Throwback Thursday: Turner & Hooch

Turner & Hooch is a comedy drama buddy cop film starring Tom Hanks as Scott Turner, and Beasley the dog as Hooch. This movie was filmed in 1989 and follows a to-the-book detective who is about to leave his small town investigators position for a position in Sacramento. Three days before Turner is suppose to leave his friend Amos Reed, a local junk yard owner, is murdered. This leaves Turner to take care of the only witness to the crime, Amos’ dog Hooch.

Turner acts as your typical professional cop who follows all the rules. You begin the film by watching Turner go through his OCD style morning routine, where everything must be just right. This later comes into play when Turner acquires Hooch who is a slobbery, messy, large breed dog. This relationship is where the bulk of the comedy in this film comes into play as you watch Turner and Hooch battle things out with each other. As the end of the film approaches you can see the relationship that has grown between the two, and how they have each improved each other’s life. As hooch becomes a bigger part of Turners life you can see Turner become more relaxed, first noted when he doesn’t wear a tie to work the first time. 

Turner & Hooch is a spin on the buddy cop theme where you have Turner as your professional and Hooch as your messy rule breaker. This film did very well when it was released however I felt that it was very slow at points and had a rather predictable plot. Of course this is probably partially due to the fact that this movie is 25 years old, and has a theme that has been done numerous times since. I had never even heard of this movie before I had watched it, so giving credit to it for any originality it possessed was difficult as I have seen so many movies like this that have been released after 1989. 

As I said before this movie was received very well and still is generally regarded as a good movie, which I can understand why, however I personally did not enjoy this film. The first 50 minutes felt like they dragged a very predictable story line around all while having Turner treat the dog poorly. Now if it was a person in place of a dog I would not have minded as much, and I do see the appeal behind it, but to me I didn’t like it as I would never treat a dog like that. Now after the 50 minute mark the film really starts to pick up, as you have Turner become more relaxed and you get to witnesses the relationship between the two develop. As I was watching this part it really had turned my opinion of the movie around, and I was prepared to give it a generally good rating, until...

Hooch dies in the end. I can’t stand when movies treat dog characters as secondary to people, and honestly watching Hooch die really ruined this movie for me. His death did not really add anything to the movie, other than a few minutes for Turner to show some emotion, and all of that emotion is negated by the quick turnaround to a happy Turner with a new puppy. Now I understand how this shows how much Hooch meant to Turner and the impact he had on his life but to me it made Hooch feel like more of a plot object then a character. They could have had the same happy ending if they had just had Hooch have puppies, that way they could have been bugging Hooch like he bugged Turner, all while making a mess of Turner’s house.

A Generous 4/10 – Chris

Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can is a story based on the early life of Frank Abagnale Jr. who before he had turned 19 had successfully conned millions of dollars' worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a legal prosecutor. This movie is an adaptation of a book by the same name written by Frank Abagnale with the help of Stan Redding. Although the movie mostly remains true to the original story, certain details were changed to create a more dramatic story. Catch Me If You Can stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale Jr., Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty who is the FBI agent that pursues Frank, Christopher Walken as Frank’s father, and is directed by Steven Spielberg.

The most difficult thing about watching this movie is understanding the period it is set in. In a time of debit cards and high security it is hard to imagine a time when you could print checks and con your way into being a pilot; everything seems so unsecured and unconnected. This movie really helps show the effect that the internet had on today's society. Although now you can create a virtual identity, it is much more difficult to create a whole new identity and meet with people face to face. If someone born in this generation were to watch this film they would see an era that was completely unrelatable.

I think one of the reasons this movie is so great is because it plays into an ultimate fantasy. Frank essentially prints his own money while almost effortlessly obtaining jobs of a elite statues. A pilot, doctor, and lawyer are all jobs that society sees as authoritative and Frank can so confidently portray these roles. This is so fascinating to watch because now to obtain one of those careers one would collect so much debt and spend years of their life in schooling.

I also enjoyed the subtlety of some of the parts of this movie. Not only do you slowly see Frank’s and Carl’s relationship turn from one of criminal and authority to friendship, but also the constant subtle reminder of how Frank really is just a kid going through all of this alone. The relationship between Frank and Carl seamlessly builds at such slight increments you barely take notice, from the phone call on the first Christmas to the final scene at the FBI headquarters. Frank always seems so calm and collective but it is during the scenes where he breaks down where you remember he is only in his early teen’s while he is going through all of this.

Personally I have never been very good at watching movies twice except for the select few, and this is certainly one of them. I find this movie completely fascinating and every time I sit down to watch it I find myself completely immersed in the story. I would recommend this movie to anyone, and would love to hear how someone of today's younger generation feels about it.

Chris 9/10      

Cast Away

Cast Away stars Tom Hanks as Chuck, a FedEx employee who travels worldwide to check in on FedEx’s global facilities. During one of his business trips, Chuck’s plane crashes and he must survive alone on a deserted island.

Chuck lives by the motto “never lose track of time”. Time rules his life and governs his every decision. It is the reason for the success of his business, and his job is to make sure everyone in the company is using their time effectively and efficiently. The importance of time in Chuck’s life is stressed during his Christmas holidays when he is called away to work. The look of dread that crosses the face of Chuck and his girlfriend Kelly when his pager goes off during Christmas dinner signifies time’s role in Chuck’s life. The gifts exchanged by Chuck and Kelly reflect this; Chuck receives a pocket watch and Kelly a pager. After he is stranded on the island, time becomes less important and is made secondary to survival. However, time is still shown to have an impact on Chuck’s life with Chuck’s calendar. This calendar is essential to Chuck’s departure from the island as he is able to plot the patterns of the tides and winds and discover the optimal time to plan his escape. Even after he is rescued, Chuck finds that his life is no longer the same. His girlfriend has moved on, his friend’s wife has died and his life has become a victim to the passing time. The role of time is stressed throughout the film, and emphasizes that people are all slaves to time.

The scene that stood out the most to me was the airplane crash scene. The film doesn’t simply cut from the start of the crash to the aftermath; rather, the audience is given a full view of the events that transpire. The dangers continue to build up throughout the scene, from the falling luggage to the watery crash itself. The life-raft is then caught on plane fuselage, and once it is free it is steered into the path of a plane propeller. Chuck survives danger after danger, and by the end he can barely keep consciousness. My favourite moment of the film was the transition from the storm to the morning after. Chuck is safe from the immediate danger of the crash, and is laying exhausted in the life-raft. The scene transitions with blinking black screens to signify Chuck’s eyes as he slowly loses consciousness due to exhaustion. As he slowly passes out, the black screens become more frequent until they finally overtake the scene, and suddenly it is the morning after.

I will admit that I am torn with the last quarter of the film that depicts the events after Chuck’s escape from the island. The film goes an unusual route after the emotional high of the film, and delves into the events that transpire after Chuck’s rescue. Chuck has been rescued and is back in civilization, but that does not mean his story ends. I like that the film continued after his rescue, showing how Chuck’s disappearance affected his friends and family, and how things can’t simply go back to how they were before the accident. This unique look differs from most films; typically the protagonist is given a happy ending after his emotional ordeal, and the movie ends. This would have culminated with Chuck’s rescue and his re-connection with Kelly. However, the film takes a different turn by showing Chuck will not simply experience his expected happy ending. While I applaud the film for going this route, I did find myself somewhat bored near the ending. The film slows down considerably after Chuck’s rescue, and after experiencing his emotional journey it is difficult to stay invested in the film at this point.

I will say that Tom Hanks puts on a fantastic performance as Chuck in Cast Away. For the majority of the film, Chuck is the only character on screen, which prevents Hanks from working off of other characters. The introduction of Wilson the volleyball helps showcase Chuck’s descent from rational manager to crazy island hermit, but Hanks excels in his solitary role. He manages to turn a crazy man yelling at a forest into a fine acting display, and the film is all the better for it.

Cody – 8/10 

Disney Fun Day- Toy Story

Woody, a traditional pull-string talking cowboy, has long been the favourite of Andy’s toys. Quick to calm the other toys anxieties about being replaced by new arrivals, Woody finds his own status as favourite toy in jeopardy upon the arrival of Buzz Lightyear- the coolest space action figure ever made. A series of events leave Buzz and Woody lost in the outside world with only each other. The two rivals face many hardships along the way and must learn to work together if they have any chance for survival. The two toys form a genuine friendship as try to find their way home before Andy moves to a new home.

The entire Toy Story series is without a doubt counted among my favourite films. Much like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was the first feature-length animated film; Toy Story was the first feature-length computer-animated film. As an adult I can appreciate the amazing work and talent that went into creating such a heart-warming story. I could spend all day talking about the technological skill and attention to detail needed to create Toy Story and the impact that technology had on the world. But the great thing about this movie is that it is not just a technical marvel, it is great story telling. Toy Story is a magical combination of animation, music, and character development all united by stunning voice acting to create a visual masterpiece.

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen provide stunning emotion and depth to the characters they voice and I never feel that they are playing a part. Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear are just as real as if this were a live‑action film! Even the supporting cast is marvelous. Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Slinky Dog (Jim Varyney), Hamm the Pig (John Ratzenberger), and Bo Peep (Annie Potts) help create the wonderful world in Andy’s room seem not just possible but even plausible!

I remember being heartbroken as a child when, in trying to escape the evil next door neighbour Sid, Buzz puts his Space Ranger abilities to use and flies away- or attempts to. We are aware that Buzz is an action figure. A fact he has been told the whole movie, but he steadfastly believed he was truly a space ranger. Even after seeing the TV commercial that finally proved everyone right, Buzz held on to the belief that he was more than a toy. And I never wanted it to be true more than when he leaped from the banister in a final attempt to fly. My young heart broke to see him lying at the foot of the stairs, broken in more ways than one. 

Every time I watch this movie I feel for the toys in their fear of being replaced. I am horrified by Sid’s treatment of toys. I am terrified that Buzz and Woody won’t make it back to the child they love and I am ecstatic when they finally do! Every time I watch this movie I get caught up in the story and yet I always notice something new. This week was no exception! Toy Story is an excellent movie and is one I recommend to everyone!

Ellie- 9/10

Disney Fun Day

Greetings everyone!

All of us here at the Movie Review Club have decided to add a little something extra to our weekly repertoire and so Sunday will now be a day to explore some of our favourite Disney movies. Much like The Wonderful World of Disney brought families together on Sunday nights; these movies will be ones the whole family can enjoy.

So join us every Sunday to see what blast from the past we will be taking a look at! 

This Sunday we will be starting things off with the classic Toy Story.

And don't forget to tweet us @moviereviewclub to let us know if there is any Disney classic you’d like us to take a look at!