D.Moore

The first two Palmer films were very down to earth, with a believable atmosphere and offered a perfect spy spectacle. This third film is different. Very. The only thing that's stayed the same is Caine's Palmer, who handles everything with aplomb, is funny, honest... and so on. But the story is a very, very big fantasy, and it seems more like the filmmakers borrowed it from some unmade Bond movie ("Nazis" from Texas, the supercomputer "brain"...). I understand that a lot of people might be upset about that. But I had a great time, enjoyed the well shot scenes (the ambush of the car with the information is a wonderfully funny affair, the final action on the Baltic supported by the roaring music was breathtaking) and watched the excellent Caine, the good old red charmer Homolka and the slimy Malden... I give it four pure (general) stars.

Well, my friends... I had a good time watching it. Phillip Noyce definitely knows what he's doing, he plays with the action scenes (who cares about Angelina acting like a terminator?) and the film actually goes from the beginning to the end in a sympathetic way and doesn't stop... But the script! Oh, God! In the name of unexpected twists and turns, there is so much ridiculousness going on in Salt that even common sense can’t figure it out. If only everything wasn't trying to be so serious. That’s too bad. I round up two and a half stars for the choice of the actors and the good music, which, although it doesn't get your attention when listened to alone, fits the film. I'd like to see a sequel...

This is great. Jim Carrey is really good here. You don't often see a prince like this Count Olaf. I mean, it is not seen especially today - in the (not only) crazy comedies of the sixties, seventies and eighties we would certainly find a few "good guys" like him. Praise also goes to Brad Silberling, because the film is sensational, it doesn't get boring and looks perfect, the performances of all three children were also magical, Meryl Strep did not disappoint either.... Oh, and Dustin Hoffman's barking was such a treat. Four and a bit, I laughed from start to finish.

Caine and Pleasance are excellent, Siegel's typical direction doesn't disappoint (but don't expect action until sixty minutes into the film), the decent soundtrack by Budd is nice to listen to... But it's still missing something. A proper, more thoughtful story, I'd say. A great final three-quarters of an hour earns it three-and-a-bit stars.

I would give the full amount of stars if the film was shorter... Or if I didn't feel like there was a slight repetition of ideas. Still, it gets a very strong four stars. I recommend it to all gastronomes.

So I watched of Flash Gordon again after all these years... And lo and behold, I survived in good health and without serious consequences. Whether it's what takes place in Earth's Zarkov lab or after landing on the planet, whether it's Flash's "rugby" brawl with Ming's guards, Timothy Dalton looking like Errol Flynn from The Adventures of Robin Hood, the absolutely perfect Max von Sydow, the final attack of the hawk men, or the music by Queen... Everything is so silly that it's magical and fun. Sure, a lot of the "fun" is actually pure "ridiculousness", but should I mind? Why on earth would i?__P.S. I was struck by one thing: Did the director of Get Carter make this? Well, you know the Brits.

An endearing Hollywood satire poking fun (not only) at Hollywood, pulled above average mainly by De Niro's performance and the bearded, choleric, fantastic Willis. What Just Happened isn't a salvo of jokes, and it certainly won't entertain everyone, but if you're in the right mood for it (and if you're not expecting a completely different movie), I think it'll easily take hold. "Okay. Let's go tell him to shave."

It's been a long, long time since I've seen a western with such a great story and great dialogue. A wickedly funny road movie of a wise-cracking girl, an aging alcoholic sheriff, and a ranger who come to like each other over the course of two hours while constantly on the hunt for scumbags hidden somewhere inside Indian territory. It's thrilling, it's funny, it's tough (especially at the end) and uncompromising and it's pretty damn good. The Oscar for Wayne was definitely well deserved (riding a horse with a repeater in one hand and a revolver in the other is really SOMETHING), but none of his fellow actors lag even an inch behind him.__P.S. The scene with the hanging of the criminals (conceived as a performance for the big and the small) gave me an air of Peckinpah nostalgia.__P.P.S. I'm looking forward to the Coen brothers' remake even more now.

I figured this film would be uncharacteristic of Walter Matthau. And boy does he fit his role perfectly! The Taking of Pelham One Two Three delighted me with its great period atmosphere, suspenseful plot, great characters (of which, unlike Scott's remake, there aren't many, although there are more - take that as you will), dialogue and catchphrases. But it's not deserving of a full score, mainly because of the train escape, which perhaps couldn't have been all that stunning even at the time of the film's creation. Otherwise, I have no reservations.

Sensational! For me, Play Dirty is not only another piece of the puzzle called "Michael Caine", but definitely one of the best (anti-)war films I've ever seen. I would describe it as a combination of The Dirty Dozen, Lawrence of Arabia, Cross of Iron and The Wild Bunch. To all lovers of the genre and the aforementioned films who come across my commentary, I recommend this treat. Just beware - when it's over, you might not feel as good about it. In short, it's a gritty film about a special unit that's really special. Both Michael Caine and Nigel Davenport deserve a lot of credit for their performances, as does director De Toth, who manages to conjure up many memorable scenes (the cliff ride, the stop to change tires, the sandstorm, the fuel depot ambush and of course the chilling finale). I give them all five dirty stars.