finercreative

"The Fall of the Roman Empire" is an infamous box office bomb of the time, and while I wouldn't consider it a great film, I don't think it deserved to bomb.

It's as epic as ever, and delivers some marvelous visuals and an extremely underrated soundtrack (composed by Dimitri Tonkin, which he got a well-deserved Oscar nomination for), and the script is good as well.

But, the main problem is its length. There are too many scenes with too little going on. It's a shame, since I feel like this could've been a great movie with some trimming here and there. And, though I think Alec Guinness and Christopher Plummer did good jobs, the rest of the acting was pretty meh.

Nevertheless, I'd say it's still worth the watch. 6.75/10.

Lastly, all of this is just my opinion, and it's completely fine if you disagree.

"Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb" is, in my opinion, a must-watch film for all movie lovers, and is one of my all time favorite movies.

It's hard to tell if it's the funniest movie ever, but it's pitch black satire of the Cold War not only stands the test of time, but it is hilariously (and chillingly) spot on. It paints the darkest of pictures, a picture about the destruction of humanity, yet it's a picture that we can't help but laugh at (and trust me, this movie will get you laughing).

Peter Sellers acts out a triple role that stands as one of my favorite performances done by an actor in a film. Officer Mandrake, the most Sellersesque one of the 3, Muffley, the US president, and Strangelove, the eerie titular German doctor. The other actors and actresses did a very fine job too.

One thing that I don't hear many people mention are the film's sets, lighting, and cinematography. I think it was in a review for "Barry Lyndon" where film critic Roger Ebert stated that it was "In every frame a Kubrick film", and this could be used several of the directors works, but especially for "Dr. Strangelove". The way it's shot and lighted is very reminiscent of the master's style. And the sets, specifically the war room set and b-52, though simple looking at first, are just great.

Overall, I'd give "Dr. Strangelove" a 10/10. And finally, this is all just my opinion, and it's completely fine if you disagree.

George Roy Hill's "Hawaii" remains a missed opportunity in my opinion. Adapted from Michener's book of the same name, I felt it could've been a whole lot better.

Though glamorous in its visuals, It's characters are the biggest problem of the film. Not only do they not have much depth, but they are also unlikeable. Abner Hale is a harsh Bible thumper, the Hawaiians not only condone incest, but have also been reduced to stereotypes, and Captain Rafer is a rapist. There's really only three or two characters that I liked.

Moving on from characters, its plot did have several good moments, but there were a few times where it was pretty dull and slow. Luckily, its Oscar nominated soundtrack and cinematography save it a bit.

Overall, I wouldn't say it's worth the three hours. The movie teeters between meh and ok for me. 6.25/10.

And finally, all of this is just my opinion, and if you disagree, that's completely fine.