Riddick… You murderer!

broderic on June 18, 2004

Like Van Helsing, before him, the hero of this movie needs only one name. Riddick. He makes his return from the darkness of Pitch Black in this sequel. I must confess I have not seen the first movie. It would help you if you did, because some of the characters and all the emotional weight seem to be embodied in the relationships and interactions of those that survived the blackened hell of the first movie. But since I didn’t see the first movie, I could care less about that. The Chronicles of Riddick is not bad. I was confused as the action scenes are a jumble of bodies and spaceships in motion. You can hardly tell what is going on, especially when the movie in the second reel turns into a jail house flick. Why’d they switch up the plot on us? Sci-fi I like. Riddick is cool. The movie so-so.

3 of 5 stars.

Memorial Day is “The Day After Tomorrow”

broderic on May 29, 2004

Last night, we saw The Day After Tomorrow. Just because it is saddled with a ridiculous title doesn’t mean that it is a terrible movie. Like all summer movies, it has a few nits to pick, but overall a rather enjoyable movie. Hmm? Enjoyable? That’s weird because I usually give movies the ambivalent “s’okay” meaning, “Watch it if you must, but I told you so if it sucks.”

I would say the same about The Day After Tomorrow, but it was stupid fun and deserves your money. Cold weather is the new bad guy. Our damsel in distress outruns that wintery blast. Super cooled are freezing things instantly. And everything is CG. What is there not to like about the flick? Watch it if you must, but I told you so that you’re gonna have a fun time.

4 of 5 stars.

Van Helsing… You murderer!

broderic on May 25, 2004

So, last Thursday I saw Van Helsing (You murderer!). Not a very good movie, because it had the barest of plots. Most of the story was in support of the action, and the action was all cliched as if the director (also the writer!) needed to cram all action movie scenes into the movie. Aliens – we got vampire eggs! Fast and the Furious – nothing faster than Transylvania horses! Dracula! Wolfman! I was waiting for them to throw in the creature from the black lagoon.

The overall tone of Van Helsing was to be campy. Too bad no one told Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale.

2 of 5 stars.