5 Quick Remembering-type Movie Reviews

In light of my entry earlier this week about fellow blog, the House of Self-Indulgence, I thought that I would do a quick rundown of a few movies which could have made longer Remembering columns, but I thought this format would be better.

And taking a cue from SamuraiFrog, I will not refer to them as guilty pleasures.

Ready to Rumble: It was a movie about WCW wrestling made at a time when I wasn't into wrestling at all... and yet I watch it every time it is on. Maybe it is because I enjoy Oliver Platt's take on sloppy redneck drunkenness (I enjoy seeing him in movies anyway), or Martin Landau's spunky trainer Sal Bandini... or maybe it is just the gratuitous kicks to the groin. I mean, I do like Scott Caan, Joe Pantaliano and Rose McGowan, and I am OK with David Arquette. I do know that it certainly has nothing to do with supporting the career of director Brian Robbins (he inflicted Norbit on us... and that is just unforgivable). It is a stupid movie, and I am the first one to admit it, but I still get roped in every time.

What Women Want: I'll sum up why I watch this movie every time it is on in 6 words: Judy Greer, Marisa Tomei, Sarah Paulson. But in all seriousness, the premise that because of an electrical accident, Mel Gibson can hear the thoughts of women is ok but the execution is more than a little sloppy. And his post-movie behavior really taints this one (as does Helen Hunt)

The Whole Nine Yards: I started writing a Remembering post about this a few weeks ago, but somehow, I could never get it finished. Basically, the argument I was going to try to advance was that this movie was in essence, a Shakespearean comedy filtered through the conventions of film noir. The film tells the story of a dentist named Dr. Oseransky (Matthew Perry), who is unhappily married to a woman who is secretly trying to have him killed. His life changes when a former hitman for a Chicago crime family, Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski (Bruce Willis), moves in next door, setting off a series of events which are both romantic and violent in nature. Now, the only reason it didn't work as successfully as it should have was because it seems like the filmmakers couldn't decide on an appropriate tone for the film, so there is seems to have been an attempt to make things a little more wacky than they probably should have been.

Robocop 3: I know, I know. It doesn't have Peter Weller in it, and compared to the elegant satire that was the first movie, Robocop III is more than a little ham-fisted, but I find it enjoyable on a lot of levels. Decent action sequences and a somewhat well-thought out anti-corporate message, and it's got Mako. Mako is one of those actors who has elevated an otherwise disappointing movie for me in the past. And that isn't even mentioning Stephen Root showing some range in another dramatic role. And because of the mask, well, it isn't like you miss Weller too much.

Blue Streak: This is one of two movies starring Martin Lawrence that I find entertaining. He does have a tendency to either play cops or petty criminals in his movies, and in Blue Streak, these two types comes together in one performance. Lawrence plays Miles Logan, an expert jewel thief, who after being double crossed by one of his partners in the theft of a large diamond, hides the stone in an under construction building before being arrested. Upon his release from jail, Logan discovers that the building is now a police station, and to get the diamond, he must pretend to be a police officer, something he is surprisingly good at. But every time he thinks he has the diamond in his grasp, some new complication arises... including the re-emergence of his old partner who is willing to kill to get the diamond all to himself. Featuring supporting work from Luke Wilson, William Forsythe and Dave Chappelle, this movie is an unsung gem in the TBS lineup.

Tags: blue streak, ready to rumble, what women want, robocop 3, whole nine yards, matthew perry, martin lawrence, samuraifrog, guilty pleasures, oliver platt, luke wilson, judy greer, marisa tomei, sarah paulson, scott caan, remembering, house of self indulgence, tbs, peachtree tv, david arquette, william forsythe, dave chappelle, mako