Movie Night: The Reluctant Debutante.

Review #405: The Reluctant Debutante.

Cast
Rex Harrison (Jimmy Broadbent), Kay Kendall (Sheila Broadbent), John Saxon (David Parkson), Sandra Dee (Jane Broadbent), Angela Lansbury (Mabel Claremont), Peter Myers (David Fenner), and Diane Clare (Clarissa Claremont) Directed by Vincente Minnelli.

Review
Good morning (or night) everyone. This is probably the first film review on this show done in the morning rather than in the afternoon, or at night, but why does this matter? Eh, I don't know, I suppose to make review that accompanies this seem less weirder. This is the first film here on Movie Night starring Rex Harrison, a former stage actor and also a film actor for over 40 years. His performance seems easy to sum up: Talk dialogue easy to forget and then drink while the rest of the film goes on. But around the middle the film starts to give Harrison something to do, he starts to have something to do, and the character (though mixed) isn't too bad. Kay Kendall (who would sadly die at only 32) is okay, but her character is kinda odd. She doesn't want her (step)daughter to like this normal-ish, decent young man, but she'd wants her to like an awkward, boring, weird young man. Maybe it makes sense to someone else, but it doesn't have too much sense to it. But the rest of the actors aren't too bad, they aren't too cliche, and sometimes the film does generate laughs, not from cliches, of course. It seems weird at times and it may like it goes in circles, but it does have some enjoyability, and I imagine it will be better than that remake. But hey, what do I know.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Anderson Tapes.

Review #404: The Anderson Tapes.

Cast
Sean Connery (Duke Anderson), Dyan Cannon (Ingrid Everleigh), Martin Balsam (Tommy Haskins), Ralph Meeker (Captain Delaney), Alan King (Pat Angelo), Christopher Walken (The Kid), Val Avery (Socks Parelli), Stan Gottlieb (Pop Myer), Garrett Morris (Police Sergeant), Paul Benjamin (Jimmy), Anthony Holland (Psychologist), Richard B. Shull (Werner), Conrad Bain (Dr. Rubicoff), and Margaret Hamilton (Miss Kaler) Directed by Sidney Lumet (#035 - 12 Angry Men and #036 - Network)

Review
There have been seven reviews on Movie Night in which Sean Connery starred in the film, consisting of the six James Bond films he did from 1962-1971 (#150, #278, #298, #335, #354, #279) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (#170), so reviewing a film different from those is a welcome addition, especially when directed by Sidney Lumet, who hasn't gotten too much attention from me, though I loved 12 Angry Men. The Anderson Tapes manages to a decent thriller, and it does have its level of suspense, along with music by Quincy Jones, which is allright. Connery himself does a good job, as he manages to break out of the James Bond typecasting, doing something new, and it works. A fun fact in this film is that Christopher Walken makes his acting debut in this film and Margaret Hamilton makes her last acting appearance. The wire tapping and camera thing may seem a bit dated, but this film still works even in this day and age, and the thrill aspect of the film is toned enough to have an effect today. A fairly decent thriller with some more than decent actors and fine directing.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Moonwalker.

Review #403: Moonwalker.

Cast
Michael Jackson (Himself), Joe Pesci (Frankie "Mr. Big" LiDeo), Kellie Parker (Katie), Sean Lennon (Sean), and Brandon Adams (Zeke "Baby Bad" Michael) Directed by Jerry Kramer and Colin Chilvers.

Review
This is a rare experience to review an anthology film, where instead of one composite plot, it is split into multiple stories, for one film. What's more rare is to review one with Michael Jackson, who's only other film credits are The Wiz, cameos, and This Is It, so there's slim pickings, but oh well. Moonwalker is more of a music video anthology film, with six segments and having two of them having some resemblance of a plot. The acting (and that might be a stretch to say) is okay, but it is nothing too special, probably to make sure the music isn't overshadowed, though Joe Pesci isn't exactly convincing as a villain, reminding me of Yosemite Sam for some reason. The music is good though, but it doesn't link the film at all, giving the film an appearance of disjointedness. Jackson was a fine performer and he seems to try hard, though I do wonder why the song "Leave Me Alone" is used. It's a weird film as well, but after Jackson turns into a car, ...it all seems to feel normal, even with the pop robot. It's not too much of an ego trip, and it does have some enjoyability, with all its weirdness. Take it for what its worth.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Rush Hour 3.

Review #402: Rush Hour 3.

Cast
Jackie Chan (Lee), Chris Tucker (James Carter), Hiroyuki Sanada (Kenji), Yvan Attal (George), Zhang Jingchu (Soo-Yung), Noémie Lenoir (Geneviève), Youki Kudoh (Jasmine), Tzi Ma (Solon Han), Max von Sydow (Varden Reynard) Directed by Brett Ratner (#012 - X-Men: The Last Stand, #305 - Rush Hour, #306 - Rush Hour 2)

Review
The first film had its flaws, but it had some enjoyability and wasn't too standard of a buddy cop film. The second had some moments of laughter, but substantially less than the first one with the directing making the film louder, weirder, and not as funny as the first film. The third? Mostly laughless, mostly pointless, but more importantly: mostly forgettable. Chan is a fine actor, but not even he can save the film. But not even Tucker is why the film flounders, by this point it's expected that he's...erm, vibrant. but the main problem with the film is that it either tries to hard to be funny or to be serious, and it flounders with both. It doesn't have much charm in terms of acting and the comedy feels awkward. Max von Sydow appears in this (for about 5 minutes), and his performance makes me wonder how he went from Flash Gordon to this, but even in Flash Gordon he had more screen time. This might be enjoyable for some, but for others it just isn't that funny or necessary.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: TerrorVision.

Review #401: TerrorVision.

Cast
Chad Allen (Sherman Putterman), Diane Franklin (Suzy Putterman), Mary Woronov (Raquel Putterman), Gerrit Graham (Stanley Putterman), Bert Remsen (Grampa Putterman), Jon Gries (O.D.), Jennifer Richards (Medusa), Alejandro Rey (Spiro), Randi Brooks (Cherry), and Frank Welker (Hungry Beast Alien) Directed by Ted Nicolaou.

Review
This film boasts...no recognizable actors playing cliched characters. Actually I take that back. The actor voicing the monster is more recognizable, but anything Frank Welker does usually is easy to guess. But hey, sometimes a film with actors that at least have Wikipedia pages can have success, like the movie Sweet 15 (#070), though that wasn't a monster movie. And...it's mediocre. It certainly does boast film footage from other films, from Robot Monster to The Giant Claw, but that only reminds me that both of those films were terrible. This feels intentional, with the monster effects actually better than the characters and the story teetering on mediocrity. Trying to describe the acting is like trying to describe a rock, it's way too easy. The film runs short at about 90 minutes, which by now feels really familiar. It does manage to entertain some sort of audience and it at least manages to be better than Leprechaun or the 2010 version of A Nightmare of Elm Street, which is...some sort of comfort.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Thief of Bagdad (1940).

Review #400: The Thief of Bagdad.

Cast
Conrad Veidt (Jaffar), Sabu (Abu), June Duprez (The Princess), John Justin (Ahmad), Rex Ingram (Genie), Miles Malleson (Sultan of Basra), Morton Selten (The Old King), Mary Morris (Halima), Bruce Winston (The Merchant), and Hay Petrie (The Astrologer) Directed by Michael Powell, Ludwig Berger, and Tim Whelan.

Review
The Thief of Bagdad is a remake of the 1924 version (reviewed previously - #399), and in some ways the two films are alike, but in other ways they are different, and that is a good thing. The two films differ in sound, in color, and other various things (such as the Prince and the Thief being different characters rather than one) but they both seem to carry the magic of fun, as a tale as old as time. Conrad Veidt is a brilliant villain, who I've covered before in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (#261) and Casablanca (#125), and he works well. Sabu is a fine actor, not annoying or dull, more an actor in development as he already was acting at 13, but he would sadly die at the age of 39. A good actor nonetheless. Duprez and Justin are fine romantic leads, not too bad or too cliche. The supporting actors (like Rex Ingram) are decent, and they do add to the film's depth. This is a film with many ambitions and many ideas. The effects are great because they are groundbreaking for the time, a blue screen (also known as green screen), developed by Larry Butler which gives the film a new level of spectacle, much like how the 1924 version did with its own effects. This film has good ideas which also inspired Aladdin (#156) as I mentioned before. This is a delight for both children and adults, as it manages to have a good heart and a well enough attempt at entertainment. A treasure trove for everyone. I'd like to say it has been a fine thing to review for 400 films, and I am sure there is more to come for me and you. Thanks to everyone who has been reading, and I hope you keep reading as I hope I watching films.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Thief of Bagdad (1924)

Review #399: The Thief of Bagdad.

Cast
Douglas Fairbanks (Ahmed, the Thief of Bagdad), Snitz Edwards (His Evil Associate), Charles Belcher (The Holy Man (Imam) / Narrator), Julanne Johnston (The Princess), Sojin Kamiyama (Cham Shang, Prince of the Mongols), Anna May Wong (The Mongol Slave), Brandon Hurst (The Caliph), Tote Du Crow (The Soothsayer), and Noble Johnson (The Prince of the Indies) Directed by Raoul Walsh.

Review
The Thief of Bagdad provides a few firsts for Movie Night, the first film from 1924 reviewed here, the first film with Douglas Fairbanks (Who also wrote and produced this film) on here, and the first film on here directed by Raoul Walsh, who directed many films in six decades. How is the film though? It's a fun tale, to say the least. The film (Who some might recognize is freely adapted from One Thousand and One Nights) has a good enough story that manages to not feel stretched, not feeling too short or too long at 140 minutes. The actors don't speak, but they do have actions and movements to them, and Douglas Fairbanks uses the action to his advantage swashbuckling excellently as the rest of the actors do a fine job, keeping the film from falling off balance. The production design by William Cameron Menzies is extraordinary, a new thing at the time. The effects work well, looking state of the art for the 1920s, especially given that Fairbanks wanted his epic to look and work well, which while being expensive (At the time) to make, was a success back then and it still is today, spawning two remakes and also the film Aladdin as well. This is a film of spectacle, that manages to work brilliantly. There's only one more thing to review...Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Last Hurrah.

Review #398: The Last Hurrah.

Cast
Spencer Tracy (Frank Skeffington), Jeffrey Hunter (Adam Caulfield), Dianne Foster (Maeve Caulfield), Pat O'Brien (John Gorman), Basil Rathbone (Norman Cass, Sr), Donald Crisp (Martin Burke), James Gleason (Cuke Gillen), Edward Brophy (Ditto Boland), John Carradine (Amos Force), and Willis Bouchey (Roger Sugrue) Directed by John Ford.

Review
It's been a while since I reviewed a film from the 1950's, and given that Spencer Tracy is in it (Whom I've reviewed before in #139 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, #228 -  Inherit the Wind, and #231 - San Francisco), it had some intrigue for me. How was this film? It was alright. Tracy has a good performance and it is once again fun to see Tracy in a main role as he always seems to carry an aura of presence which works well especially for a film like this. The rest of the actors are fine, with some noticeable supporting star power of Basil Rathbone and John Carradine, who are at least recognizable. The film has some merit and it does have warmth that grows on as the film keeps going. This is the first film that I've reviewed from John Ford, who had directed numerous films for nearly 50 years, and he does a fine job. here. It's a decent film that has the benefit of Spencer Tracy to go with it.

Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2...

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Youngblood.

Review #397: Youngblood.

Cast
Rob Lowe (Dean Youngblood), Patrick Swayze (Derek Sutton), Cynthia Gibb (Jessie Chadwick), Ed Lauter (Murray Chadwick), Keanu Reeves (Heaver), and George Finn (Carl Racki) Directed by Peter Markle.

Review
Sports films aren't exactly my fortay, but I figured I might as well do one, so why not a hockey film since hockey's still going on with the Finals. That, and I haven't reviewed much of Rob Lowe, or Patrick Swayze. Is this film any good, or is just an 80s relic? Mostly the latter. It has it's weird moments, trying to be comedic that ends up getting in the way of the drama the film also tries to set, being a bit unbalenced. That goes for the hockey as well, which can be good, and Lowe does skate well, but the film then switches to fighting mode, which reminds me an awful lot of Rocky, which doesn't work well. Even though fighting in hockey is commonplace, having good hockey plays is more common, and combined the two just don't mesh. The acting's okay, mostly reminiscent of usual sports film acting. Lowe is allright, not too bad. The film spirals, it has its allright moments but it clunks where it doesn't need it, being disjointed, but mildly entertaining. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3...

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Iron Man 3.

Review #396: Iron Man 3.

Cast
Robert Downey, Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), Don Cheadle (James Rhodes/Iron Patriot), Guy Pearce (Aldrich Killian), Rebecca Hall (Maya Hansen), Ben Kingsley (Trevor Slattery), Stephanie Szostak (Ellen Brandt), James Badge Dale (Eric Savin), Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan), Ty Simpkins (Harley), Paul Bettany (J.A.R.V.I.S.), William Sadler (President Ellis) and Miguel Ferrer (Rodriguez) Directed by Shane Black.

Review
In Review #372, I reviewed 42, but this was never the original purpose. I went to the movie theater (big shock, I actually got out of the house), and because Iron Man 3 was sold out, so I picked 42 on the spot. 42 was a fine film, but it always bugged me that I missed Iron Man 3 on that day. 37 days later, I went to the movie theater to go see Iron Man 3, to complete the cycle of the Iron Man films I've reviewed (#135 - Iron Man, #334 - Iron Man 2) and to see if Shane Black could do a good job directing as he does writing (He screenwrote #355 - Lethal Weapon, #356 - Lethal Weapon 2, and #357 - The Last Boy Scout) for a film like this. So was it worth the wait? Yeah, pretty much. Robert Downey, Jr does a great job once again, evolving the character more, but still keeping just like we like Stark. Paltrow works well with Downey, given the amount of screen time, which is alright. Cheadle does well, consistant as always. Guy Pearce (Who I never had heard of until this film) does a fine job, not too bad a villain. As these films evolve, the villains get harder to beat, a bit more detailed after a while, which works well. I liked Ty Simpkins, not a bad child actor overall. Kingsley is allright, even if I think he's a bit underused for the film. The action works well, and the level of spectacle is at an all time high. The story flows allright, not doing too bad. This film is slightly better than Iron Man 2, not better than the first film, but still a good way to continue this film series. I do wonder if there will be a fourth one though. But at least now my..movie journey is complete. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4...

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Maltese Falcon (1931).

Review #395: The Maltese Falcon.

Cast
Bebe Daniels (Ruth Wonderly), Ricardo Cortez (Sam Spade), Dudley Digges (Casper Gutman), Una Merkel (Effie Perine), Robert Elliott (Dundy), Thelma Todd (Iva Archer), Otto Matieson (Joel Cairo), Walter Long (Miles Archer), and Dwight Frye (Wilmer Cook) Directed by Roy Del Ruth.

Review
As it turns out, the 1941 film version of the Dashiell Hammett novel was not the first adaptation, as this 1931 film was made first, though it would soon languish into obscurity, even being called Dangerous Female after the 1941 film was released. But my question before watching was would it be any good. And...it's not exactly good, but it has some sort of merit. Trying to compare this and the 1941 film is liking trying to compare a work of art by Picasso to a painting by a beginner, it's just not fair to compare because as I said in my review of the 1941 film, "The film has a style to it that helps the film makes its case for a good film, if not already from the acting. The story's good, making you interested in it for the entirety of the film." From what I've heard, the two films are pretty close to the novel, different in some ways, and this version feels like the 1941 version, but not too much. Maybe it's just me, but when I was watching I thought I heard a crackly noise that kept going in the background for the rest of the film, but that could just be me. The actors are alright, and the sets do look well. The film shows its age at points, and while this isn't a great film in most sense, this at least should watched once, either before or after the 1941 film. Take this for it's worth, no matter the consequences. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Bride of Frankenstein.

Review #394: Bride of Frankenstein.

Cast
Boris Karloff (The Monster), Colin Clive (Henry Frankenstein), Ernest Thesiger (Doctor Pretorius), Valerie Hobson (Elizabeth Lavenza), Elsa Lanchester (The Monster's Bride and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley), Una O'Connor (Minnie), E.E. Clive (Burgomaster), O.P. Heggie (The Hermit), Douglas Walton (Percy Bysshe Shelley), and Lucien Prival (The Butler), Directed by James Whale (#069 - The Invisible Man, #072 - Frankenstein)

Review
This is a film I've wanted to review ever since I reviewed the first film 567 days ago. I wanted to review this because this sounded really intriguing, with Whale directing once again, and Karloff back in the role that made him famous. After watching this, there's doubt about it, this is a good film. Better than the first? Possibly. Karloff is given more to do with the character, The Monster gets to have a new level of depth to him, which adds to the film. Clive does well, even if his role is considerably downsized, which is understandable. Ernest Thesiger does a memorable job as Doctor Pretorius, having a level of morbid charm, especially when he dines in a cemetery, and he's a good villain. There are too many memorable scenes to count, but one that I find to be brilliant is the scene involving Karloff and O.P. Heggie, which both develops Karloff's character and is a well made and entertaining scene, with a bit of irony included, as the only person who doesn't scream at the sight of the Monster is the only who can't physically see him. The Bride pops up about...10 minutes before the film ends, played by Elsa Lanchester, who also plays Mary Shelley in the opening scene, which is a somewhat ludicrous scene. The Bride looks memorable, thanks to the effects by Jack Pierce, but honestly I think more time was spent on making the character than the time the character has on screen, which is a bit odd given the film is called Bride of Frankenstein. The supporting cast is alright, even if Una O'Connor is a bit annoying. Not as much as in The Invisible Man, but just a bit. But nevertheless, the film has good moments combined with brilliant directing, which work really well to make a film that arguably could be up to the level of the first film. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Return to Oz.

Review #393: Return to Oz.

Cast
Fairuza Balk (Dorothy Gale), Brian Henson (Jack Pumpkinhead), Sean Barrett (Tik-Tok), Nicol Williamson (Dr. Worley/Nome King), Jean Marsh (Head Nurse Wilson/Mombi), Denise Bryer (Billina), Lyle Conway (The Gump), Pons Maar (Lead Wheeler), Emma Ridley (Ozma), Piper Laurie (Aunt Em), Matt Clark (Uncle Henry), and Justin Case (The Scarecrow) Directed by Walter Murch.

Review
Released 46 years after the classic The Wizard of Oz (#159) (though there have been several films based on Oz in that span), and 234 reviews after I did my take on the film, I decided to review this, and why not considering summer's around the corner, so it's like a "return" for me. I don't like doing puns that much though...Anyway, this film has been called "dark", "depressing", and "cult classic". Are any of those words true? It is all a matter of opinion. But frankly, I like this film. Dark? Sure, but the Wizard of Oz had its moments of terror as well, what with the Flying Monkeys and all, so that criticism is on a slippery slope to begin with, but then again I like some dark elements, and it works allright in a land of Oz such as this. It is somewhat depressing...in the beginning. If the film had been less dark, it would be called out for being too similar to the 1939 film, and because it went dark, it gets called out for being too much not like the 1939 film, so it can't win either way with some people. It isn't as bleak as it could be because at least there is a sense of determination, a sense that these characters are worthy to be invested in, and while the Wheelers could be terrifying for young kids, it won't be as much for older ones, so that criticism doesn't have much of a leg to stand on. Plus, the Nome King effects are really good in my mind, and it shows a level of creativity, and the character is wicked enough to be a good villain, not Wicked Witch wicked, but oh well. The acting is good, even from a young child actor such as Fairuza Balk, a good choice for Dorothy. The five (Balk, Henson, Barrett, Bryer, Conway) are not exactly as great a group as the original, but at least they come close enough. This may have its oddities, but that doesn't mean it should be forgotten, as it is indeed a cult classic. Take it for what it's worth. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7...

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Happy Feet.

Review #392: Happy Feet.

Cast
Elijah Wood (Mumble), Brittany Murphy (Gloria), Robin Williams (Ramón and Lovelace), Hugh Jackman (Memphis), Nicole Kidman (Norma Jean), Hugo Weaving (Noah the Elder), and Carlos Alazraqui (Nestor) Directed by George Miller (#380 - Mad Max)

Review
Happy Feet to me is a bit of an odd shell compared to other animated films. But hey, I have a soft spot for weirdness as long as it works out well and manages overcome awkwardness. Does this do that, or not is the underlying question. And it...mostly does. It starts out okay, even if it contains my least favorite cliche of the moment where "the character different from everyone else" is embarrassed which goes slowly and annoys me, but that could just be a matter of opinion. The film gets better as it goes on, skipping over speed bumps, and having an entertaining value to it, with some good dancing, which was done by motion capture, which isn't creepy, as it shows that motion capture does have some benefits. Elijah Wood does good, certainly a million times better from his last performance reviewed here (#363 - North), and Murphy does well. Robin Williams does stand out, even more given he plays two characters, and he does an alright job, not annoying, just fine. The animation is good, as it does a good job being a centerpiece, but no the whole thing to, a developed animated film that works well, and it can be entertaining, with some fine song choices all in all. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8...

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Review #391: The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Cast
Chris Sarandon (Jack Skellington), Danny Elfman (Barrel, and the singing voice of Jack Skellington), Catherine O'Hara (Sally, Shock), William Hickey (Doctor Finklestein), Glenn Shadix (Mayor of Halloween Town), Ken Page (Oogie Boogie), Ed Ivory (Santa Claus), and Paul Reubens (Lock) Directed by Henry Selick (#189 - Coraline)

Review
It's a Tim Burton film without Tim Burton, and yet it manages to be a Halloween and a a Christmas film, along with creating a imaginative world that is also a good enough musical. It is original enough to overcome any "doubts" over a film such as this. Sarandon and Elfman do good, and after a while, the actor and singer combine to just be one single character, and it is excellent. O'Hara does good as well acting, and she is a good pair with Sarandon, which makes for a stronger film. The songs work well, and it helps that animation is top notch, which makes a dynamic film. That, and Oogie Boogie is a good, if not...awesome character. Delectably evil, and yet still with a aura of coolness, which contributes to the dark, but somewhat cheerful tone. It's a film that knows what it wants to do, and it fulfills it to the easiest extent, brilliantly and effectively. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9...

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Pocahontas.

Review #390: Pocahontas.

Cast
Irene Bedard (Pocahontas), Mel Gibson (John Smith), David Ogden Stiers (Governor Ratcliffe), John Kassir (Meeko), Russell Means (Chief Powhatan), Christian Bale (Thomas), and Linda Hunt (Grandmother Willow) Directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg.

Review
A Disney film that tries to use actual history and not so much fantasy in a good way, right? Eh...no. In a way, this is a Disney film muted in approach, noticed especially with the...non talking animals. This in a film where the leaves are like mail to people and where a grandmotherly tree talks to the main characters. The characters are okay at best. I find it odd that this film was told like a romance film, which is awkward given the fact these two in real life had no romance whatsoever.The acting is alright, even if it's a bit over the top, especially with Ogden Stiers. It's odd how Disney can make a film that has great looking animation especially in the design of the environment, yet fail at history. The film's history feels off even without a Google search. Much like the previous review (#389 - The Babe), this has inaccuracies to boot, and while some songs are decent, that doesn't help the film rise up to other, better Disney films. Maybe it's just me, but this is one that could be skipped. You might as well watch The New World, at least that looks like it could be more accurate. At least the Native Americans had a happy ending, what with them having peace with those Englishmen, it's not like they would ever get attacked by them ever again, nope. Disney treats history like a dirty rag, very poorly. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10....

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Babe.

Review #389: The Babe.

Cast
John Goodman (Babe Ruth), Kelly McGillis (Claire Hodgson Ruth), Trini Alvarado (Helen Woodford Ruth), Bruce Boxleitner (Jumpin' Joe Dugan), Peter Donat (Harry Frazee), James Cromwell (Brother Mathias), J. C. Quinn (Jack Dunn), Joe Ragno (Miller Huggins), Richard Tyson (Guy Bush), Ralph Marrero (Ping Bodie), Bob Swan (George Herman Ruth Sr.), and Bernard Kates (Colonel Jacob Ruppert) Directed by Arthur Hiller.

Review
This film is loosely based off the life of George "Babe" Ruth, and when I say loosely, I mean really loosely. While John Goodman sounds like a good choice for Babe Ruth, he doesn't give Ruth much likability. Ruth comes off more as a unlikable belligerent player then someone to root for. The baseball scenes are alright, even if half of it is just baseballs going off the wall. The accuracy...is not even close. Ruth wasn't just a home run hitter, for the first few years of his career, he was a pitcher, which in the film is barely even mentioned. This film probably has more myths included than actual facts, and combined with the general lack of enjoyability / laughs from John Goodman (who can be funny), who seems weighed down from the script, which in effect drags the character. The rest of the actors are overshadowed, which I suppose makes sense given the title being "The Babe", but a little bit more memorability would have helped. Overall, this film is plagued by inaccuracies so easy to find that there are sites dedicated to pointing those out, the acting is mediocre save for Goodman who tries his best, and the nail in the film's coffin is the general lack of fun. The film could be fun for some, but sometimes it's a little awkward and sometimes mean spirited. It's a disappointment that this fizzles, presumably into obscurity. Rather than being a home run, it's a strikeout.

Overall, I give it 3 out of 10 stars.