Rating: 
Summary: Absolute Magic!
Review: What a great film. Didn't know what to expect from this film. Darabont did a fantastic directing job. Tattersall's cinematography is breathtaking. Carrey gives his second best acting performance next to Man On The Moon. See this film as soon as you can. It just might bring tears to your eyes.
Rating: 
Summary: The Majestic
Review: This is truly one of the best movies ever made if you like thinking/changing/thought provoking movies. It reminds me of a wonderful dream that lands in reality and teaches us all by its innocence and beauty. If you liked "Groundhogs Day," you will love this.
It starts slow and builds and changes telling a story about people and ideas. It weaves through small town life and large government politics. This is a movie that you should sit back and let come to you. You are lucky if you have not seen it yet.
Rating:
Summary: Jim Carrey can act!
Review: This was an excellent movie. No normal Jim Carrey hijinks or toilet humor here. Although the writers took some liberties with the red scare and mcarthy trials, and the amnesia bit has been done before. This movie is on a different level though. The ideas this movie gives you are strong true ideas. You are what society wants you to be, be that communist or MIA war hero. This movie does a very good job of honoring the military as well and thanking them for the price they pay for freedom. It was a very good, very engaging movie that can be watched by the whole family.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst movie ever!!!
Review: I don't even know where to start. This movie is bad in every possible way. The corniest and sappiest plot insults the intelligence of anyone over five years old. It is so predictable and so stupid. I rent on average three movies per week, and I consider myself somewhat of a movie buff. To say that this is the worst movie I have EVER seen should tell you something. I can't believe this is the same director that made "The Shawshank Redemption", which is one of my favorite movies. Very, very sad...
Rating: 
Summary: Stellar Performance by Carrey, Not so great Movie
Review: I had high expectations for this movie to be much more than it was, and with that in mind it dissapointed me. The plot moved far to rapidly to be believeable throughout the entirety of the movie, and the explainations you would expect to be given for certain aspects of the film never come, forcing the viewer to consider things in a film where the brain power would be much more useful in thinking about where Luke was all these years, or something similar. Everyone believes too quickly, and doubts too little. Also, the Cameos in the movie are ill placed and conceived, and could have been implimented much better.That being said, the acting in the movie is super, starting with Jim Carrey. I would never beleive if you told me that he could have made this role believable and earnest, but he has, and quite commendably. The entire rest of the cast is wonderful as well, with the Usher and the short order cook in stand out performances. In summary, a good movie if you happen to catch it.
Rating:
Summary: If You Love Frank Capra, You'll Love "The Majestic"!
Review: This is one of THE BEST movies I have EVER seen, but then again, I'm a sap for "Capra corn," the derisive term given to the works of Frank Capra, who gave us such cinematic gems as "It's A Wonderful Life," and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." "The Majestic" is truly "Capra-esque" in the best sense of the term. For starters, in this movie, Jim Carrey proves that he can REALLY act and not just be a clown. (Who knew?) The set decoration and costuming are truly evocative of the early '50s, and the story is good old-fashioned 1950's Americana, but within the sobering backdrop of the McCarthy hearings on un-American activities -- the Commie witch hunt which involved so many in Hollywood, and in which our hero becomes involved because of his Hollywood ties. The supporting cast is equally terrific, especially Martin Landau, who believes that Carrey's character is his son, to whom Carrey's character bears a striking resemblance, who was believed lost in WW2. When Carrey's character sees that his presence gives the old man a new zest for life, he genially goes along with the ruse. The old man is so energized, that he takes on, along with Carrey and the townsfolk, the enormous task of refurbishing the dilapidated movie theatre, "The Majestic," and the revitalization of the old movie house revitalizes the whole town. If you're as big a sucker for old-fashioned, all-American cinematic sentiment as I am, believe me, you will NOT be disappointed with "The Majestic." Among the special features on the DVD is an interesting historical capsule background about the McCarthy hearings.
Rating:
Summary: Worth seeing on a slow night
Review: Some movies don't really try to be anything, and for some reason become something...legally blonde for one...some movies try really hard to be something and just aren't much...Pearl Harbor for one.... this movie, The Majestic, is more like the latter than the former...It tries really hard to be a Capraesque movie...really hard. Shamelessly hard...and I don't know if anyone has seen any Capra...but he is famous for a reason...He is fairly simplistic (which makes it seem like it would be easy to replicate) but he is impossible to be.. In some ways, Frank Darabont seems like a good possibility to be Frank Capra, even more than the fact that they both have the same first name. Darabont is unafraid of emotion, Darabont's films, especially The Shawshank Redemption, have always had that clear deliniation between good and evil. This is very Capra... I give This film credit for trying . It has some lovely performances. Martin Landau is one of our greatest treasures. Watch this and then watch Ed Wood and tell me it is the same guy. Darabont loads the film with great faces...and a few wonderful characters. This was certainly to be another of Carrey's adventures into serious acting...and he's good. For me, and I know a little about watching actors, I think the journey for Jim Carrey has come too late. I found myself waiting for the schtick...and since the films The Majestic is based on are filled with quirkiness I felt like Carrey was misplaced. I actually think Carrey, in his shameless search for an oscar should do the Cruise/Williams approach and attach himself to an amazing character role, dare I say supporting actor...
The Majestic ultimately falls short but is a marvelous time passer. What Darabont and the script seem to forget is that Capra movies are about more than conquering the bad guy. The film tries a little bit to give us people to care about, but it seems to be form over content. In it's a wonderful Life,there is a shot of the building and loan book keeper totalling the money. He is quirky, he is hilarious, and in that one shot,you care. It is because for Capra, the exploration of the human condition was not an excercise or a star vehicle, it was the way he thought....the way he felt. So why four stars....??? Because for me, falling short of one of the world's most revered film makers seems ok. You do have a film that was savaged by critics, but has some lovely atmosphere and joy to it. It is what I would call a good watch that may fall short in the long run. But if you like Americana, shameless schmaltz and the love of a good woman as your touchstones for movie watching, you may love this.
Rating:
Summary: A charming and notstalgic ode to the past.
Review: I liked it. I can sort of understand the myriad of cynical comments from some of you- because it's fashionable to dislike anything that's too sentimental these days (though I'm not amongst those who do), but I also think the story has a certain root of nasty, ugly 'reality' which gives the film a balance. Remember, Jim Carrey's screenwriter is thrown into a rather spectacular series of events which end up with him taking an adventure in an almost latter-day Wonderland. A credit to his dramatic acting ability, he has a kind of wary disconnection throughout the whole film. (Even as he lives amongst all the virtue, idealism and patriotism of the Lawson citizens he does not seem to entirely believe it.) But every Oz must have its Kansas, and even Carrey 'wakes up' towards the end of the film to deal with the ugliness of the HUAC witch-hunt. But my favorite performer- and indeed the best thing in the movie- is Martin Landau. His patriarch who wears his heart on his sleeve is absolutely stunning throughout, and he gives the story a lot of earnestness and optimism (especially when he talks about the magic of movies- which I admit I kind of agree with). A strong second best performance comes from Laurie Holden, playing the beautiful law student who may (or may not) know Carrey from the past. Check it out.
Rating: 
Summary: SEEN IT ALL BEFORE
Review: We have all seen this movie before. A gem of a guy in unjustly accused of un-Americanism. His life starts to fall apart-but the audience (and those around him in the movie) sees what a good and standup character he really is. Time comes to face his accusers. In a fit of indignation and outrage our man sets the whole thing right making everyone come to terms with their higher principles and bring shame to those who tried to bring him low. The problem with this storyline is that it tries to say two contradictory things at once. On the one hand, "how dare you accuse him (me or them) of harboring such nefarious and dark sentiments". On the other hand, "well, even if I were a communist, what harm is there in that. I am an American and I am entitled to think and say what I want. Maybe I'm a better American for doing just that!" Well, which is it? Either one is saying that being an "enemy of liberty" is such a serious charge that no one should be accused carelessly or lightly or one is saying that the only "enemies of liberty" are those who suspect there are subversives among us. It always amuses me that Hollywood on this score doesn't have the courage of its convictions. The main character is always someone unfairly accused of being a communist-never someone who is an actual communist himself. Many believe there is nothing inherently unpatriotic or un-American in being a communist. This belief is not uncommon and many Americans honorably believe it. If that is so, why not make the point even clearer by making the main character a young idealistic communist who simply wants justice for even the least of us? The dirty secret is that as much as we may profess freedom of thought and pluralism in the land of liberty we instinctively know that some are beyond the pale. Instead of a communist, make the main character a nazi and you will see the storyline all falls apart. Any one is perfectly free in this land of freedom to believe that Adolph Hitler was on to something. But by any definition of what it means to believe in America, such a belief in Hitler is corrosive and reprehensible. It may be wise to barely tolerate Nazis among us instead of outlawing them; but we cannot hide from the fact that as such Nazism is and has been dangerous and lethal. When it comes to communism and communists in America, for all their sufferings--both real and imagined--, those who were actual communists, those who flirted with communism, those who were sympathetic and those who were just along for the ride have yet to be called to account. For all their high idealism and good intentions, what they actually advocated, brought and defended was a system which crushed the defenseless, imprisoned many, starved more, and denied liberties to all in its reach. Tens of millions were killed and untold human misery was unleashed all in the name of a more perfect society. Undoubtedly, many good people were communists and all in all they should have been left alone. But it should be remembered that as these "good people" basked in their "good intentions" evil was committed in their names. The term is "witch-hunt" frequently used in talking about the 1950's. Among the many things the use of the term implies is that "of course, there are no such things as witches". The trouble is that any fair observation of those times would admit that there were such "witches". It is a lie to suggest there weren't.
Rating:
Summary: A tribute to the best of America and the movies
Review: This film weaves together the themes of "the movies", small town America and values like courage and selflessness. Peter Appleton is a Hollywood screenwriter with a bump on his head who comes out of his amnesia while seeing his own film in the newly renovated, small-town "Majestic" theater. The re-opened theater symbolizes the rejuvination of the entire town at his coming "back" to life after being MIA for 9 years. Will he return to his self-absorbed life or did the small-town values rub off on him? Hmmm . . . you could get the video or just read some of the following reviews to find the answer, but I would highly recommend doing the former. The film could have been really hokey in attempting to portray "small-town" values, but the actors do an incredible job at seeming (I hate to use this word) "nice" without being smarmy. Jim Carrey should have been nominated for something: he gives a great performance. Martin Landau's moving tribute to "the pictures" (as he tries to talk Jim Carrey into helping him renovate the theater) was, well, very moving! And no piano player should miss the scene where his former piano teacher tries to get Luke/Peter to play something classical but his fingers remember something entirely different. (In my opinion, that scene is worth the price of the entire movie.) The ending was satisfying and fit right in with the themes and values of the rest of the movie. I'm sorry that it didn't do well at the box office; maybe it will be one of those sleepers that wakes up on cable and rental. I hope so! I wish there were more movies being made like this one.
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