1989 Capsule Reviews

Born on the Fourth of July
rating: *****
review: This is where Oliver Stone helped define the morality of the US as a quagmire of polarizing views we've yet to emerge from, with Tom Cruise finding his voice as the innocent turned cynic.

Glory
rating: *****
review: Hollywood begin embracing black actors in this iconic look at the mixed rewards of integrated armies in the Civil War, the search for redemption that as of today continues.

Dead Poets Society
rating: *****
review: For a generation, this is what the legacy of Frank Capra looked like, an impossibly inspiring figure whose greatest supporters are the students who make him a hero.  Arguably the late Robin Williams' greatest film and the one most likely to be identified as anything but.

Batman
rating: ****
review: The modern superhero flick begins to emerge, missing only one thing: the chance to view the superhero as anything but a loner freak...But then, the director is Tim Burton.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
rating: ****
review: Still to my mind the perfect Indiana Jones flick, with the rugged professor matching wits with his own father instead of glory or a girl.  Still notable for showing a glimpse of the man River Phoenix might have become, very much, well, Indiana Jones.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
rating: ****
review: Terry Gilliam kind of merges the lessons of Time Bandits and Brazil by letting the supporting cast, including a young Uma Thurman, take over.

Field of Dreams
rating: ****
review: Where Dead Poets Society leaves off, Field of Dreams picks up, with masculine hero worship embracing fatherhood again.

Do the Right Thing
rating: ****
review: Spike Lee emerges with a voice ahead of his time, literally presenting a pressure cooker situation and letting it play out.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
rating: ****
review: A teenage comedy ahead of its time, about as close an answer to Back to the Future as anyone's come, leaving out any semblance of science to just let the fun settle in.

The Abyss
rating: ***
review: The mature James Cameron begins to emerge.

Henry V
rating: ***
review: Kenneth Branagh introduces the Bard to modern cinema.

When Harry Met Sally...
rating: ***
review: A chick flick that became a cultural touchstone but maybe reaches too far.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
rating: ***
review: A far more noble effort than fans have yet to admit, but also the time the franchise embraced the Star Wars fix of the decade.

Back to the Future Part II
rating: **
review: Incomprehensibly attempts to duplicate the first one by doing everything in reverse.

Earth Girls Are Easy
rating: **
review: Jim Carrey plays a supporting role in this wacky movie about aliens getting a crash course in human culture.

Kickboxer
rating: **
review: About as basic a movie in this genre as you can get, but still a relatively entertaining one.

Who's Harry Crumb?
rating: **
review: Recommended for fans of John Candy.

K-9
rating: **
review: From that brief period where Jim Belushi looked like he might be taken as seriously as his brother.

The Little Mermaid
rating: **
review: This Disney breakthrough is best remembered for its songs.

All Dogs Go to Heaven
rating: **
review: Pleasant enough for children.  But seriously, what was with all the dogs from this period?

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
rating: **
review: A special effects movie that inspired Hollywood to go way, way overboard.

Ghostbusters II
rating: **
review: No one says how great this one is.  It just kind of exists.

Weekend at Bernie's
rating: **
review: Such a nutty concept it can't help but be memorable.  Notice I didn't say good.

Akira
rating: **
review: Japanese anime is something you either really get or scratch your head at.  Witness its popular American debut.