Wildfire at the Movies: 'Pearl Harbor'

[wildfire]

<title>Wildfire at the Movies: 'Pearl Harbor' Patrick Duda wildfire wildfire@trv-psitech.com</title>
This week I'll be reviewing the new dear of the Hollywood big-budget scene, Disney's Pearl Harbor.<br>
<br>
A three-hour movie, this picture seems to last nearly as long as a two-day Tokyo firebombing, and unfortunately is about as enjoyable.<br>
<br>
Pearl Harbor is split into three sections; mini-tales that blend into each other somewhat seamlessly although have their own individual character. The first part of the story deals with the main cast, and does a good job of portraying soldiers and nurses as booty-hungry devils looking more for the next bottle of wine than they care about making sure they don't miss being shipped out to Hawaii the next morning. The second part deals with the meat of the subject--the actual attack on the harbor. The third is almost a discombobulated, removed telling of the Doolittle raid on Tokyo. Typical of Disney, this movie tries to start on a bang and end on a bigger bang, but ultimately achieves little more than an opening sniffle and a closing whimper.<br>
<br>
While the movie dealt with war it seemed to be treated in almost such a way as to be removed from it entirely. I don't think that with the hollywood pretty boys in planes and ships it would have had much less effect if mickey and minnie mouse were fighting off enemy Zero's instead.<br>
<br>
All in all, while the special effects are very well done (if not quite ground-breaking in scope--the movie manages to successfully convey the real feelings of that infamous day and the horrors of the event) this hour-long juicy core is wrapped in two hours of mediocre plot telling and disneyeque acting.<br>
<br>
If for some reason you actually have to watch this movie in a theater, because you lost a dare or something, make sure to bring a pillow and a few meals, you might be glad you have them.<br>
<hr width=75% align="left"><br>
This movie is rated: <b>low-end rental material</b><br>
<b>2</b> out of <b>5</b> stars<br>
<br>Special Awards:<br><br>
<img src="http://www.psitech.net/images/cheeseaward.jpg"><br>This movie gets the offical Cheese Award for being a stunningly bad movie.<br><br><br>
<img src="http://www.psitech.net/images/sig_light.jpg"><br><font size=1><b>Well, I havent seen the first 12 Apollo movies yet...<br>
</b></font><br>

[jefflucas]

<title>Laura Croft = Tomb Raider = Fred Meyer Jeff Lucas jefflucas jefflucas@psitech.net</title>
On 6/29/01 2:06:19 PM, Jonina Dourif wrote:<br>

>O.K. I think even woman enjoy<br>

>watching other pretty women<br>

>and even more these daze, I<br>

>think women particularly enjoy<br>

>watching other women "kick<br>

>butt" (It seems that man are<br>

>enjoying this quite a bit<br>

>too). <br><br>



<b>When will we finally meet the demand for the Joni-TRV-Kung-Fu movie? I have all sorts of ideas - let me know and I'll finish the script, cast it and scout locations.<p>



Do you want to play yourself?

<p>

(Deep movie trailer guy voice) "In a world where RV charlatans roamed freely, one woman rose up to defeat them.."</b>

<p>

<b>Friday, 29 June, 2001, 14:00 GMT 15:00 UK

BBC News</b>

<p>

<B><font size="4">Violent Lara Croft scenes

cut</b></font>

<p><TABLE BORDER="0" WIDTH="340"><TR><TD VALIGN="RIGHT">

<IMG SRC="http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1410000/images/_1413972_lara_300.jpg" BORDER="0"><BR><FONT SIZE="1">

Those over 12 years old will be able to watch Lara Croft</FONT></TD></TR></TABLE><BR>

Scenes featuring head butts and throat chops

have been cut from the British version of Lara

Croft: Tomb Raider on the orders of film

censors.

<p>

Producers wanted the film to be given a 12

certificate, but the British Board of Film

Classification (BBFC) demanded they cut

violent scenes or settle for a 15 certificate -

and exclude a large number of potential

cinema-goers from seeing it.



The cuts mean those over the ages of 12 can

now see the film.

<p>

Released in the UK on Friday, 6 July, it stars

Angelina Jolie as a fearless female adventurer

who fights villains and monsters to recover

ancient antiques.

<p>

<b> 'Glamorisation' </b>

<p>

The BBFC said Lara Croft is "the latest big

Hollywood action film aimed at children but

containing scenes which are too violent for

younger viewers".

<p>

BBFC director Robin

Duval said: "The

natural audience for

Lara Croft is the 12 to

15 age group, but the

board's classification

guidelines make it clear

that at 12 the

glamorisation of

weapons such as

knives and the graphic

illustration of

dangerous techniques

such as head butts and

throat chops are unacceptable.

<p>

"The film company has responded positively to

the BBFC's concerns with cuts to those

elements and to other violent content at

several points in the film."



Films in a similar situation but which chose to

retain violent scenes and take a 15 certificate

in Britain include Mission: Impossible 2 and

Charlie's Angels.

<p>

<B>'Fantastical setting'</b>

<p>

Mr Duval said the action-packed film would not

surprise audiences familiar with 12-rated films

such as the James Bond series.

<p>

"As with the Bond films, the combat, gunplay

etcetera is mitigated by the absence of bloody

or graphic detail and by the generally

fantastical setting of the story.

<p>

"The board's concern about knives, however,

reflects the fact that they are much more

readily accessible in the UK than the other

more unfamiliar equipment characteristic of

these films."

<p>

Meanwhile the BBFC is set to trial a new

"advisory" rather than "compulsory" cinema

certificate later this year.

<p>

<B> Number one </b>

<p>

The BBFC is looking into a shake-up for the 12

rating and a trial run is being pursued with a

local authority in England.

<p>

The proposal would bring Britain into line with

Europe and the US.

<p>

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was number one at

American box offices last week.



It has been given a PG-13 certificate in

America, which means parents are warned that

some material is inappropriate for those under

the age of 13.



Croft first found fame as a computer game

character in 1996.