Charlie Chan in Reno (1939)

A solid effort, 14 February 2008

Mary Whitman seems to be a logical suspect in the murder of Jeanne Bentley. After all, she was found standing over the body. And Jeanne was the "other woman" and the reason Mary was getting a divorce. On the surface, there seems to be little doubt of Mary's guilt. But Charlie Chan sees it all quite differently. He sees a hotel full of suspects who wanted Jeanne out of the way. Can he find the real killer before Mary is convicted of a crime she didn't commit?

Sidney Toler's second outing as Charlie Chan is a solid effort and an improvement over his first. I'm not exactly sure how to put this, but Charlie Chan in Reno is just more interesting. The plot, suspects, and setting all appealed to me. The pacing is nice with very few dull moments. I particularly enjoyed Chan's visit to the ghost town. The supporting cast is strong with Phyllis Brooks and Ricardo Cortez being the standouts. And Iris Wong as the dead woman's maid and Jimmy Chan's love interest is a delight. But one thing I really enjoyed about Charlie Chan in Reno is the way the finale is handled. I've often complained about the "cheat" endings of Chan films (and I should probably stop and just accept it as a given), but the ending here is played much straighter than some of the other entries in the series. If you're sharp enough, you actually have a chance to spot the killer before Chan's big reveal. Unfortunately, I am not that sharp.

7/10

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

"You haven't heard Shakespeare until you've heard it in the original Klingon.", 13 February 2008

In light of an upcoming peace conference between the Klingons and the Federation, Captain Kirk puts aside his personal feelings and welcomes a Klingon delegation to dine on the Enterprise. But soon after the Klingons return to their ship they are attacked and the Klingon Ambassador is assassinated by someone believed to be from the Enterprise. Kirk and McCoy are put on trial for the murder, found guilty, and sentenced to hard labor. Surely this can't be the end of Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew.

I'm not even sure I can be fair to these Star Trek movies anymore. I'm finding it harder and harder to take them seriously. The situations, dialogue, and action are quite ridiculous. Add to that the incredible over-acting on the part of William Shatner and his hair-piece and you're left with something I find more comedic (albeit unintentional) than dramatic. For example, watching Kirk score with Iman or watching Kirk make goofy faces as he fights his double – laugh out loud funny!

In reality, however, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the best of the three Star Trek movies I've watched recently (Generations and The Final Frontier being the other two). I actually had fun watching it. I attribute much of that to the direction. Is it a coincidence that without Shatner in the director's chair (as he was in Star Trek V) that much of the movie actually worked for me. Sure, the writing, etc. may have also been better, but I'll argue the direction was as well. The mystery elements of the story were nicely handled even though much of the solution was way too easy to guess. There's nothing quite like a good conspiracy to keep a movie interesting. Finally, it's difficult to watch Star Trek VI and not be impressed with the considerable talent of Christopher Plummer. He makes several of the Star Trek regulars look like chumps in comparison. His General Chang is one of the more interesting characters I've run into in a Star Trek movie.

6/10

Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938)

Toler's first Chan, 13 February 2008

In Charlie Chan in Honolulu, Chan is called out to a freighter with six passengers making its way to Hawaii. A mysterious man has been murdered and $300,000 is missing. Chan must work his way through the clues, red herrings, odd characters, and other assorted obstacles to find a solution. In typical Chan fashion, he gathers all the suspects together to reveal the killer's identity.

Charlie Chan in Honolulu marks Sidney Toler's first outing as the venerable detective. The movie may not be spectacular, but it's not a bad way to begin Toler's run in the series. The movie also sees Victor Sen Yung take over for Keye Luke in the role of Chan's main son. H. Bruce Humberstone would appear to have been a solid choice to direct Toler's first Chan. He was familiar with the series having already directed three installments, including the much heralded Charlie Chan at the Opera. Likewise, the supporting characters are also a solid group. George Zucco and Phyllis Brooks give exceptionally noteworthy performances. Eddie Collins provides the comic relief. The biggest weakness of Charlie Chan in Honolulu is the plot. It's just not that interesting. And, in infuriating fashion, Chan's solution to the mystery is a cheat. There's no way for the audience to have figured out the solution based on the clues presented. It takes a last minute piece of evidence to unmask the killer.

6/10

Predator (1987)

"If it bleeds, we can kill it.", 12 February 2008

Watching Predator tonight, I was reminded of what an awesome decade the 1980s were for mindless, over-the-top, fun action. Predator is easily one of my favorites from the decade. Over the past few years, I've re-watched a number of my old 1980s favorites and none of them have withstood the test of time as well as Predator. The movie quite simply has it all – the guns, the explosions, the biceps, the jungle setting, the quips (used sparingly, thank goodness), the blood, and the unstoppable enemy. But most importantly, it's got Arnold. In my mind, Schwarzenegger IS 80s action.

The plot isn't overly complicated or doesn't get in the way. It's there to set up the action. The movie begins with a band of mercenaries going into an undisclosed Latin American country to rescue a couple of hostages. But there are more than the enemy guerrillas in this jungle. A strange being from another world is using this particular jungle as a base for his hunting expedition. His prey – humans.

Predator has held up over the years because of the superb and unrelenting action. It's a testosterone overload. In addition to Schwarzenegger, guys like Jesse Ventura, Carl Weathers, and Bill Duke fit nicely into the jungle setting. Every imaginable hand-held type military weapon is used at some point in the movie. No scene illustrates this quite like the one where Arnold and crew fire indiscriminately into the jungle as limbs, brush, and entire trees are knocked down from the sheer volume of their fire. Awesome stuff! Another big plus is the actual creature. The Predator design is fantastic. From his glowing eyes and blood to his use of camouflage to his array of weapons, he's one bad dude. I also appreciate the fact that a lot of time wasn't devoted to the alien's back-story. He is what he is. The only real weakness I can come up with in the entire movie is the acting. But really, who watches a movie like Predator expecting to see Oscar caliber performances?

8/10

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

"We didn't come here to fight monsters, we're not equipped for it.", 12 February 2008

A group of scientists heads up an Amazonian river in search of the fossilized remains of an unknown link between man and aquatic life. But the team of researchers gets more than they bargained for when they encounter a living example of their prehistoric Gill-Man. After a member of their party is killed, the group decides it best to leave the Black Lagoon. But the creature has become enamored with Kay (Julie Addams), the only female on the expedition, and blocks the scientist's retreat. Will they escape the Creature from the Black Lagoon?

As I think back to the late 60s, Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of the very first movies I can remember seeing. Its appeal to me was immediate and long lasting. The scenes of the creature's hand reaching up on the shore of the lagoon sent chills down my spine. And the four note musical introduction to the first images of the creature very nearly knocked me off the couch. Even at a young age, I knew it was a man in a costume, but that didn't matter. The creature design was awesome – it was frightening and fascinating all at once. The underwater photography was breathtaking. The shots of the creature swimming just under Julie Addams were the stuff of nightmares. Creepy! The underwater fight scenes, the spear-gun, Nestor Paiva, and the hidden grotto – I couldn't get enough of it. To my 5 or 6 year-old mind, Creature from the Black Lagoon was the perfect movie.

I'm not 5 anymore, but my opinion hasn't changed much. The cool thing is that I still get a charge out of that hand coming out of the water, I still jump a little when the creature music blares at his first appearance, and I still love the shots of the creature swimming under Julie Addams. I don't think I'll ever get tired of any of it.

10/10

The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)

"I wanna go to Dog Heaven!", 12 February 2008

Where to start with this bizarre modern-day retelling of the H.G. Wells' classic? In many respects, The Island of Dr. Moreau is a train wreck of a movie. On so many levels, it's an unmitigated disaster. The problems on the set with the cast and crew are legendary. People getting fired, others getting mad and walking off, and some distracted by personal issues – it must have been like living a soap opera. Maybe it's all these competing issues that helps to make what should be an unwatchable mess so interesting. For all its faults, The Island of Dr. Moreau is actually quite an enjoyable experience.

Bizarre would be a good word to describe much of The Island of Dr. Moreau – and I'm not just talking about the events in the movie's plot. The characters are just plain weird. Each appears to be competing with the other to be the most bizarre. David Thewlis' Edward Douglas goes through range of emotions including fear, lust, anger, and disinterest. If it weren't for Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer's Montgomery would be one of the strangest characters in movie history. He's like some sort of butch game-keeper with a death wish. But Brando is in the movie and his Dr. Moreau tops everyone. The scene with Brando in a muumuu and an ice bucket hat is a sight that must be seen to be believed. Words cannot do it justice. Add to that the variety of half-man, half-animal creatures on the island and you've got one strange collection of characters.

Speaking of the creatures, the make-up effects are the film's strongest assets. Some, like Hyena or the Sayer of the Law, are as good examples of creature make-up as you'll see. These effects do add a certain creepiness to the whole thing (that is if you can keep from laughing at Brando's latest get-up).

Despite enjoying much of the movie, I cannot call The Island of Dr. Moreau a particularly "good" movie – not in the traditional sense anyway. The movie has too many problems to do that. The movie is terribly paced, any attempts at drama or horror are usurped by the ridiculousness of the characters, some of the special effects look like they came from a Nintendo 64, and, frustratingly, none of the characters demonstrate anything remotely resembling common sense. As much as I hate to do it, but because of my mixed feelings, I feel forced to give The Island of Dr. Moreau a very wishy-washy 5/10.

5/10

Cosmic Princess (1982) (TV)

I've never been a fan of Space: 1999 - and this changes nothing, 12 February 2008

I grew up during 1960s and 1970s and there's still a lot of television from this period that I enjoy – The Avengers, Rat Patrol, Hogan's Heroes, Charlie's Angels, and Mission: Impossible just to name a few examples. I bring this up because Cosmic Princess is essentially two episodes of Space: 1999, a syndicated sci-fi television program produced from 1975 to 1977. I was never a fan so cobbling two episodes together and calling it a movie has very little appeal to me. In a word, it's as dull as dishwater. Things take forever to happen. It's tedious to the nth degree. The sets and scripts make the original Star Trek (another show I'm not a big fan of) look like they spent a fortune. Maybe someone who actually enjoyed Space: 1999 would find something to like about Cosmic Princess (and I know the show has fans), but I'm not that person.

Because Cosmic Princess is two episodes of Space: 1999, there are two distinct plots. The first (originally called The Metamorph) finds the crew of Moonbase Alpha in the clutches of Mentor (Brian Blessed) who wants to drain their souls to power a machine he hopes to use to restore his planet to its former glory. I'll admit, Blessed's performance is a treat. The man is an awesome actor. The crew escapes with Mentor's daughter, Maya, just before the planet blows up. In the second half of Cosmic Princess (originally titled Space Warp), Maya transforms herself into a hideous being and goes on a rampage attempting to escape and return to her home planet. The highlight of this segment is an unintentionally hilarious moon buggy chase.

Like many people who have seen Cosmic Princess in the past few years, I did so via a low quality DVD-R of an old Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode. This particular episode of MST3K was part of the Minneapolis public-access run before the show hit the "big time". Some of the jokes work, but like a lot of the KTMA shows, the riffs are far too inconsistent to call it good. I'll give it a 2/5 on my MST3K rating scale.

3/10