Movie Night: Garfield: The Movie.

Review #689: Garfield: The Movie.

Cast
Bill Murray (Garfield), Breckin Meyer (Jon Arbuckle), Jennifer Love Hewitt (Dr. Liz Wilson), Stephen Tobolowsky (Happy Chapman), Nick Cannon (Louis), and Alan Cumming (Persnikitty) Directed by Peter Hewitt (#022 - Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and #287 - The Borrowers)

Review
A movie based off a long running comic strip? What could go wrong? And...nothing really goes wrong, but nothing goes right either.  Garfield the comic strip is a best a mild read better suited for a Sunday read when nothing good is on but you're out of books (someone who is out of books to read? What is this, 1995?) Turning it into a movie may not be the best use of resources, and the movie proves just that. The main reason that the movie falls short is that it doesn't have much to offer and manages to be just as breeze worthy like the comic. Murray is not a bad Garfield, but when your main voice actor is only in this because he thought the movie was written by a Coen brother and confused them with Joel Cohen, that's saying something beneath the surface. The rest of the characters are more or less forgettable, with Meyer and Hewitt's characters being more standard "lovey-dovy" cliche than actual full fledged people. Actually, their characterization is more 2-D than 3-D, so props for making them comic-like? And our villain? The only notable thing he does is that he intends to use a shock collar on Odie. I realize that sounds weird to list that, but other than that, he is standard stuff, though at least Tobolowsky tries his best to make him sound interesting. The movie could be better for younger audiences, though it wears itself out after a while. Overall, the movie isn't inherently terrible, it's just not anything special. It can't even qualify as a terrible movie, it just reigns as a middle of the road movie. I'd stick to the comic...or reading the parody web comic Garfield Minus Garfield.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Borrowers.

Review #287: The Borrowers.

Cast
John Goodman (Ocious P. Potter), Jim Broadbent (Pod Clock), Bradley Pierce (Pete Lender), Celia Imrie (Homily Clock), Flora Newbigin (Arrietty Clock), Tom Felton (Peagreen Clock), Mark Williams (Jeff), Raymond Pickard (Spud Spiller), and Hugh Laurie (Oliver Steady) Directed by Peter Hewitt (#022 - Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey)

Review
To begin with, this was based off the book of the same name (Which apparently had four more books after that) by Mary Norton. (Yet another review of a film adpated from a book) The acting is reasonably good, with John Goodman doing the best job (Last reviewed in #074 - Monsters, Inc.), along with Broadbent (Last reviewed in #87 - Robots and...#124 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.) and...Tom Felton...and Mark Williams. Huh- And Hugh Laurie. Probably just an odd, odd coincidence. Woah, I got way off topic here. Anyway, the effects are good enough, even being a bit imaginative at times. Its story is decent enough to run a (once again) decent length of 89 minutes. In the end, after nearly 15 years this a hidden gem.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey.

Review #022: Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey.

Cast
Alex Winter (William "Bill" S. Preston, Esq./Evil Bill/Granny S. Preston, Esq.), Keanu Reeves (Ted "Theodore" Logan/Evil Ted), William Sadler (Death (The Grim Reaper)/Englishman), Joss Ackland (Chuck De Nomolos), George Carlin (Rufus), Pam Grier (Ms. Wardroe), Annette Azcuy (Elizabeth), Sarah Trigger (Joanna), Hal Landon Jr. (Captain Logan), and Amy Stock-Poynton (Missy) Directed by Peter Hewitt.

Review
Well, this film is a radical one. The reasons: It's slightly more funnier and insane then the first one, with as terrorizing parents, go to Hell, get in a duel with Death, fights Evil robotic versions of themselves, and have babies all in one movie. It has some alright slapstick, and overall this is a useful sequel. Will there be a third film? Who knows?

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.