90s Movie Review - Hercules

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Genre: Adventure/ Animation/ Musical/ Family/ Fantasy
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Bob Goldthwait, Rip Torn, Paul Shaffer, Hal Holbrook

Description: The son of Zeus and Hera is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero in order to reclaim it.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 17: A MUSICAL
 
Review: “Hercules”, in 1997, was on of the last films to fall within what is known as the Disney Renaissance. The Disney Renaissance was the period from 1989 to 1999 when Disney returned to making successful films based on well-known stories. In 1997 Disney came up not with a fairy tale, but with the Greek myth of Hercules.
It is a typical Disney film in which the story is completely different from what is actually is. In the Greek myth, Hercules is actually a baby from an extramarital relationship. Not so much a Disney theme. So, this film begins with the welcoming of Hercules into the family.
Everyone is happy about the birth of Hercules, except for Hades; the God of the underworld. Hades wants to seize power on Olympus, but he us afraid Hercules will interfere with these plans. To prevent this he sends his henchmen Pain and Panic in the middle of the night. They must make Hercules immortal and then kill him. They succeed in making him immortal, but fail in killing him.
We jump in time and see that Hercules has continued to grow up with the farm couple that found him as a baby. Because he cannot handle his own powers, everyone is afraid of Hercules. In fact, he is known as a big klutz who only brings back luck and breaks stuff. Hercules struggles, but after finding out he is the son of Zeus he is told he can regain his divinity when he proves that he is a true hero. Zeus sends Hercules to Phil, to train him to become a hero.
You don’t need any knowledge of Greek myths to watch this film. I think it’s best, because the story is anything but accurate and the “Disney-fied” the hell out of it. It’s a stunning film, with great songs, especially “Go the Distance”. Perhaps not one of Disney’s very best, but certainly entertaining.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 135: The Fog

Director: John Carpenter

Genre: Horror

Runtime: 89 minutes

Year: 1980

Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Hal Holbrook, Tom Atkins, John Houseman, James Canning, Ty Mithcell, John F. Goff, George Flower, Charles Cyphers, Jim Haynie, Nancy Loomis

Description: Legend says that Antonio Bay was built in 1880 with blood money obtained from shipwrecked lepers but no one believes it. On the eve of the town's centennial many plan to attend the celebrations, including the murdered lepers.

Review: At the beginning of the film you already learn that something bad is going to happen: lights turning on and off, electric appliances showing malfunctions, breaking windows, moving furniture. The message is clear. And it’s the not knowing what it is, that makes this movie scary. A fog is coming and something bad is hiding in the fog.

Sometimes the omens are hard to explain, they don’t seem to fit the rest of the film. Like a coin turning into a piece of driftwood, and that same piece of wood changing letters and bursting into flame. The movie loses its logic. But luckily the fog and what’s hiding in the fog gives us the tension and excitement.

There isn’t a clear leading character. There are several character we are introduced to, so we follow more than one in this story.

“The Fog” is directed by John Carpenter, the man that also gave us “Halloween” and “The Thing”. “The Fog” is a solid horror film, but never reaches the level of the two other films.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 111: All the President's Men

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Runtime: 138 minutes

Year: 1976

Starring: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Warden, Jason Robards, Hal Holbrook, Martin Balsam, Jane Alexander, Meredith Baxter, Stephen Collins, Penny Fuller, John McMartin, Robert Walden, Frank Wills, F. Murray Abraham

Description: Reporters Woodward (Robert Redford) and Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Nixon's resignation.

Review: This movie is probably the base for many journalists and their ambitions, but any upcoming reporter is obligated to see this. “All the President’s Men” is about some fine journalism. Protecting your sources, creative games to get information from people. And this all to reveal one of the biggest scandals in American history.

The movie is based on the book written by the two journalist Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. They wrote about the Watergate-affair. The fact that this scandal is real maeks the movie legendary, but Alan J. Pakula made good thriller. You have to pay attention though, because you get a lot of information from various people in different organizations. Although most people know what happened during the Watergate-affair, many will still be shocked by it and what it did to people.

The camera work isn’t extraordinary and sometimes it feels a bit repetitive. The setting is cold and sober, not much has been done to make it look better. But the acting by Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford makes up for it. Sometimes a bit too much, sometimes very thoughtless, it feels natural.

“All the President’s Men” is a pretty slow film that should be viewed for its contents. It’s an interesting film about an interesting topic.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 64: Promised Land

Director: Gus van Sant

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 106 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, Scoot McNairy, Titus Welliver, Hal Holbrook

Description: A salesman (Matt Damon) for a natural gas company experiences life-changing events after arriving in a small town, where his corporation wants to tap into the available resources.

Review: The story follows Steve Butler and Sue Thomason who travel to a small town in Pennsylvania, on behalf of oil company Global. There is gas under that ground and with the use of fracking they want to get it out. Steve and Sue are trying to convince the locals that they can earn a lot of money when Global can drill there. But when environmentalist Dustin shows up, it changes everything.

“Promised Land” is mostly about the dilemma environment or money? With that given, it’s hard to find the main characters, Steve and Sue, likeable. It’s easier to get on Dustin’s side. It’s not clear which side the director wants you to be on.

The movie is an entertaining light drama, but it isn’t original. I did like Matt Damon, Frances McDormand and John Krasinski in their roles. It’s especially fun to see a different side from Krasinski.

It was an okay movie, until we got to the end. That ruined it for me. It was anything but satisfying. With that, it makes “Promised Land” and easily forgettable film, but not at all bad. Sad, because it had more potential.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 32: Lincoln

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 151 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairns, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, John Hawkes, Jackie Earle Haley, Tim Blake Nelson, Bruce McGill, Lee Pace, Jared Harris

Description: In 1865, as the American Civil War winds inexorably toward conclusion, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) endeavors to achieve passage of the landmark constitutional amendment which will forever ban slavery from the United States. However, his task is a race against time, for peace may come at any time, and if it comes before the amendment is passed, the returning southern states will stop it before it can become law.

Review: 1865, the United States of America has been tortured with a Civil War for already four years. President Lincoln wants to end it, but first he wants his 13th amendment to be approved by the congress. When it is approved it means that slavery will end. Steven Spielberg’s task was to bring the story of this beloved man to the big screen. Lincoln’s most important deed was ending slavery and that’s what this movie focusses on. No long introduction of the president’s life, we go directly to one of the most important moments of his career.
“Lincoln” is for a huge part about political developments, which can be confusing for the average viewer. Some difficult terms are used, together with a lot of characters. What Spielberg does best is building up the tension even though you already know how the story is going to end. With that you don’t even notice the two and a half hour duration of the film.
For the role of president Lincoln, Spielberg choose one of the best actors in Hollywood: Daniel Day-Lewis. He’s known for getting lost in his roles and he does that again with “Lincoln”. His performance is so intense that you forget that you’re watching an actor. Sally Field, who had to persuade Spielberg to give her the role, plays Lincoln’s wife. Her most impressive moment is when she is in an argument with Lincoln. Tommy Lee Jones steals the show with his supporting role as Thaddeus Stevens, whom I found the most likeable character of the film.
The movie looks fantastic, it’s been perfected with a great eye for detail. Lincolns office was an exact replica, including all the books that he had.
“Lincoln” is a beautiful historical drama, that focusses on one of the most important events in history. That Daniel Day-Lewis won an Academy Award for his role is more than deserved.

Rating: 4,5/ 5