Six Extended Editions from Disney
Con Air (June 3/06)
At a running time of over two hours, Con Air is clearly much, much longer than it has any right to be. Director Simon West and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg have crammed the film with more than enough quirky characters and needless subplots to fill several other movies, when all one really requires out of a film like this are a few good action scenes, a compelling hero, and a reprehensible villain. Nicolas Cage stars as Cameron Poe, a convict just coming to the end of his sentence when he finds himself smack dab in the middle of an escape attempt aboard a plane full of career criminals - led by the charismatic Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich). Con Air benefits from the presence of periphery actors such as Mykelti Williamson, Ving Rhames, and Colm Meaney, though they're generally not given a whole lot to do (Cage, Malkovich, and John Cusack - playing a federal agent on the trail of the runaway plane - dominate the proceedings). Rosenberg peppers the movie with a whole host of oddball moments, but fails to deliver a thoroughly compelling storyline; despite the fact that we're rooting for Cage's character to emerge victorious, there's never really anything at stake for the guy (his family is safe on the ground and we just know he's going to be reunited with them). Still, it's difficult not to embrace a film that features Steve Buscemi as a Dahmer-esque serial killer - though one can't help but wish that the movie had been about a half-hour shorter (were that many explosions really necessary?)
out of
Coyote Ugly (July 24/06)
As slick and mindless as one might expect (this is a Jerry Bruckheimer production, after all), Coyote Ugly is admittedly kind of entertaining for a while but ultimately undone by its reliance on cliches to propel the story forward. A typical fish-out-of-water story, Coyote Ugly follows Piper Perabo's Violet Sanford as she moves to New York City with dreams of making it as a songwriter. After the inevitable realization that fame and fortune aren't easily attained, Violet begins working at a raunchy bar called Coyote Ugly - where she slowly but surely conquers her fear of performing in public. Charming performances aside, Coyote Ugly has clearly been fashioned to appeal primarily to adolescent girls - the majority of whom will undoubtedly delight to Violet's empowering antics. Director David McNally infuses the movie with all the subtlety of a music video, while Gina Wendkos' shallow, exceedingly predictable screenplay relies primarily on the tropes of other like-themed films to propel the story forward. Such elements would be easy enough to accept were Coyote Ugly appropriately paced, but at a running time of almost two hours (!), the movie is overlong by at least 30 minutes and there is, consequently, an absurd amount of repetition at work here (how many scenes of girls dancing on top of a bar does one film need, anyway?)
out of
Crimson Tide (August 10/06)
An uncommonly intelligent actioner from producers Jerry Bruckheimer and the late Don Simpson, Crimson Tide revolves around the conflict that arises between a pair of fiercely stubborn men - submarine commander Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman) and executive officer Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington) - regarding the use of missiles on a pivotal mission. With a supporting cast that includes Viggo Mortensen, James Gandolfini, and George Dzundza, Crimson Tide generally comes off as a prototypical dick flick - complete with relentless tough-guy posturing and an emphasis on hard-bitten dialogue. The film remains a cut above similar efforts within the genre due primarily to the uniformly superb performances, Tony Scott's restrained (!) yet effective direction, and Michael Schiffer's sharp, clever screenplay (which was reportedly punched up by no less than Quentin Tarantino).
out of
Enemy of the State (August 12/06)
Distinctly uneven but generally entertaining, Enemy of the State casts Will Smith as Robert Dean - a Washington-based attorney who inadvertently finds himself at the center of a far-reaching conspiracy involving the murder of a well-known congressman. Director Tony Scott - working from David Marconi's screenplay - infuses the film with an expectedly kinetic sense of style, while producer Jerry Bruckheimer's presence can be felt in even the smallest moments (something that's particularly true of the random bits of quirkiness among the supporting characters). And although costar Gene Hackman - essentially reprising his Conversation role - acts circles around Smith, Smith's charisma and likability certainly goes a long way towards engendering the viewer's empathy. But at a running time of almost two-and-a-half hours (!), there's simply no denying that Enemy of the State is right on the verge of being disastrously overlong (the inclusion of a needless third-act sting probably doesn't help matters, although it does lead into a ludicrous yet enjoyable climax that's oddly similar to the finale of Scott's True Romance). Still, the movie is - on the whole - an astonishingly fast-paced and sporadically intelligent thriller that's generally as mindlessly engaging as Bruckheimer undoubtedly intended.
out of
Gone in Sixty Seconds (August 13/06)
A remake of the eponymous cult classic, Gone in Sixty Seconds follows a ragtag group of car thieves - led by Nicolas Cage's Memphis Raines - as they attempt to steal 50 cars over a 72-hour time period. Director Dominic Sena infuses the movie with precisely the sort of glossy style that one expects from a Jerry Bruckheimer production, while screenwriter Scott Rosenberg peppers the story with a whole host of quirky characters and clever instances of dialogue. The film is consequently entertaining but senseless; the inherent slickness of virtually every aspect of the production eventually becomes mind-numbing, and there comes a point at which one can't help but crave something (anything) of substance. Having said that, Gone in Sixty Seconds is certainly teeming with charismatic performances (Cage is at his oddball best here) and there's simply no denying the effectiveness of the climactic car chase that finds Raines on the run from dozens of determined cops.
out of
King Arthur (February 11/05)
It's becoming increasingly clear that Antoine Fuqua should probably stick to films that revolve around the streets, ie Training Day. With Tears of the Sun and now King Arthur, it's obvious that the filmmaker's slick sense of style just isn't compatible with certain kinds of movies. And though King Arthur is very well acted and not nearly as interminable as Tears of the Sun (then again, not much is), the movie never quite becomes a thoroughly engaging experience (despite several admittedly gripping sequences). Clive Owen stars as the title character, while Keira Knightley (and her disturbingly puffy lips) plays Guinevere (other figures from the Arthurian legend, including Merlin, Galahad and Lancelot, also pop up). This abundance of characters contributes to a distinct feeling of confusion in the film's opening half hour, which is frustratingly talky and completely ineffectual at establishing any kind of backstory for these people. The script, by David Franzoni, emphasizes dialogue that doesn't sound remotely authentic; there's an overly rehearsed, theatrical quality to it (ie characters give speeches rather than have conversations). This review applies to the direct-to-DVD "director's cut," which extends the film by around 20 minutes yet curiously drops a humorous subplot involving Ray Winstone's character. As a result, it's hard to ignore the movie's lack of flow; the story peaks at around 75-minutes with a battle on an enormous patch of ice, and it's all downhill from there. While the performances are quite good (Owen, Winstone, and Stellan Skarsgård are the obvious highlights), the film remains an instantly forgettable, wannabe epic.
