Search
Search results
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) in Movies
May 11, 2022
I've taken a few days since seeing Multiverse of Madness to try and digest it as a whole, and decide how I felt about it. It's certainly wild, and leaves a hefty impression. My initial reservations stem from a couple of elements. Firstly, due to the nature of the multiverse, there are some big set pieces and character moments that feel a bit inconsequential. I hope that future projects might reveist these moments and the subsequent fallout from them, but I've got a sneaky feeling that might not happen. Secondly, there's a massive plot point that drives the entire movie that feels a little unearned, even if the execution packs a hell of a punch.
Overall though, I feel that these are minor detriments to what is a spectacular, and comic-book-as-fuck MCU entry, an entry that carries a unique signature, thanks in no small part to its director. It's no secret that I'm a big ol' Sam Raimi fan, and the entirety of MoM feels like a film straight from his mind. Sure, it has the standard Marvel Studios template, but his style shines through with little effort. There are definitely some moments that feel like a gateway horror flick, and even a bit of splatter that you might not expect from an MCU movie. There's even a few Evil Dead references chucked in for good measure.
It terms of wider connections, there's a lot goinh on here. The narrative does a lot to establish Dr Strange as a major player going forward, and introduces a great deep cut from the comics in America Chavez, another character that would fit right in with a Young Avenger film that is surely not too far off. It's also the first theater release to really feel impacted by the Disney+ shows, essentially acting as not just a sequel to Doctor Strange and No Way Home, but to WandaVision as well. On that note, Elizabeth Olsen all but steals the show here, and it's quite glorious. Elsewhere, the multiverse ensures that there are some crazy set pieces, and some fun cameos that will surely have fans talking and speculating for quite some time.
If nothing else, MoM is an incredibly fun Sam Raimi film, and a solid entry into the wider MCU, and I'm happy with that result.
Overall though, I feel that these are minor detriments to what is a spectacular, and comic-book-as-fuck MCU entry, an entry that carries a unique signature, thanks in no small part to its director. It's no secret that I'm a big ol' Sam Raimi fan, and the entirety of MoM feels like a film straight from his mind. Sure, it has the standard Marvel Studios template, but his style shines through with little effort. There are definitely some moments that feel like a gateway horror flick, and even a bit of splatter that you might not expect from an MCU movie. There's even a few Evil Dead references chucked in for good measure.
It terms of wider connections, there's a lot goinh on here. The narrative does a lot to establish Dr Strange as a major player going forward, and introduces a great deep cut from the comics in America Chavez, another character that would fit right in with a Young Avenger film that is surely not too far off. It's also the first theater release to really feel impacted by the Disney+ shows, essentially acting as not just a sequel to Doctor Strange and No Way Home, but to WandaVision as well. On that note, Elizabeth Olsen all but steals the show here, and it's quite glorious. Elsewhere, the multiverse ensures that there are some crazy set pieces, and some fun cameos that will surely have fans talking and speculating for quite some time.
If nothing else, MoM is an incredibly fun Sam Raimi film, and a solid entry into the wider MCU, and I'm happy with that result.
Darren (1599 KP) rated A Prophet (Un prophete) (2010) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: A Prophet starts as Malik (Rahim) enters prison, he wants to keep to himself and get out quickly, but this doesn’t happen because crime boss Cesar (Arestrup) sees him as a potential new employee in need of protection on the inside, but in exchange Malik must do some of the dirty work for Cesar.
As time goes by Malik starts getting granted day release from prison where he must run jobs for Cesar, instead of getting back into normal life again. When things start getting out of control Malik must find a way out of this life before it is too late.
REPORT THIS AD
Thoughts on A Prophet
Characters – Malik is a young criminal, sent to prison where he wants to do his time and walk away from his mistakes, he isn’t going to get this chance as he gets recruited with the promise of protection on the inside. He finds himself doing whatever it takes to survive this, but can he find a way out. Cesar is the crime lord in prison, he offers protection in exchange for jobs to be done for him, he will kill anyone that crosses him though.
Performances – The performances in this film are fantastic, you believe each reaction and motive the characters must go through as things are happening in the film.
Story – The story follows one young man’s fall into the crime world from inside a prison, to where he must find a way out before it finds himself too deep. There is a religious element to the story which shows the tension between Arabic and Muslims as Malik is stuck between the twos battle. This is a by the book gangster style movie where the new person enters and rises up the gang only to want to find a way out too.
Crime – The crime world we enter starts in prison and shows how things can still be operated from within the prison walls if the ranks are high enough.
Settings – The film is mostly set in the prison, so you can see the world that can operate inside there, outside each process is where Malik is either sent or finding himself while going through the release procedure.
Scene of the Movie – The first kill.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is too long for my liking.
Final Thoughts – This is a tense crime thriller showing us just where a young man can fall into while trying to just get out of his own problems with a large amount of religious undertone.
Overall: One for the gangster fans.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/02/01/abc-film-challenge-oscar-nomination-a-a-prophet-2009/
As time goes by Malik starts getting granted day release from prison where he must run jobs for Cesar, instead of getting back into normal life again. When things start getting out of control Malik must find a way out of this life before it is too late.
REPORT THIS AD
Thoughts on A Prophet
Characters – Malik is a young criminal, sent to prison where he wants to do his time and walk away from his mistakes, he isn’t going to get this chance as he gets recruited with the promise of protection on the inside. He finds himself doing whatever it takes to survive this, but can he find a way out. Cesar is the crime lord in prison, he offers protection in exchange for jobs to be done for him, he will kill anyone that crosses him though.
Performances – The performances in this film are fantastic, you believe each reaction and motive the characters must go through as things are happening in the film.
Story – The story follows one young man’s fall into the crime world from inside a prison, to where he must find a way out before it finds himself too deep. There is a religious element to the story which shows the tension between Arabic and Muslims as Malik is stuck between the twos battle. This is a by the book gangster style movie where the new person enters and rises up the gang only to want to find a way out too.
Crime – The crime world we enter starts in prison and shows how things can still be operated from within the prison walls if the ranks are high enough.
Settings – The film is mostly set in the prison, so you can see the world that can operate inside there, outside each process is where Malik is either sent or finding himself while going through the release procedure.
Scene of the Movie – The first kill.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is too long for my liking.
Final Thoughts – This is a tense crime thriller showing us just where a young man can fall into while trying to just get out of his own problems with a large amount of religious undertone.
Overall: One for the gangster fans.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/02/01/abc-film-challenge-oscar-nomination-a-a-prophet-2009/
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Ready Player One (2018) in Movies
Sep 30, 2018
Visual magic and Van Halen. What could be better?
I very much dislike when people compare movies to books since most of the time they will say "the book was better". Books and movies are completely different mediums and therefore should be judged individually, not compared to one another.
I remember reading one time John Grisham was interviewed after The Firm was released and said if they had stuck to the book, 45 minutes of the movie would have been the characters making photo copies of important papers.
Books can delve into details better. An author can spend six chapters describing a tree or get into character's heads and know what they are thinking. There can even be 38 main characters.
Movies are completely different and should be judged that way. Some may say filmmakers changed certain elements which worked just fine in print. Truthfully I do not understand why things are changed either; however, just because something is different does not make it worse.
Whew ok.
Ready Player One was old school Spielberg magic, plain and simple. The story was nothing special. The villains were sort of cardboard and one-dimensional, but maybe they were supposed to be like that. I mean, weren't the villains in Real Genius or Biff Tannen just as hokey?
The visual splendor and eye candy I usually rip on were vast this time around and thoroughly kept me engaged the whole way through.
I will hopefully watch again soon so I can pick on some of the Easter eggs I missed the first time around.
This film is for anyone who lived through the 80's as I did and loves movies as I do.
I remember reading one time John Grisham was interviewed after The Firm was released and said if they had stuck to the book, 45 minutes of the movie would have been the characters making photo copies of important papers.
Books can delve into details better. An author can spend six chapters describing a tree or get into character's heads and know what they are thinking. There can even be 38 main characters.
Movies are completely different and should be judged that way. Some may say filmmakers changed certain elements which worked just fine in print. Truthfully I do not understand why things are changed either; however, just because something is different does not make it worse.
Whew ok.
Ready Player One was old school Spielberg magic, plain and simple. The story was nothing special. The villains were sort of cardboard and one-dimensional, but maybe they were supposed to be like that. I mean, weren't the villains in Real Genius or Biff Tannen just as hokey?
The visual splendor and eye candy I usually rip on were vast this time around and thoroughly kept me engaged the whole way through.
I will hopefully watch again soon so I can pick on some of the Easter eggs I missed the first time around.
This film is for anyone who lived through the 80's as I did and loves movies as I do.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
First off, a disclaimer: I have not read the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting; nor do I have any kids of my own. That being said….
This film shows you five different stories that are not all connected, but they do intersect each other’s paths several times. The stories follow different scenarios that you can expect when you, as a couple, are expecting a baby. These five stories are the easy pregnancy, the difficult on the woman’s body pregnancy, the difficult on the relationship pregnancy, the miscarriage and the adoption.
The film has a stellar lineup for the cast. Cameron Diaz (There’s Something About Mary, Bad Teacher) plays celebrity Jules who is on a Dancing-with-the-Stars-esque show, who ends up in a relationship with her dance partner Evan, played by Matthew Morrison (Glee, Music and Lyrics). Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri, The Hunger Games) is Wendy, the owner of a baby store and author of a baby’s book who has been desperately trying to get pregnant with her husband Gary played by Ben Falcone (Bridesmaids). Anna Kendrick (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Up In The Air) is Rosie, the owner of a food truck who has a one-night stand with high school crush Marco, played by Chace Crawford (The Covenant, Gossip Girl). Jennifer Lopez (American Idol, Out of Sight) is Holly, a photographer who is attempting to go the Brangelina route by adopting a baby from Ethiopia with her husband Alex, played by Rodrigo Santoro (300, I Love You Phillip Morris). Lastly, we have Skyler who is portrayed by Brooklyn Decker (Just Go With It, Battleship). She is a stay-at-home wife married to retired NASCAR driver Ramsey, who is played by Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow, Vantage Point).
Aside from the main cast, there is also a great supporting cast with the likes of Chris Rock (Grown Ups, Death At A Funeral), Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, I Love You, Man), Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids) and many more.
Based on the trailers for What to Expect When You’re Expecting, the movie looked to be a very promising comedy. I am sad to say, I was very disappointed. The trailers make it look like “The Dudes Group” is a main focus of the story, but it is only a reprieve from the main story lines. This is a shame because for me, “The Dudes Group” had the funniest moments in the movie. The rest of the film, while heart-warming at moments, seemed to lack any real attempt to make a connection with the audience. To me, the relationships just seemed unreal.
This is not to say that there are not those out there who will not enjoy the film. The ladies behind me in the theatre seemed to be laughing the whole time, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I once heard my editor (Gareth Von Kallenbach) say that this was a great idea, but it may have been better presented as a TV show. I have to say that I agree whole-heartedly. It would have made a great weekly sitcom, probably with the series centered on “The Dudes Group” (as I said, funniest moments in the movies). But it looks like there may be something along these lines on the horizon any way with the upcoming NBC comedy: Guys With Kids.
This film shows you five different stories that are not all connected, but they do intersect each other’s paths several times. The stories follow different scenarios that you can expect when you, as a couple, are expecting a baby. These five stories are the easy pregnancy, the difficult on the woman’s body pregnancy, the difficult on the relationship pregnancy, the miscarriage and the adoption.
The film has a stellar lineup for the cast. Cameron Diaz (There’s Something About Mary, Bad Teacher) plays celebrity Jules who is on a Dancing-with-the-Stars-esque show, who ends up in a relationship with her dance partner Evan, played by Matthew Morrison (Glee, Music and Lyrics). Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri, The Hunger Games) is Wendy, the owner of a baby store and author of a baby’s book who has been desperately trying to get pregnant with her husband Gary played by Ben Falcone (Bridesmaids). Anna Kendrick (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Up In The Air) is Rosie, the owner of a food truck who has a one-night stand with high school crush Marco, played by Chace Crawford (The Covenant, Gossip Girl). Jennifer Lopez (American Idol, Out of Sight) is Holly, a photographer who is attempting to go the Brangelina route by adopting a baby from Ethiopia with her husband Alex, played by Rodrigo Santoro (300, I Love You Phillip Morris). Lastly, we have Skyler who is portrayed by Brooklyn Decker (Just Go With It, Battleship). She is a stay-at-home wife married to retired NASCAR driver Ramsey, who is played by Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow, Vantage Point).
Aside from the main cast, there is also a great supporting cast with the likes of Chris Rock (Grown Ups, Death At A Funeral), Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, I Love You, Man), Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids) and many more.
Based on the trailers for What to Expect When You’re Expecting, the movie looked to be a very promising comedy. I am sad to say, I was very disappointed. The trailers make it look like “The Dudes Group” is a main focus of the story, but it is only a reprieve from the main story lines. This is a shame because for me, “The Dudes Group” had the funniest moments in the movie. The rest of the film, while heart-warming at moments, seemed to lack any real attempt to make a connection with the audience. To me, the relationships just seemed unreal.
This is not to say that there are not those out there who will not enjoy the film. The ladies behind me in the theatre seemed to be laughing the whole time, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I once heard my editor (Gareth Von Kallenbach) say that this was a great idea, but it may have been better presented as a TV show. I have to say that I agree whole-heartedly. It would have made a great weekly sitcom, probably with the series centered on “The Dudes Group” (as I said, funniest moments in the movies). But it looks like there may be something along these lines on the horizon any way with the upcoming NBC comedy: Guys With Kids.
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Rose Society in Books
Feb 1, 2018
This is the second book in the Young Elites series. Adelina has been cast off by the Dagger Society and the darkness in her heart is consuming her. Accompanied by only her sister, who she discovered is also a Young Elite like her, Adelina sets out to form her own version of the Dagger Society - the Rose Society. The crown prince is dead and Adelina focuses all of her rage and vengeance against Teren. She and Violetta have been practicing with their abilities and are stronger than before.
About one-quarter of the way through the book and it has hit its stride already. It is more immersive than the first, which seemed to suffer from slow pacing. Now that the plot has been established, it seems to allow the author more freedom with writing and storytelling. A number of new characters are introduced like Queen Maeve and her brothers, an unnamed charlatan, and the infamous Magiano.
Magiano is a greedy thief, but you can't help but be a little charmed by him. Adelina plans to surround herself with other Elites so that her Rose Society can flourish. She sets her sights on Magiano whose power is <spoiler>mimicry. He is able to copy the powers of the other Elites</spoiler> Unfortunately, he is not eager to abandon his life of solitary thievery and challenges the sisters. If they succeed, he will join them. Will his skills as a thief give him victory or will Adelina be able to weave enough illusions to secure herself an ally?
Her acts may even gain her the support of others, thus growing her society. But mercenaries aren't the most loyal of followers. Adelina causes chaos during the theft and must flee with Magiano and her sister. During the course of their escape, they discover another Elite, called <spoiler>Rainmaker, or Sergio. As his Elite name suggests, he can control the rain. His abilities are impressive enough to brew fierce storms and call down deadly lightning strikes</spoiler>. Her Society may be called Rose, unlike the Daggers she left behind, but she is much more ruthless and cold than her more violent sounding counterparts.
Queen Maeve has the ability to <spoiler>bring people back from the dead and she plans to do so with Enzo. Whether he will be the same Enzo as before his death or be utterly changed by his new bond with the Underworld, Maeve cannot know. </spoiler>
Adelina's love for Enzo and introduction of Magian leads to a typical love triangle. Enzo may have died, but Adelina still pines for him and it show. Despite those feelings, she forms a connection with Magiano and it complicates their relationship because "caring for a scoundrel is a dangerous thing." Magiano plays the role of the rogue with a hidden heart of gold, like Sinbad, Thorne from the Lunar Chronicles or Flynn Rider (*cough* Eugene Fitzherbert *cough*) from Tangled. He is a thief and a trickster, who is seemingly on in it for the money but over the course of the novel his heart gets in the way.
The battle is painted so vibrantly that it plays like a movie in your mind. The anticipation is palpable, each attack makes you catch your breath - who is going to die? Who will be victorious? The action and revelation in the book keep the reader hooked until the end.
Recommended, but you need to read the Young Elites first book for the story's foundation to be build... otherwise the story won't be as affecting and probably won't make sense. The conclusion of Rose Society leaves the reader intrigued and wondering what happens in the third novel.
About one-quarter of the way through the book and it has hit its stride already. It is more immersive than the first, which seemed to suffer from slow pacing. Now that the plot has been established, it seems to allow the author more freedom with writing and storytelling. A number of new characters are introduced like Queen Maeve and her brothers, an unnamed charlatan, and the infamous Magiano.
Magiano is a greedy thief, but you can't help but be a little charmed by him. Adelina plans to surround herself with other Elites so that her Rose Society can flourish. She sets her sights on Magiano whose power is <spoiler>mimicry. He is able to copy the powers of the other Elites</spoiler> Unfortunately, he is not eager to abandon his life of solitary thievery and challenges the sisters. If they succeed, he will join them. Will his skills as a thief give him victory or will Adelina be able to weave enough illusions to secure herself an ally?
Her acts may even gain her the support of others, thus growing her society. But mercenaries aren't the most loyal of followers. Adelina causes chaos during the theft and must flee with Magiano and her sister. During the course of their escape, they discover another Elite, called <spoiler>Rainmaker, or Sergio. As his Elite name suggests, he can control the rain. His abilities are impressive enough to brew fierce storms and call down deadly lightning strikes</spoiler>. Her Society may be called Rose, unlike the Daggers she left behind, but she is much more ruthless and cold than her more violent sounding counterparts.
Queen Maeve has the ability to <spoiler>bring people back from the dead and she plans to do so with Enzo. Whether he will be the same Enzo as before his death or be utterly changed by his new bond with the Underworld, Maeve cannot know. </spoiler>
Adelina's love for Enzo and introduction of Magian leads to a typical love triangle. Enzo may have died, but Adelina still pines for him and it show. Despite those feelings, she forms a connection with Magiano and it complicates their relationship because "caring for a scoundrel is a dangerous thing." Magiano plays the role of the rogue with a hidden heart of gold, like Sinbad, Thorne from the Lunar Chronicles or Flynn Rider (*cough* Eugene Fitzherbert *cough*) from Tangled. He is a thief and a trickster, who is seemingly on in it for the money but over the course of the novel his heart gets in the way.
The battle is painted so vibrantly that it plays like a movie in your mind. The anticipation is palpable, each attack makes you catch your breath - who is going to die? Who will be victorious? The action and revelation in the book keep the reader hooked until the end.
Recommended, but you need to read the Young Elites first book for the story's foundation to be build... otherwise the story won't be as affecting and probably won't make sense. The conclusion of Rose Society leaves the reader intrigued and wondering what happens in the third novel.
HS
Hotel Scarface
Book
Miami, December 31, 1979. Lock your doors. Watch your backs. Raise your glasses. Miami is about to...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Twilight Wife in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Kyra Winthrop and her husband, Jacob, are headed to live on a remote island (in the house where Jacob grew up) to get away from it all. Kyra recently suffered a head injury in a diving accident; she hit her head on a rock and while Jacob saved her, she cannot remember the past four years of her life and is having trouble with her current ability to retain things. Kyra and Jacob hope time away, in a quiet place, will let Kyra--and her memory--heal. But once on the island, Kyra begins to remember more and more. About the accident and about her past. She has no one to rely on but Jacob, who tells her much of what she remembers are only dreams. But Kyra is convinced it's more. And what about the shadowy third figure she continually recalls from their diving accident? Kyra isn't sure who to trust, even herself, as she tries to unfold her past and recall not only her accident, but who she has been for the past four years.
This was a fascinating book that really took the premise of the "unreliable" narrator to a whole new level. What I enjoyed the most is that we learned the bits and pieces about Kyra's life, and who she was, just as she did. This made the novel very suspenseful and helped make up for any points where it seemed a little unbelievable (e.g., only forgetting exactly these 4 crucial years, no Internet on the island except at their home, etc.), or where the story felt a bit flat. Kyra is our main character, and she's interesting and complicated, with her memory loss and unknown past. She's truly trying to find out who she is. The others in the novel, mainly Jacob and a few island residents, aren't exactly characters you form an attachment to. Still, I found the book captivating and basically read the second half in one sitting: it's a very fast read, and you become easily drawn into Kyra's world.
I found the ending to be a little easy and pat, but I still enjoyed watching all the pieces come together (even if I'd guessed some of them already). The novel really truly does a masterful job at creating intrigue into Kyra's past and the various parts of her life, and how she has arrived on this remote island with Jacob (don't want to give anything away). It's a little eerie, a little creepy, and a little haunting. It was sort of a fun version of a Lifetime movie--one that had me hooked and enjoying the plot, versus rolling my eyes and changing the channel--and because I so enjoyed seeing everything come together and racing through the end of the book, it pushed my rating up to 4 stars. If you're looking for a quick suspense read, it's definitely worth picking this one up.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 12/27/2016.
This was a fascinating book that really took the premise of the "unreliable" narrator to a whole new level. What I enjoyed the most is that we learned the bits and pieces about Kyra's life, and who she was, just as she did. This made the novel very suspenseful and helped make up for any points where it seemed a little unbelievable (e.g., only forgetting exactly these 4 crucial years, no Internet on the island except at their home, etc.), or where the story felt a bit flat. Kyra is our main character, and she's interesting and complicated, with her memory loss and unknown past. She's truly trying to find out who she is. The others in the novel, mainly Jacob and a few island residents, aren't exactly characters you form an attachment to. Still, I found the book captivating and basically read the second half in one sitting: it's a very fast read, and you become easily drawn into Kyra's world.
I found the ending to be a little easy and pat, but I still enjoyed watching all the pieces come together (even if I'd guessed some of them already). The novel really truly does a masterful job at creating intrigue into Kyra's past and the various parts of her life, and how she has arrived on this remote island with Jacob (don't want to give anything away). It's a little eerie, a little creepy, and a little haunting. It was sort of a fun version of a Lifetime movie--one that had me hooked and enjoying the plot, versus rolling my eyes and changing the channel--and because I so enjoyed seeing everything come together and racing through the end of the book, it pushed my rating up to 4 stars. If you're looking for a quick suspense read, it's definitely worth picking this one up.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 12/27/2016.
Steve Jobs: Insanely Great
Book
Enter the world of Steve Jobs - disrupter, icon, hero - and be inspired by his fascinating life...
Clint: A Retrospective
Book
Over the course of a celebrated and spellbinding career - both on screen and behind the camera -...
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Veil (TBD) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Characters – Jim Jacobs is the leader of the cult, he wants to prove the spirit can be separated from the body, did he die in the mass suicide or did he achieve his goal with the other members of the cult. Maggie the lead in the documentary team, she introduces the team and arranges for Sarah to return, she does also have a connection to what happened during the mass suicide. Sarah is the lone survivor from the suicide, she returns as a grown up even if she does seem to be happy to be back to learn the truth.
Performances – Thomas Jane is the highlight of this movie, his performance is filled with all the crazy needed for role. Jessica Alba on the other side of the coin is average to poor throughout, this role could have been played by anyone to a higher level. Lily Rabe does continue to make herself feel like she should be in horror films at all times.
Story – The story follows the documentary team looking at new evidence which could explain what was happening on the site of a mass suicide. The idea of learning what happened through a mix of tapes which sadly don’t feel like found footage which is the biggest problem. The continuing idea works but the forced horror is the stumbling block here. The story does also have flaws including why didn’t the police investigate the property to find the tapes, I mean come on there was a mass suicide surely raiding every possible location is important in an investigation.
Horror/Mystery – The horror does feel forced for the most part and once we see the final scene feels almost unnecessary, this could easily have just stuck to the mystery thriller side of things and kept us on edge wondering where things will go next.
Settings – The whole film is set on the Veil, it shows a place that has had mass suicides would be haunting to be around as well as have secrets people might have missed.
Special Effects – The effects for the ‘found footage’ are way too high of a quality, this is mostly down to one moment feeling like it has the grainy effect but the next we are thrown into that time. The ghost activity is fine but nothing overly impressive.
Scene of the Movie – The final moment.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – I want to put a couple here, first why did the police not investigate the surrounding area? Why is Jessica Alba a lead actress? The horror is mostly plain old jump scares.
Final Thoughts – This is a by the book horror mystery thriller which would have hit higher levels if it had remained just a mystery thriller without the pointless jump scares that miss most times. We also have a forgettable supporting crew in the documentary team.
Overall: Try but don’t buy in.
Performances – Thomas Jane is the highlight of this movie, his performance is filled with all the crazy needed for role. Jessica Alba on the other side of the coin is average to poor throughout, this role could have been played by anyone to a higher level. Lily Rabe does continue to make herself feel like she should be in horror films at all times.
Story – The story follows the documentary team looking at new evidence which could explain what was happening on the site of a mass suicide. The idea of learning what happened through a mix of tapes which sadly don’t feel like found footage which is the biggest problem. The continuing idea works but the forced horror is the stumbling block here. The story does also have flaws including why didn’t the police investigate the property to find the tapes, I mean come on there was a mass suicide surely raiding every possible location is important in an investigation.
Horror/Mystery – The horror does feel forced for the most part and once we see the final scene feels almost unnecessary, this could easily have just stuck to the mystery thriller side of things and kept us on edge wondering where things will go next.
Settings – The whole film is set on the Veil, it shows a place that has had mass suicides would be haunting to be around as well as have secrets people might have missed.
Special Effects – The effects for the ‘found footage’ are way too high of a quality, this is mostly down to one moment feeling like it has the grainy effect but the next we are thrown into that time. The ghost activity is fine but nothing overly impressive.
Scene of the Movie – The final moment.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – I want to put a couple here, first why did the police not investigate the surrounding area? Why is Jessica Alba a lead actress? The horror is mostly plain old jump scares.
Final Thoughts – This is a by the book horror mystery thriller which would have hit higher levels if it had remained just a mystery thriller without the pointless jump scares that miss most times. We also have a forgettable supporting crew in the documentary team.
Overall: Try but don’t buy in.