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Reviews13
itsclear's rating
My expectations were too high going in, and whenever I do that, I basically guarantee walking out disappointed. And to a certain degree, I was.
But after thinking about it for awhile, I shouldn't have been disappointed at all. Jim is wonderful in this picture, and the supporting of Landau and Holden, were also great performances. The story was interesting enough. The hook was there in the beginning as Jim's character adjust to the new life. The hook was there when he starts to figure out he's not who everyone thinks he is (the Carrey and Landau scene, with this hook involved, is the best scene I've seen in at the movies this yEAR). And the hook was pretty much there in the end. But fails to really send me home without being a tad disappointed. But that's my fault for having high expectations, not really the movie makers fault. I think about the ending now, and I guess that's how the movie should end... but, for some reason, I don't feel like that's how it should have ended.
Darabont is a talented writer and director, and I just don't know how much say he had in changing the Majestic from the script (especially in a movie that was poking fun at how the writer's original ideas gets changed). But alongside Stephen King, he had turned the Shawshank Redemption as a movie, and in the screenplay, an even better told story than the Stephen King short alone. The Majestic is long, many have complained, but I rather enjoy sitting down for a long one because there's more than just the Carrey, Landau, and Holden characters you meet along the way in the small town that really help the story too.
The Majestic is a great movie. The story was a good choice in getting through messages of truth, and it's patriotic storyline couldn't have come at a better time. I enjoyed the performances of Carrey and Landau together. The musical score was good, although I miss Thomas Newman of Shawshank and Green Mile (and the opening theme of Boston Public... I couldn't resist). And I think being disappointed walking out of the theatre... is now more a disappointment at myself. I should've had loved this movie.
But after thinking about it for awhile, I shouldn't have been disappointed at all. Jim is wonderful in this picture, and the supporting of Landau and Holden, were also great performances. The story was interesting enough. The hook was there in the beginning as Jim's character adjust to the new life. The hook was there when he starts to figure out he's not who everyone thinks he is (the Carrey and Landau scene, with this hook involved, is the best scene I've seen in at the movies this yEAR). And the hook was pretty much there in the end. But fails to really send me home without being a tad disappointed. But that's my fault for having high expectations, not really the movie makers fault. I think about the ending now, and I guess that's how the movie should end... but, for some reason, I don't feel like that's how it should have ended.
Darabont is a talented writer and director, and I just don't know how much say he had in changing the Majestic from the script (especially in a movie that was poking fun at how the writer's original ideas gets changed). But alongside Stephen King, he had turned the Shawshank Redemption as a movie, and in the screenplay, an even better told story than the Stephen King short alone. The Majestic is long, many have complained, but I rather enjoy sitting down for a long one because there's more than just the Carrey, Landau, and Holden characters you meet along the way in the small town that really help the story too.
The Majestic is a great movie. The story was a good choice in getting through messages of truth, and it's patriotic storyline couldn't have come at a better time. I enjoyed the performances of Carrey and Landau together. The musical score was good, although I miss Thomas Newman of Shawshank and Green Mile (and the opening theme of Boston Public... I couldn't resist). And I think being disappointed walking out of the theatre... is now more a disappointment at myself. I should've had loved this movie.
This is one of the better, if not the best, of the brother's movies. It's smart in it's plot and premise, and it's challenging in it's characters. But while their movies seem to move positively in one direction, in story and maturity, it seems to move downhill in being funnier than their last efforts. And the movie sacrifices plenty of big laugh out scenes for a really smart story, and supplies just enough laughter without over doing it, unlike EARlier works (Dumb and Dumber - which seemed it's only purpose was to make you laugh).
Shallow Hal moves to makin' you care about the characters. When furniture breaks under Gwenyth, it wasn't meant to offend as many people are taking it, but as a challenge to those who often would find that funny, and with hopes to make them empathize with the character instead. The fact that people think the Farrellys meant to be offensive because of their past movies drives the point home even more clEARly... because like there movies, shallow audiences need to mature with them.
Shallow Hal moves to makin' you care about the characters. When furniture breaks under Gwenyth, it wasn't meant to offend as many people are taking it, but as a challenge to those who often would find that funny, and with hopes to make them empathize with the character instead. The fact that people think the Farrellys meant to be offensive because of their past movies drives the point home even more clEARly... because like there movies, shallow audiences need to mature with them.
The plot, while not so deep and meaningful, is pretty good relative to other movies where you'd go in expecting poor plot. The comedy feeds off the chemistry of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. And the action, while doesn't surpass the original, Shanghai Noon, nor does it even come close to previous great Jackie movies, is still fun to watch.
The movie begins just days after the first Rush Hour ends and from the first movie, we already know that the two detectives, Inspecter Lee (Chan) and Detective James Carter (Tucker) share a bond and there's no need to jump into character development. We know them and we smiled to see them together again singin' the beach boys down the streets of Hong Kong. There is some character development as the story progressing involving more off the fact that both parents of our two heroes were "legendary" police officers themeselves. But again, what's there to really know about the plot... it's a reasonable enough plot involving fake printed money and takes them from Hong Kong, to LA, and ultimately, of course, to Vegas within the span of 120 minutes.
To help with the action, the movie casted Zhang Ziyi. I was hoping perhaps for a Chan and Ziyi fight scene, but was let down to see instead a floppy Tucker and Ziyi, with an horrible ending. However, she's impressive in the role as a villian and had no trouble with her lines which were all in chinese. John Lone plays our main villian man behind the whole fake money printing deal and is also the leader of the Chinese gang, the Triads. He is also Lee's father's partner and had something to do with Lee's father's death. And undercover U.S. secret service agent Isabella Molina, is played by relatively new comer Roselyn Sanchez. Male audience in attendence to last night's sold out show liked her a lot. Chan is wonderful carryin' the action in the movie. It's not his greatest nor is it even close as stated EARlier, but it's still fun to watch. He complained he had little time to do things the way he wanted it, a mistake on hollywood's rush to get it in theaters ASAP. Previous Jackie films leave you gasping and thinkin' "AWESOME!", this time we're just left thinkin' "pretty cool."
What we really depend on for this movie to work is the comedy from the chemistry of Chan and Tucker. They have so little in common, yet they mesh so well. It's important to note that when you have a Chinese Guy who doesn't impress with his English, and a African-American who talks and talks... you're going to run into a lot of racial "jokes." A majority of them from Tucker about Asians, but I didn't really find them offensive. There are a few about white people, and Roger Ebert seemed a bit offended. But I found them to be very much light and unintentially harmful... and for the most part they aren't harmful at all. Try not to be serious about them, and you'll end up enjoyin' the movie. Aside from the racial jokes, a lot of the other comedy material were priceless: Chan trying to talk like Tucker, Tucker's Karoakin' Michael Jackson's "Don't stop till you get enough," Tucker's endless persuit for "Mushu," and Chan's great ability for physical comedy which should be more, but is less appreciated that any of the verbal comedy. But with all that material, plus the sure box-office success, Rush Hour 3 and 4 are inevitable.
And for me, I didn't really want it to end. The movie is fun... it felt like we were the tourist and while others might complain about being in traffic, I didn't mind the rush hour with Chan and Tucker at the wheel.
9 outta 10
The movie begins just days after the first Rush Hour ends and from the first movie, we already know that the two detectives, Inspecter Lee (Chan) and Detective James Carter (Tucker) share a bond and there's no need to jump into character development. We know them and we smiled to see them together again singin' the beach boys down the streets of Hong Kong. There is some character development as the story progressing involving more off the fact that both parents of our two heroes were "legendary" police officers themeselves. But again, what's there to really know about the plot... it's a reasonable enough plot involving fake printed money and takes them from Hong Kong, to LA, and ultimately, of course, to Vegas within the span of 120 minutes.
To help with the action, the movie casted Zhang Ziyi. I was hoping perhaps for a Chan and Ziyi fight scene, but was let down to see instead a floppy Tucker and Ziyi, with an horrible ending. However, she's impressive in the role as a villian and had no trouble with her lines which were all in chinese. John Lone plays our main villian man behind the whole fake money printing deal and is also the leader of the Chinese gang, the Triads. He is also Lee's father's partner and had something to do with Lee's father's death. And undercover U.S. secret service agent Isabella Molina, is played by relatively new comer Roselyn Sanchez. Male audience in attendence to last night's sold out show liked her a lot. Chan is wonderful carryin' the action in the movie. It's not his greatest nor is it even close as stated EARlier, but it's still fun to watch. He complained he had little time to do things the way he wanted it, a mistake on hollywood's rush to get it in theaters ASAP. Previous Jackie films leave you gasping and thinkin' "AWESOME!", this time we're just left thinkin' "pretty cool."
What we really depend on for this movie to work is the comedy from the chemistry of Chan and Tucker. They have so little in common, yet they mesh so well. It's important to note that when you have a Chinese Guy who doesn't impress with his English, and a African-American who talks and talks... you're going to run into a lot of racial "jokes." A majority of them from Tucker about Asians, but I didn't really find them offensive. There are a few about white people, and Roger Ebert seemed a bit offended. But I found them to be very much light and unintentially harmful... and for the most part they aren't harmful at all. Try not to be serious about them, and you'll end up enjoyin' the movie. Aside from the racial jokes, a lot of the other comedy material were priceless: Chan trying to talk like Tucker, Tucker's Karoakin' Michael Jackson's "Don't stop till you get enough," Tucker's endless persuit for "Mushu," and Chan's great ability for physical comedy which should be more, but is less appreciated that any of the verbal comedy. But with all that material, plus the sure box-office success, Rush Hour 3 and 4 are inevitable.
And for me, I didn't really want it to end. The movie is fun... it felt like we were the tourist and while others might complain about being in traffic, I didn't mind the rush hour with Chan and Tucker at the wheel.
9 outta 10