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Review of the day for the week of July 10, 1995.

Pocahontas (1995)

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Disney has made a huge comeback in the past few years with films like "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin" and "The Lion King". The films they made before these excellent films were pure crap (How many of you remember "The Aristocats")! "Pocahontas" is a little of both. The film has action, romance and the typical Disney moral of "Love conquers all". Disney also makes a very interesting story out of the fact that this is their first animated film based on a real person. The plot is that settlers from England have come to claim the new world but decide to make war against the Indians who already live on the land. Pocahontas is the voice of reason. Newcomer Irene Bedard makes a strong debut as the voice of Pocahontas. The biggest star in the cast is Mel Gibson as explorer John Smith, the man who befriends and eventually falls in love with Pocahontas. There are also animals in the film, but they don't talk, though they do outshine the human characters from time to time (a couple of the m, Meeko, a raccoon and Persy, a dog, have the best moments in the film).

These are the good parts. The major flaws in this are the godawful songs. I don't mean to be insulting but, all except for one song, the music is worthless. It has as much harmony as a "Vanilla Ice" soundtrack. The songs didn't have a good Broadway flavor like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin", or the Caribbean and African beats of "Mermaid" and "Lion King". The story has more drama and comedy to offer than the songs will ever do. The basic point is that the film, in four simple words, ain't no "Lion King". Still, it has everything to offer of the last four films, except for the songs, and Pocahontas is a strong heroine. Mel actually sings his own songs and he isn't half bad. Now, if they could have just given him something more to work with. "Pocahontas" is still better than any kids' movies that have come out by far. Let's just hope that the next film will be complete with a good story and good songs.

My Rating =

Rent

MOVIES ON VIDEO

Here are three movies out on video and/or laserdisc.

The Player (1992)

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There are four films of Tim Robbins I really like. "Shawshank Redemption", "Cadillac Man" and two Robert Altman films, "Short Cuts" and this. An incredibly good satire on Hollywood life, the story centers around Robbins (and the 65 cameo guest stars) as a Hollywood executive who is being pressed for a new film and, at the same time, is getting death threats from an unknown writer. He eventually kills the writer (Vincent D'Onofrio) he suspects sent him these letters and starts going out with the writer's girlfriend (Greta Scacchi), possibly out of guilt for killing her boyfriend.

The cast is excellent and it's also got a great supporting cast. Peter Gallagher as Robbins' rival in the film industry. Fred Ward, who seems to be expanding his incredible acting range, as the head of studio security. Whoopi Goldberg has rarely been better as the detective in charge of solving the murder of the writer. And Cynthia Stevenson as Robbins faithful assistant and sometime lover who gets destroyed by the greediness of Hollywood. The film attacks Hollywood like no other film has ever attacked Hollywood, and the best part is knowing that Altman did it. The story also has a lot of old film references for film buffs, including myself. Altman made a comeback after nearly 17 years of doing bombs like Popeye and Beyond Therapy. A must see film for the film lover and for people who despise the Hollywood system.

My Rating =

Rent

Child's Play (1988)

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Child's Play is probably the last of the good "slasher" horror films. The story revolves around a doll named Chucky (Voiced by Brad Dourif) who is possessed by the soul of a serial killer. The only way out of the body is through a six year old boy (Alex Vincent), who is the only one who knows he is alive. The film is very imaginative and there are some great puppet effects bringing the doll to life. There is plenty of hair raising moments that could scare you into next week. However, the idea of killer dolls had actually been done before in such films as "Attack of the Puppet People," though you can find much more suspense in this film than any other killer toy movie (I suggest not to rent some of those cheap imitations like the "Puppet Master" series).

There is, of course, a lack of good acting except for Alex Vincent, who could've had an okay career on his hands if he just went on doing it. Though you may think this is just another lame hack-and-slash movie, it's much more interesting than, say, Friday the 13th, and with fewer deaths (There are only three people killed in the entire movie).

My Rating =

Rent

Child's Play 2 (1990)

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Time to compare sequels and the movies that were better than them. The story picks up a not-too-short time after the first one ended. The doll, Chuckie (voice of Brad Dourif), has been remade and is back to wreak havoc on Andy (Alex Vincent, the only returning actor from the first film besides Brad Dourif), so he can get out of the damn body. The only thing that is different here is that the doll effects in this one are a good deal better than the ones in the first. Plus, it has a cool climax at a doll factory, but Chuckie has been reduced to the same wisecracking monster that most killers in horror films have become. I don't have too much more to say about this film, if only that it is worth a quick look. I said it before and I'll say it again. Nothing new here.

My Rating =

Rent

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