Film reviews 98

1998 1998

*Title*	*Grade*	*Review*
Armageddon		Well, well - an extremely professionally production with a lot of good actors and the classic disaster theme. Everyone does a good job but then some patriotic lunatics makes it too much Hollywood and the grade falls. Billy Bob Thornton, Peter Stormare and Steve Buscemi all makes excellent performances.
The big Lebowski		This is not really a movie it is an experience…The Coen brothers have done it again and I really wonder what kind of messed up brains they got. But who cares - they make wonderful and extremely odd films with great humour and characters. The cast - which is almost Coen standard set - is perfect. This is a must for anyone close to a fan.
Deep Impact		This is a competent movie in its genre and the story and effects seems professional. The one thing that makes it a bit of a boor is the problem most disaster movies has : A part in the middle with a strong soap opera feeling. Do they really have to be so ridiculous?
Devil's Advocate, The		Oh - what a devil he is : Al Pacino. Just the right feeling of seduction that it would be if real. The scenery and pace is exactly chosen to create the tension needed. Keanu Reeves and sweet Charlize Theron are also perfectly cast. The only bad part with this movie is that you start to doubt your own possibility to withstand a seduction attempt from the evil.
Hamilton		The latest book(s) from the Hamilton series by Jan Guillou filmed with a slightly better result than before. This should not been very difficult as the other movies was quite bad. Hamilton is alright with some real funny goofs that you can only find in this kind of low budget productions. An extra bonus is the old Starwars star mark Hamill.
Jackal, The		The professional critics hated this one - most of them compared it to the book or original - and found it different which is a disaster they think. Its by no means a masterpiece but the plot is good as are the actors and the music is perfect. The music is actually the reason I give it four stars instead of three as its actually worth.
Jackie Brown		Quentins new film has been waited upon by the whole film community. Well - here it is and it is not a new Pulp fiction. The feeling is the same, the actors are wonderful (especially Rober de Niro as a real looser) but the pace and the story is just not there.
Lethal weapon 4		After one of the most ridiculous and pathetic film openings its is a rather okay super sequel. Chris Rock as a new character is quite misplaced and I hope it is a one timer. Yet Li as the villain is a natural though and must reappear. Especially if he skips his kung fu stuff which becomes rather boring. Riggs and Murtaugh is slightly more normal than usual and has become middle-aged which is positive as it keeps some of the one liners out of the story. The property destruction is as bad as ever.
Mercury Rising		Another film that should have been made for television only. The grade is actually nicely set by me. Bruce Willis as the somewhat torn hero and Miko Hughes as the child are good but Alec Baldwin has, as always, problems with his credibility. The basic story is weak but the nerve is OK.
Mimic		Mia Sorvino is a very cute girl - that is the positive stuff in this movie. Its an alien loose in Manhattan and they have to be wiped out in 1 hour and 45 minutes. It has been done a lot better earlier.
Money Talks		A very poor thriller/comedy that relies on Chris Tucker (I) which is also the reason it fails. He is a copy of Eddie Murphy when he was making his worst movies. The plot is standard 1a and the bad guys waste a lot more money than they could ever get from the diamonds they are chasing.
Ogifta par		A Swedish comedy about relation problems when you cant decide if your partner is the right. Peter Dalle, Lena Endre, Suzanne Reuter and Johan Ulveson are all excellent and their performance carries everything in this movie.
Primary Colors		Good craftmanship but no surprises. Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton,John Travolta - professionals to the bitter end. It feels like a TV-production and will certainly be a success as such.
Sling Blade		A good start for 1998 is this excellent drama from 1996. It is very similar to the Swedish film "den enfaldige mördaren" from 1982 which also is very good. Billy Bob Thornton off course is the complete father of the movie as he is writer, director and star !!! The pace and photo is so slow and beautiful - un-MTV - very rare these days bur the effect in a film like this is wonderful.
Snake eyes		It's a not that awful plot and some good actors but this movie never gets any tempo. It's lacking the fundamental thing of a thriller - to excite the viewer. Gary Sinise is good as the villain but Nicholas Cage is unfortunately overacting terribly in the beginning. Carla Gugino is OK.
Starship Troopers		This is actually the kind of comic books I used to like. It has everything a story should have and even the looks of the performers are there. All alien bugs are wonderfully created and they are real nasty. The quite nazi-like world by Heinlein is not critized properly according to some critics but I find that realistic.
U.S. Marshals		Sequel number 1 after The Fugitive. As such it must be considered very competent and as the last time the cast is excellent. I must admit that I was quite impressed by some technical sceenes. The weakness is as usual - the story. It is not bad or completely unbelievable but I got it all figured out to quick....
Wag the dog		Bill Clinton has not had an easy precidency. If he has similar help as in this movie his affairs with young girls would be quickly forgotten. It is like a dramatised documentary and you grasp the plot early. The characters and actors makes it worth while anyway.
Wild Things		The basic concept is off course to have some sexy girls and a exciting story in a warm, hot climate. This is one of those films that actually is quite bad but with the help of Bill Murray and Neve Campbell and the sexy stuff it succeed in a good rating. The plot changes 180 degrees at least ten times and you feel yourself like inside an old Agatha Cristie story.