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Showing posts with label made for tv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label made for tv. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Movie Review # 50 Raptor Island (2004)


Release: 2004
Director: Stanley Isaacs http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0410570/
Writer: Dean Widenmann http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1173520/
Cast:
Lorenzo Lamas http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001444/
Steven Bauer http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000874/
Haley DuMond http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0241611/


Ratings:
Rotten Tomatoes: 13% Audience http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/raptor_island/
IMDb: 2.4/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401742/
Netflix: 2.5 Stars 


Review:
If there is one gleaming light about this movie blog. It is that Sy-Fy formally Sci Fi Movies. Will always give me at least two to three new films a month for me to review. Not that a single one of them will be enjoyable beyond the fact that they themselves are torture devices or prime pickings for your own Mystery Science Theater 3000 night of enjoyment. Even then if you are that depraved of a life and have to resort to these movies for enjoyment you are missing something in your life.

Hell I am missing something as I am watching these. It is called a brain as I had to shut it off just to make it through. In a cumulative onslaught bad acting, worse writing and special effects that deserve a mantle as some of the worst in history. It is up to the individual on what is the most heinous. I just can not pick just one as they are all equally awful. The story alone is something where you must shut your brain down. A airplane from China goes down with American nuclear waste.

Which causes a chain reaction on the island. As the animals mutate into dinosaurs in less than forty years. Brought on by the incubation of volcano. This sounds more like a video game than a movie doesn't it? Honestly it would have been a better game as the movie plays out like one. Complete with cheesy set pieces of the raptors surrounding the main cast. Only for them to shoot their way out. But never really seem to run out of ammo. Hell they can't even shoot straight as they spray bullets all across the screen and barely hit anything.

None of these moments is more heinous than the end of the film. Where a trained Navy Seal can not shoot a man who is 15 feet away. Seriously? Well it is Lorenzo Lamas I am sure that man shoots blanks in bed as well. If he can even get it up with out the help of Viagra. Even as I say that this movie could have used Viagra from start to finish it is plagued by slowdowns, bad editing and even worse transitioning.

I know it was made for tv. But seriously there is no excuse for hard cuts and having action that leads to nothing. That or even scenes that have no rhythmic reason to follow each other. As if you missed a transitional scene all because you had to make sure it fit into your block time. That 30 seconds of footage would have been more beneficial than what you presented us. Which is a a how to guide bad film making.

I harp and harp on these things. It is just that movies are art and when you see art abused you feel bad for it. Just like video games you see where it could have been and gone. Sadly they just go the opposite and make a awful autricity of a film. Sadly this is Hollywood and this is Sy Fy. Who in all intent and purposes has lost their way. As they push for more reality television and wrestling.

But that is just how life is these days. When you can fill your coffers with cheap entertainment and not have to worry about television shows or making bad films like this. Then you should jump on it. Sadly though they still make these and for every Tin Man or Alice there are a Sherlock Holmes and a Raptor Island. But that is just a stretch I would say its a 10 to 1 bad movies to good movies for Sy Fy.

My Rating: .5/5 Stars



Monday, April 18, 2011

Movie Review # 49 The Gunfighter's Pledge (2008)


Release: 2008
Director: Armand Mastroianni http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0557857/
Writer: Jim Byrnes http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126327/
Cast:
Luke Perry http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000580/
C. Thomas Howell http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001367/
Kim Coates http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167649/


Ratings:
Rotten Tomatoes: 17% Audience http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1195618-pledge/
IMDb: 5.4/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1146439/
Netflix: 3.2 Stars


Review:
The Gunfighter's Pledge or as it is found most often The Pledge. Is a made for TV Western for the Hallmark Channel. But unlike most made for TV movies this one surprised me by not being totally worthless and showed that on occasion no matter the cookie cutter movie. That they can have a heart and soul even it is barely registrable which this film is.

For what this movie is worth. The acting wasn't bad and had enough cheese on it make you smile. The writing could have come from a country song. Sheriff loses his family, set's out for revenge. Accidently kills a man looking for help and returns the body to the ranch. Then decides to stay and falls in love. Yep that sounds like a country song or at the very least a daytime serial for a made for TV movie which this. I honestly can not complain about this at all.

It was not entirely entertaining and the end of the movie is a huge let down. But that is just how TV movies go. Well I need say that is how westerns go as they usually either have a giant climatic scene or they choose to wimp out. Then one wimped out and fizzled. Not enough though for fans of westerns to skip. Which I am and with the lack of real westerns coming to the big screen finding even a half way decent one like this is a God send.

Now my only wish is that more westerns where made. I just do not see it happening and as such when I get to whet my appetite on films like these. I should and shall and never hope for the best. At least everything was shot properly and they had a wonderful set. So all in all it is just decent and fun. Long live those cowboys of the wild wild west.

My Rating: 2.5/5 Stars