Well Father Geek got this notice from the sheriff today, it's his take on two of this summer hot flicks; Mission Impossible 2 and Hollow Man...
Howdy cowhands. Sheriff JT Chance back with two reviews. Not that you lawless cowboys and cowgirls deserve them, but the Sheriff's always been a nice feller, and he can't keep a secret worth shit, so here we are.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2
I never cared much for the old TV show. Back then, I was still a young pup, breaking wild horses and beating the tar out of upstarts in barroom brawls. The gadgetry and lame dialogue never worked for me. When I saw the first film, I thought it smelled worse than skunk that'd been ran down by a bread truck and rotted on the road in the hot dessert sun for a few days. The only good thing in the movie was Ving Rhames. So, when they sent a copy of the sequel to the saloon, I wasn't actually excited. However, I like John Woo a lot. I want him to make a western. That would be something I'd drop a days wages for. So, I had mixed feelings.
The Plot. Like the first film, this had several plot holes and it's too complicated for the 12-21 teenaged boy audience such films generally attract. A lot of it will go over their heads. I would say that this film makes more sense than the first, which is a good thing.
The performances. This is really the highlight of the movie for me, Cruise always seems to be playing the same character, but in this it works. Thandie Newton who starred in the stinkbomb known as Beloved was very good, it's a shame she won't be in Charlie's Angels. Anthony Hopkins out-cools Tom Cruise, but then, Hopkins usually outcools anyone. He only have a small part though, so don't get your hopes up. Rhames is terribly underused, an even smaller part than the first film, and that was really disappointing to me. Dougray Scott was a pleasant surprise, maybe he'd been good in X-Men after all.
Overall? This has wonderful action, probably the best of Woo's american films. If you go in expecting great characters and a plot that can be easily followed, you'll probably be disappointed. If you go in expecting a great action film, you'll probably get your money's worth, although a slow beginning will make you wonder if you should've spent your money elsewhere. 2.5 boxes of popcorn which could've used more butter and at least a little.
THE HOLLOW MAN
That damned Harry. Just when I thought I'd have a really cool scoop he pretends to be a suit and gets to meet Verhooven. What a lucky bastard, I hope he falls ass first onto a cactus.
So, who really knows what to expect from Verhoovem and Marlowe(the guy who wrote that utter crap ball End of Days). Paul's made terrible, terrible films like Showgirls and Starship Troopers. But he also made a big budget sex film where we saw a mega-stars nether-region, so he can't be THAT bad. Plus, he made Robocop, and that was just pretty damned cool.
The Plot. If you read Harry's review, you already know it. Bacon is a scientist who becomes invisible, then goes deals with the issues that the typical teenaged boy would face if he was invisible. The fact that most adult men would face the same morality issues is certainly depressing, and very true. Once the other scientists are on to Bacon, it becomes something of a thriller.
The performances. Bacon is usually pretty good, and he is admirable here, playing a less than admirable character. This is a tough part, and I can understand why no A-list star was interested. Shue was only okay. She's only ever been really good in Leaving Las Vegas, here she's passable. Josh Brolin is one of my favorite younger stars, and he doesn't disappoint. I also enjoy William Devane who's made something of a comeback from washed-up prime-time soap star to talented character actor. What else has he done lately?
Overall? This is a very intense film. Certainly not a date movie. Certainly not a teen movie. Who does that leave? Adults and single guys. Not exactly a box-office bonanza. However, it should develop a strong word of mouth, and I imagine it doing fairly well. It should do well, because it's a very good film, more intelligent than 99% of today's trash, and it explores some real issues. If I were an English teacher, I might talk about themes and morals, but I'm just a dusty old sheriff, so I say it's worth your dough. 3.5 boxes of popcorn with heavy butter and extra salt, too much of each for the average movie goes.
This has been Sheriff JT Chance riding off into the sunset.
Sheriffjtchance@mail.com
