Movie Night: Sleepless in Seattle.

Review #554: Sleepless in Seattle.

Cast
Tom Hanks (Sam Baldwin), Meg Ryan (Annie Reed), Bill Pullman (Walter), Ross Malinger (Jonah Baldwin), Rosie O'Donnell (Becky), Gaby Hoffmann (Jessica), Victor Garber (Greg), Rita Wilson (Suzy), Barbara Garrick (Victoria), and Carey Lowell (Maggie Baldwin) Directed by Nora Ephron.

Review
This is a hard movie to grade because I really don't know if this a movie that's heartwarming and also slightly funny, or a movie that's a tad overrated. Hanks is a good actor, he seems bring a certain level of charm to this movie. Heck, every actor (even Rosie O'Donnell) are certainly warming enough for this movie, and they are entertaining to watch, and it is funny when Hanks and Victor Garber's characters talk about crying at the end of The Dirty Dozen. But does this movie have a flaw? Probably. It's not the acting, not the comedy, it's just...Walter. Pullman does a great job playing this mostly perfect character (, and...he's dumped by Ryan for someone she barely knows after being lured to the Empire State Building while on a date with Walter. So basically, if you listen to a radio show and hear some lonely guy/girl talk, go out and try and find them, nothing can go wrong, it's all supposed to happen due to "magic" and such. That makes sense, doesn't it? I'd like to add that both genders can be characterized as either insensitive jerks (the men) and "weepy romantics who cry at the end of An Affair to Remember (seriously, every woman in this movie cry to it, even a little girl. Is this normal to cry at An Affair to Remember? You might as well cry at the end of Old Yeller), and let's not forget that Ryan's character hired a private investigator to take pics of Hanks, follows him to Seattle and only says "hi" to him. I'd like to point out the kid doesn't like the girl Hanks asked beforehand out (Barbara Garrick's character, who doesn't do anything as insane as Ryan's, yet still gets dumped anyway) because the kid selected someone else for Hanks to meet. The whole movie seems sweet and fun, but if you look into the movie more, it seems to have a secret layer of unintentional lunacy. Whether that breaks the movie or not, watch this at your own risk.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Jingle All the Way.

Review #491: Jingle All The Way.

Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger (Howard Langston), Sinbad (Myron Larabee), Phil Hartman (Ted Maltin), Rita Wilson (Liz Langston), Jake Lloyd (Jamie Langston), Robert Conrad (Officer Hummell), Martin Mull (D.J.), and James Belushi (Mall Santa) Directed by Brian Levant.

Review
The first and (thankfully) only Christmas film that Arnold Schwarzenegger did, Jingle All The Way is the perfect way to depress your Christmas, and is a great way to waste 90 minutes of your life. The film likes to have action that barely makes any sense, especially with the jet pack, but my "favorite" part is the brawl with the Mail Santas, but seeing Schwarzenegger beat some...fraudulent mall santas is enjoyable. Speaking of which, Schwarzenegger looks like he just walked into the film at random, and to be fair, he technically did, joining production 9 months prior to production, but at least he is memorable, especially with his line deliveries, with such lines like "Who told you you could eat my cookies?" and Put that cookie down!", but I digress. But of course, Sinbad is around to...pester the audience, I suppose. Hartman isn't given much to do other then play a smarmy character, and the rest of the cast isn't much better, but what do you expect from a film that cares about hammering the commercial aspects of Christmas then plot/characterization? Turboman this, Turboman that, the film hammers in the point that apparently people will trample each other for...a toy. I already knew that, but I guess showing love for your son in the form of a toy is the most magical part of Christmas, next to the relatives fighting and the fruitcake. If you are really, really hard pressed to find a Christmas film to watch...I still wouldn't recommend it.

Overall, I give it 3 out of 10 stars.