Reviews (663)

Watch Out For That Wascally Wabbit...
Donnie Darko has quickly become one of my all time favorite movies. How can I describe it? It is strange, dark (of course), cool, mysterious, enigmatic, scary, funny, serious, sarcastic, bleak yet hopeful, mystical, and even charming. Jake Gyllenhaal is Donnie, who is absolutely believable no matter what he says or does. Time travel? No problem! A seven-foot rabbit named Frank who predicts the end of the world in 28 days? No problem! Donnie's earnestness is mesmerizing. The rest of the cast is an incredible ensemble of big stars in small, crucial roles. Drew Barrymore (E.T., The Wedding Singer, Charlies Angels) plays the only teacher in Donnie's school who seems to realize that what's being passed off as an "education" is actually a long, dull course in mind-numbing mediocrity (hmmm... sounds like my highschool). Noah Wyle (ER) is the science teacher who has wild theoretical conversations with Donnie about time travel, then cuts him off competely when Donnie asks if God might be involved. Donnie's mom is played by Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves, Grand Canyon). She loves him while being frustrated and afraid of his condition. Katharine Ross (The Graduate, The Stepford Wives) is Donnie's psychiatist, trying to probe his mind and help him. Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing) plays Jim Cunningham, tele-guru and local self-help author, who is exposed by Donnie (and Frank) for who / what he REALLY is. Jena Malone is Donnie's new girlfriend Gretchen. She's got problems enough of her own. Together, this cast of characters orbits perfectly around Donnie's dark center of gravity. Do not expect the typical hollywood bucket of swill here! Donnie Darko took actual thought to create. It's style and story are unique. I had never even heard of it due to a less than half-hearted ad campaign (I'm a TV addict, yet saw not one DD commercial). I just happened to see the DVD on the shelf and took a chance. You should too...

Gyllenhaal is outstanding in this haunting film
How to describe "Donnie Darko," the dark psychological drama written and directed by Richard Kelly? After seeing it I thought of the film as a sort of "Ordinary People" meets "Being John Malkovich," with a touch of "Pi" and "American Beauty" thrown in. But ultimately that equation is unfair; "Donnie" is, in the end, a true original.

The film takes place in 1988. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the title character: a troubled, sleepwalking teenager who has recurring, frightening visions. Donnie is a quest to understand the forces that are affecting his life and sanity.

Gyllenhaal's outstanding performance helps to hold the film together. He is a quirky, offbeat leading man; at times frightening, at times appealingly vulnerable. Gyllenhaal's work is superbly complemented by that of an eclectic ensemble cast which includes Katharine Ross, Drew Barrymore, and Noah Wyle. I was particularly impressed by Patrick Swayze's turn as a creepy, oily motivational speaker.

"Donnie" defies genre classification. It blends together elements of serious family drama, 80s period piece, horror, satire, and science fiction. In a sense, it is a deconstruction of the whole 80s teen movie genre. The script makes intriguing use of 80s pop culture.

"Donnie" has scenes of weirdness and absurdity, and is often punctuated by bizarre dialogue and strange, frightening imagery. And there are some really moving scenes that tap into the universal experience of human loneliness and the need for love. If there was ever a movie that had all the elements to make it a cult classic, it's the haunting "Donnie Darko."

Undoubted young talent produces pretentious film-making
I have high hopes for Richard Kelly as his talent, ideas, motivation, enthusiasm and everything you need for a good career in directing is evident in this movie.

Sadly, this time around, its a painful experience for the viewer, unless you are so into puzzles, sci-fi, symbolism and finding out what a movie means AFTER watching it that you can forgive what is, after all, really poor storytelling.

Hint - A really good movie doesn't need multiple websites stacked with backstory and explanations.

And, as usual, its all the fault of the script, which isn't a film script at all. Its a / Philosophy/ Religiousy / Science Fictiony puzzle (although I left out a few things there). This puzzle unfolds as a series of vignettes masquerading as scenes, related by Kelly's 'themes' but little else.

The majority of the characters are little more than pawns whose job is just to move the puzzle plot on... nice..... and.......... slowly (with the odd music montage and cute-dialogue sketch thrown in, as if they were ad breaks).

The main character was ok and most of the actors did well with what little they had to work with, but the MAJORITY of them should have been cut from the finished film, they are so redundant.

There is no drive in the film and little sense of progression. We know loosely what the main character is ultimately facing, but never immediately so there is never any sense of anticipation, suspense, hope or fear for the viewer. We are simply passed more information and explanations to debate and question later with our fellow sci-fi-symbol buffs.

I'm not saying you sit there waiting for things to happen because things do happen (to be fair some of the "scenes" are entertaining in their own way). But you do sit there waiting for a STORY to develop so you can start experiencing something (which is what we pay our money for, isn't it?).

But there is no drama, no connection and NO STORY.

All you get is a cool song and a plot twist (explained). Some people are happy with that I guess

Lagomorph Odyssey
The young Richard Kelly, director of this film, graduated from USC Film School in 1997. This was his first feature film. He has spun a dark multi-layered vision, part dramatic comedy, part science fiction, part fantasy and allegory. The movie almost needs to be classified as three genres stirred gently. He set the world of the film as autumn 1988. It is, in part, a story of adolescent teenae angst, the familiar turf of a John Hughes project, but actually it is more like John Hughes meets David Lynch meets Steven Spielberg. Kelly has put several interesting twists into the high school yarn. It is like a hip FERRIS BEULLER'S DAY OFF.

Jake Gyllenhaal, from MIDNIGHT MILE & OCTOBER SKY, played Donnie Darko brilliantly. He was a young man smarter than his teachers, his parents, and his friends. An intrepid curious lad who could ask those questions very few wanted to answer. He is a kid who is being treated for mental illness, even though he may not have been clincially ill. He was outspoken, outrageous, and socially boorish...like most smart teenagers. Roger Ebert wrote," Donnie is appealingly smart yet sarcastic, more quixotic than eccentric, more curious than frightened.

The film's prologue is bang on target. A bright sunrise on dark foothills, suddenly interrupted in the frame by the insertion of the black silhousette of a young man's head. Donnie Darko, there on the hard ground near his bicycle, far from home. After he cycles home, his arrival is treated as familiar behavior; sleep sojourns, adventurous forays into the darkness. That very next night, we witness him roused from his slumber by someone calling his name. He slips outside and we meet the presence that has beckoned him...a medium longshot of someone in a rabbit suit...someone named Frank. But this rabbit, tall as HARVEY, is not a benign companion. Its face is twisted into a demonic death mask. With Darko away from the house, we see an accident happening. Something has fallen out of the night sky, and crashed directly into Donnie's bedroom; a 707 jet engine. If he had been there when the engine came acallin', he would have died instantly. Frank sends Donnie off to do devilish chores; flooding the school, and burning down a house.

Nothin is linear or logical in Darko's dreamlike world. His parents are too understanding. His new girlfriend, Jena Malone, is really too easy to get to know. Physical laws, like an axe being buried in a bronze statue, are tweaked and violated. The film can only approach some level of cohesiveness if one is able to conjure up a premise, a through line. For me, most of the characters presented are probably actually a part of Donnie's
"real" life, but as they were mostly presented in the bulk of the narrative, they were peopling his "dream" life. One possible explication for the whiplash lunges from drama to comedy to satire to science fiction and fantasy, was that most of the film's narrative occurred from the time Donnie was awakened in his bed, either by Frank's voice, or the faint sound of the 707 engine whistling and plummeting down toward his bedroom. Time was compressed, like in THE INCIDENT AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE on the Twilight Zone, a sort of Alice through the Looking Glass dream squeezed into those precious elongated seconds.

This film poses more questions than it offers answers for. There are theories that we, as spiritual entities, can sustain more than one version of our "Self" in parallel dimensions similtaneously. Somehow, it seemed that Donnie called on one of his alternate selves to swing through those last few brief moments, those seconds that stretched out into 30 days. Perhaps time is relative, and does not exist on the other side. I think this movie requires several viewings to begin to be fully appreciated. It is an original vision, bizarre yet strangely familiar, and immediate with it's punch to the emotional gut. It is eccentric, yet appealing.

AMAZING
i didn't know a movie could change your life, 'till i saw donnie darko. this movie is stunning, it grabs you, i highly reccommend it. unbelievable soundtrack too, gary jules, joy division, echo in the bunnymen, 5 stars. see it. ... Read more

Reviews (663)

Brilliant film
Fortunately people that were NOT smart enough to understand this movie were smart enough to write a review. That's definately a positive note! This movie is absolutely brilliant and is one of the best movies ever made. Definately give this movie a chance if you're interested. I believe that the people that gave this movie bad reviews either:
A) Didn't like the title thus not giving it a chance.
B) Don't pick up on themes and would rather find appeal to Beavis and Butthead.
C) Wanted something to complain about thus using this movie.

Like no other film ever made........simply brilliant
I had seen it in the theater when it was released and had to go back to see it again. Being a fan of time travel movies, this was that and even more as I discovered. Along with another great time paradox movie 12 Monkeys, I have my own copies of both films. Like 12 Monkeys, it's one of these pictures you can see over and over and find something you missed. I will add that the casting is brilliant in Donnie D (like 12 Monkeys), as the actors chosen to play these characters exhibit the perfect amount of quirkiness that was needed for their roles for the film to work, in the way it does. All the elements of the film that were employed together, time travel, teen angst (as controlled by PROZAC, an accepted practice for just about any ailment today), the "political correctness" of the 80's (including the accurate 88' election timeline between Democratic hopeful Dukakis and Republican G. Bush senior, when many banked on and hoped a Dukakis win would have ended the Reagan/Bush era that still haunts us even today with our current Pres G.Dubya Bush), the music, disillusionment, hope, innocence, spirituality, horror and love all combined and interwoven into the story are what make this film this what it is. This perfectly accurate snapshot of the October 1988 timeline used in the film as the backdrop are what makes and gives this film the feel it has. Understand that October 1988 was the specific point in time selected for this movie for a reason and needs to be noted. Imagine where our country would be today if Dukakis had won.

Another note I wanted to make was that this movie was realeased in theaters on October 26th, 2001, just 6 weeks after September 11th attack. This was the first film I went to see after the attack. The jet engine falling into the house in the film was very ironic in it's timing to a current major world changing event and the realese date of the film. It shook everyone up in the theater including me. The audience I'm sure like me thought immedietly of the planes hitting the twin towers, the death and destruction that was played over and over in the news and film footage. Just the image of this falling jet engine out of the sky crashing into the house in this film alone was very powerful, and the fact that it happened to be this now dark "symbol of terror" in both the film and in real life, post 9/11. This "symbol of terror" was just one of the objects we had been seeing everynite for weeks on our TV screens crashing out of the second Twin Tower and onto the streets of New York on 9/11, and was now being used in this film I was seeing just after the attack was chillingly ironic. It was chilling to see this scene playing out on the big screen just weeks after being witness to one of the darkest events in our countries present history. It had a very powerful impact.

This event happens somewhat early in the film and is THE pivitol event to the storyline. In the theaters after the crash thundered through the theater in Dolby THX surround sound with 1000 watts, the audience was so captivated from that point on that you could hear a pindrop between lines of diologue. The 9/11 event did influence my first perception of this movie and perhaps the impact it has had on me since. It made me THINK. I then began to wonder, what if DUKAKIS was actualy elected? Would we have been attacked? It was a very weird coincidence this movies release coinsided with one of the worst events in American history, and that a part of the storyline happened to capture another period of time that could have changed it all. Quite a revalation I had watching this film that day in the theater. I walked out of the theater stunned. By the way, I did vote for Dukakis, adding to the irony.

October, 1988 was a pretty weird time and so was October, 2001. So coincidently it had to be a weird movie. Right?

Donnie D is provocative. For those who did not like the film, look up the definition of provocative.

For those who may not "get" the movie, your were'nt supposed to. It's only supposed to "get" you to think. So if you didn't "get" the movie.....perhaps the thinking part is hardest for you to "get".....and not the movie.

The fact that there are over 550 reviews on Amazon on this film as of 3/7/2004 reflects it's impact.

Another interesting point is that this was Drew Barrymore's own film companies very first release. She IS listed in the credits as "Executive Producer". She knew it was a brilliant concept and screenplay and wanted to be a part of it. She waived her usual acting fee just to be in it and play the part she wanted as one of the teachers. On the DVD extras, she shares her comments. Check it out.

Buyer Beware
I like suspense, horror, cult stuff etc. This film sucks. Plot is thin, filmmaking is high school; it is not a keeper. It is not even worth watching. I cannot believe anybody gave this a rating; your time is better spent watching a box of cheerios.

Cult Classic
Chuttup to all those people who don't like this movie! You should be eaten by Hungry Hungry Hippos. Okay just named two references to the movie and fans would know exactly what I mean! (And would call me a dork)

Like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or "Empire Records" (Damn the man, save the empire) Donnie Darko is another cult-classic film about or catering to Generation Y and Z--the generation who like to think, who speak fast and care more about others then themselves. (No offense, Generation X, its not your fault you were all products of the Me Me Me Eighties)

We're not sure *exactly* what the film is trying to say but all the themes are here--loneliness, being different, depression, dying, love, parents, future.

Donnie Darko escapes death when a demonic looking bunny tells him to get up and go out to a golf course, to prevent being crushed by a plane engine that falls out of nowhere...perhaps through a time travel barrier from the future...?

Things get just plain weird though, when he has imaginary dreams, the bunny tells him the world will end in 28 days (Perhaps not 'the world' but Donnie's world?) he sleepwalks and uncovers secrets of people in his town unintentionally (or intentionally...?) and people he loves get hurt.

Donnie is afraid of being alone. Especially of dying alone. But sometimes sacrifice is the only way to let the people you love live...and to never be alone.

Whatever your stance on this movie, it will keep you up all night.

Amazingly Strange and Enjoyable
This is one of those movies that simply requires a second viewing (and perhaps a third) before the true meaning can be seen clearly. However, that doesn't mean that the first time around is dull. This film is dark, twisted, funny, sad, well-acted, and, above all else, like nothing you've seen before, or will see again. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the title character seamlessly, which, considering the complexity and ultimate weirdness of Donnie, is a tremendous accomplishment. I loved the ending, and the way that all of the characters were a touch strange. Drew Barrymore did an excellent job at creating a meaningfull, in not large, character. The story line, and I mentioned, takes a severe twist at the end and is complicated throughout, but you'll love it the first time, even if some things are unclear until the next. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

The best of the late Chris Farley
Chris Farley stars as the goofy brother of Al Donnelly (Tim Matheson) who is a candidate for the governor of Washington state. Mike Donelly (Chris Farley) just can't stay out of trouble and he keeps unwillingly getting set up by not so good guys that want to use Mike to make his brother look bad as a candidate for governor. As a matter of fact, Mike gets in so much trouble that Al hires a worker (David Spade) to try and keep him out of trouble.

I've seen "Tommy Boy," "Black Sheep," and "Beverly Hills Ninja," and I have to say without a doubt that "Black Sheep" is my favorite of the three. It has a lot of parts that had me laughing real hard. It's a shame that Chris Farley died and that there won't ever be anymore great comedy movies that he's in. Whether you're one of his fans or not, if you like comedy movies, either watch or rent "Black Sheep." I would buy it if it was me, it's well worth it!

Funny!
I like Saturday Night Live and I like Chris Farley and David Spade who used to be on SNL and though Tommy Boy is my favorite of their movies I liked Black Sheep too and thought it was a really cute movie and it had scenes that were absolutely hilarious especially the scenes when they were out in the rural area. Tim Matheson is in this movie too and I have always liked him, he plays Chris Farley's politician brother and I thought he was great as were Chris Farley and David Spade. I highly recommend this delightful movie to fans of SNL, Chris Farley, David Spade, and Tim Matheson

I certainly laughed!
I must start this review by saying that I love David Spade and
Chris Farley* because they are just HILARIOUS together! This movie is about a man who is trying to make his brother win in the gubetorial election in the state of Washington, but the brother (played by Farley) is such an embarrassment that he is asked to keep down low and campaign in a county where there are forests everywhere with Spade. There are many laughs because of the two actors. I don't think it would be nearly as funny if any other two actors were picked for the parts. Worth a watch! A funny flick!

*it's so sad that he overdosed because he was a comedic legend. 33 is too young. There is a Chris Farley Foundation that educates you about drugs started by his family (chrisfarleyfoundation.org).

There Movie
This is the Best of there two Movies this one is classic entertainment and is Chris Farley at his best wich was great it was a very enjoyable movie.He was the Brother of the guy running for governor and was getting into lots of introuble.
Story 9 Acting 10 Directing 9 Action 10 Entertainment 10
Overall=48/50 wich is 96% This is a 5 star movie.

This is Highly recomended and maybe the Best of him and Sandler

AWESOME!
Chris Farley and David Space are awesome in this movie. Mike Donnelly can't seem to improve his brother Al's campaign for Washington governor at all. He just screws it up. That's where Spade comes in as Steve Dodds. Rural Washington towns are next on the list as Spade and Farley stir up trouble. Rock The Vote in Seattle is awesome too with Farley a little high on the stage.

Christine Ebersole as incumbant Governor Tracy is hillarious as the shrewd evil person she is to do anything dirty to win the campaign for herself.

"You all have been screwed by Governor Tracy, and now I'm going to screw her!" Mike Donnelly ... Read more

Amazon.com

One might reasonably expect Tomcats to be the Porky's of 2001: after all, it concerns a group of young, sexist morons and their fears and fantasies about young women. But Tomcats isn't quite as brain-dead as that, though it is phenomenally more neurotic. Jerry O'Connell plays one of two remaining bachelors within a group of wealthy pals who set aside a cash reward, years before, earmarked for the last among them to get married. O'Connell needs the money to pay off a gambling debt, but his problem is that the other bachelor is a horrendous pig (Jake Busey) unlikely ever to land a gal. A general mean-spiritedness flows through this wearying comedy, manifest in such ugly moments as watching someone's girlfriend run over by a golf cart and an excised, cancerous testicle kicked around hospital hallways. If you're looking for female flesh, however, forget it: Tomcats is far more driven to explore male nudity, while making equally naked today's masculine fears of impotence, mothers, and lesbians. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Three Little Words
Unfortunately, this movie came out at a time when a lot of very funny comedies were on the horizon (Heartbreakers, American Pie 2, Freddy Got Fingered, etc.), so, it didn't review as well as it would have. While it was not as over-the-top as American Pie 2, it does rank right up there. I didn't give it five stars because at times it seems to drag. All editorial and press reviews aside, this was a very good movie. At times, I would find myself almost coughing from laughing so hard.

Here's a synopsis: The movie begins with a group of friends who are very disillusioned, they are afraid of commitment and want to remain "Tomcats" forever. They all place money into a high-yield mutual fund in the mid-90's and thinking that it wouldn't be that big of deal leave it there to collect interest. Flash-forward to present day, the pot is now almost half a million dollars and there are only two unmarried guys left, Kyle (Gary Busey) and Michael (Jerry O'Connell). While at their friend's wedding in Las Vegas, Michael gets in trouble at the craps table to the tune over 50 thousand dollars. He hatches a plan to fix up Kyle (who is filthy rich and pretty much has a different girl every night), with a former bridesmaid at his friend's wedding all those years ago, Natalie (played hilariously by Shannon Elizabeth). What follows are some of the most disgusting, degrading, and downright depraved scenes that I've seen to date (...). See this movie if you're a fan of gross-out comedy, or if you're just looking for a good laugh.

Wretched In Every Possible Way
This movie fails in every possible way a comedy can:

The characters are so repellent and unfunny that you don't care what happens to them.
The story barely exists after 20 minutes.
The "gags" are torturously lame, especially the scene involving a hospital cafeteria and David Ogden Stiers.

Growing up in the 80's, we sat through a lot of horrible comedies aimed at the all-important teen male audience only to hear, "Well, that sucked but at least we got to see (hot actress name here) naked."
TOMCATS doesn't even deliver on that.

What's the point?

Um, anyone for balls?
No matter how many times I watch this movie, it never gets "tiring"!

A pretty good storyline features a host of hilarious moments .... if you ask me, this movie is about typical guys, their dislike of marriage, and the need for cash! In amongst this are some moments, you will never forget .... chasing the testical, throwing the dice, and well, I have to say it - the chick in the back seat of the car and Kyle ..... this is hilariously funny (maybe to the point of disgusting?) ... and of course the 'pretty' funny bachelors party scene ... also deserves a mention!

This is one of the best comedies I have seen in ages and ages, and for all you girls out there, this is not only for the guys! It should be taken in the "tone" that it's set in (it's a comedy and not serious) .... and you should sit back and enjoy the ride! ...... and, if you can't find it funny then it will at least gross you out in parts - enough that you will have to laugh anyways (not so bad if you ask me)!

Either way, you definitely shouldn't miss this one!

3 words
Rude Crude Funny

If you don't like raunchy comedies, than don't bother. However, if you like movies such as There's Something About Mary or American Wedding, than you will like this movie.

This guy has such bad luck with every female he meets.
A group of male pals are at the wedding of a friend. When he gets married, Jerry O'Connell, (as "Michael") and the rest of the men agree to never get married, be single and be a "Tomcat". Horatio Sanz (as "Steve") agrees too, but the next thing they know, he gets married too. Michael and Steve are still friends. Everytime Michael meets a woman, bad luck happens and he gets in trouble with thugs or the law. He's a innocent as can be. Horatio Sanz (NBC's Saturday Night Live) is hilarious and a delight in this film. Billy Hufsey plays a "Pit Boss". ... Read more

Reviews (23)

So enjoyable!
I loved this movie so much I watched it over and over again... Then I realized why I love it even more than my children do. First of all, the casting was perfect: Christopher Lloyd so witty and friendly, Liz Hurley stunningly beautiful and incredibly funny, and Darryl Hannah - definitely the loveliest girl on earth... Also, the special effects were smart, well designed and hilarious. But what's really captured me was these inoffensively sarcastic lines that made me laugh so hard. To quote a few: (Uncle Martin to Brace Channing, when the antennas popped up his head): "Quaint, aren't they? These days most of our young are born cable-ready". (Uncle Martin to Tim O'Hara): "I did a molecular identiclone of your body. You'd never understand. You people think Email is amazing". (Uncle Martin to himself, after cloning Brace Channing): "Boy, her head was dark and empty". (Suit, jumping out of spaceship): "A giant leap for men, a step backward for Martians"... To sum it up, this is so far the best Disney movie to me. Watch it with your family and laugh your butt off.

Best Disney since Rocket Man
My 15 year old friend and I saw Favorite Martian at the movies and I can't wait for the video! Disney could have decided this video would be released a bit earlier, but I guess September 28 is O.K. The only thing I didn't understand about this movie was that the Martian's body parts were separating!!!I wonder how they did that!!I gave this one 5 stars

An enjoyable quicky,
A little bit tired yet watchable. Jeff Daniels and Christopher Lloyds are a stitch! A fun little movie with a witty script and excellent special effects. The aliens and monsters look SO cool! The DVD for the film is nice, two. A sharp transfer with solid blacks and glossy colors. For extras we get an excellent 25-minute making of featurette, a trailer, and a alternate french language track. A very fun, if rather rushed film. Great for kids.

Disney wrost movie.
I don't have to see the movie. I know this is a bad movie.

A great kid's film!
This movie is great! The special effects are great and it's very funny. I watched it in theatres with my kids and they loved it too. The DVD is also great, with a audio commentary by actress Drew Barrymore, 4 deleted scenes, a lot more? ... Read more

Description

The cadets head to Moscow to help the Russians dealwith the Mafia. ... Read more

Reviews (283)

Real animation.
As a sequel to the Alien trilogy, the general consensus is that 'Alien Resurrection' scraps the bottom of the barrel. It goes for melodramatic impact with predictable deaths and corny action movie one-liners. A massive setback for a highly acclaimed sequence of films but not a bad adaption of a comic book series. Indeed the premise behind 'Resurrection' seems to have been lifted mostly from the Dark Horse comic's 'Alien' stories. The characters are richly 2-dimensional. Bad acting? When you're playing a comic-book character, there's no need to wander through the depths of human emotion, just play it as it is on the page. Jean-Pierre Jeunet's style in his French language films do portray a highly animated sense of reality and much of the set designs and action sequences in 'Alien Resurrection' do seem to have been directly influenced by the comic stories. The previous films worked hard on displaying an imaginable sci-fi future, where human emotion and interaction still managed to take precedence over technology. In 'Resurrection' we are blasted with endless amounts of explosions and gore, the only tinge of humanity coming from an androyid (ironically played by the rather 'wooden' Winona Ryder).

I would love to see Jeunet tackle the sci-fi genre again, maybe a film where he could harness some of his own vision in the story, as well as in the direction. Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil' was a wonderful example of how a highly imaginative director could create his own pseudo-sci-fi world without the cuddly trappings of George Lucas. If you're a sci-fi comic book fan then, 'Alien Resurrection' is definitely one to see.

A Joke!
This almost doesn't even qualify as an Alien movie and feels more like some spin-off of the franchise and really ruins the power of the 1992 third Alien movie. Why would anyone want to clone Ripley and an alien anyway? The acting, even by Weaver is weak and this movie's plot is laughable! What a sad ending to a great movie series. It should've ended with Alien 3!!!!! End of story!

This final installment is on shaky ground.
1997's fourth installment in the "Aliens" movie franchise is my least favorite of the bunch for many reasons even though it also has it's own merits. In all honesty, while there's plenty of things to enjoy, this movie is missing something that made the first two movies so incredible and even the third one which has it's own flaws of it's own.

This movie takes place 200 years after the events of "Alien 3". Ellen Ripley's DNA has been successfully recovered and a mix of Ripley and the alien's DNA have been successfully cloned and now Ripley's 'descendant', actually a clone of her has been brought to life to wage her final battle against the predatory aliens that are now approaching the planet Earth. The 'new' Ripley has Alien DNA within her that makes her capable of 'caring' for the alien creatures. A band of vicious smugglers however comes on board to steal the Alien DNA only to discover that the new breed of aliens is more dangerous than any other ever before and now the aliens are hunting both 'Ripley' and the smugglers and now they must destroy the alien and prevent them from getting to Earth and also try to make it home alive.

This movie cuts both ways for me. While certainly not a bad movie overall, "Alien Resurrection" suffers the most from serious flaws more than any of the previous "Alien" movies. While the movie is enjoyable for its special effects and awesome action sequences, I for one agree with many that this was almost not even necessary to be made like this especially since the 1992 third entry was where it should've ended. A lot scenes are pretty gross to look at especially the ones where 'Ripley' tries to 'calm' down the alien creatures or even tries to act like some 'mother' figure to them. I for one feel that this movie is more of like some 'alternate timeline' movie spin-off of some sort that almost feels completely detached from the previous three and that it's almost like thrown together leftovers from them as well.

The cast is hit and miss for me. Sigourney Weaver as the 'new' Ellen Ripley is fantastic as usual and is the only one in my opinion who really carries this movie all the way through. Her character is still very good although a step or two down from the previous movies. The rest of the cast however really don't fare anywhere near as good. Winona Ryder really drops the ball on this one and the character she plays is boring and without character or personality even though she isn't as she is thought to be. The male cast comes off being excessively dry and unconvincing and one in particular is almost enough to tick you off at his attitude towards Ryder's character in this movie. The directing by Jean-Pierre Jeunet is really good and this combined with Siguorney Weaver's acting as usual really do a lot to make this flawed movie a good movie worth watching.

The movie has its merits though. The special effects are top-rate and the movie has a really suspenseful tone but it starts getting to the point that the formula has been a bit tried since it has already been done three times already. The newest species of alien is really scary and but the face and head look almost like a human skull or even a deformed Freddy Krueger. The movie is saved by a really awesome but gruesome ending which I'm not going to mention out of fear of spoiling it. The ending alone saves this movie along with the special effects. While many movie series seam to suffer from a pattern called the "Fourth Installment Syndrome/Curse" or whatever you call it with examples like "Batman and Robin" or "Jaws: The Revenge", "Alien Resurrection" avoids a lot of this with great special effects and awesome sequences. For a 'Part 4' movie, this really fares so well for a fourth installment and maintains some freshness even if the cracks in the franchise start showing through.

The "Director's Cut" edition of "Alien Resurrection" does little to improve this movie and is only like ten minutes longer than the original and of the revamped versions of all of the "Alien" movies, "Alien Resurrection" benefits the least out of them all and the result is disappointing. The movie also has a new intro to it. The second disc like the other films on their newest re-issues has lots of great extras with 'making of', commentaries, and lots of cool Easter eggs. There are plenty of extras in this movie that are worth looking at though and the DVD is really excellent. The picture quality was good to begin with but this "Collector's Edition" really improves the picture quality and the sound quality is amazing to the point that if you have surround audio speakers or can connect your TV to the stereo speakers, then it will feel almost like you're back at the big screen again! The final result for me is that this gets a rating that rounds off to 3 solid stars but at the same time, this movie while good on its own, just never can find it's own place against the shadows of it's predecessors and is ultimately a movie that is more for the die-hard Alien audiences.

Looking back on it now, I have to say that despite the weaknesses especially on the last two parts in the series, "Aliens" stands as one of the best sci-fi/horror/action movie franchises of all time and that Sigourney Weaver may be the most remembered by her roles in all of them.

THE DARKEST CHAPTER IN THE SERIES.
Some people think that "Alien 3" is the worst movie in the series. Others think that "Alien Resurrection" is the worst. I think that "Resurrection" is slightly better than "Alien 3", but I also think that we all agree that both "Resurrection" and "Alien 3" aren't even close to the level of excellency of the first two movies.

Anyway, "Alien Resurrection" does have interesting things: the atmosphere is dark and it's very stylish. Finally we can see a pretty face in the series, Winona Ryder plays a supporting role in this movie. Also, "Resurrection" has scenes packed with bullets, explosions and action.

However, "Alien Resurrection" also has low points. Yes, Winona appears here, but her acting talent is kinda wasted. Some plot twists feel very forced, and the movie has its share of grotesque and pointless scenes. But all those things are OK, however, the thing that I can't forgive as a fan of the series is the Alien / human creature, that thing is so grotesque and infamous that the damn thing makes that the final scenes look like an ultra-cheap horror movie.

In the final countdown "Alien Resurrection" still is good enough to score a solid 3 stars rating in my scale, but to be honest I would recommend you only the first two movies, "Alien" and "Aliens".

WHAT THE...?!?!
'Alien' was excellent. 'Aliens' was superb. 'Alien 3' was.. well.. it was okay. At least I found it to be a respectable sequel in its own right. But this... THIS?!!?! Let me just say 'Resurrection' should've been SHELVED AND NEVER HAVE SEEN THE INSIDE OF ANY THEATER!!! This movie sucks on so many levels it's unreal. Bad acting, bad plot, lame, boring, dumb... I still can't believe Sigourney Weaver would go along with such an inane project. Must've been the money, cuz reportedly she got a lot of it to play in this travesty. And what about that freaky 'Mummy Returns' reject of an alien at the end?? LAME!!!

Movie sucked. Stick with the first two definitely, and possibly the third... This one sucks big time. ... Read more

Reviews (283)

Real animation.
As a sequel to the Alien trilogy, the general consensus is that 'Alien Resurrection' scraps the bottom of the barrel. It goes for melodramatic impact with predictable deaths and corny action movie one-liners. A massive setback for a highly acclaimed sequence of films but not a bad adaption of a comic book series. Indeed the premise behind 'Resurrection' seems to have been lifted mostly from the Dark Horse comic's 'Alien' stories. The characters are richly 2-dimensional. Bad acting? When you're playing a comic-book character, there's no need to wander through the depths of human emotion, just play it as it is on the page. Jean-Pierre Jeunet's style in his French language films do portray a highly animated sense of reality and much of the set designs and action sequences in 'Alien Resurrection' do seem to have been directly influenced by the comic stories. The previous films worked hard on displaying an imaginable sci-fi future, where human emotion and interaction still managed to take precedence over technology. In 'Resurrection' we are blasted with endless amounts of explosions and gore, the only tinge of humanity coming from an androyid (ironically played by the rather 'wooden' Winona Ryder).

I would love to see Jeunet tackle the sci-fi genre again, maybe a film where he could harness some of his own vision in the story, as well as in the direction. Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil' was a wonderful example of how a highly imaginative director could create his own pseudo-sci-fi world without the cuddly trappings of George Lucas. If you're a sci-fi comic book fan then, 'Alien Resurrection' is definitely one to see.

A Joke!
This almost doesn't even qualify as an Alien movie and feels more like some spin-off of the franchise and really ruins the power of the 1992 third Alien movie. Why would anyone want to clone Ripley and an alien anyway? The acting, even by Weaver is weak and this movie's plot is laughable! What a sad ending to a great movie series. It should've ended with Alien 3!!!!! End of story!

This final installment is on shaky ground.
1997's fourth installment in the "Aliens" movie franchise is my least favorite of the bunch for many reasons even though it also has it's own merits. In all honesty, while there's plenty of things to enjoy, this movie is missing something that made the first two movies so incredible and even the third one which has it's own flaws of it's own.

This movie takes place 200 years after the events of "Alien 3". Ellen Ripley's DNA has been successfully recovered and a mix of Ripley and the alien's DNA have been successfully cloned and now Ripley's 'descendant', actually a clone of her has been brought to life to wage her final battle against the predatory aliens that are now approaching the planet Earth. The 'new' Ripley has Alien DNA within her that makes her capable of 'caring' for the alien creatures. A band of vicious smugglers however comes on board to steal the Alien DNA only to discover that the new breed of aliens is more dangerous than any other ever before and now the aliens are hunting both 'Ripley' and the smugglers and now they must destroy the alien and prevent them from getting to Earth and also try to make it home alive.

This movie cuts both ways for me. While certainly not a bad movie overall, "Alien Resurrection" suffers the most from serious flaws more than any of the previous "Alien" movies. While the movie is enjoyable for its special effects and awesome action sequences, I for one agree with many that this was almost not even necessary to be made like this especially since the 1992 third entry was where it should've ended. A lot scenes are pretty gross to look at especially the ones where 'Ripley' tries to 'calm' down the alien creatures or even tries to act like some 'mother' figure to them. I for one feel that this movie is more of like some 'alternate timeline' movie spin-off of some sort that almost feels completely detached from the previous three and that it's almost like thrown together leftovers from them as well.

The cast is hit and miss for me. Sigourney Weaver as the 'new' Ellen Ripley is fantastic as usual and is the only one in my opinion who really carries this movie all the way through. Her character is still very good although a step or two down from the previous movies. The rest of the cast however really don't fare anywhere near as good. Winona Ryder really drops the ball on this one and the character she plays is boring and without character or personality even though she isn't as she is thought to be. The male cast comes off being excessively dry and unconvincing and one in particular is almost enough to tick you off at his attitude towards Ryder's character in this movie. The directing by Jean-Pierre Jeunet is really good and this combined with Siguorney Weaver's acting as usual really do a lot to make this flawed movie a good movie worth watching.

The movie has its merits though. The special effects are top-rate and the movie has a really suspenseful tone but it starts getting to the point that the formula has been a bit tried since it has already been done three times already. The newest species of alien is really scary and but the face and head look almost like a human skull or even a deformed Freddy Krueger. The movie is saved by a really awesome but gruesome ending which I'm not going to mention out of fear of spoiling it. The ending alone saves this movie along with the special effects. While many movie series seam to suffer from a pattern called the "Fourth Installment Syndrome/Curse" or whatever you call it with examples like "Batman and Robin" or "Jaws: The Revenge", "Alien Resurrection" avoids a lot of this with great special effects and awesome sequences. For a 'Part 4' movie, this really fares so well for a fourth installment and maintains some freshness even if the cracks in the franchise start showing through.

The "Director's Cut" edition of "Alien Resurrection" does little to improve this movie and is only like ten minutes longer than the original and of the revamped versions of all of the "Alien" movies, "Alien Resurrection" benefits the least out of them all and the result is disappointing. The movie also has a new intro to it. The second disc like the other films on their newest re-issues has lots of great extras with 'making of', commentaries, and lots of cool Easter eggs. There are plenty of extras in this movie that are worth looking at though and the DVD is really excellent. The picture quality was good to begin with but this "Collector's Edition" really improves the picture quality and the sound quality is amazing to the point that if you have surround audio speakers or can connect your TV to the stereo speakers, then it will feel almost like you're back at the big screen again! The final result for me is that this gets a rating that rounds off to 3 solid stars but at the same time, this movie while good on its own, just never can find it's own place against the shadows of it's predecessors and is ultimately a movie that is more for the die-hard Alien audiences.

Looking back on it now, I have to say that despite the weaknesses especially on the last two parts in the series, "Aliens" stands as one of the best sci-fi/horror/action movie franchises of all time and that Sigourney Weaver may be the most remembered by her roles in all of them.

THE DARKEST CHAPTER IN THE SERIES.
Some people think that "Alien 3" is the worst movie in the series. Others think that "Alien Resurrection" is the worst. I think that "Resurrection" is slightly better than "Alien 3", but I also think that we all agree that both "Resurrection" and "Alien 3" aren't even close to the level of excellency of the first two movies.

Anyway, "Alien Resurrection" does have interesting things: the atmosphere is dark and it's very stylish. Finally we can see a pretty face in the series, Winona Ryder plays a supporting role in this movie. Also, "Resurrection" has scenes packed with bullets, explosions and action.

However, "Alien Resurrection" also has low points. Yes, Winona appears here, but her acting talent is kinda wasted. Some plot twists feel very forced, and the movie has its share of grotesque and pointless scenes. But all those things are OK, however, the thing that I can't forgive as a fan of the series is the Alien / human creature, that thing is so grotesque and infamous that the damn thing makes that the final scenes look like an ultra-cheap horror movie.

In the final countdown "Alien Resurrection" still is good enough to score a solid 3 stars rating in my scale, but to be honest I would recommend you only the first two movies, "Alien" and "Aliens".

WHAT THE...?!?!
'Alien' was excellent. 'Aliens' was superb. 'Alien 3' was.. well.. it was okay. At least I found it to be a respectable sequel in its own right. But this... THIS?!!?! Let me just say 'Resurrection' should've been SHELVED AND NEVER HAVE SEEN THE INSIDE OF ANY THEATER!!! This movie sucks on so many levels it's unreal. Bad acting, bad plot, lame, boring, dumb... I still can't believe Sigourney Weaver would go along with such an inane project. Must've been the money, cuz reportedly she got a lot of it to play in this travesty. And what about that freaky 'Mummy Returns' reject of an alien at the end?? LAME!!!

Movie sucked. Stick with the first two definitely, and possibly the third... This one sucks big time. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Can I give it NO stars?
One of the worst movies on which I've had the misfortune of wasting money. Not all the Baldwin boys have talent OR taste OR even self-esteem. I can't believe anyone would admit to being in such an amateurly acted, poorly written and unprofessionally produced conglomeration of scenes.

PLEASE don't waste your money.

mdp
I didn't even watch all of this movie because it was so bad. The one thing i did notice in the opening rescue scene was that most of the footage was from the 1990 Charlie Sheen movie Navy Seals which is a much better movie.

Desert Thunder.........BOOM!
I guess most of the other reviewers dont know good clean action when they see it.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Good cast, story, special effects.
No rampant sex (for a change)
No gory scenes (for a change)
A kind of laid back enjoyment.
Try it again.
It is kind of an update of Flight of the Intuder!

I would like 87 minuets of my life back.
This movie was the worst movie I have ever seen in my life. It had no plot and no story line. The actors were terrible and so were the special effects (all in consideration that the movie was made in 1998).

If it is posible I would like to ask the director for the 87 minuets of the my life back, that I wasted watching that stupid movie. (I even hate the name "Desert Thunder")

I would like 87 minuets of my life back.
This was the worst movie I have ever seen. I am very suprised that it is still being manufactured, because it is the worst move ever. It had no plot, no story line, and the special effect were terrrible.

If it is posible I would like to ask the director for the 87 minuets of my life, that I wasted watching that stupid movie. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

So enjoyable!
I loved this movie so much I watched it over and over again... Then I realized why I love it even more than my children do. First of all, the casting was perfect: Christopher Lloyd so witty and friendly, Liz Hurley stunningly beautiful and incredibly funny, and Darryl Hannah - definitely the loveliest girl on earth... Also, the special effects were smart, well designed and hilarious. But what's really captured me was these inoffensively sarcastic lines that made me laugh so hard. To quote a few: (Uncle Martin to Brace Channing, when the antennas popped up his head): "Quaint, aren't they? These days most of our young are born cable-ready". (Uncle Martin to Tim O'Hara): "I did a molecular identiclone of your body. You'd never understand. You people think Email is amazing". (Uncle Martin to himself, after cloning Brace Channing): "Boy, her head was dark and empty". (Suit, jumping out of spaceship): "A giant leap for men, a step backward for Martians"... To sum it up, this is so far the best Disney movie to me. Watch it with your family and laugh your butt off.

Best Disney since Rocket Man
My 15 year old friend and I saw Favorite Martian at the movies and I can't wait for the video! Disney could have decided this video would be released a bit earlier, but I guess September 28 is O.K. The only thing I didn't understand about this movie was that the Martian's body parts were separating!!!I wonder how they did that!!I gave this one 5 stars

An enjoyable quicky,
A little bit tired yet watchable. Jeff Daniels and Christopher Lloyds are a stitch! A fun little movie with a witty script and excellent special effects. The aliens and monsters look SO cool! The DVD for the film is nice, two. A sharp transfer with solid blacks and glossy colors. For extras we get an excellent 25-minute making of featurette, a trailer, and a alternate french language track. A very fun, if rather rushed film. Great for kids.

Disney wrost movie.
I don't have to see the movie. I know this is a bad movie.

A great kid's film!
This movie is great! The special effects are great and it's very funny. I watched it in theatres with my kids and they loved it too. The DVD is also great, with a audio commentary by actress Drew Barrymore, 4 deleted scenes, a lot more? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Cat and Mouse Strike Back!
DIRECT HIT effectively returns audiences to one of Hollywood's
best genres: the cat and mouse game. The movie reminds us that
flesh and blood adversaries, who display both motives and emotions, are more interesting to watch than the flanks of computer generated combatants populating big studio action flicks. "Hit" is a worthy diversion from all that blockbuster noise. Ensemble work by an excellent cast also makes a notable
difference and gives this film its compelling quality. William

Forsythe is John Hatch, a hit man with one last assignment from
the Agency before his retirement. He falls for his target, a
woman questionably charged with bribing a senator, and becomes
her protector. Hatch's boss (George Segal) dispatches another
agent, played by Richard Norton, to clean up the mess. In a smartly acted bar room scene, Norton admonishes Forsythe, "You
turned your target into people. Can't do that." Fans do not
need a reminder that Norton ranks among the best actors in action dramas and thrillers. Even so, Norton's finely nuanced performance in "Direct Hit" delivers another example of the remarkable skill and energy he consistently brings to the screen with every role.

It grew on me
The first scene is so stupid, I almost turned it off, but I stuck around to see Forsythe. Today's action heroes have to wipe out whole armies of bad guys without getting a scratch, and destroy lots of property. This movie is no exception. Forsythe is a hit-man with a heart of gold, unable to kill his target because she has a child. You have to believe that all this mayhem is caused by a 10-year-old photograph and that even though the woman's child has been kidnapped, she spends the night in bed with the hit-man. I had to watch this movie twice to appreciate it, but Forsythe makes a likeable unlikely hero. ... Read more