I've Totally Seen That Movie Before

The Fugitive (1993) Director: Andrew Davis Writers:  Jeb Stuart (screenplay), David Twohy (screenplay), Roy Huggins (characters) Cast:  Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Julianne Moore, Joe Pantoliano, Andreas Katsulas, Jeroen Krabbé, Daniel Roebuck, L. Scott Caldwell, Tom Wood, Ron Dean, Joseph F. Kosala Synopsis:  Prominent vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) is wrongfully convicted of his wife Helen's (Ward) murder. After the prison bus he was being transported in crashes following another prisoner's escape attempt, Kimble manages to free himself and goes on the lam. With his newfound freedom, Kimble sets out to not only prove his innocence but to uncover the identity of his wife's killer. Making things more difficult is Deputy U.S. Marshall Sam Gerard (Jones), who is determined to bring Kimble in at any cost. First Impressions: I missed this one in the theaters but caught it months later on home video. I was drawn to the film, partly because it was a p...

A Fish Called Wanda (1988) Directors: Charles Chrichton, John Cleese (uncredited) Writers:  John Cleese, Charles Chrichton Cast: John Cleese, Michael Palin, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Maria Aitken, Tom Georgeson, Geoffry Palmer, Patricia Hayes Synopsis:   British gangster George Thomason (Georgeson) and his lackey Ken Pile (Palin) recruit two Americans, con-woman Wanda Gershowitz (Curtis) and ex-CIA operative Otto West (Kline), for a lucrative diamond heist. However, in an attempt to take the loot for themselves, Wanda and Otto betray George and rat him out to the police causing him to be arrested. Unfortunately for the turncoat crew members, George had the presence of mind to hide the diamonds before being taken into custody. Wanda attempts to seduce George's uptight lawyer, Archie Leach (Cleese), hoping that he knows where the diamonds are hidden. Silliness ensues. First Impressions: I didn't see this film on its release. I was 12 years old and didn't really have any ...

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) Director:  Rupert Wyatt Writer:  Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Pierra Boulle (novel) Cast:  James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Tyler Labine, Jamie Harris Synopsis: After his mother was treated with an experimental Alzheimer's drug while pregnant, the chimpanzee Caesar (Serkis) gains human-like intelligence and emotions. He is raised by the drug's creator, Dr. Will Rodman (Franco), but is eventually taken from him after an altercation with one of Rodman's neighbors. While held at a primate rehab facility, Caesar and the other ape residents are subject to abuse by the facility's workers. Seeking justice for his fellow apes, he steals vast quantities of the drug that altered his brain chemistry and exposes the other apes to it. Finally, with a simian army at his back, Caesar escapes the facility and rampages through downtown San Francisco as they try to escape to the Redwood forest...

The Score (2001) Director:  Frank Oz Writers: Daniel E. Taylor (story), Kario Salem (story), Lem Dobbs (screenplay) Cast:  Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton, Marlon Brando, Angela Bassett, Gary Farmer, Paul Soles, Jamie Harold, Serge Houde, Richard Waugh, Mark Camacho Synopsis: Aging thief Nick (DeNiro), who is on the verge of retirement, is pressured by fixer Max (Brando) into doing one final job that could set him up for life. The job is set up by the hot-headed Jack (Norton) and involves breaking into the Montreal Customs House to steal a priceless scepter that's been confiscated. With so much to lose, Nick agrees to the job but insists that he runs the show. Jack agrees but soon grows resentful of what he feels is a lack of respect from Nick. As more and more problems pop up, Nick begins to doubt the operation will be a success, but with such a high potential payoff, he ignores his better judgment and presses on. First Impressions: I made sure to see this one in theaters. I was...