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Note: movie ratings are out of a
possible ***** as follows: August 1, 2000
Set on a Yorkshire chicken farm in 1950s England, Chicken Run gives voice to a group of ill-fated chickens who consider themselves captives, imprisoned for the sole purpose of laying eggs until they are too old or too tired to reproduce, and then it’s D-day. They are destined to become the main ingredient for hot, chicken pies ready-made for mass-consumption by city folks. The farm is owned by a greedy, mean woman named Mrs. Tweedy (voice of Miranda Richardson) and her rather stupid husband, Mr. Tweety (Tony Haygarth). The two make no secret of their plans to transform their farm into a chicken pie factory and use harsh, oppressive measures to keep the group of frightened chickens enslaved within the bounds of their prison-like gates. However, Ginger (voice of Julia Sawalha, Saffy from Absolutely Fabulous), is one chicken who refuses to bow down to such inhumane treatment. She is the leader who unrelentingly struggles to devise an escape plan, not just for herself, but for all of her fellow prisoner chickens. When Rocky the Rooster (voice of Mel Gibson) accidentally flies into the farm, Ginger is convinced that Rocky can teach them to fly and escape the farm without harm. Unfortunately, Rocky is a bit of a crooked Rooster who is not only ground-bound, but also confuses Ginger and her endeavors by stealing her heart. But love prevails in clay-animation as in many romantic comedies, and together Ginger and Rocky battle against all odds for their mass exodus to freedom. Despite its rather straightforward plot, Chicken Run will shine in theaters for the rest of the summer due to its dazzling and technically sound animation as well as its clever and sweet-natured approach to entertainment. Chicken Run contains adventure, action and plenty of comedy all without resorting to violence or juvenile toilet humor. In their several attempts to leave the farm, the chickens brainstorm for escape strategy and not to orchestrate brutal attacks against their oppressors. In fact, their strongest ammunition is brain power and group consolidation. Moreover, the witty jokes and puns that make these chickens so likable (though some jokes may be a bit too British or dry for the younger viewers) truly enhance the overall quality of this movie. These chickens have character and many bare uncanny, physical resemblance to people we may actually know in life. Emotions are realistically captured in every close-up almost stealing the spotlight from the other technically challenging action scenes that are seamlessly rendered. Voices for the supporting roles are also very well matched. Jane Horrocks (Little Voice and Bubbles from Absolutely Fabulous) is perfect as Babs, the dazed and confused little chicken. Voices of Timothy Spall (Topsey Turvy) and Phil Daniels (Still Crazy) add slapstick and silliness to the two rats who constantly scheme to steal eggs from the chickens. Stay for the final credits and be further entertained by the name matching. Even if you’re not particularly fond of clay-animation, Chicken Run is a rare gem that offers a unique cinematic experience that proves that you can never be too old for cartoons. Rated at ****, it is highly recommended for all film enthusiasts. The Patriot - **1/2
It is 1776 in South Carolina. Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), a legendary war hero turned family man and farmer, is outspoken with his reservations about the Revolution and is consequently punished for his failure to serve in the regular army against the British Redcoats. His eldest son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger of 10 Things I Hate About You) is sullen over his father’s secrecy and contempt for war and decides to join the regular army. One night when a cold-hearted Colonel William Tavington (Jason Isaacs) invades the Martin farm and brutally murders one of Martin’s sons, Martin has no choice but to fight back. Joined by his eager son Gabriel, Martin leads an unlikely clan of guerrilla fighters waging a brutal war against the British in the name of revenge. Yet what is war without love? Amidst the gruesome scenes of near senseless manslaughter as Martin tracks his enemy, The Patriot has several subplots propagating the innocence of love and the importance of family life that is supposedly the true vain of savage war acts. Sure this is a common theme in many war movies but not to this extent. Both Martin and Gabriel have love interests and when the two are not chopping off limbs from their enemies, they are either engaged in tender father-son moments or smooching their love interests in misplaced normalcy. Predictability is another downfall for this movie. From start to finish, these rather underdeveloped characters obediently follow a script that is all too reminiscent of many family dramas that cater to a wide audience. With hardly any surprises, it also lacks originality and begs for your utter most patience to sit through till the end. After The Messenger and the Gladiator, I wasn’t as phased by the brutality in The Patriot; however, this war movie is unbalanced and drags on for too long for it to be considered an effective drama. For fans of Mel Gibson, perhaps a video rental of Braveheart is a better investment of both time and money. It gets a **1/2 rating. What Lies Beneath - **1/2
Harrison Ford is Dr. Norman Spencer, a brilliant and well-regarded researcher deeply involved in his work. Michelle Pfeiffer plays his wife, Claire. She’s an intelligent woman who gives up her life as a musician to marry Norman and have a family. The movie begins with their only child moving away for college. Her departure means long lonely days for Claire, who spends most of her time alone in the house while her husband is working. Within a short time Claire develops an interest in the neighbor’s relationship. She spies on them in Hitchcock fashion and soon suspects that the husband is abusive. When she can no longer locate the wife she suspects that her husband has murdered her. At about the same time, Claire starts seeing "visions" of a young-blonde woman in her own house. Claire suspects it is the ghost of the wife next door. Of course, thanks to the movie trailer, we know it’s not. The ghost is actually a woman who…. well, for the sake of those of you who may not have seen the trailer I will not give anything more away. For those of you who have seen it, I’ll just let you know that there are few surprises, which makes the first hour of the film somewhat laborious since it simply builds to what we already know. Had I not known so much about the movie I may have given it a higher rating. Overall, it’s pretty good (if a little long) with a few genuine scares that will generate some screams in the audience. However, I thought it delved a little too far into the supernatural; I would have liked to have seen it stay grounded in reality and offer rational explanations for what Claire sees, even if that does mean that she’s crazy. Unfortunately, I did go into this movie knowing far too much and because of that What Lies Beneath gets a **1/2 rating. I would also like to let tell the people who made this movie trailer to watch the work of skilled professionals and check out the outstanding trailers of Eyes Wide Shut and Magnolia. These excellent trailers build interest for the film without giving anything away. During the trailers that preview What Lies Beneath, I saw the trailer for Robert Zemeckis’ (Director of What Lies Beneath) new film, Castaway starring Tom Hanks. Again the trailer gives away the basic premise of the movie, but surprisingly enough, it shies away from telling us any more. Perhaps they don’t have enough footage completed to spoil every surprise for us. In any event, I hope they don’t update that trailer and make the same mistake that they did with What Lies Beneath. If they do, I guess I’ll just have to close my eyes and plug my ears next time it comes on. New Watterford Girl - ****
Liane Balaban plays Moonie Pottie, a 15-year-old girl who wants nothing more than to leave the small Cape Breton town where she’s lived her whole life. No one, particularly her parents, can understand her dissatisfaction. She one’s of five kids and of the five she’s the most unhappy (she also happens to be the smartest). So, Moonie stands on the highway with a cardboard sign that reads "Mexico." She takes rides knowing full well that the locals who pick her up will only get her a few miles down the road; still, she dreams. She’s a bright girl with a passion for art and drama and her high school teacher (Andrew McCarthy) recognizes this. He likes Moonie and works hard to get her a scholarship to an art school. He is eventually successful and suddenly Moonie’s dream of leaving for New York has real possibility. However, no one, especially her parents, wants to let her leave the small town. Traditionally, the only ticket out of town is a visit to a distant relative or, for young girls, a pregnancy. When an unmarried girl gets pregnant she is immediately shipped off to another small town to have the child, put it up for adoption, and then return her absence presumably unnoticed to save the family embarrassment. Since Moonie has no distant relatives, that leaves pregnancy as the only sure way out of town. With the help of her new friend Lou (she’s from the Bronx, but to Moonie that’s like being from Manhattan), she concocts a scheme that will have everyone in the town thinking she’s pregnant. New Waterford Girl clips along in much the same way as a movie like Fargo. In many ways it is just as good. Both films bring the eccentricities of local life in a town like this to full fruition. I grew up just north of North Dakota (the target of the Coen’s Fargo) and today I live in central Canada and have met many people who come from in and around the area where this film focuses. I can say with certainly that both films get the flavor of the locations exactly right. There are a lot of inside jokes in both films that only some will understand (and undoubtedly those who actually grew up right in the towns will understand more); however, everyone the world over will be able to appreciate them. Also worth noting is the quality of acting in this small release. Liane Balaban, who bears a striking resemblance to Natalie Portman, is outstanding as Moonie. Nicholas Campbell is hilarious as Moonie’s well meaning but simple father, and the casting of Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull) as Lou’s mother is perfect. In a year with overblown and, quite frankly, not very good big-budget Hollywood films, New Waterford Girl is a rare treat that is one of the best of the year. Forget The Patriot, Scary Movie and even What Lies Beneath; I was more entertained by this comparatively little film than by all the three others combined. It’s a **** effort. The In Crowd - *
The In Crowd tells a story that appears to be another addition to the recent trend toward sexy, teenage, suspense-type movies (this trend comes and goes every few years and the films that belong to the current stream include Final Destination, Cruel Intentions, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, among others). It also stars a lot of wannabe screen newbies -- youngsters that look like they’re famous, or resemble actors that are already famous, but really they’re not. Perhaps they’ve been on TV or something, but that’s about it. Lori Heuring stars as Adrien Williams, a mental patient who’s been incarcerated for many things including some sort of deviant sexual acts and for taking a hockey stick to her doctor’s car. She’s the "good guy" in this movie. Through a caring doctor she gains a release to work at a posh summer resort. Why? We’re not really sure, but undoubtedly the filmmakers thought it would make for a good plot. It’s here she meets up with Brittany Foster (Susan Ward), a rich-bitch, prima donna who frequents this resort and strives for attention at the expense of everyone. Brittany’s obviously the "bad guy." Brittany suspiciously befriends Adrien (who we quickly find out possesses a strong resemblance to Brittany’s dead sister) and the rest anyone in the theater can guess; it is predictable from start to finish. It’s not easy to achieve a rating of *. Anything, even one really good laugh or scare, can get me to lighten up enough to bump the rating one-half a star higher. However, The In Crowd isn’t funny (intentionally, I mean), sexy, or scary. What’s worse, it’s not even well made. Some night scenes are obviously shot during the day, and the style of editing gives the word bad a whole new meaning. Such shoddy technical details wouldn’t find their way into 1970s made-for-TV movie. The In Crowd is a bad movie, plain and simple, and a candidate for one of the worst of the year. Save your money. |
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Have you seen the
series of incredibly witty trailers for this long-awaited clay-animation by the British
animation duo, Nick Park and Peter Lord? One trailer brilliantly parodies the special
effects and hype of Mission: Impossible 2. Its spectacular imagery and humor will
surely make any filmgoer hurry to the theaters for the full feature. Despite my complete
lack of knowledge of the famous characters Wallace & Gromit, I was completely
captivated by the artistry and talent displayed in every scene of this ingeniously crafted
clay-animation.
If you’re in the
mood for a war movie, rent Saving Private Ryan or revisit Apocalypse Now. The
Patriot is created by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin (Stargate, Independence
Day and Godzilla) whose awkward switch in film genres is so clearly misguided
that the 164 minutes you’ll spend in the theater will seem like forever. Though the
cinematography and overall acting are both quite sound, the storytelling is all over the
map and further convoluted by the fact that the story is supposedly a fictionalized
account of Francis Marion, a historical figure in American history deemed by present
historians as a racist.
I went into What
Lies Beneath with high hopes. The movie trailer, which had been previewing for months,
looked fantastic. Unfortunately, that same trailer gives away almost all of the
film! What’s left are a few genuine surprises and a slight plot twist that the
trailer hints at but doesn’t completely reveal. What were they thinking?!?
New Waterford
Girl is the type of film that no one will see, even when it is released on video.
It’s a low budget, Canadian-made drama/comedy from Andrew Moyle, who also brought us Pump
Up The Volume and Empire Records. Unfortunately, it is not backed by
Hollywood’s marketing machine so even in limited release it gets very little
exposure. Even the title and the movie poster do little to inspire one to purchase an
admission ticket. Admittedly, I even neglected to see it until I had seen everything
in current release (sometimes twice!). 
When a movie is bad, a slick
advertising campaign and an effective movie trailer can still con a lot of people out of
their movie-going money, at least for a while. Word of mouth, however, gets around quickly
and the movies that rely on these tricks usually move out of the theaters within a week or
two. What the industry hopes when implementing these strategies is to recoup at least some
of their money, if only for a few days, and the rest it hopes to make back during the
video release.