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Movie Reviews
Vol 25 issue 20 February 20, 2002
Final Destination 2
Shanghai Knights
Gangs Of New York
Kangaroo Jack
 
 

Final Destination 2
 


The first Final Destination brought about a set of teens experiencing freak of nature accidents and strange occurrences in death. The second is somewhat similar. This time around death is back with a vengeance, or to say that he’s back to tie up loose ends because of one surviving person, Clear Rivers. Clear, who wishes to stay in a mental ward is asked for help by one of the survivors of a deadly car wreck who saw the accident in a premonition. Like the first, the survivors fight to stay alive and many fall into a “sort of once in a lifetime chance accident happenings.”

I hadn’t seen the first Final Destination and I found it quite intriguing that the story was thought about without over emphasizing the necessity of real acting. I got an idea of the possibility that as people you never know how safe we are, how secure things are around us, and the question of the higher being at work. The film is directed by David Ellis and has also done Armageddon 1998. The subject matter that he brings to film is what caught my attention. It’s the kind of stories that ask the “what if” question. Questions that I particularly ask is, “Is that possible and it is, so what if? In Final
Destination 2, I see many questions coming to me in this form. I believe situations that occur and place us in death can be questioned in how it happens, but not why. The characters of the film go through such parole and mental pain that everything they do gets to a point of feeling like nothing around them is safe and it makes them go into a fret of panic. One important factor that the story brings is the relation of the first final Destination. It was not implicated until half way through the film that Clear Rivers was seen, hence audiences related her to the first. Then when the characters began to talk about how they managed to dodge death in a so-called coincidences, they discovered amoungst them that they all knew somebody from the incident of the first Final Destination. The filmed runs about an hour and a half and has tons of blood, gore, drugs, and language, for mature audiences only.
-by Jennifer Nacino

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Shanghai Knights
 
In this sequel to Shanghai Noon, Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) and Roy O’Bannon (Owen Wilson) get together for another adventure. This time Chon’s sister Lin played by Fann Wong has witnessed their fathers murder and is out to get revenge and to retrieve the imperial seal. With the help of her brother Chon and his friend Roy, they cross the seas to London to help Chon’s sister. They meet up with adventure, fun, and learn a lesson on friendship.

The film directed by David Millar and written screenplay by Miles Millar and Al Gough, the action placed Jackie’s character in yes, looking like it was all natural. His character seemed to be more so the kind of guy that doesn’t want any trouble, yet when he is bothered by the bad guy he manages to jump into action and display the funny side that everyone loves him for. Jackie Chan is also the Executive producer for the film and his brother help out also, but I’m not sure of what his first name is.

The Genre of this film is action, comedy, and sequel and is rated PG-13 for the action violence and sexual content. In my opinion the film is certainly great for the comedy, but the beginning is much better then the last one. I also love the fact that there are always outtakes at the end of the film. Most of the film’s that Jackie Chan has done all have some kind of outtake. In Shanghai Noon and in Shanghai Knights Jackie makes it fun for everyone by incorporating the whole cast.
-by Jennifer Nacino

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Gangs Of New York
 
Martin Scorsese works his unique ability to tell a one of a kind story in "The Gangs of New York." With its colorful and well acted cast, Leonardo Di Caprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Cameron Diaz, the film weaves a sharp view of a violent world that was almost forgotten. It seems Scorsese's vision, what some might claim as outlandish in "Gangs," takes on a vibrant life of its own, showing the audience a history almost forgotten and an aura of a young city.
-by Ian Paul

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Kangaroo Jack
 
When Hollywood came out and started movies they also started trailers and the trailers were suppose to tease the viewer into seeing the movie, well this was the teaser that was told the second I saw the film.
Charlie Carbone played by (Jerry O’Connell) was only 12yrs old when he was drowning and was saved by Louis Booker (Anthony Anderson). They became friends since and life has thrown them in the mix. Until Charlie’s step father who is head of the mafia gets fed-up with him and his friend Louis. He gives them a simple job in Australia that goes terribly wrong and involves a kangaroo.
I couldn’t help, but wonder if they were trying to target the children in the audience or the adult audience. One of the interesting things they managed to depict is the friendship of the characters. Children wouldn’t understand some of the dialogue that they had in this film. I’m almost positive that Louis Booker had gotten laughs out of almost everyone in the audience. When there were clumsy, clunky, funny situations these are the parts that the kids mostly enjoyed. The whole audience enjoyed this film. My guess is that mainly the fact that it’s something that the family would enjoy. That’s why I went with my neighbor and her kids.
Along with the film, at the end there is also what I call “Kangaroo outtakes.” This is where the kangaroo does some of his own comical stuff and even does something from the Austin Powers, the Spy that shagged me. (Not that I even seen it, but I know where it’s from). I always think that films that have outtakes at the end show the audience the other side of the filming aspect to seem light hearted and fun added into the production of filming.
In any case the film had fluked out on the trailers and commercials, but given the story and the comical idea placed in the film it turns out for the younger generation of people. If you have children to see it with, go bring them. If not, it’s definitely something to rent (on sale!) or purchase as a gift for someone with children.
-by Jennifer Nacino

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