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"Help wanted! Calling everyone with spirit essence! Become a spirit agent today!" Umโฆ I just have...
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated When Will I Be Loved (2004) in Movies
Jul 4, 2021 (Updated Jul 4, 2021)
"๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐บ'๐ด ๐จ๐ช๐ณ๐ญ, ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ถ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ? ๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด!"
A deeply, *deeply* misogynistic, artsy-fartsy disaster of stratospheric proportions where every slimebag man has some idiotic 'philosophical' defense as to why they need to manipulate this woman into letting them fuck her - made by a known serial sexual predator. I felt complicit for even entertaining the idea to watch such dogshit, like I needed a military-grade chemical shower after seeing it. Or to at least bleach my eyes. Might be the worst movie I've ever seen, if not then certainly somewhere down in the bottom 5 or 10. Written, edited, and shot like a bad high school student project with this unbearable non-story which rips off - of all movies - ๐๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ข๐ญ (by name, in fact)? Neve Campbell has sex with another women (without showing any skin of course) behind a transparent mesh curtain scored to a shitty Bach cover - imagine if that episode from "South Park" where the people smelled their own farts was real and you'd get this depth-free piece of shit. As cynical, uninvolved, and up-its-own-ass as ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด is, at least that one actually went through with its promise of provocation. ๐๐ช๐ง๐ต๐บ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐บ is unironically more provocative than this. Effectively just a series of bullshit conversations that go nowhere and shit-tier sex scenes more poorly thrown together than that one from Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I. And then it also features horrible ass songs on the soundtrack because of course it does. One of the rare movies to bag Roger Ebert's highest rating... which was also 'earned' by fellow turds ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ด and ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ (which - awful as they are - are masterpieces compared to this) so it shows how much that distinction is worth lmao. Shoot me now.
A deeply, *deeply* misogynistic, artsy-fartsy disaster of stratospheric proportions where every slimebag man has some idiotic 'philosophical' defense as to why they need to manipulate this woman into letting them fuck her - made by a known serial sexual predator. I felt complicit for even entertaining the idea to watch such dogshit, like I needed a military-grade chemical shower after seeing it. Or to at least bleach my eyes. Might be the worst movie I've ever seen, if not then certainly somewhere down in the bottom 5 or 10. Written, edited, and shot like a bad high school student project with this unbearable non-story which rips off - of all movies - ๐๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ข๐ญ (by name, in fact)? Neve Campbell has sex with another women (without showing any skin of course) behind a transparent mesh curtain scored to a shitty Bach cover - imagine if that episode from "South Park" where the people smelled their own farts was real and you'd get this depth-free piece of shit. As cynical, uninvolved, and up-its-own-ass as ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด is, at least that one actually went through with its promise of provocation. ๐๐ช๐ง๐ต๐บ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐บ is unironically more provocative than this. Effectively just a series of bullshit conversations that go nowhere and shit-tier sex scenes more poorly thrown together than that one from Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I. And then it also features horrible ass songs on the soundtrack because of course it does. One of the rare movies to bag Roger Ebert's highest rating... which was also 'earned' by fellow turds ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ข๐ด๐ด and ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ (which - awful as they are - are masterpieces compared to this) so it shows how much that distinction is worth lmao. Shoot me now.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019 (Updated Jun 10, 2019)
The Great Ape-scape
Six years ago, I didnโt think Iโd be telling you that a remake of the classic Planet of the Apes and its sequel would go on to be one of the finest double acts since The Two Ronnies, but thatโs exactly what has happened.
Now, the final part of this incredible trilogy, War for the Planet of the Apes is out and ready to conclude an incredible half decade of cinema. But is it as good as its predecessors?
Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his band of loyal apes are forced into a deadly war with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After Caesarโs band of apes suffers unimaginable losses, he wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own quest of revenge. As the journey finally brings the two rivals face-to-face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species.
I have to say, I was a little concerned the finished product would be as tongue twisting as its frankly ridiculous title (a problem that has blighted the entire series), but it ends up being a stunning and heart-warming finale to a franchise filled to the brim with memorable moments.
The motion capture used on Andy Serkis to create Caesar has to be seen to be believed. If you thought predecessor Dawn was good, you havenโt seen anything yet. His hair moves with subtle believability and his movements are so fluid, itโs easy to forget youโre watching a film and not a documentary.
But this incredible technology isnโt used solely on our main protagonist. Fan favourite orangutan Maurice returns and newcomer โBad Apeโ captured by Steve Zahn provides the flick with a much-needed eccentric, shining a little light in one of the bleakest feature films of the last half decade.
The human characters, naturally donโt fare so well. Woody Harrelson is his usual charismatic self but feels a little caricature like. His colonel just doesnโt feel particularly believable. Likewise, Amiah Millerโs turn as Nova, whom Maurice adopts as his daughter, seems to be merely used as a plot device, though she does partake in some of the sweeter moments.
As with its predecessors, War is a slow burner with the action interweaved into the plot rather than the other way around. In principle it works well, though the pacing towards the middle of this 140-minute behemoth is a little off.
Nevertheless, the action is filmed beautifully. In fact, the whole film is stunning. Beautiful wooded landscapes and open deserts are juxtaposed with the dark concentration camps used in the latter half. One sequence in particular, behind a gorgeously realised waterfall, is one of the best action scenes of the entire year.
Masquerading as a blockbuster, this is a film with a much deeper message about messing with nature. Brutal and emotionally testing, War for the Planet of the Apes is brave in its choices and all the better for it.
Three films in, it would be easy for director Matt Reeves to rest on his laurels and rely on the positive reaction to its predecessors, but thankfully he has climaxed on a high. Itโs not perfect, and not an easy watch by any means, but for a threequel, you canโt really get much better.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/07/12/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-review/
Now, the final part of this incredible trilogy, War for the Planet of the Apes is out and ready to conclude an incredible half decade of cinema. But is it as good as its predecessors?
Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his band of loyal apes are forced into a deadly war with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After Caesarโs band of apes suffers unimaginable losses, he wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own quest of revenge. As the journey finally brings the two rivals face-to-face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species.
I have to say, I was a little concerned the finished product would be as tongue twisting as its frankly ridiculous title (a problem that has blighted the entire series), but it ends up being a stunning and heart-warming finale to a franchise filled to the brim with memorable moments.
The motion capture used on Andy Serkis to create Caesar has to be seen to be believed. If you thought predecessor Dawn was good, you havenโt seen anything yet. His hair moves with subtle believability and his movements are so fluid, itโs easy to forget youโre watching a film and not a documentary.
But this incredible technology isnโt used solely on our main protagonist. Fan favourite orangutan Maurice returns and newcomer โBad Apeโ captured by Steve Zahn provides the flick with a much-needed eccentric, shining a little light in one of the bleakest feature films of the last half decade.
The human characters, naturally donโt fare so well. Woody Harrelson is his usual charismatic self but feels a little caricature like. His colonel just doesnโt feel particularly believable. Likewise, Amiah Millerโs turn as Nova, whom Maurice adopts as his daughter, seems to be merely used as a plot device, though she does partake in some of the sweeter moments.
As with its predecessors, War is a slow burner with the action interweaved into the plot rather than the other way around. In principle it works well, though the pacing towards the middle of this 140-minute behemoth is a little off.
Nevertheless, the action is filmed beautifully. In fact, the whole film is stunning. Beautiful wooded landscapes and open deserts are juxtaposed with the dark concentration camps used in the latter half. One sequence in particular, behind a gorgeously realised waterfall, is one of the best action scenes of the entire year.
Masquerading as a blockbuster, this is a film with a much deeper message about messing with nature. Brutal and emotionally testing, War for the Planet of the Apes is brave in its choices and all the better for it.
Three films in, it would be easy for director Matt Reeves to rest on his laurels and rely on the positive reaction to its predecessors, but thankfully he has climaxed on a high. Itโs not perfect, and not an easy watch by any means, but for a threequel, you canโt really get much better.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/07/12/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-review/
Darren (1599 KP) rated Maximum Risk (1996) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Maximum Risk starts when a French police detective Alain Moreau (Van Damme) sees a man killed, the man looks identical to him and Alain learns that he did in fact have a twin brother. Alain must now look to investigate the murder of his twin brother with his partner Sebastien (Anglade).
Alain learns that his brother was adopted by a Russian family and that he has gone onto to raise up the Russian mob, only he is wanted by them, Alain is joined by Alex (Henstridge) his brotherโs girlfriend as they look to bring down Ivan (Grenier) the leader of the Russian Mob.
Thoughts on Maximum Risk
Characters โ Alain is a French police detective that lives a normal life in Nice, his life if turned upside down when he finds a body that looks identical to himself, learning that he does have a twin brother. Alain go in search for answers which leads him to New York city and the Russian mob, here Alain must learn who he can trust and why his brother is killed, while showing all his fighting skills. Alex is the brotherโs girlfriend, she knows he danger Alain has walked into and will help him get out of the life of crime that his brother was part of. Sebastien is the partner of Alain back in France, he has worked with him for years, only he stays in France for the investigation. Ivan Dzasokhov is the Russian that has been hunting down Alain, he wants something that he posses and knows it could give up his freedom is the secret it released.
Performances โ Jean-Claude Van Damme is the man we know for action, when he gets to fight we know we get quality scenes, when it comes to becoming serious he isnโt on the same level. Natasha Henstridge was fresh of the back of Species here and easily fit the role for looks, while never getting her chance to do much more. The rest of the cast fill their roles to help make Van Damme look good in the action sequences.
Story โ The story follows a man that must unlock the mystery behind why his unknown brother was murdered, which sees him enter the world of the Russian mob. Letโs be honest, the story isnโt always the most important part of any Van Damme movie, we just want to watch him kick peopleโs asses. This story puts him in a place where he just doesnโt know where each step will take him, we get plenty of people that want Alain dead which shows he doesnโt know who to trust, but we always know that he is going to come out on top, it is an easy relaxing action film for the story side of things.
Action/Crime/Mystery โ The action here involves Van Damme doing his thing, kicking ass regardless of the size of the opponent. We follow a police officer entering the world of the Russian mob which brings us into the crime elements of the story, while the mystery comes from just who could be trusted during this time.
Settings โ The film takes place in two main cities, Nice in France and New York, we do get the fish out of water idea with Alain in New York here.
Scene of the Movie โ The sauna fight.
That Moment That Annoyed Me โ It is pretty basic.
Final Thoughts โ This is a simple easy to follow action movie that we are used to seeing from Van Damme.
Overall: Simple Van Damme Action Film.
Alain learns that his brother was adopted by a Russian family and that he has gone onto to raise up the Russian mob, only he is wanted by them, Alain is joined by Alex (Henstridge) his brotherโs girlfriend as they look to bring down Ivan (Grenier) the leader of the Russian Mob.
Thoughts on Maximum Risk
Characters โ Alain is a French police detective that lives a normal life in Nice, his life if turned upside down when he finds a body that looks identical to himself, learning that he does have a twin brother. Alain go in search for answers which leads him to New York city and the Russian mob, here Alain must learn who he can trust and why his brother is killed, while showing all his fighting skills. Alex is the brotherโs girlfriend, she knows he danger Alain has walked into and will help him get out of the life of crime that his brother was part of. Sebastien is the partner of Alain back in France, he has worked with him for years, only he stays in France for the investigation. Ivan Dzasokhov is the Russian that has been hunting down Alain, he wants something that he posses and knows it could give up his freedom is the secret it released.
Performances โ Jean-Claude Van Damme is the man we know for action, when he gets to fight we know we get quality scenes, when it comes to becoming serious he isnโt on the same level. Natasha Henstridge was fresh of the back of Species here and easily fit the role for looks, while never getting her chance to do much more. The rest of the cast fill their roles to help make Van Damme look good in the action sequences.
Story โ The story follows a man that must unlock the mystery behind why his unknown brother was murdered, which sees him enter the world of the Russian mob. Letโs be honest, the story isnโt always the most important part of any Van Damme movie, we just want to watch him kick peopleโs asses. This story puts him in a place where he just doesnโt know where each step will take him, we get plenty of people that want Alain dead which shows he doesnโt know who to trust, but we always know that he is going to come out on top, it is an easy relaxing action film for the story side of things.
Action/Crime/Mystery โ The action here involves Van Damme doing his thing, kicking ass regardless of the size of the opponent. We follow a police officer entering the world of the Russian mob which brings us into the crime elements of the story, while the mystery comes from just who could be trusted during this time.
Settings โ The film takes place in two main cities, Nice in France and New York, we do get the fish out of water idea with Alain in New York here.
Scene of the Movie โ The sauna fight.
That Moment That Annoyed Me โ It is pretty basic.
Final Thoughts โ This is a simple easy to follow action movie that we are used to seeing from Van Damme.
Overall: Simple Van Damme Action Film.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Their Finest (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Keep Calm and Carry on Writing.
In a well-mined category, โTheir Finestโ is a World War 2 comedy/drama telling a tale I havenโt seen told before: the story behind the British Ministry of Information and their drive to produce propaganda films that support morale and promote positive messages in a time of national crisis. For it is 1940 and London is under nightly attack by the Luftwaffe during the time known as โThe Blitzโ. Unfortunately the Ministry is run by a bunch of toffs, and their output is laughably misaligned with the working class population, and especially the female population: with their husbands fighting overseas, these two groups are fast becoming one and the same. For women are finding and enjoying new empowerment and freedom in being socially unshackled from the kitchen sink.
The brave crew of the Nancy Starling. Bill Nighy as Uncle Frank, with twins Lily and Francesca Knight as the Starling sisters.
Enter Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton, โThe Girl with all the Giftsโ) who is one such woman arriving to a dangerous London from South Wales to live with struggling disabled artist Ellis (Jack Huston, grandson of John Huston). Catrin, stretching the truth a little, brings a stirring โtrueโ tale of derring-do about the Dunkirk evacuation to the Ministryโs attention. She is then employed to โwrite the slopโ (the womanโs dialogue) in the writing team headed by spiky Tom Buckley (Sam Claflin, โMe Before Youโ).
One of the stars of the film within the film is โUncle Frankโ played by the aging but charismatic actor Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy, โDadโs Armyโ, โLove Actuallyโ). Catrin proves her worth by pouring oil on troubled waters as the army insist on the introduction of an American airman (Jake Lacy, โCarolโ) to the stressful mix. An attraction builds between Catrin and Tom, but how will the love triangle resolve itself? (For a significant clue see the โSpoiler Sectionโ below the trailer, but be warned that this is a major spoiler!).
As you might expect if youโve seen the trailer the film is, in the main, warm and funny with Gemma Arterton just gorgeously huggable as the determined young lady trying to make it in a misogynistic 40โs world of work. Arterton is just the perfect โgirl next doorโ: (sighโฆ if I was only 20 years younger and unattached!) But mixed in with the humour and the romantic storyline is a harsh sprinkling of the trials of war and not a little heartbreak occurs. This is at least a 5 tissue movie.
Claflin, who is having a strong year with appearances in a wide range of films, is also eminently watchable. One of his best scenes is a speech with Arterton about โwhy people love the moviesโ, a theory that the film merrily and memorably drives a stake through the heart of!
Elsewhere Lacy is hilarious as the hapless airman with zero acting ability; Helen McCrory (โHarry Potterโ) as Sophie Smith vamps it up wonderfully as the potential Polish love interest for Hilliard; Richard E Grant (โLoganโ) and Jeremy Irons (โThe Lion Kingโ, โDie Hard: with a Vengeanceโ) pop up in useful cameos and Eddie Marsan (โSherlock Holmesโ) is also touching as Hilliardโs long-suffering agent.
But it is Bill Nighyโs Hilliard who carries most of the wit and humour of the film with his pompous thespian persona, basking in the dwindling glory of a much loved series of โInspector Lynleyโ films. With his pomposity progressively warming under the thawing effect of Sophie and Catrin, you have to love him! Bill Nighy is, well, Bill Nighy. Hugh Grant gets it (unfairly) in the neck for โbeing Hugh Grantโ in every film, but this pales in comparison with Nighyโs performances! But who cares: his kooky delivery is just delightful and he is a national treasure!
Slightly less convincing for me was Rachael Stirlingโs role as a butch ministry busybody with more than a hint of the lesbian about her. Stirlingโs performance in the role is fine, but would this really have been so blatant in 1940โs Britain? This didnโt really ring true for me.
While the film gamely tries to pull off London in the Blitz the filmโs limited budget (around ยฃ25m) makes everything feel a little underpowered and โemptyโ: a few hundred more extras in the Underground/Blitz scenes for example would have helped no end. However, the special effects crew do their best and the cinematography by Sebastian Blenkov (โThe Riot Clubโ) suitably conveys the mood: a scene where Catrin gets caught in a bomb blast outside a clothes shop is particularly moving.
As with all comedy dramas, sometimes the bedfellows lie uncomfortably with each other, and a couple of plot twists: one highly predictable; one shockingly unpredictable make this a non-linear watch. This rollercoaster of a script by Gaby Chiappe, in an excellent feature film debut (she actually also has a cameo in the propaganda โcarrot filmโ!), undeniably adds interest and makes the film more memorable. However (I know from personal experience) that the twist did not please everyone in the audience!
Despite its occasionally uneven tone, this is a really enjoyable watch (particularly for more mature audiences) and Danish director Lone Scherfig finally has a vehicle that matches the quality of her much praised Carey Mulligan vehicle โAn Educationโ.
The brave crew of the Nancy Starling. Bill Nighy as Uncle Frank, with twins Lily and Francesca Knight as the Starling sisters.
Enter Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton, โThe Girl with all the Giftsโ) who is one such woman arriving to a dangerous London from South Wales to live with struggling disabled artist Ellis (Jack Huston, grandson of John Huston). Catrin, stretching the truth a little, brings a stirring โtrueโ tale of derring-do about the Dunkirk evacuation to the Ministryโs attention. She is then employed to โwrite the slopโ (the womanโs dialogue) in the writing team headed by spiky Tom Buckley (Sam Claflin, โMe Before Youโ).
One of the stars of the film within the film is โUncle Frankโ played by the aging but charismatic actor Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy, โDadโs Armyโ, โLove Actuallyโ). Catrin proves her worth by pouring oil on troubled waters as the army insist on the introduction of an American airman (Jake Lacy, โCarolโ) to the stressful mix. An attraction builds between Catrin and Tom, but how will the love triangle resolve itself? (For a significant clue see the โSpoiler Sectionโ below the trailer, but be warned that this is a major spoiler!).
As you might expect if youโve seen the trailer the film is, in the main, warm and funny with Gemma Arterton just gorgeously huggable as the determined young lady trying to make it in a misogynistic 40โs world of work. Arterton is just the perfect โgirl next doorโ: (sighโฆ if I was only 20 years younger and unattached!) But mixed in with the humour and the romantic storyline is a harsh sprinkling of the trials of war and not a little heartbreak occurs. This is at least a 5 tissue movie.
Claflin, who is having a strong year with appearances in a wide range of films, is also eminently watchable. One of his best scenes is a speech with Arterton about โwhy people love the moviesโ, a theory that the film merrily and memorably drives a stake through the heart of!
Elsewhere Lacy is hilarious as the hapless airman with zero acting ability; Helen McCrory (โHarry Potterโ) as Sophie Smith vamps it up wonderfully as the potential Polish love interest for Hilliard; Richard E Grant (โLoganโ) and Jeremy Irons (โThe Lion Kingโ, โDie Hard: with a Vengeanceโ) pop up in useful cameos and Eddie Marsan (โSherlock Holmesโ) is also touching as Hilliardโs long-suffering agent.
But it is Bill Nighyโs Hilliard who carries most of the wit and humour of the film with his pompous thespian persona, basking in the dwindling glory of a much loved series of โInspector Lynleyโ films. With his pomposity progressively warming under the thawing effect of Sophie and Catrin, you have to love him! Bill Nighy is, well, Bill Nighy. Hugh Grant gets it (unfairly) in the neck for โbeing Hugh Grantโ in every film, but this pales in comparison with Nighyโs performances! But who cares: his kooky delivery is just delightful and he is a national treasure!
Slightly less convincing for me was Rachael Stirlingโs role as a butch ministry busybody with more than a hint of the lesbian about her. Stirlingโs performance in the role is fine, but would this really have been so blatant in 1940โs Britain? This didnโt really ring true for me.
While the film gamely tries to pull off London in the Blitz the filmโs limited budget (around ยฃ25m) makes everything feel a little underpowered and โemptyโ: a few hundred more extras in the Underground/Blitz scenes for example would have helped no end. However, the special effects crew do their best and the cinematography by Sebastian Blenkov (โThe Riot Clubโ) suitably conveys the mood: a scene where Catrin gets caught in a bomb blast outside a clothes shop is particularly moving.
As with all comedy dramas, sometimes the bedfellows lie uncomfortably with each other, and a couple of plot twists: one highly predictable; one shockingly unpredictable make this a non-linear watch. This rollercoaster of a script by Gaby Chiappe, in an excellent feature film debut (she actually also has a cameo in the propaganda โcarrot filmโ!), undeniably adds interest and makes the film more memorable. However (I know from personal experience) that the twist did not please everyone in the audience!
Despite its occasionally uneven tone, this is a really enjoyable watch (particularly for more mature audiences) and Danish director Lone Scherfig finally has a vehicle that matches the quality of her much praised Carey Mulligan vehicle โAn Educationโ.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated War of the Worlds (2005) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
In a summer season of grand blockbusters, War of the Worldsโ is perhaps the biggest dud in years, and is a failure of epic proportions. The film is a remake of the classic 1953 film of the same name which like the new one is inspired from the H.G. Wells novel of 1898.
The new version is directed by Steven Spielberg, and stars Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, a divorced dockworker who is spending some time with his estranged children, Robbie (Justin Chatwin), and Rachael (Dakota Fanning), while his ex-wife and her new husband take a trip.
The children are very cold to Ray as they feel they were dumped on their mother as Ray only cares about himself. When a series of freak electrical storms hits various cities around the world, Ray attempts to comfort his children who are disturbed by the storm as well as the fact that all electronic devices have ceased to function.
Ray leaves the children at home and ventures into the neighborhood and is soon facing a waking nightmare as giant machines burst from the ground laying waste to everything in their paths.
Ray gathers his family and flees in a working vehicle trying to stay one step ahead of the alien machines in an attempt to find safety and reunite the children with their mother in Boston.
As basic as the above plot outline is, it is pretty much the entire plot of the film. There is little else to it aside from a few interruptions such as the family seeking shelter in a couple of houses or facing an angry mob as they attempt to reach a ferry.
While a thin plot can be excused for many action films, what cannot be excused are the painfully bad lack of any excitement in the film and the lack of any compelling action or suspense.
We are supposed to believe that the world is being destroyed by the alienโs but aside from a few blasted bridges, and small buildings, we see a surprising lack of carnage. There are no sequences of classic landmarks being reduced to rubble, there are no scenes of vast armies locked in a desperate struggle against the invaders.
Instead, we get a sequence of helicopters firing, and a line of soldiers firing, but they never show us what they are shooting at, nor do we see the alien retaliation behind a bright explosion and a few vehicles emerging on fire. This is particularly frustrating when you consider that the 1954 version at least showed a few tanks being blasted outright.
Another issue I had with the film was the painfully obvious superimposed backdrops as during the films limited action scenes; the background was clearly inserted into the shot as it was so fuzzy that it did not fit in with the events in the foreground.
While I am willing to dismiss this as stylistic nitpicking what cannot be ignored is that for most of the films running length, the cast does little more than stand around waiting for something to happen.
There are no great segments of character development, no insight into why the aliens waited all this time to attack when they could have done so centuries earlier, why they want the planet, and numerous other plot holes, some of which are so glaring. One of my favorites was the guy who was able to use a video camera to record the opening attacks when it was clearly shown that all electronic devices were rendered useless.
Much has been made of Cruiseโs recent off screen actions and I must say that those have been far more interesting and engaging than his performance here. Cruise spends the majority of the film in a wide-eyed gaze or frantically moving and yelling. His character like his annoyingly bratty daughter are so unsympathetic, I found myself hoping that the aliens would take them out and end our suffering.
I hate stated prior that I thought this film may have problems as in light of films such as โID4โ, the story would seem bland to modern audiences unless the action was increased and there was a dynamic story with interesting characters. Sadly all of those are missing from a film that also has one of the worst endings in recent history.
There is no build up, no final confrontation, no moment of high tension to get to the payoff; it just ends with a whimper. One would think that a grand battle or an effects royale is in store instead, it plays out in a very matter of fact fashion with shockingly little action or suspense.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that between the weak acting, tired, thin plot, and infrequent and underwhelming action and effects, this is a film that exists only due to the talents of Cruise and Spielberg., That being said, I have to wonder how and why they could not have picked a better product than this stale offering.
The new version is directed by Steven Spielberg, and stars Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, a divorced dockworker who is spending some time with his estranged children, Robbie (Justin Chatwin), and Rachael (Dakota Fanning), while his ex-wife and her new husband take a trip.
The children are very cold to Ray as they feel they were dumped on their mother as Ray only cares about himself. When a series of freak electrical storms hits various cities around the world, Ray attempts to comfort his children who are disturbed by the storm as well as the fact that all electronic devices have ceased to function.
Ray leaves the children at home and ventures into the neighborhood and is soon facing a waking nightmare as giant machines burst from the ground laying waste to everything in their paths.
Ray gathers his family and flees in a working vehicle trying to stay one step ahead of the alien machines in an attempt to find safety and reunite the children with their mother in Boston.
As basic as the above plot outline is, it is pretty much the entire plot of the film. There is little else to it aside from a few interruptions such as the family seeking shelter in a couple of houses or facing an angry mob as they attempt to reach a ferry.
While a thin plot can be excused for many action films, what cannot be excused are the painfully bad lack of any excitement in the film and the lack of any compelling action or suspense.
We are supposed to believe that the world is being destroyed by the alienโs but aside from a few blasted bridges, and small buildings, we see a surprising lack of carnage. There are no sequences of classic landmarks being reduced to rubble, there are no scenes of vast armies locked in a desperate struggle against the invaders.
Instead, we get a sequence of helicopters firing, and a line of soldiers firing, but they never show us what they are shooting at, nor do we see the alien retaliation behind a bright explosion and a few vehicles emerging on fire. This is particularly frustrating when you consider that the 1954 version at least showed a few tanks being blasted outright.
Another issue I had with the film was the painfully obvious superimposed backdrops as during the films limited action scenes; the background was clearly inserted into the shot as it was so fuzzy that it did not fit in with the events in the foreground.
While I am willing to dismiss this as stylistic nitpicking what cannot be ignored is that for most of the films running length, the cast does little more than stand around waiting for something to happen.
There are no great segments of character development, no insight into why the aliens waited all this time to attack when they could have done so centuries earlier, why they want the planet, and numerous other plot holes, some of which are so glaring. One of my favorites was the guy who was able to use a video camera to record the opening attacks when it was clearly shown that all electronic devices were rendered useless.
Much has been made of Cruiseโs recent off screen actions and I must say that those have been far more interesting and engaging than his performance here. Cruise spends the majority of the film in a wide-eyed gaze or frantically moving and yelling. His character like his annoyingly bratty daughter are so unsympathetic, I found myself hoping that the aliens would take them out and end our suffering.
I hate stated prior that I thought this film may have problems as in light of films such as โID4โ, the story would seem bland to modern audiences unless the action was increased and there was a dynamic story with interesting characters. Sadly all of those are missing from a film that also has one of the worst endings in recent history.
There is no build up, no final confrontation, no moment of high tension to get to the payoff; it just ends with a whimper. One would think that a grand battle or an effects royale is in store instead, it plays out in a very matter of fact fashion with shockingly little action or suspense.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that between the weak acting, tired, thin plot, and infrequent and underwhelming action and effects, this is a film that exists only due to the talents of Cruise and Spielberg., That being said, I have to wonder how and why they could not have picked a better product than this stale offering.
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JT (287 KP) rated Shame (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
If you ever wondered what constitutes as a powerful piece of film making then Shame, directed by Steve McQueen, is it. Michael Fassbender plays Brandon a man who has an addiction for sex and all things surrounding it. From porn, webcams, fingering random girls in bars, itโs all covered here in gratuitous fashion that certainly delivers shock value.
When his sister, Sissy (Mulligan) turns up at his apartment unannounced it throws his life into turmoil as she carries with her problems of her own.Brandonโs sexual appetite is a massive part of his life, he doesnโt go in for long term relationships instead finding time to pay for sex and engage in dates and the occasional one night stand.
His hunger drifts into the work place as well, which proves a dangerous playground. As the film grows Brandon begins to realise that his addiction is slowly consuming him, unable to perform sexually in some cases he is gripped by emotional dilemmas while at the same time trying to orchestrate a normal existence.
Fassbender is brilliant, giving by far, one of his best performances. Strange that actors seem to do this in films that generally are not that well known, albeit only around film festivals as opposed to main stream cinema. Brandon is a character that is trying to escape his inner demons, like with any addiction the road to ridding the problem is a long journey.
We see Brandon having a clear out of his apartment, throwing porn mags, DVDs and even his entire laptop, casting it onto the street in bin bags like it was a quick fix solution, which itโs not.
The supporting cast, aside Mulligan, is limited. James Badge Dale as Brandonโs over excited and at times sleazy boss holds his own but it is a relatively small part so he doesnโt have a lot to chew on. Shame is graphic, if youโre the least bit prudish then this film is certainly not going to be for you. Fassbender is a hollow shell, but the emotion beneath him is bubbling and the final act shows Brandon on a night of careless sexual exploitation, which takes him on a painful journey of self loathing.
Itโs a film that will be open to much debate, the last scenes will no doubt set tongues wagging. But through all the controversy lies a film that depicts an addiction just like any other, and tries to break through to the underlying causes behind it, as well as the people that it affects.
When his sister, Sissy (Mulligan) turns up at his apartment unannounced it throws his life into turmoil as she carries with her problems of her own.Brandonโs sexual appetite is a massive part of his life, he doesnโt go in for long term relationships instead finding time to pay for sex and engage in dates and the occasional one night stand.
His hunger drifts into the work place as well, which proves a dangerous playground. As the film grows Brandon begins to realise that his addiction is slowly consuming him, unable to perform sexually in some cases he is gripped by emotional dilemmas while at the same time trying to orchestrate a normal existence.
Fassbender is brilliant, giving by far, one of his best performances. Strange that actors seem to do this in films that generally are not that well known, albeit only around film festivals as opposed to main stream cinema. Brandon is a character that is trying to escape his inner demons, like with any addiction the road to ridding the problem is a long journey.
We see Brandon having a clear out of his apartment, throwing porn mags, DVDs and even his entire laptop, casting it onto the street in bin bags like it was a quick fix solution, which itโs not.
The supporting cast, aside Mulligan, is limited. James Badge Dale as Brandonโs over excited and at times sleazy boss holds his own but it is a relatively small part so he doesnโt have a lot to chew on. Shame is graphic, if youโre the least bit prudish then this film is certainly not going to be for you. Fassbender is a hollow shell, but the emotion beneath him is bubbling and the final act shows Brandon on a night of careless sexual exploitation, which takes him on a painful journey of self loathing.
Itโs a film that will be open to much debate, the last scenes will no doubt set tongues wagging. But through all the controversy lies a film that depicts an addiction just like any other, and tries to break through to the underlying causes behind it, as well as the people that it affects.
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Kids growing up today donโt have the experience of a true arcade like some of us old folks do. Arcades as I knew them were loud (often smoke filled) establishments lined from one end to the other with all types of video games. Arcades these days reside mainly in pizza parlors with giant animatronic mice and consist mostly of ticket giving, skill-based games like skeeball and flippy coin games. Well, we now get a little bit of a nostalgic flashback as the Disney juggernaut does it again with Ralph Breaks the Internet, a delightful story about friendship, self-confidence and of course arcade games.
Ralph (John C. Reilly) has come a long way from his time as an arcade villain. He now spends his days working in his video game โFix-It Felix Jr.โ and his nights having fun with his adorable and talented bestie Vanellope (Sarah Silverman). Life just couldnโt be better, and Ralph is completely content living a structured and simple life. Vanellope, on the other hand, dreams of excitement and a change of pace, as she is growing tired of working in her game โSugar Rushโ since itโs always the same tracks and she wins every race. As the saying goesโฆbe careful what you wish for. Things soon take a turn for the worse when Vanellopeโs Sugar Rush game cabinet breaks causing mass upheaval in the world behind Litwakโs Arcade. The friends discover that the part to fix it can only be found on E-bay, so the two embark on a journey on the newly installed internet to find E-bay and get the part to fix the game.
Ralph and Vanellope find out that the internet is a vast and strange place and they quickly learn there is a much larger world outside their little arcade. On the internet there are new places to explore, new games to play and friends whose hearts are as large as the internet itself. The way the writers and animators portrayed how the actual websites work within the internet was simply spectacular. They nailed exactly how I believe E-bay works when Iโm bidding on all those hard to find Disney items and Iโm happy they finally confirmed that there is a Mr. KnowsMore behind the all-knowing Google search bar. They even gave purpose and heart to the ever-annoying internet pop-up ads and if that isnโt storytelling at its finest, I donโt know what is. The inner workings of the internet are brought to life in only a way that Disney could, and I loved every minute of it.
Not only did they superbly animate the World Wide Web, Ralph Breaks the Internet is also full of as much heart and charm as any Disney movie. The bond between Ralph and Vanellope is so strong that it sweetly radiates off the screen. There is also depth to the story as we get to see their relationship go through all the struggles and triumphs that form a true and lasting friendship. In pure Disney fashion, in the end there is a moral to the story where Ralph learns that a true friend is someone who is willing to let go, even when you donโt want to. The story was sweet as sugar and showed that things can always be fixed as long as you are true friends.
The animation is top-notch, with so many little nuances that Iโm certain I didnโt catch them all the first time around. The animation in the scenes with the โcasualโ princesses and the little bit in the credits (you absolutely 100% must stay for the credits) with Fun Bun and Puddles make everything even more perfect. They also added little extra touches like when the friends go to Tapperโs bar to have a drink of Root Beer, the bartenderโs movements are jerky and react exactly as he did in the actual arcade game. Speaking of characters there are so many represented, you may want to see this movie a couple of times just to see them all.
Ralph Breaks the Internet takes modern technology and blends it with memorable characters, an incredible story, and more Easter Eggs than you can shake a joystick at. Everyone from video game fans to Disney movie lovers will find something to enjoy. Disney definitely has another blockbuster on their hands and it will have no problem sitting proudly next to the likes of Beauty and the Beast or the epic Toy Story films. In Ralph Breaks the Internet, you will be laughing one minute and crying the next and it once again shows us how Disney can take any topic and turn it into a timeless classic. Make sure to race to your nearest theater on November 21, 2018 when Ralph Breaks the Internet comes crashing into theaters everywhere. Youโll be happy that you did.
Ralph (John C. Reilly) has come a long way from his time as an arcade villain. He now spends his days working in his video game โFix-It Felix Jr.โ and his nights having fun with his adorable and talented bestie Vanellope (Sarah Silverman). Life just couldnโt be better, and Ralph is completely content living a structured and simple life. Vanellope, on the other hand, dreams of excitement and a change of pace, as she is growing tired of working in her game โSugar Rushโ since itโs always the same tracks and she wins every race. As the saying goesโฆbe careful what you wish for. Things soon take a turn for the worse when Vanellopeโs Sugar Rush game cabinet breaks causing mass upheaval in the world behind Litwakโs Arcade. The friends discover that the part to fix it can only be found on E-bay, so the two embark on a journey on the newly installed internet to find E-bay and get the part to fix the game.
Ralph and Vanellope find out that the internet is a vast and strange place and they quickly learn there is a much larger world outside their little arcade. On the internet there are new places to explore, new games to play and friends whose hearts are as large as the internet itself. The way the writers and animators portrayed how the actual websites work within the internet was simply spectacular. They nailed exactly how I believe E-bay works when Iโm bidding on all those hard to find Disney items and Iโm happy they finally confirmed that there is a Mr. KnowsMore behind the all-knowing Google search bar. They even gave purpose and heart to the ever-annoying internet pop-up ads and if that isnโt storytelling at its finest, I donโt know what is. The inner workings of the internet are brought to life in only a way that Disney could, and I loved every minute of it.
Not only did they superbly animate the World Wide Web, Ralph Breaks the Internet is also full of as much heart and charm as any Disney movie. The bond between Ralph and Vanellope is so strong that it sweetly radiates off the screen. There is also depth to the story as we get to see their relationship go through all the struggles and triumphs that form a true and lasting friendship. In pure Disney fashion, in the end there is a moral to the story where Ralph learns that a true friend is someone who is willing to let go, even when you donโt want to. The story was sweet as sugar and showed that things can always be fixed as long as you are true friends.
The animation is top-notch, with so many little nuances that Iโm certain I didnโt catch them all the first time around. The animation in the scenes with the โcasualโ princesses and the little bit in the credits (you absolutely 100% must stay for the credits) with Fun Bun and Puddles make everything even more perfect. They also added little extra touches like when the friends go to Tapperโs bar to have a drink of Root Beer, the bartenderโs movements are jerky and react exactly as he did in the actual arcade game. Speaking of characters there are so many represented, you may want to see this movie a couple of times just to see them all.
Ralph Breaks the Internet takes modern technology and blends it with memorable characters, an incredible story, and more Easter Eggs than you can shake a joystick at. Everyone from video game fans to Disney movie lovers will find something to enjoy. Disney definitely has another blockbuster on their hands and it will have no problem sitting proudly next to the likes of Beauty and the Beast or the epic Toy Story films. In Ralph Breaks the Internet, you will be laughing one minute and crying the next and it once again shows us how Disney can take any topic and turn it into a timeless classic. Make sure to race to your nearest theater on November 21, 2018 when Ralph Breaks the Internet comes crashing into theaters everywhere. Youโll be happy that you did.