Martin-Sheen Movie Reviews

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VHS movie reviews for "Martin-Sheen" sorted by average review score:
Hostile Waters
Released in VHS Tape by Hbo Studios (16 May, 2000)
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: David Drury
Average review score:

Take it or leave it
This movie wasn't bad, but it was by no means great. I found it quite difficult to follow the storyline, and the special effects were less than convincing (is it just me, or did they use the exact same shot of the Russian submarine, like, 5 times?) Some of the acting, Sheen and Hauer included, seemed forced.
The first 45 minutes of the movie were nearly unbearable, but towards the end, the pace picked up and it became more interesting. I even enjoyed the ending.

(Note: If you are buying this movie for the performance of Dominic Monaghan [as I admit I did], don't waste your money on it. He is hardly shown and has ONE line. Just a heads-up)

Hardly Serviceable
Little more than a serviceable introduction to the historical proceedings. Wooden acting all round. In fact, Sheen looks like he's sleepwalking (or punchdrunk) through the thing. Still, Hauer does manage to conjure some sympathy as the Russian captain who does his best to save all his men, though, regardless of what he does, he can't win back home with the Soviet officials. Otherwise, there are handful of interesting insights into submarine culture--if what we're seeing is an accurate portrayal.

Overall, Hostile Waters the feel of a mediocre (to bad) TV movie (which I'm assuming it isn't), including some particularly unconvincing special effects--to the extent that, though this was made in 1997, I would've guessed '87. It just looks that dated. Only Hauer and Sheen's haggard appearances are any clue that it was made later.

A missed chance
Having read the book first I really looked forward to the movie as a chance to dispel some of the strange ideas we have about Soviet sailors and to shed a little light on a very shadowy place in the worlds militaries.This chance was missed however by skimming over the cause of the events and failing to show the almost superhuman efforts the Rissian captain and crew went through to save the situation. Rutger Hauers performance as a consumate submariner and commanding officer are as close to reality as this movie comes. Surely a missed chance.

Hostile Waters
Released in VHS Tape by Hbo Studios (16 May, 2000)
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: David Drury
Average review score:

Take it or leave it
This movie wasn't bad, but it was by no means great. I found it quite difficult to follow the storyline, and the special effects were less than convincing (is it just me, or did they use the exact same shot of the Russian submarine, like, 5 times?) Some of the acting, Sheen and Hauer included, seemed forced.
The first 45 minutes of the movie were nearly unbearable, but towards the end, the pace picked up and it became more interesting. I even enjoyed the ending.

(Note: If you are buying this movie for the performance of Dominic Monaghan [as I admit I did], don't waste your money on it. He is hardly shown and has ONE line. Just a heads-up)

Hardly Serviceable
Little more than a serviceable introduction to the historical proceedings. Wooden acting all round. In fact, Sheen looks like he's sleepwalking (or punchdrunk) through the thing. Still, Hauer does manage to conjure some sympathy as the Russian captain who does his best to save all his men, though, regardless of what he does, he can't win back home with the Soviet officials. Otherwise, there are handful of interesting insights into submarine culture--if what we're seeing is an accurate portrayal.

Overall, Hostile Waters the feel of a mediocre (to bad) TV movie (which I'm assuming it isn't), including some particularly unconvincing special effects--to the extent that, though this was made in 1997, I would've guessed '87. It just looks that dated. Only Hauer and Sheen's haggard appearances are any clue that it was made later.

A missed chance
Having read the book first I really looked forward to the movie as a chance to dispel some of the strange ideas we have about Soviet sailors and to shed a little light on a very shadowy place in the worlds militaries.This chance was missed however by skimming over the cause of the events and failing to show the almost superhuman efforts the Rissian captain and crew went through to save the situation. Rutger Hauers performance as a consumate submariner and commanding officer are as close to reality as this movie comes. Surely a missed chance.

Spawn
Released in VHS Tape by New Line Studios (05 May, 1998)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Mark A.Z. Dippé
Starring: Michael Jai White and John Leguizamo
After being murdered for quitting his role as a ruthless yet moral government assassin, Al Simmons (Michael Jai White) is sent to Hell, where he makes a pact with the demon Malebolgia--if Simmons is allowed see his lover, Wanda, again, he will agree to lead the demon's armies to storm the gates of Heaven. Transformed into a superhuman entity with shape-shifting powers and quick regeneration capabilities, Simmons (soon to be dubbed "Spawn" by Malebolgia's crony, The Violator) returns to Earth and attempts to reunite with Wanda, not knowing that five years have passed. He also seeks revenge on his former boss and killer, Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen), who has made a deal with The Violator to develop a lethal virus to take over the world, where Wynn is promised to be king.

Spawn wages an inner battle between good and evil as he tries to come to terms with selling his soul and what it could mean for humankind. Despite excellent effects and great potential, Spawn seems to come up short. While White certainly displays verve in his characterization of the twisted hero, he cannot overcome some forced dialogue. On the flip side, the usually engaging John Leguizamo portrays the sinister Violator--an evil monster masquerading as a rotund, weird-looking clown--as an irritating lackey who spews overbearing sarcasm and incessantly banal one-liners. Admitted, many of Spawn's action sequences are fun, and the transitions effectively brisk, but more could have been done to explore how Simmons grapples with his humanity in these daunting circumstances. But if you want sizzling action sequences and digital effects, this film should keep you happy. --Bryan Reesman

Average review score:

An overdose of style over substance...
"Spawn" is not a great film. At best, it's average. But it did help to pave the way for new superhero movies like "Spider-Man" and "Daredevil." With its neat-o special effects and really fast pace, this film based on Todd McFarlane's graphic novels (comic books) would be a great movie had the bad guy (Martin Sheen) not been so darn wimpy. Spawn could have seriously kicked some ... had he not been busy crying over losing his wife to his best friend. But the special effects are amazing, and I suppose that's what this film is all about: special effects. Well, there are tons here, ranging from Spawn himself to the fiery pits of Hell, to Satan himself. John Leguizemo is mostly funny as Clown, another of Spawn's nemeses. "Spawn" was definitely one of the better superhero movies of the nineties, but there weren't many good superhero movies in the nineties to begin with, so I don't know if that's a complement or not. See it if you must, but avoid it if you can.

Hmm
It's a good film but not as good as the comics or animated series. Nothing too spectacular. Possibly a renter. Slightly recommended.

Get the anime version... Though this is good too...
It's OK i guess... everyone says it sucks. But i mean its action stuff is sick. The clown's pretty good though. I've always liked the special effects. Why is it rated R? It's fine exept for if you get it on DVD w/ the Marilyn Manson video which is horrible and gross. Yet again, get the anime version.

Spawn (Widescreen Edition)
Released in VHS Tape by New Line Studios (04 June, 2002)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Mark A.Z. Dippé
Starring: Michael Jai White and John Leguizamo
After being murdered for quitting his role as a ruthless yet moral government assassin, Al Simmons (Michael Jai White) is sent to Hell, where he makes a pact with the demon Malebolgia--if Simmons is allowed see his lover, Wanda, again, he will agree to lead the demon's armies to storm the gates of Heaven. Transformed into a superhuman entity with shape-shifting powers and quick regeneration capabilities, Simmons (soon to be dubbed "Spawn" by Malebolgia's crony, The Violator) returns to Earth and attempts to reunite with Wanda, not knowing that five years have passed. He also seeks revenge on his former boss and killer, Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen), who has made a deal with The Violator to develop a lethal virus to take over the world, where Wynn is promised to be king.

Spawn wages an inner battle between good and evil as he tries to come to terms with selling his soul and what it could mean for humankind. Despite excellent effects and great potential, Spawn seems to come up short. While White certainly displays verve in his characterization of the twisted hero, he cannot overcome some forced dialogue. On the flip side, the usually engaging John Leguizamo portrays the sinister Violator--an evil monster masquerading as a rotund, weird-looking clown--as an irritating lackey who spews overbearing sarcasm and incessantly banal one-liners. Admitted, many of Spawn's action sequences are fun, and the transitions effectively brisk, but more could have been done to explore how Simmons grapples with his humanity in these daunting circumstances. But if you want sizzling action sequences and digital effects, this film should keep you happy. --Bryan Reesman

Average review score:

An overdose of style over substance...
"Spawn" is not a great film. At best, it's average. But it did help to pave the way for new superhero movies like "Spider-Man" and "Daredevil." With its neat-o special effects and really fast pace, this film based on Todd McFarlane's graphic novels (comic books) would be a great movie had the bad guy (Martin Sheen) not been so darn wimpy. Spawn could have seriously kicked some ... had he not been busy crying over losing his wife to his best friend. But the special effects are amazing, and I suppose that's what this film is all about: special effects. Well, there are tons here, ranging from Spawn himself to the fiery pits of Hell, to Satan himself. John Leguizemo is mostly funny as Clown, another of Spawn's nemeses. "Spawn" was definitely one of the better superhero movies of the nineties, but there weren't many good superhero movies in the nineties to begin with, so I don't know if that's a complement or not. See it if you must, but avoid it if you can.

Hmm
It's a good film but not as good as the comics or animated series. Nothing too spectacular. Possibly a renter. Slightly recommended.

Get the anime version... Though this is good too...
It's OK i guess... everyone says it sucks. But i mean its action stuff is sick. The clown's pretty good though. I've always liked the special effects. Why is it rated R? It's fine exept for if you get it on DVD w/ the Marilyn Manson video which is horrible and gross. Yet again, get the anime version.

Spawn 2
Released in VHS Tape by Warner Home Video (26 August, 2003)
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Mark A.Z. Dippé
Starring: Michael Jai White and John Leguizamo
After being murdered for quitting his role as a ruthless yet moral government assassin, Al Simmons (Michael Jai White) is sent to Hell, where he makes a pact with the demon Malebolgia--if Simmons is allowed see his lover, Wanda, again, he will agree to lead the demon's armies to storm the gates of Heaven. Transformed into a superhuman entity with shape-shifting powers and quick regeneration capabilities, Simmons (soon to be dubbed "Spawn" by Malebolgia's crony, The Violator) returns to Earth and attempts to reunite with Wanda, not knowing that five years have passed. He also seeks revenge on his former boss and killer, Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen), who has made a deal with The Violator to develop a lethal virus to take over the world, where Wynn is promised to be king.

Spawn wages an inner battle between good and evil as he tries to come to terms with selling his soul and what it could mean for humankind. Despite excellent effects and great potential, Spawn seems to come up short. While White certainly displays verve in his characterization of the twisted hero, he cannot overcome some forced dialogue. On the flip side, the usually engaging John Leguizamo portrays the sinister Violator--an evil monster masquerading as a rotund, weird-looking clown--as an irritating lackey who spews overbearing sarcasm and incessantly banal one-liners. Admitted, many of Spawn's action sequences are fun, and the transitions effectively brisk, but more could have been done to explore how Simmons grapples with his humanity in these daunting circumstances. But if you want sizzling action sequences and digital effects, this film should keep you happy. --Bryan Reesman

Average review score:

An overdose of style over substance...
"Spawn" is not a great film. At best, it's average. But it did help to pave the way for new superhero movies like "Spider-Man" and "Daredevil." With its neat-o special effects and really fast pace, this film based on Todd McFarlane's graphic novels (comic books) would be a great movie had the bad guy (Martin Sheen) not been so darn wimpy. Spawn could have seriously kicked some ... had he not been busy crying over losing his wife to his best friend. But the special effects are amazing, and I suppose that's what this film is all about: special effects. Well, there are tons here, ranging from Spawn himself to the fiery pits of Hell, to Satan himself. John Leguizemo is mostly funny as Clown, another of Spawn's nemeses. "Spawn" was definitely one of the better superhero movies of the nineties, but there weren't many good superhero movies in the nineties to begin with, so I don't know if that's a complement or not. See it if you must, but avoid it if you can.

Hmm
It's a good film but not as good as the comics or animated series. Nothing too spectacular. Possibly a renter. Slightly recommended.

Get the anime version... Though this is good too...
It's OK i guess... everyone says it sucks. But i mean its action stuff is sick. The clown's pretty good though. I've always liked the special effects. Why is it rated R? It's fine exept for if you get it on DVD w/ the Marilyn Manson video which is horrible and gross. Yet again, get the anime version.

Demolition Day
Released in VHS Tape by New Concorde Home Video (29 April, 1998)
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Charles Gale
Average review score:

Day of Reckoning
What can be said about a comedy in which the moving force behind the story is an active nuclear bomb in the hands of three teenage losers and two bumbling, idiotic "bad guys"? Obviously the script was written by either a teenage boy or some other loser who believes that all adults are complete morons! Still, there is something to be said about this twisted belief. Sometimes it is often necessary to poke fun at the nonsensical acts of politicians and the self-absorbed acts of non-caring parents.

Gunfighter
Released in VHS Tape by Lions Gate Home Ente (16 March, 1999)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Starring: Martin Sheen
Christopher Coppola (nephew of Francis, who "presents" the film) attempts to capture the innocence of Saturday matinee Westerns in this naive little film. Gunfighter is framed as a tale told by a grizzled stranger (Martin Sheen) to a down and out guitar slinger and songwriter (Robert Carradine) in an abandoned ghost-town bar, but the dark interiors give way to bright color and widescreen photography. Stiff and colorless Chris Lybbert plays town hero Hopalong Cassidy, a tall, clean-cut figure of courage and moral fortitude who becomes the target of a vengeful cattle rustler who kidnaps his girl. Hoppy shoots the guns from his opponent's hands in the opening gunfight, pops the buttons from the same man's shirt in the final shootout, and in cliffhanger fashion is left tied up with a hissing bundle of lit dynamite. Coppola unfortunately bobbles the exercise in B-movie cowboy hokum with sloppy direction, and the film comes off more cornball than cute, though to its credit no recent film has come closer to capturing the straight-shooting simplicity of the kiddy cowboy heroes of yesteryear. -–Sean Axmaker
Average review score:

Jaw droppingly bad
I once saw a group of middle aged men dressed as cowboys putting on a street show in Truckee, Ca. They were not actors and they played their parts with great enthusiasm. Watching Gunfighter reminded me of it. Those amateurs in Truckee looked like oscar winners in comparison.

Hopalong Cassidy, the all round good guy with the white hat has a pair of magic gloves, and these are wanted by the man in the black hat, who is the villain. The acting is stiff, but then it had to be with a script so wooden it must have been hewn from the coffin of every B movie ever made.

The headline star is Martin Sheen, but he only appears for a few minutes in order to set the scene as narrator. The rest of the cast, with the exception of Clu Gallagher, just have to be amateurs having fun in front of the camera.

As for the hapless Sheen and Robert Carradine this movie will haunt them for the rest of their careers.

Gunfighter is like watching your grandmother singing and dancing like Madonna. Unforgettable - but not in a good way.

The good, the bad, and the truly awful
Since watching Gunfighter I have been desperately trying to think if I have ever seen a worse movie. I dont think I have. I once stood in the town of Truckee,Ca, and watched a group of middle aged men dressed as cowboys putting on a street show, which, at the time, I felt was excruciatingly embarrassing. Having seen Gunfighter I know what happened to those 'cowboys'. Christopher Coppola signed them up for his movie.

How on earth did Martin Sheen allow himself to be dragged into such dross?

Please Gunfighter, shoot me. Ugh.
Having seen almost all of Christopher Coppola's movies (even the uncredited "Clockmaker"), I can say I would be considered the closest thing to a fan he has. That being said, this movie is torture. Even with the addition of Martin Sheen (the Sheens must owe Christopher a favor, Charlie appeared in his masterpiece "Deadfall"), and finally a speaking role for Christopher Coppola staple Billy Floyd, this movie is dreadfully bad. Watching this movie, a friend and I cried out to the heavens begging for mercy, and another friend left rather than finish watching it. However, if you do foolishly decide to endure this trial, do not give up. At the end of the movie, Robert Carradine delivers the most unbelievable look, outside of a beer commercial, ever captured on film. It's like the punchline to 90 minute joke. The bad thing is, the joke's on you.

Gunfighter
Released in VHS Tape by Sterling Home Entertainment (16 March, 1999)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Starring: Sheen, Carradine, and Martin Sheen
Christopher Coppola (nephew of Francis, who "presents" the film) attempts to capture the innocence of Saturday matinee Westerns in this naive little film. Gunfighter is framed as a tale told by a grizzled stranger (Martin Sheen) to a down and out guitar slinger and songwriter (Robert Carradine) in an abandoned ghost-town bar, but the dark interiors give way to bright color and widescreen photography. Stiff and colorless Chris Lybbert plays town hero Hopalong Cassidy, a tall, clean-cut figure of courage and moral fortitude who becomes the target of a vengeful cattle rustler who kidnaps his girl. Hoppy shoots the guns from his opponent's hands in the opening gunfight, pops the buttons from the same man's shirt in the final shootout, and in cliffhanger fashion is left tied up with a hissing bundle of lit dynamite. Coppola unfortunately bobbles the exercise in B-movie cowboy hokum with sloppy direction, and the film comes off more cornball than cute, though to its credit no recent film has come closer to capturing the straight-shooting simplicity of the kiddy cowboy heroes of yesteryear. -–Sean Axmaker
Average review score:

Jaw droppingly bad
I once saw a group of middle aged men dressed as cowboys putting on a street show in Truckee, Ca. They were not actors and they played their parts with great enthusiasm. Watching Gunfighter reminded me of it. Those amateurs in Truckee looked like oscar winners in comparison.

Hopalong Cassidy, the all round good guy with the white hat has a pair of magic gloves, and these are wanted by the man in the black hat, who is the villain. The acting is stiff, but then it had to be with a script so wooden it must have been hewn from the coffin of every B movie ever made.

The headline star is Martin Sheen, but he only appears for a few minutes in order to set the scene as narrator. The rest of the cast, with the exception of Clu Gallagher, just have to be amateurs having fun in front of the camera.

As for the hapless Sheen and Robert Carradine this movie will haunt them for the rest of their careers.

Gunfighter is like watching your grandmother singing and dancing like Madonna. Unforgettable - but not in a good way.

The good, the bad, and the truly awful
Since watching Gunfighter I have been desperately trying to think if I have ever seen a worse movie. I dont think I have. I once stood in the town of Truckee,Ca, and watched a group of middle aged men dressed as cowboys putting on a street show, which, at the time, I felt was excruciatingly embarrassing. Having seen Gunfighter I know what happened to those 'cowboys'. Christopher Coppola signed them up for his movie.

How on earth did Martin Sheen allow himself to be dragged into such dross?

Please Gunfighter, shoot me. Ugh.
Having seen almost all of Christopher Coppola's movies (even the uncredited "Clockmaker"), I can say I would be considered the closest thing to a fan he has. That being said, this movie is torture. Even with the addition of Martin Sheen (the Sheens must owe Christopher a favor, Charlie appeared in his masterpiece "Deadfall"), and finally a speaking role for Christopher Coppola staple Billy Floyd, this movie is dreadfully bad. Watching this movie, a friend and I cried out to the heavens begging for mercy, and another friend left rather than finish watching it. However, if you do foolishly decide to endure this trial, do not give up. At the end of the movie, Robert Carradine delivers the most unbelievable look, outside of a beer commercial, ever captured on film. It's like the punchline to 90 minute joke. The bad thing is, the joke's on you.

Storm Tracker
Released in VHS Tape by York Home Video (17 April, 2001)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Harris Done
Average review score:

A disaster film in more ways than one.
"Storm Tracker" is brought to us by Unified Film Organization. Their self-proclaimed mission is to bring the movie viewing public films which have an emphasis on inexpensive computer special effects. Really. That's all they do.

UFO Films gets a couple of familiar faces, in this case Luke Perry and Martin Sheen, to fool everyone into thinking that there might be some quality to their movies. Don't get fooled. Their "special" effects always look very cheap and they seem to throw together a script in a matter of days.

"Storm Tracker" is about a silly US government conspiracy to manipulate the weather in order to create vicious hurricanes. Supposedly, Hurricane Andrew many years ago was their doing. Yeah...uh huh. Of course, they don't want to create hurricanes to destroy their own country. That experiment simply got out of control. Their main objective is to send devastating storms toward their enemies to cause maximum damage without risking the lives of soldiers or having to launch missiles or drop bombs.

Even at a low price, you will still be wasting your money on this film. You can see nonsense like this any day of the week on free TV.

Storm Tracker
The whole thing was bad. My wife got up and left.
The acting was bad, the premise of the story was
unbeliveable. I wish I had not have bought it.

ok
Not bad. it works Not much in the way of frills, but it's cheap! and amusing... The movie is a little less than believeable, but for pure cheese entertainment, you can't beat it....

Judgment in Berlin
Released in VHS Tape by New Line Studios (27 February, 1996)
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Leo Penn
Starring: Martin Sheen and Sam Wanamaker
Average review score:

Snooze and Lose
Don't be fooled by actors like "Martin Sheen"! and "Sean Penn"! Sean Penn has a small dorkey part where he talks with a lame German accent. Martin Sheen is OK but this really is no better than a low budget movie of the week. I watched the clock more than the film.

Related Subjects: Mark-Addy
More Pages: Martin-Sheen Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15