A bust, but not arresting

"The Mod Squad"
Overall Rating: *½


Tonight, I deal with Hollywood cliche #552: the old TV show made into a new movie. A couple of months ago, I reviewed "My Favorite Martian." I gave it a good review because it was almost start-to-finish laughs, but the truth is that, artistically speaking, it probably wasn't a very good movie. "The Mod Squad" isn't an artistically good movie either--and it's not even funny.

In "The Mod Squad," we see the exploits of Julie, Linc, and Pete (Claire Danes, Omar Epps, Giovanni Ribisi respectively). They are messed-up kids: except possibly for Linc, all are recovering drug addicts, and all three are convicted felons. Their last chance now is to work on the Mod Squad: semi-cops. They are cops in that they're working for the police--the "logic" being that they have access to places where real vice cops couldn't go. Unlike regular cops, however, they don't have badges or guns, and if they mess up, they go back to jail.

Like its young protagonists, "The Mod Squad" is a failure. The filmmakers tried for a dark look and feel: they got a large number of scenes that are too dim to see. They tried for a cool soundtrack: they got loud rock and rap music that lends nothing. They tried for wit with lines such as "Why does she always get to be the prostitute?" (uttered by Pete); but they get stupidity.

The biggest failure of "The Mod Squad" is the plot. If you can keep the honest cops straight from the crooked cops, and then sort out the crooked cops from the rest of the drug dealers, I congratulate you; this was not an easy task, and I was not up to it. Running a mere 95 minutes, they could have taken the time to clear up some of the confusing points, but it doesn't really matter, because the premise doesn't strain credibility--it lacks any to begin with. When you add this implausible premise and confusing presentation to a cliché plot of "good cops going after bad cops and not get framed for their misdeeds," you have a screenplay that probably would have best suited the trash collectors.

The one bright spot in the movie is Claire Danes. Ms. Danes, who did a good job with the otherwise decent but lackluster adaptation of "Les Miserables," and a great job opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in "Romeo and Juliet," proves herself a good actress here. She even manages to make her character--the heroine, Julie Barnes--somewhat likeable, despite Julie's tendency to become violent upon any provocation. Unfortunately, she could have all the talent in the world, and it still wouldn't be enough to breathe life into her character. Worse, while her character is shallow, Pete and Linc are not only shallow characters, but not as bright as Julie; I'm not really sure whether Claire Danes upstaged them, or the young actors in those roles were just not able to work with what little the screenwriters gave them.

If at this point, you're thinking of subjecting children to this movie, my advice would be not to. There is limited nudity and significant violence (not enough to appeal to salacious tastes, but too much graphic content for kids). Add in constant references to drugs and prostitution, and the fact every other line has some strong language, and it deserves its R rating.

There's not much to say in favor of "The Mod Squad." It's not really spectacularly bad--but it's bad. In the end, my advice would be to call the cops on this one--we have a felony case of failing to impersonate a police movie.

Title: "The Mod Squad"
Release date: March 28, 1999

MPAA rating: R
Overall rating: *½

Aprox. run time: 95 min.
Director: Scott Silver
Writers: Stephen T. Kay, Scott Silver, Kate Lanier
Stars: Claire Danes, Omar Epps, Giovanni Ribisi

Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/ModSquad.htm
Added to blog site: 7/30/09

True Eastwood

"True Crime"
Overall Rating: ****½

Clint Eastwood is one of the most important living American filmmakers. In 1992, he established his reputation with "Unforgiven;" that movie subsequently won multiple Academy Awards and was named on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest American films. In my opinion, "True Crime" is even better than "Unforgiven."

Steve Everett (Clint Eastwood) is a reporter who is on the skids. Though once a great investigative journalist, he has become his own worst enemy: he's a recovering alcoholic, he's having an affair with his editor's wife, and he recently crusaded unsuccessfully to free a rapist--who turned out to be guilty. When a young reporter for his paper dies in an auto accident, Everett inherits her assignment: a human interest story on the last day of Frank Beachum (Isaiah Washington), a man on death row for the murder of a young, pregnant co-ed. Some details in the Beachum case don't seem to add up, however, and raise doubts: is Beachum innocent, or is Everett merely on a wild goose chase in search of redemption?

"True Crime" keeps the audience in suspense. The facts come to us chaotically they do to Everett. The evidence is all there--if only we, and Everett, can find it. The question of whether Beachum is guilty is left open until the last possible minute--but when answered, there is no doubt whatsoever. Similarly, whether Everett can redeem himself is an open question until the end--for he may well be trying to free a guilty man. Subtle parallels between Everett and Beachum--such as the fact that they both smoke and that each of them are married and have one daughter--coupled with shots of Beachum in prison interspersed with scenes of Everett's investigation, help tie the two together. "True Crime" is about both of them--and remains coherent even though they almost never appear together. The film's depiction of the whole execution atmosphere completes the picture: the media circus on screen is reminiscent of many executions reported on the 11 o'clock news.

The great script is brought to life by great acting. Though all the performances are good, four deserve special attention. One of the great supporting roles is carried out by the actor who plays the warden--a man who believes in the justice of the death penalty and is hardened by his contact with prisoners; despite this, he is humane in his own way--sending out men to find Beachum's daughter's green crayon so she can finish a final picture for her father. The other is Penny Bae Bridges who is amazing as Beachum's young daughter, Gail; she completely understands her character, though her character may be too young to completely understand what's happening to her father. "True Crime" belongs to its stars, however. Isaiah Washington is excellent as Frank Beachum--a character in a situation that is difficult for most people--including myself--to imagine. Clint Eastwood is magnificent when it comes to portraying all of Everett's complexities: determined investigator, insecure father, and antagonist towards his boss.

While "True Crime" is not perfect, its problems are relatively minor. There is an automobile stunt that adds nothing, a sex scene that shows more than it needs to, a few places where too much is implied, and what seems like an unnatural amount of media attention. Even so, its problems pale in comparison with its merits.

"True Crime" is not for kids. Considering that the plot revolves around a violent crime, the amount of violence is limited; however, the flashback depictions of the murder and its aftermath are extremely explicit. Additionally, there is copious strong language, graphic sexual content including frontal nudity, and a great deal of content relating to alcohol/drug use and capital punishment.

Admittedly, I was prejudiced going in--I am opposed to capital punishment, and between the content of the previews and the fact that Clint Eastwood is a libertarian, I knew that it almost certainly contained a sympathetic position. (It does, though I was pleased to see that it didn't simply dismiss capital punishment; though it finally comes down against the death penalty, the movie presents plenty of arguments in favor of it.) More to the point, in addition to being thought provoking on the subject of capital punishment--and more generally, redemption--"True Crime" is an engrossing mystery. It was much better than I expected. It would be a crime to miss it.


Title: "True Crime"
Release date: March 19, 1999

MPAA rating: R
Overall rating: ****½

Aprox. run time: 128 min.
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: Larry Gross, Paul Brickman, Stephen Schiff, Andrew Klavan (novel)
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Isaiah Washington

Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/TrueCrim.htm
Added to blog site: 8/4/09

Flying off half-cocked

"Wing Commander"
Overall Rating: **


There is nothing new about adapting work originating in one medium for another. Shortly after it was published, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was adapted as a play; when movies were invented, both plays and novels quickly became a source for movie plots (a silent film version probably saved Moby Dick from perpetual obscuity). Television and video games only added new media to sponge off each other. While movies have spawned dozens of video games ("Star Wars" alone has inspired at least five games), few video games have inspired movies. It happened once before with "Super Mario Brothers," now "Wing Commander" is another video game turned movie.

"Wing Commander" has a canned action film plot. The Kilrathi are warlike aliens bent on exterminating the human race. When they attack Pegasus station--a military space colony--they capture a navigational computer that will allow them to find and attack Earth. The situation is bleak since the Kilrathi fleet is 40 hours from Earth, while Earth's fleet is 42 hours away. So Lt. Christopher Blair (Freddie Prinze Jr.), an outcast because his mother was a "pilgrim" (early space colonists who went to war with Earth and are now hated by most people), must prove himself by helping deliver information about the Kilrathi attack to the Earth ship Tiger Claw, engage the Kilrathi in various space dogfights, and find time to fall in love with his commanding officer (played by Saffron Burrows).

As one might gather from the description, "Wing Commander" is crammed with special effects. Space battle after space battle blazes across the screen, in the most impressive Hollywood manner. If you enjoy seeing spaceships blast each other, then this movie is for you. In addition to the exterior shots of the battles, there's also an impressive stunt sequence where Blair is almost sucked out into space through a hull breach. The action never stops.

And that's fortunate for "Wing Commander," because if the action did stop, you'd have time to think, and the poor movie would never survive. The thematic content is limited to "evil aliens want to kill us for no reason;" "Wing Commander" desperately wants to be "Starship Troopers" or "Independence Day" but falls far short of both. The acting, too, is barely adequate; if any of this film's stars are looking for Oscars, they'll have to keep looking. While the acting is mediocre, to be fair to the mostly young cast, the actors weren't given that much to work with: the characters, representing a wide range of stock military characters, have all the depth of a kiddie pool.

Weak characters aren't the only problem with the script; I can't begin to count the plot holes. For instance, unless there's a black hole somewhere in our solar system, or a fighter can fly in minutes where it takes its carrier more than a day to travel (even though both have "jump" engines), then the final sequence makes no sense whatsoever. Add to the mix some questionable science (quasars in our galaxy, for instance) and the only conclusion is the filmmakers behind "Wing Commander" played for stunts and did a shoddy job on everything else.

Like most action films, "Wing Commander" has its share of violence, though mostly special effect violence, we see one character die on screen, another threatens to execute a third for treason. It also has a fair amount of bad language and the obligatory sex scene (though both characters are clothed from the camera perspective and there is no nudity).

"Wing Commander" doesn't appeal to the intellect so much as to testosterone. It has plenty of explosions, and is momentarily diverting; but in the end it's trite tripe. If you're thinking of seeing it, my advice would be to rent "Independence Day" or "Starship Troopers" instead; they have everything "Wing Commander" has going for it, but lack most of its flaws.


Title: "Wing Commander"
Release date: March 12, 1999

MPAA rating: PG-13
Overall rating: **

Aprox. run time: 100 min.
Director: Chris Roberts
Writers: Chris Roberts (characters and story), Kevin Droney (screenplay)
Stars: Freddie Prinze Jr, Matthew Lillard (plays Todd "Maniac" Marshall), Saffron Burrows

Original URL:

Added to blog site: 8/5/09

Spies, lies, and atomic bombs

"True Lies"
Overall Rating: ****


Action spy films have always been a staple of Hollywood; the numerous James Bond, for example, films prove that--though Bond films only represent part of the action film tradition. "True Lies" lives up to that long tradition, blending action, romance, and comedy masterfully.

In the opening sequence of "True Lies," we see Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) crash a posh party, for the sake of hacking into the host's computer; at the party, Harry is suave, mingling with guests (even ones who have no idea who he is), and making contacts--most notably, art dealer Juno Skinner (Tia Carrere)--very much as we'd expect of James Bond. When he is found out, Harry finds himself in a James Bond-like chase and shootout. After the mission is over, however--completely unlike James Bond--Harry returns to his nice suburban home where he has a wife (Jamie Lee Curtis), daughter (Eliza Dushku), and pet dog--none of whom know he's a spy.

A good action film should be exciting, and "True Lies" is great on that count. The special effects and stunts are very impressive. Dazzling special effects are a staple of James Cameron films--the elaborate computer effects in "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" and the astonishing historical disaster recreation in "Titanic" are two more examples. While these impressive films received more attention, for my money, "True Lies" is better than both of them.

In contrast to the weak point of many action films, "True Lies" is extremely well written. "True Lies," is very funny; while many action films take themselves too seriously, and look silly as a result, "True Lies" plays for laughs enough that it works. The best example--one that also typifies the excellent stunts--is a chase sequence where a man on a horse is chasing another on a motorcycle through a hotel. "True Lies" plays for both action and for jokes, sometimes simultaneously. The plot is also well structured; though Harry's family concerns and Harry's role in national security are separate, "True Lies" relates them, and even uses one as a distraction to create a surprise in another; the result is a coherent film. Even minor things we see, such as one of the sculptures in the background at the party and Harry's daughter, Dana, stealing some money from Gib (one of Harry's coworkers, played by Tom Arnold), turn into key plot elements later on in the film.

The major flaw with "True Lies" is that it, like many films dealing with Mid-Eastern terrorists, is somewhat insensitive to Arabs. The film isn't racist, having Faisil (Grant Heslov) as a hero who is also Arab, for instance; but, in contrast to other films dealing with violence in the Middle East--such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Siege"--it is not as careful to avoid stereotypes as it might be. Its treatment of the situation is limited to "terrorists want to blow up American cities;" though this may have some truth, and works insofar as it creates clear good guys and bad guys, it isn't a particularly deep political analysis. It could be better, but it also could be worse.

Like all modern action films, "True Lies" has a heavy hand with the violence. It also has significant bad language, and significant sexual innuendo relating to both adultery and prostitution--though no nudity. All told, it probably deserves its "R" rating.

A good action film should be exciting, and "True Lies" is. Beyond that, since "True Lies," I've been a little harsher on how I judge action films; it uses $100 million in special effects to tell a story rather than hide one, which is what I want to see.


Title: "True Lies"
Release date: 1994

MPAA rating: R
Overall rating: ****

Aprox. run time: 141 min.
Director: James Cameron
Writers: James Cameron, Claude Zidi, Simon Michael, Didier Kaminka
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tia Carrere, Tom Arnold

Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/TrueLies.htm
Added to blog site: 8/5/09

How to start a nuclear war in one easy lesson

"Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"
Overall Rating: ****½


The first time I saw "Dr. Strangelove" was about five or six years ago. The cable channel TNT was doing a series of various celebrities' favorite movies, and "Dr. Strangelove" was Hugh Hefner's favorite movie. Since then, I have seen "Dr. Strangelove" in college film class, and on the American Film Institute's 100 greatest movies list--and it belongs in both places. Though, unlike Hefner, it's not my all-time favorite movie, I think "Dr. Strangelove" is a truly great film.

After a message from the Air Force reassuring the audience that a nuclear war could never happen like this (a message that almost qualifies as one more joke, since how else but through madness could such a war happen?), we learn that our bombers hold at a position two hours from their targets in the Soviet Union--a deterrent against a surprise attack. Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), however, doesn't want the bombers merely as a defense. Violating policy, he orders his bombers to attack Russia, using a plan that makes it impossible for anyone else to order them back. This leaves the President (Peter Sellers) with the tough decision: does he follow through and start a war, or help the Russians shoot down the U. S. Air Force?

As frightening as the thought of nuclear war is, "Dr. Strangelove," through merely pointing out its sheer madness, makes it funny. This black comedy, from the early shots of the military bases' ubiquitous "Peace is our Profession" signs, to the music's stark contrast to the pictures in the final shots, is riddled with laughs. The line "Gentlemen! You can't fight in here, this is the war room!"--one of my three favorite in the film--pretty much says it all. Through all these jokes, we get a powerful anti-war message.

This anti-war theme shouldn't be surprising considering that producer/director/co-writer Stanley Kubrick, in addition to his highly noted films "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "A Clockwork Orange," has directed two renowned anti-war dramas: "Paths of Glory" and "Full Metal Jacket." In my opinion, however, "Dr. Strangelove" is better than all of them. As wonderfully as Kubrick brought the film together, Peter Sellers also deserves acclaim. He beings three very different characters to life: Dr. Strangelove, a mad ex-Nazi scientist who tends to call the President "Mein Fuhrer," the President, who has this crisis dumped in his lap, and Capt. Mandrake, a British exchange officer who is perhaps the only sane man in the movie. Slim Pickens also deserves mention for his portrayal of Major Kong, an outlandish cowboy-type bomber commander.

As wonderful as the film is, it isn't perfect. A few scenes are a little dark, making it difficult to see clearly, and some of the lines are difficult to understand. Coupled with the fact that it's in black and white, I'd say that it was overly ambitious for the technical abilities of the studio; however, this doesn't detract much from the movie as a whole.

In terms of how suitable the film is for children, I'd be cautious. There is a modest amount of violence (considering the subject), a fair amount of sexual content--though mostly pure innuendo and suggestion with no meaningful nudity, and a suicide just off screen where we hear the gunshot. The biggest concern is whether children will find the story of nuclear annihilation too frightening.

It's interesting to note that around the time "Dr. Strangelove" came out, another movie about an unintentional nuclear conflict called "Fail-Safe" was also released; Kubrick even threatened to sue the makers of "Fail-Safe" for plagiarism. The irony is that the films really aren't close. "Fail-Safe" was a straight melodrama, and the result was a decent but lackluster movie. "Dr. Strangelove" started out as a pure drama, but its makers soon realized the absurdity of nuclear war, and turned it into a black comedy; the result is a true film classic.

Title: "Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"
Release date:1964

Not MPAA rated; Hays Code compliant
Overall rating: ****½

Aprox. run time:93 min.
Director :Stanley Kubrick
Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Peter George, Terry Southern
Stars: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott (plays "Buck" Turgidson)

Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/reviewsbyjohn/Strnglov.htm
Added to blog site: 7/27/09