RRA - The Archives

[The Raven]

I liked your review RRA, excellent work.

I too, really liked the ending, but I interpreted it differently.

I took it as to say that he was stepping out into a brave new world, and he was ready to tame a new land.

I dunno.

[rra]

theraven said:

I liked your review RRA, excellent work.

I too, really liked the ending, but I interpreted it differently.

I took it as to say that he was stepping out into a brave new world, and he was ready to tame a new land.

I dunno.

It's certainly that too.

[MGH]

I have a request rra if you're up for finding and watching it (if you haven't already), HIGH TENSION. My friend and I went and saw this two summers ago and pretty much totally disagree on it. Wondered what you thought of it.

Love the work.

[rra]

mygreatesthour said:

I have a request rra if you're up for finding and watching it (if you haven't already), HIGH TENSION. My friend and I went and saw this two summers ago and pretty much totally disagree on it. Wondered what you thought of it.

Love the work.

Yeah, sure thing mate.

[EZ: Brainy Bae]

Hey rra, what'd you give ZODIAC? Just wondering since you still consider it the best film of the year, as do I (though I should be seeing GANGSTER this weekend).

[rra]

ez said:

Hey rra, what'd you give ZODIAC? Just wondering since you still consider it the best film of the year, as do I (though I should be seeing GANGSTER this weekend).

I need to re-post my ZODIAC review...if I can find it.

But for now....

ZODIAC (2007) - ****1/2

[rra]

(NOTE: Re-written & Re-Graded Review)



SHOOTER (2007) - **

I used to call Antoine Fuqua the black Michael Bay, but that's incorrect. I should say instead that Michael Bay is the white Antoine Fuqua-wannabe.

Oh sure, both guys are prone to use the same urinated-on-technicolor camera filters and slow-motion "walks" by the hero because you know, its like as cool now as a "Members Only" jacket. The critical difference between them is, at least Fuqua shot TRAINING DAY, a decent-good flick. Though I wonder if that nudge to quality was because of Denzel and scripter David Ayer.

Otherwise, Fuqua is a generic-ass director and like his TEARS OF THE SUN, Fuqua's SHOOTER snipes away a potentially good genre-ticket with mediocre bullets.

SHOOTER is the sort of premise that should write itself. The best sniper in America (Whalberg) is tagged to help stop an assassin by government figures. He is then betrayed, shot, and framed for an assassination. Of course, Whalberg gets even.

So what went wrong? The devil is in the details. The bitch is when they stain the whole portrait.

Ok, I understand if this best sniper ever was trained to survive harsh environments and to kill people if necessary at close range. But when Mark Whalberg goes all COMMANDO on foot soldiers invading a ranch house he is holed up in, I'm stunned. Not because it was anything special, but I was trying to justify to myself how he could do all that. I can only suspend belief for so much.

Then there was the massive conspiracy of the bad guys this side of JFK, but its pretty weak villainy. I know most action flicks the baddies are jobber props for the heroes, but when you have Ned Beatty and the lisp-Danny Glover as your adversaries...they deserve a better script.

Or everything involving Michael Pena. He's in the doghouse with the FBI because, God forbid, a badass trained-soldier actually whipped him like cookie dough. Nevermind that Pena mumbles in a monotone voice. I actually wanted Whalberg or the villains to shoot him in the head.

Let me ask you some questions:

Would you be shocked if the hero ends up banging the sister of his dead spotter? Surprised if the FBI doesn't believe Pena and his truckload of evidence simply because it would have ended the movie too early? Do you buy the idea of Whalberg outsmarting everyone, but fell for the damn trap in the first place? Do you mind a scene which reveals that the hero inadvertedly was involved in massive genocide but you can't give an emotional damn?

If you answer no to any or all of the questions above, then SHOOTER is your sort of movie.

Me? If I wanted that much contrived nonsense, I would have saved my $6, stayed home, and watch Jack Bauer fight similar obstacles in 24.

Way to go Anoine.

[rra]

LIVE WIRE (1992) - **

Back in the mid 1980s when Roger Moore quit James Bond, Pierce Brosnan was booked to be the new 007. But he got screwed because of his REMINGTON STEELE contract, and Timothy Dalton got the gig instead.

For the next few years, Brosnan did quite a few action pictures, almost as if he was trying to prove to EON Films that he could cut the martini. Some were good (THE FOURTH PROTOCOL) and some were like LIVE WIRE...they went hay wire.

Watching this on HBO, I noticed how this picture was shot after the Cold War ended and before the numerous terrorist attacks on America leading up to 9/11. Sounds almost notalgic probably for some of us.

Anyway, the two remarkable things in LIVE WIRE is that Brosnan does have the charm, the charisma, and the physical credibility to succede in action cinema. Second, the movie has a good kill-gimmick, I must say. A microscopic liquid explosive poured into water, which the person then consumes and their stomach acids "activate" the bomb. I'm surprised actually that Hollywood hasn't reused this idea yet.

Just too bad the movie just bombs flat. You have the whole psychobabble of Brosnan's kid drowning in a pool, and destroying his marriage. Quite frankly, I laughed at the sequence when the (stupid) girl just simply falls and sinks. The baddies are way too generic for my taste and when Brosnan goes all Commando, I wonder how a pretty D.C. bomb expert would know how to kick so much ass. There's an awkward KY Jelly gag to boot.

Then you have the sub-plot of her banging a corrupt Senator, which himself is a target of the arms-dealing mercenary bad guys. Funny enough, Ron Silver would end up playing another douchebag Senator in the much better TIMECOP a few years later. Would you be really surprised that she's back to screwing James Bond by the end?

I guess the only scene in LIVE WIRE I can immediately remember is a joke early on about Brosnan disarming a bomb underneath a rich pretty blonde's car, and remarking that she should wear some underwear. Such sexual chemistry and good humor in a scene, its obvious that Brosnan could be a better 007 than Dalton could ever be.

[T.J. "the Crippler" Stevens]

This one's fresh in my mind because I just watched it last night. I think it's great, but some people treat it like your regular run of the mill action flick. What's the word?

HEAT (1995)

[rra]

crippler228 said:

This one's fresh in my mind because I just watched it last night. I think it's great, but some people treat it like your regular run of the mill action flick. What's the word?

HEAT (1995)

You know, I might actually make that be my next review.

EDIT - Actually, on my setlist soon.

[T.J. "the Crippler" Stevens]

Nice!

[rra]

crippler228 said:

Nice!

Damn, where's my BTILC avatars...

INDEED!

[rra]

Well, I saw BEOWULF again and now I'm going to turn back my rating-grade from *** to that of **1/2. No wonder its failing to break even in theatres.

[cowbell5000]

Just think if it had been live action with some CGI. Think it would've been better?

[rra]

cowbell5000 said:

Just think if it had been live action with some CGI. Think it would've been better?

Partly better I guess.

That and getting someone else besides Zemeckis to shoot the movie.

[rra]

I got a PM from someone asking me about my slow process of new reviews.....

I'm still writing them up, but its Christmas, and its friggin crazy.

[Mozenrath]

I've been thinking of writing a few reviews, for movies and/or wrestling matches. I was wondering if you, RRA, or others would be interested in reading them. If the board is too crowded with that sort of thing, I'd understand.

[rra]

kiddobradley said:

I've been thinking of writing a few reviews, for movies and/or wrestling matches. I was wondering if you, RRA, or others would be interested in reading them. If the board is too crowded with that sort of thing, I'd understand.

I say go for it. These boards are never too crowded for us movie/wrestling buffs, methinks.

And yeah, I would read them and post my comments on them and/or the subject itself.

I had so many reviews started then stalled. ELF, Beatty's REDS, THE GODFATHER, GALAXY QUEST, Coens' NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, you name it.

But I'm watching RAISE THE TITANIC on youtube....and wow, this is a dogpile worth wrecking.

Though another turkey will be posted this weekend: MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND, the film that finally killed Ivan Reitman's Hollywood career.

[Mozenrath]

Yeah, Super Ex was awful. If Quentin isn't working with her, Uma Thurman ends up in a lot of crap, a lot of it her fault.

I'd love to hear your take on Galaxy Quest. I end up thinking a little better of it every time I see it. It's pretty good natured fun.

[rra]

kiddobradley said:

Yeah, Super Ex was awful. If Quentin isn't working with her, Uma Thurman ends up in a lot of crap, a lot of it her fault.

I'd love to hear your take on Galaxy Quest. I end up thinking a little better of it every time I see it. It's pretty good natured fun.

(1) Ethan Hawke may have abandoned her and their kids for some hotter ass, but I'll give him this. At least he's working in more better movies in the last few years than Uma...on average.

Though his AOP 13 remake was lame, ORPHANS lame.

(2) Never Give up, Never Surrender *Cue Mullet*