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Reviews
Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
This Game Changed My Life
When I was 10 years old I saw "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in a movie theater. It forever changed the way I looked at movies. It made me the movie buff I am today. I'd never seen anything like it. It blew my mind.
Now I've played video games my whole life. From Atari to Intellivision to Nintendo to Sega to Playstation. Games came and went in my life. I'd enjoy one for a while and then become bored by it. I was always waiting for that "Raiders" moment to hit me in the video game world. That moment came when I first played GTA3.
GTA3 and GTA Vice City are incredible video games. They are real, they free the player up to do whatever he/she wants to do, they are greatest escape any video game can offer. I cannot wait for GTA San Andreas to come my way.
GTA3 blew me away, and it still does even though I've played it a million times. The cheat codes make it even funner. To be able to drive around and cause mayhem--this game allows me to blow off steam after a long day at work without really hurting anyone. I love it.
To the creators of GTA3: God bless you! This is the best video game experience I ever had. It is revolutionary, it is real, the extras actually react to what you do. This is the greatest video game ever and a the largest leap in the video game evolutionary ladder this gamer has ever experienced.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Goodman's Best
John Goodman should have been nominated for his work as Walter Sobchak. Every time he delivers a line in this movie I crack up.
This is the funniest movie I have ever seen. I've never been more entertained by a movie in my life.
Jeff Bridges continue to take roles that are off-beat and out of the mainstream, making him one of the more appealing actors of the past 25 years. His interaction with Walter is perfect--it never rings false or misses a beat.
The movie moves under the perfect control of the Coen Bros. I am amazed by the dialogue in this movie, how it recalls earlier phrases spoken by different characters in the story. Amazing. Simply a work of comedic art from beginning to end.
This movie should have been subtitled: "How to Make a Comedy by Joel and Ethan Coen."
Brilliant. 10/10
Defiance (2003)
Nicely Executed, But Missing Something
**SPOILERS WITHIN REVIEW**
There is a great amount of skill behind this film. The direction has style, the editing is creative, the action well done, and the acting (with a few exceptions) is very strong. (It is a pleasure to see Tony Twist in the role of Nathan Cross--he brings the same intimidating presence to the screen that he wielded for my Blues on the ice!)
Only complaint: the plot is too thin even for this film's modest 72-minute running time. The story is set-up well early on, but instead of bringing in a much-needed plot twist or additional storyline, the film begins to fall into a repetitive streak near the half-way point. This is the point in the film where the story has to deepen and it just doesn't. The younger brother is basically a serial killer and--like so many movies with serial killers at their center--the audience is not allowed access/understanding to the core of the character. The older brother's role as neutral observer to the murders is frustrating to say the least. And while the brothers spend so much time together, the film would have been better served to have had the two communicate and understand each other at some level.
The older brother's transformation into a mirror image of his younger sibling at the close of the film doesn't ring true, and this is due in large part the film's refusal to allow the brothers a chance to communicate, understand each other, and develop along those line.
All in all, frustrations and failings aside, a well-made indie.
7/10
Framed (2002)
Nicely Done; Surprisingly Good
I saw the ads for this on TNT and was impressed by the stable of actors involved. Sam Neill, excellent in everything I've seen him in, (including "Omen IV"--that's saying something); Rob Lowe, an actor who until recently hasn't secured the challenging roles his ability demands; and Alicia Coppola, an actress whose looks and abilities deserve more air-time.
The surprise aspect: A very good story. Nice twists, and a sense of humor and style (rare for TV movies, generally speaking).
Sympathetic characters (a depth to them) with shades of gray. They make mistakes and deal with them, but in the end maintain their integrity.
All in all, worth the time spent watching. Satisfying and entertaining. In the end, that's everything a movie should aspire to be.
Lizzie McGuire (2001)
Well-Written, Fresh Show With Star-Making Performance
"Lizzie McGuire" is wonderfully fresh and lively, written with an energy reminiscent of "Parker Lewis" or "Ferris Bueller" (the movie, not the short-lived TV series). Hilary Duff is a star-in-the-making. She brings to the small-screen (and hopefully to the big screen for years to come) an innocence and a beauty that is--for lack of a better term--breath-taking. She is the perfect early-teen girl: high energy, painfully self-aware (yet with much to learn), and loyal to a fault when it comes to friends. Hilary will obviously grow into a more adult beauty, and I hope stronger roles come her way and challenge her to be the best actress she can be. I have a knack for seeing stars for what they are before they stars (Russell Crowe, Tobey McGuire, and Marisa Tomei), and there is no question in my mind that Hilary Duff is a star on the rise!