Labyrinth

The immediate impression you get watching this movie: this same material would have been a different flick—and probably a better one, or at least more polished—in the hands of the contemporary master Steven Spielberg. As it is, we get Jim Henson's film, and, no disrespect to him and his unique and special creative vision, the limitations of the puppet approach do come through here. This is not to say that we’re left with a bad movie here, just that there is an undercurrent throughout these proceedings that suggests that this could have been something much more than it ultimately is. As this film is now largely forgotten, the implication is that that is not just my own reaction. Setting aside what might have been, we do get a mildly entertaining movie with many arresting visuals, and even a few well-developed puppet characters, the latter of which hold their own against the two principals, David Bowie (who was clearly having tons of fun playing the goblin king Jareth) and a teen-aged and ravishingly beautiful Jennifer Connelly as the heroine Sarah, who is occasionally feckless but ultimately proves worthy of the viewer’s admiration. Not that that’s a surprise; this is, after all, a fairy tale, and not one of those Grimm stories where someone dies a wretched death. It all works out in the end, both in the plot and for this movie as a solid if not spectacular work of fantasy entertainment. It just would have been interesting to see what a different filmmaker might have done with this material. 

The Rocketeer

There are shades of Spielberg, with minor touches of Lucas, all throughout this forgotten cult fave. The use of light and shadow. ILM special effects. A score very reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark's music. The 1930s setting. A slew of classic movie tropes, all used for both homage and subtle humor. And of course, Nazis. Definitely a familial resemblance, as a cousin at least, to Raiders and other Lucas/Spielberg collaborations of the ‘80s. No real surprise there, since director Joe Johnston worked on the original Star Wars trilogy and was an art director on Indy’s first adventure. So does this work, if you’ll pardon the pun, soar as high as its ancestral films? Not quite. It has much going for it: the aforementioned borrowed elements of earlier hits; it looks great—especially its recreation of 1930s Hollywood glamour—and that doesn’t even count the visual feast that is a very young and incredibly gorgeous Jennifer Connelly; and the story and script offer lots of entertainment value, with nice amounts of action and humor. But the whole package never quite grabs the viewer all the way; the stakes don’t seem nearly as high as the story elements would have you believe. And, overall, the plot takes a little too long to take flight. (You don’t see the Rocketeer rocketeering until well into the running time.) And, perhaps, lead/hero bill Campbell and villain Timothy Dalton don’t quite have the charisma, in either direction, to really get the viewer totally engaged. So it’s no surprise that a movie like this, which has its fans, also never quite caught on with the viewing public. And there it sits, a modest monument to a brand of filmmaking that once upon a time dominated big-budget big-screen entertainment, and a precursor to the superhero genre that eventually came to rule the motion picture landscape. Maybe Disney will choose to make a reboot of this one, some revved up version with a similar storyline that will take another shot at zooming to amazing heights. (God knows they’ve mined every other past property at this point.) Until then, we have this pleasant, charming, somewhat modest piece of entertainment available to be watched, mildly enjoyed, and then tucked away into a corner of almost forgotten-ness. Sounds about right to me.

Top Gun: Maverick

Yeah. That’s cool. So when does the great movie begin? ... What? This is it? Come on, now. The idea that this flick deserves its "best movie ever" plaudits--if not ecstatic shrieks--is downright risible. This piece is enjoyable, for sure, but the reputation it has acquired since release seems to be largely the product of the affection audiences feel for the original film’s characters. One scene in this outing in particular cashes in that chip to great affect, and probably stands as the most authentic part of this entire experience. Beyond that, everything in this script is so obvious that even I could have written it. Mostly, this is an exercise in self-congratulation writ large--though one that is easy enough to watch, if you’re looking for big, loud, dumb entertainment and nothing more. There’s no shame in that--so long as everyone maintains perspective. Just fly level and straight and you’ll do fine with this one. Try to take it to Icarian heights--let alone the "danger zone"--and it will surely crash and burn.

Alita: Battle Angel

The ham-handed metaphor of people living in the sky vs. people on the ground/earth--a staple since "Jack and the Beanstalk"--has really been getting a workout in recent years. So it continues here. Lack of originality is one problem that manifests in this film; a certain muddiness to the plot is another issue. It's hard to tell who's really the villain here and who's just a side project. That's the bad news. The good news is, Rosa Salazar gives a very impressive performance as Alita, so much so given the fact that it's wrapped entirely in CGI. Another plus is the steady presence of Christoph Waltz. Those two principals are very likeable and drive the viewer's interest throughout these proceedings. The denouement is either provocatively left open-ended, or was meant to set up a sequel that box office receipts seem to indicate will never happen. Who knows? Alita the character is pulled off a scrap heap to become a movie's heroine--maybe her story will see a similar resurrection thanks to after-market sales.

Noah

If it had been all theology, this movie would have been a dud. With the human dimensions added to the story--which is already at its core a pretty good story--the equation changes in this flick's favor. It still suffers somewhat from its bible story origins--pieces of the narrative feel like those children's books based on the scriptures that your weird aunt or uncle gives you for a birthday present--but the overall effect of good performances, interesting direction, and universal themes make the movie worth the effort.

Blood Diamond

Not a bad effort about an important subject, but...there's a spark lacking here, that little bit of something that lifts the ordinary out of the pack and into rarer heights. It's just never really present in this film. Can't blame the cast; they do good work with what they have. It's hard to place a finger on it, but something's missing nevertheless. Oh, yeah, and if you're looking for a movie to cure your elderly relative of his virulent racism...this ain't it.

A Beautiful Mind

I'm nagged by the feeling that they're not being entirely accurate here, but ultimately it matters not--this is an intriguing and well-done story. It's got some suspense, some emotion and--for those with fairly open minds--even some consideration on the question of what is really "real." And, all off-screen personality issues set aside, Russell Crowe is truly a brilliant actor.

Dark City

Fascinating story, visually impressive, and very creepy villains.