Import racing and import customizing is huge across the nation. After-market and speed shop auto parts make car-related companies big bucks It was only a matter of time until a movie was made about the racing culture. “The Fast and the Furious” does a decent job of showing off that world. The action is great. The storyline is lame.

The film stars Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. Walker plays a new-to-the-racing-scene racer who’s actually an undercover cop, trying to find out who in the import scene is hijacking trucks of Panasonic consumer electronics. Diesel plays the leader of a gang of racers.

The whole premise is pretty weak. A group of thieves are using souped-up Honda Civics to roll up on tractor trailers hauling consumer electronics. One of the Civics pulls in front of the semi and the passenger in the car jumps onto the truck, using a hook and rope, taking the driver out and hijacking the whole truck.

Walker comes in as an undercover cop who gets caught up in the scene and adrenaline rush associated with the racing and is torn between loyalty to Diesel and his job as a cop.

The biggest hole in the movie though is this loyalty. Walker quickly becomes buddy-buddy with Diesel and most of his group and the bonds just do not seem to make a lot of sense. The same can be said for the relationship that blossoms between Mia (Jordana Brewster) and Walker’s character. The bonds are there, it just seems like they were fused way too quickly. Maybe some of that character development ended up on the cutting room floor to make way for more racing — fair enough.

The cars are great and the racing scenes are amazing, with great attention to detail, and that is obviously why viewers are going to see this film. I am making the assumption that you go to see this movie, taking it for exactly what it is — a showcase for presenting high-horsepower cars.

Being a big fan of Toyota, I was happy to see Walker’s car in half the movie was a Supra Twin Turbo, but for the most part, the movie was about Mitsubishis, which I found a little strange. I’m not vastly into the import scene, but I always thought that the Mitsubishis, while customization was available, I thought it was mainly Honda that was the brand to go with. The movie seemed to have an overabundance of Eclipses though.

Regardless, the movie’s racing is great. The sounds and slick filming of the movie make it a worthy watcher. Just don’t go in expecting too much of a story.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Kevin Smith and his films and humor in general. Take a look at any college dorm room’s video collection, and you’ll quickly see that I’m not alone.

Kevin Smith’s newest film, “Jersey Girl” represents the first departure from his Askewniverse flicks (”Clerks,” “Mallrats,” “Chasing Amy,” “Dogma” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”) and their colorful cast of Jersey characters that have become so popular on campuses. But Smith hasn’t gone too far away from what he knows. “Jersey Girl” is still has Smith’s flavor and is a great initial departure from his Askewniverse history.

The story centers around Ollie Trinke who has what he regards as the perfect life in New York City, working as a PR bigwig and married to the beautiful Gertrude Steiney, played by Affleck’s former real-life flame, Jennifer Lopez. Gertrude ends up getting pregnant and they prep for life with their first child. I don’t think I’m ruining it for anyone by telling you that Lopez’s character dies in the first 15 minutes of the film, due to complications during child birth.

Ollie is left having to juggle the loss of his beloved wife, and raise a child as a single parent, while trying to keep up with the demands of his job. He ends up moving back to Jersey with his father, played by George Carlin, and to his dismay, he has to quit his PR job and work locally in Jersey. The circumstances surrounding his change of vocations is amusing, but see the film to get the details there.

While back at home in Jersey, Affleck meets Maya, played by Liv Tyler, a local girl who works the mom and pop’s video store (ala “Clerks”). To no one’s surprise, they hit it off after Affleck gets over his initial locking out anyone but his deceased wife and a pseudo friendship with undertones of more ensues and it’s obvious where it’s going long before the movie ends.

Ollie Trinke struggles throughout the flick with dealing with the loss of his true love, and always being there for his daughter, Gertie. Gertie, played by big screen newcomer, Raquel Castro does a wonderful job in the movie and is not over the top cute or annoying, like a lot of Hollywood’s child actors. She does a good job of dealing with the range of emotions and situations in the movie.

A lot of people don’t like Affleck, but I think the guy is a competent actor and does a great job of portraying the Jersey single parent and widower. A nod also has to be given to George Carlin. His role is pretty serious and he does a great job playing the father aiding his son in being a father in his own right.

Kevin Smith has always been known for loading up his cast with personal friends and “Jersey Girl” continues the tradition. View Askew veterans Ben Affleck and George Carlin obviously have big roles, but others also pop up, such as Matt Damon and Jason Lee. It was funny though to look around the theater audience and realize that Jersey Girl had more of a broad audience, and most didn’t recognize the View Askew cameos; not that this is a bad thing though. Wider appeal means that more people will see it and aren’t as connected to the director. Regardless, it was a nice nod to fans who have seen his other five films.

It’s hard not to compare “Jersey Girl” to the other Kevin Smith flicks and on one hand, it’s its own beast that’s very different. It’s a little cutesy, but it’s still got that Smith flavor and humor to it. Rather than being a straight out comedy/adventure comedy like most of his previous endeavors, “Jersey Girl” is Smith’s second romantic comedy (”Chasing Amy” being the first). Smith says he doesn’t feel that “Jersey Girl” is all that much different than “Chasing Amy” and that they just swapped out the lesbian for a 7-year old. I tend to see the separation a little more substantial, but both are worthy of viewing. If you can get over Smith’s latest being a bit syrupy sweet, it’s a very enjoyable film worth checking out. “Jersey Girl” also has the added advantage in that it could give Kevin Smith a broader audience — great for us hardcore Kevin Smith fans for future movies.

The movies below are some of my favorite flicks. I‘m sure some will wholeheartedly agree with some of my picks, while others
will scoff at them. Either way, these are some of the flicks I‘ve watched more times than I can count. Here they are, in no real specific order:

Back to the Future

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, nor anyone that knows me well that the Back to the Future Trilogy is at the top of my list of movies. Since I first got a DVD player, I‘ve eagerly awaited their release. Finally, on December 17, 2002 the trilogy will come to DVD chocked full of DVD extras. There are plenty of DVDs out there that I wonder why anyone would ever watch the feature-length film with commentary, nor sift through extras on the disc. But with the Back to the Future Trilogy, I can‘t wait for all that on the three disc set arriving mid-December!

I remember seeing Back to the Future on VHS right after it was released and just loved every aspect of it. I love the science fiction aspect of it — time travel and the flashy special effects of the DeLorean. "If you‘re gonna build a time machine out of a car, why not do it with some style?"

The original enthralled me and hooked me on what could be a lifelong love of sci-fi, time travel stories and the unique design of the short-lived stainless steel DeLorean. . I just love the gull-wing doors and the whole modified look of the Back to the Future time vehicle.

The first one was done right, all the way around. The comedic elements are great, the casting right-on and the sci-fi elements are first class. Man, I could go on forever about Back to the Future!

Back to the Future II

Back to the Future II is considered by many to be the bastard child of the trilogy — too confusing, too much running around, etc. I can see where people would have those complaints, but I don‘t share them. I love all three flicks, but have a great liking for portrayals of the future.

Back to the Future II does have one thing that always bugs me in portrayals of the future… they obviously are filmed in a given time and the technology of the future obviously reflects the filming time. For example, the futuristic cars were 90‘s Tauruses, Mustangs etc. with skirts added to the car. I understand why that has to happen, just a little thing that I always get a chuckle out of. Dark Angel was the same way — all the cars left over from the pre-pulse are all vehicles of the early 21st century — stuff like the Pontiac Aztek and the Audi TT.

But anyway, I love the whole idea of alternate timelines and seeing what could have been. The jumping between 2015, 1985 and 1955 is great, with Marty and Doc bumping into themselves in the past. Marty is seeing events that just happened to him just days before, even though the span in actual years they‘ve jumped is much greater. I honestly didn‘t think the movie was one bit confusing.

The hoverboard and flying DeLorean used throughout the movie are great, and will be things that even the casual watcher will remember for years to come.

This second of three films also introduces the history repeating itself that continues in each movie. You have similar situations in different eras. The skateboard chase through town square becomes a hoverboard chase, Marty‘s initial encounter with Griff in the Cafe 80‘s mirrors his meeting of the ‘55 Biff in Lou‘s Cafe 60 years early, etc. etc. A lot of the parallels between time are blatent, but the links between the films run deep — both in the truly obvious, to pretty obscure stuff.

Back to the Future III

I‘m not big at all on the old West, Westerns, etc., but Doc and Marty‘s adventure in the old west was cool in that you see Hill Valley from pretty much its humble beginnings. Even way back in 1885, the Statler family was in the transportation — selling/renting horses (in 1985, they have the Hill Valley Toyota dealership) and the Jones family was hauling manure, even when Hill Valley was just a single street.

It‘s cool that Doc and Marty are witnesses to the dedication of the clock tower, meaning they‘re present at both its birth and its electrifying demise at precisely 10:04pm some 70 years later.

Back to the Future III is unique in the trilogy as it is the one where Doc and Marty‘s rolls reverse — with Doc being the lovestruck one and Marty being the voice of reason.

The final of the three also has one of the most tragic moments in film history when a 1985 locomotive plows through the retrofitted DeLorean like tinfoil, leaving stainless scattered just outside of the new Hilldale development and the trademark license plate spinning occurs.

I‘m not a very big fan of the ending of the film, with the train engine. It ties everything together at the end, but I always thought it was kind of lame. All in all though, I love these movies. They‘ve stayed pretty timeless and I love them as much now as I did when I originally saw them back as an adolescent.

The Matrix

The Matrix was one of those movies I went into the theater knowing little about it. The whole idea of questioning what reality is truly is a concept I really like and like to consider. While this movie does have a huge number of goofs, it really was groundbreaking from a visual sense. I can‘t wait for the second and third installment. I just hope they live up to the original.

While a lot of the effects in this movie have been way overdone in action/adventure movies now, this visual styling was completely innovative and mind boggling when The Matrix was initially released theatrically.

The movie is a combination of Kung-Fu action, cyberpunk and sci-fi all mixed into an explosive and immersive movie. Even the soundtrack is rocking, with tracks from Rage Against the Machine, Rob Zombie, Manson, etc. and even a couple of techno instrumentals that fit into the whole scene of reality versus perceived reality.

This is another film that has yet to diminish in my eyes. I‘ve seen this movie countless times and the DVD is always one of the discs I use as a baseline when testing out new A/V equipment.

The Rainmaker

I’ve always been a big fan of courtroom films, from comedies like “My Cousin Vinny” to dramas like “A Civil Action.” But by far, my favorite courtroom film is the screen adapatation of John Grisham’s book, “The Rainmaker,” directed by rancis Ford Coppola.

Matt Damon does a great job as law student Rudy Baylor, trying fight for the little guy against the big bad evil insurance company defended by an always convincing bad guy, Jon Voight.

This is one of the first DVDs I snagged when I first bought a DVD player, and I’ve watched it multiple timeswith enjoyment never waning — all around good performances, interesting plot and a lot of enjoyment.

I’ve been a huge fan of director/write Kevin Smith since “Clerks” first was released. I’ve always made it a point of watching all his films endlessly, trying to catch all the little interrelationships and details. I then would proceed to recommend the collection of movies to friends and acquaintances. But now, while “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back” was entertaining, I feel less inclined to recommend it to a buddy. It definitely has a lot of humorous stuff going on throughout and a lot of great cameos, but I somehow feel that the film is a letdown compared to Smith’s other films.

Smith himself is ready to move on from the set of five flicks he’s now made (”Clerks,” “Mallrats,” “Chasing Amy,” “Dogma” and now “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back”), saying this will be the last to feature Jay & Silent Bob. As big as a fan as I’ve been over the years of Smith, I think he’s making the right move putting his established characters to rest following this film.

The whole premise of the movie are that Jay & Silent Bob, played by Jason Mewes and Smith himself, respectively have found out that a comic book that is based on their likenesses (first introduced in Smith’s flick, “Chasing Amy”) is being transformed into a major motion picture. After discovering from one of the two creators of the comic book, Holden McNeil (played by Ben Affleck) who has since shared his half of the comic book, the two start their journey towards Hollywood to save their “good names,” planning to trash the Hollywood production in the process.

Along the way, they meet up with a gang of hot females, with Shannon Elizabeth and Ali Larter being among the group (along with Smith’s own wife). Jay immediately falls for Shannon Elizabeth, and who can blame him?

My biggest gripe about the film is the fact that it’s so insider. I’ve seen all the movies many times and know them inside out, so it’s not a matter of me not understanding the inside jokes, I just think a lot of the humor and jokes will be lost on a lot of the audience. At the same time, Smith did do this on purpose, making this film for the fans. I acknowledge that, but think it was the wrong choice. All the classic comedies sit by themselves and don’t require prerequisites. I had hoped “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back” wouldn’t either.

Despite, this insider stuff that plagues the film, it is still a quality comedy, worthy of at least a rental. Once Jay & Silent Bob make it to Hollywood, the movie really takes off and is filled with a lot of laughs and parody, such as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck making fun of themselves, filming “Good Will Hunting 2.”

I think my favorite scene involved Jay & Silent Bob meeting up with their big screen counterparts, played by Jason Biggs and James Van Der Beek. Biggs and Van Der Beek both make fun of themselves, while Jay asks Biggs if he’s had Shannon Elizabeth while doing “American Pie” and if Van Der Beek has had Katie Holmes during their tenure together on “Dawson’s Creek.” I have to say, this little two minute scene is my favorite and was very amusing.

The cast does a great job overall, and it’s obvious most everyone involved in filming the flick had a great time coming in to do this film, but the buddy travel film angle is kind of tired. Additionally, as I’m writing this, I’m realizing another problem is that while it is a comedy and obviously characters aren’t going to be majorly developed, you really don’t get much of any one character outside of Jay & Silent Bob. Will Ferrell, who plays the Wildlife and Game Officer out to catch the two men is in in the film a fair amount, but still, too much of the film is jumping from one cameo to the next.

Like a lot of Smith’s movies, I think I may like it more after watching it a second time. My problem with this one though is I don’t have as much desire to go back and watch it again.

The movie is worth seeing, but I think it’s a wait-for-video type of flick. The movie is hilarious in parts, but too much of it relies on having seen the other Smith films. As much as I love Kevin Smith’s films, I think Kevin Smith is making the right move at the right time to put his series/interrelated movies to rest.

The original American Pie was a rarity of the 90s, in terms of teen sex comedies. The 80s thrived on them, but the next decade was without many, much less any of quality. American Pie succeeded. Sequels almost without exception never live up to the original. American Pie 2 isn’t as good as its original, but it’s pretty close, and is still pretty funny and worth the ticket price.

The whole cast from the original is back and story takes place about a year after the original, with the crew just finishing up their freshman year and returning home to find things a little different. The guys decide to rent a beach side house for the summer and get jobs to pay for it.

The sequel, as a whole is amusing, but several scenes really stick out as making the movie totally worthwhile and one of these opens the movie. Jim (Jason Biggs) is ready to move out of the dorm but is in the middle of hooking up with a fellow student. The ever-dorky father of Jim (Eugene Levy) walks in on them. The scene recaptures the awkward funny situation of the pie from the first one, without just recycling the first film. It goes by pretty quickly, but when Jim’s mother comes in the room, she drops an apple pie.

Another great scene is when the guys are at their summer jobs, painting and sneak into a house they’re painting where they think two lesbians live. The girls return home and the ensuing situation is really funny. I won’t ruin it if you haven’t seen it.

Overall, it’s Stifler, played by Seanne William Scott, who really carries the film. His insulting and testosterone-driven exploits and comments are hilarious and really add a lot to the film, even more so than in the first flick.

There are some things that worked in the first movie that were ok for then, but shouldn’t have been relived. Gross-out comedy is the norm for comedies as of late. Stifler getting a golden shower from a kid on the balcony, urinating (with his eyes closed, Stifler believes champagne is being poured on him from a hottie). This kind of gross-out just isn’t that funny to me.

Despite some scenes, such as the latter that could have easily been omitted, or that were rehashes from the first, American Pie 2 is definitely worth checking out. I was really looking forward to this film and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. Jay & Silent Bob didn’t meet my expectations, while American Pie 2 exceeded them.

A lot of times, the movies I enjoy most are the ones I go into knowing little about the story, plot or what the initial reviews say. This happened to me with The Matrix, Go and plenty of others. It happens again with “Wonder Boys.”

The cast alone is a long list of great actors (including Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Katie Holmes, Frances McDormand), but having lots of stars doesn’t always equal a good flick. Here, it works, though.

The story centers on Douglas’ character, Grady Tripp, a professor at a Pennsylvania college who released a best-selling novel seven years ago and is at a point where his publisher is on him about finishing his next, which he just keeps writing and writing.

Maguire plays James Leer, a strange, but talented student who is enthralled with Tripp’s teaching and seeks to hang out with Tripp. Leer’s dark writing and manner makes him loathed by his fellow classmates. Maguire fills the quirky role of Leer perfectly. His strange demeanor and lines are delivered perfectly off-center.

Fellow classmate Hannah Green (Holmes) sees through a bit of the mystery and offers a few meager positive comments to combat the negativism and jealousy directed toward Leer. Green also rents a room from Tripp, and there is a constant undertone that she is trying to seduce her professor. Luckily, this film doesn’t go down that route.

Instead, Tripp is having an affair with the University’s chancellor, Sara Gaskell (played by the Academy Award-winning McDormand). Early on, we learn that McDormand’s character has become pregnant. Much of the movie explores the relationship between Gaskell and Tripp.

Robert Downey Jr. quickly emerges in the movie as well as Tripp’s publisher, Terry Crabtree. Crabtree is introduced at the airport with his transvestite companion (played by Michael Cavaias).

The humor is dark and subtle but effectively helps relieve some tense moments. Douglas and Maguire play off each other and make a good contrast between two generations of quirky writers, including their incident with Gaskell’s husband’s blind dog. Although Gaskell’s husband is unsuspecting, the dog has a hatred for Tripp.

The movie is strange in that weird and interesting way that made “American Beauty” so enjoyable. And the main cast meshes well for an interesting, dark trip. Unfortunately, the trip is fairly slow. I enjoyed it throughout, but the plot does inch along.

From what I understand, the movie follows the novel it is based on (by Michael Chabon) faithfully, but this might be a case when a shot in the arm of Tinsel Town pizazz would have helped.

The film is well worth seeing for the same quirky reasons that “American Beauty” is such a gem, but given the choice of one, “Beauty” is the one to see. “Wonder Boys” is worth seeing, but it might be a “wait and see it on video” type of flick.

Originally posted at NandoNext.

Hollywood has been trying to reinvent the scare on the big scream. There was “Scream,” and then recently there was “The Blair Witch Project.” Now there’s the “Bone Collector,” from Phillip Noyce, director of “Clear and Present Danger,” “Patriot Games” and “The Saint.” While Noyce doesn’t reinvent the scream on the big screen, he does create an enjoyable and suspenseful film.

The premise is Lincoln Rhyme, played by Denzel Washington, is one of the best forensic officers in the country. Within the first minute, he is paralyzed from the neck down, save one finger. Confined to a bed, Washington is contemplating assisted suicide before seizures transform him into a vegetable.

Angelina Jolie plays Amelia Donaghy, a hotheaded young cop who Rhyme quickly finds has a natural instinct for forensics. Both Rhyme and Donaghy quickly get thrown into a case with a serial killer who kidnaps victims in his taxi cab, complete with a little figure hanging from a noose from the rearview mirror.

The deaths are disgusting, though the rat infested death takes the cake. The killer cuts open the victim so that blood is flowing from the wounds, thus attracting the hungry rats. Hundreds of rats scurrying toward him and then nibble. The worst was when a rat came running toward the camera (the camera being from the perspective of the victim). The rat then opens its jaw to take a bite in the person, right in the audience’s faces, before the scene changes. Everyone in theater was disgusted.

Ed O’Neill and Queen Latifah both have fairly sizable roles in the film and do fine jobs, though I had a hard time disassociating them with characters they’ve been in the past. O’Neill will always be Al Bundy, no matter what he does or whom he plays. He did a good job as Detective Paulie Sellitto, as does Latifah as Thelma, the live-in nurse for Rhyme.

My only complaint is that the movie builds and builds consistently and then crashed down in a semi-sloppy ending that wraps things up too neatly in too short of a time. This seems to be a trend lately in movies. Either make the movie longer, or edit it down earlier so that the ending doesn’t have to come and go in the last ten minutes of the movie.

Despite the quick ending, the movie is suspenseful and entertaining. I had no clue who the killer was until he was revealed, which in itself is an asset to the flick. Washington and Jolie were exceptional and make the movie worth watching. The film shows some intelligence and apprehension that thoroughly make it enjoyable.

Originally posted at NandoNext.

The movie has the flavor of "Pulp Fiction," with three stories that are separate, but also intertwined. The cast is obviously a lot younger but has some known names such as Katie Holmes (a personal favorite), Jay Mohr, Scott Wolf and Sarah Polley. The flick also follows”Pulp Fiction’s” lead by having out-of-sequence scenes and, several times, repeating a scene from a different character’s perspective.

The main story has Ronna, played by Sarah Polley, not able to pay for rent. Ronna resorts to selling drugs, only to have to flush them, making her in debt both to local drug dealer, Todd, and to her landlord. Polley ends up using her best friend, Claire (Holmes) as collateral and then sells cold medicine as ecstasy.

The second story line features Zack (Jay Mohr) and Adam (Scott Wolf), playing actors forced to work in a sting operation after being busted for drug possession. The officer they’re working with has a hidden agenda that’s humorous and left hanging in the air for most of the movie.

The best of the three stories involves Simon (Desmond Askew), Marcus (Taye Diggs) and the rest of their crew, heading to Las Vegas for a weekend where they end up shooting a bouncer and stealing a car, among other things.

Askew is absolutely the funniest character and his combination of stupidity and his lust for adventure is classic. Marcus, who plays more of the straight man is great as well. Their story line sits above the other two, though they are also rich and enjoyable.

It’s good to see Katie Holmes finally associate herself with a decent movie. All of her other movies (”Ice Storm,” “Teaching Mrs. Tingle” and “Disturbing Behavior”) were all real stinkers. Holmes is able to finally act and show realistic emotions and reactions.

It’s also funny to go back and watch the movie again and see the subtle things that were missed the first time around. Noticing these things makes the movie that much better.

So while it’s a pretty safe assumption that you missed “Go” in the theaters, it’s well worth the video rental or the DVD purchase. I had the movie pre-ordered on DVD as soon as I arrived home from the dollar theater.

The DVD features some cool extras, including a behind-the-scenes featurette, three music videos (No Doubt, Len and a remix of Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride”), along with bios of the cast and the trailer for Go (trailers on DVDs seem to be becoming a standard feature, even on DVDs that lack “extras.”)

Originally posted at NandoNext

Theatrical trailers are supposed to entice viewers to want to see an upcoming film, but lately, they’ve become a little annoying.

It seems that a few problems plague these promo pieces – not only do they show the viewer most of the film, but they also show scenes that end up on the cutting room floor or, most annoyingly, dialogue out of context.

I understand how these problems can happen. A lot of times, promotional materials such as trailers have to be ready long before the movie itself is, meaning that sometimes stuff slips in that isn’t actually in the movie.

But even though I understand why, I still find it annoying. Today, trailers aren’t just on the big screen; they’re also on videotape and
now Digital Video Discs (which almost always have them as an extra feature).

Recently, I watched “Varsity Blues” on DVD. The disc, like most, had the trailer included. Several times, it showed a scene where James Van Der Beek and his girlfriend (Amy Smart) are talking about football in what looks to be in a forest on top of a parked car. It really looked interesting and made me wish briefly that there was a “Varsity Blues” director’s cut or something similar.

In a different “Varsity Blues” trailer, shown on television mainly, a high school girl asks for an autograph on her body during a pep rally. This didn’t end up in the film, either, although the pep rally was present. If the film was running a little long, it’s disappointing that the filmmakers considered this a place to make up some time.

The first time I noticed this phenomenon of seeing things not in the movie was when “Hot Shots!” came out in 1991. There was a part where Cary Elwes is shooting pool, and he does a trick shot where the cue ball ends up landing in his front pants pocket. Later, there’s the cliched line about, “Is that a (fill in the appropriate object here) in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”

The scene in which this happens is still in the movie, but this actual part never made it to the theater, just like the “Varsity Blues” autograph scene.

Another problem that plagues trailers is that they exploit every good scene and/or joke in the movie. But now that I think about it, maybe that’s saying less about the film than the trailer. Regardless of the quality of the movie, I feel cheated when I come out of a movie, realizing that I had already seen the movie through a combination of theater and television promotional spots.

The third and most annoying problem with trailers is one that can be avoided. It really doesn’t matter how bad a film is or what ends up in the final cut of the movie. I despise previews that take dialogue or action out of context. Often, I’ve seen where one actor’s reaction or dialogue is spliced after another’s, yet the scenes are spliced from scenes that are 40 minutes apart. Usually, the only damage is a puzzled look on my face when I see the movie and realize that things were taken out of context, but sometimes these splices can really misrepresent a film and its premise.

None of these problems are the end of the world, but they are annoying and it seems that a lot of the incidents could be avoided easily with a little planning and a just a bit of common sense.

Originally posted at NandoNext.

Originally when I saw the preview for “The Matrix” a couple of months ago, it seemed to be just another big-budget flick, lots of special effects, little plot. Initially, I had no desire to see it. I’m not sure what changed my mind, but I’m glad I did.
Every facet of “The Matrix” was rich and enjoyable, from the visuals and action sequences to the plot itself. Machines received artificial intelligence and enslaved their creators, the humans. The Matrix is the delusional world the machines created to keep the humans content. It is basically a complex computer program that re-creates the late 20th century.

A group of rebels, led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) has disconnected from the Matrix, and using a ship, hacks into it in an attempt to free humanity from its unknown slavery.

Hacker Thomas “Neo” Anderson, played by Keanu Reeves, is approached by the rebels and also by the Matrix’s creations, being inserted into the Matrix program to try to eliminate the rebels. The twist is that because the Matrix is a big program, the agents can insert themselves anywhere and as anyone, meaning that the rebels are constantly in danger when they are hacked into the Matrix, a very cool concept.

Reeves’ character has be recruited because Morpheus thinks that he is the chosen one who can thwart the Matrix. Probably the first half of the movie is dedicated to Reeves’ character testing out his abilities. A very cool scene takes place between Reeves and Fishburne, where they are in training within a computer-simulated dojo. The two are sparring, but as the scene progresses, the sparring gets better and better. Fists and feet fly at incredible rates, and the two start doing graceful flips and twists at high speed. This also sets a precedent for the rest of the movie.

A lot of the cool effects used in the movie can be seen in the previews, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeing. The best sequence is when a couple of rounds are squeezed off by an agent. Time seems to slow as Reeves arches backward, and the bullets react as if they’re moving through Jell-O. While sequences like these are used throughout the movie, they don’t oversaturate the film as I had feared they would. The effects are used as they should be in any such action film — to create a believable fantasy environment.

Although the plot is your basic sci-fi “man vs. machine,” the combination of effects and the richness and detail added to the basic concept make the film very enjoyable on the big screen. Like so many action movies, to get the full experience of its sights and sounds, catch it on the big screen, not when it hits the local rental store.

Originally posted at NandoNext