Aeon Flux

So the "AD"s are over and now to the "AE"s!

Aeon Flux- 2005, directed by Karyn Kusama, starring Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, and Pete Postlewait

He says-  Brainless sci-fi thriller in which a sexy rebel/assassin (Theron) battles to liberate a walled city from its dictatorial rulers.  This nonsensical, sleep inducing live-action cartoon is based on Peter Chung's animated MTV series; the material's far better served in its original format.  1 and a half stars

I say-  God this was confusing.  I had no idea what happened, it felt like I came in during the second half of a long movie.  Action was ok I guess.  I still don't get why people think Charlize Theron is sexy.  1/2 star

The Advocate

 

The Advocate-  1994, directed by Leslie Megahey, starring Colin Firth, Ian Holm, and Donald Pleasence

He says-  Lawyer Firth abandons the bustle of 15th-century Paris for the supposedly more pastoral pace of rural France, only to get involved in a murder cover-up that culminates in his defending a pig-back when animals actually used to stand trial.  Very offbeat but very accessible drama of courtroom intrigue with vivid characterizations.  Aka Hour of the Pig .  3 stars

I say-  This was at least watchable.  Not great, but was intriguing.  Colin Firth was good as usual.  Not a hell of a lot to say about this one.  2 stars

Advise and Consent

So Netflix doesn't currently have The Adventures of the Wilderness Family, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, or The Adventuress, so that takes me out of the "adventure" movies and into

Advise and Consent- 1962, directed by Otto Preminger, starring Henry Fonda, Don Murray, Burgess Meredith, and Betty White

He says-  Long but engrossing drama of Washington wheeling and dealing, from Allen Drury novel.  Cast is fine, with effective underplaying by Ayres and Tone standing out among more flamboyant performances by Laughton (his last film) and Grizzard.  Also shown in computer-colored version.  3 stars

I say-  I HATED this one.  No idea what happened.  BLECH.  BOMB

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes-1939, directed by Alfred Werker, starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, and George Zucco

He says-  The master sleuth faces one of his greatest challenges when the nefarious Professor Moriarty (Zucco) plots to steal the Crown Jewels.  The second and last of Fox's excellent Rathbone-Bruce period pieces which predated Universal's entertaining modern series. 3 and a half stars

I say-  I was surprised how much I enjoyed this movie.  Great mystery and great acting, and wasn't terribly dark for black and white.  3 stars.

Junior

 

Junior- 1994, directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny Devito, Emma Thompson, and Frank Langella

He says- Pleasant-enough comedy about a straitlaced scientist (Schwarzenegger) who's persuaded by an aggressive colleague (DeVito) to try injecting sperm into his body and becoming pregnant.  Unexpected result: he doesn't want to give up his baby!  This "politically correct farce" boasts enthusiastic performances from its three stars, and precious few laughs after the initial "joke" is presented.  Instead, Arnold becomes a better man by experiencing childbearing like a woman.  Sheesh.  2 and a half stars.

I say-  There were so many questions I had in this movie, such as: why would the baby grow in his abdominal cavity without a womb and: the baby has no umbellical cord so how does the baby eat?  My biggest problem with the movie was that the middle hour really dragged down.  1 star.

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3D

 

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3D- 2005, directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, and David Arquette

He says-  A daydreaming boy named Max is visited by two characters he created- Sharkboy and Lavagirl- who need his help to keep Planet Drool from being taken over by dark forces, including a nasty kid named Minus (who resembles Max's schoolyard tormentor) and his henchman Mr. Electric (who looks just like his teacher).  Inspired by the drawings and drams of his 7-year-old son Racer, Rodriguez usess computer wizardry to create an eye-popping world of wonder for young viewers...though his script and dialogue remain strictly earthbound.  3-D.  2 and a half stars.

I say-  Strictly for kids.  Found this a little boring, with really bad special effects.  Very disappointed that Robert Rodriguez made this instead of spending time on something awesome and violent.  It's very apparent that this is meant to be seen in 3D, as things fly toward the screen and things get bigger and smaller, which makes this unwatchable in 2d.  Also, this introduces the world to Taylor Lautner, so it gets a BOMB

The Adventures of Sebastian Cole

The Adventures of Sebastian Cole- 1999, directed by Tod Williams, starring Vinny Chase and Clark Gregg

He says-  Compassionate coming-of-age story about an introverted adolescent and the impact on him and his family when his stepfather (Gregg) announces he is planning a sex-change operation.  Despite this offbeat premise, the film is more true to life than many other teen-angst tales.  3 stars.

I say-  Holy arthouse film Batman.  Pretty much anything you can imagine in an independent film is here.  The ending sucked.  The story was slow.  Not many adventures to be had here, but the cast was likable.  One and a half stars