I decided to give this movie another shot after not having seen it since I was a boy. It did not disappoint, I am happy to report. I loved so much of the tender, playful essence of this film, owing as much to "Alice in Wonderland" as it does to Studio Ghibli's past works. Even if I still think "Spirited Away" (2001) is the better Hayao Miyazaki touchstone, this picture remains as a personal favorite from the people at Ghibli.
The long-ed, but not-forgotten Roger Ebert once said in a review for the movie "Good Burger" (1997) that "...[T]his movie is made for eight year-olds who watch Nickelodeon...and they will probably like the movie..." (2:08 - 2:13; AtTheMoviesFan1, 2010). In the same spirit, I think that explanation applies in this instance, as well. I should start by commending the costume-makers and animatronics specialists over at Jim Henson Productions for making the Turtle outfits. This picture lives and dies by its…
I try to be honest in my reviews and keep personal biases out, but I could not in this case. Despite everything else PT Anderson brings to the table in this film, the subject matter is something I just cannot stomach. While I cannot completely write off this film due to the great ing performances (including probably the best acting I have ever seen from the dearly departed Phillip Seymour Hoffman), I was just too disgusted by it to get further enjoyment or take anything more significant away from the picture.
After the explosive chapter of "GoldenEye," any succeeding Bond film could only seem like a disappointment. However, this film proved to be even more substandard and underwhelming. The story is not that fascinating, the action does not do anything more than a viewer would reasonably expect, and it all feels like a monotonous chore. Every quippy line by Brosnan's iteration of 007 sounds like the cutting-room floor of C-level material. Thank goodness for Jonathan Pryce and Michelle Yeoh's performances, because otherwise this movie would be a total disaster.
