Month: August 2019

Today’s quick review: Roman Holiday. While on a goodwill tour of Europe, Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) escapes the burdens of royal life to go see Rome for herself. She’s taken in by Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), an American journalist who soon figures out who she is and what a story about her would be worth. Joe gives Ann her first taste of life outside a palace and prepares his story in secret. But as he gets to know her, his resolve begins to waver.

Roman Holiday is a classic romantic comedy. Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn make for a strong lead couple. Peck plays Joe, a deceitful reporter with a good heart, while Hepburn plays Ann, a refined but naive princess who wants nothing more than to lead a normal life. Roman Holiday features a pair of excellent leads, a well-developed story, and measured doses of comedy and romance. Its rock-solid craftsmanship is enough to earn its place as a classic.

Roman Holiday pays closer attention to its story than most romantic comedies. Ann and Joe are fleshed out in considerable depth, and the film lets them grow organically as they spend time together. Their romance, such as it is, can be exuberant in places, but it never breaks free from reality: Joe is a liar, though a kind one, and Ann is destined for a life she does not want. This perspective makes Roman Holiday unusually mature for a comedy.

Fans of classic romances will want to give Roman Holiday a shot. Its leads are a joy to watch, and its thoughtful writing distinguishes it from the other films like it. Skip it if you are looking for a more overt comedy or a more unfettered romance. For another Audrey Hepburn movie with similar depth, try Breakfast at Tiffany’s. For lighter fare in a similar vein, try Funny Face or How to Steal a Million.

8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for a pleasant, thoughtful story and two rich performances.

Today’s quick review: Another Thin Man. Nick (William Powell) and Nora (Myrna Loy) Charles are on a trip with their one-year-old son when Colonel MacFay (C. Aubrey Smith), the manager of Nora’s estate, calls them with dire news. He and his family are being meanced by Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard), an ex-employee with a grudge and the brains to do real harm. As a retired detective, it’s up to Nick to resolve the situation before anyone gets hurt.

Another Thin Man is a crime comedy and the third film in the Thin Man series. William Powell and Myrna Loy reprise their roles as Nick and Nora Charles, an upper-crust couple with a knack for solving crimes. Another Thin Man holds the same appeal as the previous movies: witty banter, a light tone, and a suitably convoluted mystery. However, a more far-fetched plot than usual and less room for humor make the film a slight step down from its predecessors.

Another Thin Man hits many of the same beats as the first two films. The highlight remains Nick and Nora’s relationship, which is built on sidelong glances, quips, and a surprising amount of trust. But Another Thin Man makes less time for the two of them to interact with one another, robbing the frim of some of its zest. What’s left over is still enjoyable, but it is not handled as expertly as the original.

Watch Another Thin Man if you’re a fan of the series or in the mood for a bit of light mystery. William Powell and Myrna Loy are still enough to carry the film, and the flaws in its script are only noticeable in comparison with the original. Skip it if you’re looking for a deeper mystery or humor with more of an edge. For a successor that works in more slapstick and a bungling hero, try The Pink Panther.

7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for two great leads and some good humor.

Today’s quick review: After the Thin Man. Returning home from their trip to the East Coast, retired detective Nick Charles (William Powell) and his socialite wife Nora (Myrna Loy) are thrust into another mystery when Nora’s cousin Selma (Elissa Landi) reports that her husband Robert (Alan Marshall) has gone missing. What begins as a simple hunt for a wayward husband soon turns into a tangled investigation fraught with romance, blackmail, and murder.

After the Thin Man is a detective comedy that sees the return of Nick and Nora Charles, a wealthy husband-and-wife duo who solve crimes as a hobby. After the Thin Man holds the same appeal as the original film: sparkling dialogue and an excellent comedic duo in William Powell and Myrna Loy. The two are a perfect match for one another, and their interactions are full of sly jabs, sarcasm, and good-natured ribbing, all laced with genuine affection.

Like the first film, After the Thin Man takes a while to get going. The first half-hour is spent setting up the characters and basking in the banter of Nick and Nora. The mystery, once it arrives, is a suitably tangled affair involving schemes, impersonations, and all manner of shady characters. How effective the mystery is will depend on taste, but it has a few nice twists and turns and gives Nick and Nora plenty of material to work with.

Watch After the Thin Man if you’re a fan of classic comedy. Its humor is a slight step down from the first film, but the leads, the script, and the mystery combine to make After the Thin Man a light and thoroughly enjoyable watch. Skip it if you prefer your comedy or your mystery with more of a barb. For another comedy in the same vein, check out the other films in the series, beginning with The Thin Man.

7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for two great leads and solid humor.

Today’s quick review: Harvey. Elwood P. Dowd (James Stewart) is an amiable man with one peculiarity: his friend Harvey, a six-foot-tall talking rabbit only he can see. His delusion is an embarrassment to his older sister Veta (Josephine Hull) and her daughter Myrtle Mae (Victoria Horne). They decide to have him committed to a sanatorium, where he can get the treatment he needs. But the mishaps that follow him around make their plan easier said than done.

Harvey is a classic comedy about a man and his imaginary friend. James Stewart delivers a heartwarming performance as Elwood Dowd, a gentle man who makes friends wherever he goes. But his insistence that Harvey is real flummoxes those who get to know him, leading to the many mishaps and misunderstandings that compose the bulk of the film’s comedy. The film couples this good-natured chaos wiht a refreshing sense of decency and plenty of heart.

Elwood Dowd makes for a fascinating character. From one perspective, he is a delusional, irresponsible man who coasts on his mother’s money, embarrasses his family, and fritters away his time at bars. But he’s also a genuinely kind person who goes out of his way to improve the lives of the many people he meets. And tucked away in his dialogue are insightful comments on the human condition that give the film unexpected depths.

Watch Harvey when you’re in the mood for something light and fanciful. Though not as overtly funny as other comedies from its era, Harvey makes for a delightful watch with a few pleasant surprises. Skip it if you’re looking for a more uproarious style of comedy. For a classic comedy with sharper dialogue, try The Philadelphia Story. For one with a dash of intrigue and romance, try Charade.

8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for a creative premise, warm characters, and a thoughtful script.

Today’s quick review: True Lies. Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is an international spy with a cover identity as an ordinary salesman, husband, and father. When Harry learns that his wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) might be having an affair, he uses his spy resources to track down the man involved. But when his attempt to rekindle his marriage goes awry, Helen gets caught up in Harry’s latest mission: stopping a terrorist who has four nuclear bombs.

True Lies is a spy action comedy from director James Cameron. True Lies is an affectionate, tongue-in-cheek take on the spy genre that blends aciton and comedy in equal measure. The movie features a strong cast, an entertaining script, and an healthy amount of action, all wrapped around enough of a plot to make for a satisfying watch. True Lies manages a lighter tone than most action movies without sacrificing excitement or tipping over into parody.

True Lies benefits from rock-solid fundamentals. Harry makes for a likable protagonist, an action hero with a very human side. Helen complements him well, a bored wife living out her own adventure. Tom Arnold rounds out the main trio as Albert Gibson, Harry’s long-suffering partner and the film’s comic relief. The script is dynamic and well-paced, the jokes consistently hit the mark, and the film slips effortlessly between action and comedy.

Watch True Lies when you’re in the mood for something on the lighter side of the action genre. Though not as gritty as some of Schwarzenegger’s other work, True Lies is a cleanly executed action comedy that delivers a little bit of everything. For another spy comedy centered around domestic life, try Mr. and Mrs. Smith. For an action movie with similar appeal, try The Rock. For the superhero equivalent, try The Incredibles.

7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for strong action, effective comedy, and all-around quality.

Today’s quick review: Deliverance. Outdoorsman Lewis (Burt Reynolds) leads his friends Ed (Jon Voight), Bobby (Ned Beatty), and Drew (Ronny Cox) on a weekend canoe trip down the Cahulawassee River, a wild river near Atlanta. What’s meant to be a relaxing journey turns into a nightmare when the men are ambushed by hostile locals. Far from help and trapped on a dangerous river, the men must resort to desperate measures to survive.

Deliverance is a gritty survival drama that pits four men from the city against a wilderness they are unprepared for. Deliverance features solid craftsmanship, unsettling moral questions, and a plot that’s hard to predict. Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight lead the film’s small but capable dramatic cast. However, Deliverance’s mature content and moral ambiguity will make it a rough watch for any but the most stony viewers.

Deliverance has a knack for uncertainity. From the moment things go wrong, the correct course of action is never clear. The men are forced to make tough decisions with imperfect information, and their choices come back to haunt them later on. As the situation escalates further out of control, Deliverance provides no easy answers, either for the characters or the audience. For the audience, there is only guesswork; for the characters, only survival.

The result is a well-crafted but unpleasant look at pride, manhood, and the lengths a man will go to to stay alive. Try Deliverance when you’re in the mood for something dark and morally challenging. Its heavy tone is not for everybody, and action fans in particular will be disappointed. But those who like dramas that emphasize the darker side of life will appreciate the film’s thematically rich writing and strong dramatic performances.

7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for strong craftsmanship and disturbing themes; your score will vary.

“Live for nothing or die for something. Your call.” —John Rambo

Today’s quick review: Rambo. John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), an American veteran living in Thailand, reluctantly agrees to escort Sarah Miller (Julie Benz) and the rest of her Christian aid mission upriver into war-torn Burma. But when their village is attacked and its occupants slaughtered, Rambo must lead a team of mercenaries to rescue Sarah and the other survivors from the clutches of a bloodthirsty army that has been terrorizing the region.

Rambo is a gritty action movie and war drama. Sylvester Stallone reprises the iconic role of John Rambo, now an older man leading a quiet life in Thailand. The fourth movie in the Rambo series, Rambo has a darker tone than its predecessors. The movie puts the horrors of war front and center, dropping its hero into a decades-long conflict where sadistic troops torture and murder innocent victims.

As an action movie, Rambo comes off as rather bleak. Gore abounds, but it lacks the sanitized quality of the earlier films in the series. Rather than soldiers fighting soldiers, Rambo focuses on the wholesale massacre of innocents. John Rambo and his allies eventually fight back, but even the cathartic violence of the second half of the film can’t wash away the grime. Rambo works well enough as a grim action movie, but it’s too heavy for escapism.

Rambo falls short as a drama. The setup has potential, but the film never follows through on it. John Rambo and Sarah Miller are supposed to be the heart of the story, but John is as laconic as ever and Sarah has only a few scenes before getting captured. What should be a rekindling of purpose in a jaded veteran comes off as a rote rescue mission. The basic structure of the plot works well enough, but the drama could have been much more personal.

Try Rambo when you’re in the mood for the darker side of the action genre. Its lackluster drama keeps Rambo from hitting the mark, but it does have enough gory action to satisfy action fans. Those hoping for a return to the nuance of First Blood will be disappointed. For a gritty survival movie with less action, try Deliverance. For a bleak political thriller that looks at life in a war zone, try The Constant Gardner.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for violent but satisfying action marred by a poorly executed story.

Today’s quick review: Rambo III. Now leading a quiet life in Thailand, Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) comes out of retirement when Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), his old commanding officer, is captured while on a mission in Afghanistan. Rambo embarks on an unsanctioned operation to rescue the Colonel from the hands of the Russians, but he will need the help of the beleaguered Afghani rebels to succeed.

Rambo III is a gritty action movie that drops John Rambo into the mountains of Afghanistan to do what he does best: kill enemy soldiers. Rambo III delivers the same style of guerrilla action as the first two films. However, it all but abandons their dramatic themes. Where First Blood and its sequel were about the scars of the Vietnam War, Rambo III has no such drama at its heart. The result is a decent but much more generic action flick.

Rambo III gets off to a slow start. Apart from one stick fight in Thailand, the movie has almost no action for its first 40 minutes. Without much in the way of action or effective drama, Rambo III takes a long time to hook the viewer. The back half of the movie is more exciting. Once the action does start, it continues with few interruptions until the end. The stunts are nothing too special, but there’s plenty in the way of heavy ordnance.

Give Rambo III a shot when you’re in the mood for straightforward action. Rambo III lacks the drama of First Blood and the fast-paced action of First Blood Part II. What’s left over is a passable but decidedly average action film. Action fans will get some mileage out of it, but fans of the character will be disappointed. For an 80s action movie with a lighter tone, check out Commando.

5.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent action, but lacking the skill of its predecessors.

Today’s quick review: Rambo: First Blood Part II. Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is doing hard labor in prison when his old commanding officer, Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), comes to him with an offer: a presidential pardon in exchange for one last mission. To win his freedom, Rambo must infiltrate a Vietnamese POW camp and bring back proof that American prisoners are still being held there.

Rambo: First Blood Part II is a gritty action movie set in the jungles of Vietnam. Sylvester Stallone reprises his role as Rambo, a haunted Green Beret with a fearsome set of skills. First Blood Part II takes the unusual blend of action and drama featured in the original and tips the balance in favor of action. The sequel has even more gun-toting, stealth-killing combat, but it sacrifices nuance to get it.

First Blood Part II takes the kid gloves off. Where First Blood was a tragic, escalating conflict on American soil, the sequel takes place in Vietnam. The cunning, nonlethal strategies Rambo used in the first film are replaced by the deadly techniques they were adapted from. John Rambo is in his element: sneaking through the jungle, surviving against impossible odds, and killing everyone who stands in his way.

As a result, Part II has even more action than the original. The combat has the right mixture of tension and excitement. Rambo’s tactics are impressive and even vaguely plausible. The action is backed by similar dramatic themes as the first film: the scars of war and the betrayal of American troops. However, the sequel tells its story with a bluntness that the first film was careful to avoid. It’s a solid action movie but lacking as a drama.

Rambo: First Blood Part II is a strong choice for any action fan. Those who were drawn to the story of the first film may dislike the sequel, but those who want even more guerrilla-style action will have a good time. Skip it if you disliike violence or prefer your action with a bit more humor. For another classic action movie with a less serious tone, check out Die Hard. For a direct parody, check out Hot Shots! Part Deux.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for solid action lacking the nuance of the first film.

“In town you’re the law. Out here it’s me. Don’t push it.” —John Rambo

Today’s quick review: First Blood. John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret, leads the life of a drifter, wandering the Pacific Northwest with no job or place to call home. When he runs afoul of a touchy small-town sheriff (Brian Dennehy), Rambo unintentionally sets off an escalating conflict with the local police, one that leads to bloodshed when the sheriff pits his undisciplined men against Rambo’s Army training.

First Blood is a gritty action movie about a maladjusted Vietnam veteran and a town that meets him with hostility. First Blood matches the larger-than-life conflict of the action genre with grounded themes about pride and the scars of war. The film features a solidly constructed plot, nuanced characters, and a healthy dose of action in the form of Rambo’s guerrilla tactics and survival skills.

John Rambo cuts an unusually human figure for an 80s action hero: taciturn, haunted, and capable of great violence. His private war against the police is justified but tragic, the consequence of a petty dispute that spirals out of control thanks to bruised egos and the outbreak of violence. Both the plot and the action ramp up at the same steady pacing, building from the film’s mundane beginning to its suitably explosive, and even poignant, finale.

Still, First Blood is first and foremost an action movie. As innovative as its dramatic themes are, they come second to the action. The combat is a shade more plausible than the typical action fare, but it still requires suspension of disbelief. The premise itself walks a tenuous line between far-fetched and believable. None of the issues will hurt the movie in the slightest for action fans, but those in it for the drama should be forewarned.

First Blood is a skillfully executed take on what turns out to be a fruitful premise. It imbues the action genre with humanity without sacrificing spectacle or concision. Action fans will find everything they could want except humor, while the extra layer of drama gives the film broader appeal and staying power. For a sci-fi survival movie with a harder edge, try Predator. For more fanciful action, try Commando.

7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for solid action and an excellent main character.