obnox

I was really touched by this movie. At first I was apprehensive that it would turn out to be another "English Patient" (which for me meant an agonizing wait squirming in my chair wondering if this was finally the end of the whole tragic, dour affair), but I was very pleasantly surprised. The love portrayed in this movie is what it is all about, not the pretentious, miserable stuff of the English Patient. Anyway, I was not much for Shakespeare when I was forced to read it in school, but this movie gave me an appreciation for the beauty of his prose. I especially liked the expressions on the faces of the audience when it finally came time to perform Romeo and Juliet. That's how I felt about this movie, too. The only thing I can't figure out is which was Ms. Paltrow's true hair- the gold or brown? I can't see how one could have covered up the other, either way.

I really loved how well everything was coordinated in this fast-paced movie. The animation was superb, the colors brilliant, the story and dialogue very smooth. I liked the plot twist on "Seven Samurai." I have a multi-colored recollection of this movie when I picture it in my mind, whereas shades of brown tones are the picture when I recall "Antz." This really was a marvelous movie - non-stop, interesting, dazzling for the eyes and ears. I believe this movie accomplished what its creators set out to do - be entertaining.

I went in expecting tongue-in-cheek and fun, but all I got out of this movie was mean-spiritedness. Aside from the Gorgonites, none of the cliched, one-dimensional characters had any redeeming value. Everything was done to excess and though we are supposed to be rooting against the soldiers, I found myself being disgusted at the entire debacle. As with Gremlins, the underlying tone of the movie is mean and nasty. The special effects were good, though, but there is nothing in this movie I would recommend to anyone. It is the Grinch without the humor.