Urban Cowboy

Urban Cowboy

Paramount

June 6, 1980

Romance

DVD
D+

I would've gone with a C-, mostly for the music, but the sloppy way the shots were arranged was very distracting.  (Not documentary-style and not filmic.  Just like no one knew where to stand or sit, and I had no idea who I was supposed to be looking at.)  James Bridges directed and co-wrote.

The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

Columbia etc.

June 12, 2009

Crime Drama

DVD
D-

I'm assuming that the '70s version at least had fun fashion.  This is based on the novel by John Godey, and directed by Tony Scott, after Crimson Tide and Spy Game, which are also D-s.

Swordfish

Swordfish

Village Roadshow etc.

June 8, 2001

Crime Drama

DVD
D-

Does not contain humans.  Dominic Sena directed, eight years after Kalifornia.

Life on the Line

Life on the Line

Lionsgate

November 5, 2016

Drama?

DVD
D

The only things I liked about this movie were the scenery and the title, the latter because it made me think of the line "Ready to put my love on the line" in the Barry Manilow song from Foul Play.  So now I'm listening to that on YouTube.  As for this movie, David Hackl directed.

Ladder 49

Ladder 49

Buena Vista (Disney)

October 1, 2004

Action, Dramedy

DVD
D+

Yet another movie about firefighters, bumped up a notch for the good-natured "fake Confession" scene.  Jay Russell directed.

Hairspray (2007)

Hairspray (2007)

New Line

July 20, 2007

Musical, Historical Comedy
DVD
C-

I tried watching this once before but gave up on it because it couldn't hold a candle to the original movie.  This time I tried to just enjoy it as a musical, but the dancing and songs are unmemorable.  Adam Shankman directed, four years after he did Bringing Down the House, also with Queen Latifah.

The General's Daughter

The General's Daughter

Paramount

June 18, 1999

Action

DVD
D+

Travolta plays an undercover detective, and yet no one sees through what his own boss calls a "cheesy Southern accent."  This is based on the Nelson DeMille novel and directed by Simon West, thirteen years before Expendables 2.

Face/Off

Face/Off
Paramount
June 27, 1997
Action
DVD
D

Travolta is the FBI agent, Cage* is the creepy terrorist, Cho and others make me wish they were in another movie.  John Woo directed.

*This is the fifth but probably not last of his movies I've rejected for this blog.

Domestic Disturbance

Domestic Disturbance
Paramount
November 2, 2001
Crime Drama
DVD
B-

I liked this more than I expected, especially with a title like that.  Since I haven't seen any of Vaughn's other dramas yet, I found it interesting that this plays off of the duality of his persona, the charm and the creepiness (which I noticed in DodgeBall as well).  Casting him as the nice-seeming psychopathic stepfather works, as does Travolta's average Joe persona for the ex.  (And of course Steve B. is very Buscemi.)  I did think the movie got a bit silly, especially in the last twenty minutes, but it certainly held my interest.  And I like that it's a PG-13 crime drama, more about the suspense than the violence.

Harold Becker directed, about five years before City Hall.

Bolt

Bolt
Walt Disney
November 21, 2008
Action, Fantasy, Children's
DVD
C

I saw this at the time but didn't remember much about it today, so I actually felt let down that the surprisingly good action sequences led to some sort of canine rip-off of The Truman Show (and I liked The Truman Show).  At least in TTS there's a whole set-up for how they've fooled Truman, while here I kept thinking, Wait, so the show has been on the air for five years and they've been fooling a talking dog since he was a puppy?  I gave it twenty minutes total (rather than my usual fifteen) to see if it could bounce back, but the addition of stereotypical Hollywood types didn't help.

Chris Williams co-wrote, with Dan Fogelman, and co-directed, with Byron Howard (who'd do much better with animals in Tangled and of course Zootopia).