She’s All That (1999)

Number Rolled: 44

Movie Name/Year: She’s All That (1999)

Genre: Comedy

Length: 95 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Director: Robert Iscove

Writer: R. Lee Fleming Jr.

Actors: Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Kevin Pollak, Anna Paquin, Kieran Culkin, Elden Henson, Usher Raymond, Kimberly Jones, Gabrielle Union, Dule Hill, Tamara Mello, Clea DuVall, Tim Metheson, Debbi Morgan, Alexis Arquette, Dave Buzzotta, Chris Owen

One of my very favorite things about rolling a popular movie from the late 80’s or the 90’s, is the nostalgia involved. Taking a look back at the beginning careers of actors or actresses that are really well known now, or just revisiting those that have dropped off the face of the Earth, is amusing for me. Hell, Sarah Michelle Geller has an uncredited five second part that you’ll miss if you blink.

The plot is your basic recipe ‘ugly duckling’ story line. Popular guy enters into a bet. Bet is that he can make the most ‘uncool’ girl at the school prom queen. He proceeds to start falling for her in the process. Blah, blah, blah. You know this story. Even if this isn’t your usual genre of movie, I’m sure you’ve at least accidentally come across it in your entertainment travels.

Rachel Leigh Cook is very attractive before the inevitable movie make-over, they basically just give her a haircut and contacts. Not impressed. You know what would be impressive? Doing it to Sloth from the Goonies. THAT would impress me.

The movie is utterly generic. The acting is fine. The script doesn’t bother me. It’s completely forgettable. Nothing in it really sticks to my memory, and I just finished watching it about a half hour ago. The best character in the entire thing is the main character, Laney Boggs, little brother Simon – played by a very young Keiran Culkin.

Not much else to say. It didn’t suck. It wasn’t great.

Overall Opinion – 2.5/5

Blue Streak (1999)

Number Rolled: 72

Movie Name/Year: Blue Streak (1999)

Genre: Action, Comedy

Length: 94 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Director: Les Mayfield

Writer: Michael Berry, John Blumenthal, Stephen Carpenter

Actors: Martin Lawrence, Luke Wilson, Peter Greene, Dave Chappelle, Nicole Ari Parker, Graham Beckel, Robert Miranda, Olek Krupa

It’s a funny thing about expectations. There are times I will sit down to watch a movie and think it’s going to be great only to find that it sucks, other times I’ll sit down to think I’m about to waste two hours and wind up completely absorbed by the story. I definitely sat down with a groan to watch this movie.

I’m not a fan of Martin Lawrence. I don’t mind Luke Wilson, but I feel like he’s type-cast a LOT. I find Dave Chappelle annoying most of the time (though I loved him in Robin Hood Men in Tights). To top it off, the cover they used on Netflix for the movie was ridiculous. I thought it was going to be horrible. I was expecting it.

Honestly, it really wasn’t so bad. It had its annoying Martin Lawrence-y parts that almost turned me off, but for the most part it was pretty entertaining. You get this jewel thief who goes to jail after hiding his last heist in an air duct only to find, when he gets out, that the air duct belongs to a police precinct. In an “undercover” operation of his own, he pretends to be a cop to get it back and a series of semi-predictable but funny events take place.

In the long run, it’s not something I’m going to go out of my way to recommend to people, but I won’t warn them about it either. The majority of it is very stereotypical of this kind of movie, but the ending was cute and it wasn’t terribly done.

All in all? A basic “C”.

Overall Opinion – 3/5