April 10th, 2008
Posted by
Ian W |
Action, Comedy, Comic Book, Movie Reviews, Science Fiction |
no comments
With Superman II we got a blend of two visions - Richards Donner and Lester - and while the finished article wasn’t perfect it was certainly an entertaining ride. With Superman III we got the full undiluted Richard Lester and oh boy, was it bad.
Lester must have misunderstood when Ilya Salkind asked him to make a comic movie and made a comedy movie instead. How else do you explain Richard Pryor as one of the films villains? Or a credit sequence that’s akin to Benny Hill (and even features Bob Todd!)? The juvenile comedy runs throughout the film but the laughs are few and far between.
Of course Lester isn’t completely to blame, he was after all hired by Ilya Salkind, and it’s Salkind who’s responsible for the lower budget which doesn’t just mean special effects that are a lot less special, but a cut price cast as well. Why pay Gene Hackman a small fortune when you can get Robert Vaughn to play virtually the same part for a fraction of the cost? And while you’re at it why not do away with Valerie Perrine in favour of Pamela Stephenson? Margot Kidder not happy as Lois? Cut her part down to a cameo and introduce Annette O’Toole as Lana Lang to provide another love interest for Clark Kent, that’ll show Kidder she’s not indispensible. In every sense this is a budget Superman, an attempt to milk a little more money out of the Superman cash-cow.
April 10th, 2008
Posted by
Ian W |
Movie Reviews, Thriller |
no comments
This is the best film in the Moto series so far. Things start with a prison break from Devil’s Island, with Moto disguised as a prisoner in order to infiltrate the infamous League of Assassins. Post-prison break it’s of to London as Japan’s answer to Sherlock Holmes comes to the original’s home turf, with Moto frequenting a pub in Limehouse, where many a shady deal goes down.
Moto as usual is one step ahead of the crooks, and two ahead of the police, so the outcome is never in doubt but then the appeal of these quickies isn’t their intricate plotting, it’s Peter Lorre. There’s much fun to be had from Moto’s disguises (just as there was with Holmes) and Lorre’s German art critic at the films finale is guaranteed to raise a smile. Moto isn’t just a man of stealthy detective work, he gets stuck in when it comes to fights as well, with Harvey Parry, Lorre’s stunt double, throwing himself and others all over the place.
Add a western style barroom brawl and you’ve got a recipe for sixty minutes of fun. You’ll probably guess who the mysterious leader of the League is and you’ll certainly see how he’s going to come to a sticky end well before it happens but this works in the films favour this time as Mr. Moto dishes out some poetic justice.
