Diana L.'s Reviews

Okay campus comedy with adequate, yet uninspired, performances by most of the cast. The so-so plot requires a huge suspension of disbelief and logic. A few funny scenes.
Review Date: 1/30/2010

Having just watched this again recently I am struck by how cheesy the movie really is, and yet it's still so much fun to watch. Harrison Ford gives it his all as the POTUS opposite Gary Oldman's refined yet ruthless terrorist, yet the core of the movie is still a huge cheese ball. The special effects are laughably bad, the plotting is spotty, the over-acting is abundant (Dean Stockwell, Glenn Close, even Ford at times), yet one can't help but enjoy watching it. It's like a huge bowl of very buttery popcorn - you know it's bad for you and you shouldn't eat it, but you find yourself gobbling down handfuls of it because it's so deliciously good.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

Very funny movie that will have adults laughing right alongside their kids. Some of the humor is subtle, such as when the farm animals go 'people-tipping'.
Review Date: 2/2/2009

There are still some great lines "banana in the tailpipe", "things might start falling off the man", etc. but I've found Axel Foley is more grating on repeated viewings. Still worth watching at least once for the zippy score and the irreverent characters. Rosewood is still great, however.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

Unusual monster movie that takes place from the viewers' point of view courtesy of one of the main characters carrying a camera throughout the destruction and mayhem visited upon New York City by an extraterrestrial. It takes a while to get into the gimmick, but once you do, you'll feel like your in the movie with the characters.
Review Date: 1/30/2010

Filled with memorable characters and an enjoyable plot about a group of senior citizens discovering an indoor pool that seems like the fountain of youth, this movie will make you smile. The second movie is not quite as good as the first one, but it does bring back the same characters you'll like from the first movie.
Review Date: 1/30/2010

Tense thriller that will keep you hooked until the very end. Gene Hackman makes a great 'villain' caught in an impossible situation with profound moral implications.
Review Date: 2/2/2009

An amazing film on so many levels. The animation is delightfully colorful and engaging. The plot, though simple, propels the story along very nicely. The voice acting really is the best thing about the movie, especially Ellen DeGeneres as Dory. The movie's plot about a father's search for his missing son (yes, they're both clown fish, but you won't even notice after about thirty seconds) follows a familiar rhythm yet it never feels boring. It is engaging throughout with jokes ranging from subtle to silly for all age ranges. A charming, must-have movie you can watch over and over again, and your kids will love it too!
Review Date: 8/14/2013

Whatever potential this movie might have had in writing was quickly ruined by pointless and excessive voice-overs, too much over-acting (and even under-acting (Sting, for example)). The plot was convoluted and poorly explained, even though the overwhelming amount of thought-overs from the characters was supposed to clarify the political power plays that run throughout the novel of Dune.
This movie is an example of what over-thinking a complicated novel looks like.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

A true guilty pleasure of a movie! It's Anthony Hopkins playing, well, pretty much, Anthony Hopkins. Mick Jagger is just kind of just playing a rougher version of a himself and Emilio Estevez is kind of all over the place. The plot is original (or it was then) and fun. The pairing of Rene Russo (who looks great in this movie) and Emilio Estevez is a nice change of pace for once as she's actually older than him!
Filled with the usual car chases, double-crossing friends and enemies, sneaky employees and unjustly divided lovers, this movie will satisfy your guilty pleasure needs.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

This movie is about a serial-killer, time-travel, lost fathers, a man's fear of commitment and people who love old ham radios, and it was surprisingly touching. The connection between the son and father across time was well-played by both James Caviezel and Dennis Quaid, respectively. The suspense was nicely paced and gripping. You really root for the characters to come out okay because you end up caring what happens to them. A great movie to watch with your family, especially your dad.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

This movie was just terrible for one big reason; the main character as played by Seth Rogen was awful. I didn't like him. He was boorish, mean, sexist, stupid, lazy and selfish. How is this character meant to be a hero? He's so horrible he doesn't even qualify as an anti-hero. Ugh.
With that huge obstacle, the poor plotting, too-evil-for-this-movie villain and the ridiculous resolution pale in comparison.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

An unusual blend of very dark comedy, horror and cute-pet movie. If you like dark humor, you'll love the grisly fates of some the characters, including the fate of Phoebe Cates Christmas-loving dad, whose pre-movie death is one of the most memorable I've ever heard of.
Review Date: 1/30/2010

This review has spoilers.
Not a horrible addition to the Harry Potter movies, but some serious flaws, including the mishandling of the ending confrontation between Harry and Snape and a pointless (and just plain ridiculous) attack on the Burrow damages my liking of the movie. Movies are not slavish adaptations of the books, which is fine, but when a scene is inserted that deliberately disregards and contradicts important information in the books just so the filmmaker can have something explode on screen, well, it's infuriating. The final confrontation is also robbed of much of the tension and fear present in the books by cutting all of Harry's friends, the D.A. and the large group of DEs completely out of the final fight.
Except for those two big mistakes, the relationship issues that made the book fun, and painful, to read for anyone who'd ever went through puberty and crushes were very well done. Nicely filmed, well acted, but flawed.
Review Date: 1/25/2011

A faithful adaptation of the beloved first book in the phenomenal Harry Potter series. The young actors are fresh-freshed and inexperienced, but the sets, costumes and story will sweep you up and carry you along with gusto. Great supporting work by Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith and Richard Harris.
Review Date: 1/30/2010

Emotional engaging film about one particular family's experience during the 2004 Dec. 26 tsunami that hit Thailand. The family in the film is based on a real family, though their nationality and name were altered for the film, for whatever reason. The depiction of the event itself is horrifying (but still probably not as horrifying at the real event was) and well done.
Good casting with solid performances by Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts and Tom Holland as their oldest son. Though not a lot of time was spent on peripheral characters, we still get glimpses of the pain and loss that were everywhere after the event.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

Even though this is a sci-fi movie with an obvious morality lesson attached and on full display, it was still enjoyable to watch, mainly because of Ewan McGregor. He's very good in this movie and even elevates it with his performance. The reveal won't be a surprise to nearly any sci-fi fan, but it's still a story worth telling, especially with McGregor to help sell it.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

An end-of-the-world movie with good special effects and a rather downbeat ending. Though there are couple large plot holes, you'll still ride along for the entire movie wondering what on earth is going to happen next. It's only after viewing the movie you'll think of the plot holes.
If you like disaster movies, then you'll enjoy this one.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

A fun movie for those who like their monster flicks with a healthy dose of camp and a pinch of sarcasm. Though it seems to start off seriously, it quickly shows it's campy colors. The actors seem to be having a good time throughout, and the giant alligator does too. Decent special effects aide the bloody mayhem. Great movie for a group viewing.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

Being an adaptataion of a video game, this movie could have been a lot worse than it was. It's an enjoyable popcorn movie for light entertainment, but don't expect the plot or characters to linger with you more than hour after the movie is over.
Review Date: 1/30/2010

Under-rated film for kids that will engage the entire family. A unique plot that doesn't spell everything out immediately helps make the film suspenseful. Excellent acting and casting help make the kids feel real, which makes what happens to them even more gripping. A note of caution for those with very young children; there is a scene near the end that scared my young daughter quite a bit and rather unexpectedly. So, if you order this for your children, be sure to watch it with them the first time.

Review Date: 8/14/2013

This was a very moving adaptation of a perennial favorite play. Due to the singing being performed live by the cast while the movie was being filmed, some of the technical gloss usually found in a musical film is missing. No auto-tuned voices, no re-takes of the song until the pitch and tone are perfection, but that actually made me enjoy the movie more. It *felt* real.
Excellent casting and performances throughout, though one comical song (Master of the House) suffered from poor enunciation, which hurt my enjoyment of the song as part of the fun is being able to hear the witty lyrics.
Anne Hathaway's performance as Fantine is stunning.
Review Date: 8/14/2013

While not the complete triology, this animated adaptation of the first book and half of the second book is still enjoyable. The animation is well done and the story, even condensed, is still riveting.
Review Date: 1/30/2010

Arguably the best of the trilogy with outstanding performances by all the actors. The cinematography is downright breathtaking during several climatic scenes. The extended edition is even better, but the theatrical version is great when when you don't have four hours to watch a movie...
Review Date: 2/2/2009

Fun romp with modern actors doing their best to channel the spirit of Alexander Dumas' classic. Except for John Malkovich, who is horribly miscast as Athos, and Gerard Depardieu, who is barely tolerable as Porthos, the other actors do a pretty good job. The excellent performances of Jeremy Irons and Gabriel Byrne nearly make up for the other two. Leonardo DiCaprio does pretty good considering how difficult his role was. Fun movie for swashbuckling fans.
Review Date: 2/2/2009

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