Movie #397 - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
2003 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 50 min
Director: Stephen Norrington
Starring: Sean Connery, Naseeruddin Shah, Peta Wilson, Tony Curran, Stuart Townsend, Shane West, Jason Flemyng, Richard Roxburgh, Max Ryan

One of the first in a wave of Alan Moore comics to go to the movies, this one's not the best of the bunch.  It's not awful, but it does get a bit campy at times.  Ooh.... all these characters from fiction fight crime together!

But honestly, why is Tom Sawyer fighting crime?

United by Connery's Alan Quartermaine, the troupe is formidable... but also a bit twisted.  Deception and betrayal runs amok and soon, it all falls apart.

As adventure movies go, there's much that's pleasing to the eye and much to rev up that adrenaline level.  As plots go.... meh.  Connery's the best thing about this one, if you ask me.

Movie #361 - The 13th Warrior

The 13th Warrior
1999 - Rated R - 1 hr 42 min
Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Vladimir Kulich, John DeSantis, Clive Russell, Omar Sharif, Erick Avari, Tony Curran

I'm not a huge Beowulf fan, I have to admit. So the idea of yet another retelling of this age-old epic was bumming me out.  Even if it does star Antonio Banderas. Even if it was written by Jurassic Park genius Michael Crichton.  Add the director of the Die Hard franchise and you'd think I'd be sold.

What does win me over on this movie is the concept of the re-imagined tale, the story behind the myth viewpoint. A kind of Wicked makeover for The Wizard of Oz.  Told from the perspective of an unlikely compatriot to Beowulf (who gets a new, weird name in this version), the Grendel myth has real roots... it's a cult-like group that is raising hell.  Kill 'em and you're the hero.  Simple enough. 

There's nothing revolutionary here, but it's still appealing in a new way.  This is one version of the epic that turns things just the right way and reexamines them in a way that's more interesting.  Okay, Crichton? You got me.

Movie #207 - Flight of the Phoenix

Flight of the Phoenix
2004 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 53 min
Director: John Moore
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Miranda Otto, Giovanni Ribisi, Hugh Laurie, Tyrese Gibson, Tony Curran, Scott Michael Campbell

Look, it's Dr. House! Also, one of his patients (Scott Michael Campbell) from that episode when the cop gets sick from the pigeon poop and Foreman catches it too... remember that one? Rad.

Anyway, that's not this movie.  This movie is all right, nothing incredible.  It's a remake and since I haven't seen the original, I can speak to how well done it is, or if it improves on the first one.  Anyone seen it? Care to elaborate?

Meanwhile, Giovani Ribisi is super annoying. And he kinda talks like he's impersonating Hannibal Lecter, which is somewhat creepy but mostly just douchey.  Talk. Like. A. Normal. Person.

I don't have much to say about this cookie-cutter adventure movie.  It's your typical band of strangers pooling their resources and efforts to overcome impending death.  Fly out of the desert on a plane you just built? Yeah, no problem. It's good, thanks to some of the performances, but it's not one you absolutely must see.  It scores a solid 50 on my 0-100 Meh-o-Meter.