Ryan Merriman

Ryan Merriman

Ryan Merriman Quick Links

Video Film RSS

42 Review


Excellent

What could easily have been a sentimental slog is given a spark of intelligent wit by writer-director Helgeland (A Knight's Tale). This is the story of an iconic figure from American sport who had a massive impact on society at large, and Helgeland focusses on the elements we can most readily identify with while quietly stressing how important and, yes, inspirational this story is.

In 1945 post-War America, most states still have segregation laws on the books, and black baseball players are sidelined in their own league. But Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey (Ford) wants to break this barrier, and drafts Jackie Robinson (Boseman), making him the first black player in the Major League. Jackie is a determined, principled young man who struggles to hold his tongue in the face of blatant bigotry. But he gets help from Branch and team manager Leo (Meloni), and support from his equally feisty wife Rachel (Beharie). There's also a young black journalist (Holland) who works with him to further both their causes. But it takes Jackie a little longer to win over his teammates.

The film portrays endemic racism as the hideously ugly thing it is: socially accepted cruelty and prejudice. In truth, it was probably a lot worse than shown here, but we certainly don't miss the point. Especially since this kind of abusive language is never heard in today's politically correct climate. And Helgeland also creates complex characters who can't be tagged as heroes or villains, played with cheeky energy by a very strong cast. Boseman oozes charisma in the central role, undercutting what could be a too-saintly characterisation with sensitivity and steeliness. And Ford shines in a rare character role as a cantankerous old guy who simply won't take no for an answer.

Continue reading: 42 Review

42 Trailer


42 is the true to life story of Jackie Robinson and his rise to the top as one of America's best and most respected Baseball players and the manager of Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey, who decided to end racial segregation by enlisting Robinson onto his team.

Brian Helgeland ("L.A. Confidential") comes the real-life drama "42," starring Chadwick Boseman ("The Express") as Jackie Robinson and Oscar¸ nominee Harrison Ford ("Witness") as Branch Rickey.

In 1947, Branch Rickey controversially made a name for himself when he signed Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers. At the time, this kind of behaviour was unheard of, and both Robinson and Rickey were sure to cause problems for themselves - both on and off the pitch. Racism was rife between player on every team including the Dodgers and Robinson's transition was one of the most courageous of its time. 

Continue: 42 Trailer

Final Destination 3 Review


Terrible
Just from the marketing you can tell Final Destination 3 is scraping the bottom of the film franchise barrel. With a tagline like "This ride will be the death of you" you can almost hear the cheesy jokes coming. And with a poster that looks it's shilling for Cedar Point, you get a glimpse of the misguided campiness of the movie.

With Final Destination 3, first impressions are good impressions.

Continue reading: Final Destination 3 Review

The Deep End Of The Ocean Review


Very Good
I had expected the worst. I do not know what "The Deep End of the Ocean" is supposed to mean, but I figured it carried some deeply symbolic motif-laden mumbo-jumbo that novelists tend to include in their works, or else it was robbed from a dumb line of dialogue inserted merely to give a movie its name.

The title is evidently the former, though the movie is hardly the overwrought mess that I'd expected to see (for example: Message in a Bottle). Instead, The Deep End of the Ocean is a surprisingly thoughtful and laconic character study, full of nuance and genuine emotion, largely driven by Pfeiffer's unraveling character Beth. The well-known plot involves the sudden disappearance of Beth's 2 year-old son Ben, who vanishes while she is visiting Chicago. Nine agonizing years later, a kid who can only be Ben shows up -- as Sam, a neighbor's boy who wants to mow the lawn. Sure enough, it's him, but he doesn't remember his family,

Continue reading: The Deep End Of The Ocean Review

Just Looking (1999) Review


Excellent
Growing up can be difficult no matter what era you are from. Of course, how many of us have heard the old "when I was your age..." speech from someone older than you? But even though the years may move forward, the more things change, the more they can stay the same, as evidenced by this self-proclaimed "semi-autobiographical" look at growing up in the 50's, presented by screenwriter Marshall Karp.

Just Looking is the story of Leny (played perfectly by Ryan Merriman) who is a boy like any other 14 year old, curious about sex. So much so that his goal for the summer of 1955 is to see two people "engaged in the act of love" as he puts it. But his innocent curiosity ends up getting him caught and his mother (Patti LuPone) and stepfather decide to ship him off to "the country" (also known as the Bronx) where he meets a new set of friends who just happen to share a similar interest.

Continue reading: Just Looking (1999) Review

The Ring Two Review


Bad

Abandoning the gimmicky defining premise of itspredecessor, about the ghost of an evil littlegirl exacting blood-curdling vengeance on anyone who watched a hauntedvideo tape, "The Ring Two" seems also to have jettisoned allnotions of pacing, creative chills and common sense.

Catching up with newspaper reporter NaomiWatts (whose talents are wasted on B-movie screams)and her hollow-eyed son (David Dorfman) after they've survived the firstfilm by slipping through a gaping hole in its own internal logic, "TheRing Two" gives its poltergeist arbitrary new powers to track thesetwo down to a small West Coast town and possess the boy's body.

Little else happens in the course of the story, exceptthat Watts' suspicious attempts at exorcism draw the attention of the localChild Protective Services. The kid ends up in the hospital (from whichhe easily escapes and no search is ever mounted) while Watts tracks downthe ghostly girl's asylum-confined birth mother (Sissy Spacek) for somelong-winded exposition laying out the new rules of the plot.

Continue reading: The Ring Two Review

The Deep End Of The Ocean Review


OK

I had a problem with "The Deep End of the Ocean" right off thebat because Michelle Pfeiffer loses her kid (that's the plot) at one ofthose 15th class reunions that take place only in the movies.

Continue reading: The Deep End Of The Ocean Review

Ryan Merriman

Ryan Merriman Quick Links

Video Film RSS

Occupation

Actor


Ryan Merriman Movies

42 Movie Review

42 Movie Review

What could easily have been a sentimental slog is given a spark of intelligent wit...

42 Trailer

42 Trailer

42 is the true to life story of Jackie Robinson and his rise to the...

Final Destination 3 Movie Review

Final Destination 3 Movie Review

Just from the marketing you can tell Final Destination 3 is scraping the bottom of...

Just Looking (1999) Movie Review

Just Looking (1999) Movie Review

Growing up can be difficult no matter what era you are from. Of course,...

The Ring Two Movie Review

The Ring Two Movie Review

Abandoning the gimmicky defining premise of itspredecessor, about the ghost of an evil littlegirl exacting...

The Deep End Of The Ocean Movie Review

The Deep End Of The Ocean Movie Review

I had a problem with "The Deep End of the Ocean" right off thebat because...