Beowulf *

Adventure. Warner, Paramount. 2007.
D: Robert Zemeckis.
P: Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey, Jack Rapke, Steve Bing.

“The warrior Beowulf must fight and defeat the monster Grendel who is terrorizing towns, and later, Grendel’s mother, who begins killing out of revenge”.

Good as spectacle, with the director’s strong sense for visual storytelling as its best feature. As literature, it’s not nearly up to the challenge of its source. Songwritters wrote a couple of folk, ancient sounding tunes that are one of the most transporting elements of the film.

Significant production contribution: Sound (Randy Thom, Dennis Leonard), Songs (Alan Silvestri, Glen Ballard)

Lawrence of Arabia * * * * *

Adventure. Columbia. 1962.
D: David Lean.
P: Sam Spiegel.

“A flamboyant and controversial British military figure and his conflicted loyalties during wartime service”.

Complex, intimate epic, centered on an enigmatic, tortured historical figure -played unforgettably by Peter O’Toole in one of the best screen debuts-, a production of high difficulty achieved with surprising elan by its director and most of its film crew. Scores high as sheer spectacle and psychological character study, and the desert has probably never been filmed better. One of the boldest, best films ever.

Significant production contribution: Direction, Production, Cinematography (Freddie Young); Acting (Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn); Music (Maurice Jarre); Screenplay (Robert Bolt), Editing (Anne V. Coates); Art direction (John Box)

Van Helsing

Adventure. Universal. 2004.
D: Stephen Sommers.
P: Stephen Sommers, Bob Ducsay.

“The notorious monster hunter is sent to Transylvania to stop Count Dracula who is using Dr. Frankenstein’s research and a werewolf for some sinister purpose”.

The old Universal monsters meet CGI. Gross and funny in all the wrong, unintended ways.

Significant production contribution: None.

Throw momma from the train

Comedy. Orion. 1987.
D: Danny DeVito.
P: Larry Brezner.

“A bitter ex-husband. A put upon Momma’s boy. Both want their respective spouse and mother dead, but who will pull it off?”.

Funny take on Hitchockian’s thrillers. Plain and dumb, some of it works, but it fails as a whole.

Significant production contribution: None.

The others * *

Horror. Sogecine, Dimension. 2001.
D: Alejandro Amenábar.
P: Fernando Bovaira, José Luis Cuerda, Sunmin Park.

“A woman who lives in a darkened old house with her two photosensitive children becomes convinced that her family home is haunted”.

A smart twist on the classic ghost story in this very effective film of the horror genre, which lately has rarely seen writing, directing and acting of this level. Its achieved cinematography recalls the look of the foggy Universal horror films. Striking for its use of sound and its inversion of the usual genre codes.

Significant production contribution: Cinematography (Javier Aguirresarobe); Screenplay (Alejandro Amenábar); Direction; Acting (Nicole Kidman, Fionula Flanagan, Alakina Mann)

The mummy returns

Adventure. Universal. 2001.
D: Stephen Sommers.
P: Sean Daniel, James Jacks.

“The mummified body of Imhotep is shipped to a museum in London, where he once again wakes and begins his campaign of rage and terror”.

It follows the cheap campiness of its predecessor. Its unlikable, stupid humour hurts it deeply.

Significant production contribution: None.

The league of extraordinary gentlemen

Adventure. Fox. 2003.
D: Stephen Norrington.
P: Trevor Albert, Don Murphy.

“In an alternate Victorian Age world, a group of famous contemporary fantasy, SF and adventure characters team up on a secret mission”.

Monumentaly silly. Awful, awful film.

Significant production contribution: None.

The emperor’s new groove

Comedy. Disney. 2000.
D: Mark Dindal.
P: Randy Fullmer

“Emperor Kuzco is turned into a llama by his ex-administrator Yzma, and must now regain his throne with the help of Pacha, the gentle llama herder”.

Uninteresting Disney animation.

Significant production contribution: None.

The Addams family *

Comedy. Paramount. 1991.
D: Barry Sonnenfeld.
P: Scott Rudin

“Con artists plan to fleece the eccentric family using an accomplice who claims to be their long lost Uncle Fester”.

Adaptation of the TV show, with a friendlier sense of humour and emphasis on visual trickery. Its cast delivers.

Significant production contribution: Art direction (Ken Adam)

Tarzan

Adventure. Disney. 1999.
D: Kevin Lima, Chris Buck.
P: Bonnie Arnold

“A man raised by gorillas must decide where he really belongs when he discovers he is a human”.

It’s not precisely a musical or a comedy, but it cacophonically resorts to kiddie jokes, talking animals and pop songs as if it couldn’t escape Disney formula.

Significant production contribution: None.