FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.
Be Kind, Please Rewind
This week, MiB's and Jackie Chan Face/Off
by Jane McCulloughPerhaps the summer's hottest movie (weddings have been planned around this theme) is available this week: Men In Black. The comic book characters come to life with Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Linda Fiorentino providing the molds. It is fun as a movie that pretends to take itself seriously, however, some of the Muppet moments (and Vincent D'Onofrio) go a little too far. Still, there are crazy special effects and comic antics that make it entertaining to watch.
Another summer blockbuster also released this week is John Woo's Face/Off starring Nicolas Cage, John Travolta, Joan Allen and Gina Gershon. Over-the-top moments don't seem to matter in this one; the action is abundant, fast and choreographed to perfection - including the Mexican stand-off between Castor (evil) and Sean (good). Family and personal life on both sides are strong, well written aspects of the story, unlike the lame True Lies. What could have been just another action movie is transformed by a cast that is talented enough to play with it.
The director of Clerks brings us his third feature film Chasing Amy, starring Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams. There are a few good laughs in this story about a boy comic book artist who falls for a girl comic book artist - only she's a lesbian. Until she meets the boy, that is. There is some great dialogue, and Kevin Smith demonstrates his knack for comedy, however, some of the treatment is trite and shallow. Fans of Smith's work will be pleased to know that Jay and Silent Bob make yet another appearance.
Jackie Chan returns with Operation Condor, an older film made in Hong Kong that was recently released in North America. While it's true there are no replicas when it comes to Chan's appeal, try Raiders of the Lost Ark or any of Chan's other works for a better story.
And Sigourney Weaver and Sam Neill star in the Grimm Brothers' version of Snow White, with Weaver playing the wicked queen to Neill's king. This is a much darker version of the fairy tale so perhaps it's not for the kiddies.
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