Michael (1996)

Michael (1996)

3/10

Starring

John Travolta

Andie MacDowell

William Hurt

Bob Hoskins

Robert Pastorelli

 

Directed by Nora Ephron

 

When I was much younger and saw Michael, I could not fully understand or put my hand on it, what I did know was that the film did not make the same impact I expected from seeing a John Travolta film.

I blamed it when I was much older on my inability to fully comprehend and understand the film itself. Seeing the film now, with my adult eyes, I can say this is one of the most pointless film about an angel I have ever seen.

Are you trying to tell me that the archangel Michael is so jobless, that making two people fall for one another and be in a relationship was more important than other things in life.

The story is so lacking any form of cohesion that I cannot imagine I allowed my sister to talk me into seeing it, all to find out that she also did not find the film at all entertaining, and only wanted to see it because as children we were huge fans of John Travolta.

What is Michael about? That will be a question from anyone who is blessed to not have seen this film back when it was made.

Michael is about the archangel of the same name (played by Travolta) who came down to aid an old lady with her issues. That was the start of the film, as two popular journalists for the National Mirror were sent to get Michael to Chicago. It was when they meet him that we come to see that Michael had other reasons why he was here on earth, and why he specifically wanted to be chaperoned by these three from the National Mirror. Two of the people sent to pick him were popular journalist Frank and Huey, there were told by their boss to take along Dorothy, a lady who their boss claims is an angel specialist.

When they got to the location where Michael was, they were shocked by his behaviour and his manner of speaking.

Michael was staying with the old lady he came to help and decided to go along with them to Chicago.

He refuses to fly, settling for a road trip instead, or have his picture taken until they get to Chicago. The journey to Chicago is what the film is about, and we see soon that Michael, even though he is an angel, remove that thought of this claim being a lie, had other intentions and desires for this trip.

His behaviour and mannerism on this trip were not exciting, but borderline annoying, and their stops made no sense in the way Michael chooses to handle things happening around him.

It felt like a horny angel wanting to sleep around.

Avoid this movie by all cost to save your sanity and probably your innocence.

Ladyhawke (1985)

Ladyhawke (1985)

 6/10

Starring

Matthew Broderick

Rutger Hauer

Michelle Pfeiffer

Leo McKern

John Wood

 

Directed by Richard Donner

 

I enjoyed this film more than I thought I could, and even though the film did not make full use of the cross between sword play and sorcerer, it managed to conjure an adventure romance that entertains. I liked how the film kept some secrets to itself, and only reveals them when you are halfway in.

Matthew Broderick handled the comedy aspect of the film, and his wisecracks at times always hits home.

The film has some nice visuals, and the cinematography is fun to see, the film’s story was what did not make this film go over the top as a classic and bring in the box-office money at the time of release, but it is worth the time I spent seeing it.

Set in medieval times when the church ran the country by using the fear of God, this film takes place in a land called Aquila. This film is about two lovers who got cursed, they cannot see one another from the moment their love is known. When the sun is up, one turns into a hawk and remains a hawk until the sun goes down, but the other than changes into a wolf. So, the two never meet in their human state.

Also happening is a thief named Phillipe Gaston (Broderick), who happens to fall into a hole and used that opportunity to escape from the dungeon he is placed in, on the day he was meant to be executed.

The bishop was not happy about this and sent the captain of the guard with some men to find Gaston and kill him. Gaston was sloppy, and he took his escape for guaranteed and when he was about to celebrate his escape by making an announcement in a bar in another town, it turns out the captain of the guard and his men were in that bar at that time in disguise as regulars. His proclamation of a toast to celebrate his escape, led to them jumping up with swords and catching him, when they wanted to kill him, he was rescued by a man named Etienne of Navarre, the former Captain of the Guard of Aquila.

His presence caused a stir among the men of the guards, and he helped Gaston to escape, he took Gaston with him and gave him the condition to help him find his way back into Aquila, as he has some business with the bishop.

I will be watching this film for a second time, as I enjoyed it that well enough to want to see it again.

Krull (1983)

Krull (1983)

 

2/10

 

Starring

 Ken Marshall

Lysette Anthony

Freddie Jones

Francesca Annis

Directed by Peter Yates

 

Krull is one of those good ideas gone rogue. It starts with a pointless claim about the future saviour, which plants a seed that this film will have a future jump. Then we are dropped into a battle where the good guys carry swords, and the bad guys shoot lasers. In case I forgot to mention, there is no future jump, so the introduction talk was pointless.

This is a film set in another galaxy and time, where our hero’s planet Krull is invaded by aliens. The visual effects of this film made in the 80s are very glamorous and impressive. The story is so silly and ridiculous, I cannot for the life of me understand how someone or anyone would have thought this was worth shooting and not a re-write.

First, we are told, there is a princess who will bear a child that will save the world, then that whole thing is made irrelevant. The princess is captured by the alien leader, and you will not be able to guess why.

The alien leader sent his men to the wedding of the Prince and the Princess, as they wanted to wed to strengthen their kingdoms. After the wedding ceremony, the battle begins and it was a slaughter, as swords have no impact on men with laser guns.

Somehow everyone but the prince survived this ordeal and without any form of character background a man is seen, in the next scene, taking care of the prince’s wounds.

Who is this man, you ask; he is called the old one. That is all the character background we have on him, something you can see or hear if you are blind.

He drops all the hints of follow me to meet a man who will tell us where to go to stop these aliens. So, they head out, and meet someone else, another pointless individual to the whole film.

Then they run into some bandits, how he was able to convince these men to join in his quest, is a miracle only the writer can explain because his words to them made no sense at all.

With these men, they head out to get the needed direction so they can go ahead and stop these aliens from wiping them all out of their planet.

The film’s plot played like when my little niece sits on my lap and tells me a story of a princess. Knowing that a part of my life was wasted seeing this film, is depressing.