spoken once through two long movies; he’s just the fat one. Repeat viewings have allowed me to notice little details and nuances that help define each character, but those do not a personality make. Also, the fact that I know everyone survives until the last movie saps the action scenes of much of their danger. As for Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, he fills the character with grim determination, but Thorin is too serious and ultimately greedy to be truly likable. (Nonetheless, (major Lost alert!) Evangeline Lilly seems well-suited to play the wood-elf Tauriel after playing main heroine Kate on my favorite show. The love triangle is another point that’s weak, I’m afraid.)

The film also suffers from its over-packed plot. It’s almost as if Peter Jackson forgot how to edit unnecessary scenes, for there are several. The entire Council of Rivendell slows things down too much and adds hardly anything to the plot. Other little scenes, like moments with Radagast the Brown or Legolas’s overly eager orc slaughtering, could easily have been snipped down.

Still, the visual effects are outstanding, as are the sweeping views of the New Zealand countryside. While the goblins in the first film had a strange look to them that made them more cartoonish and less real, the other creature effects are seamless, most especially Smaug, the great wyrm of the Lonely Mountain. Benedict Cumberbatch’s voice makes him so immensely menacing to match the awesome CGI, creating perhaps the best dragon on film to date. I also very much like Howard Shore’s score, and the songs from the ends of both films (Neil Finn’s “Song of the Lonely Mountain” and Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire”) are both in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame.

The Hobbit films as a whole are a mixed bag with moments of brilliance recalling The Lord of the Rings and over-indulgent sequences of mayhem with underdeveloped dwarves. I’m glad that Jackson made The Hobbit, even if most fans of the book are not, but I do wish he had made them more streamlined and character-driven. Either way, I eagerly await The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies later this year.

Best lines: (An Unexpected Journey; Gandalf, to Galadriel) “Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I’ve found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay… small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid… and he gives me courage.”

(The Desolation of Smaug; Tauriel, to Legolas) “Are we not part of this world? Tell me, Mellon, when did we let evil become stronger than us?”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 7
Watchability: 8
Other (violence): -4
 
TOTAL: 44 out of 60
 

Next: #178 – The Terminal

© 2014 S. G. Liput

155 Followers and Counting

 

#180: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

13 Sunday Jul 2014

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As Hurricane Katrina is nearing New Orleans,
An old woman lies in her hospital bed.
This Daisy requests that her daughter named Caroline
Read her a journal she never has read.
It tells of a man known as Benjamin Button,
Who didn’t grow old, but grew younger instead.
 
His mom died in childbirth, and his own father
Abandoned him due to his aged condition.
A black girl named Queenie, a nursing home lady,
Decided to care for God’s latest addition.
He grew, an old man among older old people,
And felt right at home with his gray disposition.
 
He met lots of people, an African pygmy
Who urged him to follow and showed him the town;
A woman who taught him to play the piano;
An old man whom seven times lightning struck down,
A young girl named Daisy whom Benjamin liked;
And even his father, of Button renown.
 
He found his first job on a tugboat in port
With Captain Mike Clark, an artiste of tattoos.
Clark showed him the world (and a few other things),
And Benjamin loved all the sailing and booze.
He once met a woman and had an affair,
Short-lived, for the captain received some war news.
 
He worked on the boat in the Second World War,
And lost many shipmates amid a brief fight.
Returning back home, he met Daisy again,
A spry ballerina with passions forthright.
He loved her but she had a life of her own,
Till a car accident in the City of Light.
 
Her injury left her unable to dance,
And she didn’t want any pity from Ben.
In time, she came back to New Orleans and him,
And they lived together with joy once again.
When Daisy got pregnant, they welcomed the child,
But though “now” was fine, Button worried of “then.”
 
While growing still younger, he knew he could not
Be father when he was a child as well,
So Benjamin left, leaving Daisy his money
For young Caroline, whom he just could not tell.
He came back but once several years after that,
And Daisy and he paired up at a hotel.
 
The next time she found him, he looked very young,
And Daisy took care of him as he regressed.
He died as a baby within her old arms,
After 84 years as this backward world’s guest.
Katrina moves in as Miss Daisy joins him,
Having told Caroline of the man she loved best.
____________________

 

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the first film on my list that fits into one of my favorite unofficial sub-genres of film, what I call a “meet ‘em and move on” movie. Such a film follows a single character through life (or a microcosm of it) as they interact with and learn from several different interesting people over time, usually ending with a satisfying wrap-up that may or may not include a recap of the various acquaintances encountered. They can be fanciful and weird like Big Fish or down-to-earth and slow like The Straight Story. I’ve included several such films higher on my list because they tend to touch me deeply (the two mentioned above are exceptions). This film has a number of the things I love about such movies: a unique way of framing the tale, a number of colorful characters made likable by quirks and familiarity, and a touching relationship at the heart of the film.

Benjamin Button is only #180 because it is a blend of elements I love and others I don’t. I was pulled in by the opening vignette about the clockmaker and young/old Benjamin’s adoption by the religious Queenie; then I was turned off by his introduction to a brothel. I enjoyed the listing of his shipmates at sea, not so much Daisy’s talk about her dance troupe “trusting” each other through sex. On the one hand, I loved Cate Blanchett’s performance, as well as Brad Pitt’s, but on the other, the truth is that Benjamin Button as a character is rather underdeveloped and flat. I admire several insightful lines and scenes, such as the build-up to Daisy’s accident. Yet Pitt doesn’t show much of a range of emotions, and my VC felt that Benjamin’s choice to leave Daisy and his daughter was selfish and unnecessary.

Many critics pointed out a number of similarities to another “meet ‘em and move on,” Forrest Gump.I suppose a main reason I like Forrest Gump as a character so much more than Benjamin Button is that Forrest is a better role model. Forrest loved Jenny unconditionally and stayed pure for her, even as she delved into depravity. Benjamin, meanwhile, was nonchalant about sex and had an affair with a married woman, as well as a number of one-night stands, never even marrying Daisy. Even his foster mother Queenie had nightly rendezvous with a close man, though Mrs. Gump wasn’t perfect in that regard either. Forrest took in everything that happened in his life with innocence and naiveté, while Benjamin accepted it all with dull worldliness.

Despite all these detractions and some profanity, the ending of the film is one of the best among “meet ‘em and move on” films. Nothing else in the movie even brought me close to tears, but seeing all the people he met one after another was such a great pay-off that ended the film in the best way possible. Overall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an unusual love story that excels more in its details than in the big picture.

Best line: (Benjamin Button) “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 6
Watchability: 8
Other (language and aforementioned issues): -5
 
TOTAL: 44 out of 60
 

Next: #179 – The Hobbit

© 2014 S. G. Liput

155 Followers and Counting

 

Something the Lord Made (2004)

12 Saturday Jul 2014

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When Vivien Thomas was needing some work,
He found some with Alfred Blalock,
A pioneer surgeon experimenting
On dogs and the study of shock.
 
Though just an assistant, he learned very fast,
His hands and his memory deft.
He found that he loved seeing life at its source,
And he followed Blalock when he left.
 
They went to Johns Hopkins, a researching team
But odd because Thomas was black.
He raised many eyebrows among the white staff,
But Blalock defended his knack.
 
Blalock’s latest challenge was finding a cure
For sick babies who had turned blue.
Both Thomas and he labored tirelessly,
Though heart surgery was taboo.
 
When Thomas realized that he was a class 3,
Two grades below what he should be,
He made the fact known, and Blalock pulled some strings
And gave him the right guarantee.
 
They worked and they worked till the dogs were blue too,
As test cases for operation.
Through Vivien’s help, they obtained a solution,
Albeit with some complication.
 
The time at last came: the first heart surgery,
On a blue baby on her deathbed.
Blalock needed Vivien close by his side
And turned sickly blue to light red.
 
His wondrous success changed the medical world
And garnered him instant acclaim,
But Thomas was troubled and quit his job when
Blalock wouldn’t mention his name.
 
In time, he decided the work’s what he loved,
Returning to Johns Hopkins soon.
For decades he served as a faithful technician
With skills that no man could impugn.
 
Though Blalock passed on, a large portrait of him
Still hangs in the hall, not alone.
For next to his doctor is Vivien Thomas,
Who earned a portrait of his own.
_____________________
 

Something the Lord Made was an HBO film that I just happened to watch one day for the peculiarity of the very British Alan Rickman playing a southern doctor, and he skillfully pulled it off. Not only is his accent well-replaced, but he plays Dr. Alfred Blalock with just the right balance of compassion and egotism. Mos Def is even more remarkable as Vivien Thomas, the carpenter-turned-lab technician who helped to change the world of medicine without ever going to college. I noticed during this latest viewing that his facial expressions are not particularly varied, but he successfully evokes every emotion, from the focus and tension of the operations to the betrayal felt when he is ignored for his contributions to the quiet awe and gratitude when he is finally awarded such recognition.

The film is not for the very squeamish since there are some surgery scenes, though they’re not too graphic. Also, modern-day animal rights activists would probably have prevented Blalock’s breakthrough by taking away the dogs on which he experimented. The scenes of the surgeons cutting into upturned canines may displease some animal lovers, but it paved the way for modern heart surgery, saving millions of lives.

As usual, there is some completely unnecessary foul language, and the make-up to age the characters is non-existent (just grayed hair), but there are certainly more positives than negatives. It presents many racist period details, such as blacks’ sitting at the back of the bus and vacating sidewalks for whites, but mostly as details, facts of life for the characters. The sensitive relationship between Blalock and Thomas is the highlight of the film, a little-known piece of history that is truly amazing when you think about it. I don’t watch a lot of HBO films due to their content, but if there were more like this one, I would.

Best line: (Vivien Thomas) “The dead are with us all the time, I believe. Can’t separate the past from the future any more than you can your right arm and your left arm.
(Dr. Blalock) “Ah, but, you see, they are separated by this, by the heart.”
(Thomas) “Or connected.”
(Blalock) “Or connected.”

 

Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 8
 
TOTAL: 43 out of 60

 

Next: #180 – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

© 2014 S. G. Liput

155 Followers and Counting

 

 

Funny Girl (1968)

11 Friday Jul 2014

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(Best sung to “Don’t Rain on My Parade”)
 
When Fanny Brice was just a show-biz starter,
She couldn’t be a chorus girl, but smarter;
She had the voice to make the audience acclaim.
Though like a bagel compassed by bialys,
She was a starlet in the Ziegfeld Follies.
She made the people laugh and earned the highest fame.
 
Quite early on, she meets a handsome mister.
This Nicky Arnstein just wants to assist her,
But over time their love inevitably grows.
When he must leave to catch a ship and gamble,
She follows him and dumps her show to ramble
With him, the man who’s glad to see her and propose.
 
They’re glad together for a time, but Nicky
Runs out of luck, and earning money’s tricky.
Yet Fanny’s still the star of Ziegfeld’s latest show.
Increasingly, he can’t provide the bacon;
He feels his confidence and pride are shaken;
And he will not accept the help she can bestow.
 
This streak of bad luck—Nick cannot crack it,
So he decides to join a bond scheme racket.
He goes to jail for eighteen months, and they both part.
Though Fanny still may love her former wooer,
They both decide to start their lives the newer
By separating, but Miss Brice still sings her heart.
______________________
 

Funny Girl was Barbra Streisand’s first film, based off the Tony-nominated Broadway show she headlined, and it’s the film that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress (albeit tied with Katharine Hepburn for The Lion in Winter). The role of Fanny Brice suits her just as much as that of Dolly Levi, both strong Jewish women (at least as played by Streisand), and, though it entails her being self-conscious about her looks, her comedic and vocal talents are given great opportunity to shine.

Omar Sharif is also as “gorgeous” as ever as the charming gambler Nick Arnstein, who helps Fanny early in her career. Sharif certainly sells the character, but Arnstein is an unfortunate example of pride gone awry. Ignoring the fact that he seduces Fanny and only marries her at her suggestion, the way he handles his poor luck is frustrating to me. It’s usually admirable when some poor movie father says he won’t accept charity but will rather earn his own money, but I think most such fathers would take the contribution before turning to illegal activities. Nick was given a chance to finally have a somewhat stable career, and he turned it down because his wife was helping to finance it. That’s not even charity; it’s simple sharing! For him to knowingly commit a crime and desire divorce is perhaps not as fatal as the actions of Norman Maine in A Star Is Born, but it does show that his own pride trumped his love for Fanny. But I digress….

While the unsatisfying end and the rather long running time detract somewhat, the music makes up for it. Many songs were omitted from the stage production, but several show-stopping numbers just had to be included. Of course, Streisand’s rendition of “People” is quite popular, but “His Love Makes Me Beautiful” is a hoot. I actually prefer the more upbeat songs “I’m the Greatest Star” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” The lyrics are all clever, and the final notes are awe-inspiring.

Like Hello, Dolly, Funny Girl is not my favorite musical, but it’s a great mixture of drama, comedy, and music that meshes beautifully, mainly due to Streisand’s performance. While the last song “My Man” may finish it on a high note, I do wish the film overall ended more happily.

Best line: (Fanny, speaking of Nick) “I see him as he is. I love him as he is!”   (her mother Rose) “Fanny, love him a little less. Help him a little more.”

VC’s best line: (Fanny, explaining how she’s different) “I’m a bagel on a plate full of onion rolls!”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 7
Other (great music and singing): +3
 
TOTAL: 43 out of 60
 

Next: #181 – Something the Lord Made

© 2014 S. G. Liput

153 Followers and Counting

 

Have a Little Faith (2011)

10 Thursday Jul 2014

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A eulogy seems like a difficult chore
For newspaper writer Mitch Albom, who’s sore
Toward any religion; this eulogy’s for
His childhood rabbi named Al.
The rabbi is friendly and kind all along
And often breaks out into jubilant song,
His sermons make his congregation feel strong,
And Mitch grows to be a close pal.
 
Although he had feared Albert Lewis when young,
Mitch quickly is charmed by his clever old tongue
And the warmhearted ways that his greetings are sung
And shares many visits for years.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, Albom happens to meet
A black pastor helping those out on the street.
Though his shabby church has no light and no heat,
His whole congregation still cheers.
 
But this Henry Covington has had a past;
He once was a drug dealer, living life fast.
All his offenses leave Albom aghast,
Yet here Henry is, a changed man.
When he was most desperate, oppressed by mistakes,
God helped him survive, Henry setting the stakes.
He then made a promise that he never breaks,
To serve God as long as he can.
 
A hole in the roof causes Henry much stress,
And Mitch wants to help but is nervous, I guess,
That Henry might be tempted still and regress,
But Henry proves he is reformed.
Mitch then puts the word out for charity aid,
And soon Henry’s church is quite nearly remade.
The roof hole is fixed, and the bills are all paid;
The building’s now well-lit and warmed.
 
Eight years after Albert, the teacher most wise,
Asked distant Mitch Albom to please eulogize,
The ninety-year-old singing rabbi then dies,
Having strengthened the uncertain Mitch.
And Henry as well, having won much affection,
Whose life was recycled by God’s wise direction,
Went home to the Lord till the next resurrection,
A soul God employed to enrich.
______________________
 

Following up the Hallmark-like The Ultimate Gift, here’s a real Hallmark Hall of Fame movie based on Mitch Albom’s book, which featured real-life conversations with his old rabbi and a Protestant pastor. As inspiring as it is faith-building, the film proves how powerful television movies can be. As the film goes back and forth between the homespun Jewish wisdom of Rabbi Lewis and the touching salvation story of Pastor Henry Covington, the audience gets to know them as characters just as Mitch Albom did, gradually.

Martin Landau is especially convincing and likable as the elderly rabbi, and Laurence Fishburne is also excellent as Henry, portraying him in both his free-wheeling, drug-ridden days and his devoted, repentant later life. Even though the film got no nominations, I thought both of them deserved an Emmy for their performances. Bradley Whitford is all right as Mitch, although his dense misunderstanding of religion borders on frustrating at times. I know he’s a non-practicing Jew, but even most non-believers can agree on someone’s ability to change their own life.

I think Have a Little Faith is an overlooked gem that deserves its Hallmark Hall of Fame status. It’s realistic yet restrained, instructional yet not preachy, dramatic and sweet yet not overly so. It’s a portrait of two men worth admiring, the kind of quality television most channels have ceased making.

Best line: (Mitch, to Rabbi Lewis) “Do you believe in God?”   (Rabbi) “Yes. Occupational hazard.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 8
 
TOTAL: 43 out of 60

 

Next: #182 – Funny Girl

© 2014 S. G. Liput

153 Followers and Counting

 

The Ultimate Gift (2006)

09 Wednesday Jul 2014

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When rich Red Stevens meets his end,
His family does not regret.
They only care what he’ll extend
To them within the will he set.
 
He gives them limited control
And nowhere near what they desire.
The rest is missing as a whole,
Perhaps for one who will aspire.
 
To Jason Stevens, Red’s grandson,
Whose father died he knows not how,
Red gives a challenge that, if won,
Will grant the most he can endow.
 
Since Jason is a spoiled punk
Who hopes for something still to gain,
He flies to Texas in a funk,
As Red’s will stipulated plain.
 
Unlike the simple gift he thought
He would receive when set down,
He’s told to work and toil a lot
Upon a ranch some hours from town.
 
Eventually, he gets the gist
And digs fence posts for many miles,
But when he’s finished and dismissed,
There is no gift for all his trials.
 
He got, it seems, the Gift of Work,
And soon the Gift of Problems comes.
He sees that every “friend’s” a jerk
When he’s made poor and joins the bums.
 
He has to find just one true friend,
A gift that is in short supply.
Then he finds someone to defend,
Although he’s now a homeless guy.
 
Alexia and daughter too
Named Emily are grateful so
The young girl says their friendship’s true,
Although they met not long ago.
 
He ditches them, but soon he learns
That Emily is bound to die.
Her cancer sparks his own concerns,
And Jason pays their rent, though high.
 
Alexia, touched by this act,
Agrees to share his Thanksgiving,
Thanks to her daughter, who, in fact,
Wants them to pair up while she’s living.
 
The Stevens family dinner goes
Downhill because of pride and greed.
When Jason sees their moral lows,
He sees himself and can’t proceed.
 
The next gift in Red’s repertoire
Is that of Learning things through pain.
To do that, Jason must withdraw
And go someplace to find a plane.
 
In Ecuador, his father crashed,
And Jason always had blamed Red.
With this real story now rehashed,
He misses more those Stevens dead.
 
When Jason’s captured by cartels,
He thinks his life’s about to end,
But he escapes them and dispels
The worries of his new-found friend.
 
Alexia and Emily
Are glad he’s back, albeit late,
But even now that he is free,
Both death and heartache still await.
 
When all his challenges are through,
He’s given millions from Red’s will,
But there is something he can do
For those like Emily, still ill.
 
When he presents expensive plans
For family homes for those in need,
He feels at last he understands
How he can help and intercede.
 
But Emily soon goes to heaven,
Leaving Lexi in good care.
For now the ultimate gift is given:
Jason’s ready to be heir.
________________________
 

Watching the greedy excesses of the rich and infamous has become a favorite pastime for many television viewers lately. With all the Kardashians and “Housewives” and such out there, I’m sure plenty of people would love to see them taught a lesson. While Bobcat Goldthwait wanted to gun them down in his atrocious black “comedy” God Bless America, I, for one, much prefer the reformation portrayed in the Hallmark-esque The Ultimate Gift.

James Garner is the heart of the film as the deceased Red Stevens, who teaches his grandson the deeper life lessons that his privileged upbringing could not. His recorded messages throughout the movie may be reminiscent of Brewster’s Millions, but they help tie the film and its lessons together. Drew Fuller as Jason is a bit too blank-faced to be really compelling for most of the film (Nick Stahl or Chris Pine could have done just as well), but Abigail Breslin gives a touchingly precocious performance as young Emily. The lovely Ali Hillis is also quite good as Alexia, but for me the film’s main appeal, like its lessons, belong to the older generation: Garner, Bill Cobbs as his aged lawyer friend Mr. Hamilton, Lee Meriwether as Miss Hastings, and Brian Dennehy as hard-working rancher Gus.

Many critics were, well, critical of how the film pushed its good-for-you values on both characters and the audience, but when those lessons are this universal, I don’t mind. It’s satisfying to see a spoiled playboy like Jason stripped of everything he thought was valuable, only for him to get it back and more with a very different viewpoint and appreciation. Both he and Emily act almost as guardian angels for Alexia, and their interactions are both believable and sweet.

I will say that the whole part in Ecuador, while heightening the drama, is so different in tone and setting from the rest of the film as to seem out of place. Another thing I do wonder is how the apples fell so far from the tree. I know that the second generation rarely equals the tycoons who earned them all their money, but Red Stevens seems so down to earth, wise, and prudent that I can’t help but wonder how his kids turned out so greedy and ungrateful. There’s another movie higher on my list with a similar problem, but here there is at least the hope that Jason, as the next Red Stevens, will run his empire much better than any of Red’s children would. The Ultimate Gift isn’t just the fortune Jason inherits but the experience to use it wisely.

Best line: (Jason, to Emily about a statue of Jesus; a good example of the film’s unobtrusive religiosity) “I don’t know much about God or Jesus, but I can promise you those arms are meant for you.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 7
Watchability: 7
Other (lessons everyone should learn): +4
 
TOTAL: 43 out of 60
 

Next: #183 – Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith

© 2014 S. G. Liput

152 Followers and Counting

 

Spaceballs (1987)

08 Tuesday Jul 2014

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When Planet Spaceball needs some air,
Its leader Skroob intends to dare
To steal it from the Druids’ planet.
It can’t get more absurd, now can it?
Wait, it can, a Druish bride
Named Princess Vespa can’t abide
Her sleepy groom; she’s unafraid
To leave with Dot Matrix, her maid.
 
Her father calls the rogue Lone Starr,
To save her (and her nice space-car)
From Dark Helmet and Spaceball One,
A ship that they cannot outrun.
Lone Starr, along with friendly mutt,
Is in debt to Pizza the Hutt,
So for a price, Lone Starr agrees
And rescues her, which sparks unease.
 
When Dark Helmet goes way too fast,
He goes to plaid and whizzes past.
But Lone Starr’s gas runs out too soon,
And they crash on a desert moon.
Though bride and rogue despised each other,
They start to flirt till Dot plays mother.
They meet old Yogurt, who purports
To know the power of the Schwartz.
 
He shares with Lone Starr much advice,
Such as his plans for merchandise.
With help from Spaceballs’ VHS,
Dark Helmet searches with success.
He kidnaps Vespa, using her
To force her daddy to defer
And give his world’s defensive code
To save the nose job he’d bestowed.
 
Then Spaceball One (to serve the plot)
Transforms into a maid. Why not?
The Druids lack time to prepare
As those Spaceballs suck up their air,
But Lone Starr rescues Vespa’s head
And makes the sucker blow instead.
He journeys through the Mega Maid
And finds the self-destruct (clichéd).
 
He fights Dark Helmet comically,
But wins and then is quick to flee.
The maid explodes (well, most of it),
And Vespa’s back to wed a twit.
But after dinner and a show,
Lone Starr is told he’s royal so
He interrupts to wed the bride,
And they fly off in his sweet ride.
_________________
 

One of the best parody films ever, Spaceballs was Mel Brooks’ response to Star Wars, Alien, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, The Wizard of Oz, the 1986 animated Transformers: The Movie, and any other science fiction film you can think of. Almost every line of dialogue is a joke, and almost every one is funny. Add that to some hilarious cameos, such as Mel Brooks himself as Skroob and the noise-production guru Michael Winslow (who reportedly saved Brooks money on sound effects), and you’ve got a cult classic in the making.

The acting isn’t the best, nor are the visual effects, but I bet that was intentional to heighten the humor. Bill Pullman came to prominence through his starring role as Lone Starr (he wasn’t even promoted on the film poster), and other roles are hilariously filled by John Candy, Daphne Zuniga, Joan Rivers, Dick Van Patten, and the ever-funny Rick Moranis as Dark Helmet. The funniest scene in the whole movie for me is the Alien spoof near the end, which is made more amusing by the presence of John Hurt, who had previously been involved with Brooks in History of the World, Part I and The Elephant Man.

The main reason Spaceballs isn’t higher on the list is its frequent language and crudities. From phallic jokes to insults used as names, these gags are funny in some ways, but they detract from the film’s appeal. Kids probably wouldn’t even get most of the clever references to other films, but Brooks ensured that it wasn’t appropriate for them in the first place.

Still, barring the double entendres, Spaceballs is a must-see for science fiction fans, especially those of Star Wars. There are too many sight gags, puns, and fun antics to spoil them all, and I don’t want to try. I dare you not to laugh.

Best line: (Dark Helmet) “Before you die, there is something you should know about us, Lone Starr.”
(Lone Starr) “What?”
(Dark Helmet) “I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.”
(Lone Starr) “What’s that make us?”
(Dark Helmet) “Absolutely nothing! Which is what you are about to become.”

 

Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 8
Watchability: 10
Other (language and crude jokes): -4
 
TOTAL: 43 out of 60
 

Next: #184 – The Ultimate Gift

© 2014 S. G. Liput

150 Followers and Counting!

 

The Way (2010)

07 Monday Jul 2014

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Santiago de Compostela
Waits for pilgrims crossing Spain,
Journeying on El Camino,
But their trek is not in vain.
 
Hikers through the centuries
Have walked the many-mile trail,
Ending at the tomb of St. James
After braving much travail.
 
Thomas Avery is told
His son died in the Pyrenees,
So he flies to claim the corpse,
Though he and Daniel weren’t at ease.
 
Daniel wished to see the world,
Including this, the famous Way.
Now that he is only ashes,
Thomas has a debt to pay.
 
As he carries Daniel’s pack,
He sprinkles ashes as he goes,
Feeling Daniel still is near him,
Nearer than the lives they chose.
 
Early on, he meets a Dutchman,
Joost, who’s hiking to lose weight.
Eating, chattering, smoking drugs,
Joost cannot help but irk his mate.
 
Soon they separate, but Thomas
Meets a girl Canadian, eh.
Sarah seems extremely angry,
Unlike most who walk the Way.
 
She is trying quitting smoking,
Which she’ll slough off at the end,
But until then she’ll keep lighting
While avoiding any friend.
 
Joost and Sarah and old Thomas
End up trekking as a group.
Thomas, though, keeps wholly silent,
Marching like an army troop.
 
Then they meet an Irish writer,
Jack, who suffers writer’s block.
He is hoping inspiration
Just might find him on this walk.
 
Briefly, Sarah opens up
To Tom enough to introduce
Guilt about a past abortion
And her husband’s cruel abuse.
 
Joost and Jack seem always merry,
But when wine is passed around,
Thomas gives his full two cents,
Insulting these comrades he found.
 
Feeling guilty afterward,
He lets Jack write his journey’s tale,
And they continue, heading west
Along the ever-winding trail.
 
Most they meet along the Way
Are friendly (one a little mad),
But when they reach the town of Burgos,
Tom’s pack’s stolen by a lad.
 
There is little they can do,
For Gypsies all of them despise,
But the young man’s father comes,
Returning to apologize.
 
With his pack, Tom journeys on,
Continuing with Dan’s remains.
Near the end, he gifts his friends
With luxury for all their pains.
 
At last, they reach the great cathedral,
Where so many have arrived.
During Mass, they all look on
With hope and faith perhaps revived.
 
Goals they set may not have happened,
But they journey to the sea.
Thomas empties Daniel’s ashes
And keeps up his odyssey.
_________________
 

A coworker of mine once criticized the Lord of the Rings movies for having way too much walking, but that’s what a quest is for. It’s what happens during the walk that matters. The Way received little fanfare upon its release in 2010, but when my family heard about it, we decided to go see it on Halloween night (since I was too old for trick-or-treating by that time). Most people watch horror movies at that time of year, but this was much more inspiring.

The film was the brainchild of Emilio Estevez, who directed, produced, wrote, and starred in the film as the deceased Daniel. Inspired by Martin Sheen’s own journey with Estevez’s son, who met his future wife on the Camino, the film isn’t melodramatic or overly sentimental. Martin Sheen evokes a father’s pain at the loss of his son in very realistic ways, clamming up, yelling when his inhibitions are lowered, feeling he must take this journey but wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. All the other characters likewise seem very authentic, not fitting into a tired Hollywood archetype. Yorick van Wageningen, Deborah Kara Unger, and James Nesbitt are quite convincing as Joost, Sarah, and Jack, all of whom have quirks that clearly irritate Tom but aren’t enough to make them unlikable as characters. They’re the kind of traveling companions one would hope to find on such a journey. (By the way, if it wasn’t for this film introducing me to James Nesbitt, I would be totally unfamiliar with the thirteen dwarves in The Hobbit. He played Bofur and was at least one face I could recognize.)

The entire film was shot on the actual Camino, with all the walkers being real pilgrims, aside from the main actors. This heightens the authenticity but doesn’t detract from the artistry. Estevez’s skillful camerawork frequently focuses on a close-up of something, whether meaningful or insignificant, and then switches to a wide shot showing the enormity of the Camino and the surrounding countryside. The little character moments along the way range from funny to touching, and the final outcome for the travelers’ reasons for walking the Camino is more realistic than most Hollywood fare. It also presents Gypsies in a more sympathetic light than I think many Europeans would.

The final scene in the cathedral is not only fascinating (there’s a giant thurible called Botafumeiro that swings incense throughout the entire church) but also especially moving and brought my VC to tears. Estevez claimed he wanted to make a film that could appeal to everyone, “pro-people, pro-life, not anti-anything,” and I think he succeeded. The religious elements can appeal to Christians (though Catholicism technically forbids the spreading of ashes), but there’s enough cynicism and character-driven drama to captivate everyone else. It makes me want to perhaps walk the Camino myself one day. Who knows?

Best line (a frequent excuse for not doing things in life): (Tom) “Have you ever walked the Camino, Señora?”   (Spanish woman in the stamp office) “No. When I was young, I was too busy, and now that I’m older, I’m too tired.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 9
Watchability: 8
Other (brief language): -1
 
TOTAL: 43 out of 60
 

Next: #185 – Spaceballs (now for something completely different)

© 2014 S. G. Liput

150 Followers and Counting!

(Thanks to everyone reading out there!)