Movie Review: ***Deep Impact (1998)

Deep Impact: Here is a comet hitting the world dooms-day scenario.  There were two similar movies made at the same time.  The other movie they are more successful with diverting the comet heading for Earth than this.  However, a group of astronauts sacrifice themselves in the end to divert the larger comet.  The smaller one hits and the East coast is devastated with a tidal wave.  Tea Leoni stars as Jenny Lerner the reporter on this case.  She is granted a position to be safe in a cave; but declines for a co-worker with a child.  Robert Duvall portrays an astronaut, Spurgeon Tanner, who is the old man and the only with experience landing a craft as he travelled to the moon.  Now he must land on an comet.  Elijah Wood portrays on of the co discoverers of the comet.  He is also granted a place in the shelter, but declines for a girl.  He is able to rescue the girl, and her baby sister on a motor bike.  They reach higher ground.  Lastly Morgan Freeman portrays the President who is dealing with a hopeless situation.Deep Impact: Here is a comet hitting the world dooms-day scenario.  There were two similar movies made at the same time.  The other movie they are more successful with diverting the comet heading for Earth than this.  However, a group of astronauts sacrifice themselves in the end to divert the larger comet.  The smaller one hits and the East coast is devastated with a tidal wave.  Tea Leoni stars as Jenny Lerner the reporter on this case.  She is granted a position to be safe in a cave; but declines for a co-worker with a child.  Robert Duvall portrays an astronaut, Spurgeon Tanner, who is the old man and the only with experience landing a craft as he travelled to the moon.  Now he must land on an comet.  Elijah Wood portrays on of the co discoverers of the comet.  He is also granted a place in the shelter, but declines for a girl.  He is able to rescue the girl, and her baby sister on a motor bike.  They reach higher ground.  Lastly Morgan Freeman portrays the President who is dealing with a hopeless situation.
Entertaining movie but not terrific.

Movie Review: ***^Jack Reacher (2012)

This is a Tom Cruise fast action adventure which doesn't disappoint.  This movie starts with the sniper style murder of five innocents.  Cruise plays Jack Reacher, an ex military police, who is called in by the defendant who is accused of killing five people by sniper fire.  reacher has been hiding for many years.  While in the military, reacher caught this guy who is accused of the murder, of killing innocent civilians in Iraq.  However things don't add up, and thus starts the action which leads to more murders, and eventually the kidnapping of Reacher's partner in the investigation, the defense attorney Helen (Rosamund Pike)  So Reacher has to save the day.  He includes and old guy )Robert Duvall) in his rescue, who ran the shooting range where the sniper, and the actually murderer practiced.  He has helped vindicate the actual person accused, and they are coming after the real killers. 
Lots of tense violence in this movie, if you like that type of thing.

Movie review: ***^Geronimo (1993)

This is a made for TV movie.  It features Wes Studi as Geronimo.  This is a movie that portrays the native Americans in a positive light.  It starts where Geronimo gives himself up the first time, explains his leaving the reservations and going back on the warpath with a small group.  It shows those things which lead to his arrest, or surrender the second time.  He was shipped to a PPOW camp in Florida.  He was allowed to eventually live the prison, but never allowed to return to his home territory.  He was relocated to Oklahoma. 
Others portraying roles in this movie include Matt damon as Lieutenant Britton Davis, who was part of the surrender, Jason Paric as Lt. Charles Gatewood, who actually negotiated the surrender,  for which he was banned to obscurity, Gene Hackman as Brigadier General George Crook, Robert Duvall as Al Sieber, a scout, Rodney A. Grant as Mangas, an Apache scout and Kevin Tighe as General Nelson Miles.   I am not a judge of how accurate this film is.  It often uses the Apache language with subtitles.  I imagine many Native American actors had to learn the language, as well as some Americans who communicate with the Native Americans. 

Movie Review: Joe Kidd (1972)

This is a classic Clint Eastwood Western.  He portrays Joe Kidd, an ex bounty hunter who is convinced to come out of retirement by Frank Harlan (Robert Duvall) and because Luis Chama (John Saxon) and his men attacked his estate, stole or killed his horse, and tied up his man with barbed wire.  Chama is a local hero to the Mexican residents who are trying to fight for their property rights against Harlan.  Harlan is determined to kill Chama, and anyone else who gets in his way.  Kidd helps him to a point, but realized quickly he is with the wrong wide.  There are some scenes here I remember from my youth, like opening the hatch and the bad guy falling to his death.  A classic bit of action is taking the locomotive into town and smashing into the bar, so as to get a drop on Harlan's men.  Another classic scene is when he tells the sheriff (Gregory Walcott) to "Get out of here."  And later when he punches him in the nose and says, Next time I'll knock your head off."  This refers back to the sheriff having punched Kidd early, and using the same line.

Movie Review: ***^Gods and Generals

Gods and Generals 2003 based on the book by Jeff Shaara: This is the prequel to Gettysburg, and more than anything it tells the story of Stonewall Jackson (Stephen Lang).  Stonewall was a pious man, with his own idiosyncrasies, and this move reflects this.  My first view of the movie, it seemed to get bogged down somewhat in this, but I enjoyed it more this time around.  I guess I understood better where is was coming from.  This movie shows a much longer history than Gettysburg, starting with Secession, first Bull Run, Fredericksburg and then ends with Chancellorsville.  
We follow Stonewall Jackson from his days at Virginia Military Academy, through his stint in the Valley and at First Bull Run, and then covering the Confederate flank at Fredericksburg, and then leading the bold flanking move at Chancellorsville, and being shot by one of his own men in the confusion at dusk as he tried to press his advantage.  He lost his arm, but worse yet contracted pneumonia.  "Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees" were his last words.  
Joshua Chamberlain is again portrayed by Jeff Daniels (as in Gettysburg).  His most important role is the assault of Fredericksburg, were he spends the night on the hill below Mayre's Heights and stacked dead bodies in front of himself to offer some protection from the men on the hill.  
General Robert E. Lee is portrayed by Robert Duvall.  In this movie we don't have the worries about his heart like in Gettysburg.  However we do have the charismatic leadership, and positive results, except for the loss of Jackson.  "He has lost his left arm, but I my right.:

Movie Review: ****^True Grit (1969, John Wayne)

This movie is a true classic.  John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn won an Oscar.  Glen Campbell stars as Texas Ranger La Boeuf and also sings the theme song.  And Kim Darbie as Mattie Ross, whose father has been murdered, round out the team.  You have to admire the grit of all three of the characters going after the murderer Tom Chaney.  Chaney is hooked with a bunch of other bad men, lead by Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall).  Cogburn and Mattie Ross are not a match made in heaven, but find each other paired together on a dangerous journey into Indian Territory.  Cogburn is a rough man, and drinks too much.  Mattie too is a stubborn person.  La Boeuf is interested in Chaney for a previous murder in Texas, and for reward money.  Wayne's vinegar and sauce won him the Oscar, but Darbie could just have easily been nominated.  Her character is very strong.  This is Wayne at his best, and a great movie.  In the end it is La Boeuf who saves everyone after Mattie falls into a rattle snake pit.  Oh I hate rattle snakes.