Micro Movie Review: Grindhouse

April 22, 2007  |  Posted by: Shane

GrindhouseGrindhouse
Dimension Films
2 1/4 stars2 1/4 stars

Grindhouse is a double feature consisting of two feature-length segments directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, bookended by trailers for “coming attractions”, advertisements, and in-theater announcements reminiscent of those typical in U.S. theaters in the 1970s.

Rodriguez’s feature is a gory flick called Planet Terror in which a poison gas is released into the air, turning local inhabitants into violent, zombie-like creatures. Tarantino’s contribution to the double feature is called, Death Proof. In this film, a crazy stuntman befriends young women only to lure them into his car and kill them. His plan would have gone perfectly if he only avoided targeting a group stunt women who were more than prepared for his deadly intents…

Is Grindhouse worth your time?

Clearly, the general film going population doesn’t think it is. But the real answer is slightly more complicated than that.

Truth be told, Rodriguez seems to understand the goal of Grindhouse: make a loving tribute to the low budget, hypersensational films popularized in the 1970s. Planet Terror features all the gore, corny dialogue, sex, and action one would expect. While Rodriguez certainly takes filmmaking seriously, he doesn’t ever lose sight of the fact that the genre he’s imitating isn’t all that great. So the end result is a film that’s fun to watch and is loyal to the source material.

Quentin, on the other hand, seems to miss the point. Death Proof is a great concept with a perfectly cast villain (Kurt Russell.) But over the course of 90+ minutes, Tarantino unleashes meandering dialogue, a disjointed plot, and action that really doesn’t kick in until the last third of the film. Death Proof feels more like a Tarantino flick than a grindhouse film. And the most disappointing aspect to it all: when Quentin’s script does veer into Pulp Fiction-style dialogue, it feels like a rehash (and not a particularly good rehash) of his other great movies.

At the end of the day, Grindhouse only gets it half right. While that’s enough to warrant a viewing, it’s definitely disappointing, considering the exceptional talent behind the movie.

Category: Movie, Reviews  |  Time: 8:52 pm (CST)  |  

3 Comments on “Micro Movie Review: Grindhouse”
  1. a jaclyn said:
    April 23rd, 2007 11:34 AM

    And then there’s the point that the original car chase movies that Tarantino is attempting to pay homage to have their meandering, “boring” scenes too. I can’t say I enjoyed every minute of the girls’ dialogues, but I certainly appreciated where they came from, in relation to movies of the past. I think Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”-style dialog, as you call it, comes from the films he loves, such as “Switchblade Sisters,” “Vanishing Point,” “Revenge of the Cheerleaders,” and so forth. In that aspect, although “Death Proof” does not appeal as much to today’s generation, it may inspire future generations to follow up and make their own homages.

  2. G Love said:
    April 24th, 2007 12:43 PM

    I liked them both. Differently.

    Of course how many times did QT have to point out that he was referencing “Vanishing Point”. Still enjoyed it.

    And I definitely think, “Don’t” should be a movie.

  3. NIcky said:
    April 24th, 2007 6:37 PM

    For me personally I ejoyed both movies as they are totally different. They both kept me pretty entertained and I finally felt like I got my moneys worth at the theater. I have so diasppoined with the crap that Hollywood has been putting out it was nice seeing this. The previews were a total plus.