| Overall Grade: |
B- |
|
| Story: |
B |
|
|
| Acting: |
C |
|
|
| Direction: |
C+ |
|
|
| Visuals: |
B |
|
|
Paparazzi
by Yahoo! Movies User (movies profile)
Jan 13, 2005
8
of
9 people found this review helpful
Paparazzi, 2004, 20th Century Fox/Icon Productions, Dir. Paul Abascal - Starring Cole Hauser, Robin Tunney, Tom Sizemore, Dennis Farina, Daniel Baldwin, Tom Hollander, Kevin Gage, Andrea Baker, Jordan Baker, Blake Michael Bryan
I came out of Paparazzi completely flushed - feeling like a camera flash had been doused into my eyeballs for way too long. But the feeling was really uneasy: half of me felt satisfied with the gratuitous amount of action and violence, feeling like I was given a bargain for my money. But then the rest of me felt like I had just watched a few cut segments of a hand-me-down Steven Seagal flick. Paparazzi is a great idea for a revenge movie, not to mention a real judgment call. It's got its definite ups, but then it has its unattainable flaws every now and then.
Bo Laramie (Hauser) is the next big thing: his film Adrenaline Force hit the box offices with a slam, and his life is running at a sky high. But he is plagued by a few pesky paparazzi folks, led by head honcho Rex Harper (Sizemore). After a little dispute, Laramie gets peeved and wallops Harper, leading him to an arrest and a grudge from Harper. Therefore, Rex and his gang set up an ambush attack of flashing cameras on Bo's car, and they end up getting in a terrible accident that nearly killed his son and wife. That's when Bo learns what he should do - go after the paparazzi one by one and give them a taste of their own medicine.
Hauser is rather lackluster, but his character depends on it - he's our average All-American action movie hero who speaks in a soft undertone and has a will of steel. He develops a sense of maniacal revenge at the end of the movie that has the audience actually frightened of the protagonist's role - something I don't see very often. Tom Sizemore is so stereotypically evil, it's naturally impossible to like him. He's cruel, twisted, and a symbol of eternal hate. His goofy one-liners, as laughable as they may be, are enjoyable enough for the mood. Dennis Farina is at his medium - playing the easy-go detective who's on the trail of something interesting - and is on to Bo. Robin Tunney's character, although essential, seems out of place. She's not used for eye candy, she's not seen very much in the film, and it feels like a waste of time to listen to Hauser and her coo each other.
Paul Abascal has had a lot of experience styling hair for Mel Gibson's movies, so it's understandable that this movie is not near perfect. A lot of camera shots, especially one of a person falling down a cliff, are so laughably stupid and unprofessional that it makes you wonder why this movie is in theaters. But the shy tones of Mel Gibson lie underneath the film (who produces, and actually thought up the idea of making the movie in the first place) - with its stealthy style in some ways, the way that it can trick the audience into having differing feelings about certain characters, and make you wonder whether a twist will come about. It's very suspicious, but I always like that feeling anyway. The action is perfectly fine, and its few finest moments are ones with cameos - with castings from Vince Vaughn to Chris Rock to Mel Gibson himself (in one of the more lighter moments).
Paparazzi has potential, but only lives halfway to that mark. The shot is blurry at times, but briskly paced, and sometimes misses its target. With adequate action, subpar acting, and a great storyline, I'm sure some people will be able to enjoy the subtlely goofy premise of the movie. It's pure stupid fun, not a landmark achievement - just a good example of a good idea in the cinema business.
2.5/4 stars |
My Public Profile 
