The Holiday Season and the cold weather here in New York has brought with it the opportunity to catch up on the latest blockbuster movie releases. Here's my summary of the movies I've seen this past month:
Die Another Day
Seeking a mid-exam period break, I snuck out of the library one evening in early December to catch Bond film #20. African-American of the moment, Halle Berry, dons a saucy orange bikini, seduces Pierce Brosnon with some of the worst one-liners I've heard in years, and together they take down the bad guy - in this case, a North Korean warlord who has been through DNA replacement surgery to look like a pompous white Brit. Ice hotels, chase scenes on hovercraft, a space-based laser cannon, and a transparent Bond car - what would life be like without James Bond?
Rating: 7 out of 10
Star Trek: Nemesis
The latest installment in the Star Trek saga, Nemesis, proved to be a bit of a disappointment. The Next Generation crew get together for one last intergallatic fling. Riker and Troi finally tie the knot. Beverley Crusher and Geordi play token roles. Wesley Crusher's anticipated guest appearance doesn't materialize. And Data and Picard play a few games with a young Picard clone who is not entirely convincing as the villain. Bring back the Borg or Species 8472!!
Rating: 5 out of 10
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Probably even better the The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers is truly spectacular. The CGI work done to create Gollum is most impressive, especially with the different facial expressions associated with his split personality. The battles between Sauraman's 10,000-strong army and the humans is amazing, and the conference of tree-like Ents prior to their attack on Sauron's tower serves as an amusing break from the action-packed main storyline. Peter Jackson and his crew have created another masterpiece. Make sure you see this one on the big screen. Twice.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Gangs of New York
Set in the mid-1800s in downtown Manhattan, Martin Scorcese's Gangs of New York is definitely one I'll be adding to my DVD collection next year. This movie sees the return of Daniel Day-Lewis (In the Name of the Father and My Left Foot), one of the most versatile actors of our generation. He plays the role of Bill Cutting, the notorious leader of the "natives" gang, the 19th century equivalent of the Mob. Boy wonder Leonardo DiCaprio and the lucious Cameron Diaz round out the cast in this action packed and rather bloody blockbuster. Definitely worth seeing again on the big screen (especially since I arrived late, and had to sit in the neck-craning front row).
Rating: 9 out of 10
Catch Me If You Can
Boy wonder Leonardo DiCaprio also stars as teen con man, Frank Abagnale Jr, in the Spielberg-directed Catch Me If You Can, which was released here in New York on Christmas Day. Set in 1960s America, this movie is based on the true story of a young con man who commited millions of dollars in bank fraud, impersonated a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer for several years, before eventually being caught by the FBI. It is part comedy, part drama, part caper, with an amusing Pink Panther-like score from John Williams. Tom Hanks is understated as lead FBI agent Carl Hanratty, and Christopher Walken is brilliant in the supporting role of Frank Abagnale Snr, the father who's life gradually falls apart over the course of the movie.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Also on the "to see" list before I round out my time here in the United States:
- 25th Hour starring Edward Norton and directed by Spike Lee
- Adaptation starring Nicholas Cage, directed by Spike Jonze, with a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman (Being John Malkovich)
- Road to Perdition starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law, and directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty)
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