eliV Entertainment

'Muppet Treasure Island'

'Broken Arrow'

Rated R

w

N

hen Riley Hale and Vic
Deacon exchange barbs
and jabs in an Air
Force boxing ring near
the beginning of Broken Arrow,
one fully expects that the film will
not end before the two have an-
other confrontation with some-
thing more at stake than pride.
Christian Slater plays Hale,
the feisty, young fighter pilot
teamed with John Travolta's cool
veteran flier Deacon. Espousing
views on life, the military and
Hale's shortcomings, Deacon is
both mentor and tormentor.
The two maintain a friendly,
macho rivalry until they are as-
signed to fly midnight maneuvers
over Utah in a B-3 Stealth. Their
cargo? Two nuclear missiles.
Aboard the Stealth, Hale discov-
ers that Deacon has sinister in-
tentions and is subsequently
ejected from the plane into the
desert night and left for dead.
Quickly it becomes evident that
Deacon is in cahoots with a band
of military renegades intent on
extorting millions from the gov-
ernment with the threat of nu-
clear assault. And their diabolical
plan would have worked, too, if it
weren't for that meddling punk
Hale. As it turns out, Hale has
survived the ejection and is res-
cued by a resourceful park ranger
(Samantha Mathis). Hale is
forced to disclose what has tran-
spired and they form an alliance
to thwart Deacon and company.
What ensues is a road rurmer and
coyote game, played out in the
deserts and canyons of Utah.
Meanwhile, back at head-

'City Hall'

Ra ed R

A

cop and a small-time
Mafia drug dealer have
murdered each other in
New York City, and a
child lies dead in the cross-fire.
That is the premise of City Hall,
the eagerly awaited political dra-
ma written by Ken Lipper (for-
mer deputy mayor of New York
under Ed Koch) and directed by
Harold Becker.
However, the film is not about
a murder; it's about how the
most powerful men in the coun-
try's largest city react to a mur-
der. With pressure coming from
all sides — the public, the me-
dia and the Mafia — two men in

quarters, military intelligence is
trying to figure out just what is
going on with this broken arrow,
le code name for lost warheads.
Sound hectic? Broken Arrow is
both inspired and insipid. Boast-
ing spectacular special effects and
a likable cast, the movie has plen-
ty going for it.
Balancing off the positive, how-
ever, is a silly story line and sil-
ly dialogue. The explosions are
nonstop; the artillery seems in-
exhaustible. Among the bombast,
none of the characters ever looks
unkempt or unsettled. More trou-
bling is a pervasive feeling of fa-
miliarity throughout the film. It
freely borrows from Raiders of the
Lost Ark, Die Hard, Speed, and
even Planes, Trains and Auto-

mobiles.

Now, if one is going to steal
ideas for an action-adventure
flick, that's some
pretty fertile soil
MOVIES
for plundering.
Nevertheless, it's
still theft. In part, the familiarity
can be attributed to screenwriter
Graham Yost, the same guy who
wrote Speed. Substitute Slater for
Keanu Reeves, Mathis for San-
dra Bullock and Travolta for Den-
nis Hopper. You get the picture.
When done sparingly, such imi-
tation is called homage. In the
case of Broken Arrow, it is more
like pillage.
Broken Arrow is not a bad film.
It moves at a great velocity and
everything looks good. Those
seeking novelty should go else-
where; but for action fans, Broken
Arrow is a blast.
c.)Zot. 112

—Richard Halprin

(Tim Curry) and his own gang of new voice (Jim Henson provided
shady Muppets and humans in- the vocals in previous movies). It
hey're laughable, lovable, filtrate the ship. Initially, Long takes a little getting used to, but
Kermit's still the same
mutant, freak-like crea- John befriends young Jim, but
benevolent frog, espe-
his kindness is only a ruse.
tures.
cially when dealing
MOVIES
I'm talking about the He really wants the trea-
with the highly sensi-
Muppets, of course, and they're sure map for himself.
tive Miss Piggy.
To make the good guys
back on the silver screen in the
And, for the most part, Brian
first film by Brian Henson. It's hand it over, the evil Muppets
comically capture and torture Henson doesn't miss a beat. All
called Muppet Treasure Island.
Yes, Brian has taken over Gonzo and Rizzo. Eventually, the the Muppet eccentricities, such
where the late Jim Henson, his greedy pirates get their hands on as Piggy's clumsiness, Gonzo's
ingenious father and Muppet cre- the map and, as they paddle off silliness and Fozzie's dopiness are
nicely preserved.
ator, left off. While a
There are, however,
few of the voices have
a few Muppets who
changed, the Mup-
deserve bigger roles,
pets remain as uni-
including the
versally funny and
Swedish Chef (who
covertly educational
only makes a brief
as they've been for
appearance) and An-
the past 20 years.
imal (notably absent
Like all Muppet
is
a close-up and one
movies, Muppet Trea-
of his classic tirades).
sure Island (a very
Otherwise, Muppet
loose adaptation of
fans will get their fill
the Robert Louis
from an enjoyable
• Stevenson classic)
movie.
combines puppets,
Finally, it is im-
humans and musical
portant to appreciate
interludes.
what the Muppets
The story goes as
Kermit and friends chart a course
have been teaching children and
follows: Jim Hawkins (child-ac-
for adventure and mayhem
adults for the past 20 years. In
tor Kevin Bishop), accompanied
en route to buried treasure in Muppet
the Muppet microcosm, a diverse
by his friends, Gonzo and Rizzo
Treasure Island.
bunch of creatures are able to
the Rat, happens upon a map
leading to a cursed pirate trea- to Treasure Island, a race for the combine their unique talents to
create an idyllic universe of
treasure ensues.
sure.
More surprises await as island laughter and fun. And yet, unlike
Vowing to find it, the three-
some enlists the help of Fozzie savages, led by Kermit's perpet- many of their puppet colleagues,
the Bear, the rich, half-wit son of ual love interest Miss Piggy (or the Muppets are not ignorant of
a boat dealer. Fozzie hires a crew Benjamina as she is known in the life's problems. They simply deal
of noteworthy Muppets, includ- movie), enter into the mix. Events with them like we all should —
ing Captain Smallet (Kermit the culminate, as they always do with a grain of salt.
Frog), Dr. Benson Honeydew and with the Muppets, in raucous,
'
Qi)1/2
hysterical fun.
Beaker.
—Dan Zimmerman
One thing Muppet aficionados
Before they set sail, the evil
cook/pirate Long John Silver will notice is that Kermit has a

Rated G

I

particular, Mayor John Pappas Mafia kingpin Paul Zappati (An-
(Al Pacino) and Deputy Mayor thony Franciosa).
While Anselmo controls New
Kevin Calhoun (John Cusack),
are caught in the middle. York's business community, not
In a fascinating portrayal, City to mention much of its public
Hall explores their battle to opinion, he still must answer to
maintain order, integrity — and Zappati. Needless to say, despite
a favorable public opinion — his genuine concern for the city,
while balancing the weight of a and the murder which has di-
vided it, Pappas must an-
city on their shoulders.
swer to both men.
This struggle can be
MOVIES
Bayou-born, ambitious
summed up in one word:
and defiant of the city's cor-
politics.
The film touts an impressive rupt underbelly, young Kevin
cast, who, in turn, create extra- Calhoun is a stark contrast to the
ordinarily well-crafted charac- mayor, his close friend and men-
ters. New Yorker John Pappas is tor (the men's relationship forms
the passionate mayor, an exem- the emotional crux of the film).
plary speaker experienced When Calhoun discovers that the
enough to know how to play the murdered drug dealer's legal his-
game. This means dealing with tory is not "kosher," as the movie
some shady but powerful men, puts it, he is eager to get to the
such as city councilman and bottom of things.
Accompanied by attorney
Brooklyn borough leader Frank
Anselmo (Danny Aiello) and Marybeth Cogan (Bridget Fon-

da), who represents the family of
the dead cop, Calhoun risks his
political career and his neck in
the name of justice. As the movie
progresses, the audience cringes:
Will Calhoun find out more than
he wants to know?
Also carrying significant roles
in the film are David Paymer, as
an honest, yarmulke-wearing
chief of staff, and the venerable
Martin Landau, as a state
Supreme Court judge whose one
mistake, many years ago, sur-
faces to threaten his career.
Heightening the film's drama
is an expansive Gershwinesque
score, which nicely accentuates
the New York flavor. Thrown in,
as well, are several Jewish ref-
erences and Yiddish jokes that
this reading audience, in partic-
ular, may appreciate.
Perhaps the most intriguing
aspect of City Hall is that it does

not take the easy approach to pol-
itics. Let's face it, politicians get
a bad rap in New York, Detroit
— just about anywhere. Instead
of showing folly, the film shows
the difficulty of preserving one's
integrity when everyone wants a
piece of yoUr pie. To sum it up
(perhaps, inadequately), City
Hall reveals that success in pol-
itics is like success at poker: Part-
ly skill. Partly cunning. But
mostly luck.

10Q)Ct® .

—Dan Zimmerman

Bagel Barometer

tOck).-

Outstanding
Very Good
Good
-...Fair

