Here are some of my reviews of recent movies.
Disclaimer: I am a closet movie critic. Like you, I pay to see movies. And just like any other movie critics, I am totally biased. I must admit that I haven't seen most of the classics. However unqualified I am, I am just exercising my freedom of speech.
Star Wars - Phantom Menace: 2 1/2 stars
Austin Powers: the Spy who Shagged me: 2 stars
Not as shagedelic as the original. It suffers what all sequels suffer - not as fresh or original as the first time around. Austin Powers may have the upper hand on Dr. Evil, but Dr. Evil is so much funnier than Powers. There are some funny, some gross, and some tiring scenes, i.e. inconsistent. However, for 2 hours of mindless entertainment, don't see Star Wars, see Austin Powers. (Yeah, baby, shag my 2-star rating, yeah.)
Be warned, this movie does not have an ending. John Sayles is one of my favorite directors, after seeing Lone Star and City of Hope. Limbo starts out like those 2 movies, with various narrative lines and characters. However, half way through, it becomes a 3 character story. It focuses on the relationship between the single mom Donna, her daugher Noelle and Donna's new boyfriend Joe, as the 3 of them are stranded on a remote location.
While I enjoy the interesting justiposition of European and African cultural symbols (in music, artifacts, and dresses), the relationship between Mr. Kinsky and Shandurai never rings true. I can accept the possibility of these 2 lonely misfits falling in love with each other, but the development of the relationship never occurred in the movie. Hence, the ending felt forced and not believable. The lack of emotional centre reduces the movie to merely an eye candy.
Star Wars - Phantom Menace: 2 1/2 stars
Since most people on planet earth already know the characters and the story, I'll just dive right into my two-cent-worths. The story is a bore and all the characters are bland. In particular, Anakin is a very ordinary kid, no matter how many times we are told that the force is super strong with him. I don't think this can be blamed solely on the acting of Jake Lloyd (who plays Anakin). He didn't do anything heroic in the film. He blew up the Trade Federation mothership through sheer luck. There is also nothing to suggest his Force and potential dark side (through anger or frustration). And Anakin's virgin birth? Totally hilarious and not very original. Gui-gon Jinn is probably the most colorful character, even though he comes across a bit reckless. Everyone hates Jar Jar Binks. So there is no need for me to gripe more. (Please let him die, Darth Lucas!)
Even the action scenes are ordinary, mostly due to the lack of suspense. Since we all know that Anakin can not lose the pod race, that part becomes just an animated version of a Formula 1 race with the outcome already decided. I think I got more kick out of the Kentucky Derby. Nevertheless, I would recommend this movie solely on the strength of its art direction and set design.
I was too young to remember much of the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi when they were first released. I watched the Star Wars trilogy about 2 weeks before I saw the Phantom Menace. The verdict? I'll take any of the trilogy over the Phantom Menace. The first trilogy has strong characters (both good and evil). Han Solo is an arrogant hero I love to hate. Princess Leia is feisty. Darth Vader has evil stares that literally kill you. What evil is Darth Maul capable of, besides his martial arts skills and obedience to Senator Palpatine. Heck, even the ridiculously cheesy Independence Day has more interesting characters.
Election is a funny little satire. Please see it before it's gone. It is set in a mid-western US highschool, where a popular teacher Mr. M gets into a political game with an overachieving student (Tracy) during the campaign of student council election. Also thrown into the student presidential race are a dim-witted but kind former quarterback, Paul, and his jealous anarchic sister, Tammy. The movie does not glamorize highschool life, like most of the other teen oriented movies. Tammy wears braces. Mr. M, his wife and his potential mistress all look like regular thirty-somethings. Yet despite its realistic settings, the movie is imbued with a few funny fantasy sequences and alternating viewpoints. Finally, a film about highschool that is for adults more than for teenagers,