BLOOD AND GUTS: v2.0
TWO BITTER EXES EQUAL ONE GREAT MOVIE
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) - The second installment of Quentin Tarantino's epic b-movie homage is not as perfect as the first volume. The pacing isn't as good. There isn't as much action. It is visually less-creative.
It's still absolutely terrific.
There were lots of things to love about "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" and none of them are present in this movie. Instead, we get a healthy dose of Tarantino dialogue and a more personal journey for Uma Thurman's character, The Bride.
The first film featured a clever, out-of place animated section as a tribute to eastern animation styles. Vol. 2's best part is another tribute to East-Asian film: an absolutely hilarious tribute to ancient kung-fu masters. These scenes are worth the ticket price alone.
The best part about Vol. 2 is that all the blood, guts and violence present in Kill Bill is the result of two bitter exes. The last third of Vol. 2 elevates both films beyond their b-movie roots. A Tarantino film with a clear message? Is this possible? Yes, and hopefully, it becomes routine.
TAKE A COMMANDING LEAD
MASTER CRAFTSMANSHIP
Master and Commander (2003) -- "Master and Commander" is what all films should strive to be. Peter Weir's naval-warfare film, based on the novel by Jack O'Brien, is as good as a high-seas adventure movie that you can make.
The film details the fictional exploits of British naval Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and naturalist-surgeon Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany) as they track down one of Napoleon's ships off the coast of Brazil. The film provides a complete immersion into the naval life of the time.
Peter Weir's movie paints such a beautifully broad stroke of the human condition that the film is impervious to all forms of pretension and sentimentality. The sheer amount of craftsmanship required to make this film is astounding. Aside from the normal cast and crew, real-life shipwrights, sailors, animal handlers and naval officers were all required to make the film possible.
At the heart of "Master and Commander" is a story about fierce loyalty to friends. The actors (especially Paul Bettany, who was snubbed an Oscar nomination) really tune into the theme, making it one of this reviewer's top five films of the school year.
THIS WAS HOT... IN HIGH SCHOOL
HARDLY 'GIRLS GONE WILD'
Wild Things (1998) - A high school guidance counselor is framed for rape by a rich snot and a piece of trailer trash. They're high school students, except ridiculously voluptuous and good looking. A police officer investigates the case and all kinds of backstabbing and boring plot twists take place.
This movie is poorly written, poorly shot, poorly directed, poorly acted and even poorly packaged. (Does the movie poster and box art actually have anything to do with the movie?) Not surprisingly, it is a mainstay in college student movie collections.
The only redeeming factor of this movie is the infamous "Denise Richards is naked and makes out with Neve Campbell" scene. The truth is, that scene was only a redeeming factor when I was in high school. Now it's just intelligence-insulting.
Despite the promise in supple Denise Richards nakedness, I encourage you to pursue some kind of self-improvement. This begins by avoiding this DVD.
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