Top Ten Summer Films
Film reviews by Chong Yu
Copyright 1994 Chong Yu
10. THE FLINTSTONES Too much hype, but not enough originality. Although reusing jokes from the original cartoon may bring back nostalgic memories in some, they are still the same repetitive jokes, fresh and original decades ago, but not today. Not a complete waste however. Reminiscent of Jurassic Park. Slick presentation (especially Rick Moranis), but didn't leave time for a real screenplay.
9. CITY SLICKERS 2 Comparisons to the first are inevitable, but can stand alone. While the first concentrated on the ineptitude of the vacationers well, this was not as successful. But still a lighthearted comedy worth watching as long as you don't seriously try to enjoy it. The corny ending was nearly a let down, but created a possibility for a sequel with a nice little final scene.
8. THE CLIENT Tommy Lee Jones just is not the intelligent law official he was in THE FUGITIVE, working too much off his reputation from the previous movie. Although acting overall was excellent, the implausibility of three sides in a two-sided conflict often gets in the way.
7. WOLF Hailed as another Jack Nicholson triumph. Although he does put forth a polished performance, he does not have the same bite of earlier roles such as Joker in BATMAN. Poor special effects, but otherwise superbly done, except for the climactic battle scene.
6. THE CROW Violent. Nihilistic. Destructive. Rides on the death of its star with almost a suicidal urgency. Nearly flawless, save for the discovery of hero's "weakness." Although avoided the glorification of drugs present in the original comic, it also missed out on the almost heroic angst of Funboy's death.
5. THE LION KING Amidst the accusations of plagiarism and racism, manages to prove that cartoons (a.k.a. animation) can succeed even with darker themes (i.e., death). However, it is still more a showcase of art, animation, and (to a lesser degree) musical score, than of true direction and story telling.
4. SPEED Solid entertainment. Worth the hype. With such a narrow concept, manages to fill it with an intelligent plotline--a success in itself--while still keeping the pace fast and exhilarating.
3. WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN Too bad it opened too early to be remembered for the Academy Awards. Outstanding performances by all three stars. On the surface it may seem like a family broken apart by one woman's alcoholism, but look deeper and you may see something else. Worth watching again (especially if you are single now and married later).
2. TRUE LIES Arnold Schwarzenegger has finally succeeded in comedy... almost. Tom Arnold (of all people) stole the show. Combines all the best of great action and great comedic films. After the slump of THE LAST ACTION HERO, Schwarzenegger has reproven himself. Amazing (and obviously expensive) specal effects, marred only by unfortunate stereotyping of the Arabic people.
1. FORREST GUMP Of all the films thus far this year, deserves Best Picture. Lighthearted, serious, hilarious, and tragic--uplifting. A minor epic. One of the few films where uncanny special effects blend almost seamlessly into the scenes. Excellent cinematography. Rewrites history, literally--takes a healthy suspension of disbelief. Oscar-calibre performance by Tom Hanks despite a few slips.
Must see's: 6 through 1. Future classics: 3 through 1.
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