Mr. Man-3
Joined Jun 1999
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Reviews13
Mr. Man-3's rating
I've had the pleasure of beating both Max Payne 1 and 2, so let us start this off by saying I like the games a great deal. At the very least I expected a dumb, entertaining action film. What I was shocked to find was a film so poorly made I am impressed that Mr. Moore actually put his name on the credits.
In the games Max is pushed over the edge and goes on a rampage of survival and revenge. He works his way up from person to person and every once in awhile, he has crazy dream sequences. Throughout there is a dry wit and extremely overdone noir dialog. It's so over the top, it's hard not to like.
I have no idea why the filmmakers chose not to follow that fairly basic plot setup because the replacement is absolutely horrific. The movie wobbles from scene to scene, alternating from making no sense at all to making Max and every other character in the movie look like complete morons.
What's further astounding is that the film can't even get the basics down. This is the worst directed film I've seen in over a year. It's pretty but the action is sparse and boring. Conversations are so badly shot it's no wonder that the whole theater was laughing at most of the scenes. At least one actor turns in a performance so stiff he should be declared legally dead.
And as for the 'staying true to the game' part? Well, they had some slow motion shots, but beyond that, all the style, humor, and over the top action is missing.
Alright, I'm done. I still can't believe the film was that bad. Oy!
In the games Max is pushed over the edge and goes on a rampage of survival and revenge. He works his way up from person to person and every once in awhile, he has crazy dream sequences. Throughout there is a dry wit and extremely overdone noir dialog. It's so over the top, it's hard not to like.
I have no idea why the filmmakers chose not to follow that fairly basic plot setup because the replacement is absolutely horrific. The movie wobbles from scene to scene, alternating from making no sense at all to making Max and every other character in the movie look like complete morons.
What's further astounding is that the film can't even get the basics down. This is the worst directed film I've seen in over a year. It's pretty but the action is sparse and boring. Conversations are so badly shot it's no wonder that the whole theater was laughing at most of the scenes. At least one actor turns in a performance so stiff he should be declared legally dead.
And as for the 'staying true to the game' part? Well, they had some slow motion shots, but beyond that, all the style, humor, and over the top action is missing.
Alright, I'm done. I still can't believe the film was that bad. Oy!
I'm a fan of this show. I grew up in a small Texas town with a 5A high school football team but I never cared for the culture around it. So when I heard about FNL, I did the expected and ignored it. Shame on me! The show is really excellent. Excellent writing, excellent performances, and yes, I really like the unique camera work. The shaky, documentary-style way the series is shot is absolutely not for everyone, but if you can get over the intentional messiness of it, you'll find the reward in the improvised performances. I watch a lot of TV, and you'd be hard pressed to find moments that feel this honest in most other shows.
The series has a number of other things going for it. It manages to break its characters out of stereotypes and give them some real depth. The music fits very well. The show itself is very authentic - signs in yards, those lazy Texas sunsets, the craze around a small town football team - yet it is never patronizing or condescending to the world it presents.
If you're looking for good TV - not just a show in a genre you like - give FNL a shot.
The series has a number of other things going for it. It manages to break its characters out of stereotypes and give them some real depth. The music fits very well. The show itself is very authentic - signs in yards, those lazy Texas sunsets, the craze around a small town football team - yet it is never patronizing or condescending to the world it presents.
If you're looking for good TV - not just a show in a genre you like - give FNL a shot.
Jim Henson is a fascinating man. His Muppets and other puppets are truly extraordinary, beautiful, and creative. They have more life in them than just about any other form of animation out there. The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth are truly cool movies - they existed because these guys wanted to do something really unique, and that deserves wild applause.
Labyrinth itself has a fantastic idea behind it - young Sarah, who is struggling with growing up and the responsibility that comes with it, is left to watch her baby brother while her parents go out. In a moment of selfishness, she wishes goblins would take her brother away...and they do. Now Sarah has only 13 hours to work her way through a massive Labyrinth, or her brother is gone forever! The premise is great fantasy - it takes a very human character, with a very human problem, and blows it delightfully out of proportion. There is plenty of adventure and wacky friends, and of course, David Bowie is our villain! The budget of the film shows - many sequences are amazing and epic, and some of the puppets are massive and intricately detailed! That said, I think the movie lacks characterisation, particularly for Sarah. She has such grandeur in her line delivery that it is hard to believe she is anything but a fictional character. That undermines what I found so appealing about the story - that the events in the story are caused by her actions and attitude. This lack of deep, real characterisation hurts some of the other characters in the film, particularly Hoggle.
Of course, if you grew up with the film, or you are a big fan of the other Henson films (The Dark Crystal, Mirrormask), you'll have a tough time hating it. It's quite entertaining.
Labyrinth itself has a fantastic idea behind it - young Sarah, who is struggling with growing up and the responsibility that comes with it, is left to watch her baby brother while her parents go out. In a moment of selfishness, she wishes goblins would take her brother away...and they do. Now Sarah has only 13 hours to work her way through a massive Labyrinth, or her brother is gone forever! The premise is great fantasy - it takes a very human character, with a very human problem, and blows it delightfully out of proportion. There is plenty of adventure and wacky friends, and of course, David Bowie is our villain! The budget of the film shows - many sequences are amazing and epic, and some of the puppets are massive and intricately detailed! That said, I think the movie lacks characterisation, particularly for Sarah. She has such grandeur in her line delivery that it is hard to believe she is anything but a fictional character. That undermines what I found so appealing about the story - that the events in the story are caused by her actions and attitude. This lack of deep, real characterisation hurts some of the other characters in the film, particularly Hoggle.
Of course, if you grew up with the film, or you are a big fan of the other Henson films (The Dark Crystal, Mirrormask), you'll have a tough time hating it. It's quite entertaining.