dirkvega

"The Edge" boasts Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin at their best. You would think that alone would be more than enough to carry a movie, but this film also has breathtaking Alaskan scenery, eye catching cinematography, a top notch score by Goldsmith, and a fantastic script by David Mamet. And then there's the terrifying Bart the Bear, and Elle Macpherson's beauty is a nice bonus. Harold Perrineau, Jr. also deserves a mention for another good supporting role. "The Edge" is a very involving movie that has great dialogue in between great action sequences. So why didn't it make any money? I would say the title hurts. Its an above average movie with an average title. It sounds like another generic action movie. The film was shot under the title "Bookworm", which is good in an offbeat way, but doesn't exactly promise an adventure. My suggestions? "Nature's Course" or "Survival" are both catchier and more memorable than "The Edge". As far as the film itself goes, its very memorable.

For an action comedy, the action is pretty weak and the comedy is pretty lame. The very talented Martin Lawrence is obnoxious here, and wears out his welcome early on. He's good when he has somebody to play off of, like Tim Robbins in "Nothing to Lose" or Will Smith in "Bad Boys." Luke Wilson, who was very good in "Bottle Rocket", should have been much more prominent in his partner role. Instead, its a showcase for Martin Lawrence, which could have worked if his character was actually likable. There's no reason why he deserves to get away with the diamond, so why root for him? **

I've been a Drew Barrymore fan ever since "E.T.", and was very impressed with her performances in "Gun Crazy", "Boys on the Side", and "Mad Love". I think of her as one of Hollywood's most underestimated actresses, and trust she'll be going on to even greater things. When I saw the trailer for "Never Been Kissed", I thought this was the one. A movie that would cater to all her strengths- her natural beauty, her comedic flair, and her skill for expressing deep emotion. For the most part the movie puts Barrymore, who also served as a producer on the film, to good use. Sadly, it also plugs her into some rather lame jokes and slapstick humor that falls flat. The movie tries to be too many things at once, and nearly implodes. Going for the teen comedy audience and the adult female crowd is pretty ambitious, and proves to be too much to handle. For every moment that is heartfelt, there's one that feels phony and forced. The cartoonish depiction of high school kids is especially frustrating. All the students (including the guys) are gung-ho on finding an original theme for their prom. It's a competition between all the local high schools. If that wasn't unrealistic enough, the popular crowd suddenly embraces Barrymore's previously loathed character the second she comes up with the prom theme. We then get a montage of her shopping happily with a trio of shallow bitches who have been going out of their way to make her life a hell. This hurts the believability of the character, who is ecstatic to finally be accepted, despite all the hardship she has faced at the hands of these types. There's a difference between naive and stupid. This flick was obviously intended as lighthearted, but thats still no excuse to make the heroine so oblivious to what is so obvious. Still, Barrymore succeeds in injecting her role with alot of warmth and charm. Leelee Sobieski and Michael Vartan also stand out in the rather overstuffed cast. John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, and Garry Marshall are also good with what they are given to do, but seem underused. All in all, a watchable movie, but one that is likely to having you shaking your head at all the little annoyances in the screenplay. **1/2, but easily could have been a solid *** with some much needed rewrites.