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Site created 12/15/97.
page added: 5/19/05
The Spin Sheet
DVD reviews by Adam Jones of The Digital Bits
| What
follows is your all too typical mish-mash of bad sci-fi that tries
to sound smart, filled with expository dialogue that sounds ripped
off from the latest Michael Crichton novel, and the obligatory blood
and gore to make your girlfriend cringe and grab your arm. Sara
(Sunny Mabrey) is the daughter of Eve (Natasha Henstridge), who
retains her mother's lust to repopulate the Earth with her kind. The
military establishment is, naturally, always sifting through one
mysterious death or incident after another, keeping busy enough and
not really accomplishing anything until the movie requires them to.
Besides, if Sara was to be caught, the movie would be over. Oh yeah,
and there's the idea of evolution causing a hybrid of "half-breeds",
from which to two alien species end up hating each other. I wasn't
aware Alien vs. Predator was
good enough to warrant even a rip-off. The characters don't get much better than the plotting, and are mostly filled with a grab-bag of stereotypes; your all wise, no-nonsense professor with an agenda, the dean with a British accent, the conflicted military private, the hero who's always smarter than he leads on, affix your favorite here. The special effects are decent, but a far cry from H.R. Giger's original creature designs and miles away from the Aliens these movies were clearly influenced. I missed Species II, but the original film did have its moments, so I guess its modest success warrants a series of sequels. However, from this one it appears the budget has been considerably trimmed and the studio is just trying to cash in. And did I mention someone forgot to even try making this movie scary? You wouldn't be able to tell from the commentary by director Brad Turner, writer Ben Ripley (interesting last name), and actor Robin Dunne. At best, it's a play by play and not the most insightful you're likely to hear on DVD. The four featurettes collected on this edition, titled Alien Odyssey, serve as adequate bonuses to a movie that doesn't really deserve them. The DVD cover declares beauty is only skin deep. Indeed, if only the filmmakers dug a little deeper themselves. Technically, the anamorphic widescreen picture quality is very clean, with no distortion or pixelizing. The soundtrack, presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1, captures all those gooey tentacles flapping about, that icky wet rip whenever someone is slashed open or, in a few cases, split in half, and doesn't seem all that interested in anything else but those gory moments. I guess if you're a fan of the series, then pick this one up... from the used shelf rack. Otherwise, steer clear, with the knowledge that there is far better mean alien sci-fi out there demanding attention, namely the first two Alien films, Predator, or those X-Files episodes containing the "conspiracy" story thread. |
| That's
not a bad premise, except that the story could have been made into
any other movie, just take away the mask angle. It would certainly
have made things more interesting and make more demands on the
writer, Lance Khazei. But since the movie has been sold as a sequel,
I guess we're stuck with what we have. The biggest problem is that Son of The Mask isn't nearly as funny or original as... the original. The animation sequences are creative enough, but whenever that kid gets the mask, it's totally unconvincing and downright freaky. It makes me wonder why anyone older than the ten-year old mindset would find anything entertaining about watching a tweaked-out looking kid wreak havoc on his parents. Since the movie is directed with such kinetic energy, much like the Tex Avery cartoons that inspired the film, by the time we reach the end we are exhausted. It's overkill. Imagine riding Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain over and over and over... until it stops being fun. That's what we have here. The cast is suitably enthusiastic, but their talents aren't served well by a weak script. Sure, they know they're making something silly, but being self-aware doesn't give them license to make the audience nauseated either. Ironically, the audio commentary is far funnier than the film itself. Gutterman, Khazei and Kennedy fly off each other's comments, are quick, witty, and basically everything the film is not. All one can ask is, what happened? You get a handful of deleted scenes, and you can see why they were deleted. There are three documentaries, each touching upon the special effects (which are quite good, actually) and making of the film. It looks as if everybody had a great time making the movie, but this is juvenile humor at best. Not to knock the film completely, the DVD picture (in anamorphic widescreen) is fantastic. Ditto for the disc's Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix. Such wild special effects demands equally convincing sound design, and they are both superb. Since this is mainly a kids movie, I can guarantee kids will really want to crank up the home theater system. Parents, just make sure you have earplugs. I can't really recommend this movie based on entertainment value, but it is certainly not boring and will keep the kids entertained until they discover something better. Which shouldn't take that long, considering what else is out there. You're best bet would be to check out the movies and animation that inspired this one. Any Looney Tunes volume will serve, along with the original Mask, The Goonies, The NeverEnding Story, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?... you see? It's quite obvious you can skip this one. |
| To
be cynical over this show would be pointless. Sure, you could say
Mister Rogers is a little too smiley, as if he's taken one too many
uppers. In this day and age where nobody trusts anyone anymore, and
neighbors aren't what they used to be, Mister Rogers would probably
be looked upon as some kind of creep. But this show was produced
during a time when these ideas, while certainly idealized on the
show, weren't so far gone as they seem to be now. Highly recommended
for parents who are terrified over what their kids can watch these
days. It's only a matter of time before those kids get corrupted by
something or another, so why not give them a little sugar before
things get sour? The show will obviously test parents' patience, but
it's certainly more watchable than an episode of Barney. Presented on DVD, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood gets fine treatment in terms of video quality. Being originally shot on video, this is clear as you're going to get it, and you can throw away those crummy tape copies without looking back. The audio is pretty basic, but unless your kids are 3-year old techno wizards, you don't need to introduce them to the JVC DTS Dolby Digital Surround Sound System just yet. There is also a nice serving of extra features to keep the young ones busy. Along with the Teddy Bear Factory tour, sing-alongs, and a recipe for pizza bagels, the DVD package features something that is really missing these days; parent involvement. There are many activities and games to play that would at least require an adult to handle the remote control of the DVD player. When's the last time a DVD made simple demands of parents? Cookie-cutter and overly lovey-dovey for sure, but Mister Rogers' makes up for that in earnestness and honesty. Rest assured, your kids won't turn into pansies from watching this show, but they may turn out a little nicer. Adam Jones adamjones@thedigitalbits.com |
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