Willis' supernatural flick stays on top
JAKARTA (JP): A kid psychic may have the sixth sense, but it's Bruce Willis' supernatural flick that has gained its sixth straight week on top. Now it's ready to make way for another ghost story, opening next week. Here's the lineup of movies currently playing at local cinemas, with reviews and grades by Rayya Makarim (RM) and Tam Notosusanto (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).
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. This is how he became 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).
Mowgli's First Adventure Kiddie adventure; starring Gary Collins, Michael Beck and Michael Des Barres. Directed by Michael McGreevey.
Looks like our kids aren't short in supply of heroes in loincloths. After the Disney animated tribute to the most famous ape man, comes this cheesy attempt to cash in on Rudyard Kipling's beloved classic. Our teenage wild child here assists a group of archeologists to locate a legendary diamond in the Indian jungle while greedy villains follow close behind. Between lame action scenes and the casts unattractive obnoxious children, as well as well-coiffed, overly polite Mowgli, I don't know which one will bore your kids to death first. (Graded C- by TN).
The Pallbearer. Romantic comedy; starring David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Michael Rapaport and Barbara Hershey. Directed by Matt Reeves.
A mysterious Mrs. Abernathy asks unemployed college graduate Tom (Schwimmer), to be a pallbearer at her son Bill's funeral. Moved by the woman's tears, though having no recollection of the boy, he accepts. 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 1990's version of The Graduate, though one could have easily thought otherwise. Skip it and see The Graduate again. (Graded C by RM).
The Sixth Sense. Psychological drama; starring Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Haley Joel Osment, Olivia Williams and Donnie Wahlberg. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Child shrink Willis must get inside the mind of a troubled young boy who sees dead people walking around him. It's a moving human drama about relationships and the fragility of life, disguised as a mild ghost story. It doesn't matter that Willis underperforms, because Osment as the boy steals all the scenes he is in with his staggering portrayal of a reluctant psychic. Look for the unrecognizable former New Kid on the Block Wahlberg in a chilling brief turn. (Graded A- by TN).
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 a more complex emotional tie. McTiernan directs action films (Die Hard, Predator), not romance. Thus, besides the opening and closing caper 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: first Ryan Harrison (Nielsen) is convicted of a murder he didn't commit; second, Richard Crenna does an exaggerated impression of Tommy Lee Jones' character; and third, everybody's looking for a one-armed, one-legged, (one-whatever) man. Its 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).