Nothing to lose, 1997

Nothing to lose, 1997
Director: Steve Oederkerk
Cast: Martin Lawrence, Tim Robbins





Nothing to lose in short: Nick Beam's life couldn't get any worse. He discovers he has been living a lie and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. So when T. Paul, a carjacker, attempts to rob him, it is the last straw for Nick. With everything to gain and nothing to lose, he kidnaps T. Paul and attempts to put his life back together.


Stage: home TV selection, Saturday night


Preps: None in perticular. But I have nothing more interesting to do, hence..


Reality: This kind of movies should be prohibited. There should be a test under which a movie rates high enough to enter TV selection. Nothing really close to a comedy. The story is not believable, but this isn't the only sin this movie is making. All sorts of mistakes and misbeliefs, but nothing can settle the initial problem the movie has. The drive. What is this man, after he discovers he's being betrayed, after? What will he do and why? The viewer should have the answers, not make them up as we go through the movie.
Martin Lawrence, as the role of the chimp monkey that waltzes around Robbins all the time, trying to get his attention or prove his intelligence and misfortune that drove him to be a robber. Quite predictable, with stupid delivery and unpersuading cast. Things that happen to them while they are on a road, could buy (maybe) a child, and by that I don't mean to be offensive towards children or underestimate their intelligence. But this piece definitely underestimates our intelligence. Hence, delete and forget forever. I can't believe this was on the prime time of the local TV.



My personal rating: 0 (yuk. don't waste your time)

Nothing to lose on IMDB

National Treasure: Book Of Secrets, 2007

National Treasure: Book Of Secrets, 2007
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Cast: Nicholas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha


Stage: Home TV selection, Saturday evening


National treasure in short: While Ben Gates is presenting new information about John Wilkes Booth and the 18 pages missing from Booth's diary, a man by the name of Mitch Wilkinson stands up and presents a missing page of John Wilkes Booth's diary. Thomas Gates, Ben's great-grandfather, is mentioned on the page. It shows that Ben's great-grandfather was a co-conspirator in Abraham Lincoln's murder. When doing more research, the conspiracy takes Ben, Abigail Chase, and Riley Poole to Buckingham Palace (which they break into). They discover a plank that has early Native American writing on it. The plank has only one symbol that Patrick Gates can identify. The symbol is Cibola (see-bowl-uh) meaning the City of Gold. In order to define the rest the have to go to Ben's mother, Patrick's divorced wife. After 32 years it brings back old arguments.


Preps: I have seen this once already. Not really something remarkable, but maybe worth another seeing and reviewing.


Reality: Yep, I am right. Nothing remarkable. A nice adventure, something to brighten up your afternoon. No special effects, some historical travelling through the american history. I need to confess I never thought Nicholas Cage to be a very persuasive leading action hero, neither did he convince me in this perticular piece.
Furthermore, they teamed him up with Diane Kruger, who we saw dazzle in Troy (in 2004), here she is yet another blonde face we soon forget, without any perticular points I can give her for the cast. The same goes for all other action figures in the piece.

There is something worth mentioning, though. This is one of more fun-driving treasure hunts. It takes you through familiar places, known people, american history. In some ways, it's the juvenile version of The Da Vinci Code. Of course, the latter is of bigger proportion and has made a bit more homework. In terms of belief, the Da Vinci Code is superior in comparison with the National Treasure. But National Treasure is still a good copy of The Code from 2006. It will take you to the president's chamber and make you think about all the national secrets every nation keeps dear in a hidden place noone dares to taste. In this sense you will be stumbled with numerous events and occasions (coincidences) that occur in the piece and drive you to think about conspiracy theory, etc. Plus, they will also (similar to Da Vinci Code), make you go through your closets and wardrobe closets, looking for the secret pocket and secret map. And drive a bit of adventure you forgot since being adult, in your veins.

A good Sunday entertainment. Since our local TV decided this is the crown jewel of a Saturday night, I don't recommend it in that way.


My personal rating: 5,0 (watchable adventure, will ease your mind :) and make you curious about US history and its treasures).


National Treasure on IMDB

The Fifth Element, 1997

The Fifth Element, 1997
Director: Luc Besson
Cast: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman


Stage: Home theatre, late Saturday TV screening

The Fifth Element in short: Two hundred and fifty years in the future, life as we know it is threatened by the arrival of Evil. Only the Fifth Element can stop the Evil from extinguishing life, as it tries to do every five thousand years. She is assisted by a former elite commando turned cab driver, Korben Dallas, who is, in turn, helped by Prince/Arsenio clone, Ruby Rhod. Unfortunately, Evil is being assisted by Mr. Zorg, who seeks to profit from the chaos that Evil will bring, and his alien mercenaries.



Preps: Seen this already, in fact several times. I love it, as it really poses something extraordinary with unique idea of destruction of the world, being put on screen, with more than enough entertainment.


Reality: As said, this is one of my favourites of all times. There are several points I need to make with this movie, because the story is unique and can be depicted in so many ways, however only few of them are so original and extraordinary as this one.
Luc Besson really nails it again, the images he created, are beyond belief. Plus, he successfully embedded the portray of the hero (of past) into the present in the movie. I am speaking of Bruce Willis, with the same role we have been seeing for some time on screen, but in rare cases it works as good as in this one. The all-time hero, on the quest for saving the world. The similar one as in Die Hard, Armageddon and several more. In this case, the protagonist of the habits people have, the yearning (for love), fight until the last breath, and the fact that the luck shows up at the back of the brave ones (yeah :) ).
In any case, the successful portraying of alternative Earth/Heaven, with the lucky prize contest and the weirdo Ruby Rhod (superbly played by Chris Tucker) - you can just die of laughter when watching him. On the other pole, Milla Jovovich, as the angel which will serve us as a tool to defeat evil. The innocent creature, that comes up to speed with our history and things we do in the most effective way. In some way or up to some extent you can tell how a perfect foreigner would see us from a different perspective. From non-burdened history.. and with the eyes of someone that doesn't have a clue what an Earth person is. The images we can see can trouble our mind for at least some time. Plus, the screening itself and the learning process is really funny. Obviously, like any Earth person would, also Willis finds his angel whom he wants to marry and cherish until the rest of his life. Obviously she falls in his arms and at the end, we have a Hollywood ending. Who could resist Bruce anyway, right? :)
The music in the movie is brilliant, also one of my favourite soundtracks of all times. Eric Serra as the composer, accompanied with some good artists, like Khaled, Lionel Ritchie. Absolutely above average and worth having at home.

The movie itself is unique and something really special, works in many environments and in this sense can be really universally shown. No extra praise upon US nation, just a surreal image of what the future might be in some weird imagination. It will make you think. And you will enjoy the escape with Bruce and Milla. Obviously, the world is saved in the last moment, but the irony behind it remains.

Leeloo: Everything you create, you use to destroy.
Korben Dallas: Yeah, we call it human nature.




My personal rating: 9,0 (one of my favourites of all times. I adore the idea, music, the delivery with the cast, mmmmm. Love to see it every now and then).


The fifth Element on IMDB