Michael-Douglas Movie Reviews

The next vol. of Blake's 7 entitled STARDRIVE and ANIMALS

In the epsidoe entitled STARDRIVE
The main engine drive of Scorpio is destroyed beyond repair. Orac finds Avon an engineer for him. Her name is Dr. Plaxton famed for creating some of the universe fastest sapce crafts. Avon and the others set out in the crippled Scorpio in search for her. What they find are the dreaded Space Rats. A group of speed loving maniacs who live for nothing but speed and brutality. Avon knowing the risks goes to try and rescue the good Doctor to give Scorpio the needed boost to keep themselves one step ahead of the Federation.
In the next epsidoe entitled ANIMALS
Avon now trying to fight the Federation pacification program seeks out experts to save the universe. The first stop is Bucol 2 a planet in which a former lover of Dayna lives. Tarrant goes along with her to meet the great Justin former Federation genetic engineer. Soon on the planet Dayna finds the creatures that Justin has worked on so long monsters that can witstand even radiation itself. Dayna is thrilled to be with Justin again but before long the Federation has found her and the others. Tarrant forced to leave with Scorpio heads off hoping to have them follow but with no such luck. On borad the Federation ship is Servalan or under her new name Commisar Sil. Thought dead she has taken a new identiy to once again become president of the Federation.

The next vol. of Blake's 7 entitled VOLCANO and DAWN OF THE GODS

In the episode entitled VOLCANO
Avon is taking full advantage of the Federation in disarray over the war with the alien armada. His first stop is the planet Obsidian. The planet somehow managed to stay out of the war and away from the Federation. Dayna and Tarrant go to investiagte why. Meanwhile Servalan takes the reminatns of the fleet and begins to clean up the Federation but she just happens to spot the Liberator near the planet Obsidian. Servalan wants the Liberator and wants to know why the planet is so important to those on the Liberator. Will Servalan win could this be the end of it all?
In the next episode entitled DAWN OF THE GODS
Liberator is heading for a black hole but what Avon and the others can't figure out is why it wasn't there a few seconds ago? Soon they are hurled into the black hole excpeting never to return but then Cally begins to get a metnal command from the Thaarn an ancient tale told to children of Cally people. Could the Thaarn created the black hole? Could Cally be the first to see if the Thaarn is nothing more then a story of something far worse?

This pair of episodes sets the stage for the larger mythos of the Buffyverse. The introduction of the Annointed One in "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" is the first hint that this series will be more than Good Buffy vs. Evil Master every week. BTVS has defined character and story arcs--certainly not a new concept for US television but you'll be hard pressed to find a better example of growth and change in a long-running series. The first season (of which these episodes are a part) are a story unto themselves but also provide a springboard for the future. Watch and enjoy.

I thought this movie was well done, and very well acted in.It has been awhile since stephanie zimbalist has been in anything, and this role was perfect for her.I also enjoyed Brenden Fletchers performance as her son.

There is much in this film to be admired and enjoyed. It delights the soul and tweaks the heart. Well done and well acted. The music is wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys history as well as the English 'starch'.

An effective and explicitly propagandistic wartime docudrama, co-directed by the ever-quirky Michael Powell, and clearly aimed at a hometown audience seeking reassurance during the ongoing German Blitz. Merle Oberon and Ralph Richardson star as a British couple doing their bit to beat back the Hun, but in truth the acting parts are the least noteworthy aspect of this feature-length film, which is structured more like a newsreel than a drama. The opening sequences, which feature a clever montage that juxtoposes the wholesome, modern look of freedom-loving England with the sinister, humourless world of the Nazis, has some great footage and several interesting aspects. The apparent faith in modernity (as extolled in the newly-built high-rise tenements and lengthy footage of wartime industrial production) and the uniquely Powell-ian sense of humor which frames the narration are equally of note... The second half of the film involves a recreation of an early RAF bombing raid on the mainland, and a lengthy dramatization of how the Brits would fend off German bombers through a combination of ground artillery and plane-to-plane dogfights. The film was probably also meant to act as disinformation: we are shown an elaborate, James Bond-ish, secret control center which coordinates information phoned in by local "plane watchers," when in fact Britain had already developed a radar defense, which proved key to their success in controlling the airspace over the English Channel. Likewise, there is no mention of the controversial "lend-lease" arrangement, set up with the nominally-neutral United States, which had not yet joined the war. Finally, this pro-RAF film proved to be rather prophetic, as it was produced and released just before the airborne Battle of Britain, which was one of the pivotal fights of the War. A fascinating and somewhat quaint bit of wartime propaganda.

Robert Redford put in an extremely early appearance in this fine episode of "Maverick" featuring Jack Kelly as the title character's brother Bart. This one's a very good straight western involving a cattle drive and a character whose hand was amputated by Indians and casually uses an iron prosthetic to crush the skull of an argumentative associate. Redford has an oddly baby-faced look here, with ample cheeks and a hint of his famously acne-scarred complexion visible. Fast paced and well acted, this is an excellent example of a 50s TV western and an intriguing curio for Redford admirers.

Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole are troubleshooters for hire brought in by a railroad to rescue a hijcaked train in the southwest of 1914. Fernando Lamas has a great time playing a bandit (with all the stereotypes you don't expect to find in a 1970 film...though you can see elements of political awareness when our hereos buy a hotel that refused to rent rooms to the Hispanic family of the bad guy). Rod Taylor brings his typical light touch and charm to his role as the hero, leaving young Dennis Cole to do a lot of the action, that is climbing onto the moving train. Great cast with John McIntyre as the railroad owner and Micheal Ansara as the jailed brother of Lamas. The other hero of the show is the car...a 1914 Stutz Bearcat. If you like old cars, there are great shots of it roaring through the desert. The film served as the pilot film for a 1971 CBS-TV series starring Taylor and Cole, "Bearcats!"

With its frank depiction of drug use and its gritty down to earth feel, I enjoyed Traffic and expect to see director Steven Soderbergh walk away with an Oscar come Academy Award time.

There were 5 or 6 different story lines, a few of which came together at different points. One involved Michael Douglas as Robert Wakefield, an Ohio State Supreme Court Justice turned United States Drug Czar having to deal with not only the national and international drug problem, but with the fact that his 16 year old daughter was a drug addict. Another story line involved Benecio Del Toro as Tijuana police officer Javier Rodriguez caught between the corrupt Mexican police system, and his moral obligation to make Mexico drug free for future generations. Another story line had Catherine Zeta-Jones as Helena, an unsuspecting wife of a suspected drug dealer named Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer), having to cope with her husband being carted off to jail, and having her child threatened unless she pays off her husband's debts. Mixed into that story line were undercover DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) who are trying to protect the chief witness again Carlos, while trying to get information against Helena.

What I really loved about Traffic was the documentary-style feel it had. Every location was shot differently, from the blown out yellow grittyness of Mexico, to the rich upper class color of Cincinnati. Along with the graphic depictions of drug use and the corruption of the Mexican military and police, it all had the feel of a real life drama, and not just a movie. All the acting performances were wonderful. Usually a great director can bring out great performances from his/her cast. It's no surprise that Julia Roberts from the Soderbergh-directed Erin Brockovich is a front runner in the Best Actress Oscar race, and Benecio Del Toro is a front runner in the Supporting Actor race. Standouts from this movie in my view include Zeta-Jones as a woman who is slowly transformed into the complete opposite of what she was by circumstances beyond her control. Don Cheadle, who is one of the best hidden talents in Hollywood, and is just one big role away from breaking through to mainstream. And the girl I thought had the toughest role in the movie, Erika Christensen as Caroline, the 16 year old drug addicted daughter of the new drug Czar. I think her performance deserves more recognition than it's gotten.

The feel of the movie is really what makes this film a cut above others. It doesn't pull any punches in its portrayal of what life is like for some people. We get to see the inner workings of a corrupt Mexican military, abusing its police power to steal the lucrative drug trade for itself. We see how even if a police officer is on the moral straight and narrow, he has to bend to the facts of life to survive on the streets. Back in America we see that even the drug Czar of the United States can have problems in his own life that are bigger than the country. And we see how a woman will go anywhere and do anything to protect her children and her family. Director Soderbergh has taken us inside the lives of these people without glossing it up Hollywood style.

Traffic is a hard hitting film that may be too much for some people. The scenes of drug use are hard to deal with at times. Seeing what a 16 year old girl will do just to get a fix is troubling. The only part of the film I guess I didn't believe(?) was watching the drug Czar comb the streets looking for his daughter, instead of calling out the National Guard or something to track her down. I understand he had his reasons, wanting to keep the whole situation quiet and away from the press, but it still seemed odd that a person in his position would be willing to wander the streets looking for her. The other problem I had was that some of the story lines and people got confusing to me, and made parts of the movie hard to follow. Luckily most of it all came together near the end.

Overall I enjoyed Traffic and I would recommend it to people looking to get out of the Hollywood-style movie scene we're all used to seeing.

I had went to theaters to see this movie. (Mainly because the previews said it was a knockout, brilliant, and in every critics top 10 list). I was a little skeptical at first, but once it starts it pulls you in. From begining to end, this film lacks nothing.

Whether you like it for the acting, (Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Torro, or Michael Douglas all do superb, along with most others), whether you like it for the cinematography, (I'm not sure who did it, but watch for the color difference between Washington, DC (Michael Douglas' scenes), Mexico (Benicio Del Torro's scenes), or San Diego (where a bunch of rich kids live), you will be amazed.

Another thing is the rock solid story line with snappy dialouge. And not to mention the allstar cast of Benicio Del Torro, (The "Good" Cop), Michael Douglas (Head of the DEA), Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Rich, Pampered, Housewife), Dennis Quaid (The Crooked Lawyer), Don Cheadle (Undercover Cop), along with numerous cameos from Selma Hayek, ect.

This film can not be beat. With A+ acting, story, and without a doubt the BEST cinematography ever! You cant afford to miss TRAFFIC.

Not this film is a 2 1/2 hr long drama, which needs to be viewed in FULL. I know of quite a few people who quit watching it half-way through. You will ruin one of the greatest movie experiences ever if you do this. No Joke!

Winner of 5 Academy Awards including: Best Supporting Actor (Del Torro), Best Director (Steven Soderbergh), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Cinematography!

This is a movie with starpower and sustance, but it commits the same mistakes with consistency troughout the movie. If you can look beyond them, great, some of us can't.
mistake 1: the only cast member that does not produce the spanish language with a thick american accent was Salma Hayek. Everyone else, From Del Toro to the little characters is a Culprit of mangling the language into an East L.A. version of it.
mistake 2: All scenes in cars in the Mexico side have all the actors "buckled up" when in Mexico there is no bucke up law, In fact buckling up is considered for sissies by the macho military/policial culture.
Thoper Grace's performance was a surprise, the kid did break out of his tv personna.

With its frank depiction of drug use and its gritty down to earth feel, I enjoyed Traffic and expect to see director Steven Soderbergh walk away with an Oscar come Academy Award time.

There were 5 or 6 different story lines, a few of which came together at different points. One involved Michael Douglas as Robert Wakefield, an Ohio State Supreme Court Justice turned United States Drug Czar having to deal with not only the national and international drug problem, but with the fact that his 16 year old daughter was a drug addict. Another story line involved Benecio Del Toro as Tijuana police officer Javier Rodriguez caught between the corrupt Mexican police system, and his moral obligation to make Mexico drug free for future generations. Another story line had Catherine Zeta-Jones as Helena, an unsuspecting wife of a suspected drug dealer named Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer), having to cope with her husband being carted off to jail, and having her child threatened unless she pays off her husband's debts. Mixed into that story line were undercover DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) who are trying to protect the chief witness again Carlos, while trying to get information against Helena.

What I really loved about Traffic was the documentary-style feel it had. Every location was shot differently, from the blown out yellow grittyness of Mexico, to the rich upper class color of Cincinnati. Along with the graphic depictions of drug use and the corruption of the Mexican military and police, it all had the feel of a real life drama, and not just a movie. All the acting performances were wonderful. Usually a great director can bring out great performances from his/her cast. It's no surprise that Julia Roberts from the Soderbergh-directed Erin Brockovich is a front runner in the Best Actress Oscar race, and Benecio Del Toro is a front runner in the Supporting Actor race. Standouts from this movie in my view include Zeta-Jones as a woman who is slowly transformed into the complete opposite of what she was by circumstances beyond her control. Don Cheadle, who is one of the best hidden talents in Hollywood, and is just one big role away from breaking through to mainstream. And the girl I thought had the toughest role in the movie, Erika Christensen as Caroline, the 16 year old drug addicted daughter of the new drug Czar. I think her performance deserves more recognition than it's gotten.

The feel of the movie is really what makes this film a cut above others. It doesn't pull any punches in its portrayal of what life is like for some people. We get to see the inner workings of a corrupt Mexican military, abusing its police power to steal the lucrative drug trade for itself. We see how even if a police officer is on the moral straight and narrow, he has to bend to the facts of life to survive on the streets. Back in America we see that even the drug Czar of the United States can have problems in his own life that are bigger than the country. And we see how a woman will go anywhere and do anything to protect her children and her family. Director Soderbergh has taken us inside the lives of these people without glossing it up Hollywood style.

Traffic is a hard hitting film that may be too much for some people. The scenes of drug use are hard to deal with at times. Seeing what a 16 year old girl will do just to get a fix is troubling. The only part of the film I guess I didn't believe(?) was watching the drug Czar comb the streets looking for his daughter, instead of calling out the National Guard or something to track her down. I understand he had his reasons, wanting to keep the whole situation quiet and away from the press, but it still seemed odd that a person in his position would be willing to wander the streets looking for her. The other problem I had was that some of the story lines and people got confusing to me, and made parts of the movie hard to follow. Luckily most of it all came together near the end.

Overall I enjoyed Traffic and I would recommend it to people looking to get out of the Hollywood-style movie scene we're all used to seeing.

I had went to theaters to see this movie. (Mainly because the previews said it was a knockout, brilliant, and in every critics top 10 list). I was a little skeptical at first, but once it starts it pulls you in. From begining to end, this film lacks nothing.

Whether you like it for the acting, (Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Torro, or Michael Douglas all do superb, along with most others), whether you like it for the cinematography, (I'm not sure who did it, but watch for the color difference between Washington, DC (Michael Douglas' scenes), Mexico (Benicio Del Torro's scenes), or San Diego (where a bunch of rich kids live), you will be amazed.

Another thing is the rock solid story line with snappy dialouge. And not to mention the allstar cast of Benicio Del Torro, (The "Good" Cop), Michael Douglas (Head of the DEA), Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Rich, Pampered, Housewife), Dennis Quaid (The Crooked Lawyer), Don Cheadle (Undercover Cop), along with numerous cameos from Selma Hayek, ect.

This film can not be beat. With A+ acting, story, and without a doubt the BEST cinematography ever! You cant afford to miss TRAFFIC.

Not this film is a 2 1/2 hr long drama, which needs to be viewed in FULL. I know of quite a few people who quit watching it half-way through. You will ruin one of the greatest movie experiences ever if you do this. No Joke!

Winner of 5 Academy Awards including: Best Supporting Actor (Del Torro), Best Director (Steven Soderbergh), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Cinematography!

This is a movie with starpower and sustance, but it commits the same mistakes with consistency troughout the movie. If you can look beyond them, great, some of us can't.
mistake 1: the only cast member that does not produce the spanish language with a thick american accent was Salma Hayek. Everyone else, From Del Toro to the little characters is a Culprit of mangling the language into an East L.A. version of it.
mistake 2: All scenes in cars in the Mexico side have all the actors "buckled up" when in Mexico there is no bucke up law, In fact buckling up is considered for sissies by the macho military/policial culture.
Thoper Grace's performance was a surprise, the kid did break out of his tv personna.