Beverly Hills Cop.

Review #1474: Beverly Hills Cop.

Cast:
Eddie Murphy (Axel Foley), Judge Reinhold (Detective Billy Rosewood), John Ashton (Sergeant John Taggart), Lisa Eilbacher (Jenny Summers), Ronny Cox (Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil), Steven Berkoff (Victor Maitland), James Russo (Mikey Tandino), Stephen Elliott (Chief Hubbard), Paul Reiser (Jeffrey), Jonathan Banks (Zack), Gil Hill (Inspector Douglas Todd), and Bronson Pinchot (Serge) Directed by Martin Brest.

Review: 

"In reality, all men are sculptors, constantly chipping away the unwanted parts of their lives, trying to create their idea of their masterpiece."

In the 1980s, Eddie Murphy was a comedy star like no other. Inspired by comedians such as Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, and Peter Sellers, Murphy started a career in comedy at the age of 15, going from talent shows to Saturday Night Live in a period of four years, with his four year run on the show being a tremendous success that soon led to film opportunities, with 48 Hrs (1982) and Trading Places (1983) proving successful for Murphy. This was his fourth film (the cash grab appearance in Best Defense was his other film of his in 1984) and first film with just him as the primary star. Strangely enough, this was actually not intended as a star vehicle for him at first - it was actually intended to star Sylvester Stallone. In fact, some of the revisions that he had tried to make to the screenplay would actually be used in Cobra (1986), since he did not feel right for comedy. Even having a star in place didn't keep everything in place, since there was plenty of improvisation done throughout filming (the screenplay was credited to Daniel Petrie Jr, who also co-wrote the story with Danilo Bach). The film was a blessing to its director as well. Martin Brest (who had debuted with Going in Style five years prior) had been fired from WarGames the previous year and rejected doing the film on numerous occasions before an ultimate decision on the basis of a coin flip. Two sequels were made after the film's release (both with Murphy, Reinhold, and Hill), but neither reached the heights of the original.

What can one say about a buddy cop classic other then the fact that it makes for a pretty good time? Murphy seems completely at ease here, one suited to generating charm and laughter through a frenzy of one-liners and impersonations with a quickdraw focus. He is a show of force that works handily whenever paired with someone on screen (whether for interaction or some sort of bright gag). The others aren't easy to be overshadowed, however. Reinhold and Ashton prove to be an amusing team together, filled with a few snipes that make for riveting chemistry at times. Eilbacher proves adequate, while actor/musician Cox proves a breakthrough in stern enjoyability (the same also can be applied to actual Detroit cop-turned-actor Hill in the first few minutes). Berkoff proves a capable adversary to sneer with, and others make their impressions in small doses like Russo and Pinchot. There is a fair balance of comedy and action within 105 minutes that succeeds more so in the former category than the latter (the gunfights prove okay at best), with Murphy and company driving things around making amusement out of its fish-out-of-water story that makes for a worthwhile time, with the music being bright and catchy (Harold Faltermeyer's "Axel F" was a theme I listened to quite a bit before I even watched the film). It is a good comedy for those who prefer to see Murphy in action with zip and charm to spare.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Barry Lyndon.

Review #1046: Barry Lyndon.

Cast: 
Ryan O'Neal (Redmond Barry), Marisa Berenson (Lady Lyndon), Patrick Magee (Chevalier du Balibari), Hardy Krüger (Captain Potzdorf), Gay Hamilton (Nora Brady), Godfrey Quigley (Captain Grogan), Steven Berkoff (Lord Ludd), Wolf Kahler (Prince of Tubingen), Marie Kean (Belle), Murray Melvin (Reverend Samuel Runt), Frank Middlemass (Sir Charles Reginald Lyndon), Leon Vitali (Lord Bullingdon), and Michael Hordern (Narrator) Directed by Stanley Kubrick (#044 - Full Metal Jacket, #065 - The Shining, #093 - 2001: A Space Odyssey)

Review: 
The film was based off the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray, with a few significant changes from the novel, such as utilizing a narrator over having Lyndon narrating. Barry Lyndon was Stanley Kubrick's tenth feature film, being released between A Clockwork Orange (1971) and The Shining (1980). It could be argued that this film isn't as well known as other films directed by Kubrick, with the film not being too much of a success on general release, although it has had a rise in reputation in recent years. When asked about his favorite Kubrick film, director Martin Scorsese said this about the film: "I'm not sure if I can have a favorite Kubrick picture, but somehow I keep coming back to Barry Lyndon." I can't say that this is my favorite film of his, but I will admit that this is a fairly neat gem that merits some respect. The best aspects of this film is its technical qualities and its finely constructed narrative, although it likely isn't the film for everyone. I can't say that O'Neal doesn't do a great job in the main role, but I also can't say that his performance isn't one of the weaker ones in the film, and it stems from his arc in the film. I think he does a fine job when it comes to trying (and failing) to fit in to the social ladder, but there are certain moments when he comes off a bit wooden, although he is never awful to watch on screen nor frustrating to see, capturing a nonredeemable man fairly well. Berenson does a fine job in her role, having a stillness and convincing nature to her that works to her advantage. Magee is a fair standout. The rest of the cast do their parts fairly satisfactory, fitting in with the look of the film without being distracting, like portraits in a museum. The narration by Michael Hordern is a key highlight, being quite fitting when he speaks that fits the moment quite well. This was a departure from the novel, which tells the events in first person through Barry. When asked about why he made the change, Kubrick stated that "[it] worked extremely well in the novel but, of course, in a film you have objective reality in front of you all of the time, so the effect of Thackeray's first-person story-teller could not be repeated on the screen." In any case, the narration works well for the mood and pace of the film.

The film won four Academy Awards, winning for Best Art Direction (given to Ken Adam, Roy Walker, Vernon Dixon), Best Cinematography (done by John Alcott), Best Costume Design (Milena Canonero, Ulla-Britt Söderlund) and for Best Original Song Score or Adaptation Score to Leonard Rosenman, for his arrangements of music of Franz Schubert and George Frideric Handel. Of note is that there are sequences in the film that were shot without resorting to simply using electric light, with special lenses being utilized for the film that had been developed for use in the Apollo moon landings, allowing scenes to be lit with actual candles, with other shots using certain lighting to try and mimic natural light. There are also numerous lengthy wide angle long shots that assist in the film having a static but fitting quality. The 187 minute run-time could be a bit of a deal breaker for someone looking for something a bit less slow, but others will find it to be a fine price to pay to appreciate the beauty in the film. On the whole, this is a magnificent film in its scope and its scale, having a certain quality to it that merits a watch.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Rambo: First Blood Part II.

Review #818: Rambo: First Blood Part II.

Cast
Sylvester Stallone (John Rambo), Richard Crenna (Col. Samuel Trautman), Charles Napier (Marshall Murdock), Steven Berkoff (Lt. Col. Podovsky), Julia Nickson (Co-Bao), Martin Kove (Ericson), George Cheung (Lt. Tay), and Andy Wood (Banks) Directed by George P. Cosmatos.

Review
It really has been a long time since I reviewed a Rambo movie (#025 - First Blood), hasn't it? It wasn't entirely intentional, it just got lost in the shuffle over nearly 6 years and over 700 reviews later, but here it is, to end this Independence Day doubleheader. The movie was written by James Cameron, though Stallone also provided significant input as well. In a nutshell, it's a movie that for me is moderately entertaining, but not as good as the first film. It's an action movie without much in the way of developed characters, but it satisfies anybody looking for some action, while not insulting their intelligence too much. There is some sort of fun in seeing specialized arrows blowing up stuff. Rambo is Rambo, with Stallone excelling as the action hero he was in the 80's, purely simple. There isn't too much for the supporting cast to do, but Crenna and Stallone do have some good brief scenes with each other, along with him and Nickson. I really can't complain all too much about a movie that is simple, but to the point in its intentions, with Rambo having a little monologue at the end that does at least bookend the movie well enough. It's not a bad 7/10 movie, and I'm sure others enjoy it more than I do (which I can respect), so take it for what it's worth.

I hope you enjoyed this doubleheader for Independence Day, as I did watching these movies and writing these reviews.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Octopussy.

Review #360: Octopussy.

Cast
Roger Moore (James Bond), Maud Adams (Octopussy), Louis Jourdan (Kamal Khan), Steven Berkoff (General Orlov), Kabir Bedi (Gobinda), Kristina Wayborn (Magda), Vijay Amritraj (Vijay), David Meyer (Mischka), Anthony Meyer (Grischka), Desmond Llewelyn (Q), Robert Brown (M), Geoffrey Keen (Fredrick Gray), Walter Gotell (General Gogol), Douglas Wilmer (Jim Fanning), and Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny) Directed by John Glen (#281 - The Living Daylights, #290 - Licence to Kill, #296 - A View to a Kill, #358 - For Your Eyes Only)

Review
This was the 13th James Bond film, and Roger Moore's 6th overall. This is the last review of Roger Moore as James Bond, and his era (of 12 years) had its good films (The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only), its strangeness (Live and Let Die, Moonraker, A View to a Kill), and... well...(The Man with the Golden Gun)...yeah. But is this any good? Well...Let's get to the point. Moore does a fine job as usual, nothing really to pick at for acting per say. Maud Adams is our lady in the Bond franchise...again. She was in TMWTGG, a secondary leading lady, now she is the main lead. And she is okay, not really a great leading lady, but take her acting for what it's worth. Jourdan plays our...villain. He's kinda forgettable and his henchmen is sadly forgettable. The only memorable guy with a weapon is...the guy with a saw yo-yo. Seriously. Llewelyn gets a slightly bigger role and he is enjoyable, like usual. Robert Brown as the new M is alright, not as well as Bernard Lee, but still alright. He would be M for the next three films. The rest of the cast (Keen, Gotell, and Maxwell) do good as always. Of course the film seems like a good film, and it does have its moments, but it all bogs down due to a flaw: the plot. Maybe it's just me, but I really wonder what the plot was about exactly, something about smuggling, or about...Bond briefly as a clown? Yeah, it's a bit weird. Is it odd? Yes. Does it have moments of watchability? Sure. Is it that bad? Not really. It is alright, but take it for what's it worth.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.