The Mummy Returns (2001)

Genre: Action

Directed by: Stephen Summers

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Dwayne Johnson

Running time: 130 minutes

Rick and Evelyn  are now married and raising an 8-year-old kid. When a cult decides to resurrect Imhotep to fight and defeat an ancien warrior named The Scorpion King, the couple, their son and the brother-in-law get pulled into another crazy adventure.

This second film in the modern Mummy franchise, while not really my thing, was entertaining. Great special effects and good suspense. And the acting was not bad either.

Rating: «««

John Carter (2012)

Genre: Science-fiction, Action

Directed by: Andrew Stanton

Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton

Running time: 132 minutes

Based on A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, this is the story of a young man who, in 1881 attends the funeral of his uncle John Carter, a former American Civil War Confederate soldier who died suddenly, leaving behind his journal. The nephew reads the journal, hoping to find answers as to what happened.

This is an overly long convoluted sci-fi story that really failed to pick my interest. Visually-speaking, sure, it was fine. But, really this one bored me.

Rating: ««

The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle Live at The Hollywood Palladium (2017)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Stan Lathan
Cast: Dave Chappelle
Running Time: 67 minutes

Live from Hollywood, Dave Chappelle delves into his vision of things In this special, he discusses such topics as technology, his encounters with OJ Simpson and race. It is a funny stand-up comedy show, with a good flow and many laugh out loud moments. Chappelle has a habit of laughing at his own material, along with the ground, and that annoys me a bit. But, overall, this was a very solid comedy special.

Rating: ««««

Ghost Town (2008)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: David Koepp

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Téa Leoni, Greg Kinnear

Running time: 102 minutes

After briefly dying on the operation table, antisocial dentist Bertram Pincus realizes that he can see dead people walking around. When these deceased folks realize he can see them, they all pursue Bertram so he can help them carry a final message to their loved ones. Bertram resists these demands, but deceased businessman Frank Herlihy convinces him to help stopping his widow from marrying another man.

This is a smart little romantic comedy carried much further than it could have been expected by good acting. The whole cast is solid here. This was Ricky Gervais' first feature film and they found the right role for him. As for the movie itself, it almost crashed completely in the end, due to some unnecessary silliness, but the damage was controlled and it was saved.

Rating: ««««

Grease (1978)

Genre: Musical / Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Randal Kleiser

Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-john, Stockard Channing

Running time: 110 minutes

Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson fall in love on the beach during summer vacations, but summer ends. When they end up in the same school when senior year starts, Sandy finds a different Danny, surrounded by his greaser friends.

This was a big movie when I was a kid. It was showed on TV time and time again. Looking at it in 2020 is weird. It is cheesy, but I think that was the whole point. The movie itself has aged quite a bit, but the music remains very strong for that genre. People will sing and dance along with these songs for quite a while longer.
 

Rating: «««

The Mummy (1999)

Genre: Action / Horror

Directed by: Stephen Sommers

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah

Running time: 125 minutes

Adventurer Rick O’Connell, librarian Evelyn Carnahan and her brother Jonathan Carnahan travel together to the city of the dead, where they encounter Imhotep, a cursed high priest mummy that gets awoken from his tomb with sinister plans.

I went in with low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. It is a silly action/horror movie, but it is entertaining, due mostly to the fact that it does not take itself seriously. Visually-speaking, it is a well done film. There is a good dose of humor here, and the actors all did their job well. Not my type of movie, but it was entertaining while it lasted.

Rating: «««

Just Married (2003)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Shawn Levy

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Brittany Murphy, Christian Kane

Running time: 95 minutes

Tom Leezak, a young man working at a radio station giving the traffic information, meets Sarah McNerney, a young woman from a wealthy family. They fall madly in love and, shortly thereafter, they decide to get married. But the honeymoon from hell tears them apart.

Quite honestly, this was a horrible rom-com. The two main cast members, even when playing in love, had no chemistry whatsoever. The acting was bad, the writing was not much better. It was all a bunch of unfunny silliness. There was nothing remotely pleasant about these characters that made you root for them. The ending was predictable and just made you glad it was all over.

Rating: «

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Genre: Science-Fiction

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore

Running time: 114 minutes

An alien creature is left behind on Earth by its group, who is being pursued by government agents. The alien wanders off and ends up at a house, where a young boy named Elliot finds him. With the help of his little sister and his older brother Elliot works on finding a way home for the friend they called E.T..

This is the first movie I ever saw in a movie theater as a kid. To be honest, maybe because of that special aspect of it, it keeps a particular place in my heart. While science-fiction is usually not my thing, this is a sweet and special film that has aged quite well. Sure, it looks like a product of its time, but it can still be enjoyed today. The acting was good and the storyline was very compelling.

After it was all said and done, I had a smile on my face and little mist at the corner of my eyes. I was touched and moved, I was entertained. And that is all that matters to me here.

Rating: «««««

The Running Man (1987)

Genre: Action

Directed by: Paul Michael Glaser

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Richard Dawson

Running time: 101 minutes

In a dystopian America where the police rule over the States with an iron fist, Ben Richards is a police helicopter pilot who gets framed for a massacre on rioters in Bakersfield after refusing to follow orders. He has to take part on the TV show The Running Man, where he will fight against hired killers in the hope of gaining his freedom back.

This film is loosely based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.

Acting-wise, the only bright spot here is Richard Dawson, as TV show host Damon Killan. You could say that he embraced that role and kissed it on the mouth. He brought that evil character to life. The rest of the cast was quite bad. I mean, you cannot expect much from Arnold to begin with, but I have heard him deliver lines more convincingly. Maria Conchita Alonso was bad too.

The story was fine for what it was, in the dystopian action genre. Richard Dawson was so good that he made you want to see the inevitable conclusion.

Rating: «««

Legends of the Fall (1994)

Genre: Historical / Drama

Directed by: Edward Zwick

Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn

Running time: 133 minutes

Based on the novella of the same name written by Jim Harrison, Legends of the Fall tells the story of Colonel William Ludlow, who left the army over his distrust of the US government to move to a remote area of Montana and raise his three sons, mostly by himself, with hired help, after his wife leaves for the East Coast. The sons grow up, as the story takes us from World War I to the years of Prohibition.

The cinematography here is majestic. This film is beautifully shot, with great scenery and a very authentic look for the era it portrays. Brad Pitt really comes off the screen in this one, so much so that everybody else comes off as kind of bland. Many of the performances felt wooden, and I almost lost interest a few times, but the end saved it for me. It is overly melodramatic at times, but it is still a very compelling tale about family.

Rating: «««

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Genre: Superhero

Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo

Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson

Running time: 136 minutes

Steve Rogers AKA Captain America can only count on a small number of people as he takes on the spy agency that he has been working for (S.H.I.E.L.D.), after he finds out that it has been infiltrated by Hydra. The Captain must also face the Winter Soldier, a hired gun that is not so unknown to him.

This was a very entertaining film. The acting was pretty good and the storyline was interesting. The action sequences were fast-paced and really well done. I also appreciated the good dose of humor that was added. It was interesting to see Robert Redford play a bad guy. He did it well. It dragged on a bit towards the end, but I was thoroughly entertained.

Rating: ««««

Jim Jefferies: Intolerant (2020)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Scott Zabielski

Starring: Jim Jefferies

Running time: 66 minutes

For over an hour on stage, Jim Jefferies tells a story about being lactose intolerant and the effect that condition had on a really bad date he had taking this girl out to a restaurant for a meal. All the way through, the Australian comic takes breaks from the story to discuss skin care, Millenials, changes in comedy, homophobia and other topics.

I was excited to see the new Jim Jefferies special, as he is one of my favorite living comedians. I was not disappointed. His lactose intolerance story is great and it is well worth making it to the end. The rest of the material is also very solid. Many lines made me laugh out loud. Overall, this is a great comedy special.

Rating: «««««

Crooked Arrows (2012)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Steve Rash

Starring: Brandon Routh, Chelsea Ricketts, Gil Birmingham

Running time: 105 minutes

Joe Logan is a mixed-blood Native American working as a consultant to the owner of the casino on the reservation. He wants to convince his people to accept an expansion of the gambling business on their land. To get his way, Joe must first prove himself to his dad by taking the coaching job for the struggling high school lacrosse team in his community as it embarks in a tournament against better equipped and bigger teams.

This is your typical underdog story, though it deals with a sport we rarely see in movies: lacrosse. It also offers a small glimpse of the realities in Native American communities, with such issues as racism.

Overall, though the ending is predictable and can be seen coming a mile away, Crooked Arrows is still an entertaining flick.

Rating: «««

Route Irish (2010)

Genre: Drama / Thriller

Directed by: Ken Loach

Starring: Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop

Running time: 109 minutes

After attending the funeral of his longtime friend and fellow private military contractor Frankie, who was killed in an explosion on Route Irish, Fergus Molloy tries to uncover the truth about what happened, because he strongly suspects that there is something fishy about the whole thing.

This is a good thriller, with a raw feel to it. It conveys a clear message about a reality of war, while offering on screen a compelling story about characters you care to follow as they evolve. This one kept me interested, in spite of a few parts where the story dragged a bit.

Rating: ««««

Hamburger Hill (1987)

Genre: Action

Directed by: John Irvin

Starring: Anthony Barrile, Michael Boatman, Don Cheadle, Dylan McDermott

Running time: 110 minutes

In 1969, during the Vietnam War, the US Army’s 3^rd Battalion., 187^th Infantry, 101^st Airborne Division, launched an assault on Ap Bia Mountain, on the Laotian border.

I have seen many movies about the Vietnam War over the years, and some really good ones too. It is a subject matter I find fertile and very interesting. Unfortunately, this particular film never grasped me. A few of the cast members would go on to have some very good careers, but I just did not feel it from any of them here. Nothing memorable. The filmmakers worked hard with the intense music to open and close the movie, but, in between, very bland.

Rating: «

Les Boys IV (2005)

Genre: Franco / Comedy

Réalisateur: George Mihalka

Distribution: Rémy Girard, Marc Messier, Pierre Lebeau

Durée: 121 minutes

Les Boys doivent vaincre une équipe formée d’avocats de Toronto dans une série 2 de 3 afin de jouer une partie amicale contre des légendes de LNH (ainsi que Benoit Brunet). Après une première victoire, les Boys subissent une cuisante défaite. Afin de resserrer l’esprit d’équipe, leur entraîneur, Stan, les amène en retraite fermée dans une pourvoirie loin de la ville.

Bien honnêtement, ce film est celui que j’ai le moins aimé de la série initiale. La magie opérait beaucoup moins. Ils ont tout tenté, avec plein d’invités spéciaux, mais il manquait de substance au niveau de l’histoire.

J’ai apprécié le fait d’inclure un sujet très actuel à l’époque, avec un mariage gai. Il y avait de bons moments drôles aussi, ici et là, dans le film, mais il y avait nettement une baisse de régime. Moins de moments marquants, avec un scénario inférieur aux trois premiers.

Rating: «««

Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)

Genre: Foreign / Horror

Directed by: Takashi Shimizu

Starring: Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Takashi Matsuyama

Running time: 92 minutes

After finding out that his wife loves another man, Takeo Saeki kills her, their son and the family cat. Years later, the house is still haunted by their ghosts, and everybody that comes into the house are overtaken by the evil spirits of the deceased.

While the story had potential, there was a definite lack of cohesiveness. We are served with a bunch of short stories of different people suffering the same fate, so it is difficult to attach yourself to any kind of hero or character.

There were some scenes here and there that were quite efficient, in a chilling kind of way, but some of the special effects felt clumsy, which ruined it for me.

Rating: ««

Orange is the New Black (2013-2019)

Genre: TV / Comedy / Drama

Starring: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Michael Harney

Number of seasons: 7

Based on the memoirs of Piper Kerman, Orange is the New Black starts off with Piper Chapman, a 30-something woman from New York, going to jail for transporting a suitcase of drug money 10 years earlier for her then-girlfriend, Alex Vause. She now leaves behind a fiancé to go into Litchfield Penitentiary. As the seasons go on, we see Piper’s experience in prison, along with the stories of many of the other inmates.

This was a very compelling show, full of intrigue and plot twists. The cast members chosen to fill each role was great. Everyone was absolutely believable. It was easy to get emotionally invested in these characters, though there were some duller moments through the years.

I find it interesting to see how different the portrayal of women in prison is from the portrayal of men in the same situation. With women, they work overly hard to create sympathy, and we are often told how it is someone else’s fault if these women are in there. More often than not, it is a man’s fault. I must also say that the portrayal of men in this show is not very positive. They are either complete douchebags or nice losers.

All of that being said, I get the point of view that was being carried forward here, with a tale about the experience in a women penitentiary. On that front, it was a show that was quite well made. It was well written and well done as a finished product.

Rating: ««««

Message in a Bottle (1999)

Genre: Romance / Drama

Directed by: Luis Mandoki

Starring: Kevin Costner, Robin Wright-Penn, Paul Newman

Running time: 131 minutes

Theresa Osborne, a researcher for the Chicago Tribune, travels to North Carolina to find the author of a mysterious letter (written to a woman named Catherine) she found in a bottle washed out on shore. She finds Garrett Blake, a widower living a quiet life, and falls in love with him. When the truth comes out about her reason for being there, it has strong ramifications.

Even considering the fact that this movie is based on a Nicholas Sparks book, this is a cheesy mess. Paul Newman was a nice presence and a scene-stealer, but the performances by Costner and Wright were strongly uninspired. True enough, the material that was given to them was weak. The story had many holes in it and that ending was disappointing.

Rating: ««

Jusqu'au déclin (2020)

Genre: Franco / Thriller

Réalisateur: Patrice Laliberté

Distribution: Guillaume Laurin, Marie-Évelyne Lessard, Réal Bossé

Durée: 83 minutes

Un groupe de personnes craignant une crise naturelle, économique ou sociale décident de participer à une formation survivaliste organisée sur le repaire isolé et autonome d’un dénommé Alain. Mais, une tragédie imprévue amène une crise que le groupe n’aurait jamais pu prévoir.

Ce thriller est le premier film québécois à faire sa sortie initiale sur la plateforme de Netflix. C’est un film très efficace, quoiqu’un peu court à mon goût. L’histoire aurait pu être un peu étoffée pour ajouter de la viande sur l’os. Cela étant dit, le jeu des acteurs est solide et l’action nous garde en haleine du début à la fin.

J’ai vraiment beaucoup aimé ce film dans un style très peu exploité au Québec. Et de penser que ce genre de survivalisme existe vraiment. Wow.

Rating: ««««

Proof of Life (2000)

Genre: Action / Thriller

Directed by: Taylor Hackford

Starring: Meg Ryan, Russell Crowe, David Morse

Running time: 130 minutes

Peter Bowman is an engineer living and working, with his wife Alice, in the fictional South American country of Tecala. When Peter is kidnapped by a group of guerrilla rebels, Terry Thorne, a former member of the British Special Air Service and expert negotiator, comes to Tecala to negotiate the ransom and help Alice in the liberation of Peter.

While the premise of Proof of Life is interesting, and the action keeps you guessing and hooked to the story, the acting performances from Ryan and Crowe are absolutely uninspired. It felt like they never got emotionally invested in the plight of their characters. I simply did not feel it from them. David Morse was a little better here, though his part was smaller.

Rating: «««

Les Boys III (2001)

Genre: Franco / Comedy

Réalisateur: Louis Saia

Distribution: Marc Messier, Rémy Girard, Patrick Huard

Durée: 124 minutes

Trois années se sont écoulées depuis le tournoi en France. Stan revient finalement chez lui et il est célébré en héros dans sa brasserie. Mais, le trouble pointe à l’horizon, alors qu’un riche homme d’affaires ouvre un autre restaurant devant celui de Stan pour lui faire compétition. En plus de craindre pour sa clientèle, Stan devra se battre pour l’amour et la loyauté de ses Boys.

Ce troisième film de la série de film originale est somme toute une bonne suite. Il y a encore une bonne dose de répliques savoureuses qui font que la sauce n’est pas encore trop étirée. Il y avait encore du jus dans le citron. Le jeu des acteurs était bon, si on fait exception du chanteur Eric Lapointe, qui n’était pas du tout à son aise dans un rôle de timide. L’histoire est intéressante et les personnages sont attachants ou détestables à point, selon le cas, donc on accroche pour voir la suite.

Rating: ««««

Arlii$$ (1996-2002)

Genre: TV / Comedy

Starring: Robert Wuhl, Sandra Oh, Jim Turner, Michael Boatman

Number of seasons: 7

Arliss Michaels is a sports agent with his own management company. He works with Rita Wu, his personal assistant, Kirby Carlisle, a retired football player turned agent, and Stanley Babson, an uptight financial advisor. Arliss goes through life concentrated mostly on his work, trying to make the best deals possible and catering to his client’s every need.

It is a wonder how this show could last all of 7 seasons. The acting was fine, but the material was very uneven. There were some funny spots here and there, but there were also a lot of boring moments. Through the years, the cameos from a multitude of athletes were a nice addition, but it was not enough to rise that show to greatness. At least, it ended with a bit of closure, which is always a positive thing.

Rating: ««

First Dog (2010)

Genre: Family

Directed by: Brian Michael Stoller

Starring: Eric Roberts, Eliza Roberts, John-Paul Howard

Running time: 90 minutes

After a failed assassination attempt on the president of the United States of America, the president’s dog, who accompanies his master everywhere, ends up stranded and lost. As he ventures away from home, the dog befriends Danny, a foster boy he finds fishing alongside a river. Danny decides to run away from his foster home to bring the dog back to the president, feeling that that is the right thing to do.

This is your run-of-the-mill family movie, where you can guess the ending shortly after it starts. The acting ranges from okay to bad. Eric Roberts, for example, is totally unbelievable as the president. The boy, on the other hand, is not so bad. This is a cute, albeit flawed, little movie. It might make you smile, laugh a bit or even shed a tear, but you are likely to forget about it once it is done.

Rating: ««

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)

Genre: Animated / Comedy

Directed by: Genndy Tartakovsky

Starring: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez

Running time: 97 minutes

The Dracula family and their monster friends take a vacation on a cruise ship, where Count Dracula falls in love with the ship captain, named Ericka, not knowing that she is in fact the granddaughter of his arch-nemesis, Abraham Van Helsing.

This film offers the usual portion of clean and fun silly humor that we had grown accustomed to with the first two films in the trilogy. It is fine for what it is. I was going to give it an inferior grade to numbers one and two, but I loved that music battle at the end, which brought it on par with the rest.

Rating: «««