Tag: Julia Stiles

Down to You

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:31 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Down to You
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Julia Stiles, Freddie Prinze Jr., Henry Winkler
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Miramax
Release Date: 2000
Kiddie Movie: Not too young – a lot of sex talk.
Date Movie: Late teens and early 20’s – bring them along.
Gratuitous Sex: They’re doing it a lot, but nothing shown.
Gratuitous Violence: Nah.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Lots of things to smile and grin at.
Memorable Scene: Al’s dream sequence on “The Man Show.”
Memorable Quote: Two: First you have Al’s buddy who just scored tell Al “She shoved her finger in my, you know.” Second, Imogen’s friend is smoking wacky weed, but beforehand she puts on a, what looks like a swim cap, because “it holds the smoke in your head, for like, a lot longer.”
Directed By: Kris Isacsson

There I sat, in the movie auditorium with about 800 seats, and between my fingers and toes I could count the number of people there to see “Down to You.” I didn’t even need to question if my thumbs should be counted as fingers because the end ratio of people there went something like this: Me, sitting by myself as usual; to the left of me, in the same row, three girls approximately ten to twelve years old; about six rows up from me was a group of four girls, I’d say mid-teens; about fifteen rows up from me were two girls, again mid-teens; and finally, a row in front of me to the left was the family contingent with mom, dad, and their two daughters. Enough about the audience, but seeing “Down to You” was more like being at a private screening than having to deal with a theater filled with annoying people. The movie.

Basically “Down to You” tells the story of two people who fall in love and realize it ain’t always that easy to make it work. You’ve got Freddie Prinze Jr. as Al, the not really knowing what he wants to do with his life but he think it will have to do with cooking, and then you’ve got Julia Stiles as Imogen, the now really knowing what she wants to do with her life but she thinks it will have to do with art. They’re in college, she’s a freshman, he’s a sophomore (I think – it really doesn’t matter except for the fact that it puts both of them drinking underage for a lot of the movie – ain’t college great!), and they fall in love. Al’s got a goofy family led by Henry Winkler as the host of a cooking show, and we never meet Imogen’s family. In any case, they meet, fall in love, have a lot of sex, she tests their love by going to France for the summer, she comes back, they have more sex, she thinks she might be pregnant, Al tries to do the right think but Imogen pushes him away, they question their relationship especially when he calls her a bitch and she calls him an old man, she cheats on him, he’s pissed, they break up, but it’s a love story so you know it can’t end that way, and they live happily ever after.

Alright, sure, I gave away a lot of the movie, but hey, it’s not as if you’re sitting there thinking this will be anything new in a love story, because, well, it isn’t. And that’s not saying the movie is that bad, it just isn’t that good, and it’s not because our lead characters don’t flash their googly-eye smiles at each other enough, but maybe it’s because the love story is so normal that it doesn’t hit any new ground. Weird friends, weird families, not knowing where your life is taking you, but the one thing I guess this movie does have is the happy ending because usually, especially after her cheating on him and moving away, well I think that would be the more natural ending than the happy one.

In any case the movie is alright but probably more as a rental and more for older teens. There’s lots of talk about sex although no one gets naked, and the jokes are kinda the crude variety. But after seeing too many serious or thinking movies I did enjoy “Down to You” more than I think I should have, but I still can’t get the rating higher than 2 1/2 stars out of 5. I like Julia Stiles. I think she’s got a good future in front of her and all the teenage girls are finding Freddie just dreamy. They both just needed a better story.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

The Bourne Supremacy

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:49 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Bourne Supremacy
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Matt Damon, Franke Potente, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 2004
Kiddie Movie: Not too young.
Date Movie: She might find Matt Damon dreamy, or wonder why you can’t kick everyone’s ass.
Gratuitous Sex: Sadly, no.
Gratuitous Violence: Lots of it, but not gratuitous – it is PG-13.
Action: Lots of chasing going on.
Laughs: A couple of good chuckles.
Memorable Scene: Bourne on the rooftop across from the CIA offices in Berlin.
Memorable Quote: It would give away a good chuckle if I listed it.
Directed By: Paul Greengrass

When “The Bourne Identity” was hitting movie theaters, I thought the trailer looked pretty decent, but really didn’t get that excited about the film. I was so unexcited about the film that I didn’t even go to see it. Then I heard good things about it, and I still didn’t go see it. Finally it came to my cable television channel and I said to myself “Self, let’s give it a shot.” When the movie finished I then said to myself “Self, that was a damn good thriller. I really should have gone to see that in the theater.” This time I was actually excited about the follow-up “The Bourne Supremacy”, and after seeing the film, I was not disappointed.

The first film sets us up with the history of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon). We find out that he is this government trained assassin with amnesia. The movie finishes with Jason telling the government folks to leave him alone or he’s going to bring his wrath to their doorstep. So this film opens with a new CIA lady, Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), running an operation in Berlin that goes horribly wrong, and we see the bad guy placing a fingerprint as evidence, obviously to throw the trail to someone else. Duh, it’s Bourne’s fingerprint. Meanwhile Jason is living with his girlfriend from the first film, Marie (Franke Potente), having nightmares about something in his past, and her trying to help him through it. Then, of course, the bad guy shows up looking for Bourne, Bourne easily spots him, and with a single gunshot Jason finds himself on his way to Berlin to bring his wrath to the government folks. Meanwhile, Landy thinks Bourne killed two of her agents, and now she’s on the hunt for him for all of the wrong reasons, but, as it turns out, it’s actually for the right reason.

Well, I’m not going to go into much more of the story because the whole point of a thriller is to, well, thrill, and of course, give some surprises, so the basic plot is all you need to know going in. With that, is the movie any good? In a word: Yes.

The Dude on the Left still isn’t buying Matt Damon as a super-spy, but for the role of Jason Bourne, I’m finding him dead on. Jason’s not supposed to be a James Bond type, he’s just a normal looking dude who is able to kick some serious ass without knowing why he can do it other than he is some trained government agent. He’s trying to put back the pieces to his life, but other people keep getting in the way.

The movie is filled with a great supporting cast, also. Joan Allen does a nice job as the new CIA lady, Brian Cox is back as Ward, and Julia Stiles returns to her role, and gets used nicely, as Nicky. But the key to this franchise is Damon, and so far the future is looking bright. You don’t have the super-flashy gadgets like a Bond film, but then again, why would Jason have them when he’s not really working for the CIA? But you do get some great chase scenes, and I’ll tell you what, that’s one hell of a tough taxi cab in this film.

If you enjoyed “The Bourne Identity,” odds are you’ll enjoy “The Bourne Supremacy” as well. If you missed the first film, don’t worry that you’ll be lost in the sequel. The film folks to a decent job at bringing you up to speed, but really, all you need to know, is that Jason Bourne is a government trained assassin who has amnesia. For me, “The Bourne Supremacy” gets 4 ½ stars out of 5. It doesn’t get too over the top, it’s got some great chase scenes and some surprises, and the dialogue gives you a chuckle or two to boot.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

The Bourne Ultimatum

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:55 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Bourne Ultimatum
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Stratham, Joan Allen
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 2007
Kiddie Movie: Leave them at home, this is for teens and above.
Date Movie: If she liked “The Bourne Supremacy” she’ll love this one.
Gratuitous Sex: Nah.
Gratuitous Violence: Lots of fighting but we usually don’t see people die.
Action: From start to finish.
Laughs: Some good chuckles.
Memorable Scene: I loved Jason Bourne leading Simon Ross through the train station.
Memorable Quote: Agent: “He drove off the roof!”
Noah: “What?”
Directed By: Paul Greengrass

Here’s some helpful advice if you are a nosey newspaper dude, have people trying to kill/kidnap you, and the only person helping to keep you alive is a rogue government agent who just beat the crap out of two of the goons – Do exactly what the agent says, do not deviate, do not think you know more than the agent, and do not open a door unless you are told to do so. Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) tried to help the dude, but sadly the newspaper dude thought he could run for safety. What a bonehead!

Anyway, Jason Bourne is back, still trying to find who made him like he is, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a movie as action-packed as “The Bourne Ultimatum” is, ever. The CIA, meanwhile, is still trying to find him, and as in “The Bourne Supremacy,” there are those in the government who need him dead, especially to hide some dirty, little secrets.

It seems in this installment there is a CIA dude, Neil Daniels (Colin Stinton), who doesn’t like the government program “Blackbriar,” which was born out of the “Treadstone” era, and has been leaking some information to a British reporter, Simon Ross (Paddy Considine). Now, because the government is monitoring all of our phone calls, all around the world, for key words, when Simon utters “Blackbriar” on his cell phone little does he realize the degree of spy-dom that he is about to unleash. Within moments phones are tapped, he is being trailed, and now that Jason Bourne has read Simon’s latest installment about himself, Jason enters Simon’s life, trying to save the dude so he can find out about “Blackbriar” and thus, where he came from.

And so “The Bourne Ultimatum” begins traversing the European countryside as Jason looks for Neil, he finds Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles, whom I still have a crush on) in Madrid, the both of them head to Tangier where Neil supposedly is hiding out (and he’s an idiot), an “asset,” a.k.a. assassin, is dispatched to kill Neil, Nicky, and Jason, but Jason will have none of that, well at least not all of that, and in the meantime, back in the states, Noah (David Strathairn), leading the CIA folks in New York City, is pissing the hell out of Pamela Landy (Joan Allen back for more fun) as he crosses a line in the aspects of killing people.

Jason, of course, because we know from the movie trailer, makes his way back to NYC, finds a “friend” in Pam, leads Noah and his people on a couple of wild goose chases, and finally finds out how he became the killing machine he has become.

In following in the tradition of “The Bourne” movie franchise this third installment will give you just about everything you are looking for, and expect, following “The Bourne Supremacy.” You have the sneaky government, with even more internal sneakiness by those thinking they have ultimate power; you have scary technology that can track you anywhere in the world; you have “assets” who lack the skills of the ultimate “asset”; you have car chases that are utterly fantastic and over-the-top; you have action and suspense from start to finish; you get a chuckle or two from some fantastically placed dialogue; and you have Jason Bourne, in ultimate Bourne-ness.

I loved this movie even more so than the “Supremacy” flick. Sure, things were a little over-the-top at times, but the inventiveness (like how Bourne gets into Noah’s safe) eclipsed the previous two, and I liked that Julia Stiles had a larger role in this installment, especially since I’m a stalker of hers.

You will get exactly what you expect in this movie, and then some, because there really isn’t a dull spot from start to finish. The movie starts with Bourne on the run; the movie ends with another movie able to be made if the film folks so choose. Just keep Paul Greengrass directing, keep the writing as we have come to love it, and this franchise can probably continue for a long while.

A great thriller. I’m giving “The Bourne Ultimatum” 5 stars out of 5.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

The Bourne Identity

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:59 Long
A Preview by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Bourne Identity
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Gabriel Mann, Julia Stiles
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 2002
Kiddie Movie:
Date Movie:
Gratuitous Sex:
Gratuitous Violence:
Action:
Laughs:
Memorable Scene:
Memorable Quote:
Directed By: Doug Liman

Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne. He wakes up one day nearly dead and not remembering who he is. He also wonders why people are trying to kill him and how he has these great abilities to shoot, hide, disappear, and fight. Bourne has a few clues as to his identity, but not much to go on, he hooks up with a dudette, and runs around Paris wishing he could remember who he really is.

The movie is based on a book by Robert Ludlum, and the trailer looks to be action-packed, but there is some initial word that the movie isn’t that good. I’ll see it anyway, and I’m sure guys won’t have a problem getting to see this movie because the dudettes will come along to see Matt Damon.

That’s it for this preview! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!
—-
Preview update….
I’m sick of this trailer. They seem to attach it before most any movie and I can’t wait for this movie to come out. Not because I think it will be good, my usual inkling is that if they overkill a trailer the movie is going to suck. I’m hoping for more, but right now this movie is looking bad. I just want the trailers to stop.

That’s it for this update! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

10 Things I Hate About You

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:37 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

10 Things I Hate About You
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Kiddie Movie: Nah, it’s really for the older teen crowd.
Date Movie: Okay, even though I like the movie, it’s probably more for the teen girls.
Gratuitous Sex: Actually some pretty frank talk.
Gratuitous Violence: Some Fighting.
Action: Nah.
Laughs: Lots throughout, in the teen genre kind of way.
Memorable Scene: I would have to say the well-timed punch.
Memorable Quote: Kat to Bianca: “I warned him that if he told anyone, the cheerleading squad would find out how tiny his dick is.”
Directed By: Gil Junger
Blu-Ray Cool Things: The extras are kind of lame, but get it for the Blu-ray because it does look better.

“10 Things I Hate About You” is one of those movies that I can somehow watch over and over again, and for whatever reason, even though I’m ten years older than when it was originally released, I still enjoy it.

The story, hey, it’s simple, you know, based on that Shakespeare dude and his story “The Taming of the Shrew.” In this one we’ve got Julia Stiles as Kat. She’s the rebellious teen, weary of the boys, and with a younger sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), she who wants to be able to date boys, and be kind of cool, and be unrebellious. But here comes Patrick (Heath Ledger). He’s the transfer student, kind of mysterious, and with a multitude of twists and turns, Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants to date Bianca but can’t because Bianca isn’t allowed to date because her sister, Kat, doesn’t date, so it’s time for Patrick to date Kat, thus allowing Bianca to date, thus allowing Cameron to find happiness with Bianca.

Okay, I made that a little more complicated than it should be, but pretty much “10 Things I Hate About You” is about kids in high school, and I think, as the years go on, the story pretty much plays out the same.

So what sets this movie apart from other teen movies? Well, for one, look at the list of people starring in this movie, from the great Heath Ledger in the movie that really launched his career, to Julia Stiles who has become one of the premier female actresses, to Alison Janney, a staple of experienced actress. But what really makes the movie stand out is that the writing was smart, witty, and adult enough for teens to get without being condescending.

In any case, I still liked “10 Things…” after watching it again over the years, and again for this review for that matter, and after all of these years I still think the movie holds up, so, with that, it’s a solid 4 stars out of 5.

Now, the reason for this review is because the movie has made it to the 10 year mark, and they put it on Blu-ray and “Anniversary Edition” DVD. The problem is that for this special edition, there isn’t that much special about it. I mean, there is a little bit of a retrospective and looking back featurette, some deleted scenes, and the standard commentary track, but really, this DVD is just for having the movie for having the movie sake, and sure, everything looks better on Blu-ray.