"Dreamer (2005)"

Kurt Russell
Dakota Fanning
Kris Kristofferson
Elisabeth Shue
David Morse
Freddy Rodriguez
Luis Guzman
Oded Fehr

PG           106min           2005


“Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (2005)” is a young girl’s ambition turns into a family dream to see a race horse that had a career ending leg break race again.

Dreamer is a nice gleaming beautiful film in a time wear Hollywood it about gritty, raw and too real drama. It’s a heart-warming tale about overcoming adversity and finding your dreaming. It’s a family drama that is beautifully acted. It’s a story for the entire family.

The root for this family too succeed, it’s something you want as much as they do. No one character is more important than any other and it truly tugs at your heart. Its not cynical or contrite as some of these family dramas can be. It portrays a real family struggling between success and family, living in reality or chasing after a dream.

Some of the best work from a child that is wise beyond her year, Dakota Fanning. It’s her star that shines in this film and she is the drawing attraction. She outshine her other costar. I think this movie was made with her in mind and it shows. As the movie is about the horse but its only compelling when is she on the screen.

Dreamer is film for the whole family. You cheer in the happy moments and cry in the sad. For some it gives them a good cry. As a family you can enjoy for the acting or for the majestic animals horses are. It made me appreciate how hard it is to raise horses. I found a new appreciation for the Triple Crown and just how hard is to win.

I give it a 3/5 Gs.

"One Last Thing..."

Michael Angarano
Cynthia Nixon
Sunny Mabrey
Matt Bush
Gideon Glick
Johnny Messner
Gina Gershon
Wyclef Jean

R           93min           2005

“One Last Thing…” is about a young man with a terminal illness makes a unconventional last wish on local television, and his journey to fulfill this one last thing.

This story is about over coming adversity and fulfilling your dreams. He doesn’t let terminal cancer stop he from this one last thing. He keeps his head up and focus until the very end.

Cynthia Nixon and Michael Angarano are believable as a mother and son. Nixon portrayal as mother trying to cope with the death of her only child is beautiful and heartbreaking. Angarano as a dying teenager has some of the funniest moments, which just come from his situation. You really believe he is dying.

I’m not saying terminal cancer is funny, the situation that a sixteen-year has are funny. There are things and realities you don’t think of until you are dying. I think dying of something that’s slow and painful strips a person do to their fundament self. Things that most people consider important fall by the waist side. His perspective on life is stripped to his bare essentials.

‘‘One Last Thing…’ is a inspiriting tale of living with every breathe you have. The relationship between Nixon and Angarano are the backbone of this film. It’s a dark tale about a dark situation done with a sense of humor.

The DVD is pretty bare. It has one featurette about the behind the scenes. The audio commentary with the director is pretty bland a lot more informative than the featurette.

I give 5/5 Gs.

"Ultraviolet"

Milla Jovovich
Cameron Bright
Nick Chinlund
Sebastien Andrieu
Ida Martin
William Fichtner

Unrated           94min           2006

“UltraViolet (Unrated Extended Cut)” is about a beautiful vampire in a futuristic world that has to protect a boy, who is a secret weapon: the cure for all the humans transformed into vampires.

This is an prime example of how a studio can screw up a film. Screen Gem cut this movie down to 88min from the 120 min the writer/director had intended. They said it was “too emotional”. The crap that they put on the screen made me too emotional.

After watching ‘Ultraviolet’ I thought the trailer misrepresented itself. Then I read about what Screen Gem did to this film and it outraged me. It also explains why this film was Resident Evil: Apocalypse meets Terminator 3 minus Arnold, the machines are vampires and we’re supposed to root for the machines. Knowing that forty minutes of this movie was cut makes a difference to a film.

Let that be a lesson Screen Gem just because you’re the studio doesn’t make you GOD. Kurt Wimmer had an idea of what he wanted portrayed on film. You should have left it alone because this movie sucked.

‘Ultraviolet’, on the bright side, did tell a tale that was interesting in theory. I would have loved to see Wimmer’s original film; it can’t be any worst than Screen Gems. It was well done for an action film and the action sequences were awesome, but the story lacked cohesion and focus.

The DVD had nothing in special features worth mentioning.

I give it 2/5 Gs.

"Hoodwinked"

PG           80min           2005

“Hoodwinked” is a re-imagining of the ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ tale. It’s the mystery that unfolds as Red is on her way to granny’s house, to protect her secret recipes.

It is imaginative, funny, and funny for all to have. It took a tale we all know and throw against the wall and let the piece fall where they may. Kids will love it for all the action and animation. Parents will love it because of the familiarity with the characters and how they have been re-imagined.

“Little Red Riding Hood” has elements of the original story but its been torn apart and stretched like ‘Play Dough’. It’s a old story told new to a new generation, that the old will find interest and funny too. There are characters added that make the story so funny,

‘Hoodwinked’ has big name star voices that complement their characters and some voices are distinct but you can place the actor. Kids will love the animation because of its bright vibrant colors. The colors are cheery and delight.

This isn’t our ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ this is Red for a new generation. She is a confident young woman who is capable of making to Granny’s house. Granny’s no longer sitting by the fire waiting to die. The re-imaging of all the character is what make this tell funny.

“Hoodwinked” is one of the better-animated movies. This will make most children complacent enough to finish an entire load of laundry. It’s one that you can what it several times and pick up a clue that you didn’t see before.

I give it 3/5 Gs.

Dracula III: Legacy

Jason Scott Lee
Jason London
Rutger Hauer
Roy Scheider
Diane Neal
Alexandra Wescourt

R           85min           2003

“Dracula III: Legacy” is the second sequel to Dracula 2000, film back to back with its predecessor Dracula II: Ascension. Uffizi (Jason Scott Lee) and Luke (Jason London) go to Romania to save Elizabeth (Diane Neal) from Dracula. Along the way in this war torn Romania they face a TV News crew and rebels trying to curb the rising vampire population.

This sequel I could actually believe happening if it were not from its predecessors. This film was executed better and better suited the actors. This film was more of an action adventure with the villain, Dracula, than a horror film. The story stumbled in several places until it lost all footing in the end.

Dracula III: Legacy flowed better and gave you reasoning for the actors’ casting thin the previous film. Lee and London are a Riggs and Murtaugh pairing. They complement each other in this film. But the switch to a new Dracula was a little disconcerting, with flashbacks using the other one.

Where as the previous was boilerplate horror, this one was an action adventure. There is a lot more character development for Uffizi. Jason London acting stood out in this film as compared to everyone else. Although it was better execution it was still a bland action adventure.

Legacy still had some plot point stumbles and illogical moments, just not as many as it predecessor. The major plot I have trouble with is the movie is the ending. It left me with “Is that it?”. I don’t know why these sequels were made and I don’t care. They are a waste of time.

As. I asked myself what was the point of these films; I told myself, “I only paid a dollar to see it I really can’t complain”. If you pay any than that you will be disappointed. There are better horror movies out there.

I give it 1/5 Gs.