Lightning Review: Goal! The Dream Begins

This review was originally posted as part of the Play to the Whistle Blogathon, hosted by Film and TV 101 and Reffing Movies.

Synopsis
Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) is an illegal immigrant in Los Angeles working multiple jobs to support his family. However, his passion is to play football professionally. When Glen Foy (Stephen Dillane), a retired Newcastle United player, notices Munez talents, Foy sets him up with a try out with Newcastle United. In hopes of making his dreams a reality , Munez travels to England.

Review
As a soccer player and cinefile, it can be difficult to find a movie about the sport, let alone a decent one. Thankfully, Danny Cannon realized this and worked with FIFA, the international soccer organization, to create Goal! The Dream Begins. What makes this a good soccer movie is that it gives a down and dirty look into the sport. The camera angles are low and near the ground during the action, not up high like a commentator’s booth like you would see on television. You feel every hit, clearly see every move, and feel like you are on the field with the players. What makes this a good movie is the sincerity and heart it brings. From the beginning, Santiago Munez’s (Kuno Becker) love for his family and humility are felt very clearly. This gives the audience a connection with Munez and a reason to want to see him to succeed. It is nothing new to films, let alone a sports film, but it is used effectively. Becker brings an innocence that makes it that much easier to connect with and relate to.

I thought Goal! The Dream Begins was GOOD 🙂 It is very much like many other underdog, rags-to-riches sports films, such as Rocky, but that isn’t really a bad thing. There is a lot of heart to the story and Santiago Munez is the type of character you can relate with and can’t help but root for. Goal! is a soccer movie that fans and players of the sport alike can enjoy.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Danny Cannon – Director
Mike Jefferies – Story / Screenplay
Adrian Butchart – Screenplay
Dick Clement – Screenplay
Ian La Frenais – Screenplay
Graeme Revell – Composer

Kuno Becker – Santiago Munez
Cassandra Bell – Christina
Alessandro Nivola – Gavin Harris
Stephen Dillane – Glen Foy
Sean Pertwee – Barry Rankin
Marcel Iures – Erik Dornhelm
Tony Plana – Hernan Munez
Miriam Colon – Mercedes
Jorge Ververa – Cesar

Lightning Review: Jurassic Park III

Synopsis
Paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) is hired by Paul and Amanda Kirby (William H. Macy and Tea Leoni) as a guest during their charter flight over Isla Sorna, as well as Grant’s assistant Billy (Alessandro Nivola). However, the Kirby’s did not inform Grant and Billy they were actually going to the island to find their missing son, Eric (Trevor Morgan). When the plane crashes, the survivors try to make their way to the Isla Sorna’s coast before they are eaten by the dinosaurs inhabiting the island.

Review
Jurassic Park III hit the B-level monster movie The Lost World: Jurassic Park crept towards but never quite reached. In Jurassic Park and The Lost World, there was a moral to the story, but this movie is focused solely on the dinosaurs and the human characters’ survival. I do like that new dinosaurs were introduced because the tyrannosaurus rex and velociraptors already had their time to shine. Velociraptors get a decent amount of screen time again, but they share the movie with the spinosaurus and pterodactyl. There isn’t as much exposition in the beginning as the previous two Jurassic Park movies, quickly stranding the characters on the island and giving maximum time spent with the dinosaurs. Jurassic Park made leaps and bounds with computer generated imaging (CGI) technology. However, Jurassic Park III doesn’t look much different eight years later, it almost seems like it was a step back even. If you enjoy a cheesy B-level monster movie like I do every now and then, then Jurassic Park III is right up your alley, just don’t expect the greatness the series started with.

Rating
3/5

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Joe Johnston – Director
Peter Bachman – Writer
Alexander Payne – Writer
Jim Taylor – Writer
Don Davis – Composer

Sam Neill – Dr. Alan Grant
Alessandro Nivola – Billy Brennan
William H. Macy – Paul Kirby
Tea Leoni – Amanda Kirby
Trevor Morgan – Eric Kirby
Michael Jeter – Mr. Udesky
Laura Dern – Dr. Ellie Sattler
Bruce A. Young – MB Nash
John Diehl – Cooper
Taylor Nichols – Mark Degler
Mark Harelik – Ben Hildebrand
Blake Bryan – Charlie