#5- Serendipity (4 of 10)

As a film Serendipity is unenjoyable, one I could go the rest of my life never seeing this movie again and I'd be perfectly happy. However, I should say my opinion is likely biased; romantic comedies are not my preferred genre of film. As a consequence my experience with such films is limited, but from what little I have seen Serendipity would sit somewhat higher among the ranks for it’s occasional humor and wit.

 In the movie Jonathan Trager, played by John Cusack, meets his “Dream Woman”, through a fortunate accident (called serendipity), who is a firm believer in fate or destiny and leaves whether or not she will continue to be with John up to chance. Several years later when both characters are about to be married (not to each other) they each go on a mad search for the other.

 All in all the characters where flat, Sara and John are “good”, their spouses are subpar and their respective friends on their search for each other seem to serve no purpose other than to provide an opportunity for the main to characters to express their feelings.

 The film isn’t entirely devoid of wit and humor, Eugene Levy, as a Bloomingdale's salesman, is humorous and entertaining. The closes misses and round about ways of finding of each other by the main characters are also amusing.

 In conclusion Serendipity isn’t a great film, not even a good film but probably not a terrible one. If hard pressed, I might watch it again, if I was terribly bored. Maybe… 

#4- Finding Nemo (4 of 10)

Is Finding Nemo a good film? Upon my most recent viewing of it, I would say no, it's cliche and uninteresting. But on recollection of the first time I saw it, I'd have to say I used to have a better impression of the film. I think much of the enjoyment of the film was in its novelty.

In the movie the protagonist, Marlin, loses his son, Nemo. Through the trials they both face to try to find each other their character flaws are resolved and they live happily ever after.

One of the main attractions of the film was its animation. It was one of the first films to use the bubbly and plastic look that was ever so prevalent in the film. All the bright colors where pleasing to look at, at first but after seeing the film a couple of times it becomes like wallpaper and you realize that there's not a whole lot to the movie, save its bubbly graphics.

As for the plot, I have to say that I'm no fan, but others seem to like it. It's pretty obvious from the beginning that Marlin has issues with letting his son go, and as the film progresses we see that he gradually overcomes that fear. For example, when in he's about be eaten by a whale and his friend, Dory, tells him to let go he refuses and uses Nemo's name. This is one way of developing a character, although it certainly isn't subtle.

While I found most the characters flat, Gill, a fish in an aquarium whom Nemo meets, did appear to have some depth. Gill was captured from the sea and throughout the movie expressed his desire to return to it. Gill has an injury that is never explained. Later in the movie Gill sacrifices himself to help Nemo escape. If an animated fish can truly have an interesting  personality then Gill did.

In the end, I'd say Finding Nemo was an insubstantial film, and does not bare close inspection. It is however amusing and heart warming if one isn't looking foe a movie that will really cause to think.

#3- The Karate Kid (9 of 10)

The Karate Kid, at least the 1984 original, is a truly classic movie and I would recommend to just about anyone. In the movie Daniel Larusso (played by Ralph Macchio) moves to California against his will. He is immediately drawn into conflict with the local hooligans, and is beaten up regularly. Until he meets an old man from Okinawa who teaches him karate and turns his life around. 

To say that The Karate Kid is the best film ever would be a lie, it certainly shows it age. It was in the made in the ‘80s and you can see it in the dress and haircuts, this can take away from the file or add a retro touch depending on how you look at it. 

The film has all the signs of being cliché, young kid faces adversity, is defeated, through his strength of character he gains strength, the underdog wins out in the end. However The Karate Kid is not as terrible as one might think given the breakdown. 

Firstly, the acting was pretty good, particularly Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi, who is entertaining and believable. Mr. Miyagi’s additional story about his enlistment in the U.S. Army and his wife’s death in an internment camp during child birth ended up adding to the plot without overpowering it. 

Also, by using karate as the unifying theme it also brings freshness to the action/drama genre. Lots of films have covered this story, few have used karate. 

 In conclusion The Karate Kid is a good film, typical of its time but good all the same. Definitely worth a rent if your into the ‘80s classics.

#2- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (7 of 10)

In my opinion there some movies that should be remade, and some that shouldn't. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate is of the later group.

When you put Tim Burton and Danny Elfman on the same project you will get the same movie every time, with a meticulous music score and a dozen one dimensional actors with way too much makeup. That's not to say this style of film making doesn't have merit, it has made a nice career for Tim Burton but it doesn't mesh well with the classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

The first of the many unfortunate differences is the country in which the film supposedly takes place. The 1971 version of the film takes place in England. In the 2005 incarnation pounds are clearly in use, however a man offers Charlie "500 Dollars". While this is a minor inconsistency it hurts it.

The second and perhaps most blaring difference is that of the personality of Willy Wonka. In the original film Willy Wonka was witty, not just strange. Johnny Depp did the best he could but the greatest actor in the world couldn't save a film from a poor script. Also the addition of an additional story for Willy Wonka was unnecessary and took away from the overall plot.

Third, again typical of Tim Burton, it was felt that a narrator with a deep voice was needed to make the film a coherent work. This 'little touch' was a sign that the acting and plot was sub-par and needed the crutch of narration.

It was clear to me that even if it is possible to remake Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that it didn't happen in 2005. Perhaps this remake can find a spot on cable TV but it isn't and never will come close to the original.

#0- Seinfeld (Face Painter Episode) (7of10)

Like most Seinfeld episodes the "Face Painter" episode amused me for a half-hour. In this particular episode Elaine's boyfriend, an avid Devils hockey fan paints his face for the Rangers-Devils game and behaves in a generally embarrassing way. As in all episodes a comic series of misunderstandings and running jokes.

 

As an episode by itself it wasn't great, but Seinfeld is, on the whole, a good series. The writers have found a scheme that works for them and on the whole it is a good one, but it can become repetitive or ineffective at times. All in all, I'd give this particular episode a 3 star rating while I'd give Sinefeld as a series a 3.5 star rating

#1- My Favorite Film (A Clockwork Orange) (10 of 10)

A Clockwork Orange(1971) was a revolutionary piece of cinema, and despite its age it is more relevant today than it was 30 years ago. Based on a book of the same name by Anthony Burgess the film follows Alex DeLarge, a British youth and young vandal, in freedom, in jail and after jail.

The film is divided into three distinct parts, before, during and after his incarceration. These parts are dynamically separated using film techniques. For example, in the first segment colours are widely used and the film is generally bright (this is used to ironic effect as the events of that same segment are violent and generally considered "dark" creating a reverse pathetic fallacy (for which there is apparently no term)) while in the second segment (where the protagonist is in prison) the colourful setting is replaced with shades of grey establishing a true pathetic fallacy. This mirrors the book's division into three parts which where originally written as separate books but where published in a single volume.

The film also raises serious questions about Britain's correctional system. While this questioning is not blatant it gives the film a purpose. I think this is in good taste. If the film where to simply follow a single character's life with simply the intent of documenting the said life, then the movie would probably lose pace and become uninteresting, but because the film is a vehicle for a political statement there is a clear reason to be watching it.

While A Clockwork Orange may not be up everyone's alley, it is a deep film. I would propose that it would be at home among other pieces such "Birth of a Nation" and perhaps even "Citizen Kane" not for it's similar content with those two works but for it's significance as a relevant film today as well as for it's foresight and it's being ahead of it's time