February 2010    |   epinions.com

Unlike some other reviewers of this film, Ong-Back: Thai Warrior met and even exceeded my expectations. I acquired this DVD from my nephew, who likes it enough he bought it on blu-ray and gave me his old copy. Most martial arts film play to genre plots, and this film is no different. If you're expecting a ground-breaking film that ignores all historical martial arts genre conventions, this film is not for you. Like most martial arts films, Ong-Bak involves a quest for honor to retrieve a cherished object -- in this case, the head of Ong-Bak, an important religious statue in a remote provincial village which has been desecrated by a small time thief and thug, its head taken back to the city. For this task, the young Ting, although he has been taught Muay Thai by the village monks but also forbidden to use it, volunteers to find the stolen head and return it to the grieving villagers. Thus the quest begins. Martial arts films fans will recognize how the rest of the film plays out. Ting goes to the city, ends up having to use his Muay Thai though it was forbidden by the village monks, battles the local crime boss and his army of thugs and goons, and eventually reclaims the stolen head of the sacred statue. Of course, we have the obligatory stereotypical comic relief in the form of an overweight, morality- and financially-challenged son of a village elder and his partner in crime/girlfriend. By the end of the film, the son of the village elder has been inspired by the courage and morals of Ting, has thrown his fortune and lot in with Ting's quest to find and return the missing head, and has begun to turn over a new stone, even contemplating returning to his father and the village, before he dies at the hands of the local criminals trying to keep the head of Ong-Bak from being returned. As with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Blood Sport twenty years ago, Ong-Bak: Thai Warrior and Tony Jaa introduce me to spectacular martial arts stunts and choreography which I have not witnessed before and are beautiful to watch. Tony Jaa's techniques in this film use all 8 striking points of muay thai, but he strikes all over the body of his opponents in surprising, unexpected ways -- striking from multiple planes of 360 degrees, not just two or three. These sequences make this film utterly enjoyable and entertaining. Although the plot is typical for a martial arts film, the audience will watch the fight scenes for the awesome surprises in them. Before watching this DVD, I had not heard of Tony Jaa. I am glad I have now discovered this superb martial arts film star. I will be looking for other films featuring Tony Jaa and his noteworthy martial arts talents. Read my full review of Ong-Bak: Thai Warrior starring Tony Jaa >

March 2009    |    epinions.com

I don't remember much about the original Witch Mountain films from the 1980s. Which means that I did not dislike them. When the previews for this new film appeared, it looked like it would follow a similar plot with updated special effects and a good male lead in Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock), so I put my kids in the car and took them to see Race to Witch Mountain. We were not disappointed. The film was better than I expected, and better than I remember the original films to be. It kept me and my two boys, ages 5 and 6, entertained throughout. The film is not long on philosophy or intellectual depth, but it is a straight-forward live-action Disney production. Everything and everyone is who they appear and pretend to be. There are no surprises in the film, plot twists or reversals. In short, a space craft crashes to earth. Of course, the government has tracked the craft and dispatches units to cordon off the area and search for wreckage and passengers. They find two sets of footprints leaving the area, and using modern technology such as surveillance cameras, ATM cameras, traffic cams, are able to learn that the children have been picked up by a cab, driven by Jack Bruno in Las Vegas, and the chase ensues. As the plot progresses, we learn the children have come to earth to save it from invasion from their planet, whose natural resources have been depleted and can no longer support life (sound familiar); however, the children's father believes their planet can be made habitable again, but the information to do so happens to be hidden on earth in a dilapidated mountain cabin. Here, an indestructible alien assassin, bred to hunt and kill, enters the picture. Like the originals, there are now two entities chasing the aliens and the humans who help them. Race to Witch Mountain is not carried by special effects, though they are appropriate for the film. One memorable special effects scenes occurs early in the film, as they are being pursued by black SUVs. The young boy alien, who is able to alter his molecular density, wrecks one of the SUVs by standing in the road in its path. This is one of the scenes shown on the previews. The SUV crumples and parts fly by the boy in slow motion. Race to Witch Mountain is entertaining, light fare suitable for the entire family. It is neither too long nor too short and does not leave any loose ends, except the aliens' handheld device in the possession of Jack Bruno so they can be found again by the aliens. Read my full review of Disney's Race to Witch Mountain >

December 2008    |    epinions.com

I was thrilled when the Batman film franchise was rebooted with Batman Begins. I hadn't seen much of Christian Bale, but I was willing to give him a chance. Gary Oldman, for the most part, has always played the villain, so his role as Detective Gordon was also a pleasant surprise. Of course, we can't forget Liam Neeson, either, as Bruce's philosophy and martial arts teacher who really turns out to be the villain in this first flick. Interesting casting and turns of events in the first film, and the character development of Batman, made the first film memorable for many viewers. This second film in the rebooted franchise is no less surprising, but the surprise comes with mixed emotions. This new film is a headier concoction, dealing with tough psychological and sociological issues. The hero as individual is no longer important. This film is not about Batman as man, hero or billionaire. It is, instead, about preconceptions, chaos and Batman's role in inspiring and combating chaos and evil. The scope of this new film is much larger, less microscopic, a step back to view the larger picture (as it were). The characters in this new film are more interesting sociologically than those in the first film. Batman, Gordon and Rachel Dawes find themselves in a plot with strict political and sociological boundaries. Batman's square peg is that which a single masked vigilante can do to save a city from crime and corruption. His effort in the first film isn't good enough, apparently. We find Detective Gordon in still much the same predicament as the first film. Doing all he can for the city, trying to take down the mafia by hitting the banks who launder their dirty money. Rachel Dawes knows Bruce is the Batman, and knows that she cannot ever be with Bruce as long as the city needs Batman. She has also come to realize that she can't ever marry Bruce because Bruce is really Batman's alter ego, Batman's mask. The Joker is the character thrown into the script to spice it up. While crime and corruption don't necessarily have a face in this film, the Joker clearly gives chaos a face to remember. Heath Ledger is lost in this role (metaphorically speaking). He is unrecognizable as Heath Ledger. He is entirely the Joker. Twice in the film, the Joker reveals how he became the Joker, or got the scars that give him the scarred smile he wears. Both stories involve family situations and a knife. Either story could be true, I guess. But it is also true that both stories could be lies. The only unsatisfying event in this film is when Harvey Dent becomes Two Face because Rachel Dawes is blown up by the Joker. It's just not convincing that a man as fearless as Harvey Dent about putting criminals behind bars, and doing whatever it takes legally to do so, will roll over so easily when defeated by such a small thing as the death of a woman who is not his wife. For viewers who like their super heroes, this film will disappoint. For viewers who like their sociological and psychological studies, this film will not disappoint. Read my full review of Batman: The Dark Knight >

May 2007  |  Epinions.com

I have been a Spider-Man fan since I was 8 or 9 years old, possibly younger, when I began to collect Spider-Man comics. I have a small collection of comics today, more than half the collection are Spider-Man related. For Spider-Man 3, I had high expectations, especially with the appearance of Venom, arguably the most popular villain in the modern Spider-Man comics (the 1980s and 1990s anyway). Unfortunately, the third Spider-man installment falls short of my expectations. Despite this, it is a film well worth watching. For Spider-Man fans, though, who grew up reading the Spider-Man comics in the 1980s and 1990s like me, they likely won't bond with the film the same way they bonded with the comics. All the important actors and actresses return for Spider-Man 3. Spider-Man 3 also introduces new characters to the film franchise. In this installment, Captain Stacy, his daughter Gwen Stacy, her boyfriend Eddie Brock/Venom, and Flint Marko/Sandman enter the world of Peter Parker. For comic fans, the introduction of the Sandman, a classic Spider-Man villain from the 1960s, like Dr. Octopus, is a welcome addition. For younger comic fans, the introduction of Spider-Man's black costume, which eventually bonds with Eddie Brock to become Venom, is also a welcome addition. Both villains are certain to draw two generations of fans. As other reviewers have noted, this film is more mature than the first two films. Peter Parker, Mary Jane and Harry Osborn are no longer high school graduates or college freshmen; they are now adults trying to make their way between the youthful world they once knew and the adult world where rent is due and feelings are sometimes hurt by the cruelty of strangers but hurt most deeply by those closest to us. A strong, perhaps heavy-handed, theme in Spider-Man 3 is the power of choice. All the characters in this film, including the villains, have had to make choices. What some in the audience will also realize, especially in regard to the characters of Harry Osborn and Flint Marko, is that these characters, like Peter, have made choices, too. We find, though, that Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy and Eddie Brock also make choices throughout the film. When Spider-Man 3 ends, I have the certain feeling that this could well be the last film in the franchise for this generation. There are no concrete plot lines or tensions left open, as there were in the first two films. No hidden lairs discovered. The film ends with Peter entering the blues bar where Mary Jane still works, stepping to the stage, holding out his hand, and the two of them beginning to dance slowly. They do not speak. So, despite their pain, there is hope for them and their relationship. It depends on the choices they now make. And the choices that will be made in Hollywood. Read my full review of Spider-man 3 >

November 2006  |  Epinions.com

Harold Crick must die. Having written some poems and stories, experienced some small success, and viewed the world through the eyes of an author, it is clear that Harold Crick must die! It's that simple. The power of Stranger than FIction is that it brings to consciousness the facts of our very lives. It is a minimalist story, a la Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Carver. The story is a simple but powerful interwoven tapestry of a small handful of lives, including Harold Crick, a senior IRS agent; Karen Eiffel, a novelist whose new book is not yet finished but with the publisher's deadline looming; Ana Pascal, anarchist and owner of a small bakery who knowingly shortchanged the IRS 22% from her last income tax; Professor Jules Hilbert, a professor of literature; a bus driver; a reckless young boy on a bicycle. And an apple. But in this tapestry is a magical event: Karen the novelist narrates Harold's life for a few weeks, and Harold hears her narrative voice (of course, no one else can hear her voice as she narrates about Harold). Shortly, Harold's very modern wristwatch plays a significant part in his very certain imminent death (according Karen-as-narrator). Naturally, this leads Harold to try to find an answer and solution to his predicaments: some unknown voice is narrating his life in his head and has revealed that "unknown to him" he will soon die. So the plot begins. In the end, Harold seeks out Karen Eiffel and meets this woman who is about to kill him in her book about his life. Professor Hilbert defines her as a tragidist. Both Professor Hilbert and Harold read her completed manuscript, but its last few pages, Harold's death, are not yet committed to typewritten copy. Prof. Hilbert tells Harold that he must die; the novel is Karen's masterpiece. Harold, after reading the manuscript, agrees, and calmly accepts his fate, telling Karen that he loves the book and that she must finish it. This perfect, masterful ending she has written in her own hand on a yellow legal pad unfolds in the next scene. And the movie fades to white. Walk out at the fade to white in this film. Leave the theater. The ending you'll savor will be so much more painful. Meaningful. And sweet. Read my full review of Stranger than Fiction >

July 2006  |  Epinions.com

Everyone's bound to cheer Superman Returns. Several of the special effects sequences are so breathtaking that all discussion is deserved. The mid-air plane/shuttle disaster, the bullets bouncing off Superman's chest (and even his eye!), and hundreds such spectacular scenes will truly make the world believe again that a man can fly! There are dozens of scenes that make the audience feel as if they are really there in the scene with the characters, and if they were any closer, they themselves would be in danger. Just as Superman Returns takes risks with its incredible special effects, the film also grasps opportunities just as zealously. Superman Returns explores emotional issues for its hero, and does so surprisingly well. No longer is Superman invincible, indestructible, the proverbial Man of Steel. He is now more "one of us" after his 5-year absence than ever before. This creates more depth of character than the franchise has ever known. Superman Returns also takes risks and grabs opportunity with the character of Lex Luthor, who IMHO has never been much of a threat to Superman or the world. In the Reeves' films, Lex Luthor is a putz, surrounding himself with mindless, brainless, bumbling, uneducated idiots who do his bidding. While just a touch of this remains with this modern Lex Luthor, that is all that remains. Lex Luthor is a very dangerous man. Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor is explosive, and does not distance himself from his crimes. He is as likely to kill you himself as to have one of his few henchmen do it for him. Duality has long been a feature of the most powerful tales of world literature. The most powerful tales use paired characters, events, and circumstances to generate and fuel their plots. Superman Returns employs dualities from start to finish between Superman/Clark Kent, Superman/Lex Luthor, Jor-L and Kal-El and Lex Luthor, fathers and sons, etc. These dualities make Superman Returns a rich feast for the mind and those old enough to remember the first Reeves-helmed Superman film. Read my full review of Superman Returns >