RHKLWK

You know, most of the midshipmen and many of the younger sailors DO look like they got lost on the way to the Dead Poets' Society set. Do they all have to look like Ethan Hawke? In a way, it kind of figures. Director Weir directed Dead Poets' Society.

I have to say, though, that Russell Crowe made a better ship's captain than Robin Williams would have.

Seriously, did anyone on this side of the pond understand the dialogue? I watched at home and played and re-played certain scenes so I could make some sense of the dialogue. At times, I thought I was watching Darby O'Gill and the Little People. I expected Little Max to exclaim, "I am King Brian of Knocknasheega!"

Even so, it was a good movie, and it accurately depicted two-thirds rum and the lash) of what life in the Royal Navy was like (omitting, happily, the other third: sodomy).

The cinematography is superb. The attention to detail, especially the uniforms and weaponry, is likewise superb. I thought there was fairly good character development between the Captain and the Surgeon, but it isn't clear why the cultivated midshipmen aren't back at Rugby enjoying a scrum.

It's pointless to nitpick. It is an entertaining film. Sit back and relax. 8 out of 10

This movie is a composite of every action fantasy pic made since . . . well, since The Goonies.

Every scene was purloined from some other movie. I must admit, I was slightly stumped trying to remember where I had heard, "Jack, Jack," before, but then I recalled the 1976 version of King Kong, and Charles Grodin's appeal to Jeff Bridges' character: "Jack, Jack . . . ."

I was amazed at the resemblance of Keira Knightley to Johnny Depp's old flame, Winona Ryder. When Johnny's tattoo is revealed, I half expected it to reveal "Wino," not some reference to the East India Company. (You do know that Johnny altered his "Winona" tattoo to read "Wino," don't you?)

You know, this movie does nothing more than overload the senses. In fact, it's an assault on the nervous system. This is what movie making has become.

This movie made Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes look like Citizen Kane.

This movie ranks in IMDb's Top 250. Sad.

First, I wish to thank Kevin Costner for making Westerns. Although long out of favor, they tell America's "story" better than any other genre (and even if you don't like the story, there's always the cinematography -- have a look at "Legends of the Fall," when you can).

It's not "Shane," but it isn't bad. Unlike Shane, here is a real twist: the Free Grazers are the good guys; the sod busters are the bad guys. Very interesting.

Many of the movie's parts appear elsewhere: Silverado and Lonesome Dove come immediately to mind. Who cares . . . .

I wondered whether I would look at Robert Duvall and his character and see Texas Ranger Augustus McRae. Indeed, sometimes I saw Gus (for example, in the bar room scene where he delivers his lecture on good vs. evil), and at other times I didn't (for example, during most of the gun fight). I think Duvall has a hard time living down Captain Gus, and he knows it. So what .. . .

The gunfight is extraordinary. The weapons were historically accurate, the sounds were right, and the poor marksmanship was realistic. The re-created town is a masterpiece. This long scene is a work of art.

The relationship between Costner and Bening isn't really developed, the evil sheriff and the maniacal rancher don't have enough screen time, what motivates the last-minute heroics of the townspeople is unclear, and the movie, itself, with the exception of the gunfight, could have been made for television, but everything considered, it is a highly entertaining film.

Rent this movie and enjoy it.