Mission to Mars (2000)

It was interesting for me to see how De Palma applied his technique to sci-fi, but it's a chiefly dull experience otherwise. A believable bond between the characters is integral to the plot, so too is our connection to them. It's non-existent in both cases. The latter is subjective. The former is something that should've been in the script or more acutely played-up by the actors. When they share feelings, I yawned. When they're in peril, I almost dozed off.
When the 'thought-provoking' part of the story finally comes it seems better than it is by comparison. When it's all over, and you reflect on what happened, the mission to mediocrity was just about worth the time taken to get there.

2½ countdowns out of 5

Snake Eyes (1998)

The lengthy opening scene is superb logistical work by all concerned and lets us know that we’re in for a real spectacle. Viewing it is like being a kid at the circus, waiting for the next exotic eye-opener to waltz into the ring.
The story happens mostly in one vast Atlantic City arena. Nic Cage is a less than perfect detective investigating an assassination. Through his questioning we experience the murder more than once, the same moment in time as seen from many eyes, the different angles and agendas completing the whole.
Cage keeps his madness to an acceptable level and the picture’s momentum at a heightened one. It falls apart in the last third, leading to a badly muddled ending, but the first hour is pure class.

4 bloody notes out of 5

THE GREEN MILE [1999]

Frank Darabont succeeds in bringing Stephen King's serial novel The Green Mile to the screen, moving the heart in a similar fashion as he did with The Shawshank Redemption. 

It's filled with wonderful performances by actors who fully understand the colorful and fascinating characters they're portraying.  The beautiful camerawork, music and art direction help make the 3 hour plus film never feel as long as it really is.  It's a dark, grim, yet strangely uplifting, reminder that there's magic in this world and how we'll find it in the most obscure of places.

4½ mice on the Mile out of 5

Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest is an idiot that touches the hearts of almost everyone he comes into contact with. The character has an impossible innocence that I don’t think anyone but Tom Hanks could have imbued it with; the purity of it eats me up inside. That’s a very special kind of gift that I gladly accept.
It’s one of a small number of films that I've found to be a lot more entertaining than the book it’s based on.

4½ boxes of chocolates out of 5