Movie Reviews
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Posts Tagged ‘1997’
Men in Black 3: A Flickcharter’s Movie Review
24, May 2012
By every possible scenario, Men in Black 3 should absolutely not work. The original Men in Black, released in 1997, was a box office blockbuster that caught everybody by surprise. On the other hand, its first sequel, released ten years ago, was a out-and-out disaster. Despite still being a box office success, many moviegoers felt cheated by what was essentially a rehash of the first movie with a weak villain (played by the usually capable Lara Flynn Boyle). Despite the issues with the second film, I was willing to give the new sequel a chance. After all, I already knew that if it was at least a step up from Men in Black II, then it would have already done its job. Well, surprise, surprise, the new sequel is not only a step above the previous movie, but it is also something else: A film almost as good as the original.
- In: Movie Reviews|New Releases
- Tags: 1997, 2002, 2012, 3D, Alice Eve, Andy Warhol, Barry Sonnenfeld, Bill Hader, David Koepp, David Rasche, Emma Thompson, Etan Coen, Ghostbusters, Jeff Nathanson, Jemaine Clement, Josh Brolin, Lara Flynn Boyle, Men in Black, Men in Black 3, Men in Black II, Michael Stuhlbarg, Rip Torn, The Goonies, Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith
by Nigel Druitt
In This Corner…
In 1997, space was a quirky place. Paul Verhoeven went bug-squishing in Starship Troopers. A pre-Resident Evil Paul W.S. Anderson and a pre-Hellboy Guillermo Del Toro gave us very different sci-fi/horror flicks in Event Horizon and Mimic. And Alien Resurrection made the venerable franchise a little weirder under the pen of Joss Whedon and the direction of French indie favorite Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
Arguably, the two most successful offerings, however, gave us very unique takes on science fiction (at least from a visual standpoint). One was the surreal and visually unique pet project of a French writer/director who nowadays is better known for writing and producing more generic action fare such as Taken and the Transporter franchise. The other was based on a comic book (back when such things were a little less common), was a bona fide box office smash (coming only behind the then-highest-grossing-movie-of-all-time in the year’s earnings) and cemented Will Smith‘s reputation as a box-office king (fresh as he was off the previous year’s Independence Day). Both films packed plenty of chuckles–intentional and, perhaps, otherwise.
To twist a tagline from that Alien franchise: In space, no one can hear you laugh. But back in ’97, the laughter was heard in multiplexes everywhere. Come enter the Reel Rumbles ring as we take a stroll thirteen years down memory lane and bust heads with some freaky aliens in The Fifth Element vs. Men in Black.
- In: Reel Rumbles|User Showcase
- Tags: 1997, Alien, Alien Resurrection, Barry Sonnenfeld, Bruce Willis, Chris O'Donnell, chris tucker, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, David Mamet, David Schwimmer, Dennis Rodman, E.T., Event Horizon, film, films, Flickchart, From Paris with Love, Gary Oldman, Get Shorty, Guillermo Del Toro, Hellboy, Ian Holm, Independence Day, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Joss Whedon, Luc Besson, matchup, Men in Black, Milla Jovovich, Mimic, movie battles, movies, Paul Verhoeven, Paul W.S. Anderson, Reel Rumbles, Resident Evil, Rick Baker, Star Wars, Starship Troopers, Steven Spielberg, Sylvester Stallone, Taken, Taxi, The Addams Family, The Fifth Element, The Professional, The Transporter, Tommy Lee Jones, Vincent D'Onofrio, Will Smith, William Shakespeare
Reel Rumbles #20: “Avatar” vs. “District 9″
15, Sep 2010by Nigel Druitt
In This Corner…
2009 was a banner year for science fiction, one of the best for the genre in recent memory. It brought us franchise resurrections (J.J. Abrams‘ Star Trek, McG‘s Terminator Salvation), critically-heralded indie gems (Duncan Jones‘ Moon), and, indeed, Oscar cred with, not one, but two Best Picture nominations. Which brings us to, arguably, two of the best sci-fi movies of the past decade, and this edition of Reel Rumbles: James Cameron‘s Avatar vs. Neill Blomkamp‘s District 9.
It’s a true David vs. Goliath story: Avatar is both the most expensive movie in film history, and the highest-grossing. District 9 is the little indie that could, proportionately achieving financial success somewhat comparable to Avatar‘s with a much more meager budget. One was directed by one of the most successful directors in cinematic history (who already had the previous highest-grossing film of all time, Titanic [1997], under his belt), and one was helmed by a first-time feature film director whom producer Peter “The Lord of the Rings” Jackson had taken under his belt. And yet, for two films on such opposite ends of the financial and professional spectrum, they actually share a surprising number of similarities.
But which film is superior? Does box office domination translate to better filmmaking? Step into the ring and find out…
- In: Reel Rumbles
- Tags: 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, Aliens, Alive in Joburg, Avatar, CGI, Dances With Wolves, District 9, Duncan Jones, George Lucas, Giovanni Ribisi, Gollum, Halo, Independence Day, J.J. Abrams, James Cameron, Jar Jar Binks, McG, Michelle Rodriguez, Moon, Neill Blomkamp, Peter Jackson, Pocahontas, Sam Worthington, Sharlto Copley, Sigourney Weaver, Star Trek, Stephen Lang, terminator 2: judgment day, Terminator Salvation, The Abyss, The Lord of the Rings, The Terminator, Titanic, Zoe Saldana
The 21st Century Reboot
9, Aug 2010
We were warned. Y2K would bring a complete collapse of our computers. Provided that didn’t send us back into the Stone Age overnight, it would require a reboot. The computers, as it turned out, were fine… but Hollywood hit the “reboot” button anyway.
Reel Rumbles #13 – “Blade Runner” vs. “The Matrix”
13, Dec 2009
In This Corner…
Can man create his own reality? Is the reality we know reality at all? Can artificial intelligence take on a life of its own, and if so, should that life be held with the same respect that we hold each other? These were all improbably difficult questions to answer at the time both films in this week’s Reel Rumbles were released, but as technologies advance, philosophies change, and life goes on, it’s as if fate is starting to force our hand for legitimate answers. No matter where you stand on either side of the moral conundrum, you have to admit that this week’s pairing asks questions of such depth that it is uncertain if the films themselves can adequately grasp the breadth of it all. But all philosophical meanderings aside, which of these sci-fi extravaganzas is the better film? Plug in, boot up, and sign on. It’s time for Blade Runner vs. The Matrix.
- In: Reel Rumbles
- Tags: 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, Antonio Banderas, artificial intelligence, Assassins, Blade Runner, Bound, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Brion James, Carrie-Anne Moss, CGI, Dark Passage, Daryl Hannah, David Webb Peoples, Deckard, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Double Indemnity, Edward James Olmos, Frankenstein, Fred MacMurray, Gina Gershon, good vs. evil, Hampton Fancher, Harrison Ford, Hugo Weaving, Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Tilly, Joe Pantoliano, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, M. Emmet Walsh, Mary Shelley, metaphor, Philip K. Dick, philosophical, Reel Rumbles, Replicants, Ridley Scott, Rutger Hauer, science fiction, Sean Young, sequels, skin jobs, Speed, Sylvester Stallone, The Devil's Advocate, The Matrix