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Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) Directed by Ken Finkleman

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 10:44 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , , ,



The same sort of concept, the same type of jokes, the same actors. Then why is this movie not as a good as the first one as well?

I won't say that it's totally because Jim Abrahams and David Zucker into being involved with this movie but it's of course part of the reason. Instead, this movie feels too much like an "Airplane" wannabe, that isn't ever being creative and original enough on its own and mostly builds on the success and the successful formula of the first movie but without ever expanding on it. It even recycles a lot of the same jokes and situations from the first movie, which was especially disappointing and became real tiresome after a while and besides made the movie a very predictable. There basically is no reason why you should watch this movie when you have already seen the first one. It really hardly ever does anything new or surprising!

It's basically a rehash of the first movie, only this time set in space. Not that it changes much really. Still the same cockpit, still the same plane interiors and still the same control-tower and airfield, with also all of the same familiar faces. Sure, it's nice to see some of the actors from the first movie return in this one but I do feel that this movie would have been a better and certainly more original one if it featured some more new characters in it as well.

Storywise, this movie also doesn't impress to much. It's of course not like any goofy comedy ever features a really brilliant story in it but this movie is a bit too simplistic and deliberately dumb and silly, with every single story development and plot line. But also the storytelling itself is truly lacking. It basically throws you right in the middle of things and it doesn't waste any time on setting any things- or any of its characters up first. Of course it's true that that also is partly due to the fact that this is a sequel, so we already are familiar with its setup and most of movie its characters. We know their story and background already but it would have been nice to spend some more time with the characters, before things would start to go awry for them. It potentially could have made this movie a more engaging one and the characters some more likable ones as well.

But sure, I still laughed plenty during this movie. And how could you not? It keeps throwing jokes and visual gags at you, at a very high rate and rapid pace. This ensures that there are always some things that really work out as something comical. For every one joke that doesn't hit, there is one that does. And the movie is too fast paced for you to ever cringe- or feel annoyed by some of the movie its bad jokes and comical moments.

Still, you should stick to the first movie instead! Just because this movie has a few laughs in it doesn't mean it's a great and entirely effective one as well. And it most certainly is not up to par with the originality and high comedy quality and timing of the first movie!

6/10

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Columbo: Last Salute to the Commodore (1976) Directed by Patrick McGoohan

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 5:45 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,

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(Review originally written at 6 August 2008)

I really like Patrick McGoohan's most other directed Columbo movies really much, since his directing style certainly give the movies something extra. However he went too far with this movie. The directing and story-telling in general is different from the usual Columbo movie formula. It's a real slow moving movie, in which the killer himself also isn't known to the viewers this time, until of course the very ending. It's obvious they wanted to try something different for the Columbo series, as they tried numerous times before and after this movie as well. Funny though that they always went back to the usual Columbo style we all are so accustomed to.
Really problem with this movie is its pacing. It's annoyingly slow. Sequences seem to go on for ever without getting to its point. It really makes you wonder why the movie wasn't provided with any more pace. At one point Lt. Columbo goes into a trance. The actual movie itself also really feels like it goes into a trance though. It really doesn't make this movie a pleasant one to watch. It's not like the story is anything too bad, or the approach of not revealing who the killer is, or how the murder was committed, until the very end, is a bad one but it just doesn't work out with this type of directing approach as got picked by Patrick McGoohan, who is probably also better known and respected as an actor than a director really.
One thing McGoohan still does right though is the movie its humor. He is one of those directors who understood the Columbo character well and knew how to throw in the right kind of relieving humor, involving the character. Though being a close personal friend of Peter Falk, he probably gave him a bit too much room though to do his comedy thing, since he definitely goes a bit over-the-top with it at times. Oh well, at least he still probably had lots of fun with it.
Poor Robert Vaughn. He's a great actor but the Columbo movies he has starred in just aren't among the greatest. He deserved better, also since he seems really like an actor who is the right guy for playing these type of roles in these types of movies.
Tiresome off-boat Columbo entry. It has a good typical Columbo ending though.
4/10


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Columbo: Swan Song (1974) Directed by Nicholas Colasanto

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 6:04 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,

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(Review originally written at 9 July 2008)

This is quite a special Columbo movie, not because it's very original or is of exceptional quality but because it features famous singer Johnny Cash as the murderer.
Of course Johnny Cash also plays a musician in this movie and he more or less plays himself. This is always an handy and safe approach when you work with an actor that is not really an actor in the first place. As a matter of fact, Cash spends halve of the time singing in this movie.
Besides Johnny Cash and Peter Falk the movie, among others, also features Ida Lupino. Columbo movies often featured movie stars from the 'old days'. Ida Lupino actually also starred before in the other previous Columbo movie "Columbo: Short Fuse". Lupino is best known for the work she did in the 40's, with movies such as "High Sierra", "The Sea Wolf" and "They Drive by Night" on her resume.
The movie is directed by Nicholas Colasanto, who also directed the most excellent Columbo movie "Columbo: Étude in Black". That movie was mostly great since he left the two main leading men, Peter Falk and John Cassavetes, lots of room to improvise and do things their own way, rather than being hold down by a script or directed. But of course with a movie that stars non-professional actor Johnny Cash you can't really afford to choose this approach, even though he obviously still gave some of the other actors some room. The directing for this movie also most certainly is not bad, it's actually quite great but it can't really touch "Columbo: Étude in Black". Nicholas Colasanto himself by the way still better known to the world as an actor, who portrayed the character Coach in the hit-series "Cheers", right till his death in 1985.
Nicholas Colasanto's directing style on the other hand has as a consequence that the movie is slow moving in parts and you have the feeling at times that Colasanto's overdid it perhaps at times with his directing approach.
An all in all good Columbo movie, that is obviously especially worth watching for the fans of Johnny Cash.
7/10


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