trueman-1

It is unbelievable that they shot this for just $6000. The film quality and performance by Angus MacLeod would put many main-stream productions to shame. Although I did not know what to think about the films use of partly action with stills prior to seeing it, it was very effective in setting the mood of Poe classic "The Tell-Tale Heart." The film is narrated in Gaelic by Angus MacLeod and the DVD release contains the Gaelic-only version, Gaelic with English subtitles and an English rendition by another actor with Gaelic subtitles. Unfortunately this one does not come close to matching MacLeod's performance in Gaelic, even if you have to read the English subtitles. I can't recommend this highly enough to Gaelic language enthusiasts or fans or Edgar Allan Poe. Full marks for this creep-fest.

My wife and I just caught this movie in the theatre and we both found it an enjoyable light-hearted western/comedy. To those who have never heard of a Canadian "western," you must be very young because there have been a few, mostly Hollywood, and involving Mounties, but also some home-grown ones, though these never made it to the big screen.

But I digress. This movie is one of good clean fun which the whole family can enjoy. Perhaps this is one of the real complaints for those who compare it to a CBS movie - no gratuitous sex, violence or foul language. If you are going looking for these elements you'll be sorely disappointed. It does make a political statement regarding some differences between Canadians and Americans, and against handguns (though thankfully doesn't group shotguns and rifles into the same category). However, overall, the production values are quite high, especially for a low-budget movie - something I think many people tend to forget - and certainly compared to a CBS movie-of-the-week special. You can't even pay the salary of a lead Hollywood actor for $10 million.

Generally this movie should appeal to those who go in with realistic expectations, and of course fans of Paul Gross. Oh, and watch the credits for a time before you leave the theatre.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the ri... movie. From the start the twists, turns and loops of this movie get faster and faster, and higher. Everything about this ride has been souped-up, mega-sized, etc... all in an effort to outdo the first movie. Unfortunately it's not just the action which has been souped-up - the villains and corresponding horror and violence has been as well.

This movie/ride is definitely not for the faint-of-heart. Davy Jones' crew makes Barbossa's Zombies (from the first movie) look like Hobbits next to the Orcs in Two Towers. At times things (especially the scenes with the Kraken) get every bit as intense as scenes from Aliens - while there are humorous moments much of it falls flat due to the serious nature of the movie which leaves you hanging on for dear life at times. A NOTE TO PARENTS: be responsible and get a sitter. This movie is not meant for kids despite the marketing (shame on you Disney and McDonald's). Despite the ratings in most areas (influenced I'm sure by politics) I could not recommend this to anyone under 14.

Because of the wildness of the ride you don't realize you that haven't actually gone anywhere (i.e. no plot development). The only change you note is that you're a little higher up from your starting point preparing for the next big downward spiral. The sharp twist at the end though is one of the most enjoyable moments of the movie - it also is an indication that the second part of the ride may be as wild as the first. We'll have to wait and see. Let's hope they don't jump the tracks entirely in an effort to outdo this one as well.