Movie Reviews by Eggbox

I saw this movie again this week at home and enjoyed it as much as I did when I saw it at the movie theater with my son. The basic plot is that a lonely boy finds an egg on a Scottish Loch (now what could the name of Loch be ….. hmmmmmm …. Ness), it hatches and hilarity ensues as the young Nessie (named Crusoe for some reason) reeks havoc on the household.

Maybe he was called Crusoe because like the character in the novel he is also stranded in a strange place.

Set during the second world war the arrival of an army unit adds to the mix, it just so happens that these soldiers are preparing for a submarine attack by the enemy and they setup a net across the Loch and a couple of large guns. It is obvious that these elements will play a large part in the story.

Do I look like I’m bothered, well I am …

The major thing that bothered me about the plot is that Loch Ness does not have access to the sea in any way so how a German submarine could get into the Loch is a mystery to me; they would have to be some very clever subs. That aside, the plot device is there to add tension and a great final reel.

The good old day, buzz bombs, rickets …

One of the other things I found interesting was the recreation of 1940’s Scotland, they did a good job with the sets, costumes and hardware (military and civil) and captured the essence of the time using period music. The supporting cast added a lot to the movie, the mother (Emily Watson), sister (Priyanka Xi) and the handyman (Ben Chaplin) all helped in getting you into the story in a way that was not forced or sugar coated.

The main character could be the young boy (Alex Etel) or the computer generated Water Horse (make up your own minds). Alex Etel was perfectly cast, he looks like he was ill through the whole movie (Scots do look like they are near to death most of the time due to their lack of access to sunlight and nutritional food), the boy should get a medal for being such a good method actor.

You sick Nasty …

There are a couple of nasty characters that are there to drive the plot forward, Churchill (the army cooks dog) goes from being the aggressor to being put in his place, Joel Tobec plays the evil private (they lit him from below and he gives a stare that would leave you having to change you underwear), excellent. David Morrissey plays the Captain and he is tough enough and also caring enough so that you don’t hate him at the end of the movie; although you want to kick his butt during the mid section because his is such a pompous twit.

I liked Ben Chaplin in this movie, he plays the handyman (war hero) who has a healthy disrespect for the captain. He helps the main characters throughout the film by keeping the Water Horse under wraps from the mum. Ben is an underestimated actor, he has been around the block a while now and has never really made it big.

The bottom line …

Anyway, the bottom line is that Crusoe gets away and everyone is happy, there are a couple of twists at the end of the movie, not too big but both will put a smile on your face.

Highly recommended where you just want to feel good and get transported to a fantasy world, even if it’s set in Scotland!

Ratings
Overall rating:	8/10
Special effects:	8/10
Acting:	7/10
Music:	7/10
Where seen:	Movie Theater and DVD at home
Perceived length:	Medium

//*Eggbox

I revisited this movie recently, I watched this one in the office during my lunch breaks over a couple of days. In fact I watched it twice, first the movie as-is, then again with the commentary by the director, very interesting.

The concept of Rambo may be a bit passé these days but I tried to appreciate the movie as if I was watching it when it was released (as such).

In general I was impressed by the movie, the acting was not terrible and the action made up for it in more ways than one. The story was plausible and does get you into the movie quickly, it is easy for you to understand the motivations of the characters very quickly.

Sylvester Stallone looks good in this movie, the commentary indicates that the guy spent over 4 hours a day training to get the physique for the roll, the dedication by Stallone pays off. Steven Berkoff plays the evil Russian commander perfectly, he is a cool and calculating instrument of torture that gets your blood boiling and you want to cheer when he gets blown up by Rambo.

The other bad guy is Marshal Murdock played by Charles Napier (you’ll know him when you see him), I like this dude, he plays the character in a way that makes you want to hate him but you understand that he is really a grunt following orders but he doesn’t have the balls to do the right thing. Richard Crenna is the rock that keeps Rambo going and his greatest ally, he is the father figure that gets Rambo to do the mission and fights for him when things get out of hand.

The action is punctuated with a couple of tender moments with the female lead Julia Nickson-Soul, she plays a sympathetic Vietnamese who gets Rambo to the site of the POWs. It was obvious that she would die and cause Rambo to go haywire but she does add that something extra to the movie that lets you see the softer side of Rambo (even though it’s only for a few minutes).

The thing to remember with this movie is that this was really the first movie of its kind and most other movies of this genre followed the same paradigm, i.e. the lone warrior fighting for honor and glory over insurmountable odds. The set pieces with Stallone firing the automatic weapon in the air, trashing the control center, killing the bad guys one at a time silently in the jungle have been copied time and time again.

So the bottom line is that anyone who enjoys a good action movie and is willing to get over the fact that they have probably seen something similar in the past (albeit a take off on this movie) should enjoy the movie.

Ratings
Overall rating:	8/10 (For action)
Special effects:	9/10
Acting:	6/10
Music:	6/10
Where seen:	DVD (in the office)
Perceived length:	Medium

//*Eggbox

OK, I’ll have to admit that I was looking forward to this movie, how could it miss, Jason Statham kicking butt and set it a mythical world of honor. The basic plot is that there are two bad guys (played by Matthew Lillard and Ray Liotta) who are trying to gain power from the king played by Burt Reynolds using troll type beings to do their evil bidding.

So the scene is set, Jason just wants to be left alone tending his turnips (Baldrick from Black Adder would be pleased) and working with his young son and hottie wife. All this tranquility comes to an end when the village is attacked, his son gets killed and his wife kidnapped.

So who is this farmer? Why is he such a good swordsman and a kick ass fighter? Will he be able to get his wife back and get revenge? Well all of this is explained as we go though the movie. The problem is that it seems to take ages to get to the interesting part of the plot that does the explaining. It is just too slow and unbelievable, don’t get me wrong you are rooting for Jason (note that I cannot remember his characters name!) and you know that he will prevail in the end.

The dialog is sketchy at best and the acting takes second place to action, pomp and circumstance and we are asked to believe that Burt Reynolds is a king! Supporting cast includes John Rhys-Davies and Ron Perlman who are along for the ride but add little to the plot. Claire Forlani as the farmers wife is pathetic and shows little emotion, Kristanna Loken (of Terminator fame) adds some interest in the forest with her band of merry women, she also seems to have access to a Wonderbra that distracts you from the plot (not a bad thing)

As we get through the final reel we everything comes together and everyone gets what they deserve unfortunately this is the best part of the movie, the end!

While I sort of enjoyed seeing Jason doing what he does best (kicking butt) I felt that the production as a while was straining at the seams and everything was much too forced asking the viewer to enter the world of make believe that it did not explain adequately.

In hindsight I would leave this one on the shelf of your local video store.

Ratings
Overall rating:	4/10
Special effects:	6/10
Acting:	3/10
Music:	6/10
Where seen:	DVD at home
Perceived length:	Long

//*Eggbox

It took me a while to get round to this one but it was worth the wait. Johnny Depp is wonderful in this movie (as ever). He plays a troubled (and wronged) person who is out for revenge and he achieves this by the end of the movie.

Tim Burton does a great job getting you into the movie by putting you right into the environment with colourful characters and great sets. The selection of the cast also adds to the enjoyment (especially for a Brit like me), this includes Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Head, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Helena Bonham Carter.

You start off by feeling for the main character, knowing that he was wronged by the judge (Alan Rickman), and you really want him to get his revenge. The plot centers around the way he gets into the killing thing (with Mrs Lovett) and there is a great montage where he makes short work of a number of customers while blurting out a great tune.

This brings me to the musical side of the film, my first impression was the everything that was spoken would be in the form of a song, this is not case. The characters do speak and only sing when there is a big set piece. This makes watching the movie much easier and allows you a breathing space between the numbers. Johnny Depp is a surprising good singer (he was in a rock band in his youth) and aligned with his acting it makes for riveting viewing.

Some things that may put you off the movie is the blood, they must have had a standing order to the fake blood department. Along with the bodies dropping down the chute to the basement with a resounding thud (head first) caused me and the missus to cringe more than once.

As the movie proceeds you know that he should get his just desserts but you still feel for him, this is mainly down to the fact that Johnny Depp is a great actor (Oscars take note). The climax to the movie is f

The bottom line is that I enjoyed the movie and would recommend this to anyone who like a good old fashioned horror as long as you accept that there will be singing and blood!

Ratings
Overall rating:	9/10
Special effects:	8/10
Acting:	8/10
Music:	7/10
Where seen:	DVD at home
Perceived length:	Short

//*Eggbox

This is the obligatory hello to the world from me to you. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope that you will be a regular visitor.

The main idea for this blog came about when I was discussing my love for movies with some friends and they convinced me to start a blog of movies that I have seen over the years. People that know me will attest that I have some very strong opinions when it comes to a number of different subjects and I hope that this will come through when you read the movie reviews.

What to expect, these are my personal views, I tend to draw my own conclusions when it comes to movies rather than going with what the critics have to say; they are only human after all (some of them).

What movies will be reviewed. This will be a mixture of new and old movies, I tend to re-watch movies on DVD a number of times (including with commentaries) so you may find a very old movie in the mix.

OK, that’s enough for now, keep looking for reviews in the near future.

//*Eggbox