Mike's Movie Tips

2/4 Starring: Russell Crowe, Daniel Pollock, Jacqueline McKenzie Rated R for Brutality and Violence, Sexuality and Language Premiere said this was one of "The 25 Most Dangerous Movies."   James Berardinelli said it is impossible to watch this movie and not be affected.  I was expecting something that was absolutely punishing to watch, on par with " Once Were Warriors ," or more appropriately, "American History X."  Instead, I got...this. "Romper Stomper" is the definition of mediocre.  The direction has a fierce energy, particularly in the fight scenes (one of which, the main one, goes on far too long), but the story is thin and the characters are two-dimensional at best.  That's not to say that the performances aren't strong, which they are.  It's just that the actors aren't given much to work with. Hondo (Crowe) is the ringleader of a gang of skinheads.  They resent people of Asian descent, whom they view as intruding o...

2/4 Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johannson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly Rated R for Strong Graphic Sexual Material and Dialogue Throughout, Nudity, Language and Some Drug Use There is a difference between fantasy and reality.  We all know this. ...or do we? When we watch a movie like " Titanic ," "There's Something About Mary," or any other romance, we fall in love with the characters and want them to be together until the end of time.  When we watch pornography, we imagine ourselves having sex with the beautiful woman (or man) we see.  They're both fantasies.  It's unlikely that Ted and Mary will go through life without a single fight (if they even get married) and there's no chance in hell that an average guy sitting at his computer will get with the gorgeous babe or stud he sees on the internet.  Still, they allow us to believe that it's possible. The problem is when we start believing that these fantasies...

3/4 Starring: Rachel Miner, Mimi Rogers, Liz Rivers, Chad Todhunter, Mickey Jones, Michael Berryman, Tammy Filor The version of the film being reviewed is unrated.  For the record, the rated version (if one actually exists) is rated R for Violence/Terror, Some Sexuality and Language The trailer for the After Dark horror film "Penny Dreadful" is without a doubt the best trailer I have ever seen (and I watch them all the time).  Not only does it suggest the story without giving anything away, the trailer itself is flat out terrifying.  While the film itself doesn't quite live up to its potential (it deviates somewhat from the trailer's premise), it's still pretty intense and scary. After surviving a car crash that killed her parents, Penny Deerborn (Miner) is terrified of cars.  She can't get in one without throwing up.  Her therapist, Oriana Volkes (Rogers), believes that the only way she can get past it is to bring things full circle and drive to the ...

3/4 Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Chris Kline, Jamie-Lynn Sigler Rated R for Language, Brief Sexuality and Drug Use "New York City Serenade" is one of those movies that uses naturalistic dialogue and intentionally normal and non-dramatic elements to tell its story.  Often, these can be good movies, like "Win Win" or " Tumbleweeds ."  This is a tricky thing to pull off, and when a filmmaker doesn't get the right mix, the film can come off as unbearably boring and pretentious.  For the first half of the movie, character actor Frank Whaley's third directorial project seems to be heading down that route.  The dialogue is bland and the characters aren't likable or interesting.  But the film takes off during the second half. Owen (Prinze Jr.) is an aspiring filmmaker working at a dead end job.  He's engaged to a college student named Lynn (Sigler), although he is not faithful to her.  His best friend Ray (Klein) is an alcoholic drummer in...

3/4 Starring: Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Ruben Blades, Treat Williams, Natasha McElhone, Margaret Colin, Paul Ronan Rated R for Strong Brutal Violence, and for Language Don't expect a happy ending.  This isn't an American story.  It's an Irish one.  --Frankie Maguire From its very inception, "The Devil's Own" was in deep water.  Current events and other factors demanded rewrites (including filming without a finished script), much to the displeasure of star Brad Pitt, who called it "a disaster" and "the most irresponsible piece of filmmaking" (Pitt wanted to back out, but doing so would have cost him "$63 million for starters").  It was originally going to be released for Oscar attention, but test audiences hated it, so it was pushed back to a March release date. While such drama is normally a really bad sign, "The Devil's Own" manages to rise above it and come out as a decent flick.  It's by no ...

3/4 Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Elliott Reid, Tommy Noonan, Charles Coburn Not Rated (contains nothing offensive) There's nothing heavy about "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."  It's a lighter than light screwball comedy/musical with madcap hijinks, wordplay and some extravagantly staged songs.  It's by no means perfect, but it is fun. Lorelei Lee (Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Russell) are two lounge singers and best friends.  Lorelei is engaged to be married to rich dork Gus Esmond, Jr. (Noonan), while Dorothy is lovelorn and single.  Unfortunately, Gus's controlling father doesn't approve of the relationship, so he sends Lorelei and Dorothy to France to wait for him.  Complications ensue: Lorelei, who will fall for anyone who so even mentions the word "diamond," gets into some compromising positions with Piggy Beekman (Coburn), a diamond mine owner, and Dorothy gets the hots for the dashing Ernie Malone (Reid), who happens to be taili...

1/4 Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Steve Coulter, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Terror and Violence, and Thematic Elements How far titans fall... Two years ago, James Wan and Leigh Whanell, the creators of the "Saw" franchise, unleashed " Insidious " onto the public.  In my opinion, it was one of the scariest movies ever made (I was shaking for 45 minutes after the movie was over) and it made my Top 10 list that year at number 2.  Last week, Wan and Whanell continued the story of the Lamberts.  The result is an abysmally bad movie. "Insidious: Chapter 2" feels like a rush job from beginning to end.  No one appears to have any interest in making this movie.  The actors, all of whom have shown talent in the past, are awful, Wan's direction is lightning fast and lacks atmosphere, and the story frequently makes zero sense.  About the only one involved who appears to have any investment in the f...