Bob Fenster
Bob Fenster's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer® when published at the following Tomatometer-approved publication(s):
Arizona Republic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Patriot Games (1992) |
Patriot Games is an overlong, overwrought action movie without much action. Its depiction of international anti-terrorism is insulting to the intelligence, and even Harrison Ford can't bring much life to a dull movie. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jun 06, 2023
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Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) |
While the adventures are no more rousing than the TV show, the big screen does full justice to the stylish animation. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted May 23, 2023
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Heavenly Creatures (1994) |
Heavenly Creatures takes an esoteric slant on crime, but it also examines obsession in ways other films have not touched upon. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted May 16, 2023
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Boys on the Side (1995) |
Boys on the Side is full of surprises: It's surprisingly funny and just as effectively sad. It shines with three unexpectedly sensitive performances from Whoopi Goldberg, Mary-Louise Parker and Drew Barrymore. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Mar 14, 2023
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Godzilla (1998) |
This is what a summer spectacular should be: big, bold, well-told. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Feb 14, 2023
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Wild Things (1998) |
Wild Things isn't a first-rate crime story. But it is a kicky little B-thriller and just the thing for a night of slumming. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Feb 02, 2023
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The Truman Show (1998) |
The Truman Show is built on an interesting concept. But the director and writers don't do enough to develop the concept. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Feb 01, 2023
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The Big Lebowski (1998) |
It seems designed to push a lot of the people who went for Fargo back out of the theater, while assuring those who remain that they're part of an elite if strange movie cult. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 24, 2023
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Eve's Bayou (1997) |
Eve's Bayou is a brilliant piece of storytelling. The script by director Kasi Lemmons runs both deep and wide as it examines the paradox of a loving family which finds that, sometimes, love is not enough. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 10, 2023
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Groundhog Day (1993) |
Groundhog Day has a clever concept at its core, with a few extremely funny extrapolations. But because the jokes have to be set up by repetitions, the pattern becomes too predictable. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Dec 07, 2022
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Braveheart (1995) |
In only his second film behind the camera, Gibson has crafted a historical epic, Braveheart, that stands tall among the biggest and the best: Lawrence of Arabia, Ben-Hur, El Cid. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Nov 18, 2022
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Dances With Wolves (1990) |
It's difficult for any actor to direct himself effectively. It's amazing when someone does it in an epic that turns out as fine as this tale of the Old West. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Nov 08, 2022
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Carnival of Souls (1962) |
This bad movie is just plain awful. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Sep 23, 2022
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Addams Family Values (1993) |
Addams Family Values is a tour de farce of black humor. But there are so many sick jokes in this sequel, you may feel overdosed... What keeps the film from turning repulsive is the clear affection that the family has for each other. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Sep 21, 2022
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Driving Miss Daisy (1989) |
Is this supposed to represent an achievement of dignity and freedom?... What I saw was an improbable saintlike character persecuted by a cranky, bigoted tyrant who became slightly less cranky but never less condescending with time. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jul 26, 2022
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The Silence of the Lambs (1991) |
The Silence of the Lambs is one slick, sick piece of psychological manipulation. It is an ultrarealistic horror movie, expertly made, certain to start a rash of nightmares about demented killers who mutilate or devour their victims. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Mar 23, 2022
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Titanic (1997) |
Is Titanic worth your $6 price of admission? Absolutely. It's a spectacular disaster film nested inside a superior drama about great love and great loss. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Mar 17, 2022
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Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990) |
For people who appreciate serious historical drama, Thousand Pieces of Gold is a fine addition to the cinematic legacy of the Old West. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Feb 16, 2022
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Sidewalk Stories (1989) |
One of the best things about Sidewalk Stories is how well it uses images to tell its story. The problem is, after a while, the curiosity of the device wears thin, and we're left with the story, which also is wearing thin. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 24, 2022
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The Watermelon Woman (1996) |
At its best, The Watermelon Woman is fresh and funny about love and friendship, with something serious to say about racism and changing racial conflicts through, the eras. But the movie doesn't have enough to be about. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 22, 2022
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Wyatt Earp (1994) |
Costner's version of the Earp legend is bigger, bolder and more fascinating than Tombstone. It's a far better movie. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Dec 20, 2021
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Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) |
Devil in a Blue Dress is a competently made mystery. It's just not an exciting one. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Oct 20, 2021
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L.A. Confidential (1997) |
Set in Los Angeles in the 1950s, LA. Confidential is a sprawling story rich with memorable characters and surprising revelations. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Oct 19, 2021
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El Mariachi (1992) |
Yes, it's great that an unknown film maker could make a movie on the cheap and get it distributed. Too bad it's not a better movie. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Sep 08, 2021
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My Family/Mi Familia (1995) |
While My Family shares one family's joy, triumphs and tragedies, the film fails to probe deeper into the family dynamic. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Aug 26, 2021
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Go Fish (1994) |
Troche can't let her camera alone. It jumps and skips from one odd-angled shot to another as if Troche were filming while trying to set a world record for espresso consumption. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Aug 25, 2021
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Backdraft (1991) |
Although the movie is unrealistic in its depiction of fircfighting, it's a stunning piece of cinematic storytelling. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Aug 03, 2021
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Sidekicks (1993) |
Sidekicks is so predictable that you could leave the theater, break a few bricks of your own and not miss anything. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jun 28, 2021
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Twister (1996) |
No one's going to buy into the romantic bickering between the lead scientists or their rivalry team of evil meteorologists. Still, if you're hooked on high-voltage special effects, Twister will give you a charge. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted May 07, 2021
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Schindler's List (1993) |
Schindler's List is a great movie that serves a greater purpose. This epic story of one man's conscience reminds the world that an individual's rise to heroism in the face of mass insanity can make a difference. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Apr 14, 2021
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Daughters of the Dust (1991) |
Despite the plot's vagueness, Daughters of the Dust is absorbing throughout. Its strengths lie in the tapestry that details the Gullah family life, culture and philosophies. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Mar 23, 2021
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The Ballad of Little Jo (1993) |
The Ballad of Little Jo is a unique bit of history that is undoubtedly far more credible than any nonsense Hollywood will produce about women gunslingers. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Mar 18, 2021
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Clueless (1995) |
In a summer of great thrillers and action pictures, the comedies have been few and feeble. But Clueless stands out as a picture that's both funny and a lot of fun. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Mar 16, 2021
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Wayne's World (1992) |
Wayne's World is a sociological dissertation on the post-adolescent, pre-existential, psychodynamic polemics of popular culture. Not. Wayne's World is a ton of fun for people who are younger than 30 or who think they are. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Mar 11, 2021
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The Joy Luck Club (1993) |
The Joy Luck Club is an intricate, sophisticated study of generational conflict. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Dec 17, 2020
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Antonia's Line (1995) |
Antonia's Line is a masterpiece. I say that even though I found the first 10 minutes ho-hum. By the time the movie was half over, I was hoping it would never end. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted May 08, 2007
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A Bug's Life (1998) |
Even more fun than Antz! - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Office Space (1999) |
So much dull non-humor. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Never Been Kissed (1999) |
A comedy of humiliation that mistakes bathos for humor. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Notting Hill (1999) |
Witty, sweet and genuine! - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Hilary and Jackie (1998) |
The story is told in such a chopped-up way that it often seems pointless and certainly devoid of much-needed editing. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Entrapment (1999) |
The movie deflates early and sags from there! - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Practical Magic (1998) |
What a disappointing mess made from such a promising premise! - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Rush Hour (1998) |
What a lousy movie! - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) |
The sequel is funnier than the original because it has more silliness, more smut and more 'yeah, babies.' - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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October Sky (1999) |
A must-see for every student, parent and teacher in the country! - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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200 Cigarettes (1999) |
You should be able to quash this one with no cravings to ever pick it up again. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Jack Frost (1998) |
No story, not enough humor, a silly setup, and a guy in the snowman suit who looks like he didn't make the first cut at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) |
Delivers exactly what every kid of any age wants: wows. And plenty of them! - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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Soldier (1998) |
Soldier is so mediocre, it might have been more mindless fun if it had been even worse. - Arizona Republic
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| Posted Jan 01, 2000
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