Fargo

This is optional to read before my review.  Hopefully I will be posting more frequently because on November 24th (or Thanksgiving) was my birthday, and I received a lot of movies as presents through family and gift cards, and I got lots of movies on Black Friday very inexpensively so the rate of reviews might increase.

Joel and Ethan Coen are two of the best modern-day directors in the film business.  Their filmography is unbelievably successful, with modern-day classics including No Country for Old Men, the Big Lebowski, and their most overlooked film, a Serious Man.  Although, there is no argument that Fargo is among their best.  The humor is dark but hilarious, the direction is superb, and this is one that should not be missed.

In Fargo, North Dakota, Jerry Lundegard (William H. Macy) goes through financial problems and arranges a rendezvous with two men (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife so the father-in-law can pay the ransom off as both sides earn the profit.  After the kidnapping, everything goes downhill and what was supposed to be innocently executed turns into a bloodshed of problems, literally.  After seeing the murders on TV, pregnant sheriff Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand, who gives a career-defining performance) does it in her jurisdiction to track who caused the three murders.

This film has too much to say about.  Never have the Coen brothers done a film so classy, so entertaining, and so gruesome - even to the levels of Tarantino standards.  This is some of the best character development ever done in a 90s film (runner-up to Pulp Fiction).  All four characters that are followed (Macy's, Buscemi's and Sotrmare's, and McDormand's) are absolutely magnificent.  Their personalities are all well thought out and stand out individually.

What steals the show, however, is the screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen.  Their writing is divine, being some of the most creative I have ever seen on screen.  What makes this film so terrific as well is that this film could easily be a two to two-and-a-half hour film, but the Coen's played sharp and made it a well-worth it hour and a half.

If I haven't said it enough, this film is fantastic.  There are few flaws to this film and it easily stands out as one of the best of the 90s, especially when it was released.  It is entertaining throughout and never ceases to lose my attention.  Fargo easily receives a 4/4.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Adapted from one of the greatest films of the 1930s, Mel Brooks does an exceptional job of satirizing the story of Robin Hood.  Starring Cary Elwes as the title character, Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a zany, funny, memorable film.  It isn't very memorable comparable to the classic Brooks, but is still one to see.

The film follows the classic story of Robin Hood (Elwes), as the villainous Prince John (Richard Lewis) is oppressive to the people as the good King Richard (Patrick Stewart) is gone.  Robin escapes from prison, steals from the tax collectors, and competes in an archery contest to win the lovely Marian (Amy Yasbeck).  However, with Brooks' creative touch, he parodies the traditional adventure and love stories, as well as the idea of a hero who ventures around a forest in tights.

This film is very entertaining, although it is very week throughout the first thirty minutes.  As soon as Elwes recruits his crew, the film starts to pick up steam.  Brooks' screenplay is very humorous with a show-stealing performance by him as a rabbi with lots of wine he needs to use for Shabbat.  Nobody could pull off a performance as swell as that.

There isn't much to say about this film, as it can only be classified as a Mel Brooks comedy.  It pales in comparison to his satirical remake, Young Frankenstein, but is still worth checking out.  You can find it online or at retail stores for less than five dollars, and is surely worth the money.  Robin Hood: Men in Tights receives a 2/4.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

David Fincher's first PG-13 film, the Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a remarkably stylish, entertaining epic film.  It has a sense of sympathy, charm, and above all, romance.  The performance by Brad Pitt is like none other, and Cate Blanchett is absolutely elegant.  It is a fantasy film that represents western films very well.

On the day Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, Daisy (Blanchett) is laying on her deathbed in a hospital there. Accompanying her is her daughter (Julia Ormond), as she is asked to read the diary of Daisy's lifelong friend, Benjamin Button (Pitt).  The diary goes into extraordinary detail of how Benjamin was born with an age disease that gives him little chance of survival, but surprisingly survives and gets younger as time progresses.

As he was abandoned by his biological father (Jason Flemyng) - whose wife died while giving birth - he was raised by a woman named Queenie (Taraji P. Henson).  As Daisy's grandmother lived in the same neighborhood, that's how Benjamin and Daisy met, and over the years, separate but contact each other throughout the years.

Every aspect is beautiful in the film, particularly the art-direction.  The scenery is a joy to look at, particularly the scenes when Benjamin is at sea.  David Fincher's direction is also terrific, as every shot is perfected with care and enhances the joy of viewing Benjamin and the make-up performed on him and Blanchett.

The character study is rich and stunning.  The characters and their personalities entrance the viewer and hold their attention the whole time.  The performances are top-notch, with Pitt giving the performance of a lifetime. With a fantastic screenplay from Forrest Gump writer Eric Roth, he does a sensational job of adapting F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story and bringing these characters to life.

This film is magical.  No other fantasy film is like this one, and seeing Blanchett in her old makeup (filmed last because of getting hot from the lights and the blanket) really makes the viewer sympathize with her, even if she had done wrong.  You can see the sense of innocence Benjamin has from his old age as a child, and David Fincher does good again.  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button receives a 3.5/4.

Hercules

A classic Disney film from start to end, Hercules is one of the lesser appreciated of the animated archive.  It ponders the question as to why because the action is well-drawn, the performances are hysterical, and approaches Greek mythology in a proper manner.  It is worth taking some time to see.

Hercules (Tate Donovan), the son of Zeus (Rip Torn), is turned into a half-god, half-human being after drinking much of a potion given to him as a baby from Hades (a laugh-out-loud performance by James Woods).  Discovering his true strength on earth throughout childhood, he meets his immortal father and he must become a hero at Mount Olympus.  Through the help of friend Pegasus and satyr Phil (Danny DeVito), he is trained to fight through the colossal monsters, but he has to make the decision of becoming a hero by sacrificing himself to save his true love Meg.

This film is very entertaining to watch.  The scenery is delightful to look at, and the monsters are creative as well.  The fighting has impressive levels of intensity, always keeping you at the edge of your seat for the outcome of the fight.  The performances are top-of-the-line as well, as Woods and DeVito easily steal the show with their comedic performances.  My only gripe is Pain and Panic (Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt Frewer) get very annoying quickly and feel like the character Lefou multiplied by two, but they are forgiving enough.

There is nothing else to say but this film is enjoyable to watch.  The characters and colors are all bright and vibrant, the animation is the best Disney had achieved for the time, and it has the classic love story, musical-esque feeling all Disney films do.  It is definitely worth 90 minutes and should be seen by everyone.  However, it isn't perfect, but receives a 3/4.