Good movies

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[edit] star_full.gif star_full.gif star_full.gif star_half.gif star_empty.gif The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0760329/

Saw on: 2007-12-25

[edit] The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

http://imdb.com/title/tt0265666/

It's a really weird movie about a very strange and fairly dysfunctional family.

It could be salvageably decent if the offensive content were removed -- "Rated R for some language, sexuality/nudity and drug content.".

http://imdb.com/title/tt0265666/. Retrieved on 2007-05-11 11:18.

Disbarred and suddenly kicked out of a hotel room he's occupied for years, Royal, accompanied constantly by his Lurch-like Middle Eastern manservant Pagoda (Kumar Pallana), decides he wants to make amends for his actions by attempting to reunite with his estranged brood...even if it means faking a terminal illness. And that's when this delight of a movie really takes off.

However, things have changed during the 17 years Royal was separated from his family. The children have reached adulthood and are shadows of their former selves. Chas (Ben Stiller), constantly bedecked in red jogging suits - and black for funerals - is a widower with two young boys. Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), complete with a Wednesday Addams-style blank glare, is married to a much older man, human study author Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray), and she spends six hours a day locked in her bathroom staring listlessly at the TV. Due to a childhood accident, she now has nine and a half fingers. Richie (Luke Wilson), following a humiliating burnout during a televised match, has become a recluse, travelling the world by ship and communicating only through telegrams. Meanwhile, Ethel is engaged to accountant Henry Sherman (Danny Glover), a Teddy bear in a blue suit. Oh, and Richie just happens to be infatuated with his sister Margot.

The well-paced screenplay by Anderson and Owen Wilson (who also has a supporting role as drug-addicted, self-absorbed Western author Eli Cash) does a great job of fleshing out each of the main characters, and as a result, viewers will empathize with some of them, no matter their motives. Although it's not an outright knee-slapping laugh fest, one of "Tenenbaums'" best selling points is its aspect of physical comedy, which actually provides more laughs than the spoken variety and adds to scenes instead of bogging them down, as opposed to random, pointless acts of slapstick that do nothing to advance the plot. The outrageous is turned into the subtle, and the results are hysterical moments such as Cash unexpectedly walking off the set of a talk show, Royal attempting to inject a little delinquency into Chas' straight-arrow boys, plus the funniest moment in the film: Richie's embarrassing swan song on the tennis court. Just imagine, say, Pete Sampras helplessly flinging his racket at his opponent's serve or removing his shoes and socks and sitting forlornly on the ground.

...

Throughout the film, nutty covers of books scribed by family members over time randomly pop up and cover the entire screen like wallpaper. In fact, the entire movie is played out much like a book, complete with occasional "chapter introductions" preceding cuts to different scenes. The opening credits are shown in an impossible-to-ignore bold font that nearly usurps the screen.

Although the aforementioned physical comedy is a hoot, the verbal is definitely no slouch. The snappy dialogue is full of witty one-liners, such as Royal's innovative use of adverbs when he describes Chas' late wife as "a terribly attractive woman." When Margot informs Ethel that she's been a smoker for 22 years, Ethel calmly replies, "I think you should quit." It's a no-brainer to say that the acting is through the roof. For such a large cast, there is a striking chemistry among the actors as they become so immersed in their onscreen personalities. In turn, the script is effective at balancing these roles out. Although Hackman is undoubtedly the star of the show, the other family members are given their time in the spotlight, and they are just as memorable as a result.

The execution of the diverse soundtrack helps set the mood for both humorous and foreboding moments, from the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday" to film composer Mark Mothersbaugh's inspirational cover of the Beatles' "Hey Jude." [...]

[...] "The Royal Tenenbaums" is a terrific film that is easily recommended for those who enjoy quirky, offbeat yet intellectual humor, or for those simply in need of a good laugh...heck, it's great viewing for any warm-blooded human being, for that matter.

[edit] Casino Royale (2006)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381061/

In his first mission, James Bond must stop Le Chiffre, a banker to the world's terrorist organizations, from winning a high-stakes poker tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro.

[edit] Joe Dirt (2001)

http://imdb.com/title/tt0245686/

http://imdb.com/title/tt0245686/

David Spade stars as Joe Dirt, an idiot who works as an oil weller who is on the search for his parents who abandoned him when he was a baby at the grand canyon.

[1]

Joe Dirt is a janitor with a mullet hairdo, acid-washed jeans and a dream to find the parents that he lost at the Grand Canyon when he was a belligerent, trailer park-raised eight-year-old. [...] The irrepressibly optimistic Joe hits the road alone in search of his folks. As his wandering, misguided search takes him from one hilarious misadventure to another, Joe finds his way to Los Angeles, where a shock-jock brings Joe on his radio show to insult him. But as Joe's life story unfolds, jeers turn to cheers, and an entire captivated city tunes in to hear the adventures of Joe Dirt.

[2]

L.A., where a shock jock DJ (Dennis Miller) targets Joe as the butt of his show. But Joe's plucky spirit encourages listeners to cheer him on and help him find a better family than the one he thought he wanted.

Would be even better if it weren't for...

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for crude and sex-related humor, and for language.

[edit] Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325258/

[3]

A silly comedy starring David Spade as a former child star who "hires" a family in order to give himself a real childhood experience so he can nab a new part in a Rob Reiner movie. The premise is as silly as you can get but it does have some fun jokes involving quite a number of former child actors from the 70s and 80s [...].

Would be even better if it weren't for...

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for crude and sex-related humor, language and drug references.

[edit] Galaxy Quest (1999)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177789/

[edit] 7 Zwerge [7 Dwarves] (2004)

[Comedy (category)][Fairy tales (category)][German films (category)]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382295/

[edit] Chariots of Fire (1981)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082158/

"FlickJunkie-2" on http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082158/

I enjoy sports films, especially when they are used to exemplify greater human truths. In that regard `Chariots of Fire' is one of my favorite sports films. What differentiates this film is that it is really a human story about sports rather than a pure sports story. Based on a true story, it centers on two gifted athletes and their quest to run in the 1924 Olympics. The first is Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a haughty sprinter with an obsession for winning. Abrahams, who is Jewish, is a man with something to prove, mostly to himself. His rival is Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), the first man to ever beat him in a sprint. Liddell is a devout Christian and runs for the glory of God.

[edit] Simon Birch (1998)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0124879/

[edit] Keeping the Faith (2000)

About figuring out what's important in life, friendships, and faiths. A love triangle is involved, but it has a fairly good resolution. The characters are entertaining and the way the rabbi and priest try to push the envelope a bit at their congregations is fun as well. There are some sex scenes which are completely inappropriate and should be removed before watching.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0171433/

[edit] Pride & Prejudice (2005)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414387/

[edit] The Wild (2006)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405469/

[edit] The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120917/

[edit] Ice Age: The Meltdown

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0438097/

[edit] The Pacifier

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395699/

[edit] Conspiracy Theory

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118883/

[edit] Herbie Rides Again

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071607/

[edit] The Three Musketeers

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108333/

[edit] A Few Good Men

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104257/

[edit] 12 Angry Men

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050083/

[edit] The Great Race

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059243/

[edit] A Knight's Tale

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183790/

[edit] First Knight

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113071/

[edit] Far and Away

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104231/

[edit] Rain Man

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/

[edit] Top Gun

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092099/

[edit] Canadian Bacon

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109370/

[edit] Spider-Man 2

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0316654/

[edit] Star Trek

...

[edit] Mission: Impossible

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117060/

[edit] Mission: Impossible 2

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120755/

[edit] Apollo 13

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112384/

[edit] Cast Away

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/

[edit] The Princess Bride

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/

[edit] Bowling for Columbine

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310793/

[edit] My Fair Lady

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058385/

[edit] The Waterboy

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120484/

[edit] The Game

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119174/

[edit] Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120915/

[edit] Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121765/

[edit] Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121766/

[edit] Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/

[edit] Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080684/

[edit] Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086190/

[edit] Mr. Deeds

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280590/

[edit] Meet the Fockers

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290002/

[edit] Speed (1994)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111257/

[edit] Nine Months

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113986/

[edit] Erin Brockovich

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0195685/

[edit] Finding Nemo

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266543/

[edit] Edward Scissorhands

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099487/

[edit] Babette's Feast

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092603/

Plot summary: In 19th century Denmark, two adult sisters live in an isolated village with their father, who is the honored pastor of a small Protestant church that is almost a sect unto itself. Although they each are presented with a real opportunity to leave the village, the sisters choose to stay with their father, to serve to him and their church. After some years, a French woman refugee, Babette, arrives at their door, begs them to take her in, and commits herself to work for them as maid/housekeeper/cook. Sometime after their father dies, the sisters decide to hold a dinner to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth. Babette experiences unexpected good fortune and implores the sisters to allow her to take charge of the preparation of the meal. Although they are secretly concerned about what Babette, a Catholic and a foreigner, might do, the sisters allow her to go ahead. Babette then prepares the feast of a lifetime for the members of the tiny church and an important gentleman related to one of them.

[edit] Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291032/

[edit] The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305396/

Genre: Adventure / Comedy

Plot summary: Aussie adventurer Steve Irwin aka The Crocodile Hunter has avoided the death-roll and nabbed another feisty croc, hoping to save it from poachers. What Steve doesn't know is that the crocodile has innocently swallowed a top secret US satellite beacon, and the poachers are actually American special agents sent to retrieve it. Crikey! In the Outback and through the bush with his wife Terri's ever-present commentary ringing out over the countryside ("That was a close one, Steve!"), the Crocodile Hunter is out to save the gorgeous croc and relocate him. It won't be easy, but if he can handle bird-eating spiders and venomous snakes without getting bitten, gun-wielding agents shouldn't be too much of a problem.

[edit] A Wedding for Bella

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281680/

[edit] Alex & Emma

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318283/

[edit] Dead Poets Society

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097165/

[edit] The Perfect Score

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314498/

[edit] Rules of Engagement

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160797/

[edit] Equilibrium

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/

Plot summary: In a futuristic world, a strict regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Cleric John Preston (Bale) is a top ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist the rules. Whe he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it.

[edit] Stealth

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382992/

[edit] The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371724/

[edit] I, Robot

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343818/

[edit] Enemy of the State

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120660/

[edit] Shrek 2

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298148/

[edit] Shrek 3

...

[edit] Full Metal Jacket

...

[edit] What Women Want

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0207201/

[edit] Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0205000/

[edit] The Santa Clause 2

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0304669/

[edit] About Schmidt

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0257360/

[edit] What About Bob?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103241/

[edit] About a Boy

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276751/

Plot summary: Based on Nick Hornby's popular British novel, About A Boy is a comedy-drama starring Hugh Grant as Will, a rich, child-free and irresponsible Londoner in his thirties who, in search of available women, invents an imaginary son and starts attending single parent meetings. As a result of one of his liaisons, he meets Marcus, an odd 12-year-old boy with problems at school. Gradually, Will and Marcus become friends, and as Will teaches Marcus how to be a cool kid, Marcus helps Will to finally grow up.

[edit] Seven Years in Tibet

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120102/

[edit] Troy

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332452/

[edit] Rob Roy

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114287/

[edit] Minority Report

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/

[edit] The Bourne Identity

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258463/

[edit] Mrs. Doubtfire

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107614/

[edit] The Final Cut

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364343/

[edit] Dodgeball

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364725/

[edit] Ever After

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120631/

[edit] A Gnome Named Gnorm

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109912/

[edit] Bruce Almighty

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0315327/

[edit] Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109040/

[edit] Who Framed Roger Rabbit

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096438/

[edit] Fried Green Tomatoes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101921/

[edit] Forrest Gump

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109830/

[edit] Black Hawk Down

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109830/

[edit] The Parent Trap

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120783/

[edit] A Beautiful Mind

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268978/

[edit] Mr. Holland's Opus

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113862/

[edit] The Rocketeer (1991)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102803/

[edit] Toy Story

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/

[edit] Toy Story 2

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120363/

[edit] Saving Private Ryan

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/

[edit] Schindler's List

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108052/

[edit] The Incredibles

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/

[edit] A Bug's Life

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120623/

[edit] Pretty Woman

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100405/

[edit] Dirty Dancing

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092890/

[edit] Night Crossing

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082810/

[edit] The Passion of the Christ

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335345/

[edit] Kate & Leopold

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035423/

Plot summary: Kate and her actor brother live in N.Y. in the 21st Century. Her ex-boy friend, Stuart, lives above her apartment and finds this space near the Brooklyn Bridge where there is a gap in time. He goes back to the eighteen hundreds and takes pictures of the place. Leopold, a man living in the 1870's, was puzzled by Stuart's tiny camera and decides to follow him and they both ended up in this century. Leopold is clueless about his new surroundings. He gets help and insights from Charlie who thinks that Leopold is an actor who is always in character. Leopold is a highly intelligent man and tries his best to learn and even improve the modern conveniences that he encounters.

[edit] Tristan + Isolde (2006)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375154/

Pretty violent and gory.

[edit] The Insider

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140352/

[edit] Gladiator

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/

[edit] Stealth

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382992/

[edit] Johnny English (2003)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274166/

[edit] El Bola (2000)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243794/

If you still don't know how repulsive and infuriating domestic violence can be, go and watch this movie. It also illustrates how frustratingly difficult it can be to try to help a child who is a victim of an abusive father.

[edit] Amélie (2001)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/

[edit] Rob Roy (1995)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114287/

[edit] It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)

"A veritable "Who's Who" of film comedy was assembled by director Stanley Kramer for this slapstick extravaganza. A group of strangers learns about $350,000 in hidden loot from a dying gangster and sets off on a madcap cross-country race to find it."

[edit] Citizen Kane (1941)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/

"Loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst."

[edit] The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)

http://imdb.com/title/tt0120483/

"He's on a mission so secret, even he doesn't know about it."

This film is a sort of comedy of errors in which an innocent man is drawn into an international conspiracy that he has no clue is going on around him because his brother, in order to get him away from his dinner party, decides to treat him to a performance of a play in which the viewer is part of the show.

Little does Wally Ritchie realize what he has gotten into. That's the basic premise for the film, which works well because Wally doesn't suspect what he's involved in. So he goes along for the fun of it, thinking nothing about the bad guys that are trying to get rid of him, for real.

Murray stars as a bumbling, clueless American who pops into London unexpected and uninvited so his Master of the Universe brother can celebrate his birthday. Trouble is the brother and his wife are entertaining visitors from Germany for a business presentation and Murray can't fit in. His brother has to make him disappear for the evening.

Which leads to the complex plot. Given a ticket for a live, interactive, TV show without walls (or a specific locale), Murray stumbles into a plot by a top British spymaster and his Soviet counterpart to pull off a midnight assassination of two ambassadors, thus wrecking a treaty ending the Cold War (and their lucrative, paranoia-tinged careers). Believing he's in a very big show, and with - of course - suitable and gorgeous female assistance he hits a lot of London (sometimes literally).

[...] Hey, I shouldn't get serious and neither does Murray as he blunders about dispatching assassins and bystanders with ease.

This is a very physical comedy, Murray's forte. There isn't a serious idea in the script and the outcome is as predictable as May drizzle in London.

Bill Murray pulls off something that hadn't been done since the days of Harold Lloyd: a character who always succeeds despite the fact that he thinks that everything is a game. Like Lloyd's blindfolded wanderings on suspended buildings many stories in the air where he never falls down or gets hurt, Murray triumphs as a super-secret-agent when he thinks the entire thing is a parlor game, a bit of 'real life theatre'. The twists and turns of the plot, the misunderstandings and misinterpretations by everyone around him just add to the giddiness of the whole film.

The plot is mush and even if you take it seriously, all the pieces don't fit together and the plot doesn't make a lot of sense. However ignore all this plot nonsense – this is all about Wally stumbling from one misunderstanding to another lucky occurrence. We're not in the realms of classic comedy here and it certainly isn't hilarious. Rather it's funny and enjoyable – in that, even when I wasn't smiling I still had a fixed grin on my face.

Murray is the film's saviour. He stumbles around so very well and makes even the most basic misunderstanding funny.

This a great parody of Secret Agent movies. Murry plays a dim wit who is given a chance to act in a crime drama but instead becomes involved in an assassination attempt aimed at starting up the Cold War again. Murry thinks that he is playing in an experimental drama while accidentally acting like a super secret agent.

The main character, Wallace, is so stupid that it is almost painful to watch at times. But if one can endure it through to the end, it really is pretty funny, if improbable.

[edit] Night at the Museum (2006)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477347/

For the first 20 minutes or so, I thought it was pretty stupid and didn't think I would enjoy it. But I warmed up to it. It's pretty unrealistic and kidsy a lot of the time, but there are lots of fun and funny things in the movie. Unlikely, but that's partly what makes it fun. Definitely more of a kids movie. I did learn a tiny, tiny bit of history from it. I thought the special effects, especially with the tiny people, were neat.

[edit] Terms of Endearment (1983)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086425/

Key phrases: clashing of 2 strong wills (Aurora, Emma), dysfunctional family, irritating mother Aurora, Emma raising kids without much help of not-very-good-father Flap (reminds me of The Prizewinner), dying of cancer, death of a mother

[edit] East is East (1999)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166175/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166175/. Retrieved on 2007-05-11 11:18.

`East is East,' something of a modern day version of `Fiddler on the Roof,' explores the culture clash that occurs in the context of a half Pakistani/half British family living in early 1970's England. George Khan is a Muslim who, upon immigrating to Great Britain in 1937, married a British woman despite the fact that his first wife still lives in Pakistan. Now, twenty five years later, the still happily married couple lives in a small apartment with their daughter and six sons all of whom have been raised to honor their father's religion and traditions. Yet, like Tevye, George is suddenly confronted with the fact that, as times change and the world moves on, the younger generation will no longer abide by the archaic rituals of an ancient age. In many ways, this is the flip side of `Fiddler' in that here the reluctant marriage partners are sons and not daughters. For indeed, George's ultimate goal in life is to arrange marriages for his teenaged sons within the accepted tradition of the Muslim faith. But culture is often a force that parents try in vain to withstand and these children, raised in the far more open and liberated society of `mod' England, are not about to take such dictatorial parental control lying down.

Warning: Rated R


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