Python Hyena Forces of Nature (1999): Dir: Bronwen Hughes / Cast: Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock, Maura Tierney, Steve Zahn, Blythe Danner: It seems like a force of nature when studios continue to pump out these dreary romantic comedies. This one is about chance and romance. Ben Affleck as a bachelor who is engaged to Maura Tierney. He encounters Sandra Bullock on a plane but it crashes before it gets off the ground, much like the film. Affleck must be on time for his wedding, and Bullock must sell a bagel shop so that she can give the money to her son whom she has never met. Conclusion bares compliment due to a particular decision. Full bore full of lame situations just so to romantic link the leads. Its only grace is its concluding decision. Director Bronwen Hughes showed much promise with the fantastic kids film Harriet the Spy but he shows none of the same talent here. Bullock claims to have been married four times, which renders her a brainless gullible bimbo. Affleck should have called in sick for all the good he does. Tierney is required to sit home waiting for the phone to ring. Steve Zahn plays Affleck's trusted friend. Blythe Danner is also featured amongst the many useless wasted cameo appearances. There are a few complimenting elements regarding marriage but this is more or less a romantic tease in typical fashion with little substance and absolutely no force. Score: 3 / 10

Amy Adler Ben (Ben Affleck) is engaged to a beautiful woman with Southern roots, Bridget (Maura Tierney). It is the week before the wedding and poor Benjamin, who hates to fly, has to board a plane to Savannah. A book jacket writer, this handsome man tries to stay calm. However, the plane has problems and makes an emergency landing. Also on the aircraft, two seats away, was Sarah (Sandra Bullock), a free-spirit if there ever was one. As Ben doesn't want to fly and Sarah kind of takes a shine to him, they decide to hitch a ride with another man in a rental car. However, again, there are problems, as the man has pot in the auto and the three are hauled off to jail. And, so it goes. There is one mishap after another, with Ben calling Bridget at intervals to assure her that he is "almost there". Her family is fuming, for they didn't like his Yankee heritage anyway. In fact, Bridget's father has invited a former flame to attend the pre-nupts and make moves on this engaged woman. As Bridget feels a slight pull in her ex's direction and Ben becomes more enamored with the unusual Sarah, will there end up being a wedding at all? This film is a fairly good romcom but not outstanding. Yes, its my nature, along with the rest of the world, to love Affleck and Bullock and they do their best, making the flick better than the script. Tierney, Steve Zahn, and all of the other supporting cast members are great, too. Also, the changing scenery from the various stops on Ben and Sarah's journey is nice, too while costumes are flattering. The nearly last scene, with an outside wedding being disturbed by strong winds, is quite wonderful. Therefore, its the tepid script and average direction that are to fault. Its another case of planes, trains, and automobiles mixed with mismatched mates, making viewers get a bit of deja vu all over again. So, dear romcom fans, you will probably enjoy this one but may feel desolate at the end, which, in my opinion, is not what is wanted or expected.

Davalon-Davalon Both Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock are extremely appealing, attractive people. The idea of an out-of-control wild woman and a straight-laced businessman (okay, "jacket copywriter") getting together was a fun idea. But, sorry, that's about as far as the fun went.I felt every single emotion in this film was manipulated, either through heavy-handed music (the scene where Ben as "Ben" turns on the radio in the cheap hotel room and hears, but of course, "Love the One You're With") or pound-over-the-head foreshadowing (Ben's fiancée's old boyfriend). We are asked to believe that Sandra and Ben are going to stand on top of a train and shout into the open wilderness, and then, when the train locks itself to the next section, that they don't go flying off into the river below to certain deaths.We are asked to believe that, when desperate for money, they just happen to walk into the one gay bar in the sleaziest part of town and that, of course, Ben will be forced to strip for money to buy a cheap car to take them back to their destination.We are asked to believe many things that are far too coincidental. So, most of the movie doesn't work.But the main problem is: In the beginning of the movie when Ben and "Sarah" (Sandra") are on the plane which runs into trouble before it even takes off due to some retarded seagulls, everyone is roughed up a little and Ben accidentally smashes Sarah's head with his notebook computer. Later, after everyone has been safely evacuated, Ben is hauling Sarah over his arm, getting her to a doctor or stretcher, or whatever the hell he thought he was going to do.Then, when he calls his fiancée to let her know he is okay, Sarah rushes the phone booth (but three minutes before she had been on a stretcher) and tells him, "You saved my life!" and kisses him madly. I'm sorry, what did he do to "save" her life? Nothing. So, the "inciting event" of the movie fails.Also, the endless jokes about marriage being a prison, and loving one person is like wearing the same clothes for the next 25 years... they wear thin quickly.Yes, Sandra is funny. She is glittering and gorgeous and has a movie star face and knows how to deliver a punch line (and a good swift kick if needed); yes, Ben is cute and adorable and he always looks like everything that comes down the line is a surprise and that he'd rather be in an episode of "Leave it to Beaver," but, oh well, he is thinking, "This is life and I guess I better learn how to catch the curveballs!"... but, that aside, who cares? The ending was absolutely unacceptable; I didn't buy his speech to his fiancée for one second, nor did I think all the endless babbling about meeting someone and loving someone at the end was necessary. I can't believe the test audiences did not all at once storm out of the theater when the "big surprise" is revealed at the end. I was extremely disappointed. Another thing that was truly upsetting was, couldn't they think of ANY other name for Ben Affleck's character except "Ben"? How pathetic. Yes, it was a clever idea to combine "force of nature" with natural disaster and with Sandy Bullock's big, fabulous personality and gorgeous glamor girl looks. But ultimately, this movie fails on almost every level. I'm really sorry to say so because I'm a big Sandy fan, and am beginning to appreciate Ben as well. Well, at least they're both pretty to look at.

Thorsten-Krings First the good thing: the film is a quite well made road movie / quest story about a not so young man who needs ti find out what really is important for him. Another great thing is that the film does not get the soppy, cheesy ending you expect for a long time but ends on a rather serious note. Then, the film is also quite funny and entertaining. However, the whole idea of the film and indeed some of the gags and scenes seem to be lifted from the Steve Martin / John Candy vehicle "Trains, planes and automobiles" and you do feel reminded of Jonathan Demme's "Something Wild". So all in all with a lot of scenes you just get the impression that you have all in seen it before.