DVD Challenge #23: THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK

The Lost World: Jurassic Park
1997
PG-13
Run-time: 2 hours, 9 minutes

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite, Vince Vaughn, Arliss Howard

Four years after the release of Jurassic Park, the world was graced with a sequel entitled The Lost World: Jurassic Park. After the smash success of the original film, there's really no question as to why a sequel was made. Money talks, and the first film showed that audiences loved their trip to the ill-fated Isla Nublar, so why shouldn't the filmmakers have given them another dose of similar medicine?

Like I mentioned in my post about Jurassic Park, my age has shown me some of the flaws in The Lost World as well. From the very get-go, there's a very ridiculous aura about this film, and when you actually sit and think about what's going on, there's little that actually makes sense. For starters, why was there never a mention of a second island during the first film? You'd think that'd be something they'd at least allude to from time to time. It almost feels like a little bit of a cop-out at the beginning of the film: "Oh, by the way, there's another island with dinosaurs that I forgot to tell you about, and they're living on their own so we're going to study them." If that doesn't have you scratching your head, then I don't really know what to tell you.

It's also lost a little bit of the awe and wonder of the first film. We never get that moment of magic like we had in the first film, but I think that's one of the reasons the film works despite a curious screenplay with more holes than a bowl of Cheerios. In a way, we're experiencing the emotions of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Goldblum), who survived the events of the first film. He brings a level of cynicism to this film that permeates through a lot of it. There's a scene early in the film where Nick Van Owen (Vaughn) and Eddie Carr (Richard Schiff) are amazed by the gigantic creatures they see, but Malcolm immediately responds by saying, "Oh yeah, ooh ahh. That's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming." In a way, he's telling us that we've seen this all before, but there's no reason we couldn't go along for the ride anyway.

The acting is, at times, of a little bit lower quality than the first film. Goldblum's character doesn't work as well in a leading role as he does in a supporting role, so that brings some issues. Moore isn't really at her best, but she's serviceable. Schiff probably brings the best performance in a limited amount of screen-time, with his dry humor bringing a consistent stream of one-liners. We also get a great performance from Postlethwaite, one of my personal favorite actors (so yeah, I'm probably a bit biased). We also do get a great score from John Williams again, so that's a plus.

Despite the over-the-top ridiculousness of the overall storyline, there's still a lot to like about The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The special effects are a step above what the first film created, so if anything, there's a legitimate reason to give the flick a view. Just don't think too hard about this movie - it's just supposed a fun, popcorn-munching flick that'll take your mind away for a couple of hours. And I mean, come on - it's a movie about dinosaurs. That's enough for you to want to love it.

Movie Review: CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE.

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE.

2011
PG-13


"I'm going to help you rediscover your manhood. Do you have any idea where you could have lost it?"
-- Jacob

Crazy, Stupid, Love. is a 2011 dramatic comedy directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa that centers around the conflicting love lives of one family. When Emily Weaver (Julianne Moore) tells her husband Cal (Steve Carell) that she wants a divorce, his life begins to tailspin. He moves out and spends much of his time at a local bar where he meets a young womanizer named Jacob (Ryan Gosling), who takes it upon himself to reinvent Cal and his manhood. The two begin to share a bit of success in their woman-chasing efforts, but Cal's interactions with his son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) help him realize that he still has strong feelings for Emily. At the same time, Jacob meets a young woman named Hannah (Emma Stone), who he calls a "game-changer." The tables somewhat turn when he starts to ask Cal for advice. However, not everything is at it seems, and the train of emotion continues to head on a one-way trip towards a massive collision.

I have to be honest and tell you that when I first started hearing about this film, I wasn't too impressed with the premise. With Carell headlining the film, I was worried it might delve into his general brand of comedy. Yeah, I know he's done some more dramatic work in films like 2007's Dan in Real Life and 2006's Little Miss Sunshine, but something about this film seemed too over-the-top funny for me to take it seriously. However, it started to garner some strong reviews, and word of mouth seemed to be rather positive, so I figured I'd give it a gander. What I received was one of the most honest films I've ever seen.

The screenplay offers a very simple story that's chalk full of twists and turns that you never truly expect. In a way, we're given a story about soul-mates and their place in our lives, and it seems like everyone is chasing after their own soul mate. That's where the fun comes in. We have a number of prominent love circles that constantly conflict against one another. In fact, I think that nearly every major relationship in the film was part of some love triangle. So, things get a little twisted here and there, but that adds to the comedy of the film. The constant strain of love and love lost is intensely emotional but bitingly humorous in the context of this film. Now, when I say that Crazy, Stupid, Love. is an "honest" film, I mean that it tells its story without really holding anything back. It never seems to delve into that Hollywood rom-com sap (although there are a few sappy moments here and there). It doesn't tie a nice little bow at the end, but it leaves you with a sense of hope and promise. It just feels more realistic. It just feels real.

As one can imagine, a great screenplay can't take off if it doesn't have the right mix in the cast. Carell is fantastic as a heart-broken man trying to find his way post-divorce. He's wowed me in the past, and he's done so again with his performance here. Moore is always great, and although I wish she would have been featured a little bit more, she does very well with the time she's given. Gosling continues to prove he's a force with which to be reckoned on the Hollywood scene, bringing a comedic element to the film that's undeniably hilarious. Emma Stone is also a little under-utilized, but she brings her brand of humor and sass to the screen whenever given the opportunity. We also get some great performances from younger actors like Bobo and Analeigh Tipton. Also be on the lookout for fantastic supporting roles and cameo appearances from the likes of Kevin Bacon, Marisa Tomei and Josh Groban. Overall, we have a fantastic cast that's firing on all cylinders.

At the end of the day, I think Crazy, Stupid, Love. is pretty close to a must-see. Sure, a lot of guys are going to dismiss it as another "chick flick," but I think there's a lot for both sexes to enjoy here. We get into the psyche of both men and women in completely different stages of life as they search for their soul-mates. Everyone in the world is ultimately looking for love, and because there's so many facets to this film, I can nearly guarantee that you'll be able to find a character with which to relate. I know I did. So do yourself a favor and give Crazy, Stupid, Love. a go.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: A-
2 Thumbs Up
Addition to Rankings
Best All-Time - #127
Best Comedy - #23

Movie Review: THE FUGITIVE

THE FUGITIVE

1993
PG-13

The Fugitive is a 1993 action film directed by Andrew Davis. It follows the story of Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford), a renowned surgeon who is wrongfully accused and imprisoned for the murder of his wife Helen (Sela Ward). While being transferred to another penitentiary, Kimble's bus tumbles down a hill before being struck by an oncoming train. He survives the crash and makes his escape. Shortly after, U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) is called to the scene in the hopes that he will be able to find the missing fugitive. As the two men play their cat-and-mouse game, Kimble also strives to find the real culprit behind his wife's untimely death: a one-armed man with whom he fought on that fateful night. As both men do their best to apprehend their respective quarry, they fall deeper and deeper into an ever-thickening plot that includes some of Kimble's physician colleagues as well as a major pharmaceutical company.

Now, The Fugitive is an Oscar-winning film that also garnered a nomination for Best Picture back in 1994. It ultimately lost to Schindler's List but was also running against In the Name of the Father, The Piano and The Remains of the Day. I've only seen the first two of those films mentioned, but based on those, I don't quite think The Fugitive is really anywhere close to the same wavelength. Schindler's currently sits at #17 on my list of all-time greatest movies, and In the Name of the Father rests at #73. The Fugitive couldn't even make it onto my list of the top 50 action/adventure films. But that's not to say that it's a bad movie.

I'm going to start with acting this time around because I have less negative to say about all that. Harrison Ford is effective as our emotional lead, and he actually has a couple of moments of near-greatness. Ford has never been the most stellar actor, riding more on the bravado of his characters (see: Han Solo and Indiana Jones) more than anything else. When it comes to dramatic acting, however, I doubt Ford would be your first, second, or tenth choice. He does have a couple of good, emotional scenes early in the film, but he quickly turns into the man who has to run and hide (which makes sense, considering he IS a fugitive...). Jones provides much of the bravado - and the comic relief - in the movie, which helps to lighten the mood a little bit. He scored an Oscar statuette for his supporting performance, but I'm not entirely sure he should've beaten the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio (What's Eating Gilbert Grape), Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List), John Malkovich (In the Line of Fire), and Pete Postlethwaite (In the Name of the Father). There are a couple recognizable faces that have smaller roles in The Fugitive: be on the lookout for Joe Pantoliano, Julianne Moore, Jane Lynch and Neil Flynn.

The actual storyline isn't all that terrible. We're given a number of plot twists as we go through the motions, so the film does enough to keep the audience's interest. However, it seemed as though the film was a little too rote and conventional for my personal tastes. I never once felt like Kimble was in any real danger of having to go back to prison. Yeah, I guess there's gotta be a little bit of a happy ending, but even in the early going, I always knew that Kimble was going to figure everything out. Also, from the moment we see the film's villain for the first time (I won't say who it is, just to keep a little bit of mystery), I knew that he would be the villain even though you technically don't know until late in the story. It just all seemed a little too predictable for me. The review aggregate website RottenTomatoes.com - which lists that The Fugitive has a 94% "fresh" rating - gives the following critique synopsis: "Exhilarating and intense, this high-impact chase thriller is a model of taught and efficient formula film making." While it has moments of exhilaration, I just think that it had a little too much formula for its own good. I wanted a little bit of suspense, but it just didn't deliver on that point for me.

Overall, The Fugitive is not a bad film, but I personally can't see why it was given so many accolades upon its release in the early '90s. Maybe it's just been copied so much in the past eighteen years that I feel like I've seen it all before when this was the original standard. Or maybe I'm just missing something. It's not a bad film, and it's probably worth a watch, but I can't recommend it with flying colors.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: B
1 Thumb Up

Movie Review: THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

2010
R

You can watch the trailer here

I know I'm really late in seeing this movie, but I finally got the chance now that it's out on DVD. Thank God for NetFlix, right?

The Kids Are All Right, which was directed by Lisa Cholodenko, follows Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), a lesbian couple raising two teenage children, Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson). The kids take the liberty of finding their sperm donor father Paul (Mark Ruffalo) without their parents' knowledge and meet him. As the kids begin to grow attached to Paul, Nic begins to worry that she's losing a grip on her family. Jules also begins to grow towards Paul after he hires her to landscape his back yard. The continual movement towards Paul and away from Nic eventually leads towards an explosion of emotion, but I won't get into the specifics for fear of giving away too much of the plot.

I was actually extremely impressed with the film's screenplay. On the surface, it reads just like your everyday family drama, with ups and downs and semi-expected twists and turns, but something about The Kids Are All Right just felt a little bit different. Maybe it was the fact that our lead parents are both female, but they still conveyed the same emotional ranges that a heterosexual couple would have. In thinking about it, I think that straight people (or maybe just me) have this idea that a homosexual couple would have a completely different dynamic should they maintain a long-term relationship such as a marriage with children. But instead, I saw a relationship that's very similar to what I'm used to seeing in mainstream media, and I think that helped the film. I think it goes a long way to show that love is just love, regardless of who the lovers are.

As much as I loved the storyline and the screenplay, I think most people will watch this movie because of the big-name actresses attached. When the film was released in the summer, a lot of the speculation was whether Bening or Moore would be receiving an Oscar nomination in a leading role. Honestly, it could go either way, and both have scored leading actress nominations for the upcoming Golden Globes, albeit in the comedy category (I personally saw the movie as a drama more than a comedy). I only hope that they don't both get nominated in the same category for an Oscar because that could essentially prove costly in that neither may win (although it'll be tough to beat Natalie Portman's performance from Black Swan). However, not enough has been said for the other three main actors in the film. Ruffalo has SAG and Independent Spirit Award nominations for his supporting role, but I haven't heard anything about either Hutcherson or Wasikowska. Sure, they're not quite as good as our big three, and they're not going to garner any nominations, but they're still very, very good in their respective roles.

All in all, I think this is a definite must-see heading into the awards season. It should pick up at least a couple Oscar nominations - I'd be shocked if neither Bening nor Moore finds her way into the Best Actress race - but I guess we'll have to wait and see. Do yourself a favor and give it a watch. You won't be disappointed.

Movie Review:
Grade: A
Current All-Time Rank: Best - #84
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Awards
2010: 6 nominations, 4 wins