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Public Enemies, a review by Dragonfire

I went to see Public Enemies today.  It is a really good movie overall.

The movie deals with the war on crime, mostly against bank robbers, that J. Edgar Hoover started in the early 1930's, with the most attention give to John Dillinger.  Hoover assigns agent Melvin Purvis to lead the hunt for Dillinger.  A woman named Billie becomes involved with Dillinger, which also causes problems for her.

Dillinger is already a well known criminal when the movie starts, though some of the bank robberies he committed are dealt with during the movie.  A few other well known bank robbers like Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson are in the movie, though not as much.  Some scenes do move a bit slower, but the pace moves along at a good speed for the most part.  the subject is very interesting and made for an entertaining movie.  The movie is based on a book.  I haven't read the book, though I did see it a few days ago.  It sounds like the book has a broader focus than the movie, covering the other bank robbers more and not just focusing on Dillinger.  From some research I did after watching the movie, it seems like the order of some events was changed.

There is a decent amount of action in the movie, mostly provided by various shoot outs.  The action scenes work well for the most part, though there shaky camera work does turn up in them, which I find very annoying.  The violence does get graphic at times, but it fits for the story.  Dillinger, his men, and the agents after them are all heavily armed and most of them don't hesitate to shoot.  The agents - from the Bureau of Investigation, which became the FBI a little while after the events shown in the movie - were quick to shoot first and ask questions later.  Some of them were very willing to beat or torture information about of suspects.  One agent basically beat the hell out of a woman trying to get information, which was disturbing to see.  Hoover had basically given his approval for that type of interrogation earlier, but Purvis didn't seem to agree with that..at least where it came to the woman. 

The acting is absolutely wonderful, especially from Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.  Depp became Dillinger and made the character come to life.  Bale wasn't in as much of the movie, but I think he did really well as Purvis.  In Terminator: Salvation, Bale ended up using a voice for John that is very similar to what he used for Batman, especially in a few scenes.  That didn't happen in this movie.  I haven't seen Marion Cotillard in anything else before, but she did very well as Billie.  J. Edgar Hoover came across as a bit arrogant and was willing to do whatever he felt was necessary to make his Bureau look good. 

I really liked this movie.  Fans of Johnny Depp should definitely give it a chance. 

 

I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Public Enemies

(From Public Enemies on July 2nd, 2009)

Beverly Hills Cop , a review by Dragonfire

Beverly Hills Cop



The heat is on in this fast paced action-comedy starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street smart Detroit cop tracking down his best friend's killer in Beverly Hills. Axel quickly learns that his wild style doesn't fit in with the Beverly Hills Police Department, which assigns two officers (Judge Reinhold & John Ashton) to make sure things don't get out of hand.

Dragging the stuffy detectives along for the ride, Axel smashes through a huge culture clash in his hilarious, high-speed pursuit of justice.

Featuring cameos by Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot and Damon Wayans, Beverly Hills Cop is an exhilarating sidesplitting adventure!

My Thoughts

I've seen this one several times and I still enjoy it.  I do think this is one of Eddie Murphy's better roles.  The plot works well overall and is interesting and entertaining.  The mystery is entertaining, though it could have been a little stronger.  It isn't difficult to figure out which could bother some people.  There is a good blend of action and humor in the movie that works well.  Axel comes up with some unique ways to get out of the situations he gets into in Beverly Hills, and most of those ways are funny.  The way he interacts with people in Beverly Hills is funny too.  The action scenes help keep things moving and interesting.  There is violence in some scenes that isn't that graphic so it shouldn't bother anyone.  There is a lot of swearing, which might bother some people.

There are a couple of extras on the DVD, but I haven't taken the time to check them out. 

This movie has held up very well and I definitely think it is worth watching.



I did get a review posted on Epinions.

Beverly Hills Cop

(From Beverly Hills Cop on September 13th, 2010)

The One Where It All Began: The Pilot Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century



What's the show about?
Buck Rogers is an astronaut who's been frozen in his spacecraft for 500 years and is been resurrected in the late 25th century. Earth has seen a nuclear holocaust and mankind lives in a few shielded cities and depends on the trade with other worlds. Buck Rogers has now to live in this world and to adapt to this new culture.

What happened before?
It's a remake of the 1939s, but since I've never seen this, I do not know what they've taken over and what not.

"Awakening"
In the year 1987 Buck Rogers is send on a mission that should've lasted 5 months. Due to a cosmic accident he is frozens and awakes 504 years later on the Draconian flagship under the command of princess Ardala. Earth seeks a trade treaty with the Draconian Empire and Aradala's father who rules over 3/4 of the known universe. But Buck is suspicious whether the empire has the best interests of Earth in mind.

My Opinion
This is one series I just bought because of the pilot. I watched that show in the late 80s on television  but only a few episodes because I had a regular appointment when the show was running. After I bought the DVD set, I watched a few episodes but it didn't interest me that much. That's also the reason why I haven't got the second season. But the pilot I could watch over and over again. I could laugh my ass off everytime Buck shows that Earth pilots how to fly in a dogfight.

(From The One Where It All Began: The Pilot Marathon on January 3rd, 2008)