HATED_IT
Joined Jan 2004
Welcome to the new profile
We're still working on updating some profile features. To see the badges, ratings breakdowns, and polls for this profile, please go to the previous version.
Reviews6
HATED_IT's rating
Boy did I have high expectations going into this movie. After making two of my all time favorite films, Insomnia, and Memento, and making a solid debut film in, Following, I thought Christopher Nolan could do no wrong. And while this film isn't exactly wrong, it just isn't better than Tim Burton's Batman. Hell, in my opinion it's a little worse than Batman Forever.
What problems do I have with the film? For one thing Christian Bale. I always cringe when I see a graduate of the Keanu Reeves school of acting, and Bales deep monotone whisper did just this. For god sakes show some emotion! Guy Ritchie was able to pull that style of acting off in one of Nolans previous films, Memento, but in this it just doesn't work for Bale.
Getting back to Nolan, it's hard to smell his stench in the movie. The beginning of the film is evident with his type of dialouge and dark artsy cinematography, but as the film goes on, you forget it's Nolan's, and it will remind you more of David S. Goyer's (the co-writer) Blade films. The second half of the movie is filled with little dialouge, and because of this the film just drags on to its way too long 2 hour and 20 minute end. And whats with all the one liners? It seems that Nolan and Goyer stuff the film with way too many inappropriate for the time jokes. But my biggest pet peeve with the movie was the score. It wasn't as much that it didn't hold a candle to Danny Elfman's classic Batman score, but more that I could not recall ONE time that it wasn't playing in the background.
On the plus side, Katie Holmes does a good job as the love interest, and Michael Caine is great as Alfred. Gary Oldman also gives a fine performance. I could however do without Morgan Freeman's character who is basically to Batman exactly what Q is to James Bond.
While the premise of the film about Bruces fear of bats was excellent, the rest of it just doesn't work as well as it worked for Burton (and even Schumaker in 'Returns) if you are more of a Batman fan than a Nolan fan, you'll probably enjoy the film a lot more than I did.
6/10
What problems do I have with the film? For one thing Christian Bale. I always cringe when I see a graduate of the Keanu Reeves school of acting, and Bales deep monotone whisper did just this. For god sakes show some emotion! Guy Ritchie was able to pull that style of acting off in one of Nolans previous films, Memento, but in this it just doesn't work for Bale.
Getting back to Nolan, it's hard to smell his stench in the movie. The beginning of the film is evident with his type of dialouge and dark artsy cinematography, but as the film goes on, you forget it's Nolan's, and it will remind you more of David S. Goyer's (the co-writer) Blade films. The second half of the movie is filled with little dialouge, and because of this the film just drags on to its way too long 2 hour and 20 minute end. And whats with all the one liners? It seems that Nolan and Goyer stuff the film with way too many inappropriate for the time jokes. But my biggest pet peeve with the movie was the score. It wasn't as much that it didn't hold a candle to Danny Elfman's classic Batman score, but more that I could not recall ONE time that it wasn't playing in the background.
On the plus side, Katie Holmes does a good job as the love interest, and Michael Caine is great as Alfred. Gary Oldman also gives a fine performance. I could however do without Morgan Freeman's character who is basically to Batman exactly what Q is to James Bond.
While the premise of the film about Bruces fear of bats was excellent, the rest of it just doesn't work as well as it worked for Burton (and even Schumaker in 'Returns) if you are more of a Batman fan than a Nolan fan, you'll probably enjoy the film a lot more than I did.
6/10
Bamboozled is the story of a black television writer named Pierre Delacroix who is a lot more Bill Cosby than Chris Rock. Because of this, his writing gets criticsized by his boss for ''not being black enough''. Outraged by this Pierre creates a modern day Minstrel show in order to get fired, but the show turns into a hit.
As you can tell from that summary the film starts out on a funny note, but as it goes on it gets uneven turning darker(no pun intended)and trying to send out a message. I would have enjoyed it more if Spike had chosen either to make this a straight out, some what political comedy or a more serious film.
Damon Wayans does a great job as Pierre Delacroix. His accent makes you forget who he is and belive he is Delacroix. Equally good is Michael Rappaport as Delacroix's boss Thomas Dunwitty. The problem here wasn't the acting, in fact I can't think of anyone in the cast who stands out as sore thumb. The problem was the way the story moved. I enjoyed the beggining of the movie because of the humor, and at a certain point in the film, the comedy is abandoned as Spike wants to focus more on a message. This unevenness leaves you having to belive in the movies ridiculous concept, that a minstrel show can become a hit tv in the 21st Century.
The movie ends on a higher note in a somewhat Lynchian way, but whatever message Spike wanted to send out either gets lost or seems unneccessary. That being said the first 3 quarters of this movie are very funny and feel like a sketch from Chapelle's show. In the end though the movie fails to send a distinct message, it leaves you thinking and leaves you entertained.
7/10
As you can tell from that summary the film starts out on a funny note, but as it goes on it gets uneven turning darker(no pun intended)and trying to send out a message. I would have enjoyed it more if Spike had chosen either to make this a straight out, some what political comedy or a more serious film.
Damon Wayans does a great job as Pierre Delacroix. His accent makes you forget who he is and belive he is Delacroix. Equally good is Michael Rappaport as Delacroix's boss Thomas Dunwitty. The problem here wasn't the acting, in fact I can't think of anyone in the cast who stands out as sore thumb. The problem was the way the story moved. I enjoyed the beggining of the movie because of the humor, and at a certain point in the film, the comedy is abandoned as Spike wants to focus more on a message. This unevenness leaves you having to belive in the movies ridiculous concept, that a minstrel show can become a hit tv in the 21st Century.
The movie ends on a higher note in a somewhat Lynchian way, but whatever message Spike wanted to send out either gets lost or seems unneccessary. That being said the first 3 quarters of this movie are very funny and feel like a sketch from Chapelle's show. In the end though the movie fails to send a distinct message, it leaves you thinking and leaves you entertained.
7/10
Heavyweights is the story of a group of kids who with the help of their counselor go on a mission to take back their fat camp from a crazy man who has never interacted with kids before (played by Ben Stiller) who is intend on making it into a money making informercial.
I first saw this as a child, and absolutely loved it. I must have watched it again on at least 5 other occassions. Recently I was in the video store and came across a copy of it for sale. After convincing my friend to buy it , we went back to his house and popped it into the VCR. I wondered if the film would hold up after all these years. Did it? Absolutely! In fact I may have gotten bigger laughs this time around.
I do not understand why this film has a 5.1 rating, after reminding this movie to my friends they all recalled loving it, and everyone I recently watched it with loved it. Ben Stiller's character is hillarious, and the rest of the cast is great. Besides Ben, Kenan Thompson is the only other actor in this who went on to become somewhat of a star, which is suprising because all the kids give great performances. Tom Mcgowan, the man who plays Pat, seemed to be chosen for the role because Chris Farley passed on it, and John Candy died, but he gives a great performance.
I know it sounds cliche, but Heavyweights is truly one of the few movies that people of all ages will love.
9/10
I first saw this as a child, and absolutely loved it. I must have watched it again on at least 5 other occassions. Recently I was in the video store and came across a copy of it for sale. After convincing my friend to buy it , we went back to his house and popped it into the VCR. I wondered if the film would hold up after all these years. Did it? Absolutely! In fact I may have gotten bigger laughs this time around.
I do not understand why this film has a 5.1 rating, after reminding this movie to my friends they all recalled loving it, and everyone I recently watched it with loved it. Ben Stiller's character is hillarious, and the rest of the cast is great. Besides Ben, Kenan Thompson is the only other actor in this who went on to become somewhat of a star, which is suprising because all the kids give great performances. Tom Mcgowan, the man who plays Pat, seemed to be chosen for the role because Chris Farley passed on it, and John Candy died, but he gives a great performance.
I know it sounds cliche, but Heavyweights is truly one of the few movies that people of all ages will love.
9/10