Search - 3 A.M. on DVD

It's just not good....

Joe Sherry | Minnesota | 04/16/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After seeing Girlfight I was excited about the new young actress Michelle Rodriguez. If anyone needs to see a phenomenal debut film, that would be the one. Girlfight marked Rodriguez as a new talent to watch. Her subsequent films (Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil, and even Blue Crush) have all played on the tough girl theme that was introduced in Girlfight. I was trying to find all of the movies in which she had acted in the hopes that a performance would measure up to her first. While nothing has measured up to her first movie, in my search for her movies, I found something called 3 AM. I had never heard of this movie before, and since it co-starred Danny Glover and Pam Grier, I figured this was some independent movie that slipped under the radar. I gave it a rent and sat down to watch it. When the opening credits rolled, I found out that this was a Showtime movie. It probably never had a theatrical release and until it came out on DVD was likely only shown on Showtime. While there is excellent programming on cable (Band of Brothers, The Sopranos, etc), finding out that it is a made for Showtime movie does not inspire confidence, regardless of the actors involved.The story follows several cabdrivers in New York City. There is a serial killer out there who is targeting cabbies, and there is a lot of fear amongst the cabbies wondering who is going to be next. As the killings continue, it hits closer to home as a cabdriver friend is killed. Danny Glover plays a cabdriver who is in love with Pam Grier (a waitress). Michelle Rodriguez plays a young cabbie trying to pay her rent, but is haunted by visions of her past. Yes, Rodriguez is still playing to type as her character is the tough girl, somewhat angry. She plays it well, but at some point Michelle is going to have to stop playing variations on the same character. This is a fairly disappointing movie. Despite being acted by some top line talents and being produced (with a cameo appearance) by Spike Lee, this movie is just not very good. I wanted very much to like this movie, but I just couldn't. Unless you are trying to complete a collection of movies starring your favorite actor, give this one a pass and spend your money on something good,"

The Killers are Out There

unraveler | Nevada | 05/25/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A struggling taxi company has struggling taxi drivers with heavy emotional issues, add to this a serial killer who is after the taxi drivers and apparently enjoys killing them at night for sport, and what do you have? An instant movie classic? Perhaps not. But with good acting by Glover, Grier, and Rodriguez, you end up with a fine movie. This movie shows a colorful but desperate world of the working class in a big city. There is everything here: love, childhood trauma, fear of commitment, prostitution, and, of course, murder. There are even stories of Bosnian genocide!We are introduced to a cab driver from Bosnia who is not only one of the worst natural drivers in the world, but also incredibly distracted. This means that every day he has an accident. He is so accident prone that he ends up having to leave the country and his love (who prostitutes herself at a bathhouse) and go back to Bosnia.Not to be outdone, Glover's and Rodriguez's characters resort to extreme violence when they feel physically or emotionally pushed. The movie is original, and its host of ethnic characters makes it fun and colorful. The ending is also not your typical happy ending. It is not that unhappy. It is just not typical. I recommend the movie."