good casting, and entertaining even though it evolves into ...
598368
Well written, good casting, and entertaining even though it evolves into an "action" soap opera.
4625523
I am not ordinarily a fan of horror-type films but my wife is so, when we saw that this version of Frankenstein was a Hallmark production, we decided to give it a try. For the most part, we were impressed - particularly with the depiction (and performance) of the Creature and with the apparent fidelity to Mary Shelley's book. Much more of a melodrama with occasional horror touches, interspersed with bits of philosophy. The production looked good with the Slovakian locations especially impressive. Some of the first part did seem to drag a bit but Kevin Connor's direction was his usual reliable stuff. The acting, as often happens on these big productions, was rather uneven. I'm not convinced Alec Newman is a strong enough actor to carry a three hour-plus film. But Luke Goss as the very gothic Creature certainly got the viewers' emotions involved.

Overall, quite a good production. I'm glad we sat and watched it (in a single sitting) but there are a few irritating aspects about the production that would make me hesitate to sit through it again. The non-stop background music is frequently unnecessary, intrusive, and not very good. And Nicole Lewis's whiny little girly voice grew progressively annoying - so much so that we actually welcomed her demise. Other bits simply made me wonder: such as what was the great French actor Jean Rocheforte doing in this and why did William Hurt have a German accent when no one else did?

Still, it's probably the best, or at least most faithful, film version of Frankenstein so far. Entertaining without being scary. But there were still a few moments during its running time when I found myself wishing for just a tiny bit of light relief from Marty Feldman.
3310103
It's fascinating what a franchise Walking Tall has become. I have to say I enjoy all of the different machinations in which it appears. I think at this point it doesn't matter about how closely it sticks to the facts about Buford Pusser's life. It's become a metaphor. You just kinda know, if a movie or tv show has the name Walking Tall attached to it, what the general subject matter will  be. It will be a small town sheriff out to rid his town of bad guys. Thats good enough for me! Thats always a good starting point for an entertaining movie. I loved the original Walking Tall movie as a kid. And I have always kept track of subsequent Walking Tall titles. I like that it has kinda turned into an institution all it's own with a singular wholesome message. I don't think the message will ever get old or tired. And I think now that Buford Pussers story has been told, it's ok to branch off and dramatize it and recreate the moral of the story in various ways. I think it all still pays tribute to the man. As I stated the message never gets old and could probably be fodder for another thousand movies and tv shows. It can fit a big budget Hollywood production, or low budget B movie, and still be fun to watch. The possibilities are endless really.

This particular installment is pretty good. I think it is a notch above it's predecessor, Walking Tall "the Payback". Although that movie was entertaining as well. You can read other reviews to get specifics about plot and all that stuff. I just wanted to say it's a fun, entertaining movie. It's almost family friendly. There is one part definitely not suitable for children. There is a scene in which a female FBI agent is being held captive by the bad guys, and they use a pair of tin snips to remove a couple fingers in an attempt to get her and/or Kevin Sorbo to talk. It is uncharacteristically violent and graphic compared to the rest of the movie. Even more so than the rape scene was in "the Payback". But aside from that, it is a pretty safe movie for kids above 10yrs old I'd say.

If you've never done it, and have a free weekend. You should first collect all Walking Tall titles,even the Bo Svenson short lived Walking Tall tv series(Only 7 episodes). And sit back and have a Walking Tall marathon. From Joe Don Baker to Bo Svenson to Kevin Sorbo, and The Rock.... And don't forget the Brian Dennehy version - A Real American Hero.... It's pretty fun to watch them all back to back. I did it while recovering from surgery a few years ago. And once when I was down with the flu. It's a fun way to pass time!
4624007
This movie succeeds in its primary objective: it entertains.  There is a solid story here that engages the viewer, moves at a smart pace, and never drags.  Nor is this a shallow shoot-'em-up.  There is a fascinating overarching theme here: the transformation of Japan into a modern, industrial nation and the fact that elements of Japanese society, i.e. the Samurai, will not easily fit into the new order of things.

While this film has historical inaccuracies, it is a fact that there were revolts against the Meiji Restoration, which is what this film is about.  The Japanese are portrayed respectfully, and I think accurately, in this film.  The sets and scenery, by the way, in this film are about as good as you will ever find in any movie, and this one rewards the viewer who either sees it in a theater or on a first-class flat-screen TV (as I did.)

Tom Cruise does a pretty good job in this film, and he has plainly matured as an actor over the years.  In my opinion, however, Ken Wantanabe, as the main Japanese protagonist, dominates every scene he was in, leaving the viewer wishing for more.  I have noticed this about Cruise (and other big-star) films--the director seems compelled to place Cruise in almost every scene.  Nothing against Cruise, but a little less would have been more, because the Japanese cast was engaging and competent, and I would have liked to have seen more of them.

Overall an excellent film to which the viewer will return more than once.  RJB.
348887
Even though the original casting changed it was still a very good continuation. The story is just brilliant so the cast change is not that big of a deal.
2323119
Surprisingly good. The writing was a little hokey (especially in the beginning) but this definitely required active watching/listening. The whole "95er" part of the story is also a bit hokey but not really important to the story in any real way. It's very well done otherwise, good acting, and the plot holds up -- which is rare for a time travel story. The special effects were also much better than I was expecting and there was quite a bit of good action. This will take a bit of watching carefully to understand what's going on though, so it's not something you want to watch passively when you're tired.
4229466
It is kind of hard to go wrong with a cast this good
3464981
Really good weird fantasy, if you like those.  I'm not a fan usually, but this one kept my interest.  Even when the story got fantastical and hard to follow, the special effects were really good, and the character changes were amazing.  I thought the character changes were intentional, but it made the movie even more memorable when I discovered that it was done to handle the death of one of the actors during filming.
4877501
I enjoyed this movie. I do like some of the actors in it. It was entertaining and very interesting. Different.
1586050
The plot may be a bit over-used and the dinosaurs far from what they're supposed to look like, but I still enjoyed watching the chaos and destruction brought by them.  I was particularly pleased by the casting of the two young brothers.  The actors performed better than I expected and showed a great amount of range and skill for their age.
3297732
A surprisingly good movie, this tale of a gunrunner over several decades of his life is not an action movie, and not just a drama.  It's an all round look at what it means to be a gunrunner - how it came about that he became one, the good times - the bad.  The effect on family and loved ones.  At times serious, at times downright funny, often poignant, it's all the way through laced with its own style - a style which manages to pull off  the difficult feat of mixing entertaining and  thought provoking.  Through frequently quite imaginative editing and narrative, the story never gets dull.
Cage is good in the role, but it's an all round effective supporting cast which make it really work - making his transition believable.  The change from just another immigrant, to a man dabbling in the guns business, to a man sucked in by his own choosing to a world of ugliness by the lure of riches - or rather, as he puts it.. just because it's  what he's good at.  A particularly effective and revealing moment comes when Cage is faced with a seemingly arbitrary murder during one of his sales pitches with the pistol he is selling.  His look of horror is quickly masked and replaced with indignation that the new gun has been soiled by use and is now worth less.  It's a theme throughout - at one point is it no longer possible to separate the business of what you are doing from the effect of what you are doing.  Does it happen immediately you start down the path - or does it happen after a time?  Of note is the contrast to how his brother, played by a fantastic Jared Leto, is affected.
How far embroiled in a world can you be without being affected... it's an interesting question, and one made all the more fascinating by the context  of how much gunrunning our own governments do routinely, as the movie points out.
Definitely recommended as an entertaining blockbuster - but with some brains to go with it.
1193263
It's tough to turn the old tried-and-true into  something reasonably new, but this film pulled it off. I enjoyed the effects, acting, and excellent production values. I will watch it again in a few months and enjoy it again.
3956438
with no glossing over the rough edges of adapting to change when you are older.  I was impressed at how successfully the movie avoided being a stereotype about "old people; aren't they cute, funny, dumb, etc.".  This is a stellar cast, doing what they do best, making you care about them.  There are sticky social issues addressed within the movie, which I didn't expect, but were played to perfection by Maggie Smith and Tom Wilkinson.  Judi Dench and Bill Nighy were fantastic, along with the other supporting cast.  Now I am in that "older" age range, so I may have some subconcious bias.  I thought it was a very entertaining and in a way, uplifting, movie.  The premise of bringing strangers together in a place that is new to them has been done to death, but this movie focused more on the people themselves than the surroundings.  They develped the characters well and with this ensemble cast, it was an interesting, engaging movie for me.

There are no special effects, fight scenes, or explosions, other than the emotional ones between two people.  If you enjoy reading a good story or book on a weekend afternoon, this movie will make a nice substitute.  Younger people interested in literature will probably also enjoy it, but if your family are more entertained by the big event type movies, just rent it for yourself.
1052381
The two primary characters are well developed and the supporting cast adds interest and the critical catalysts for the characters to develop. I enjoyed it more for these reasons than the plot.
1004710
This film had unexpected twists and turns, and kept me entertained.
353749
Engaging... some acting is good while some is not so good. Worth watching at least one time.
3092912
Decent movie, well paced, with some surprises.