The Natural

Life in the Manichean league. Not since the black-hat/white-hat westerns of days of yore has there been a movie so simplistic in its depiction—visually, at least, if not in plot terms — of the good vs. evil conflict. And yet, despite this film’s short-spectrum presentation, the story still comes across as something of a muddle. Yes, it is apparently supposed to be something of a mystery what happened to Roy Hobbs during all those missing years—but that doesn’t mean the character’s arc should make so little sense. The viewer is left wondering why exactly that life-changing event happened at all, let alone why someone seemingly as good and grounded as Redford’s character would be so thoroughly diverted for a decade and a half. This is movie that, like most fables, I suppose, does not stand up all that well to scrutiny. Sure, the right side wins in the end—no real spoiler there; the denouement is obvious all the way through—but even such a triumphant ending ultimately comes across as unsatisfying. You can chalk this one up as a win, ultimately, but there were certainly errors made along the way.

Never Say Never Again

At last, the Bond movies project is complete, now that I've re-watched this movie, the rogue production of a remake of Thunderball. A couple of things stand out: one, Sean Connery's appearance here demonstrates in no uncertain terms that Bond actors have to be put out to pasture at a certain point. There's just no getting around the fact that Connery was too old for the role at this point, even though he acquits himself rather well in this outing. The plain fact is, the man in the tux has to have a certain appeal that only a man under a certain age can have. Secondly, this film suffers from its rogue status for one very good reason: the lack of proper licensing meant they could not use the actual James Bond theme for the music, and the absence of those familiar sounds makes a huge difference. It also doesn't help that the movie runs just a bit too long. And, like its model, there's a bit too much underwater work here; the action always seems slower when everyone is hauling around a scuba tank. There's fun stuff, a strong dose of irreverent humor sprinkled throughout, some good action, and some silliness, too. All in all, it's not bad, but it never really had a chance to live up to the best standards of the Bond canon.