The World Is Not Enough (1999)

"There's no point living, if you can't feel alive.", 25 March 2008

From the time he took over the role of James Bond, I've tended to dismiss the Pierce Brosnan era as one of the weaker periods of the franchise. That assessment was cemented with Brosnan's last outing as Bond in Die Another Day – quite possibly the very worst of the 21 official Bond movies. But something odd keeps happening. I keep going back to The World is Not Enough. I've actually probably seen it more times in the past 5 years than any other Bond film. I realize now that it's not only Brosnan's best effort in the series, but also it's one of my five or six favorite Bond movies.

In The World is Not Enough, Bond is sent to the Caspian Sea to protect an oil heiress, Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), after her father is killed in an explosion at MI-6 Headquarters. King's is in a race with three other groups to be the first to complete an oil pipeline to bring their product to market. And someone seems intent on making sure Elektra doesn't win the race. Bond discovers that a terrorist named Renard (Robert Carlyle) may be responsible for the father's death, the threats against Elektra and the pipeline, and the theft of enough plutonium to destroy a good chunk of Turkey. But Bond also discovers that things may not be as they seem. Is Elektra really as innocent as she seems? Or is she, as unthinkable as it may be, in league with Renard?

There are a lot of things about The World is Not Enough that keep me coming back. The most obvious is the plot. It definitely has a darker, more realistic tone to it than one normally associates with a James Bond film. It has more in common with To Russia with Love than it does the quip-filled gimmicky Bond movies of Roger Moore. And Brosnan does a more than competent job playing Bond with the same sort dark tone. The World is Not Enough actually shows Bond killing in cold blood. Don't get the wrong impression – there is still humor to be found in the film, but it's used very judiciously. Speaking of realism, other than the whole bullet in the brain making him impervious to pain, Robert Carlyle's Renard is a much more frightening advisory than the cartoonish villains with their ridiculous plans to take over the world. Renard could almost be a real-world terrorist. I also appreciate the increased role for Judy Dench as M in The World is Not Enough. It's good to see M out from behind her desk and in the field. But the real highlight of the film for me is Sophie Marceau as Elektra King. Not only does Marceau prove herself to be a talented actress, but the writers actually gave her something to work with. Too often in the Bond movies of the past, woman who start out as Bond's enemies find themselves swooning after a single encounter. Not Elektra. She remains defiant till the end. In fact, Elektra turns the tables on Bond. She uses Bond the way he normally uses women. And in this instance, Bond's the one doing the swooning. Elektra may not be the normal, run of the mill Bond girl, but I for one am glad of that.

As for the negatives found in The World is Not Enough, I'm going to beat the same dead horse found in most other comments and point to Denise Richards. In a word, she's terrible. Her entire career is based on her looks because she certainly can't act. I cannot remember a single actor in any Bond movie (and that includes the likes of Tonya Roberts) who was so ill-suited to play their part. Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist – yeah, right.

Five years ago I rated The World is Not Enough a 6/10. The rating, however, seems to go up with each successive viewing. I'm at an 8/10 now. Who knows what will happen the next time I watch this movie.

8/10

Xena: Warrior Princes "Fallen Angel" #5.1 (1999) (TV)

Heaven and Hell, 1 August 2007

Having just been crucified by Roman soldiers, Xena and Gabrielle find themselves surrounded by angels and headed to Heaven. But before they can arrive, they are attacked by demons from Hell lead by their nemesis Callisto. While Xena makes it safely to Heaven, Gabrielle is taken to the depths of Hell. For Xena, spending an eternity in Heaven without Gabrielle is just unacceptable. She rallies the archangels to her cause and sets out to save her friend. But what price is Xena willing to pay for Gabrielle's soul?

Talk about your epic battles of Good vs. Evil. It doesn't get much bigger than a band of archangels doing battle with demons from Hell. And even when you consider all the places and things that Xena and Gabrielle experienced through the entire run of Xena: Warrior Princess, a struggle between Heaven and Hell is still groundbreaking stuff. Given that Xena was made with a modest television budget, the special effects in this particular episode are quite good. Sure, there are a few moments when the CGI starts to resemble a video game, but again, we're talking about an episode of a television show. I really enjoyed the acting in "Fallen Angel". All three actresses (Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, and Hudson Leick) seemed to "get into" their chance to play a demon. And what about that ending? Callisto was always one of my favorite characters, but even I realized that it was time for her to go. Her redemption and salvation are a highpoint of the entire series. Overall, "Fallen Angel" is probably ten or so favorite episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess.

9/10

Xena: Warrior Princess "Takes One to Know One" #4.19 (1999) (TV)

Whodunnit?, 22 July 2007

"Takes One to Know One" is the kind of episode that epitomizes what I love about Xena. Seemingly never satisfied and not wanting things to get stale, the creative team behind Xena was always ready to take a chance. Whether it was the action, drama, romance, comedy, musicals, fairy tales, or whatever – Rob Tapert and Company weren't afraid to take Xena and Gabrielle on any journey. As a fan, it's awesome! With "Takes One to Know One", Xena is thrust into another favorite genre of mine – the old, dark house mystery. The episode successfully melds the action of the show with mystery and comedy elements. The solution to the mystery is pretty far-fetched but a lot of fun to watch. The end result is one of those episodes I can watch over and over again.

"Takes One to Know One" is primarily played for laughs. And Bruce Campbell and Ted Raimi steal almost every scene in which they appear - especially those scenes that they are in together. It's easy to tell they're old friends who are used to playing off each other. You just get the feeling, however, that the best and funniest stuff was probably left on the cutting room floor.

8/10

Xena: Warrior Princess "Daughter of Pomira" #4.11 (1999) (TV)

What happened to The Hoard?, 20 July 2007

"Daughter of Pomira" is one of those Xena episodes that I don't really enjoy. Episodes that center on a sentiment, family, or lesson type plot tend to be among my least favorite. Basically, the more an episode is based in reality, the less I tend to go for it. Give me the far out mythical stuff or give the comedy and songs or give me the more horrific and outrageous episodes – just don't give me an episode with a life lesson. It's not that "Daughter of Pomira" is awful (I've yet to see an episode of Xena that I thought was awful), it's just never going to make it onto my list of favorites anytime soon.

But I've got a bigger problem with "Daughter of Pomira" than the attempt at a touching plot. My problem is with the handling of The Hoard. When The Hoard first appeared in Season 3's "The Price", I loved it. An unstoppable, barbaric killing machine! How awesome was that? The whole episode was played as if Xena was truly terrified of what might become of her and Gabrielle if The Hoard were to get hold of them. Until last night, I had never seen "Daughter of Pomira", so I was very excited to see the return of The Hoard. But this wasn't the same Hoard depicted a season earlier. This Hoard was ready to make peace – not cut the throats out of their enemies. This Hoard looked on as Xena fought one of her own men – not take them both and skin them alive. Essentially, this is an emasculated version of the Season 3 Hoard. While I can certainly understand The Hoard leader's desire to get his daughter, he would have ripped apart anything standing in his way. I'm not familiar enough with Season 5 and 6 to know if The Hoard made a return appearance. I just hope that if they did, it's The Hoard of "The Price" and not The Hoard of "Daughter of Pomira".

5/10

Memento Mori (1999)

- Yeogo goedam II
"On your lips I've smelled the blood, that touches my tongue.", 22 February 2006

Although the Korean name for Memento Mori would lead you to believe it is a sequel to Whispering Corridors, other than the setting, the two films have very little in common. Having seen the first film is not a requirement to see and enjoy this film. The story in Memento Mori involves a love affair between two students at an all-girl's school. One of the girl's, for various reasons, can't take it when the other girl "outs" their relationship and decides to break things off with tragic consequences. A third girl finds the diary the two girls wrote together and, through its pages, begins a horrifying journey to understand what happened to her classmates and how one of them could end up dead.

Regardless of how Memento Mori has been marketed to American audiences, it's not a horror movie. Instead, it's a poignant look at young love and the consequences taken to the extreme of a relationship that doesn't work out. Sure, there are moments of terror to be found in the movie, but even in what should be the final chilling moments of the movie, the horror is never as front and center as the drama. It's not a movie for those who demand a new adrenaline rush every five minutes. Memento Mori moves slow and allows you to get to know the characters, their fears, their problems, and to really develop a sense of caring for them.

I haven't rated the movie any higher because this type of film and this subject matter don't appeal to me on an entertainment level regardless of how well made the film is. As with the majority of the other Asian films I've seen recently, Memento Mori is technically very sound. The direction and cinematography are solid. The movie presents numerous uniquely filmed scenes that really standout. Although the special effects are used sparingly, they are very realistic when employed. The music is fitting for a movie like this. And the acting is rock solid.

One question that has bothered me after having recently watched both Whispering Corridors and Memento Mori is: Do teachers in Korea really treat their students in the manner presented here, with physical and emotional abuse? I'm not saying it's right or wrong, it's just now what I'm accustomed to seeing in teacher/student relationships.

7/10

Blast from the Past (1999)

Harmless Fun, 10 September 2005

Thirty some years ago, a couple entered their bomb shelter because they thought the Russians were bombing California. They have a son while underground and he grows up only knowing life inside the shelter. It is now 1999 and the family is running out of supplies. The son must venture into the world above to gather the necessities his family needs to survive.

Blast from the Past is definitely not the kind of movie I usually go for. But it has a certain charm that I found refreshing and enjoyable. It's harmless fun. While there's not much that is laugh-out-loud funny, several moments brought a smile to my face. Brendan Fraser plays the son to wide-eyed innocent perfection. He makes believable a totally ridiculous situation. The rest of the cast is quite good with memorable performances from Christopher Walken and Sissy Spacek as the couple from the 60s. Their demeanor, language, and actions were totally believable.

7/10

Shikoku (1999)

Not as advertised, 20 August 2005

I had been intrigued by Shikoku for a while. The plot sounded interesting and the movie featured Chiaki Kuriyama (Gogo Yubari in Kill Bill Vol. 1), so I finally decided to give it a chance. The summary on the back of the DVD case ("Hinako returns to her childhood home on the island of Shikoku after many years. She learns that her childhood friend Sayori has passed away and the Sayori's mother, a local priestess, has slowly gone insane with grief. When strange things begin to happen on the island, Hinako and old friend Funiya learn that Sayori's mother has spent ears conducting a pilgrimage around each of the island's 88 temples in reverse order, which, according to folklore, is supposed to release the spirits of the dead and turn the island into the 'land of the dead'"), however, is very misleading.

Had the movie actually followed this plot description, Shikoku might have been a much better movie. Instead, we are treated to one of the dullest, most inane love stories I've had the misfortune to see (I suppose a love-triangle story would be a more appropriate description). What little horror there is in Shikoku comes from the fact that one of the participants in the love-triangle is dead. But, any real scenes of horror are too few and far between. And the other characters' reactions to the moments of horror are totally unbelievable. Once the two non-dead characters see the ghost of their dead friend, do they seem alarmed, surprised, or frightened? - NO! Based on their reactions you would think that seeing ghosts was just another part of their incredibly boring existence.

I will admit, however, that there are parts of Shikoku that I enjoyed. Regardless of whether you're a fan of the new wave of Asian horror or not, it would be hard for anyone to disagree with how beautiful most of these movies are. Despite it's flaws, Shikoku is another beautiful Asian horror movie. And if you're a fan of Ju-on style horror, some of the movie might appeal to you. The few subtle moments of horror are beautifully filmed and genuinely creepy. Finally, although it's underdeveloped, the whole subplot of the mother trying to bring her dead daughter back to life is interesting. There's a good, entertaining movie here somewhere. It's too bad we didn't see it.

5/10

Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed (1999) (V)

Interesting, 7 August 2005

Universal gave the classic horror fan a real treat with their series of short documentaries. While I don't necessarily think that Mummy Dearest is the best of the bunch, it's informative and entertaining. My only complaint is that not enough time was spent on the sequels to The Mummy. I would have loved to see more on these lesser known films.

Through interviews with film experts and surviving relatives, Mummy Dearest presents some fascinating insights into the making of The Mummy. One of my favorites was the story of the feud between star Zita Johann and director Karl Freund. Good stuff. Another highlight is the interview segments with special effects wizard Rick Baker. His insights into what Karloff went through to be made-up as the mummy are very interesting.

Mummy Dearest, and the other documentaries in the series, are some of the best DVD extras I've seen. Good work Universal!

7/10

Lake Placid (1999)

"Murders and rapes in the city, people bomb planes, can the police stop 'em? No! But feed one little cow to a crocodile...", 27 July 2005

Some people may question my sanity for this one, but I'm a fan of Lake Placid. As a fluff-filled, popcorn movie, it's one of the more entertaining ones I've seen. If you're looking for a movie to answer the questions of life or provide you with something to think about for days after the movie ends, Lake Placid is not your film. But if you're looking for a movie to have fun with, I have no hesitation about recommending it.

Lake Placid is a mix of movie genres – it's one part comedy, an almost equal part adventure, a dash horror, and a hint of romance. The comedy is good. The action is okay in that Saturday-afternoon-matinée kind of way. The horror consists mainly of cheap, but very effective, jump scares. And what little romance the movie has, unfortunately, is nauseating. But Lake Placid works because it never takes itself too seriously, which is a good thing. Instead of playing it straight, it's played for laughs and most of them work. Some of the dialogue makes me laugh out loud regardless of how many times I've seen it. Betty White steals every scene in which she appears. She has that mild-mannered persona and could easily pass for anyone's grandmother. But when push comes to shove, she lets the foul language rip without a second thought. It's hysterical. I've never been much of a fan of David E. Kelley, but he hit a home run with this witty, intelligent script.

Two of the relationships in the movie bear mentioning. The first is Bill Pullman and Bridget Fonda. This is one of those typical fish-out-of-water-falls-for-the-local-guy relationships that are very common in a lot of the romantic/comedies that I've seen. It's really nothing special and incredibly predictable. The second is Oliver Platt and Brendan Gleeson. This is where Lake Placid rises above your standard comedy. These two guys are a riot when on screen together. Their constant bickering is a real treat. It's great.

7/10

Audition (1999)

- Ôdishon
A Masterpiece, 30 May 2005

Every once in a great while, you stumble upon a movie that you immediately know is a masterpiece. I had read what other people had written about Audition, but didn't really believe all the hype. Surely it couldn't be as good as people claimed. After seeing Audition for the first time, I simply cannot get the film out of my mind. I doubt I can come up with enough glowing adjectives to describe the movie - disturbing, fascinating, brutal, engrossing, etc. It is quite simply on of the best movies I've ever seen. Fortunately, I knew very little about Audition before I watched. The final 30 or so minutes blew me away. I'm not going to go into detail as this would ruin the movie for those who haven't seen it. Just be prepared for one of the most shocking endings you'll ever likely see.

The plot starts out as something right out of a Hollywood romantic-comedy. A middle-aged man wants to find a new wife. A producer friend of his sets up a series of bogus movie auditions as a way of meeting women. Does it sound enough like typical Hollywood tripe? The man meets the woman of his dreams. Or is she? What dark secrets does she hide? Watch and be amazed.

The acting is first rate. The two leads, Ryo Ishibashi and Eihi Shiina, are both excellently cast. Ishibashi comes across as a sympathetic figure who simply wants a companion. Shiina's performance is excellent as the seemingly demure woman with a hidden secret.

Takashi Miike is certainly a director that can be mentioned with the greats of the genre. The images he presents may be difficult to watch, but they aren't easily forgotten. Cinematography, editing, lighting, and the use of dream sequences are all first rate. Since I watched Audition, I've read numerous complaints about how slow the first part of the movie is . While it may seem slow to those more accustomed to Hollywood films where somebody is killed or something is blown-up every five minutes, the slow pace is absolutely necessary to increase the shock value of the end. Miike knew what he was doing.

There are any number of ways to interpret the film. I'm sure that with subsequent viewings, I'll look at the events the movie presents in a different light. There's a lot here to take in during one viewing. I'm almost positive that I'll change the rating of Audition to a 10/10 after a second viewing.

9/10

House on Haunted Hill (1999)

Okay - but not as good as the original, 6 March 2005

Usually, my first impression of a movie holds true upon repeat viewings. Unless the story is particularly deep or the plot difficult to follow, subsequent viewings generally do not change my initial reaction to a movie to any great degree. So, as I sat to watch The House on Haunted Hill, I wasn't expecting much. The film is not without some major faults, but overall, I enjoyed my second experience. Scenes such as the operating room flashback or touches like the hall of embalmed bodies are the stuff of nightmares as far as I'm concerned.

The house itself is major bonus to the movie. The interior is presented, lit, and shot in a manner that creates almost immediate atmosphere. The seemingly endless corridors, the surgical/medical rooms with their devices of "torture", and the blood present almost everywhere added to my feeling that the house is the real star of the film.

But, as I said, the movie does have its faults. I'll just mention two: First - paper thin characters. It's really difficult to care about many of the character in this movie because we know nothing about them. Other than Geoffrey Rush's character, the others are there merely for the slaughter. They aren't real.

Second - the ending. This appears to be everyone's major complaint, and with good reason. All of the atmosphere and creepiness the movie had built is destroyed the moment the CGI "darkness" makes an appearance. It is so out of place with everything that had gone on before. It's too bad that the writers couldn't come up with a good ending - I would have much preferred an ending involving the doctor or former patients. The movie had been heading in that direction all along.

When I initially saw this in the theater, I would have rated it a 4/10. My opinion has now, however, changed. I may never consider it a masterpiece, but there are some moments that are very effective and make it worth watching.

6/10