Reviews
Children of Dune (2003)
better than I ever dreamed
This four hour miniseries actually covers two books, the shorter sequil to <i>Dune</i>, <i>Dune Messiah</i>, and the next (longer) <i>Children of Dune</i>. I was stunned by how well it was able to capture such complex concepts as were introduced in the books in the visual medium. There were very few times I felt the film hadn't stayed true to the book, most of which were minor. I think anyone who hadn't read the books or at least seen the previous movie would be a little lost, so I recomend this as complimentary to the books; but as such it was a wonderful treat. Actors, make-up, set design were all perfect. I think I liked David Lynch's stillsuits better, these ones don't look like they'd do the job very well, but I suppose it was a trade off with seeing some of the wonderfully figured women =)
The part that would be the end of <i>Dune Messiah</i> had me nearly in tears. Wonderful job. For anyone who's read the books, a must see.
Labyrinth (1986)
Great for kids and adults!
Great movie! Jennifer Connelly is unbelievably beautiful as Sarah. It has this magical fairy tale quality to it, but with a lot of more mature humor. It's not a bad movie for kids, but some parents might not appreciate the tainted fairy tale humor, for example; near the beginning when Sarah sees a strange creature swatting fairies out of the sky and he explains it's because they bite (they seam to be some kind of mosquito). The story itself is pretty involving, and David Bowie's music certainly doesn't hurt. There are a few scenes that could have been scary had they been presented differently, but in this movie they just come out kind of weird. You don't have to worry about giving your kids nightmares. There are a lot of cool special effects that add to the surrealism of the movie, particularly the final battle between Sarah and the Goblin King. The end result is a great movie for adults and kids alike!
Return to Oz (1985)
Dark, disturbing, captivating... where did the first movie go so wrong?
The first time I saw this movie I was about 6 or 7. It really scared me, I remember having nightmares of Mombie for weeks... I also remember rewatching it week after week. Now 10 years later I've rediscovered it and it's still chilling. Not because it was meant to be a horror, but because the imagery and plot is so vivid and captivating I can't help but feel like I'm really drawn into another world. Very few movies have done that for me... this is right up there with movies like Willow, Labrynth, and The Neverending Story. If you like musicals, bright colors and munchkin's dancing around, then stay away from this one, but if you want to go on a journey of pure imagination that will leave you breathless on the edge of your seat, rediscover Oz for yourself!