Wonderland Reviews

Wonderland in my opinion is fairly underrated. Based on the true story of John Holmes, a famed porn star. This film is about the Wonderland murders and John Holmes' involvement. I really don't understand why this film has gotten so much flack. I thought it was a very good film with a good cast. I'm not normally one to care for Val Kilmer, but at times he can deliver a good performance. Wonderland in my opinion is his best performance since 1995's Heat. In Wonderland, director James Cox crafts a very good dramatic thriller. The films plot is engaging and the performances of the cast are very good. Wonderland is an engaging drama film and there's plenty to enjoy from such a film. Wonderland is for me, an intense film that shows the downfall of one of the most famed porn actors at the height of his lowest point. This film is very interesting, entertaining and well put together. Director James Cox has made a good drama film. I very much enjoyed the film for what it was, and I think it's much underrated. Sure, the film isn't as strong as Boogie Nights, but it's worth watching nonetheless. If you enjoy a good real life inspired drama film, Wonderland is the film you should see. This film is much better than what most critics have said about the film. Wonderland has its faults, but for the most part, it succeeds at being a very entertaining drama with a good cast to boot. Along with a good story, what's not to like?

Even though you dont know this is made by a showoff director with not much to show off, and shit writers, you should want to see it because it has the most amazingly awful cast of almost any movie:
Lisa Kudrow. uh. Josh (Sweet home Alabama) Lucas. ok, keep talkin'. Kate Bosworth. well how much is the "bos" worth? you have to see this movie. Christina Applegate. HOLY SHIT-CAKES. Janeane Garofalo as a junkie. A snackie snack eating Carrie Fisher who has hopefully retired her "Return of the Jedi" metal bikini. and... ANDD.... five mind-crowaving seconds of Paris Hilton as a hoe on a yacht. oh yea, the movie is about the John Holmes murder case but you don't care about that.

Does a great job at showing how convoluted and confusing it is to piece together and solve a murder when your only witnesses are drug lords, drug dealers, drug users and prostitutes.

Really strong performances from the entire cast, but Kudrow's performance (though a somewhat minor role) really stood out for me.

Crack pipes and syringes and 13" penises and vicious mass-killings. Actually only one 13" penis, my mistake. Great acting, but not really a film to watch more than once or twice.

I really liked the style and the look of the film. What made it sub-par to others like it (Zodiac, Summer of Sam) was the choppy editing. It's sad that such a small component can ruin a movie. Other than that, I loved the acting and the story. Val Kilmer was the perfect self absorbed moron.

Brilliant performance from Val Kilmer. His best work next to "the Doors."

This is the true story of the 1981 quadruple homocide in L.A. with a pretty famous suspect -- John Holmes, the infamous porn mega-star who by this time is a washed-up drug addict. Pretty decent, but this film is nasty -- not in the sexual sense, in that we only get references to Mr. Holmes' past career and most famous appendage but don't see any of it. Rather, almost no one in this film is redeemable. Nearly everyone is either a dopehead, a thief, a sponge or a backstabber. With the outrageous drug-fueled lifestyles of these scumbag individuals, you can't really be sure they didn't deserve to die, although maybe not with a lead pipe to the noggin. Lots of familiar faces here, with Val Kilmer playing Holmes, Lisa Kudrow as his estranged wife Sharon, Kate Bosworth as his barely legal girlfriend, and Josh Lucas, Dylan McDermott (as a biker with an obviously fake goatee) and Tim Blake Nelson as Holmes' partners in crime. It seems unfinished, with a end scroll of the current whereabouts of the main players, because the real story is unfinished. All involved were acquitted, and no one was ever finally convicted of the murders.

Plays like son of Boogie Nights, but Kilmer's performance is incredible.

Despite some rough editing (which can make the film a bit incomprehensible at times), Wonderland is a riveting look at the sleazy LA drug underworld. There are so many temptations that famed people endure that it eventually gets to them and their lives just spiral out of control, straight downwards, and Wonderland captures it very realistically. At times, it can even get a little scary. I often found myself lingering on the very edge of my seat.

Besides a great story, Wonderland is riddled with good performances from an ensemble cast and good-enough direction from James Cox to make it an entertaining and interesting watch.

The movie is almost as messy as the murders it is about. The script is terrible, especially any lines that are given to the female characters, it is just so awfully written. Lisa Kurow plays her character really well, but no matter how good she is it can not save sincere dialogue such as "remember that time I caught you measuring yourself in the bathroom, what did I tell you!?" and I think Kate Bosworth's character says baby about 30 times in the first 10 minutes. The central performance by Val Kilmer is also flawed, he ain't no Dirk Diggler, he doesn't have the charisma to keep up with the role; but that said, he hasn't much to work with because the script is so bad. On a good note, the narrative, jumpy style is done well, keeping it lively and cocaine fuled til the end, but this itself I found a problem, because the premise is fascinating and by rushing it, you have no sense of proper investigation of the mystery.

I get annoyed by movies that glorify the drug lifestyle, but this was still ok.

Despite some rough editing (which can make the film a bit incomprehensible at times), Wonderland is a riveting look at the sleazy LA drug underworld. There are so many temptations that famed people endure that it eventually gets to them and their lives just spiral out of control, straight downwards, and Wonderland captures it very realistically. At times, it can even get a little scary. I often found myself lingering on the very edge of my seat.

Besides a great story, Wonderland is riddled with good performances from an ensemble cast and good-enough direction from James Cox to make it an entertaining and interesting watch.

Great acting but poorly paced and uninvolving.

Act one is really slow and confusing, but once the good narrative kicks in....it's not bad.

I had high expectations for this movie. For some reason I thought it was going to have high octane violence. No such luck,there are only a couple of scenes that satisfied my lust for gore. I mean just read the plot of the film. " In the police investigation of a brutual crime scene, one man was at the center of it all: legendary porn star John Holmes." Yeah I thought the plot sounded rather interesting. However for some reason I found the movie rather boring and I didnt particularly care for the way the movie was shot,very ugly look in my opinion. As for the characters, well they were ok could have been alot better. They came off as royal asswholes though. I did respect Val Kilmer's performance in this movie though. As for Kate Bosworth, well lets just say that I hated her dirty blonde hair :P. Having said that this movie is rather average and nothing more. Watch this movie only for the performances.

Would like to see a bio on John Holmes himself, however this is not bad. based on a true accounts of a murder he was involved with. Great performance from Val Kilmer.

Great crime thriller/biopic about the downfall of legendary porn star John Holmes,played brilliantly by Val Kilmer.When people are found murdered in a house on LA's Wonderland Avenue it's thought,at first,to be the work of drug dealers, but things take a turn when it's revealed Holmes coud also be linked to the murders as well as a very high profile,local gangster.This is an exciting,fast paced biopic with a brilliant soundtrack and will keep you thinking throughout.

Val Kilmer is great in this film of a\the sad decent down of a very famous man. . .

Interesting.