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Herc
SPOILER ALERT !!
Everything’s still all kinda rerunny on the TV side of Ain’t It Cool, so I’m suddenly seeing a lot of movies, biding my time before CBS trots out “Big Brother,” my shameful and all-consuming summer obsession.
Here’s what I’ve learned in the meantime, o my brothers:
Spider-Man 2
As a character-driven action film, “Spider-Man 2” rates right up there with the likes of “Die Hard” and “Aliens” and the “Terminator” movies and “The Empire Strikes Back.” I can’t wait to see it again, it will be the biggest movie of the year, and I think it could even end up outgrossing “Titanic.” It’s got everything the first film had and more.
In broad strokes, its plot is weirdly parallel to the one employed by “Superman II.” It deals with a guy who ditches his superpowers to accommodate the girl he likes, then winds up re-embracing his superhumanity when the same girl is imperiled by grudge-bearing supervillainy. But where Clark Kent’s decision was a deliberate one, Peter Parker’s seems to be steered by the subconscious.
Part one felt very much like a film Sam Raimi directed, but this second installment feels like something Raimi generated from scratch. It feels like something the guy who made “Darkman” and “Army of Darkness” would write and direct if you gave him free rein and a towering pile of cash. Its pacing rivals “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The action scenes are generally much more exciting and less obligatory. The elevated train fight is frightening and suspenseful and ultimately pretty moving.
Genius-level comedy abounds, but the exchange with Bruce Campbell is show-stopper. So is the “I’m back!” scene. Peter Parker’s newspaper boss, J. Jonah Jameson, is more sharply drawn this time around and every single scene he visits is a comic home-run.
We also get a huuuuge bad-guy upgrade. If the Green Goblin had perhaps worn out his welcome at junctures, Otto Octavius seems to be utilized much more pointedly, and sparingly. His mechanized arms are scary and cool and sometimes pretty amusing, and the way in which they’re attached to the doctor’s spine (as demonstrated in those unfortunate TV commercials) is both convincing and quietly horrifying. We’re left wanting more.
The ending is happier, I think, and more satisfying.
There are loads of great surprises, and none greater than the last big one, which is a sort of a gigantor double-surprise. If someone even hints about what it is in talkback, know that banishment will ensue.
*****
.
The Life Aquatic
All of Wes Anderson’s movies are great, and "The Life Aquatic" is my favorite to date – mostly because Anderson has finally situated centerstage longtime collaborator and comedy ubergenius Bill Murray.
Murray is a riot as Steve Zissou, a vain, disreputable American version of Jacques Cousteau who makes self-important, vaguely fraudulent documentaries about his own underwater adventuring. Zissou is out to revive his career by confronting the aquatic monster that lunched on Zissou’s elderly partner. Along the way, there are semi-unanticipated obstacles.
The underlying sadness one always associates with Anderson’s films still lurks, but this boasts the silliest comedy of any of the director’s efforts to date. Silly films are good if they’re funny, and, make no mistake, “The Life Aquatic” is fricking hilarious.
The film constitues an absolute career peak for Willem DaFoe, who seems to be rapidly morphing into David Letterman’s old recurring sidekick Brother Theodore. DaFoe has never been, and almost certainly will never be, as entertaining as he is as Klaus Daimler, Zissou’s relentlessly insecure German second-in-command.
Even beyond Zissou and Daimler, the film contains inspired characters numerous enough to fill four or five movies. I particularly enjoyed the always-reliable Jeff Goldblum, very funny as Zissou’s oblivious and much-better-financed oceanographic and romantic rival. Cate Blanchett has never been cuter as the skeptical and disparaging journalist Zissou covets. Owen Wilson pulls many a sneaky laugh out of Ned Plympton, an adoring Zissou fan who may actually be the filmmaker’s son.
Much (most?) of the film unfurls as a Zissou-made documentary, allowing for unusually propulsive pacing, agreeably abrupt transitions and much hilarious captioning.
Longtime Anderson fans will enjoy “Bottle Rocket” flashbacks as Zissou turns clumsy action hero at key junctures. The beach-storming sequences suggest what “Charlie’s Angels” might have been like had Bosley been dispatched to do all the rescuing.
Per Anderson tradition, the music is wonderful, particularly the Devo tune that accompanies one extremely gratifyingly comic montage.
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
Spider-Man 2
As a character-driven action film, “Spider-Man 2” rates right up there with the likes of “Die Hard” and “Aliens” and the “Terminator” movies and “The Empire Strikes Back.” I can’t wait to see it again, it will be the biggest movie of the year, and I think it could even end up outgrossing “Titanic.” It’s got everything the first film had and more.
In broad strokes, its plot is weirdly parallel to the one employed by “Superman II.” It deals with a guy who ditches his superpowers to accommodate the girl he likes, then winds up re-embracing his superhumanity when the same girl is imperiled by grudge-bearing supervillainy. But where Clark Kent’s decision was a deliberate one, Peter Parker’s seems to be steered by the subconscious.
Part one felt very much like a film Sam Raimi directed, but this second installment feels like something Raimi generated from scratch. It feels like something the guy who made “Darkman” and “Army of Darkness” would write and direct if you gave him free rein and a towering pile of cash. Its pacing rivals “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The action scenes are generally much more exciting and less obligatory. The elevated train fight is frightening and suspenseful and ultimately pretty moving.
Genius-level comedy abounds, but the exchange with Bruce Campbell is show-stopper. So is the “I’m back!” scene. Peter Parker’s newspaper boss, J. Jonah Jameson, is more sharply drawn this time around and every single scene he visits is a comic home-run.
We also get a huuuuge bad-guy upgrade. If the Green Goblin had perhaps worn out his welcome at junctures, Otto Octavius seems to be utilized much more pointedly, and sparingly. His mechanized arms are scary and cool and sometimes pretty amusing, and the way in which they’re attached to the doctor’s spine (as demonstrated in those unfortunate TV commercials) is both convincing and quietly horrifying. We’re left wanting more.
The ending is happier, I think, and more satisfying.
There are loads of great surprises, and none greater than the last big one, which is a sort of a gigantor double-surprise. If someone even hints about what it is in talkback, know that banishment will ensue.
*****
.
The Life Aquatic
All of Wes Anderson’s movies are great, and "The Life Aquatic" is my favorite to date – mostly because Anderson has finally situated centerstage longtime collaborator and comedy ubergenius Bill Murray.
Murray is a riot as Steve Zissou, a vain, disreputable American version of Jacques Cousteau who makes self-important, vaguely fraudulent documentaries about his own underwater adventuring. Zissou is out to revive his career by confronting the aquatic monster that lunched on Zissou’s elderly partner. Along the way, there are semi-unanticipated obstacles.
The underlying sadness one always associates with Anderson’s films still lurks, but this boasts the silliest comedy of any of the director’s efforts to date. Silly films are good if they’re funny, and, make no mistake, “The Life Aquatic” is fricking hilarious.
The film constitues an absolute career peak for Willem DaFoe, who seems to be rapidly morphing into David Letterman’s old recurring sidekick Brother Theodore. DaFoe has never been, and almost certainly will never be, as entertaining as he is as Klaus Daimler, Zissou’s relentlessly insecure German second-in-command.
Even beyond Zissou and Daimler, the film contains inspired characters numerous enough to fill four or five movies. I particularly enjoyed the always-reliable Jeff Goldblum, very funny as Zissou’s oblivious and much-better-financed oceanographic and romantic rival. Cate Blanchett has never been cuter as the skeptical and disparaging journalist Zissou covets. Owen Wilson pulls many a sneaky laugh out of Ned Plympton, an adoring Zissou fan who may actually be the filmmaker’s son.
Much (most?) of the film unfurls as a Zissou-made documentary, allowing for unusually propulsive pacing, agreeably abrupt transitions and much hilarious captioning.
Longtime Anderson fans will enjoy “Bottle Rocket” flashbacks as Zissou turns clumsy action hero at key junctures. The beach-storming sequences suggest what “Charlie’s Angels” might have been like had Bosley been dispatched to do all the rescuing.
Per Anderson tradition, the music is wonderful, particularly the Devo tune that accompanies one extremely gratifyingly comic montage.
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
In broad strokes, its plot is weirdly parallel to the one employed by “Superman II.” It deals with a guy who ditches his superpowers to accommodate the girl he likes, then winds up re-embracing his superhumanity when the same girl is imperiled by grudge-bearing supervillainy. But where Clark Kent’s decision was a deliberate one, Peter Parker’s seems to be steered by the subconscious.
Part one felt very much like a film Sam Raimi directed, but this second installment feels like something Raimi generated from scratch. It feels like something the guy who made “Darkman” and “Army of Darkness” would write and direct if you gave him free rein and a towering pile of cash. Its pacing rivals “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The action scenes are generally much more exciting and less obligatory. The elevated train fight is frightening and suspenseful and ultimately pretty moving.
Genius-level comedy abounds, but the exchange with Bruce Campbell is show-stopper. So is the “I’m back!” scene. Peter Parker’s newspaper boss, J. Jonah Jameson, is more sharply drawn this time around and every single scene he visits is a comic home-run.
We also get a huuuuge bad-guy upgrade. If the Green Goblin had perhaps worn out his welcome at junctures, Otto Octavius seems to be utilized much more pointedly, and sparingly. His mechanized arms are scary and cool and sometimes pretty amusing, and the way in which they’re attached to the doctor’s spine (as demonstrated in those unfortunate TV commercials) is both convincing and quietly horrifying. We’re left wanting more.
The ending is happier, I think, and more satisfying.
There are loads of great surprises, and none greater than the last big one, which is a sort of a gigantor double-surprise. If someone even hints about what it is in talkback, know that banishment will ensue.
*****
.
The Life Aquatic
All of Wes Anderson’s movies are great, and "The Life Aquatic" is my favorite to date – mostly because Anderson has finally situated centerstage longtime collaborator and comedy ubergenius Bill Murray.
Murray is a riot as Steve Zissou, a vain, disreputable American version of Jacques Cousteau who makes self-important, vaguely fraudulent documentaries about his own underwater adventuring. Zissou is out to revive his career by confronting the aquatic monster that lunched on Zissou’s elderly partner. Along the way, there are semi-unanticipated obstacles.
The underlying sadness one always associates with Anderson’s films still lurks, but this boasts the silliest comedy of any of the director’s efforts to date. Silly films are good if they’re funny, and, make no mistake, “The Life Aquatic” is fricking hilarious.
The film constitues an absolute career peak for Willem DaFoe, who seems to be rapidly morphing into David Letterman’s old recurring sidekick Brother Theodore. DaFoe has never been, and almost certainly will never be, as entertaining as he is as Klaus Daimler, Zissou’s relentlessly insecure German second-in-command.
Even beyond Zissou and Daimler, the film contains inspired characters numerous enough to fill four or five movies. I particularly enjoyed the always-reliable Jeff Goldblum, very funny as Zissou’s oblivious and much-better-financed oceanographic and romantic rival. Cate Blanchett has never been cuter as the skeptical and disparaging journalist Zissou covets. Owen Wilson pulls many a sneaky laugh out of Ned Plympton, an adoring Zissou fan who may actually be the filmmaker’s son.
Much (most?) of the film unfurls as a Zissou-made documentary, allowing for unusually propulsive pacing, agreeably abrupt transitions and much hilarious captioning.
Longtime Anderson fans will enjoy “Bottle Rocket” flashbacks as Zissou turns clumsy action hero at key junctures. The beach-storming sequences suggest what “Charlie’s Angels” might have been like had Bosley been dispatched to do all the rescuing.
Per Anderson tradition, the music is wonderful, particularly the Devo tune that accompanies one extremely gratifyingly comic montage.
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
Genius-level comedy abounds, but the exchange with Bruce Campbell is show-stopper. So is the “I’m back!” scene. Peter Parker’s newspaper boss, J. Jonah Jameson, is more sharply drawn this time around and every single scene he visits is a comic home-run.
We also get a huuuuge bad-guy upgrade. If the Green Goblin had perhaps worn out his welcome at junctures, Otto Octavius seems to be utilized much more pointedly, and sparingly. His mechanized arms are scary and cool and sometimes pretty amusing, and the way in which they’re attached to the doctor’s spine (as demonstrated in those unfortunate TV commercials) is both convincing and quietly horrifying. We’re left wanting more.
The ending is happier, I think, and more satisfying.
There are loads of great surprises, and none greater than the last big one, which is a sort of a gigantor double-surprise. If someone even hints about what it is in talkback, know that banishment will ensue.
*****
.
The Life Aquatic
All of Wes Anderson’s movies are great, and "The Life Aquatic" is my favorite to date – mostly because Anderson has finally situated centerstage longtime collaborator and comedy ubergenius Bill Murray.
Murray is a riot as Steve Zissou, a vain, disreputable American version of Jacques Cousteau who makes self-important, vaguely fraudulent documentaries about his own underwater adventuring. Zissou is out to revive his career by confronting the aquatic monster that lunched on Zissou’s elderly partner. Along the way, there are semi-unanticipated obstacles.
The underlying sadness one always associates with Anderson’s films still lurks, but this boasts the silliest comedy of any of the director’s efforts to date. Silly films are good if they’re funny, and, make no mistake, “The Life Aquatic” is fricking hilarious.
The film constitues an absolute career peak for Willem DaFoe, who seems to be rapidly morphing into David Letterman’s old recurring sidekick Brother Theodore. DaFoe has never been, and almost certainly will never be, as entertaining as he is as Klaus Daimler, Zissou’s relentlessly insecure German second-in-command.
Even beyond Zissou and Daimler, the film contains inspired characters numerous enough to fill four or five movies. I particularly enjoyed the always-reliable Jeff Goldblum, very funny as Zissou’s oblivious and much-better-financed oceanographic and romantic rival. Cate Blanchett has never been cuter as the skeptical and disparaging journalist Zissou covets. Owen Wilson pulls many a sneaky laugh out of Ned Plympton, an adoring Zissou fan who may actually be the filmmaker’s son.
Much (most?) of the film unfurls as a Zissou-made documentary, allowing for unusually propulsive pacing, agreeably abrupt transitions and much hilarious captioning.
Longtime Anderson fans will enjoy “Bottle Rocket” flashbacks as Zissou turns clumsy action hero at key junctures. The beach-storming sequences suggest what “Charlie’s Angels” might have been like had Bosley been dispatched to do all the rescuing.
Per Anderson tradition, the music is wonderful, particularly the Devo tune that accompanies one extremely gratifyingly comic montage.
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
The ending is happier, I think, and more satisfying.
There are loads of great surprises, and none greater than the last big one, which is a sort of a gigantor double-surprise. If someone even hints about what it is in talkback, know that banishment will ensue.
*****
.
The Life Aquatic
All of Wes Anderson’s movies are great, and "The Life Aquatic" is my favorite to date – mostly because Anderson has finally situated centerstage longtime collaborator and comedy ubergenius Bill Murray.
Murray is a riot as Steve Zissou, a vain, disreputable American version of Jacques Cousteau who makes self-important, vaguely fraudulent documentaries about his own underwater adventuring. Zissou is out to revive his career by confronting the aquatic monster that lunched on Zissou’s elderly partner. Along the way, there are semi-unanticipated obstacles.
The underlying sadness one always associates with Anderson’s films still lurks, but this boasts the silliest comedy of any of the director’s efforts to date. Silly films are good if they’re funny, and, make no mistake, “The Life Aquatic” is fricking hilarious.
The film constitues an absolute career peak for Willem DaFoe, who seems to be rapidly morphing into David Letterman’s old recurring sidekick Brother Theodore. DaFoe has never been, and almost certainly will never be, as entertaining as he is as Klaus Daimler, Zissou’s relentlessly insecure German second-in-command.
Even beyond Zissou and Daimler, the film contains inspired characters numerous enough to fill four or five movies. I particularly enjoyed the always-reliable Jeff Goldblum, very funny as Zissou’s oblivious and much-better-financed oceanographic and romantic rival. Cate Blanchett has never been cuter as the skeptical and disparaging journalist Zissou covets. Owen Wilson pulls many a sneaky laugh out of Ned Plympton, an adoring Zissou fan who may actually be the filmmaker’s son.
Much (most?) of the film unfurls as a Zissou-made documentary, allowing for unusually propulsive pacing, agreeably abrupt transitions and much hilarious captioning.
Longtime Anderson fans will enjoy “Bottle Rocket” flashbacks as Zissou turns clumsy action hero at key junctures. The beach-storming sequences suggest what “Charlie’s Angels” might have been like had Bosley been dispatched to do all the rescuing.
Per Anderson tradition, the music is wonderful, particularly the Devo tune that accompanies one extremely gratifyingly comic montage.
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
.
The Life Aquatic
All of Wes Anderson’s movies are great, and "The Life Aquatic" is my favorite to date – mostly because Anderson has finally situated centerstage longtime collaborator and comedy ubergenius Bill Murray.
Murray is a riot as Steve Zissou, a vain, disreputable American version of Jacques Cousteau who makes self-important, vaguely fraudulent documentaries about his own underwater adventuring. Zissou is out to revive his career by confronting the aquatic monster that lunched on Zissou’s elderly partner. Along the way, there are semi-unanticipated obstacles.
The underlying sadness one always associates with Anderson’s films still lurks, but this boasts the silliest comedy of any of the director’s efforts to date. Silly films are good if they’re funny, and, make no mistake, “The Life Aquatic” is fricking hilarious.
The film constitues an absolute career peak for Willem DaFoe, who seems to be rapidly morphing into David Letterman’s old recurring sidekick Brother Theodore. DaFoe has never been, and almost certainly will never be, as entertaining as he is as Klaus Daimler, Zissou’s relentlessly insecure German second-in-command.
Even beyond Zissou and Daimler, the film contains inspired characters numerous enough to fill four or five movies. I particularly enjoyed the always-reliable Jeff Goldblum, very funny as Zissou’s oblivious and much-better-financed oceanographic and romantic rival. Cate Blanchett has never been cuter as the skeptical and disparaging journalist Zissou covets. Owen Wilson pulls many a sneaky laugh out of Ned Plympton, an adoring Zissou fan who may actually be the filmmaker’s son.
Much (most?) of the film unfurls as a Zissou-made documentary, allowing for unusually propulsive pacing, agreeably abrupt transitions and much hilarious captioning.
Longtime Anderson fans will enjoy “Bottle Rocket” flashbacks as Zissou turns clumsy action hero at key junctures. The beach-storming sequences suggest what “Charlie’s Angels” might have been like had Bosley been dispatched to do all the rescuing.
Per Anderson tradition, the music is wonderful, particularly the Devo tune that accompanies one extremely gratifyingly comic montage.
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
All of Wes Anderson’s movies are great, and "The Life Aquatic" is my favorite to date – mostly because Anderson has finally situated centerstage longtime collaborator and comedy ubergenius Bill Murray.
Murray is a riot as Steve Zissou, a vain, disreputable American version of Jacques Cousteau who makes self-important, vaguely fraudulent documentaries about his own underwater adventuring. Zissou is out to revive his career by confronting the aquatic monster that lunched on Zissou’s elderly partner. Along the way, there are semi-unanticipated obstacles.
The underlying sadness one always associates with Anderson’s films still lurks, but this boasts the silliest comedy of any of the director’s efforts to date. Silly films are good if they’re funny, and, make no mistake, “The Life Aquatic” is fricking hilarious.
The film constitues an absolute career peak for Willem DaFoe, who seems to be rapidly morphing into David Letterman’s old recurring sidekick Brother Theodore. DaFoe has never been, and almost certainly will never be, as entertaining as he is as Klaus Daimler, Zissou’s relentlessly insecure German second-in-command.
Even beyond Zissou and Daimler, the film contains inspired characters numerous enough to fill four or five movies. I particularly enjoyed the always-reliable Jeff Goldblum, very funny as Zissou’s oblivious and much-better-financed oceanographic and romantic rival. Cate Blanchett has never been cuter as the skeptical and disparaging journalist Zissou covets. Owen Wilson pulls many a sneaky laugh out of Ned Plympton, an adoring Zissou fan who may actually be the filmmaker’s son.
Much (most?) of the film unfurls as a Zissou-made documentary, allowing for unusually propulsive pacing, agreeably abrupt transitions and much hilarious captioning.
Longtime Anderson fans will enjoy “Bottle Rocket” flashbacks as Zissou turns clumsy action hero at key junctures. The beach-storming sequences suggest what “Charlie’s Angels” might have been like had Bosley been dispatched to do all the rescuing.
Per Anderson tradition, the music is wonderful, particularly the Devo tune that accompanies one extremely gratifyingly comic montage.
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
The underlying sadness one always associates with Anderson’s films still lurks, but this boasts the silliest comedy of any of the director’s efforts to date. Silly films are good if they’re funny, and, make no mistake, “The Life Aquatic” is fricking hilarious.
The film constitues an absolute career peak for Willem DaFoe, who seems to be rapidly morphing into David Letterman’s old recurring sidekick Brother Theodore. DaFoe has never been, and almost certainly will never be, as entertaining as he is as Klaus Daimler, Zissou’s relentlessly insecure German second-in-command.
Even beyond Zissou and Daimler, the film contains inspired characters numerous enough to fill four or five movies. I particularly enjoyed the always-reliable Jeff Goldblum, very funny as Zissou’s oblivious and much-better-financed oceanographic and romantic rival. Cate Blanchett has never been cuter as the skeptical and disparaging journalist Zissou covets. Owen Wilson pulls many a sneaky laugh out of Ned Plympton, an adoring Zissou fan who may actually be the filmmaker’s son.
Much (most?) of the film unfurls as a Zissou-made documentary, allowing for unusually propulsive pacing, agreeably abrupt transitions and much hilarious captioning.
Longtime Anderson fans will enjoy “Bottle Rocket” flashbacks as Zissou turns clumsy action hero at key junctures. The beach-storming sequences suggest what “Charlie’s Angels” might have been like had Bosley been dispatched to do all the rescuing.
Per Anderson tradition, the music is wonderful, particularly the Devo tune that accompanies one extremely gratifyingly comic montage.
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
Even beyond Zissou and Daimler, the film contains inspired characters numerous enough to fill four or five movies. I particularly enjoyed the always-reliable Jeff Goldblum, very funny as Zissou’s oblivious and much-better-financed oceanographic and romantic rival. Cate Blanchett has never been cuter as the skeptical and disparaging journalist Zissou covets. Owen Wilson pulls many a sneaky laugh out of Ned Plympton, an adoring Zissou fan who may actually be the filmmaker’s son.
Much (most?) of the film unfurls as a Zissou-made documentary, allowing for unusually propulsive pacing, agreeably abrupt transitions and much hilarious captioning.
Longtime Anderson fans will enjoy “Bottle Rocket” flashbacks as Zissou turns clumsy action hero at key junctures. The beach-storming sequences suggest what “Charlie’s Angels” might have been like had Bosley been dispatched to do all the rescuing.
Per Anderson tradition, the music is wonderful, particularly the Devo tune that accompanies one extremely gratifyingly comic montage.
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
Longtime Anderson fans will enjoy “Bottle Rocket” flashbacks as Zissou turns clumsy action hero at key junctures. The beach-storming sequences suggest what “Charlie’s Angels” might have been like had Bosley been dispatched to do all the rescuing.
Per Anderson tradition, the music is wonderful, particularly the Devo tune that accompanies one extremely gratifyingly comic montage.
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
"Life Aquatic" is another one I'm keen to see again, like now, but it won't have a proper run in cinemas until year's end.
****1/2
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
.
The Terminal
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
A romantic comedy from Steven Spielberg, "The Terminal" pretty much screams “Capraesque!” and is worth seeing if only to glimpse 1) the comic mastery one associates with Tom Hanks, and 2) the handful of really, really funny sight gags that punctuate a left-field dinner-date scene.
It’s about a traveller who finds himself unable to leave a New York airport after a war erases his European homeland from the globe and his passport is rendered invalid. Viktor the visitor manages to infuriate the airport’s head Homeland Security officer (Stanley Tucci) by figuring out how to survive and even thrive among the restrooms, bars, and coffee shops that line the facility. Catherine Zeta-Jones has never been more adorable as an American flight attendant who takes an interest in Viktor.
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
The film only finds itself undone when the script lapses a bit too readily into sentimentality. It might have been smarter to drop the more dramatic elements, which seem at odds with the film’s unlikely premise.
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for a fire
Looking for bumper stickers, plush toys and girls’ underwear covered with cartoon double-amputees? Visit The Herc Store!
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Yeah, but does it have Macy Grey?!!?!??
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Just Kidding. I would like to know who kicked me off of TALKBACK though... and what I did to deserve it. --- It is cruel to tease us with all these wonderful LIFE AQUATIC reviews , it is six months away, that's a long six months. Ebert gives GARFIELD a higher rating than RIDDICK. Oh dear.
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Fourth, maybe. I'll see Spidey2 out of these 3. Maybe Terminal. Not really a fan of WeS Anderson.
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That fat sack of shit wouldnt know a good movie if it date raped him.Good reviews herc-im looking forward to spidey 2 a lot.ive always been a big fan so hopefully this will be as great as evryone says
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Excellent review writing Herc. Informative, concise, and no spoilers(even vowed retribution on anyone who does spoil). Way to show your range extends beyond the television. I plan to see 2 out of 3 of these movies.
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...Spidey and Life Aquatic. By the way, Spidey talk gives me a chance to bring up something: while I wasn't a huge fan of Ang Lee's flawed HULK last year, does anyone else agree with me that the whole "desert rampage" sequence is quite brilliantly done? I bought the DVD just for that sequence alone, and I marvel at it every time -- and well as rue the fact that it's bookended by a seriously misguided cinematic effort.
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Jun 11, 2004 10:04:19 PM CDT
Put THIS in your head, obtuse minds, NOBODY can defeat Titanic i
by pvecu
Keep that in mind... for a LONG LONG time... in a galaxy far far away... LOL
...phreaks -
Nah.... every year there's the movie that's going to outgross Titanic. Return of the King, the second highest grossing film ever, fell only 800 million dollars short.
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The juggernaut which is Titanic is an absolute box-office anomaly. Even ROTK struggled to get to the billion dollar mark worldwide. Jackson would have to do twice the business of ROTK to even touch Titanic. No one will ever do that. Not Spielberg, not Lucas, not Raimi... not fucking anybody. Get a fucking clue.
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Herc should write outside of the television medium more often. He gets the point across without "having" to go into spoiler territority about why he likes the plot. And The Life Aquatic sounds hysterical!
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After walking out of chronicles of riddick i'm ready for anything worthwhile, even if it is smaltsy bullshit Spielburg and Hanks usually come up with.
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Jun 11, 2004 11:17:57 PM CDT
There's a new 3-disk dvd of SPIDEY 1 in the stores now (because
by frankdrebin
Another new trend, the "1.5" version released the same time the sequel hits theaters (like X-MEN 1.5, PITCH BLACK C.O.R. and SHREK 3-D). Which means I'll have to wait until HELLBOY 2 before they release the fully-loaded version of HELLBOY 1.
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The only way Spidey will overtake the big boat is if Leo is in it and he woos Mary Jane away with his sausage.
There are a lot more horny teenage girls than there are devoted comic geeks. That's what made Titanic the ridiculous grosser it was, weepy little female mallrats seeing Leo's gangly ass drown in deep blue see, over and over and over and over again.
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Check out the above link for those interested in box-office grosses. To say that no movie will EVER outgross TITANIC is plain wrong. http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted/ will show that today's reigning box-office champ, which reigns in today's (or in 1997's) dollars barely beat out JAWS when put in perspective, that is, taking into account INFLATION and RISING TICKET PRICES. Who are the all time box-office champs? 1- Gone with the Wind---
2- Star Wars---
3- The Sound of Music---
4- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial---
5- The Ten Commandments---
6- TITANIC---
7- Jaws---
8- Doctor Zhivago---
9- The Exorcist---
10-Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs---
ETC....
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And here's why, because Spiderman appeals to action or comic loving 8-36 year olds (and maybe beyond for the die hard comic fans).. comic book and action fans alike will se a movie 1-2 times and then buy the DVD.. Titanic was a chick movie.. Aimed at 9-36 year old women who will part with thier dollars 3-5 times in order to gush over a romance thier lives cannot possibly have and to.. lets face it.. get wet over Leo.. But then you have the oft overlooked demographic of the older generation.. They will NOT go see a movie about a man with super powers akin to a spider.. You want someone to blame for Spiderman or Return of the King not outgrossing TItanic.. Blame the aged... that is all. *BAMF*
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I think film fans are way too fast to jump on a bandwagon of either saying "sucks nuts" or "greatest movie ever." The Hulk was an interesting failure. Ang Lee was probably the wrong choice for director. That being said, at least there was an attempt to make a great film. How often does that really happen these days?
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There was a dildo shaped space ship in the classic '70s film "Flesh Gordon"
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It will take atleast 10 years or so for inflation to allow for another to unseat Titanic in worldwide BO.
Titanic had the following Demographics...
1. Teenage girls drooling over Leo
2. Teenage boys drooling over Kate
3. Older people
4. History Buffs
5. Romance lovers
6. James Cameron Fans
7. Action film / Special effects fans
8. Tear Jerker Lovers
9. Costume Drama / Period film fans
10. Celine Dion fans. Like it or not you cant deny that song pulled in a butt load of folk.
11. Academy Award followers and general award show watchers.
12. Disaster Film Fans
probably more i cant think of. think of it... Young, old, women, men, geeks, white collar, blue collar, snobs, commoners. It had em all. And even if you say you hated Titanic you cant deny you saw it, maybe more than once. And you most likely hate it simply because its kitsch to hate on extremely succesful things with lots of hype, cause it makes you look cool. But on that first day you saw it...before the flaming started, you were moved, wowed, and bought into it. The word of mouth on that movie had its weekend tallys going *UP* after 6 months. Whereas films like Troy and Van Helsing start fading in week 2 because Shrek 2 or some other flavor of the week comes along. -
sorry to dissapoint ya mate but even the suits at sony think shrek 2 is already the biggest film of the year. the only question is how far past $400m it will go. maybe worldwide spidey 2 will be the one to beat? and people need to get of the titanic tip it was absoloutly unique in the way it made the same, or more money every week for months. the only certainty is that if it ever gets outgrossed it won't be by a movie anyone saw coming. remeember after titanics openig of about $28m people thought it was gonna lose money?! ha ha ha
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Possibly the dumbest thing Herc's ever said on this site. What knee-jerk hyperbole. The first one outgrossing Episode 2 and Harry Potter (in America, at least) is amazing enough. But unlike LOTR, which drew more fans in as it went along with a continuous story, Spider Man's sequel simply will NOT make more that the original. It ain't gonna happen. We're talking $400 MILLION, folks. Return of the King didn't hit that mark in the U.S. A couple of posts have already analyzed the demographics of Titanic and why it can't be beat, but I think it comes down to the old people. Most movies these days are too vulgar and quickly edited for the senior citizens. Titanic was an old-fashioned Hollywood film that brought them out in droves. Much like Passion of the Christ. So if you take the Passion's box office total, around $350 million, and add it to the summer blockbuster demographic of something like Pirates of the Carribean, you get $600 million, which is Titanic. The percentage of Spider Man attendees over 50 is so miniscule you can't imagine. And unlike Titanic, 13 year old girls aren't going to want to see Tobey Maguire over and over again. Plus, we're not even talking about worldwide here. Titanic's total is 1.8 billion. Can anyone even fathom that total in movie terms? Return of the King was the second film to pass the billion mark, and it was still $800,000 short. That difference is twice the domestic total of the first Spider Man. I'm not saying it's impossible for any film to break Titanic's domestic or worldwide records, but it would have to have a pretty rare combination of elements we're not likely to see anytime soon.
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Jun 12, 2004 4:01:12 AM CDT
Herc, you're great, butt hat 'unlikely premise' is based on a tr
by grando
Nice to see a reviewer actually give star ratings on thsi site though.
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i was about 15 when Titanic first hit theaters and that was right when i started getting into box office returns. the thing that made Titanic so big wasn't just the repeat teenage girl audience - it was the pop culture EXPLOSION it created. and it didn't go crazy the first weekend, either. if i remember correctly. Titanic made about $30 million its first weekend - which would almost be disappointing these days. but the STRANGEST thing happened after the 3rd weekend in release - the gross started INCREASING each weekend. what's more, it had practically NO MAJOR COMPETITION. the only thing to come CLOSE to its number one earnings for 13 FREAKIN WEEKS was "The Wedding Singer" and the rushed Leonardo project "The Man in the Iron Mask" (making him the first and last actor, if i'm correct, to be the lead actor in the top two grossing movies in the country at the same time). finally, "Lost in Space" beat it out for the number one movie in early APRIL. FREAKIN APRIL. FOR AN ENTIRE 4 MONTHS, TITANIC WAS NUMBER ONE. sure, the spring is the slowest movie season and most christmas blockbusters have huge momentum through february at least, but that is still quite a feat. so all that said, NO SUMMER MOVIE WILL REIGN LIKE TITANIC, as the theaters are just too crowded with other flicks to single-handedly grab everybody's interest for so long, complete with repeat business. I AM WILLING TO BET SOME SERIOUS MONEY THAT JAMES CAMERON WILL DIE WITH HIS MOVIE STILL AT #1 ON THE ALL-TIME CHARTS - unless he becomes a cyborg or something.
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Austin Powers wasn't the first to have wang shaped spaceships. First I recall appeared in a Cars music video. Can't remember which song.
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Even fucking Van Helsing?
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Sorry to be predictable but I feel compelled to throw my purple pants into the arena and say that Hulk is the best comic adaptation I know. It actually converted me into a fan of a character I was never a liked before.
What I enjoyed about Spiderman was everything I didn't expect to see when going to see a comic movie. Not the action and FX but the little intimate and humourous moments. Sounds like 2 will be more of the same. -
Even my great love for David Warner can't draw me in to watch this. DeCrapio is not merely unattractive, he's actually repulsive. As with Brad Pitt, I have to wonder if large numbers of women and girls get swept up in some kind of mass hysteria or delusion about an actor's supposed cuteness, and later are too embarrassed to admit how poor their judgment was. (if they ever come to their senses, that is).
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It was in theaters for almost a whole year. Any movie in theaters for 33 weeks will make money. Most movies are pulled to make room for the new releases at half that time or less. Titanic ran and was re-released. Most films don't get a re-release. Theaters just kept using it as an alternative date movie and it just never went away. Just look at it's opening. It was like 30 million. Nothing special. The first week is almost always the highest and the following weeks gross falls over time.
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Jun 12, 2004 10:16:17 AM CDT
Well, it's official. Herc loves Spider-Man 2, so it must be doo
by gere's assgerbil
And say what you will about Titanic, but the first Spider-Man was way more of a chick-flick than Titanic. That upside-down kiss in the rain? Puh-leeze. And does anyone doubt that DiCaprio would kick Tobey Maguire's ass in a fight. Seriously, my girlfriend could kick Tobey Maguire's ass. I guess what pisses me off about the Raimi/Maguire version of Spider-Man is he's so much of a pussy he's not believable as a superhero. Not that Spider-Man is supposed to be menacing like Batman, but there's no grit in Maguire that makes me believe he could ever win a fight. I guess this applies to most people out there though, and it's probably why he's so popular.
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There is a film that could outgross Titanic, but we won't see it for years. It will be the 1st movie Hollywood makes about 9-11. If done well, that movie would shatter box office numbers in the US, and around the world. What are the chances Hollywood won't screw it up? Slim and none...Hanks and Spielberg anyone?
I wouldn't miss ANYTHING done by Wes Anderson, but I gave up on Spielberg years ago and don't give a fig about Spiderman. Gonna be a long summer for me.
BTW Anybody know if the Screenwriters reached a contract agreement? Show them the money so we can stop seeing limp remakes of old movies, comic book adaptations, and mindless sequels...PLEASE!!! -
Comparing Spider-Man and Titanic just makes me long for what might have been had Cameron gotten to make HIS Spider-Man. Raimi gets props for not completely screwing it up the first time. Spider-Man 1 hits just about as often as it misses. For every cheesy, eye-rolling moment there is a funny or action-packed scene, so it's a decent movie overall. But it's no Cameron movie, that's for damn sure. Cameron just has an awesome sense of story pacing and an uncanny knack for ratcheting up the tension until you're squirming in your seat. THAT's the kind of Spider-Man movie I want to see and I don't think Raimi has it in him to pull it off.
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Jun 12, 2004 12:47:30 PM CDT
Spiderman 2... Shrek 2... Alien VS Predator... Ad now Vin Diesel
by robofag
That said, this reviewer is a total sell out. Spiderman 2 beating Lord of the Rings AND Titanic? Stop sniffing glue, you prepubescent brainturn!
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It's a sad fact that no gerne movie will ever outgross "Titanic". In fact, if you watch the "Spider-Mania E! Special", Kirsten Dunst admits that she's never read a comic in her life. If it weren't for all the Hilary Duffs, Linsey Lohans, Britney Spears, Olsen Twins, Tara Rieds, Beyocey Knowles, and Raven Symones of the world telling little girls how to live, maybe Comicbook movies would find a much broader audience. Not only that, but us fanboys would've gotten layed a loong time ago!
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It's gonna be hard for any film to best Titanic as the box office champ (if we ignore inflation and ticket prices in the equation). Hell, even George Lucas has said words to that effect on the "Episode I" DVD documentary, pointing out that Cameron's film was the right one at the right time to be the phenomenon that it was. DVD, in fact, is what would keep "Spidey 2", "Episode III", "Return Of The King" or any number of films from approaching the numbers Titanic did. The turn around from theatrical runs to DVD street dates are faster than ever, and consumers are beginning to notice. It's no longer imperative to see things in the theatre; not when video release dates are announced a month after the theatrical debut. The common box office trend reflects this, in that most of the event pictures out there score huge numbers the first two weeks, then sharply drop off (some exceptions aside, of course). Think about it: why see "Return Of The King" in theatres amongst a bunch of strangers when you can wait for the DVD? Or wait a little longer for the DVD that has more footage than the theatrical release? Now, my history may be off, but it seems to me that "Titanic" was one of the last blockbusters to hit theatres before DVD broke, which spared it from all of these issues. Anything that comes after it has a couple of strikes against it right out of the box.
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Jun 12, 2004 4:20:41 PM CDT
to Sithlord_999 - http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted/
by sublimefn87
LoL look at how much "The Exorcist" brought in.
$666,729,078
SIX SIX SIX! 666!
weird -
Titanic will never be seen again in any of our lifetimes.It was a freak, a mutant.No matter how good a film is,it will never be done.That was the Box office equivilent to mark mcguire.
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It's a crying shame that they'll never let James Shamus and Ang Lee do another Hulk picture. Heck, there'll probably never even be another Hulk film. Period. Hate to be a party pooper but I gotta say Raimi's Spiderman bored me to tears. The Green Goblin sucked way hard and Tobey is a total downer. Looks like thay couldn't improve on that unconvincing CGI Spiderman for the sequel.
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Hard to believe because of "the film
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Looking at that box office mojo list, none of the recent films (ex spider man, etc) dont even come close.
A testament to the true power of classics. Most of thos films (aside from Titanic) were REAL movies...unlike the crap these days -
I agree with the poster who said that Titanic had something for everyone. For many Spidey-freaks, most of whom saw Titanic, it was this *Ship* itself and maybe Kate Winslet's nude sketch scene. For me, it was the horror of the "human popsicles" - as another poster here snidely commented - followed by the old woman's death and the pan shot across all of her accomplishments - living life to the fullest after the man she loved sacrificed himself for her. That was emotionally devastating to me. The death scene - the reuniting with the cast - is one of the more emotionally resonant attempts to capture a sense of 'heaven' as well. Spidey had many of the same themes going for it, which is why it too was wildly successful - minus the elderly and teenage DiCaprioites, of course. You can't make any predictions about Spidey 2 until you get to see the movie, really. Cool special effects of Spidey swinging around the city, surrounding a rotten to the core story, won't save it. If the story is good though... look out!
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unless the motion picture industry is destroyed by a killer new form of entertainment, like realistic virtual reality experiences, we *will* see something better Titanic. What's amazing about the #1 (adjusted for inflation), is that there were so few people in the US in 1939 compared to today, yet Gone With The Wind continues to reign. However, movies were the main form - of VERY few forms - of popular entertainment back then. These days, there are so many choices, it offsets our increase in population. What will the movie that beats Titanic look like? Who knows? In my lifetime, we've seen these kinds of movies break the top 20 all time:
a. "The hills are alive with the sound of Von Trapping..."
b. "Killer possessed teenage girl spewing green pea soup, in a time when hippie teenagers threatened our very culture"
c. A killer shark prodding our deepest fears of water (genetic memory?). As a side effect, inventing the very concept of the "summer blockbuster".
d. A profound advance in outer space special effects and a cool new Western mythology about the Force Warriors. (Later utterly bastardized by the abominations of Jar Jar Binks and the midichlorians)
e. A gentle geeky alien with the ultimate pencil neck is the dog for a lonely boy.
f. I should've mentioned that we also saw, in my life, Dustin Hoffman and 'plastics', and Omar Sharif doing Russia with Tara... but what the hey, I was only three.
f. Anyway, after ET and The Empire Strikes Out Because of the Ewoks, we got killer dinosaurs, and then Cameron's killer ship. Now again, we are in a drought, where Spidey, at #35, and soon Shrek 2, ending up at about #30, will be considered truly monstrous hits. -
Part of the reason that we'll never see mega-hits like that in the close future is also because of the nature of theaters nowadays, not even the same in 1997. With all these 24-screen AMCs and Loewe'ses or whatever you call them, movies are in and out of there. If I'm not mistaken, Harry Potter's already dropped a significant number of screens and this is its second week.
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Ghostbusters is 29!!!
According to http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted/ at least.
Thats a movie that needs to get a sequel/remake. Id pay good money to see that.
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