Lethal Weapon review

 Number 675 on the top 1000 films of all time is the action thriller Lethal Weapon

Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) is a hot headed army veteran with PTSD, traumatised from the recent death of his wife. He is partnered with the older and more experienced Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) to solve the mysterious suicide of a young woman during Christmas. 

Lethal Weapon was very much emblematic of 80's action films. It was corny, bombastic with campy dialogue and a very Mel Gibson performance. Despite all this, I really enjoyed the film

I'm not big on the action genre yet like Die Hard, I thought Lethal Weapon was a thoroughly entertaining film. The cheesiness, car chases, gun fights and explosions only added to the spectacle. 

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. I don't much rate Mel Gibson as an actor - there is probably a reason he has won Oscars for directing/producing and not acting - but he and Danny Glover played well off each other.

They were certainly the most memorable parts of the film - much of the film's action sequences have blurred into one and the villains weren't particularly noteworthy.

I admit I enjoyed Lethal Weapon more than I thought I would. I thought it would be 2 hours of corny dialogue, hammy action and endless explosions and while it was all that, it was entertaining all the same.

The Crow review

Number 670 on the top 1000 films of all time is the gothic superhero film The Crow 

Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) Is a musician who is killed by gangsters who go onto rape and kill his girlfriend. After Draven is brought back to life, he swears revenge on his killers. Michael Wincott, David Patrick Kelly, Ernie Hudson and Jon Polito Co star.

 The Crow is one of those films where the behind the scenes drama has overshadowed the film itself. Of course I'm talking about Brandon Lee who died prematurely before the film's completion. His tragic death has lent the film a fame I'm not sure it could have achieved by itself. 

The Crow has gained a cult following after failing to hit the mainstream. I understand it was a gothic neo-noir-esque but did everything have to be so dark? I could barely see what was going on. It was difficult to get invested really. And a reminder the Crow came out in 1996 not 2026. 

It seemed like a cheap B movie in every regard from its production to its script and acting. Perhaps that could be attributed to its low budget. But the villains like Jon Polito were pretty campy as were the likes of Brandon Lee and the others.

This wasn't a film I could get invested in at all. Brandon Lee's death was a tragedy, but not even the mythical status his death gave to the film could save it. 

Little Children review

Number 668 on the top 1000 films of all time is the melodrama Little Children

Sarah Pierce (Kate winslet) and Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson) are both stuck in loveless marriages with young children to boot. In their sleepy Boston town, they begin an affair together but their happiness could be threatened when recently paroled sexual offender Ronnie Mcgorvey (Jackie Earle Haley moves into their neighbourhood. Noah Emmerich and Jennifer Connelly co-star.

Little children was written by Tom Perrotta who is best known for writing the Famed HBO TV series: The Leftovers. It was easy to see the similarities. Both projects focussed on the intricacies of everyday life - albeit in different ways. But they also explored some dark themes. And the darkness present here really turned me off this film.

This is a satirical melodrama so I guess it only makes sense having a character like Mcgorvey But I didn't like his inclusion at all. It was difficult to tell his purpose - was he there as the obvious villain? Possible but he doesn't really engage with our protagonists or is he there to draw sympathy? But can we ever feel sympathy for a PDFile/grapist? Not that we're expected to when we see how he has failed to reform at all. 

He just seemed so tangential to everything that I didn't understand his purpose to the plot. I guess he was a subplot but an irrelevant one 

I was still far more invested in Sarah and Brad's adulterous relationship even though it bordered on unbelievable at times. Seriously...nobody questioned why they were getting it on in the football stadium? I wouldn't go far to say that Kate Winslet is ALWAYS good but she was convincing here as was Patrick Wilson. I enjoyed seeing them try and fail to integrate into their communities. 

If only the film focussed more on them than Mcgorvey, I would be giving Little Children a more resounding review