A Complete Review of Ron Howard's work

Unfortunately, I haven't seen this one yet...

 

What was it about?
A chronicle of how Andrés and his nonprofit rebuilds nations in the wake of disaster, providing healthy food to those affected.

My two cents: 
The first thing that really impressed me was its visual aspect. Indeed, in my opinion, it really allows you to get an idea of the amplitude of the natural disasters that took place at the time. Concerning José Andrés himself, to be honest, I have to admit that I had never heard of the guy before but his charity work was just so impressive and inspirational. Indeed, there is nothing new about a celebrity giving money or even starting their own charitable organisation but there was something quite unique in his case (in fact, I don’t think I have ever seen anything like this before) was that, each time or, at least, very often, the guy would go himself onsite for weeks to cook and organise in general the feeding of 1000’s of people in need. Of course, with this kind of documentaries, there was not much room to be critical about Andrés and his work. Eventually, they kept repeating, even himself, that he can be terribly grumpy but it was played as something actually rather cute. However, you might wonder if his grumpiness didn’t go further than that. Still, it was definitely an interesting watch, that’s for sure.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Amy Adams, Glenn Close, Haley Bennett, Freida Pinto

What was it about?
An urgent phone call pulls a Yale Law student back to his Ohio hometown, where he reflects on three generations of family history and his own future.

My two cents: 
Since this movie had been really poorly received, I had some rather low expectations but, to be honest, I didn’t think it was so bad at after all. At least, the material definitely had some potential but I have to admit that this movie still never really worked though. The first issue was that Ron Howard was obviously not the right guy to handle such a dark material. I mean, this story was clearly about a highly dysfunctional family but, instead of diving into the complex mechanisms involved in this group of people, Howard always remained skin-deep and instead constantly hammered the fact that the narrator actually really loved his family. The directing was not the only problem though. Indeed, I haven’t read the book it was adapted from but the fact that it was a best-seller doesn’t necessarily mean that it was actually really great. I mean, you could assume that the main drive of this story was the deconstruction of the American Dream showing in the process that some big chunks of the American population will never come close to this ideal. Yet, the fact that this tale was actually told by a guy who came from nothing and managed to study at Yale and eventually became a venture capitalist and a successful author, basically reaching the American Dream, in my opinion, clearly undermined the whole message. Finally, the movie spent too time much on the narrator who remains seriously clueless about what was going around him, even as a grown-up, when they should have focused more on Mamaw and Bev. At least, even though their performances reeked of Oscar-bait, I still think that Amy Adams and Glenn Close were both really good in this flick. Anyway, in spite of its flaws, I think it was a decent watch though but there is no doubt that it was another rather misguided directing effort from Ron Howard.

My rating: 06/10

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What was it about?
Life, works and achievements of opera legend Luciano Pavarotti.

My two cents: 
I remember it very well, when I was growing up in the 90’s, Luciano Pavarotti was probably one of the biggest stars in the world but, to be honest, back then, I didn’t care much about the guy. Well, I have to admit that I had basically zero knowledge about opera so it was the first cool thing about this movie, the fact that I finally got the opportunity to discover this music genre. On top of that, there is no doubt that the guy had an incredible voice but it went much further than that. Indeed, Pavarotti was also actually terribly charismatic and I think that it, in combination with his voice and technical baggage, allowed him to have such a long and successful career. Of course, the Opera purists probably didn’t care that he did so many things which had barely anything to do with Opera. However, that’s a choice that Pavarotti made very early in his career which was to reach the biggest audience possible and I think you can say that he clearly did succeed. Eventually, the only issue I had was that there was virtually no controversial material regarding the maestro. I mean, it is pretty obvious that Pavarotti had many affairs while he was on the road but, in this movie, it was handled as if it was the most normal thing in the world when, even in Pavarotti’s case, it did result in the end of his first marriage. Anyway, even if it was nothing ground-breaking, I thought it was an interesting documentary.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany, Jon Favreau, Warwick Davis

What was it about?
During an adventure into the criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion.

My two cents: 
Even though this movie had turned out to be a flop at the box-office, a first in Stars Wars so far successful history, I was still eager to check it out even if I had some rather low expectations. Well, to be honest, I have to admit that I was actually positively surprised by the damned thing. I mean, sure, it was nothing really groundbreaking but when was the last time that a Stars Wars flick had been anything really revolutionary? Above all, the damned thing was actually quite entertaining. I mean, even though Star Wars has always focused on the Skywalkers, Han Solo has always been much more fun and charismatic and this movie nailed so many landmarks moments concerning this iconic character such as how he got his name, how he met Chewbacca or how he discoverered the Millenium Falcon. Furthermore, even though I heard that Alden Ehrenreich had been criticized for his performance but I think he was actually not bad at all and he made for a convincing younger version of this character. Concerning the story, like many similar blockbusters, they tried to cover too much ground in one single movie and they could have easily split the whole thing into 3 movies. Of course, I wonder how the whole thing would have turned out to be with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller still on board and it’s a pity that they went for some of the most entertaining directors at work nowadays to the safest and most bland guy from the bunch. On the other hand, I have to admit that Ron Howard has done actually a solid job after all with this movie.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Ben Foster

What was it about?
When Robert Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Dr. Sienna Brooks, and together they must race across Europe against the clock to foil a deadly global plot.

My two cents: 
Well, even though it was not awful, I still had a hard time to care about the damned thing, I'm afraid. First of all, the twist concerning one of the main characters was actually fairly easy to figure out. At least, it was fun to follow once again Robert Langdon trying to solve one of his elaborate puzzles and I always had a weak spot about movies dealing with amnesia. Unfortunately, the whole trick about giving Robert Langdon some hallucinogenic drug was just rather ridiculous. I mean, sure, it will mess around his mind and his memory but how can you predict what he will eventually remember and when he will get back his memories? And, of course, as usual with these kind of movies clouded with mystery, at some point, they had to uncover what was actually going on and, to be honest, the end-result was so far-fetched and rather ridiculous. Seriously, I don't think much of it actually made sense. Maybe I should read the book at some point to see if it works better (they apparently did make some modifications for the movie) but, with Dan Brown, I highly doubt it.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw, Tom Holland

What was it about?
A recounting of a New England whaling ship's sinking by a giant whale in 1820, an experience that later inspired the great novel Moby-Dick.

My two cents: 
'Rush' was maybe a box-office flop but, at least, it was very well received and, apparently, this end-result was good enough for Ron Howard and Chris Hemsworth so they came up afterwards with another true tale but the flop was even bigger this time, I'm afraid. To be honest, right from the start, the whole thing felt slightly misguided. Indeed, basically, in fact, it was not exactly about 'Moby Dick', it was apparently an adaptation of a book about how Herman Melville was inspired by a true story to write his own literary classic. I mean, right from there, how would you approach something so convoluted? Well, apparently, if you are Ron Howard, a decent but never really groundbreaking director, in the most conventional way possible so, of course, it failed miserably. I mean, in fact, it wasn't a bad movie at all, the production value was quite impressive, the action scenes were pretty badass and I was entertained thoughout the whole thing but I wasn't exactly inspired of gobsmacked by what was displayed on the screen at any moment and, eventually, I think a straight adaptation of 'Moby Dick' would have worked better.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Natalie Dormer

What was it about?
The merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

My two cents: 
Eventually, even though it was indeed a decent watch, to be honest, I can’t say I was really impressed by the whole thing. The first problem I had is that I had never heard of James Hunt before. I assumed that it was because of my lack of interest in Formula 1 but, at the end of the movie, we learned that Hunt just won one championship and retired pretty soon afterwards. From this point of view, it seems hard to believe that the guy was actually such a legend. Then, there is of course the problem that it was directed by Ron Howard. I mean, sure, for a Howard feature, it was pretty gritty but it was certainly not gritty enough and you can’t help wondering what would Paul Greengrass would have done with this material (Indeed, Greengrass was supposed to direct this movie and Howard was supposed to direct ‘Captain Phillips’ but they switched projet during the development stage). Still, the whole thing was well made, with some solid performances by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl and, above all, it was quite entertaining.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum, Queen Latifah

What was it about?
A man discovers that his best friend's wife is having an affair.

My two cents:
Oh dear... That was a huge failure, only slightly better than 'Gung Ho' which is, so far, the worst movie directed by Ron Howard. You can say whatever you want about him but the guy is very versatile and after many years, he was making again a comedy, a genre that really launched his career back then with 'Splash'. Unfortunately, the end-result was, this time, really disappointing. Indeed, it has been a while since I have seen such a tedious comedy. Furthermore, there was barely any chemistry between any of the 4 actors involved in those 2 couples and the movie really focused solely on Vince Vaughn (who hasn't made a good comedy since 'Wedding Crashers' was released 8 years ago) and the rest of the cast, which had some potential, was pretty much wasted. Still, there was some interesting stuff in here, some interesting darkness, but the makers never really figured what to do with the whole thing so you end up with one of those underwhelming comedies where one of the characters has some big secret which will be, of course, revealed at the end.

My rating: 05/10

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Cast : Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgård, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl

What was it about?
Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.

My two cents:
I went to see this sequel with an open mind (I even saw it in the theater somehow) and I was actually positively surprised. Indeed, it was definitely more focused than the first movie and I was rather captivated by the whole story, at least until the end. Of course, the whole thing was pretty preposterous but there was something quite awesome about making a thriller in the Vatican, mixing some historical facts, myths and some good old blockbuster action scenes. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the end was so over the top. Indeed, whereas the rest of the movie was pretty strong, this ending was just really disappointing and actually did ruin the whole thing for me. To conclude, it is definitely not a masterpiece but I still think it is a rather well made and entertaining thriller.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, Matthew Macfadyen, Oliver Platt, Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones, Clint Howard

What was it about?
A dramatic retelling of the post-Watergate television interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and former president Richard Nixon.

My two cents:
Since the buzz surrounding this flick was very good, I was really eager to check it out. Eventually, Howard did a great job on this movie and, in my opinon, it is easily the best movie he has made so far. Indeed, I have always had a weak spot for movies dealing with politics and this story was just really fascinating. To start with, Frank Langella and Micheal sheen were both at the top of their game and the rest of the cast was also pretty good. For once, Ron Howard decided to go for a more sober directing style and it really worked like a charm. Basically, it is a damned entertaining flick and, in my opinion, it gives you a great insight on one of the most controversial historical figures that ever lived. Of course, there is always the very old argument that not everything was 100% accurate (as a matter of fact, the phone conversation at midnight between Frost and Nixon never actually happened) but, if the directing is fine, if the acting is fine, I seriously don’t really care and there is absolutely no such thing as a 100% accurate retelling of a historical event. Anyway, I really loved this flick.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina, Jürgen Prochnow, Jean-Pierre Marielle

What was it about?
A murder inside the Louvre and clues in Da Vinci paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years -- which could shake the foundations of Christianity.

My two cents:
When the word came out that they were making a movie adaptation, there was a huge buzz about it. Eventually, even though it made some big bucks at the box-office, it wasn’t very well received. Eventually, I saw it a few years later and I don’t think it was that bad. Indeed, I thought it was a fairly entertaining thriller and it was fun to see an American thriller in France for once. Of course, since half of the book (which I have read afterwards) is about Robert Langdon giving some historical or mythical background, it didn’t translate well to the silver screen. Furthermore, even though it is indeed a fun book, it was actually not really brilliant in my opinion. I mean, Dan Brown basically deals with historical facts, wild theories, improbable legends and fairy tales in the same way at face value and, as a result, it was difficult for me to take the whole thing seriously. Still, don’t believe the hype, the movie is a decent blockbuster.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Paddy Considine, Clint Howard

What was it about?
The story of James Braddock, a supposedly washed-up boxer who came back to become a champion and an inspiration in the 1930s.

My two cents:
4 years after his success with 'A Beautiful Mind', Ron Howard was working once again with Russell Crowe. At first, there was logically a very good buzz about this flick but, somehow, it was completely overlooked when it was released. Indeed, even if it garnered some decent reviews, it was actually a flop. Maybe nobody wanted to see yet another flick about boxing? In my opinion, it was a superior feature to ‘A Beautiful Mind’ . I mean, you could argue that the whole thing was not really original and, indeed, it never reaches the level of ‘Raging Bull’ but I thought it was a very well made and really entertaining sport biopic. Apparently, the one who was the most hurt by this failure was neither Ron Howard or Russell Crowe, but Renée Zellweger. Indeed, until this movie, she was definitely on the A list, one of the most sought after actresses, but after it failed, her career went all downhill and we don’t hear much from her nowadays. Anyway, in my opinion, it is a pretty solid feature, one of the best directed by Howard.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Aaron Eckhart, Evan Rachel Wood, Val Kilmer, Clint Howard

What was it about?
In 1885 New Mexico, a frontier medicine woman forms an uneasy alliance with her estranged father when her daughter is kidnapped by an Apache brujo.

My two cents:
I know, my rating might seem a little bit harsh but I seriously didn't care much for this Western. To start with, this genre doesn’t seem to interest much the modern audience nowadays. Except for ‘Unforgiven’ which is already more than 20 years old by now, there hasn’t been any really successful Western for a very long time (with the recent failure of ‘The Lone Ranger’, don’t expect any high-profile movies in this genre anytime soon). Anyway, even though there was a nice cast who definitely did a pretty good job, it was a flop at the box-office. Like I said before, myself, I didn’t care much for the whole thing either. Indeed, even though the actors were decent, the story was pretty pedestrian and seriously underwhelming. It is basically one of those cases where Ron Howard’s directing turns out to be rather bland and uninspiring.

My rating: 05/10

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Cast : Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany, Josh Lucas

What was it about?
After a brilliant but asocial mathematician accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn to the nightmarish.

My two cents:
It is one of those movies I would really like to re-watch. I remember, I wasn’t really interested by the whole thing but when it won the Best Picture Academy award, I thought I might as well give it a try. So, I went to see it in the theater, without knowing the plot or who the hell was John Nash and I must admit, I was actually positively surprised. Indeed, since I didn’t know what it was about, I really didn't expect it when Nash started to become insane and it made for a rather intriguing viewing. Since then, the opinions on this flick have been rather polarized. Indeed, some think it is really amazing and some others think it is one of the most overrated features to win the big prize at the Academy awards. Personally, I think it is pretty good but, on the other hand, it is also rather obvious that Ron Howard basically chickened out and removed many dark elements surrounding John Nash’s life, elements which could have made the movie really and truly brilliant.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Clint Howard

What was it about?
Big budget remake of the classic cartoon about a creature intent on stealing Christmas.

My two cents:
Since I kept hearing only bad things about this flick, I had some rather low expectations. To be honest, I didn’t get what was all the fuss about. Indeed, in my opinion, I thought it was not bad at all. Of course, I have never been acquainted with Dr. Seuss’ books, even as a child, so I didn’t have any preconceived ideas about how the whole thing should look like. I don’t know, the production design was pretty cool, even though you could argue that there was a little bit of overkill in this department. Furthermore, I thought that Jim Carrey was completely whack in this part and I thought he did a pretty good job. I have to admit, the whole thing tends to get a little bit obnoxious but I was mostly more entertained than annoyed. Eventually, I don’t think it does deserve its bad reputation and it is actually a rather decent family feature.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson, Martin Landau, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Reiner, Dennis Hopper, Elizabeth Hurley, Clint Howard

What was it about?
Video store clerk Ed agrees to have his life filmed by a camera crew for a tv network.

My two cents:
It is a movie which tends to be terribly overlooked but I always had a weak spot for this flick. Indeed, a year after ‘The Truman Show’, they released a new movie dealing with this new TV hype, the ‘reality TV’ shows (I can’t believe that, 10 years later, we are still swamped with this garbage…). Even though it was obviously not as profound as ‘The Truman Show’ (one of my favorite movies of all time), I thought it still gave a pretty good insight about how misguided these shows could be and, if you consider where we stand today, it was actually pretty prophetic. Of course, as usual with Ron Howard, there is an obvious lack of ambition to make something really original but I thought it was really entertaining and I enjoyed this flick each time I had the chance to watch it.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo, Lili Taylor, Liev Schreiber, Donnie Wahlberg

What was it about?
When a rich man's son is kidnapped, he cooperates with the police at first but then tries a unique tactic against the criminals.

My two cents:
I thought it was a pretty entertaining thriller but it is basically a typical Ron Howard feature. Indeed, it is very well made, really fun to watch but there is definitely something missing to make it really remarkable. Indeed, the set-up was this time again pretty intriguing but the end-result still felt rather bland. Back in those days, Mel Gibson was definitely on the A list and made more waves with his movies than with the antics in his private life. Rene Russo was also a very popular actress back in those days but, nowadays, she is pretty much retired which is too bad in my opinion. Still, even though I tend to be rather critical about thrillers, I mostly enjoyed this one and I liked how they managed to build up the tension.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Clint Howard

What was it about?
Three astronauts must devise a strategy to return to Earth safely after their spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage.

My two cents:
I'm so glad I finally took the time to re-watch this flick. Indeed, if I recall correctly, I have seen it in the theater when it was released but never re-watched it since then. Anyway, this flick has definitely created some rather polarizing reactions. Indeed, some think it is a nail-biting historical thriller whereas some others think it was nothing really mind-blowing. To be honest, I first belonged to the second group. I mean, I admired the work behind, the attention to the details and the strong cast but I seriously had a hard time to care about the story. It is always the risk when you already know the outcome of a thriller as much of the excitement is then gone. The fans would argue that this movie is all about the built-up but, frankly, sometimes I had the feeling I was watching a very long and very expensive commercial about the greatness of the USA. However, the second time around, I was actually entertained throughout the whole thing and I have to admit that I really enjoyed it.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Michael Keaton, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Randy Quaid, Jason Robards, Jason Alexander, Clint Howard

What was it about?
Henry Hackett is the editor of a New York City tabloid. He is a workaholic who loves his job, but the long hours and low pay are leading to discontent. Also, publisher Bernie White faces financial straits, and has hatchetman Alicia Clark, Henry's nemesis, impose unpopular cutbacks.

My two cents:
It is probably one of Howard’s more obscure movies but I thought it was pretty good. I remember very well, back in the days, my sister (another movie buff) really liked it a lot so I got really intrigued. Eventually, just like her, I really enjoyed it. Indeed, it is probably one of the most realistic and convincing depictions of a newspaper office ever put on the silver screen (the best one remains, of course, ‘All The President’s Men’). There was also a very strong cast and I especially enjoyed Michael Keaton in one of his typical mercurial performances, too bad we don’t hear much from him anymore. Unfortunately, as usual with Ron Howard, the whole thing was still too light, too slick to become really remarkable. Still, it must be one of his most underrated features and it is definitely worth a look.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Colm Meaney, Clint Howard

What was it about?
A young man leaves Ireland with his landlord's daughter after some trouble with her father, and they dream of owning land at the big giveaway in Oklahoma ca. 1893.

My two cents:
Personally, I always had a hard time with this flick. Indeed, even though it started out as a rather ambitious project (Isn’t it always the case when Tom Cruise is involved?), it turned out to be a rather weak effort for all the people involved. Still, somehow, I can’t really discard this movie. Back then, 20 years ago, things were different, Tom Cruise was the biggest movie star in the world, whereas Nicole Kidman was merely Mrs. Cruise at the time and nobody would have expected her to become eventually an Oscar winner and one of the most respected actress at work nowadays. I don’t know, those two definitely had some chemistry together and the whole thing looked pretty good so I guess I was fairly entertained but it is definitely a very forgettable feature.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Glenn, Rebecca De Mornay, Clint Howard

What was it about?
Two Chicago firefighter brothers who don't get along have to work together while a dangerous arsonist is on the loose.

My two cents:
Even though there are countless movies about cops, there are somehow not so many movies about firefighters and this movie is by far the most famous one about this subject. It is easy to understand why as the firefighting scenes were just so damned impressive, even more than 20 years later. Indeed, you really get the feeling that you are out there with those guys and they managed to give the fire some kind of mesmerising quality. Unfortunately, to be honest, pretty much everything else wasn't really good, I'm afraid. I mean, they had a really solid cast and they did what they could but instead of focusing only on the MacCaffrey brothers which seemed to be like a no-brainer to me, they kept adding layers upon layers of boring sub-plots. It felt as if they didn't really trust this material, that they felt that it wasn't dramatic enough somehow which was too bad. Anyway, in spite of its flaws, I have to admit that it was still a decent watch.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Jason Robards, Rick Moranis, Tom Hulce, Martha Plimpton, Keanu Reeves, Joaquin Phoenix, Clint Howard

What was it about?
The Buckman family is a midwestern family all dealing with their lives: estranged relatives, raising children, pressures of the job, and learning to be a good parent and spouse.

My two cents:
Steve Martin did make a few good movies and this flick is definitely one of the few movies starring this guy that I actually enjoyed.... To be honest, I was actually expecting more since I heard so many good things about it but it is always the same thing with Ron Howard. Indeed, he gets involved in some very interesting projects but always chickens out at some point and the whole thing remains safe but also really bland. Still, there was a very nice cast and the characters were felt really genuine which is something always refreshing when you deal with an Hollywood production. To conclude, even though it was nothing great in my opinion, it was pretty good and I still liked it and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, Kevin Pollak

What was it about?
A reluctant dwarf must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen.

My two cents:
This movie is definitely one of my childhood favorites. Indeed, if I remember correctly, I even saw this flick in the theater when I was a kid and I really loved it back then. Eventually, even though it is now more than 20 years old, in my opinion, it still holds up pretty good and it remains a really enjoyable fantasy feature, definitely one of the best in this genre. Of course, many people would criticize George Lucas (the producer on this feature) on the fact that it was way too similar to The Lord of the Rings but, like Tarantino, Lucas is known to pick up stuff from various movies and other sources and put them in his own features and that's fine with me. I have to admit, as a grown-up, the whole thing did look pretty cheesy and I think this flick is even more enjoyable when you are a kid but it remains in my opinion a very enjoyable and at times rather funny adventure.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Michael Keaton, Mimi Rogers, John Turturro, Clint Howard

What was it about?
When a Japanese car company buys an American plant, the American liason must mediate the clash of work attitudes between the foreign management and native labor.

My two cents:
By now, it is easily the worst movie directed by Ron Howard that I have seen so far (Hell, compared to this, 'The Missing' is actually a masterpiece...). Indeed, it was a hell of a misguided comedy. The Japanese guys were barely developed and were merely represented as some tight ass dictatorial douchebags which was more discriminatory than actually funny. The interesting thing is that the Americans workers were not much better, even though their demeanor was a (very) little bit more understandable and believable. Indeed, those were basically lazy, ungrateful and kind of ignorant. Above all, except for a few funny scenes, the whole thing was just rather cringe-inducing. I have to admit, Michael Keaton, basically prepping for 'Beetlejuice', was actually pretty good but his text was very often so stupid, so offending, I felt rather bad for him and he did whatever he could with this rather abysmal material.

My rating: 05/10

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Cast : Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jack Gilford, Steve Guttenberg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Barret Oliver, Linda Harrison, Clint Howard

What was it about?
When a group of trespassing seniors swim in a pool containing alien cocoons, they find themselves energized with youthful vigour.

My two cents:
Basically, it is another one of Ron Howard’s 80’s classics. As a matter of fact, I have re-watched it fairly recently and it still remains a pretty good SF feature but, as usual with Ron Howard, it fails short to be really amazing. I mean, to mix some senior citizens (even though the senior population is growing exponentially every day, Hollywood still refuses to make movies about older people which is a real shame in my opinion) with some aliens was quite genius. Unfortunately, the whole thing never really fulfills its great potential. It’s pretty obvious that they were aiming at something like ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ but it never reaches that level. For starters, they could have dropped Steve Guttenberg who must be one of the most underwhelming lead actors I ever seen. Still, it is a very original and very enjoyable SF feature, no doubt about it.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, Eugene Levy, John Candy

What was it about?
A man is reunited with a mermaid who saves him from drowning as a boy and falls in love not knowing who/what she is.

My two cents:
You can say whatever you want about Ron Howard but most of the movies he made in the 80’s turned out to be some classics (with the notable exception of the abysmal ‘Gung Ho’). This movie is a fine example. I mean, even though it was actually pretty cheesy, it was still a success and launched Ron Howard and Tom Hanks’ careers (they will eventually work back together 10 years later with ‘Apollo 13’ and again 10 years later, with ‘The Da Vinci Code’). Indeed, for Hanks, it was his first starring role and for a decade long, he would play similar character in similar comedies until ‘Philadephia’ made him overnight an Oscar winner and a really respected dramatic actor. To be honest, it has been ages since I saw this flick so I should give another shot at some point but it remains a rather harmless and fairly entertaining fantasy comedy

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Henri Winkler, Michael Keaton, Clint Howard

What was it about?
A morgue attendant is talked into running a brothel at his workplace after a deceased pimp is sent there.

My two cents:
Well, it took me many years to finally get my hands on this film and I wish I could say it was worth the wait but, unfortunately, it turned out to be seriously underwhelming, I'm afraid. I mean, the concept had some potential but Ron Howard completely messed up the tone as, as usual, he tried to make a light comedy when this material requested some really dark humor. I have to admit that it was pretty neat that Howard was working with Henri Winkler, his co-star from 'Happy Days', but his character was just really boring and a total drag. To make things worse, most of the jokes were really weak. Basically, the only thing that really worked was Michael Keston in his first starring role. Indeed, he managed to be really entertaining when his character could have been really cringe-inducing. Unfortunately, his solid performance was not enough and pretty much everything else was just rather lame.

My rating: 05/10

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Cast : Ron Howard, Clint Howard

What was it about?
A rich girl steals her dad's Rolls Royce and heads off to Las Vegas to get married. However, her angry parents, a jealous suitor, and a bunch of reward seekers are determined to stop her.

My two cents:
While watching this movie, I was wondering what pushed Ron Howard, a famous TV actor at the time, to drop acting completely to become a director. I mean, it is not uncommon that actors decide to become some legit directors as well (Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Ben Affleck,...) but I have never seen another guy seemingly completely dropping off from acting like that. Anyway, concerning the movie itself, the beginning was pretty weak but, after a while, it started to grow on me. Indeed, the whole thing is basically a very long car chase with many cars stolen and destroyed in the process and some scenes were really preposterous and actually pretty hilarious. Unfortunately, the whole concept grew thin pretty quickly and I was rather bored during most of the duration. Of course, since it is a Roger Corman production, you shouldn't expect much production value and instead, they gave us here one of his typical B features.

My rating: 05/10

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