Tom's Video Review of "Shaun of the Dead"...

Generally, I'm not a fan of zombie films, but this one is an exception since it spoofs, the genre. It's filled with dry British humor as well as being well-photographed. There's even a serious scene where Shaun suddenly realizes he has to forgive his step-father's failures as step-dad is about to turn into a zombie.

I give this movie a "B+" or 3 stars. It's worth renting and I personally will buy the DVD when it becomes available here in the States.

TOM

Tom's Video Review of Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow...

I went to see "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow recently in a movie theater. This film is all about visual style, with absolutely NO plot substance whatsoever. Don't waste your time or money on this movie. Wait till it winds up on TV. I had to fight to stay awake the entire time I was in the theater.

If only Hollywood could realize they could make a lot more money if they would put meaningful plots into these special effects extravaganzas.

This movie tries to capture the perceived "Buck Rogers" visual style of the early 1940's. Unfortunately, the plot itself is devoid of any meaning. There is nothing original about it. It's almost like a dull, uninteresting comic book come-to-life. The dialog and situations have been "borrowed" from many different movies and are regurgitated here for your movie displeasure. I give this movie a "D+" or one star. It might be worth renting on DVD to study the visual style but in my opinion certainly not worth buying.

TOM

Tom's Video Review of The Passion of The Christ...

The Passion of the Christ is a must-see film. This is easily one of the most profound movies ever made.

Much has been said about the graphic violence in this film. The scourging and crucifixion of Jesus Christ in this film is as realistic as modern film-making technology can make it.

The violence is difficult to watch. Why would this be? We can watch all sorts of violent sequences in many other films without batting an eye. Yet, the violence in this film has a much different effect on the viewer.

I went to see this movie originally in a movie theater with a friend. My friend walked out of the theater only after about 30 minutes leaving me to watch the rest of the movie by myself. I thought that was a really strange reaction.

Many of the professional movie critics, especially the ones that praise normal movie violence, were complaining about "gratuitous" violence in The Passion of the Christ. One critic that was especially down on the film, said he hoped to never have to suffer through the film again. I immediately realized that watching this movie for him was like holding a cross up to a vampire.

There are two differences that I see. First of all, the violence in The Passion of the Christ has profound meaning. The violence in the normal Hollywood movie is meaningless and gratuitous. Secondly, the story of Christ on the Cross seems to awaken something within us. Somehow, we know this story is true, whether we profess to believe in Jesus Christ or not. The truth of the story forces us to realize that the violence was very real.

One of the most important points of the story of Christ on the Cross is the fact that Jesus was perfectly innocent. Here was a person that never did a single thing wrong in His life. How did humanity respond to His innocence? They tried to destroy Him in the most horrific way possible. How did Christ respond at the end? "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do."

It is impossible to watch this film without being affected by it. I bought the DVD version and after I watched it a second time, it had an even more profound effect on me.

One interesting language feature on the DVD version that's out now is that you can set it for "visually impaired commentary." With this feature turned on, a male and female commentator describe the scenes as they unfold, describing who each person on the screen is, and reads their dialog.

I give this movie an "A+" or a full five stars. It's one DVD that's absolutely worth owning.

TOM

Tom's Video Review of The Day After Tomorrow...

This is a typical big-budget Hollywood disaster flick with great special effects and no worthwhile plot. The movie-makers have fun destroying New York and Los Angeles with wicked weather phonomona, as well as taking out an on-air newscaster with a billboard careening through the air at ninety miles per hour.

Unfortunately, the movie lacks much of a plot. A good plot is always a human "morality play" of some sort, with a moral to the story. Unfortunately, little meaning emanates from what passes for a plot.

This movie is worth a one-time rental, but not worth owning the DVD.

I give this movie a "C+" or 2 stars.

TOM

Tom's Video Review of Van Helsing...

The Facts: This movie is too long, has little or no plot, and the computer-generated backgrounds are fake-looking. The only redeeming thing in this movie for us guys are the busty computer-generated demons that periodically fly around terrorizing the other cast members.

I give this movie an "F or one star." It's not worth renting, and certainly not worth buying!

TOM