Smith's Verdict

Smith’s Verdict: ***

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

When rushed for time, either going to a certain location or staying at a certain spot, it’s the journey that matters the most in the case of constructing an action-thriller. Examples include “Speed,” which had the concept of a bus that will explode if traveling below 50mph, and “Phone Booth,” which had the concept of a man held by a sniper to remain inside a phone booth lest he get shot. It’s always the high-concept gimmicky-setups that interest people in seeing the film and it takes skill on the filmmakers’ part to keep it on its toes in order to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. That is why despite how dated “Cellular” might be with its central portable technology, which has been through constant upgrades (and is still increasing in new developments), the film still holds up as a tense, adrenaline-filled thrill ride.

“Cellular” practically opens by showcasing its 2004 “new, edgy improvements in technology.” As people walk about the boardwalk in Los Angeles, they’re admiring their new cellphones, amazed that they can take pictures of chicks in bikinis and send them to other people’s phones. (Ah, the good old days when we were impressed.) But once that’s out of the way, the story for “Cellular” kicks in. We meet our hero—a hunky surfer-type named Ryan (Chris Evans)—who is walking about the beach with his even-less-ambitious buddy (Eric Christian Olsen) and trying to make amends with his ex-girlfriend (Jessica Biel). But soon enough, his cellphone rings. He answers it and it’s the desperate call for help from a schoolteacher who has been kidnapped. The teacher, Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger), has been kidnapped by corrupt cops, led by Greer (Jason Statham), who know that her husband has stumbled upon one of their operations. She doesn’t know what they want, and believes they have the wrong family. Convinced that they’ll kill her once they get what they want, she manages to use a smashed phone (by touching a couple wires together) to make a random call and see if she can get some help. And so, Ryan winds up on the other end of the line, and while he doesn’t quite believe her, her desperate pleas keep him from hanging up. So he agrees to take his phone to the police and have her talk to them about the situation. But when a cop named Mooney (William H. Macy) listens to Jessica’s story, he’s interrupted and distracted, leaving Ryan to take charge of the rescue and thus thrusting him into a race to save the day.

Ryan must keep Jessica on the phone, or else he’ll lose her and be of no help in rescuing her. (Jessica’s phone doesn’t dial normally.) This of course sets off the inevitable series of events that get in the way. Just about every cellphone cliché you can think of comes into play here. Signals get crossed, the battery is dying, the signal is poor, other calls come in at the wrong times, etc. “Cellular” stays alive by thinking of new ways in creating obstacles that get in the way of Ryan, forcing him to outwit and maneuver every which way, all while he has to make Jessica’s husband and child aren’t kidnapped as well, and following different clues that lead to her and the bad guys. But things get even more complicated once Greer learns that Ryan is involved, and also when Mooney discovers some things about the situation he knows very little about that doesn’t hold water, leading him to do his own investigation.

There are chases (both foot and car), drawn fire, fistfights, and other elements that make “Cellular” a regular action-packed thrill ride. It’s never boring, and it even takes a few rest stops, most of which include Mooney as he is planning out his and wife’s new “day spa,” but different circumstances force him into investigating the central situation. Unfortunately, this also leaves room open for exposition. All of this builds up to an over-the-top (albeit inevitable) climax in which Ryan and Mooney join in ultimately saving the day. At an hour-and-a-half of running time, “Cellular” is an enjoyable, entertaining movie that packs many thrills by using clever gimmicks in its action sequences. It’s nicely developed, action-packed, and it doesn’t matter if your phone now is different than phones back then. If your phone has new apps, the situation can still be the same. Stop laughing and enjoy the movie.

Smith’s Verdict: ***

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

“Innerspace” is a movie full of ideas—perhaps too many ideas that don’t work entirely. But still, there are enough intriguingly silly ideas that are executed well and acted with enough game that I’m recommending the movie as absurd fun.

It’s a blend of science fiction, comedy, thriller, action, and romance that begins with a crazy idea: test pilot Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) has volunteered for a secret government experiment that involves a miniaturization device and a capsule suited for it. The experiment would cause surgeons to operate on patients from inside them. To test it out, Tuck is supposed to be miniaturized to about the size of a molecule (by estimation, at least) so that he’ll be injected into the bloodstream of a lab rabbit.

It works, and Tuck (and the capsule) is placed inside a syringe. But there’s a problem—high-tech thieves send their hit men to break in and steal the technology from the experiment. One of the scientists run off with the syringe holding Tuck and as he’s shot and killed by one of the hit men, he uses his final action to inject Tuck and the capsule into a random passerby—a grocery clerk named Jack Putter (Martin Short). As we see in introductory scenes, Jack is nervous enough. How’s he going to take the news that someone is inside him?

Tuck wades through Jack’s bloodstream and discovers soon enough that he’s inside a stranger. He uses a little gizmo to stick to one of Jack’s eyes in order to see from a screen inside the capsule exactly what Jack sees, and he also uses a communications system to talk to Jack from inside. Jack at first thinks he’s hearing things—“I’m possessed!” Jack exclaims—but eventually comes to grips with the situation and decides to help Tuck out.

If you’re following this, you’re a smart reader. But believe me—things get even stranger.

That’s mostly what’s part of the fun. There’s a limit to how long Tuck can stay inside the capsule before his oxygen runs out; the villains get closer and closer, and must be outwitted each time; the villain’s new hit man enters into the scene—a bizarre character named The Cowboy (Robert Picardo); and soon, Tuck’s former girlfriend Lydia (Meg Ryan) gets involved.

Oh, but that’s not all. Jack develops a crush on Lydia and constantly forgets that Tuck—Lydia’s former boyfriend—is still around, much closer than he thinks, to say the least.

The plot goes all over the place in “Innerspace.” Most of it is fun, and directed with a sense of silly amusement by Joe Dante (director of “Gremlins”), but you kind of wonder what would happen if the editing was tighter (the movie’s running time is 120 minutes). And there are a few holes that are kind of hard to overlook—there’s a “face-change” that is difficult to explain, and Tuck is as small as the molecules in the liquor that Jack drinks for him but it doesn’t look or seem that way. At the same time, there’s a lot to like in “Innerspace.” Not just the chances the story takes, but also the special effects and the acting.

There are many wonderful visual scenes in which Tuck travels through Jack’s bloodstream. It looks remarkable and surprisingly realistic. The computer-animated effects here are definite first-rate. Though, I would’ve liked to see Tuck fight some white-blood cells or antibodies. No such luck here, but he does eventually have to fight off a hit man who’s been miniaturized and place inside the body to get to him. Oh, and there’s also a sequence involving the heart that’s probably the best sequence in the movie. It looks realistic, as the effects involving Tuck’s capsule were combined with actual footage of a beating heart. “That’s a hell of a pump you got there,” Tuck tells Jack.

Dennis Quaid’s character of Tuck could’ve been a bore, as he spends most of his time confined to the capsule. But with his personality and constant one-liners, it feels like he’s still here. Quaid plays a hero who can’t move while Martin Short plays a nerd who wasn’t expected to be the hero. Quaid and Short have nice moments in developing their friendship.

Martin Short, the manic “SNL” alum, is wonderful in this movie. He’s extremely likable, very funny without being too manic, and is fun to watch throughout this movie. It’s hard not to like this guy.

The love story in “Innerspace” is surprisingly nicely done, and Meg Ryan makes a fun, plucky woman put into the confusion of everything. How would she handle the news that her old boyfriend is inside this nerdy guy she’s just met?

“Innerspace” is completely ambitious. It may have worn me out, and the scenes with the thieves aren’t as interesting as the relationships between Tuck, Jack, and Lydia (with the exception of the Cowboy’s scenes, which are manic), but it still provided a good time for me with its intriguing special effects, good acting, and constant use of story twists.

Smith’s Verdict: ***

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

The most expensive movie ever made at its time, 1995’s “Waterworld” is known as one of the all-time bombs—up there with productions like “Heaven’s Gate” that didn’t even come close to making its money back. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s one of the all-time worst movies. Actually, it’s a pretty decent action flick with nicely-handled sequences and great sets that give atmosphere.

Though, with the label of “most expensive movie,” it’s easy to see why people were disappointed by the outcome of the production. Even disappointing to me, actually—for a movie of this budget, perhaps being merely “decent” is a disappointment. But you take what you can get.

“Waterworld” takes place in the distant future, as we see a change in the opening Universal logo with the polar ice caps melting, and a brief narration stating that most of the world is covered with water. Thus, we have Waterworld, a place filled with drifters, terrorists, and falling civilizations—all survivors now living on manmade boats, one large ship, and large docks. No land in sight. Freshwater and dirt are now valuable trading. People and brotherhood aren’t what matter to the survivors anymore.

Kevin Costner stars as Mariner, a drifter who lives on his own, sailing on a boat of his creation. He trades for some dirt and sells it in a civilization made up on a big floating “atoll.” However, upon closer inspection, the people there see that he’s a mutant—he has gills and webbed feet. But while the people want him executed, a barmaid named Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and her adopted daughter Enola (Tina Majorino) believe he has seen Dryland, assuming from most of the materials he has traded. So they join him on a journey to get there. However, a terrorist group called the Smokers, led by one-eyed, nasty Deacon (Dennis Hopper), is after Enola (quite an unusual name—it’s “alone” spelt backward) because she has markings tattooed on her back that might actually be directions to Dryland (though no one can decipher them).

“Waterworld” has some intriguing ideas. As we see in the beginning of the film, we see how Mariner is able to stay hydrated and healthy—he processes his own urine, drinks it, gargles, and spits on his little lime tree. That’s very clever. We also see many of the technical aspects of this world—there are a lot of shots focused on how many gadgets work. I love the focus on the mechanics in this world.

But there are some pretty dumb moments with “Waterworld” as well. For example, why would the people on the atoll try and kill Mariner after finding out about his mutation, when HE WAS JUST ABOUT TO LEAVE? What did they have to worry about? And also, why is there a prejudice against people with gills in this world? With some experimentation, couldn’t there be some problems solved around this man who can breathe underwater, in a world that is maybe entirely covered in water? Nothing is made clear of this. There are also moments involving stunts involving jetskis in which the movie looks like a TV spot for Seaworld.

The action sequences are mostly well-staged, particularly the Smokers’ attack on the atoll as Mariner, Helen, and Enola must escape. Even if the stuff with the jetskis looks commercial-like, there is some impressive stuntwork there. I also really liked the final sequence in which Mariner must storm the Smokers’ ship in order to rescue Enola from Deacon’s clutches (and hammy speeches).

Kevin Costner is probably not the best choice to play this part—as the anti-hero, Costner doesn’t particularly come across with as much energy as Mel Gibson with his “Mad Max” movies, nor does he have the goofy one-liners that Schwarzenegger could deliver. Sometimes, he’s just kind of a bore. But as an unsmiling action hero, he’s mostly effective. He does have his share of badass moments. Dennis Hopper, as the villainous Deacon, is deliciously over the top and also serves as weirdly effective comic relief. Jeanne Tripplehorn is fine and Tina Majorino, while kind of annoying at first, gets better as the role progresses.

“Waterworld” has its problems, but has its action and sets to make up for them. This may be one of the bigger bombs in the past thirty years, but it’s far from one of the worst movies in the past thirty years. It’s just decent.

Smith’s Verdict: ***

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

“Young Sherlock Holmes” imagines what it would be like if Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s notorious detective characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson met as young men. And even if the screenplay calls for young Holmes and young Watson to embark on an adventure of Spielberg proportions not necessarily worthy of the Doyle tales (indeed, Steven Spielberg was one of the film’s producers), it’s a pretty entertaining watch.

The introduction of young Holmes and young Watson is wonderful—a real treat. Young Watson is the new-boy-at-school in every sense—he’s near-sighted and slightly round. His first encounter with a fellow student is a young genius named Holmes. Just as Watson is about to introduce himself, Holmes stops him, saying “Let me.” After an awkward pause, Holmes, without stuttering, states proudly, “Your name is James Watson, you’re from the North of England, your father is a doctor, you’ve spent a considerable amount of leisure time writing, and you have a particular fondness for custard tarts. Am I correct?” He was right about everything except that Watson’s name is John. Watson asks how he did that, to which Holmes responds that it was clear, elementary deduction from a close look at his belongings.

“The name tag on your mattress reads J. Watson. I selected the most common name that belongs with ‘J’—James. John would have been my second choice.”

The boarding school that Holmes and Watson attend is in the great tradition of English locations used in fiction, in which a great sense of unconventionality is always visible. In particular, living in the school, is a retired old professor, Dr. Waxflatter (Nigel Stock). He has many bizarre, clever, wonderful inventions in his workplace. His latest is a contraption much like a one-man pedaling airplane—however, his many tests have proven unsuccessful.

And let’s not forget that nosy dark-cloaked figure that stalks the grounds and uses a blowpipe to shoot special thorns into his victims. The thorns are dipped in a solution that causes those exposed to it to experience frightening hallucinations. The victims seem to be killing themselves to escape their drug-induced nightmares—these include a gargoyle that comes alive and attacks; a coat hanger that turns into snakes; and the most impressive (although definitely underused) special effect, a stained-glass-window knight that jumps off the window and walks toward the victim. (For you trivia buffs out there—That knight is the first entirely computer-generated character to be released in a feature film.)

When Waxflatter falls victim to the hallucinations, Holmes and Watson are left important clues. Holmes is determined to get to the bottom of this foul play, as he, Watson, and Holmes’ girlfriend Elizabeth race to solve the mystery.

What they find, I’ll admit, is not worthy of Holmes and Watson. It’s a secret Egyptian religious cult that partakes in human sacrifice of young female virgins, inside an underground pyramid. Just call this “Young Sherlock Holmes and the Temple of Doom” and you get the idea. (Fittingly enough, in some countries, this film is entitled “Pyramid of Fear.”)

“Young Sherlock Holmes” is essentially Doyle mixed with Spielberg, and it does more justice to Spielberg than it does to Doyle. But there are many Doyle elements to enjoy—such as the references to the Holmes/Watson elements we know of (Holmes’ pipe, his cloak, his violin-playing, etc.). The characters of young Holmes and young Watson are portrayed and written convincingly in the great spirit of Doyle, and played wonderfully by Nicholas Rowe as the charismatic young genius and Alan Cox as the loyal Watson. They’re effective so that Holmes purists won’t be offended.

There’s one element that fans will notice doesn’t fit into this Holmes story and that’s the character of Elizabeth (Sophie Ward), a beautiful young woman who lives at the school and serves as Holmes’ love interest. She’s beautiful, nice, and attentive; but you can tell where the character is going so that no woman will ever touch Holmes’ heart again, hence his bachelor lifestyle. However, to her credit, if anyone were to be the only woman for Holmes, it would have to be Elizabeth.

Even if the special effects don’t belong in a Holmes story, they’re still fun, and so is this movie. “Young Sherlock Holmes” gives us interesting heroes to root for, an engaging mystery for us to follow, and more-than-capable execution from director Barry Levinson, writer Chris Columbus, and cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt.

Smith’s Verdict: ***

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

“It’s like I have Ward Cleaver for a dad.”

In the low-budget thriller “The Stepfather,” teenager Stephanie Blake doesn’t know the half of it when she delivers that simile about her new stepfather. This new man in hers and her mother’s life seems like the perfect family man, or he just wants the perfect family. It seems like he wants his family to be like those in “Father Knows Best.” But there’s something we know that Stephanie and her mother don’t. The stepfather Jerry is undoubtedly an unstable, sick mind. As we see in a creepy, gripping opening scene, this man has murdered his family (we don’t see the murders, but we do see the bodies in the living room), changed his appearance (shaved his beard and wears contact lenses), and went off to find a new family. One year later, he has changed his identity and remarried Susan Blake (Shelley Hack) to come across, possibly yet again, as an ideal family man. Susan falls for it, but daughter Stephanie (Jill Schoelen) sees right through him—she complains to her mother, “It’s not even our house anymore—it’s his.”

The stepfather goes through the notions of an ideal family man, fooling everybody in the neighborhood. He hosts dinner parties with his real-estate clients, gives Stephanie a puppy as a present, and even calls her Pumpkin, which creeps her out even more. Stephanie’s therapist (Charles Lanyer) thinks she’s just having trouble adjusting to having a stepfather to replace her deceased father, and her acting up in school—and getting expelled—doesn’t make her any more credible. But she knows that something is wrong with this man.

“The Stepfather” has its share of effectively disturbing moments—the most memorable is that opening scene I described. Just as tense is the scene in which Stephanie comes across the stepfather having a mental breakdown before immediately snapping back into character when he sees her. But it also has one other, very important thing going for it, and that is the performance by Terry O’Quinn as the stepfather. O’Quinn is great in the role—chilling, subtle, and even strangely likable at some points. He’s convincing as a psychopath who acts as a normal person but has an unbalanced mind that resorts him to murder when everything goes wrong. The tension is always there when he’s on screen.

Not particularly strong is the subplot involving the brother of his latest victim trying to track down the killer, by using a newspaper reporter and a police detective to try and track him down. It’s not particularly interesting and pretty distracting, compared to the family aspects and tension.

What really satisfied me about the film was that the characters weren’t necessarily idiots to figure this guy out, especially when the film shows the audience right from the start. I feel like this man could fool anybody; of course, that includes Susan. And Stephanie does her own detective work. She has a sure plan to figure him out, which backfires, making her feel like she was wrong about him. This helps raise the tension level.

“The Stepfather” isn’t like the usual slasher films you come across. Sure, it does have a rising action that comes down to a climactic confrontation between the psychotic killer and his family, and you could use that for the climax for any other film of this sort. But what makes “The Stepfather” special is the characterization and performance of the title character, its successful scary moments and haunting feel, and a sharp script by Donald Westlake. It’s an effective thriller.