Even the most ardent of Friday the 13th fans would admit that, after 9 instalments, the series had become massively stale, unimaginative and, dare i say, boring. So for this tenth version they would have to attempt something pretty interesting or different to make us give a shit. Luckily, Jason X was exactly that. Putting a new spin on the familiar formula, from the opening moments (with a neat David Cronenberg cameo) you know this is going to good. It's clever, it's witty, it's self knowing, and it's better than pretty much all of the other nine films combined. The killings are more creative and inventive, the script is laced with a streak of self-deprecation and sly irony and the film looks better, with some cool set work, costume design and effects. The best sequel of the series. Actually scratch that, Jason X is the best film of the series, period.
cosmobrown's Reviews
Displaying Review 1 - 5 of 44 in total
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A neat updating of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate about You isn't particularly revolutionary but it succeeds thanks to a great cast and enough good jokes and romantic moments to satisfy all. Heath Ledger excels in his first film role, as does Julia Stiles and a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and they're given the requisite moments to show off their comedic chops as well as their acting abilities. Particularly, Heath Ledger's singing serenade to Stiles on the football field is a stand out scene. Not a film that will rock your world, but it's funny enough, cute and sweet enough, and clever enough to entertain. Very enjoyable
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20 years had passed since John Rambo last rampaged through the jungle, kllling and yelling, when Sylvester Stallone decided to make this belated fourth installment in the franchise. Career desperation? Perhaps (he also made a sixth Rocky the year before), but completely welcome in my eyes. The good news is Rambo (as it is simply called) is a success. Not as good as First Blood but better than Rambo III, Sly Stallone (starring, directing and writing) certainly looks the part (looking scarily huge and muscular for a 60+ year old man), bringing his unique brand of acting like only he can. As a director, he stages some awesome action scenes and doesn't skimp on the gore; in fact, this is one of the goriest, bloodiest films in recent memory. Limps are lopped off, heads explode, bodies are torn in half, as Rambo and his gang of paper-thin caricature mercenaries dish out some jungle warfare justice. The film's plot does have a semblance of political awareness, shedding some light on the issues in Burma/Myanmar, but it's really a big, dumb action film of the highest order. Melodramatic, overblown, and awesome. Nice one Mr Stallone.
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The story of Edward D. Wood Jr, the auteur behind such awful films as Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster and his masterpiece (or should that be disaster-piece) Plan 9 from Outer Space, widely recognised as the worst director to ever step behind the camera, and as such is prime bio-pic material. Enter Tim Burton, a director whose whole career has shown an affinty with the outsider (a category Ed Wood falls in expertly). You can see that he clearly loves Wood and his work for, despite them being some of the worst things ever commited to celluloid, his enthusiam, ingenuity, work-ethic and his never-give-up attitude are infectious. He really feels he is making classics worthy of Orson Welles (the film-maker he aspires to be) and, because of this, we as an audience stop laughing at Wood and his rag-tag trope of oddballs (ageing horror star Bela Lugosi, Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson, TV host Vampira) and grow to love them. This is because of a multitude of reasons; a superb script, equal parts funny, touching (particularly in Wood's relationship with Lugosi) and brilliant, the excellent range of acting on display (Johnny Depp is his usual awesome self, Martin Landau deservedly won the Oscar for his portrayal of Lugosi, Bill Murray is hilarious) and superb direction from Mr Burton, expertly recreating the time period with his own unique spin while shooting in beautiful black and white. Just an excellent film through and through.
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What possessed Sean Connery to follow his hugely successful run as 007 with this bizarre bizarre science-fiction mess from Deliverance director John Boorman? Could it have been the incomprehensible script? Was it the chance to wear what appears to be a red nappy and knee high boots, and sport a massive moustache and long plait? Hmm, perhaps. You'll have to ask Mr Connery that question. What i do know is that Zardoz is a mess from start to finish. An enjoyable mess, but a mess none the less (i'm turning into Dr Suess here). Connery shambles about looking partly confused-partly bemused, with a slither of embarrassment thrown in. The film looks kinda good, in the way that pre-Star Wars sci-fi's looked, but the costume designer clearly had a bet with himself to see how ridiculous he could make the cast look. Boorman's script gets lost in pretentious and pseudo-intellectual babble about Brutals and Vortexs and Eternals, while the tone slips further and further into areas of camp (my favorites being the Eternals' attempts to give Connery an erection, Connery's amateurish acting as he pretends to fall down a hole, and a scene where he ends up in a wedding dress). Plus, I guessed the twist before the film even started, just by reading the title (anyone's whos seen The Wizard of Oz will cotten on straight away). Zardoz is one of those bad films that I love to watch. You sit there watching it unfold, perplexed, wondering how it ever got made. A highly entertaining 2 hours of awful film. Zardoz!
