Belakovskaia, Anjelina Movie Reviews

Adventuress/archeologist Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is the first to find the mythical Luna Temple where, according to the film's legend, Alexander the Great kept his greatest treasures which were all lost when a volcanic eruption buried the Temple beneath the sea. The most unusual item in the collection is a glowing golden orb upon which is inscribed directions to the Cradle of Life, rumored to be the birthplace of life on Earth and the resting place of Pandora's Box. Pandora's Box holds the antithesis of life: a lethal plague which could destroy life on Earth if unleashed. Shortly after Lara finds the orb, it is stolen by a Chinese Crime syndicate that intends to sell the orb to Jonathan Reiss (Ciaran Hinds), an international kingpin who makes biological weapons for profit. Alarmed that Pandora's Box could fall into such villainous hands, the British government seeks Lara's help in retrieving the orb and preventing Rice from finding the Cradle of Life. Lara enlists the help of her former lover and convicted traitor, Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler) in tracking down the mysterious orb and the Box to which it holds the key.

"The Cradle of Life" is the second movie based on the video game "Lara Croft Tomb Raider". I don't think the writing is as good as the first film, but there are some fairly creative and entertaining action sequences. Angelina Jolie is, once again, the perfect Lara Croft. She looks the part. She projects a larger-than-life presence onscreen. Croft is charismatic, mischievous, tireless and shares with Jolie a certain joie de vivre that makes her captivating even in the midst of the occasional really silly scene. "The Cradle of Life" gives us some spectacular views of exotic locales under the Mediterranean Sea, in China, and in Africa. I found the adventures in China to be the most visually interesting, as well as being where the most creative new stunts are employed. The last third of the film goes downhill. Once it reaches Africa, the film employs too many clichés and way too much CGI. It loses all basis in reality and any sense of excitement with it. "The Cradle of Life" isn't a bad film. As long as you treat it like most action films and don't insist that it make much sense, the first two thirds of the film are enjoyable on an eye-candy level. This time the filmmakers have included some eye candy for the ladies in the audience, as well, in the form of actor Gerard Butler. Terry Sheridan is a sexy and irreverent bad boy -and not too hard on the eyes.

The DVD: This is a nice fully-loaded disc. The audio commentary by director Jan de Bont is good. It can be turned on using the menu, but it can't be turned off that way. To turn it off, press "audio" on your remote. There is a series of five short "making of" documentaries called "featurettes" that discuss the film's training, vehicles and weapons, stunts, visual effects, and scoring. Other bonus features include a DVD-ROM of the film's website (Windows only), deleted scenes, actor Gerard Butler's screen test, and 2 music videos. I recommend the Featurette documentaries and, if you still haven't had enough, Jan de Bont's audio commentary. If you only have time to watch one extra, I recommend the "Stunts" featurette.

Lara Croft as played by Angelina Jolie is a female cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones. Angelina joins the ranks of Harrison Ford, Bruce Lee etc. as a natural action hero. Angelina makes it worthwile. This is her calling.

I know many people don't like this movie but I think everybody can agree that the character of Lara Croft and Angelina Jolie go together perfectly. She is a joy to watch on screen. She can do comedy, drama, romance, but action really suits her. I really don't understand what people don't like about the Tomb Raider movies. They're not meant to have believable storylines. They're not meant to have Oscar worthy performances. They just meant to entertain. Watching Lara jump off a building, explore an under water temple, and run for her life from tree monsters is my idea of a fun movie! I wish there would be many more Tomb Raider movies but I very much doubt that will happen.

Adventuress/archeologist Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is the first to find the mythical Luna Temple where, according to the film's legend, Alexander the Great kept his greatest treasures which were all lost when a volcanic eruption buried the Temple beneath the sea. The most unusual item in the collection is a glowing golden orb upon which is inscribed directions to the Cradle of Life, rumored to be the birthplace of life on Earth and the resting place of Pandora's Box. Pandora's Box holds the antithesis of life: a lethal plague which could destroy life on Earth if unleashed. Shortly after Lara finds the orb, it is stolen by a Chinese Crime syndicate that intends to sell the orb to Jonathan Reiss (Ciaran Hinds), an international kingpin who makes biological weapons for profit. Alarmed that Pandora's Box could fall into such villainous hands, the British government seeks Lara's help in retrieving the orb and preventing Rice from finding the Cradle of Life. Lara enlists the help of her former lover and convicted traitor, Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler) in tracking down the mysterious orb and the Box to which it holds the key.

"The Cradle of Life" is the second movie based on the video game "Lara Croft Tomb Raider". I don't think the writing is as good as the first film, but there are some fairly creative and entertaining action sequences. Angelina Jolie is, once again, the perfect Lara Croft. She looks the part. She projects a larger-than-life presence onscreen. Croft is charismatic, mischievous, tireless and shares with Jolie a certain joie de vivre that makes her captivating even in the midst of the occasional really silly scene. "The Cradle of Life" gives us some spectacular views of exotic locales under the Mediterranean Sea, in China, and in Africa. I found the adventures in China to be the most visually interesting, as well as being where the most creative new stunts are employed. The last third of the film goes downhill. Once it reaches Africa, the film employs too many clichés and way too much CGI. It loses all basis in reality and any sense of excitement with it. "The Cradle of Life" isn't a bad film. As long as you treat it like most action films and don't insist that it make much sense, the first two thirds of the film are enjoyable on an eye-candy level. This time the filmmakers have included some eye candy for the ladies in the audience, as well, in the form of actor Gerard Butler. Terry Sheridan is a sexy and irreverent bad boy -and not too hard on the eyes.

The DVD: This is a nice fully-loaded disc. The audio commentary by director Jan de Bont is good. It can be turned on using the menu, but it can't be turned off that way. To turn it off, press "audio" on your remote. There is a series of five short "making of" documentaries called "featurettes" that discuss the film's training, vehicles and weapons, stunts, visual effects, and scoring. Other bonus features include a DVD-ROM of the film's website (Windows only), deleted scenes, actor Gerard Butler's screen test, and 2 music videos. I recommend the Featurette documentaries and, if you still haven't had enough, Jan de Bont's audio commentary. If you only have time to watch one extra, I recommend the "Stunts" featurette.

Lara Croft as played by Angelina Jolie is a female cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones. Angelina joins the ranks of Harrison Ford, Bruce Lee etc. as a natural action hero. Angelina makes it worthwile. This is her calling.

I know many people don't like this movie but I think everybody can agree that the character of Lara Croft and Angelina Jolie go together perfectly. She is a joy to watch on screen. She can do comedy, drama, romance, but action really suits her. I really don't understand what people don't like about the Tomb Raider movies. They're not meant to have believable storylines. They're not meant to have Oscar worthy performances. They just meant to entertain. Watching Lara jump off a building, explore an under water temple, and run for her life from tree monsters is my idea of a fun movie! I wish there would be many more Tomb Raider movies but I very much doubt that will happen.

I WANT MY 96 MINUTES BACK!!!! REALLY LAME HORROR FLICK!!
I don't know what it is about the quality of horror in the early 90s...but this is a good example of how it can go terribly wrong. If this film had been made in 1981 or 1971..or heck, even 1961 it could have had a good kitch factor...instead it's an overly stylized attempt at what a good 80's Slasher actually is.

The one star rating is for the casting of Lisa Kudrow (I think she's super cute as a brunette!)...and Comedian Kathy Griffin as a Lesbian Co-Mother-To-Be!!
The remainder of the movie gets a BIG ZERO!!!

Director Rodman Flender film doesn't have the resonance of great horror. At times it barely rises above an exploitation title, being hindered by gross out effects and the developing ridiculousness of the screenplay by Henry Dominic. The narrative reads as Rosemary's Baby redux with a dash of David Cronenberg and The Boys from Brazil.
After a forboding prologue where a pregnant woman is made to suffer because she drips blood onto her kitchen floor as she eats raw meat, we meet Brooke Adams who has been referred to the in-vitro centre where James Karen is a specialist. Of course, any doctor played by James Karen is automatically suspicious, and soon Adams becomes paranoid about the child she is carrying. Dominic has the sense to make Adams not the only pregnant woman, and also gives her access to a couple who have a child from the prodecure, which allows for her to have alternate opinions, though the points scored off the lesbian couple seem mean, though Adams' husband is conveniently out of town when things start going wrong. Luckily Flender delivers the best scene in the film for the climax, when Adams follows the sound of a baby crying and supplies a shock payoff. However after this highpoint, we plummet.
We get a grossout mage of the fetus moving a digit in the same shape as Adams' drawing, a laugh from the use of a Baby on Board sign, the low gag of a saccharine TV presenter turning shrewish off-camera, and the most disappointing setpiece when Brooks is being interviewed live and has an hysterical turn - for this Flender goes camp with the crew screaming for a re-run. The prologue deprives us of a shock, but later we get a second one even if in a ludicrous context involving a baby POV and the father's reaction. There is also an early gratuitous and long sex scene, a low impact Alien-like set, and the ending is too obviously left open for the sequel.
Adams' cracked beauty and individual voice add something to her role, and when she cries amongst stuffed baby toys she manages to convey a moment of pathos, even if she isn't as skilled, lyrical or vulnerable as a Mia Farrow. Also note this is another early role for Lisa Kudrow in her long black hair period.

I recently underwent surgery. The hostpital's movie channel showed "The Unborn," and I figured "what the hell, I'm not going anywhere. Might as well watch it" (and the intravenous machines I'm hooked up to won't allow me to reach the TV.) Well this was the scariest thing I've ever seen. My heart raced at such a pitch that my plasma drips exploded. What a movie. Brooke Adams was wonderful; better than Mia in Rosenberg's Baby. If you like your horror "on the rocks," THE UNBORN is for you.

...lack of a menu. There is no way to choose specific episodes-you just have to skip through the chapters and even those do not break at obvious places. My daughter likes to watch DVDs with the captions on (she learned to read at four so I guess that helped) and that option is not available. Might as well buy the video instead--it's a bit cheaper and at least you can look at the counter to determine where the episodes are.

While my daughter enjoys watching the episodes, it is frustrating when she wants to see the live action segments at the end. There is no menu in order to skip over the cartoon episodes and go straight to the live action.

Basically, we have to skip each chapter until we get to the last chapter in an episode (the DVD won't let you skip the last chapter), wait for the episode to end, and then do the same process for each of the remaining episodes until you reach the live action.

It seems like the makers of the DVD just recorded the VHS version onto disc and left it at that.

Four stories from the PBS television series. In each tale Angelina faces difficult challenges. The stories are:

Ballerina Rag Doll - Angelina faces maturity as she gives up her baby things to help others. But Angelina might not be ready to part with them all. Or is she?

Angelina's Surprise - Angelina is jealous of the attention being given the Twins and their new sibling. Angelina tells a lie that snowballs out of control until she admits her mistake.

Arthur the Butterfly - Angelina finds a beautiful injured butterfly while on a picnic. Angelina has a hard time letting it go once it is healed but learns her lesson when she becomes trapped.

Alice's Present - Alice gives Angelina a new gym bag that through a mix-up winds up donated to charity. Alice thinks Angelina did not like the gift and a friendship might come to an end.

We love the stories, the music and the voice characterizations. A fun video for young girls, and some boys, with lessons for everyone.

This movie the two starts simply because it's well put together and never snaps out of its reality. Problems arise when you do that with a movie like this because the movie never comes close to making any commentary on itself, or the ideas expressed. This movie is a science fiction story on paper, but in movie form it makes it completely real world, but completely unbelievable. The production qualities of a reality TV show are there and because the director takes the show seriously, as if it would actually happen, it completely derails the film from making a point about what you're seeing. This movie makes the mistake of believing that an audience will think about the deception of a reality show and consider the dangers of it, when in actuality the only people who actually care to think that way won't enjoy this movie, or even want to watch it. A film aping a TV show format is an interesting experiment, but a flat film is the result. Depressingly arrogant

I don't know how many times I've asked myself this one question: what is reality? Can there be reality in film? Film records moments that are real, but what happens when you stop the camera? Doesn't playing them back without context change the moment? What happens when you film small moments and edit them together? Does any reality exist after that? The answer is no. I think?

We've been inundated with reality programming for a few years now. The novelty has worn off. You can see producers scraping the barrel for some new ideas. So, I can imagine a show like SERIES 7: THE CONTENDERS, being pitched by a bunch of young up and coming producers and that's what scares me.

Picture this every human being is given a number. There is a lottery and those who win have to be on the hottest reality television show THE CONTENDERS. The premises of said show: kill the other contenders. If you're the only survivor you must come back for the next season. As our film opens seven seasons have passed, and five new contenders are chosen.

The contender who survived season six is Dawn Lagarto (Brooke Smith, Vanya of 42 Street- Who coincidentally shares a close resemblance to SURVIVOR 1's SUSAN HAWK) a women who is eight months pregnant and while has a rough exterior has a heart of gold. The other contenders are Connie (Marylouise Burke, Meet Joe Black) the catholic nurse with sociopathic tendencies. Jeffery (Glenn Fitzgerald, Buffalo Soldiers), the testicular cancer victims who just may be gay, or maybe he's in love with Dawn. Tony, (Michael Kaycheck, Requiem for a Dream) an unemployed oaf who has a family on the edge of deterioration. Franklin (Richard Venture, Courage under Fire), a strange old man whom has conspiracy theories on the brain. Then there is Lindsey (Merritt Wever, Signs) the high school flirt with doting parents (her mother is played beautifully by Ex-Mrs. Rudy Gulianni, Donna Hanover).

Director Daniel Minahan (TV's Six Feet Under) crafts a fascinating tale with a great gimmick. The entire movie is told as the entire seventh season of THE CONTENDERS. What I like about this gimmick is it allows Minahan to be a character himself. He is the puppet moving these characters around. Also helping with the story is typical TV style narration nicely delivered by Will Arnett (Southie). These elements help create a briskly told, interesting character study of why we as people enjoy watching reality shows.

Brooke Smith is really good as Dawn. What I especially liked about her was that she had this rough exterior but in the small moments she shows genuine concern about what was going on. This film is really her story, and she plays it straight. Every time the camera is on her she's in true form. True to herself and true to those around her. In fact many of the scenes without her fall flat or are over the top silly.

The same can be said of Glenn Fitzgerald role as Jeffery. He and Smith transcend the material making it their own. Minahan was smart to follow them. Jeffrey's story is really sad and there is this certain amount of pain and anguish in him and Fitzgerald gives him the right amount of sympathy and humor. I love Jeffery's still life photography. It's brilliant!.

That's why I wished the other actors had paid more attention to there roles. None of them is very confident with their characters. There is a tongue and cheek quality to them, so a lot of the satire falls flat. Some of that is the screenplay's fault. It barely develops the character of Franklin who fills the screen for no more than five or six minutes. Lindsey is always upstaged by her parents. Which is funny to a point. But why this film works in some places and not in others is because the moment the film becomes self aware of it's comedy, we as an audience are pulled out of it.

I also think the movie goes a little bit longer than it should. There are certain moments that just dragged on. I will admit that I stopped the film in places and picked it up later. But with a film like this you can do that. Because when the film is on, it's dead on and when it drags you can forgive it. It's also told episodically so it allows you that freedom.

So in the end, did I like SERIES 7:THE CONTENDERS? Yes, very much. It is a biting satire that only gets better years. Why? Because as television reality programming pushes the line more and more a program like THE CONTENDERS is closer to being a reality

This film is a reality show called "Series 7:The Contenders". However, this is no ordiary reality show. Six contenders are selected by lottery, assigned cameramen, armed with guns, and are forced to do battle against each other. Yep, you guessed it. The one left alive wins.

Series 7 is one of the best movies I have seen in a while. It is amazing the way Daniel Minahan was able to capture the authenticity of the reality show. Series 7 is by far the most exciting and funny reality show that I have ever seen. While the object of the game is somewhat disturbing, all of the actors manage to play with intelligence and use methods that are very funny. Perhaps the film's best feature is that Minahan manages to create lifestyles for the characters. We get to see what they have to leave behind. It is impossible to pick a favorite out of the Contenders, because they all do an outstanding job. Even though they are all different, they all manage to do things that will shock you, and make you laugh. Their true natures come out! The rest of the film's actors also do an outstanding job, and really help add to the tension and suspense of the other players. Also, the film's ending is one of the funniest and most shocking endings that I have ever seen!

Series 7 is what reality TV is supposed to be all about. It is shocking, disturbing, and down right hillarious. All of the actors do an outstanding job, and really help to make the film believeable. It is also very suspenseful and you will be glued to the screen for the entire film!!! The DVD is a nice pickup. There are deleted scenes, a featurette, and much more. This is definately a must own! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

This is most likely the worst film I've ever seen, and I've seen several movies on late-night cable. But at least those movies are good at what they're doing. The creators of The Zero Boys have no idea how to make a competent thriller, and it shows almost immediately. It's not the least bit scary, and if it were, it wouldn't matter because we don't care about any of the characters. Jared Moses as Rip is the only decent actor in the bunch, so you just know they gave him the smallest role. Kelli Maroney, in particular, is laughably bad. No wonder you haven't seen any of this movie's main players anywhere else. I say 2 stars, if only for how much fun it is to give this movie the MST3K treatment.

Your going to ask yourself how I could give this movie a 4 star rating. Well, let's start with saying I am basing this rating on a B movie level which is much different from a traditional rating to be honest. Those who knows B movies will love this one. This ranks as one of my all time fave, it surprised me when I saw it many years ago for I thought it would be an action flick and then I realized that it was freaking the heck out of me. This is what I would call the Deliverance of 80's B movies, freaky psychos in an old house, a bunch of hot shot Wargame players get hunted in the dark of night. The ending alone calls for chills down your spine. If you like B horror thrillers then I recommend this one highly!

This is Nico's best film, with Island of Death ranking 2nd. The other DVD release out a few years now, was very [poor] quality, so it will be nice to see this resurrected again. This has to be the scariest and best low budget, B-movie horror flick of all time. The scene where the boys witness the unknown female getting murdered on the TV in the barn, knowing that it was filmed in the very spot they stood, just minutes before they got there, is one of the most original and scary sequences in any horror film I've ever seen. Lots of other truly frightening scenes in this one. It starts out a bit slow, with some silly paintball action and sophomoric banter, but gets off and running quickly enough when they start their ride through the woods and one of them thinks they see a girl running amongst the trees... A true cult classic, the zero boys is well worth the bucks.

This is most likely the worst film I've ever seen, and I've seen several movies on late-night cable. But at least those movies are good at what they're doing. The creators of The Zero Boys have no idea how to make a competent thriller, and it shows almost immediately. It's not the least bit scary, and if it were, it wouldn't matter because we don't care about any of the characters. Jared Moses as Rip is the only decent actor in the bunch, so you just know they gave him the smallest role. Kelli Maroney, in particular, is laughably bad. No wonder you haven't seen any of this movie's main players anywhere else. I say 2 stars, if only for how much fun it is to give this movie the MST3K treatment.

Your going to ask yourself how I could give this movie a 4 star rating. Well, let's start with saying I am basing this rating on a B movie level which is much different from a traditional rating to be honest. Those who knows B movies will love this one. This ranks as one of my all time fave, it surprised me when I saw it many years ago for I thought it would be an action flick and then I realized that it was freaking the heck out of me. This is what I would call the Deliverance of 80's B movies, freaky psychos in an old house, a bunch of hot shot Wargame players get hunted in the dark of night. The ending alone calls for chills down your spine. If you like B horror thrillers then I recommend this one highly!

This is Nico's best film, with Island of Death ranking 2nd. The other DVD release out a few years now, was very [poor] quality, so it will be nice to see this resurrected again. This has to be the scariest and best low budget, B-movie horror flick of all time. The scene where the boys witness the unknown female getting murdered on the TV in the barn, knowing that it was filmed in the very spot they stood, just minutes before they got there, is one of the most original and scary sequences in any horror film I've ever seen. Lots of other truly frightening scenes in this one. It starts out a bit slow, with some silly paintball action and sophomoric banter, but gets off and running quickly enough when they start their ride through the woods and one of them thinks they see a girl running amongst the trees... A true cult classic, the zero boys is well worth the bucks.

this is one of htose movies... you can watch it.. but it doens't mean much.. Laura Flynn Boyle plays a barmaid married to a former ball player. While she stays with a hispanic artist named jesse (ironic.. cuz i know soem one liek that too)whom she falls in love with while she left her hubby cuz hes keeping all of their disability money... basically a story of how laura and another con man help get the money that he owes her..

So okay... Not all movies can hit you between the eyes. But you also want to be able to enjoy a different type of movie. One that's mellow, that's subtle, that lies on your tongue and slowly melts... One of those movies is this one. Subtle. Delightful. Funny. Just like great chocolate!

Even if you adore Frankenstien I wouldn't get this movie. You find out what Dr. Frankenstien is really about but the movie drags on and on with Deniro playing the monster. The movie lacks excitement and makes you want to fall asleep.

I've read the book and have seen most frankenstein movies, and let me tell you this movie follows the book closer than any other. It's a real heart-stopper at parts, very shocking and it tells the story that Mary Shelly invisioned. Robert Dinero does a superb job as the monster. If you like good, smart horror flicks, you cant go wrong with this one.

its predictale but the story and turns and twists are good. Liotta sparks the screen as the man who wakes up and doesnt know who he is(sorta like The Bourne Identity but much violent). good action and car chases. for die hard Liotta fans

For a low budget cable B movie, this was actually pretty decent. Jack (Ray Liotta) wakes up in the desert with a bump on his head and total amnesia. Vicky (Gloria Reuben) gives him a ride and helps starts him on his way to trying to find out who he is. Of course, while he is trying to piece it all together, some very nasty characters are trying to kill him.

The story is intriguing and handled well. It is somewhat predictable, but there are a few interesting plot twists, a good deal of violence, and plenty of car chases and action sequences. The ending was rather unfulfilling but not terrible.

The film was written and directed by Harley Cokliss, whose prior experience includes mostly TV credits. Cokliss' direction was straightforward and unremarkable, much like the desert he was shooting. The acting of the three leads was good, particularly Liotta, who has some excellent performances on his resume (Copland, Goodfellas). He has a knack for making the bad guy seem likeable, and that was the case again here.

Gloria Reuben also gave a good performance as Vicky, though it was a pretty minor role. Armin Mueller-Stahl is always strong in supporting roles and he was particularly good here as the heavy.

I rated this film a 6/10. Good acting, engaging story and adequate direction. Add one or two points if you like guy flicks.

I like Ray Liotta. When we first saw him in Goodfellas, he was riveting. That sadistic laugh creeped under my skin. He was also excellent in Copland, No Escape and Phoenix. His latest flick starts off kind of artsy-fartsy during the opening credits, but then immediately pulls you in as we follow Ray as he tries to regain his memory. He has flashes of violent images and other clues that lead to the discovery of his recent past. This is just a fun concept as we know no more or less than the main character. By the end it kind of gets to be a predictable gun movie, but the first 1/2 to 2/3 are great.