Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 September 2001

The chief suspect is Ricky Tan (Lone) who was responsible for the death of Lee’s father five years earlier.  Lee’s never been able to nail Tan, the head of the Triad gang, but this could be the opportunity if he can find hard evidence that he was responsible.  However Tan is killed by a female advisari, Hu Lu (Zhang) and the case flips upside down.  Just who is running the Triad and why were the secret service agents targeted?

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are two of the most limited actors in Hollywood.  Chan has few acting skills and is a glamorised stunt man.  Tucker is politically incorrect and his sarcastically negative sense of humour wears very thin.  Yet when working together, they pull out enough jokes and action to keep Rush Hour 2 on the tracks.  Standing out from the cast is Ziyi Zhang.  Having burst onto the scene with her award winning role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, her remarkable martial art skills have rocketed her to stardom - she’s awesome. 

It’s becoming a monotonous feature of all Chan movies but once again the funniest moment of the film are the out-takes shown during the closing credits.  The last two in particular (one involving a mobile phone and the other a reference to Rush Hour 3) easily gathered the most laughter from the audience.  Sure it’s nice to finish on a positive note but it illustrates that an actor’s ability to improvise is often overlooked in sticking strictly to a screenwriter’s script.

Yep it’s an old-fashioned action flick full of holes but its fun and much improved on the recent action line-up.  Remarkably similar to the original, it’ll please any who enjoyed Rush Hour 2’s predecessor.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 September 2001

The Fast And The Furious is 100% action and 0% story (what else did you expect?) but is so unbelievably over-the-top that chances are, you’ll like it anyway.  Dom Toretto (Diesel) is the top-dog in the world of drag racing.  He organises regular night races on the streets of L.A. and his reputation is deserved - he’s never beaten.  Brian Spilner (Walker) is a young hot head who has foolishly pink slipped his car in a match race against Dom and found himself on the losing end.  However when police raid the activities, Brian’s daring driving saves Dom from certain arrest and a “friendship” between them is formed.

Frankly, there isn’t much more to tell.  The story follows no logic, makes no sense and has holes larger than you could imagine.  But hey, from the trailers and advertising (which have been abundant over the past two weeks), that’s not why you’re going right?  I have never, and I repeat never, seen stunts and action performed to this extent.  Some car scenes stretch longer than 10 minutes and the constant revving, screeching and crashing is deafening.

It’s stunning from a visual perspective too.  Director Rob Cohen (Dragonheart, Daylight) has come up with some astounding camera angles and editing techniques to make it seem so real.  It literally is “edge of your seat” stuff.  At the screening I attended, cries of “holy shit” and more elaborate expletives were being spoken throughout.

Of the cast, Vin Diesel (Boiler Room) and Paul Walker (Varsity Blues) have the testosterone charged personalities to match the film’s tone.  Michelle Rodriguez (Girlfight) and Jordanna Brewster (The Faculty) play their respective love interests but are second fiddle to our two rev heads.

The Fast And The Furious has been the surprise hit of the American summer.  It was originally slated for an early 2001 release but phenomenal test screenings caused Universal to take a big chance and open it opposite Eddie Murphy’s Dr. Dolittle 2 and Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider in the peak season.  Shot for just $38m, the film recouped its cost in less than 72 hours and grossed a total of $142m.

In a year of blockbusters filled with computer animation and special effects, it’s nice to see good old fashioned stunts making a comeback.  If you’re going to do it, do it in style and that’s exactly what they’ve done.  I imagine nothing could be done to top this but I’m sure studios are already launching a full scale attack to surpass it (and cash in too).

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 September 2001

Based on the novel by Meg Cabot, The Princess Diaries could also be called a teen adaptation of My Fair Lady.  Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway) is the “ugly duckling” with her frizzy hair, big glasses and noticeable braces.  She wants to be popular and wants the heart of the school’s sporting heartthrob Josh (Detten) but doing so has made her oblivious to the affections from her best friend’s brother, Michael (Robert Schwartzman).

Out of the blue, Mia gets a call from her grandmother (Andrews) whom she has never met.  Meeting for tea, Mia a bombshell is dropped.  Her grandmother is Queen Clarisse Renaldi of Genevoia which makes Mia a princess and since her father’s death, the sole heir to the throne.  One can imagine the shock but the Queen’s revelation is understood when Mia is told she must decide whether she will move to Genevoia to take on her princess responsibilities.

When the media catch wind of a princess living in San Francisco, Mia is headline news and the envy of all at her school.  Combined with a beautifying makeover, Josh finally gives her the attention she deserves but has popularity changed the real Mia?

The fictitious story is harebrained and predictable but the occasional funny line adds spice.  Five minutes in, I knew how the film would end and I’m sure most of the young teenagers in the audience were the same.  Fluffy Disney films are ideal entertainment for such an audience but I’m so frustrated by the incredibly safe line they take.  Ultimately, these “fairy tale” films are all the same.

Having not seen Julie Andrews on screen for some time, her selection of this project and subsequent performance was questionable.  I expected more than a poncy British accent and quaint sense of humour.  Looking back, none of the cast left a lasting impression.

It’s not my kind of film so I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt but don’t go to The Princess Diaries expecting anything more than the usual Disney shtick.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 September 2001

Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez (Banderas and Gugino) were the best spies in the business until they retired, married and began a family nine years ago.  Their kids, Carmen (Vega) and Juni (Sabara) know nothing of their parents past and think of them as “uncool”.  Both have their own problems at school but they’ll prove insignificant when their parents come out of retirement for an old friend and are kidnapped by Fegan Floop (Cumming), a television star creating a robotic army to take over the world.

Carmen and Juni are transported to their parents’ secret hide-out where they learn how much has been kept from them.  Using the varied fancy inventions their parents have developed, the two know it is up to them to rescue them, stop Floop and save the day.

I was disappointed with the simplicity of Spy Kids.  Sure it’s a kids film but with a wide variety of stars (including Banderas, Cumming, Tony Shalhoub and Robert Patrick) I thought it’d have a more adult undertone.  There’s lots of cool action scenes with fun special effects but I’m sure more could have been made of the story (especially considering how impressive some recent family flicks have been).

So take the kids and prepare for hyperactivity (plenty of kids were jumping with excitement in my screening).  Don’t expect the same satisfaction from yourself.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 September 2001

Unexpectedly, he is contacted by a nutty gentleman named Preston B. Whitmore who knew his grandfather long ago.  Fulfilling an old promise he made, Preston has found a large ship, a crew of over 200 and Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke to escort Milo to a history making journey.  Sure enough, they find the lost city but it’s everything they didn’t expect.  People are still alive deep beneath the surface and the eternal life provided by a mysterious energy source keeps the city flourishing.  The arrival of these visitors from the upworld thought may threaten their existence...

By most standards, the film is poor but by Disney’s standards, it’s very poor.  You can bank on Walt’s company generating a big animated classic every summer but the quality is slipping with the increased competition.  For example, the opening scene contains subtitles and is a ridiculous way to start a film aimed at young kids.

The story is deep and spiritual which again seems beyond its target audience.  There were moments when even I couldn’t understand what the film was trying to say (such as the scene where Kida is filled by the Gods’ light).  I’m always for originality but the lukewarm box-office emphasises the disappointment enveloping this film.  Atlantis: The Lost Empire is also unfunny.  A few humorous lines come early on from the boat’s sarcastic announcer, Miss Packard, but there’s little else that’ll get those jaw muscles working (except for the popcorn).

Save yourself the trouble these school holidays and give the kids something more entertaining to pass the time (try Spy Kids).  As for Disney, they better get back to the drawing board.