Trevor Goddard Movies
- 2003
- PG13
- Add Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl to QueueAdd Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl to top of Queue
Following his surprise-hit American remake of The Ring in 2002, director Gore Verbinski took on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the second of recent films to be based upon Disney theme-park rides (the first being The Country Bears). When Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), the daughter of Governor Swann (Jonathan Pryce) is kidnapped by a group of pirates led by Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and taken aboard their ship, The Black Pearl, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), the young man who loves Elizabeth despite the fact that she is promised to another, sets out to rescue her. But he can't do it alone, so he enlists the help of swashbuckling ship captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Together the two chase after The Black Pearl, but they soon discover that the captain and crew aren't your average pirates. Cursed to remain between the living and the dead, Barbossa and his men look like skeletons when basked in the moonlight. When it is revealed that the only thing that can break the curse is Elizabeth's blood, Jack and Will are faced with a race against time and a battle against the undead to save the Governor's daughter. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, (more)
This 2001 TV docudrama relates the story of tennis' 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" between Wimbledon champions Billie Jean King (Holly Hunter) and Bobby Riggs (Ron Silver), an event considered by many to be an early victory for feminism. Riggs, 20 years past his prime, lives to wager on anything and everything. Seeing the rise of feminism, he decides he can make some money by challenging top female players, 30 years his junior, into exhibition matches. His first choice for an opponent is Billie Jean King, but she turns him down because she is too busy organizing the members of the female tennis tour into a de facto union, and winning tennis tournaments. After Bobby defeats the number one female tennis player in the world, Margaret Court, King realizes she needs to beat him. Following months of hype in which Bobby's bluster is matched at every point by Billie's confidence, the two face off in the Astrodome before a huge live and television audience. When Billie Beat Bobby was written and directed by Jane Anderson who had previously written The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom, which also featured Holly Hunter in the title role. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Holly Hunter, Ron Silver, (more)
Stephen Somers wrote and directed this $50 million science-fiction action-thriller. Set in the South China Sea, the story has been described as a cross between The Poseidon Adventure, Alien, and Die Hard. On the maiden voyage of the luxury liner Argonautica, pickpocket Trillian (Famke Janssen) is caught stealing jewels and locked up. After the ship's communication system is infected with a virus, the ship collides with a massive underwater object. When John Finnegan (Treat Williams) and others board the Argonautica, they are surrounded by death. Survivors Trillian, builder Simon Canton (Anthony Heald), and others talk of sea monsters, but Hanover (Wes Studi) doesn't believe them -- until the fanged, squid-like creature (designed by Rob Bottin) extends its huge tentacles and makes its presence known to all. Filmed in Vancouver and the northern Pacific under the working title Tentacles. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, (more)
- 1998
Four Rangers arrive on Babylon 5, preparing to begin their training. At least two of those Rangers are in for a valuable lesson before the episode is over. Meanwhile, Zack is targetted for extinction during a Downbelow power struggle. The venerable Turhan Bey makes his second Babylon 5 appearance, this time in the role of Turval. First telecast on February 18, 1998, "Learning Curve" was written by J. Michael Straczynski. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins, (more)
In this low-budget action adventure, a former Special Operations agents becomes a mysterious crime fighter to avenge the slaughter of his beloved family by the fugitive convicts he sent to prison. He and his family were living under assumed names and believed they were safe. But despite the warnings of his former superior Derek Leigh could not save them. Two detectives show up, but Leigh will not talk to them. It is while looking at his son's simple drawing of a super hero that Leigh decides to don a costume and get the bad guys himself. Wearing a leotard, boots, a mask and painting his face to resemble the title cat, he begins brushing up on martial arts and lifting weights. He then arms himself with assorted darts, throwing stars and arrows all dipped in a special sleeping potion. Once ready, the Jaguar sets off for revenge leaving a trail of dart covered sleeping bodies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maxwell Caulfield, Linda Blair, (more)
- 1996
In Australia for a seminar, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) receives word that she has inherited 130,000 acreas of land currently used for sheep grazing. The locals aren't happy when Jessica arrives to claim her property, believing her to be in cahoots with a powerful mining company. Evidently someone is so displeased by Jessica's presence that they're willing to commit murder--twice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
- R
Former pro wrestler Roddy Piper plays the captain of a Southern California charter boat who gets mixed up with South American drug smugglers. He is seduced by the wife (Tawny Kitaen) of a powerful drug dealer (Juan Fernandez) into taking a load of drugs between California and Mexico. This brings him to the attention of the DEA and a U.S. Customs officer who holds a personal grudge against him. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roddy Piper, Tawny Kitaen, (more)
Three reluctant fighters are drafted for an intergalactic martial-arts tournament that will determine the fate of the human race in this special-effects-driven adventure. Inspired by the popular and notoriously bloody video game, Mortal Kombat provides a semblance of a plot as an excuse for rampant mayhem, with the evil alien forces challenging humanity to a kung fu battle to decide the Earth's fate. Following the failure of several previous human defenders, mankind's last chance lies with egotistical action film star Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby), tough but beautiful special agent Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson), and vengeance-minded hero Liu Kang (Robin Shou). Under the guidance of inspirational sorcerer Lord Rayden (Christopher Lambert), this unlikely trio faces off against a series of terrifying alien adversaries. As in the video game, the martial arts battles are the true point, with standard fighting combining with magical touches supplied by computer-generated effects. The dramatic content often resembles a Saturday morning cartoon, but Jonathan Scott Carlson's appropriately dank production design and the visually spectacular battle sequences made the film a hit amongst younger fantasy-action fans, spawning a sequel and a TV show. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Shou, Linden Ashby, (more)
- 1995
In the erotic thriller Illegal in Blue, Chris Morgan (Dan Gauthier) is a young policeman who confronts the harsh reality that he must compromise his ideals to get along in a world of moral ambiguity. When police officers split a large sum of confiscated illegal gambling money among themselves, Morgan reports it to Internal Affairs. He starts receiving death threats, and the police department suspends him without pay. Morgan begins a steamy love affair with a stunning nightclub singer, Kari Truitt (Stacey Dash), whose husband is found murdered. Morgan's suspension is lifted, and he goes back to the police department to face open hostility from officers who want him to soften his testimony against the policemen who split the gambling money. He also gets caught up in the murder investigation, where his new lover is the prime suspect, and he soon finds that he must make some difficult choices. A well-integrated musical score, moody shots of the city at night, and lyrical love scenes help to make Illegal in Blue somewhat better than many similar low-budget efforts. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1995
- R
In this high-speed action drama, a mutual need for transportation forces a car thief and a newspaper journalist, hot on the trail of a corrupt senator, into a stolen car. What neither knows is that one of the briefcases stashed in the truck is filled with money and belongs to a gangster who will stop at nothing to have it. On the other hand, there are equally greedy cops who want the money too. Mere moments after they take the car, the others are in hot pursuit and a crash-laden, tire-screeching, engine-roaring pursuit begins. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yancy Butler, Matt McCoy, (more)
Seemingly content living the life of a derelict, former mercenary Nick (Dolph Lundgren) agrees -- reluctantly and only after he is offered a large fortune from two mining company executives -- to gather up a unit of fellow soldiers of fortune and fly to the island of Jakarta in order to convince local peasants to give up their land. Once he arrives, Nick sees soldiers burn a peasant village. When he learns that the bloodshed is not for the control of such riches as uranium or jade, but for an ancient deposit of bat guano, he changes his alliance and begins fighting for the natives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolph Lundgren, Charlotte Lewis, (more)
- 1993
Though they're not quite ready for matrimony, Miles (Grant Shaud) and Audrey (Jane Leeves) agree to test the waters, so to speak, by moving in together. Audrey likes the set-up, but Miles is less enthusiastic. But the "fun" doesn't really get under way under Audrey's ex-boyfriend Colin (Trevor Goddard) also moves in with the couple, determined to pick up where he left off. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
