Considered by some to be the Marx Brother's finest hour (and a half), A Night at the Opera is a very funny showcase for the trio's talents (this being the first film without Zeppo Marx). They showcased, practised and fine-tuned all the jokes and routines before a live crowd before a single frame of film was shot, and this shows with the comfort and ease with which this film flows. Groucho runs verbal rings around the society opera types, while Harpo and Chico cause general mayhem. The big comedic set-piece involves a tiny room, and 15 different people cramming in, with naturally humerous results. The musical interludes are slightly dull and slow the generally frenetic pace down, but overall A Night at the Opera can still raise laughs nearly 75 years after it's original release, and is well worth a watch.
cosmobrown's Reviews
Displaying Review 6 - 10 of 44 in total
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"Whoever wins, we lose". This is the tag line to AVP: Alien Vs Predator. And while the results are not quite that dire, this wouldn't exactly qualify as a cinematic victory either. Based on the incredibly violent and gory comic books of the same name, this film had every potential to be great. However, that was before Paul W.S Andersen, the man behind the fairly awful Mortal Kombat and the terrible Resident Evil, signed on to write and direct. His writing leaves much to be desired. Little things like characterization go out of the window, desperate as he is to get to the action promptly. We're been introduced to the characters, and the next thing we know we're in the pyramid (a masterpiece of design, like a demented version of the Crystal Maze), 2000 feet below ice, so when these characters start to get picked off by the aliens and predators, we don't really give a shit.
What we all came for though, was the acid-blooded xenomorphs tangling with the dread-locked Predators. Does it deliver? Well yes and no. Yes, in that the excitement factor of seeing these two iconic movie monsters beating the crap out of each is high. No, in that trying to achieve a 12 rating for the film, the fights lack the violence and terror that we have come to expect from the previous films (all rated 15 or higher). There also edited so frenetically, that sometimes its hard to see whats happening. It is good fun watching them fight though, and there plenty of invention and creativity on show, and the film is littered with references and in-jokes to the Alien and Predator series'. You will have a good time watching this film, but don't expect it to be memorable, and its not a patch on the first two Alien films, or even the indifferent third and fourth films, and the action isn't as good as in Predator or the Danny Glover-starring sequel. -
The success (critical and commercial) of the first two Batman films paved the way for a third installment.A different director (Joel Schumacher), different actor playing Batman (Val Kilmer) and a completely different direction for the franchise (out with the dark, gothic stylings of Tim Burton; in with the gaudy, campy tone) make Batman Forever a completely different beast from it's predecessors. Schumacher has completely changed everything that you liked about Burton's film's; the style, the visuals, the tone. Schumacher's Batman is colourful, camp and very silly, with some groanworthy humour and some very colourful characters. That being said, it is very entertaining. Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey as the main villains (Two-Face and The Riddler respectively) are deliciously hammy and over-the-top, as the entire design behind the film, from sets to costumes (the infamous nipples on the Batsuit make their debut here). Val Kilmer is Batman is too bland and stoic for my liking, and the whole Robin business is a little gay, but overall Batman Forever is pretty fun. Ridiculous, camp and over the top, but fun nonetheless. Plus just 2 years later Schumacher would unleash Batman and Robin (mass shudder), which makes this one look like a masterpiece.
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The first film to be produced by World Wrestling Entertainment, starring the Hulk Hogan of the present day in John Cena, but thankfully The Marine shows Cena may have a more successful movie career than The Hulkster ever did. A big, silly action film of the highest order, The Marine sees Cena star as a discharged marine (hence the title) whose wife is kidnapped by a gang of diamond thieves (led by Robert Patrick) and so Cena must get her back in the only way he knows how; kicking ass. There's plenty of big action scenes staged by debut director John Bonito; car chases, things explode, there's some alligators at one point, while the film never takes itself too seriously, with a streak of silly humour running throughout (particular kudos to Anthony Ray Parker's character's bizarre backstory involving rock candy and summer camp molestation!). John Cena looks the part and convinces in the action scenes, even if he lacks the easy charisma of that other successful wrestling-to-movies export The Rock while Robert Patrick is always good as the psycho villain, and Kelly Carlson is hot enough as the wife that you actually would run through swamps killing people to get her back. A good fun, overblown action film, great fun to watch. A guilty pleasure.
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The previous three Terminator films provided tantalisingly teasing glimpses of the much-referenced future wars, but never really provided the fans with what we wanted to see; humans vs the machines in a post-apocalyptic age. That's where Terminator Salvation and McG step in. Greeted by general derision by fans before a frame had been shot, mainly because of the appointment of McG as director, can the silly-named Charlie's Angels director appease the fans, satiate the expectation and produce a sequel/prequel/continuation/reimagining that's fit to be associated wiith James Cameron's classics? Well, while not in the same league as Cameron's sci-fi masterpieces, the good news is that McG has done a good job and produced an impressive and entertaining film. It kicks off with a bang and doesn't let up for it's entire running time, with spectacular action scene after action scene, featuring the Terminator models we know and love as well as some new additions (metal-snake things, really fast motorcycle cyborgs, a giant robot that snatches people up for harvesting), with impressive use of effects both practical and digital. The action is the main attraction of the film, but the actors do wonders with the generally well-written screenplay (the odd clunky line excused). Christian Bale is as intense, gravelly-voiced and brilliant as we expect, while Sam Worthington (next to be seen in Terminator creator James Cameron's 3D spectacular Avatar) does well as does Anton Yelchin as the young Kyle Reese. Imagine Saving Private Ryan but with the Nazis replaced with killer cyborgs and you'll have an idea of what to expect from Terminator Salvation; eschewing the chase movie structure of the previous 3, this 4th instalment is more of a war movie. Shot with a shakey- camera urgency, McG and his crew (including his cinematographer, now infamous from that leaked Christian Bale outburst) give the film a great visual look, a washed out pallet of colours representing this post-apocalyptic world. McG references the previous films (Arnie cameos, the two famous lines "i'll be back" and "come with me if you want to live" are used) and it fits in with the, admittedly convoluted, timeline of the mythology, but he isn't afraid to deliver his own film, not merely a rehash of it's progenitors. Far from the disaster people were anticipating, Terminator Salvation is a film worthy of it's famous title. Great visuals, great action, great entertainment. Come on guys, give McG a break.
