Dudley Do-Right (1999) Review:

During his rise to stardom, Brendan Fraser had become quite the leading man when it came to films in the family and adventure genres. After getting his big break with Disney in Jay Ward's live-action George of the Jungle (1997) and landed in the smash hit movie reboot The Mummy (1999), he had the reputation as a solid bankable star. Which naturally led him back to participating in a film quite similar to that of George of the Jungle (1997). Stepping back into the cartoon live-action genre, Fraser landed the role of Dudley Do-Right (1999), another Jay Ward based cartoon. Sadly, this one didn't have the same appeal. While it does have its moments there are several problems too.

Brendan Fraser & Sarah Jessica Parker

The Dudley Do-Right (1969) cartoon was a short lived show that didn't make it past 1 season and was very much similar in plot to that of Popeye. For this feature, it was kept the same where Dudley Do-Right (Brendan Fraser) the protagonist has been working to do his best to outsmart Snidely Whiplash (Alfred Molina), his childhood (now grown up) arch enemy. Together these two old foes square off for the affections of Nell Fenwick (Sarah Jessica Parker) who can't seem to make up her mind as to who is the better individual. As if it was hard to tell. The adaption was written and directed by Hugh Wilson, a veteran of many comedies in the past like Police Academy (1984) and Rhustler's Rhapsody (1985). The difference is, those were original works.

Here Wilson seems to struggle between what exactly is necessary and what isn't for a number of components. Right from the start, the movie begins with a Jay Ward Short under the "Fractured Fairy Tales" banner. Unlike George of the Jungle (1997) and even The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle, which began as cartoons and led into the live action feature. Here the cartoon short is comical, but completely unrelated to the feature. What is the point? But that's not the only thing that drags, the pacing tends to feel overly drawn out for needless reasons too. There's a number of scenes where dance numbers take center stage over carrying the plot through. They are well choreographed, but that doesn't take away the pointlessness of having it.

There's also weak character development among the main characters. Nell really doesn't change and neither does Snidely. Really it's just Dudley who is shown this from a hobo played by Eric Idle. And while there are certain aspects to the supporting characters that can be important, most don't move the plot. There's also appearances from Robert Prosky as Nell's father. Alex Rocco plays the Chief of a Native American tribe and Jack Kehler plays one of Snidely's right hand henchmen. Lastly there's Corey Burton who oddly enough sounds like Keith Scott's impression of the narrator from George of the Jungle (1997) and The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000). All in all, the actors act okay. It's just the script that stilts them in making their characters any more likable.

Don't I look DASHING?!

Cinematography on the other hand was well shot by Donald E. Thorin, cameraman of Lock Up (1989), Tango & Cash (1989) and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995). Again, while some scenes were not crucial to have in the picture, they were all competently filmed with a wide angle lens. As for music, Steve Dorff served as composer to the film. And while an official soundtrack nor score was released, the music matches the scenes at hand and the TV show theme is revisited. Out of the three cartoon movies mentioned, The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000) was the only film to get its own score released. So weird.

This cartoon live-action adaptation isn't as bad as the score says it is, but it is not that great either. There are some funny moments, the actors try, the camerawork is well done and the music fits. Yet there are several over padded scenes, little character development and unneeded characters.

Points Earned --> 5:10

Psycho II (1983) Review:

Movies that end up becoming a smash hit at theaters are usually quick to crank out a sequel. It only takes a few years, tops or at minimum, one. However, it's when sequels get made years later that can make it a challenge. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) of Robert Bloch's book was an innovative horror film for its time. It not only popularized the idea of "slasher" flicks, but created one of the most disturbing characters in film history. At the time, a sequel wasn't probably thought of being a thing. But with the 1980s being the decade of such genre films, the notion had resurfaced and a continuation of the original story was made. What's even crazier is just how well the story is written and executed on all accounts. Perhaps a little too well for its own good. It certainly was a sequel well worth waiting more than two decades for though.

Meg Tilly & Anthony Perkins

More than two decades have passed and finally, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) has been granted freedom and sanity after seeking help from psychiatrist Dr. Bill Raymond (Robert Loggia). On the other side, Lila Loomis, formerly Lila Crane (Vera Miles) is not happy with Mr. Bates release and wants to get him back in custody. Meanwhile, Bates heads back to his mother's house and tries to reintegrate himself into society by working at a diner. There he meets Mary (Meg Tilly), a young lady who's been dumped by her boyfriend needs a place to stay. Offering her a place, Bates begins receiving strange notes signed by his mother, thus freaking him out. Written by Tom Holland, future director of Fright Night (1985), Child's Play (1988) and Thinner (1996), the script does quite the job at bringing its audience back to the Bates state of mind. On top of that, with Richard Franklin directing this feature, seeing he had worked on other horror films like Patrick (1978) and Road Games (1981), his credits were valid.

Throughout the run time, there are lots of moments that can easily make the viewing experience engaging. From how Bates is getting notes from his dead mother, to how people end up dying around him when he knows he isn't doing it, or so he thinks. It's definitely something viewers will not be expecting because it's difficult to tell just what exactly is happening. This is to the benefit of the film, but also it's only flaw. While the screenplay has some interest twists, it can also lose the viewer easily as well without having a clear resolution. The cast though still perform well with everything they were given. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates while brings back the character with ease, he adds another layer of humanity as he struggles between the right and wrong reality. Helping Bates in that struggle is Meg Tilly's character Mary. Being that female heroines had become a staple for horror films, Tilly's role is somewhat the antithesis of that and it works well. Seeing Vera Miles return as Marion Crane's sister was great to see too, one could understand why she would be frustrated with Bates' release.

Robert Loggia as Bates’ Psychiatrist is also believable seeing that he understands very easily what goes on around him. There's also appearances from Dennis Franz who plays a sleaze ball temporary owner to Norman's motel until he returned. It's Franz's character who helps show just how much Norman tries to keep his head on straight. Franz also had a role in Robert Altman's Popeye (1980). Hugh Gillin plays John Hunt, the sheriff of the town who looks like he does his best to maintain law and order. And there's Mrs. Emma Spool (Claudia Bryar) who is also the owner of the diner Bates begins working at. She's probably the only character who knew who Norman’s history, and immediately wanted to give him a second chance. That's rare considering how most people react to such dark histories.

Vera Miles

The visuals to this feature was crafted well too. While the black and white look of the first film helped in simplifying the experience, this sequel's camerawork was just as prominent. Handled by Dean Cundey, the cinematography very much follows the same style as John L. Russell's style from Psycho (1960). The only noticeable differences was that the movie was in color and occasionally some dutch angles were used. Cundey also shot for films like Halloween (1978) and The Thing (1982). Composing the film score to this feature was the legendary Jerry Goldsmith. Although some feel hiring anybody but Bernard Herrmann was a mistake, Goldsmith not only honors Herrmann's shower string theme, but also expands the music. Norman Bates now has his own motif, one that emphasizes just how unbalanced he is. It is very well constructed and performed on the piano, especially the expanded score.

In all honesty, this sequel is very much an even match to its predecessor. The only flaw it has is that the script, while well written, can be a bit to fully understand the first time around. But aside from that, the cast all perform great, the visuals and music are iconic in their own way too.

Points Earned --> 8:10

Bruce Almighty (2003) Review:

Believing in a higher power isn't always people like to think. To some it sounds corny, others it seems useless, while others actually feel it does them a world of good. No matter what religion you have or don't have, life has a way of working itself out. How people deal with this though depends on the personality. Some feel they're doomed to suffer bad luck constantly, while others think if they pray, it'll change their directional course. When in fact, there's more to take away from this kind of situation and what better way to explore this with a little Jim Carrey team up with Tom Shadyac. Surprisingly unlike his other features, Shadyac produces a feature a slight bit different in tone, however it still works in favor for the audience. It actually is quite thought provoking.

Catherine Bell

Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey), a news reporter looking to do more than just cover fluff pieces is

frustrated with how things are going. While his girlfriend Grace Connelly (Jennifer Aniston) thinks things are adequate, she doesn't see that Nolan's adversary Evan Baxter (Steve Carrell) keeps getting more and more promotions. Finally having enough, Bruce comes in contact with the one and only God (Morgan Freeman) and gives him a taste of his power to help take care of business ; since Bruce thinks God isn't doing anything right. Written by Steve Koren (Seinfeld) and Mark O'Keefe (The Weird Al Show), the script to this feature brings on a narrative that's funny and may actually have the viewer realize something about themselves when the end credits roll. That's pretty good for a Jim Carrey film.

Seeing Bruce Nolan go through the expected emotions of attaining god-like powers is funny. When gaining that kind of ability, of course one will take matters into their own hands and right their own wrongs first. But of course having such incredible powers, comes great responsibility as cliche as that sounds. But it's true and the writers help put that into perspective not only for Nolan but the viewers themselves. There's only one major plot hole that came about that didn't make much sense. When God gives Nolan his powers, he says no to do two things. First, not to tell anyone and two, that he cannot affect free will. Yet somehow, Nolan can make his dog do things for him. So is it just human free will he can't control? If not, then he lied because a dog is a living being too, just not as sophisticated as a human.

The actors are no doubt comical in their roles. Jim Carrey makes plenty of funnies throughout using his usual brand of humor. While Jennifer Aniston is nowhere on the comedic level as Carrey, she has some very deadpan moments that help ground the situations that ensue. The same could also be said for Morgan Freeman who stares down Carrey's character with truth and honesty in every word that he says. Even Carrell who has a much smaller role, gets his moments to do some crazy things. There's also appearances from Philip Baker Hall as Nolan's boss, Catherine Bell as a co-anchor of the news company Nolan works for and Lisa Ann Walter as Grace's sister, who also talks some sense to Nolan. Considering this is coming from director Tom Shadyac, who made Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), it's a surprise change in execution.

"I'm waiting,...."

When it came to visuals, things were pretty good for 2003. The tricks used to make things look believable do not look put together last second. Things like added hand digits or walking on water all looks very well done. However, one thing element that doesn't look anything special is the cinematography. Which is odd because it was shot by Dean Semler, the cinematographer to The Road Warrior (1981), City Slickers (1991), The Three Musketeers (1994), We Were Soldiers (2002) and later on Maleficent (2014). The shots of the city and other streets are just boring and lack anything that stands out. However the film score provided by John Debney did a wonderful job. The music is light and energetic, just like the main lead and the antics that come about. Not anything shy of what he's done before.

While there's one noticeable plot hole and the cinematography isn't anything to be impressed with, the rest is a fun feature. The actors all give entertaining performances, the comedy is funny and the writing behind it not only gives some good laughs, but also has a message about taking on life and what do to about it.

Points Earned --> 7:10