| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick of Time - R |
"Kisses to you. - No, kisses to you!" John Badham, the director, has had some moderate success in the 70's and 80's. 'Saturday Night Fever', 'War Games' and 'Stakeout' just to name a few. Nowadays he's making a career at the TV industry and I'm pretty sure that 'Nick of Time' has something to do with it... Don't get me wrong! This movie has some good elements. First of all comes in mind that the movie is shown in "real time". I can't really think of that many movies that are made like this. 'Vantage Point' and 'Phone Booth'? And of course now Jack Bauer on TV in '24'... But the problem with this movie is that it doesn't fee like a movie but more like a 90 minute long TV film. It doesn't have "big screen" written on it. The action is pretty lame and there's like no tension at all. And come to think of it, the story ain't that good either... But what saves this film from sucking ass is Christopher Walken. He manages to overact once again but in a good way... Like always. Johnny Depp shows glimpses of his star ability but the rest of the cast are mostly unknown to me or familiar from different TV shows. Don't get me wrong (again), I like good TV just as much as the next guy but this isn't a film that should be given major release because it just doesn't have the key elements for that. So, in my opinion, 'Nick of Time' is recommended only for Depp or Walken fans. |
December 4, 2009 | N/A | |||
| G.I. Jane - R |
"Suck my dick!" Ridley Scott has made several films that are on my top list of all-time movies ('Gladiator', 'Alien'...) and consider him to be one of the most talented directors "on the market". I remember when this film came out and there was a lot of fuzz about Demi Moore's role in the movie because... Oh my God, she shaves her hair! After just completing 'Striptease' she sure as hell has a fine body but there's actually pretty much nothing fine about this movie. The military needs women. I think that women can manage any role just as long as they have the strength to succeed in more demanding jobs. This is what 'G.I Jane' is all about. The Navy Seals are considered to be one of the toughest groups and now it's time to get a tough ass chick in there. The plot / script is what it is but if I could say it with one word, then the word useless would do just fine. Crap comes next to mind... Instead of making this a story about the strentgth of the human mind, Scott just wants to complete the movie in an easy way. The end conflict sequence is just so utterly bad that I can't really remember it by now (finished the movie 5 hours ago, my first and last time with 'G.I Jane'). The actors are totally lost and the only thing I could think about was the "Gunther" mustache that Mortensen had and the lost puppy face which Jesus.. sorry, Jim Caviezel had on his face. So nothing special to report here! Next issue! 'G.I Jane' is by far the worst Ridley Scott film I have seen. I'm not at all surprised that after this movie he had a three year absence before completing 'Gladiator', which is a movie of totally different caliber. Maybe he should take longer breaks in the future as well? Skip this movie, you won't get nothing good out of this. |
November 29, 2009 | N/A | |||
| District 9 - R |
"He was an honest man, and he didn't deserve any of what happened to him. " Wow. Simply put... Wow. The future of the sci-fi genre is saved and Neill Blomkamp is the reason why it all looks so hopeful. Blomkamp was projected to direct the 'Halo' movie, which is based on the successful video game. Peter Jackson was the producer but things didn't go as planned. The project was cancelled (maybe later?) but Jackson saw something special in this young South African director, who had previously made short films, 'Alive in Joburg' for example (D9 is based on this short film) and visual effects to several TV shows. He gave him a budget of 30 million USD's and free rein to do what he wanted. The outcome? One of the best sci-fi films ever and 200 million USD's worldwide... In the beginning of the 80's, a huge alien craft landed over Johannesburg, South Africa. When the humans started to check out the ship, they found thousands of crab like creatures inside, fugitives of their own world. None of them were hostile, just in hunger. All of them were transferred to a district, especially build for them. 30 years later, Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is given the job to retransfer the aliens to a new district, in other words evict them, and at the same time gather all of their weapons and technology for the company, NMU (Multi-National United). Van De Merwe gets an alien infection during a search. All of a sudden he starts to feel ill and gets transported to NMU headquarters where things start to go really bad for him. It seems as he has gotten some alien DNA in his own and is now the key to solve the problem with alien weaponry... The story of 'District 9' is reinforced with current subjects, e.g weapon technology, and criticism against social things, mainly racial segregation aka apartheid, which was a big problem years ago in South Africa. But it's not all that serious though and never gets too preachy or anything... 'District 9' may go a bit campy at times with its humor and storytelling but the mockumentary style will surely make you want to know what will happen next. Weta Workshop, the company behind several award winning special effects (LOTR trilogy..) has given us very fotorealistic effects. The creatures, the end scene battle with alien tech guns etc. And think about the budget? What would Michael Bay do with, let's say 15 million, besides shooting Megan Fox in slow mo... The action looks just as good, at times even better?, than the effects in other effect driven films (Transformers 2, Terminator Salvation etc...). The editing by Julian Clarke and Trent Opaloch's cinematography boost up the outcome of the movie. And think that Blomkamp, Clarke and Opaloch are just in their early 30's! Can't wait to see what they'll bring us next. But he real star of the film is Sharlto Copley, I'm sure an unknown face to all of you. 'D9' is his first feature film and what a performance! Copley, a childhood friend of Blomkamp, gives us in overall a mindblowing performance. He shows us that he can do comedy as well as more serious drama. I really can't think of another performance that has amazed me as much as Copley's. His next feature is 'The A-Team' so I'll definitely check it out, just because of him. 'District 9' is now, without any doubt, one of my all-time favourites in its own genre. This film is one of the most original films I've seen and will surely give the audience laughter, excitement without forgetting its serious subjects. For a debut feature, 'D9' is a really strong performance by Neill Blomkamp. There's already been some discussion of a prequel or a sequel, as the story is left a bit open. Hopefully I'll get to read some good news at some point... Highly recommended to all you buffs! |
November 22, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Michael Jackson's This Is It - PG |
"With the love. L-O-V-E" I'd probably have to say that 'This Is It' is by far one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. The focus is not on Michael Jackson as a person but as an artist. I'm not a big fan of MJ but I've always liked most of his music. Also respected him as an artist despite all the negative fuzz around him. His tragic death just days before his last 50 concert tour will forever remain as a mystery, just as Elvis Presley's. But we are talking about the Kings, right? His death raised up the material, of the making of the tour, to a completely new value. 'This Is It' could easily have been a cheap rip-off of the fans but Kenny Ortega, who was also the director of his tour, has managed to give MJ fans what they want, a chance to see how the tour would've looked like. For a 50 year old legend, MJ still has got the moves. The rehearsals look brilliant and prove that MJ still had a strong voice and the charisma of an unique artist. I'm sure that the tour would've given the fans and the world of music something extraordinary. 'This Is It' is an honest tribute to Michael Jackson as an artist. This documentary shows that MJ is and was an unique, honest artist. A legend. 'This Is It' is something that every person, that has had some love towards him and/or his music, should take a look at. "Let it simmer' |
November 21, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian - PG |
"We're Americans! We don't plan... we do!" The first 'Museum' movie was a huge hit and in my opinion a very decent family film. Of course, it was inevitable that a sequel would happen, so here we are. 'Night at the museum 2' is bigger, louder and.. sucks ass. Ben Stiller's character has now ended his career as a night guard and made a small fortune by inventing crap. The Museum of National History, where the first movie was placed in, is under renovation and all of his beloved friends from the past are being shipped to DC. Of course some evil shit has to happen. Without that happening, we wouldn't have been blessed with this fine piece of movie magic... There's, simply put, one genuinely funny scene and it comes around at 10-15 min. Jonah Hill ('Superbad', 'Knocked Up'), who's performance was in fact uncredited, steals the film with his performance. Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan as the miniature cowboy and Roman general are just as funny as in the first movie. But if you're looking for some laughter, you can end the movie after Hill's scene and give another movie a shot... The CGI is decent but the "simplicity" of the first one is gone and there's just a lot of noise and unimaginative shit pushed in the movie. I liked the first one so much more in every way. This sequel is just another big budget mess. Annoying characters like Hank Azaria's villain of the movie, the Napoleon guy etc, ruin the movie. Even Ben Stiller, whom I usually like, is annoying as hell. I wouldn't recommend this sequel to anyone. Stick to the original and skip this one. |
November 20, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The International - R | November 18, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Inglourious Basterds - R | November 13, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Fast and Furious - PG-13 | November 13, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Step Brothers - R | November 5, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Day the Earth Stood Still - G | November 5, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Changeling - R | October 25, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - PG-13 | October 18, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Day the Earth Stood Still - PG-13 |
"I need to know what's happening? - This planet is dying. The human race is killing it." I call myself a movie fan but there's one thing (many, in fact) that I'm embarrassed about.. I haven't seen the 50's classic of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'. Before writing this review, I had to check one thing. Although I haven't seen it, I remember that the original was about how the alien tried to guide the human race to the path of peace. This remake has an interesting version to bring out, the story has been changed from human warlike disposition to how we are destroying our planet by pollution. So a small update that is.. That's really the only interesting aspect of the movie. From what could've been a good "philosophical point of view of the modern days, turns out to be nothing but another disaster movie. For this movie to be a noteworthy sci-fi film, it fails to bring anything new to the genre, is way too boring and, like said earlier, doesn't bring out the polluting aspect up front like it should have been. It's mentioned briefly but then the film just concentrates on Klaatu running in / from various places... Scott Derrickson directed earlier 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose'. I liked it and when I found out that he had made this film, I was a bit disappointed. Good potential wasted, for now that is. His next film, 'Paradise Lost' sounds interesting though... The cast really doesn't know what they're doing. Keanu is being Keanu, that's no surprise, but Kathy Bates and Jennifer Connelly are seriously wrongly cast. I don't even wanna mention comedy legend John Cleese... 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' is a well-meaning film but it just gets lost on its way. Remakes are always dangerous things to do. So few have toped its predecessors ('The Thing', 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' from '78). This film had potential by updating its idea of the story, but simply failed... "Your problem is not technology. The problem is you. You lack the will to change. - Then help us change." |
September 29, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Hors de Prix (Priceless) - PG-13 |
There's one reason, and one reason only, why I decided to watch this romcom. The reason is Audrey Tautou, one of the most beautiful and talented women in the entertainment business. Jean (Gad Elmaleh) is a kind and helpful, somewhat shy, waitress at a hotel. Irene (Tautou), who dreams of a life as a trophy wife, mistakens Jean as a millionaire. This "mistake" ends Irene's current relationship and she decides to make Jean's life miserable. Jean just happens to love the vamp. I don't know... 'Hors de Prix' feels sometimes like a fresh breath of air to the romcom genre but there's a few things that bothered me. For instance, the whole "relationship" between them both is a bit far fetched. Because of love, to a woman he hardly knows, Jean lets Irene treat him like crap? Come on! There's very little context to a full feature, without making it resemble too much 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. The subplot, when all of the money is gone, where Irene teaches Jean to become a gigolo, or something like that, is nothing but a filling to a weak story. But thank God that this film has Tautou in it! The dialogue is the strongest part of the film. French cinema has always, at least the experience that I have of it, had good written dialogue in 'em. 'Hors de Prix' is no exception. The comedy in the film is very mild but will give some occasional laughter. 'Hors de Prix' is an ok movie with some good moments but I didn't like the nonexistent chemistry between the two lead characters. More like siblings than lovers... The story brings nothing new to the genre and in the end is very weak. The acting is decent but all I remember of this movie now, when I write down these words, is Audrey Tautou. She is a goddess... |
September 29, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Man Som Hatar Kvinnor (Millenium: Part 1 - Men Who Hate Women) (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) - Unrated | September 25, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Year One - PG-13 | September 18, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| In Hell - R |
"Don't let them do you into something you're not..." Van Damme. He is such a great actor... I long for the times, basically the 90's, when we the viewers were given such "classics" as 'Kickboxer', 'Bloodsport', 'Cyborg' and 'Universal Soldier'. Since those movies, all we've got is crap after crap. 'In Hell' is no exception... Damme plays a good guy who gets his wife murdered. He does the obvious thing any man would do and kills the guy. Gets sentenced in prison were he loses himself... Only to be found again. During the film. Damme looked like a "normal" guy, then when he was really down, he looked like a drunken Jesus and when he was a crazy son of a bitch, he looked like an Italian gigolo.. Sounds funny and was funny. 'In Hell' was, yet again, another failure by Damme. The film has no interesting story to be told, bad acting and action scenes that aren't anything special. I didn't know what to think about the characters. There was this one guy who was a crazy killer who was a bit too philosophical. Nothing but a comedic figure... Nothing special here. For those who still like to remember Damme as an action star from the 90's, stick to the films I mentioned in the beginning. Although, I'd like to see 'JCVD' which is out now. Here he tried to act... once again, but in 'JCVD', I heard that he is just himself. |
September 14, 2009 | N/A | |||
| G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra - PG-13 |
"When all else fails we don't." Well, what can I say? Oh my... I had my doubts about the movie when I heard that Stephen Sommers would be the man behind the film. Ok, 'The Mummy' was kinda entertaining and its sequel and 'Van Helsing' were decent one time watch movies. Sadly, 'G.I. Joe' isn't really that good. Based on a popular toy and comic series, 'G.I. Joe' is nothing but CGI porn. The story is nothing but an excuse to introduce the various characters to the audience. My favourite, when I was a kid, Snake Eyes is seen so rarely that I lost all hope after the second half started. It's all about the pretty bad girl stealing high tech nukes, the pretty good guy getting 'em back and the obligatory ninja blowing up Paris... Thank God the Joe's are here to save us! First off, the good news... The special effects look amazing and the action sequences are top notch! Looking at Paris getting fucked (and I'm not talking about the Hilton bitch..) has never looked better. I suppose that most of the big budget has gone to this? Then, the bad thingies... The acting is something so bad that I couldn't feel anything but embarrased for the actors sake. Channing Tatum, for instance, has no talent at all. For an example, one of the last scenes when he's supposed to show some emotion... My dog would've given better human emotions than him! There's a lot of well know faces in the movie but Dennis Quaid, Sienna Miller, Jonathan Pryce... None of 'em manage to do anything special. All of the actors basically have the acting talents of... toys. The story is simple, probably just written to give the characters a chance to be seen and the action to be amazed. If you put your mind on an "easy" level, meaning that you're not waiting to see the next movie masterpiece, you might even be entertained. But here's a lot of stupid, unlogical scenes that will give you a grin on your face. Is that a good thing, considering that 'G.I. Joe' isn't a comedy? So, '(C.)G.I Joe' continues the summer blockbuster series. But like 'Transformers 2', it's just another big budget mess that fools the audience. But I didn't have any high expectations. Just went to the movies with a friend, who's also a former 'Joe' fan, and wanted to see a brainless action romp and we got it. Looks good, sounds good, but isn't that good in the end. The inevitable sequel has every possibilities to make this series a film franchise. Just hope that Sommers doesn't have anything to do with it... |
September 3, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Cat People - Unrated |
"Oh, it's alright. It's just that cats don't seem to like me." 'Cat People' is considered as a cult classic, which is odd for me because this film was very weak. Dull, monotonic and no suspension at all. Many of the 40's horror movies had famous horror actors in 'em but this movie didn't have a single face that I recognize... The actors didn't even do a good job so what could save this film then? The story is about a young Serbian woman who has her own secrets. She meets a man, falls in love (reluctantly) and gets married. Why so serious then? Ain't love beautiful? She believes that she is cursed and her husband's life could be at stake.. Didn't enjoy 'Cat People' at all. The whole falling in love thing, getting married was done so fast that I just couldn't stop laughing. The story didn't have anything that interesting in it. The only interesting elements in this movie was the two supporting characters, the cleaner at the hotel and the zoo janitor. These two characters saved this movie and stole the film from its stars. A film noir classic it might be but didn't work for me. No excitement, dull characters and a weak story with an ending that got my head shaking... Give it a try, see what you think of it. |
September 2, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Waitress - PG-13 |
"I saw that look on a woman's face before. Her name was Annette. I made sweet sweet love to her all through the summer of 1948, and she had that look on her face all through the fall." Adrienne Shelly's small romantic drama was a nice surprise, although I can't say that I'll ever see 'Waitress' again. Shelly plays also part in the movie as the lead characters co-worker, Dawn. Those who read this review should know that Shelly was murdered after the film was completed... A tragic event, what else is there to be said. Keri Russell plays Jenna, an unhappy waitress who is pregnant. She works at a pie diner and makes the most unbeliavable pie's. But she wants to get out of this life and start over... 'Waitress' is funny, touching and somewhat quirky. It's not your typical rom com with dramatic elements. It's different and much more pleasing than the Hollywood productions. This movie has heart. Why did I watch this then? You'd think that I'm not the targeted audience, for sure but its got Nathan Fillion in it! One of my favourites and surely one of the most underrated actors of our time. Watch 'Firefly' series and 'Serenity' and you'll know what I'm talking about... Andy Griffith ('Matlock') does a nice performance as the owner, Old Joe, of the diner. His dialogue, and his character, is the funniest of the bunch. Who wouldn't love an old geezer like that? Good acting and a surprisingly good story. That's all you need to fulfill the needs of the little optimist and romanticist in you. |
September 1, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Public Enemies - R | August 31, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Watchmen - R | August 20, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| City of Ember - PG |
"On the day the world ended, the fate of mankind was carried in a small metal box."
The fantasy genre is one of my favourite genres. In that genre, the viewer gets a chance to leave the world of today and experience something else. Something different. 'City of Ember' exceeded all of my expectations, I thoroughly enjoyed it, flaws and all. The city of Ember was built as a refuge place for humanity and it is powered by a massive generator. But the problem is that it will only sustain for 200 years. Now Ember is falling into darkness as the generator is failing. A metal box is found in the darkest corner of a house whose residents are the descendants of past city mayors. Lina, a young girl and her grandmother are sure that the content of the box is important and may bring a solution to the inevitable end of the city... and humanity? 'City of Ember' has an original script that was truly entertaining. It starts of interesting and doesn't have any pacing problems of any sort. But when the movie ends, I got this feeling of "That's it? What now?". Of course this is a good thing in a way, leaving the viewer to imagine the future of the characters and the described world. The cast does an amazing job. Saoirse Ronan and Harry Treadaway are two young actors that may have a bright future ahead of 'em. Bill Murray continues his stranger-than-we've-used-to roles and manages to pull it of, once again. Maybe he should've left comedy a bit earlier than what he did? And see what Martin Landau managed to do? A very enjoyable performance and proof of him being very much "in the game". The visual image of the film is very good. I enjoyed the feeling that they managed to get in to the movie. Haven't really seen anything like this before. Does remind me a bit of different movies but still it looks very original. 'City of Ember' is a film that didn't succeed at the box office. But I can say that far more worse films are out there. This film may not be for everyone though. Some may say that it's boring or that it doesn't have enough content to be a good feature film. I say that it is a good fantasy film for the elderly teens and the mature audience. For something different, 'City of Ember' may be a good choice for you. |
August 9, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Marley & Me - PG |
"A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about?"
To be honest, I wasn't that anxious to see this film. Why is that? Well, the first reason that comes in mind is the cast. Wilson and Aniston are nice actors but I've seen a bit too much of 'em lately. And I really couldn't give a flying fuck about her baby plans or whom she's dating... I'll give my main reason at the end. John and Jenny Grogan are a good looking, recently married young couple. Of course it's logical to plan a future with a house, kids and a dog. They just happen to choose a discount Labrador puppy, that turns out to be "the world's worst dog". Little do they know that Marley will bring the best out of 'em... 'Marley and Me' is a so called nice film. It has well known performers that will guarantee a good time. The story has its funny moments but also many heartwarming scenes that will surely jerk some tears out of you. If you have a heart, that is... The performers do a decent job but I especially want to mention an old favourite of mine, Kathleen Turner. Nice to see her again on the big screen. Almost forgot her completely but when I saw her, she brought a lot of good memories from my movie past. Another good performer is Alan Arkin. These two end up stealing the film from its biggest stars. Now, the main reason why I didn't almost see 'Marley and Me'... The dog. I love dogs, always had dogs and always will. But you all know what will happen in the movie that features a dog. I'm not gonna mention it, because I don't wanna "spoil" it for you. But I've seen so many dog movies in the past and I always see myself crying like a fuckin' baby in the end. Friends come and go but your true friend, your best friend will never leave you alone. It'll stay with you til the end, listen to your worries and joys... 'Marley and Me' is a good movie for a romantic night with your companion. It'll bring you laughter and tears. What more could you ask for? But it doesn't bring anything new to the genre, seen it all before just in different ways. |
August 9, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Ronja Rövardotter (Ronia, the Robber's Daughter) - Unrated |
I grew up reading Astrid Lindgren's books. Of course I also spent some time with some more international writers but at that time 'Pippi Longstocking', 'Emil' and 'Mio in the Land of Faraway' seemed a bit more interesting for a young boy from Scandinavia.
'Ronja: The Robber's Daughter' remains as one of my favourite childhood events. I've read the book and seen the film several times. After a long pause, I watched it again and all I can say is that the magic still remains. First of all, this is not a film only for children but a perfect movie for the whole family. 'Ronja' has something for everyone; imaginative creatures for those fantasy fanatics, beautiful nature images for all wanderers and, most importantly, a story that will effect each and everyone. The main characters in the film, a daughter and son from rival gangs, are 11 year old kids who seek for adventure and end up finding a strong friendship. I could easily relate to the kids cause I had similar thoughts when I grew up. I've lived far away from big cities, near the wild, when growing up. This is what we did! Played in the forrest, enjoyed the fresh air etc. Something that many kids nowadays aren't doing... But all kids, no matter what generation they're from, have something in common... Parents can be a pain in the ass! 'Ronja' also features one of my favourite creatures ever seen on film. These creatures are called "Rumpnisse". I'm not sure if there's a translation for this word but everytime I saw them, my mouth couldn't stop smiling! "Vafö då då?" 'Ronja' is, as said before, a perfect family movie. There's enough excitement to keep the more mature audience interested and the younger ones on the edge of their seats. There's very little violence and when there's fight scenes going on, they tend to go more on the funnier side. And one thing I have to mention is the songs! Very enjoyable! The characters are lovable and the acting decent. As a curiosity, Hanna Zetterberg who plays Ronja, never continued her career after this film. 'Ronja' remains as my favourite Astrid Lindgren story and is highly recommended to all who want to see a movie that concentrates on the characters and the story instead of special effects and big budgets. |
August 9, 2009 | N/A |
1701 ratings
514 reviews
