Put Up Your Dukes

Nope, not a bunch of John Wayne movies but a couple of great boxing movies.

Movie Review: Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Well it's no wonder why this movie did so well at the Oscars. It is simply great. It's the story of a no-longer-young, very stubborn, female boxer and her partnership with an equally stubborn trainer who at first wants nothing to do with her. Duff and Eastwood are magnificent as the pair. Freeman is also great in the 3rd leg role of the boxing gym's manager. There are a number of smaller characters who are nevertheless very memorable. Each character is very human with a range of emotions and varying reasons for why they are who they are. The boxing scenes are very good but this isn't really a movie about boxing, it's a movie about determination and friendship. 10/10

Movie Review: Cinderella Man (2005)
Based on the real life of James Braddock, this is also a great boxing movie. Braddock was a man who very nearly achieved greatness in the ring before the great depression put him and his family in the poor house. Even in the bleakest of times he remains a noble and honest man. Miraculously, he gets another chance in life, another shot in the ring. He is set up to take a fall but instead makes another run for the title. Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger are very good as the main characters but it is Paul Giamatti as Braddock's manager who shines the brightest in his supporting role. 8/10

More Movies for the New Year

Movie Review: The Goodbye Girl (2004)
Caught the 2nd half of this Neil Simon story based movie on TV. For some reason Daniels is sharing a New York apartment with Healey and her daughter. He's a down on his luck actor. She's had a few too relationships with actors go sour in the past. So of course they become involved. The dialogue is very witty (as I'd expect in a Neil Simon story) but otherwise the story just seems like an edgier version of a Friends' episode.

Movie Review: What Planet Are You From? (2000)
I'll admit up front that I'm a Garry Shandling fan. When I was much younger I used to like his TV show, 'The Gerry Shandling Show', and I'm a big fan of his last TV project, 'The Larry Sanders Show'. This was pretty disappointing though. Shandling plays an alien who comes to earth to impregnate a woman and return with the baby to his home planet. His race has become so technologically advanced that they don't require emotions. Reproduction only occurs through cloning. I forget if they explained it in the movie or not, but there are no females on his world. Thus a lot of the jokes revolves around Shandling's character trying seduce woman despite his complete inexperience. However, much of this premise is almost lost completely when Shandling is first introduced and he breaks into smiles every so often (so much for not having any emotions). 6/10

The Best Movies of 2005

As opposed to my worst movies of 2005, my best movies of 2005 have been given a place of honour on the right of the page. Most of these movies were not made in 2005 but merely movies that I saw in the previous year. I guess I should explain my scoring system as well, just in case anyone cares, which I'm sure no one does. Firstly, only movies that I've seen for the first time can be considered for top movies of the year. This is so that personal favourites (such as Blue Velvet) that I've seen many times don't make the list every year. However, new versions of older movies, extended cuts or director cuts, are eligible.
All my movie reviews contain a score from 1 to 10. Anything from 1-5 means I didn't like it and the lower the number the more horrible it is. A 6-10 means I like it to a varying degree. A 6 means I slightly enjoyed it but don't want or need to ever see it again. A 6 movie might be worth watching on TV if you've got nothing better to do. 7 is a pretty common score, it means a movie might be worth renting. 8 and above are very good and recommended. I reserve 10's for truly stupendous movies and very few make the grade.

The Worst Movies of 2005

I'll do the best films in my next posting but even the worst films deserve their place of dishonor. The Razzies are always a good place to check out bad films and performances. I should clarify that my worst movies of the year may not be movies that were made in 2005. Movies tend to come to Japan about 6 months after they debut in North America. Movie theatres here are also very expensive so I usually only go to see the most visually exciting movies on the big screen. I also don't have the time I used to have in my care free university days.
So without further ado, I present the worst movies I saw in 2005.

#10 Hellboy
I was very disappointed in this one. A very big budget that should have been spent on just about anything else.

#9 Cradle 2 the Grave
No surprise here. Jet Li and some rapper in a movie about cage fights and stolen diamonds.

#8 One Million Years BC
Almost no story, grunts for dialogue, cavemen in fur sneakers?

#7 Mission to Mars
Shoddy science and shoddy story = shoddy movie

#6 Land of the Dead
Can't believe I've seen this in some best movies of 2005 lists. Lame zombie movie with lame story about class struggles.

#5 Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Maybe I'm being too hard because this is a kids' movie but this had me cringing.

#4 Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous
Apparently FBI officers assaulting civilians on camera is an acceptable practice now.

#3 The Flintstones
Despite the stellar cast this movie was just awful. Any original Flintstones cartoon is more entertaining and, thankfully, much shorter.

#2 Taxi
The original French movie was stylish and funny. This Hollywood miscopy is nothing like it. Queen Latifah's new Hollywood star is a little less shiny because of this clunker.

#1 Star Wars: The Holiday Special
Not technically a movie, it's a TV special, this is probably the worst thing I've ever seen recorded on a strip of film. I'm also including the horrendous short films I made in university here. At least they're not as annoying and painful as this. 40 minutes of Wookies growling? Princess Leia singing? What were Bea Arthur, Art Carney, Harvey Korman and Jefferson Starship doing here though??