Another 'something stinks in the military'

JAKARTA (JP): We now have the latest movies from the directors of Die Hard, Die Hard2 and Speed playing in our cinemas. What more could we possibly want? The following reviews and grades are offered by Rayya Makarim (RM) and Tam Notosusanto (TN).

The Base. Action; starring Mark Dacascos, Tim Abel, Paula Trickey, Noah Blake and Frederick Coffin. Directed by Mark L. Lester.

Yet another "something stinks in the military" pic. Army intelligence man Dacascos is sent to a U.S. military base near the Mexican border to infiltrate a squad of soldiers suspected of corruption. With its escalating body count, numerous explosions and an obligatory love scene, the movie is just one of those mindless, formulaic action flicks. (Graded D+ by TN).

Deep Blue Sea. Shark movie; starring Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, Michael Rapaport, Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Renny Harlin.

After a couple of flops, Harlin, the director of box-office hits Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger, comes back with this Jaws-meets-The Poseidon Adventure spectacle. Intelligent sharks (don't ask) at an off-shore underwater research lab go berserk and start chomping on scientists as these unfortunate humans attempt to reach the surface. LL Cool J's lovable, Bible-spouting cook lightens the movie a bit, but the graphic dismemberment scenes and the sight of those still-wiggling body parts will guarantee you nightmares. (Graded B- by TN).

The Faculty. Teen sci-fi flick; starring Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Famke Janssen, Robert Patrick, Salma Hayek and Piper Laurie. Directed by Robert Rodriguez.

Students at a suburban high school suspect their teachers are actually aliens. Hmm, isn't that what most kids think of their teachers? After spoofing horror movies, screenwriter Kevin Williamson (Scream) now takes a stab at the sci-fi genre with this fresh film where the evil aliens have the healthy habits (drinking more than eight glasses of water a day) and medicines to save the human race. Unfortunately, our Censor Board's apparent aversion to nudity makes the final battle scene rather confusing. (Graded B- by TN).

The General's Daughter. Detective story; starring John Travolta, Madeleine Stowe, James Cromwell, Timothy Hutton and James Woods. Directed by Simon West.

Travolta and Stowe are army investigators delving into the case of a murdered female officer, the daughter of an influential, politically ambitious war hero. It's one of those Hollywood movies that want to depict the military as shady, twisted and absolutely evil, only this one probably tries too hard. One aspect that makes it worth seeing, though, is Woods' multilayered performance as a tormented army colonel. (Graded B- by TN).

The Haunting. Horror; starring Lili Taylor, Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Owen Wilson. Directed by Jan De Bont.

Under the premise of curing insomnia, Professor Marrow (Neeson) recruits three people for a psychological experiment in the mechanics of fear. The misguided volunteers are gathered at a Gothic mansion called Hill House, where the caretaker and housekeeper never stay after dark and the nearest town is nine miles away. This film deserves much credit for the amazing location, sets and art direction. Unfortunately, there isn't much of a plot. So don't expect to be scared, but be ready to be awed by this film's overall visual splendor. (Graded C by RM).

Inspector Gadget. Sci-fi adventure; starring Matthew Broderick, Rupert Everett, Joely Fisher and Michelle Trachtenberg. Directed by David Kellogg.

When a murder occurs at Brenda Bradford's (Fisher) research lab, John Brown (Broderick), a security guard who dreams of being a policeman, tries to help but ends up being hospitalized, whereby he becomes Inspector Gadget. In the meantime, the evil Claw (Everett) learns of Brenda's invention and creates an evil version of the Inspector. Those familiar with the cartoon version will notice that Broderick looks nothing like the Inspector, and the sight of a grown man hollering "Go, go Gadget oil slicks" is rather disturbing. (Graded C by RM).

The Pallbearer. Romantic comedy; starring David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Michael Rapaport and Barbara Hershey. Directed by Matt Reeves.

A mysterious Mrs. Abernathy asks Tom (Schwimmer), a jobless college grad, to be a pallbearer at her son's funeral. Moved by the woman's tears, though having no recollection of her son, he agrees. Through a string of unexpected events, Tom ends up in a love triangle involving the older woman and an old high school crush, Julie (Paltrow). This is supposed to be a 1990s version of The Graduate, though one could have easily thought otherwise. Skip it and see The Graduate again. (Graded C by RM).

The Thomas Crown Affair. Caper movie: starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary and Faye Dunaway. Directed by John McTiernan.

Thomas Crown (Brosnan) is a wealthy businessman who masterminds the removal of a US$100 million Monet from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Catherine Banning (Russo) is an insurance agent who is determined to retrieve the painting through any means. A battle of wits between the two slowly develops into more complex emotional ties. McTiernan directs action films (Die Hard, Predator), not romances. Thus, besides the opening and closing scenes, the middle-section of the film drags into sentimental mush. (Graded B- by RM).

Wrongfully Accused. Slapstick comedy; starring Leslie Nielsen, Kelly Le Brock and Michael York. Directed by Pat Proft.

This film is a spoof of The Fugitive. We know this because: 1. Ryan Harrison (Nielsen) is convicted of a murder he didn't commit; 2. Richard Crenna does an exaggerated impression of the Tommy Lee Jones character; and 3. Everybody's looking for a one- armed, one-legged, (one-whatevered) man. The movie's attempt to poke fun at The Usual Suspects, Fargo, Entrapment, Mission: Impossible, Field of Dreams and Braveheart only convinces us to watch the originals instead. Do yourself a favor, don't bother, it's on laser disc. (Graded by D by RM).