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Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Twisted (2004) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
For newly promoted Homicide Detective Jessica Shepard (Ashley Judd), life is about to take an unexpected twist that will leave the most private aspects of her life on display and her very sanity questioned.
Sheppard has just been promoted to the San Francisco Homicide unit after bringing in suspected serial killer Edmund Cutler (Leland Orser). Sheppard ignored protocol and almost became a victim herself so there are those in the department who resent her promotion and credit it to her gender and the fact that she is sponsored by a high ranking official named John Mills (Samuel L. Jackson) who has raised her since Shepard’s parents were killed years earlier.
Sheppard is soon called in to investigate a body floating in the bay, and is shocked to discover the victim is a man she picked up in a bar previously. When a second body is discovered also with a connection to Shepard, her partner Mike Delmarco (Andy Garcia), thinks that Jessica may have an obsessive stalker following her.
Jessica is soon a suspect in the killings and the fact that she is blacking out at night is causing Jessica to suspect that she may be responsible for the killings.
What should be a tense thriller never emerges as the film plods along never allowing any tension to build. There are attempts to plant a few red-herrings as the film draws to the conclusion but the identity of the killer is so obvious that all that is missing is a neon sign proclaiming the obvious. To further add to the failure of the film, I was able to see events coming far in advance including the events of the final confrontation.
Judd and Garcia do the best they can with the material but Jackson is woefully underused in a story that seems better suited for a movie of the week. It is a shame that an interesting premise such as this is wasted, as “Twisted” is a whodunit that will leave you saying who cares.
Sheppard has just been promoted to the San Francisco Homicide unit after bringing in suspected serial killer Edmund Cutler (Leland Orser). Sheppard ignored protocol and almost became a victim herself so there are those in the department who resent her promotion and credit it to her gender and the fact that she is sponsored by a high ranking official named John Mills (Samuel L. Jackson) who has raised her since Shepard’s parents were killed years earlier.
Sheppard is soon called in to investigate a body floating in the bay, and is shocked to discover the victim is a man she picked up in a bar previously. When a second body is discovered also with a connection to Shepard, her partner Mike Delmarco (Andy Garcia), thinks that Jessica may have an obsessive stalker following her.
Jessica is soon a suspect in the killings and the fact that she is blacking out at night is causing Jessica to suspect that she may be responsible for the killings.
What should be a tense thriller never emerges as the film plods along never allowing any tension to build. There are attempts to plant a few red-herrings as the film draws to the conclusion but the identity of the killer is so obvious that all that is missing is a neon sign proclaiming the obvious. To further add to the failure of the film, I was able to see events coming far in advance including the events of the final confrontation.
Judd and Garcia do the best they can with the material but Jackson is woefully underused in a story that seems better suited for a movie of the week. It is a shame that an interesting premise such as this is wasted, as “Twisted” is a whodunit that will leave you saying who cares.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Legend of Tarzan (2016) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
CPR Needed
As tends to be the case with Hollywood, studios pay very close attention to their rivals release schedules, eyeing up potential competition to pit their films against, maxing box-office returns in the process.
And when Disney announced they were rebooting The Jungle Book in March this year, Warner Bros quickly responded with another jungle-themed film; The Legend of Tarzan. But does this interpretation on the classic character swing or fall?
It’s been nearly a decade since Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård), aka John Clayton III, left Africa to live in Victorian England with his wife Jane (Margot Robbie). Danger lurks on the horizon as Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz), a treacherous envoy for King Leopold, devises a scheme that lures the couple and friend George Williams (Samuel L Jackson) to the Congo. Rom plans to capture Tarzan and deliver him to an old enemy in exchange for diamonds. When Jane becomes a pawn in his devious plot, Tarzan must return to the jungle to save the woman he loves.
Directed by David Yates (Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows), Legend of Tarzan features committed performances from its lead cast, immersive scenery and impressive special effects, but all of the glitz can’t save a film that plods along at a dreadful pace. Not since Peter Jackson’s King Kong has there been a movie that wastes so much of its opening act.
Alexander Skarsgård is likeable and commanding as the titular character, but lacks enough acting prowess to tackle the deeper, more emotional side that writers Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer have brought to the table here. Therefore, the scenes featuring a solo Tarzan suffer somewhat and Samuel L Jackson feels wasted in a poorly written and half-hearted role.
It is in Margot Robbie and Christoph Waltz that we find the film’s saving graces. Their characters leap off the screen with Waltz in particular being a highlight throughout. It’s unfortunate that one of our greatest living actors is lambasted with poor dialogue however, though the script just about keeps him afloat.
David Yates brings a similar filming style here to that of his foray into Harry Potter. The action is confidently filmed, but he avoids the use of shaky-cam that many directors seem to find appealing nowadays. The CGI is on the whole very good, especially in the finale which is breath-taking to watch.
It’s just a shame the rest of the film is such a drag. The first hour is incredibly poorly paced with very brief, albeit well-filmed, action sequences not doing enough to brighten Legend of Tarzan up. Elsewhere, the use of flashbacks is at first a decent way of giving the audience some exposition, but after the tenth one, they’re a nuisance.
Overall, The Legend of Tarzan does a lot more with its iconic character than other films have done, but that doesn’t excuse its poor pacing. Thankfully, the exciting finale lifts the final act above the standard of the first hour, and commanding performances from all the cast sustain interest just about enough to see it through to the end.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/07/07/cpr-needed-the-legend-of-tarzan-review/
And when Disney announced they were rebooting The Jungle Book in March this year, Warner Bros quickly responded with another jungle-themed film; The Legend of Tarzan. But does this interpretation on the classic character swing or fall?
It’s been nearly a decade since Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård), aka John Clayton III, left Africa to live in Victorian England with his wife Jane (Margot Robbie). Danger lurks on the horizon as Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz), a treacherous envoy for King Leopold, devises a scheme that lures the couple and friend George Williams (Samuel L Jackson) to the Congo. Rom plans to capture Tarzan and deliver him to an old enemy in exchange for diamonds. When Jane becomes a pawn in his devious plot, Tarzan must return to the jungle to save the woman he loves.
Directed by David Yates (Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows), Legend of Tarzan features committed performances from its lead cast, immersive scenery and impressive special effects, but all of the glitz can’t save a film that plods along at a dreadful pace. Not since Peter Jackson’s King Kong has there been a movie that wastes so much of its opening act.
Alexander Skarsgård is likeable and commanding as the titular character, but lacks enough acting prowess to tackle the deeper, more emotional side that writers Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer have brought to the table here. Therefore, the scenes featuring a solo Tarzan suffer somewhat and Samuel L Jackson feels wasted in a poorly written and half-hearted role.
It is in Margot Robbie and Christoph Waltz that we find the film’s saving graces. Their characters leap off the screen with Waltz in particular being a highlight throughout. It’s unfortunate that one of our greatest living actors is lambasted with poor dialogue however, though the script just about keeps him afloat.
David Yates brings a similar filming style here to that of his foray into Harry Potter. The action is confidently filmed, but he avoids the use of shaky-cam that many directors seem to find appealing nowadays. The CGI is on the whole very good, especially in the finale which is breath-taking to watch.
It’s just a shame the rest of the film is such a drag. The first hour is incredibly poorly paced with very brief, albeit well-filmed, action sequences not doing enough to brighten Legend of Tarzan up. Elsewhere, the use of flashbacks is at first a decent way of giving the audience some exposition, but after the tenth one, they’re a nuisance.
Overall, The Legend of Tarzan does a lot more with its iconic character than other films have done, but that doesn’t excuse its poor pacing. Thankfully, the exciting finale lifts the final act above the standard of the first hour, and commanding performances from all the cast sustain interest just about enough to see it through to the end.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/07/07/cpr-needed-the-legend-of-tarzan-review/
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Deep Blue Sea (1999) in Movies
Jan 2, 2020
Fun in parts, but showing its age
The premise for Deep Blue Sea is painfully simple - it's Jurassic Park in the ocean.
A deep sea research facility, housing genetically modified great white sharks, is compromised during a tropical storm - everyone panics, people get eaten.
Like I said - Jurassic Park in the ocean. Unfortunately, the execution and quality is nowhere near the same level as it's dinosaur counterpart.
Deep Blue Sea is fun for sure. It's a sure fire way to mindlessly enjoy a couple of hours. At the time of it's release, it was firmly in the so-bad-its-great category, but as the years have gone by, the film has ages terribly in terms of special effects. The sharks look horrible these days. Like, original PlayStation cut scene kind of horrible. When films like JP, and Terminator 2 still look more than passable, it's hard to defend!
The dialogue is cheesy as all hell, and the whole thing is shot in a pretty sub-standard action film style - in summary, it's pretty awful.
That being said, it's a difficult film to hate too much. The cast are pretty fun for the most part - Thomas Jane, Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgård and even LL Cool J are all pretty entertaining (apart from that god awful Head is Like a Sharks Fin song) and there are some genuinely gory and tense moments (as tense as people being chased by shiny pixels can be).
Is definitely an ok-crap film but the chances are that I'll watch it when it's on TV...
A deep sea research facility, housing genetically modified great white sharks, is compromised during a tropical storm - everyone panics, people get eaten.
Like I said - Jurassic Park in the ocean. Unfortunately, the execution and quality is nowhere near the same level as it's dinosaur counterpart.
Deep Blue Sea is fun for sure. It's a sure fire way to mindlessly enjoy a couple of hours. At the time of it's release, it was firmly in the so-bad-its-great category, but as the years have gone by, the film has ages terribly in terms of special effects. The sharks look horrible these days. Like, original PlayStation cut scene kind of horrible. When films like JP, and Terminator 2 still look more than passable, it's hard to defend!
The dialogue is cheesy as all hell, and the whole thing is shot in a pretty sub-standard action film style - in summary, it's pretty awful.
That being said, it's a difficult film to hate too much. The cast are pretty fun for the most part - Thomas Jane, Samuel L. Jackson, Stellan Skarsgård and even LL Cool J are all pretty entertaining (apart from that god awful Head is Like a Sharks Fin song) and there are some genuinely gory and tense moments (as tense as people being chased by shiny pixels can be).
Is definitely an ok-crap film but the chances are that I'll watch it when it's on TV...
Elizabeth (1521 KP) rated Split (2016) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
I didn't realize this was an M. Night Shyamalan film when I watched it. In true M. Night Shyamalan fashion, you get a surprise twist at the end and find out that Kevin (James McAvoy) exists in the same world of hero and villain, David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and Mr. Glass ( Samuel L. Jackson) from Unbreakable.
James McAvoy had to play several different characters in this movie, as Kevin has 23 different personalities, some not so nice, and others, pure evil. A few of these personalities kidnap and hold 3 girls hostage and you watch as they learn the gravity of their situation and try to plan their escape. One of their captor's personalities is a kind and simple soul, Hedwig, that the girls try to exploit to help them escape.
All the while, Kevin is seeing a therapist to try to keep his darker personalities in check. But a new, more terrifying 24th personality begins to emerge and take over. It is this 24th personality known as the Beast that catches the attention of Dunn and Mr. Glass, along with the rest of the world. The Beast is superhuman, able to scale walls and seemingly invulnerable.
Of the 24 personalities, only a handful are fully developed characters portrayed in the movie. It could not have been an easy role, but McAvoy does it so well, that you believe the different personalities. I have long been a fan of McAvoy's and he does not disappoint in this film.
James McAvoy had to play several different characters in this movie, as Kevin has 23 different personalities, some not so nice, and others, pure evil. A few of these personalities kidnap and hold 3 girls hostage and you watch as they learn the gravity of their situation and try to plan their escape. One of their captor's personalities is a kind and simple soul, Hedwig, that the girls try to exploit to help them escape.
All the while, Kevin is seeing a therapist to try to keep his darker personalities in check. But a new, more terrifying 24th personality begins to emerge and take over. It is this 24th personality known as the Beast that catches the attention of Dunn and Mr. Glass, along with the rest of the world. The Beast is superhuman, able to scale walls and seemingly invulnerable.
Of the 24 personalities, only a handful are fully developed characters portrayed in the movie. It could not have been an easy role, but McAvoy does it so well, that you believe the different personalities. I have long been a fan of McAvoy's and he does not disappoint in this film.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies
Jul 13, 2019
More female Superhero movies please!
I had read a lot of criticism of Brie Larson since I am so late seeing this film; however, I thought she held her own against Samuel L. Jackson and Jude Law in this first major female led Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Maybe my expectations were a tad lower since I had heard of lot of opinions beforehand.
The origin story of Carol Danvers was unknown prior to seeing this film so I cannot comment on whether filmmakers got that correct or not (I would imagine they did).
The Stan Lee opening made my tear up.
I did think the movie dragged some in the middle after Carol gets thrown back to 1995 USA. The Blockbusters scene was classic and her introduction to Nick Fury and SHIELD was good. Things picked up a little for the car/subway chase, but then slowed down again as events unfolded and were explained.
I was happy there was not the humongous CGI supervillain at the end and that fight was very good.
You cannot ever complain about the look of a MCU as that is one thing they never disappoint on for sure. The humor I thought was a good balance: not too serious and not too wacky either.
The cat definitely stole every scene they were in for sure.
Overall, very entertaining film and a great start to other female Marvel heroines coming us us hopefully not too far away in the future!
Thank you Stan!
The origin story of Carol Danvers was unknown prior to seeing this film so I cannot comment on whether filmmakers got that correct or not (I would imagine they did).
The Stan Lee opening made my tear up.
I did think the movie dragged some in the middle after Carol gets thrown back to 1995 USA. The Blockbusters scene was classic and her introduction to Nick Fury and SHIELD was good. Things picked up a little for the car/subway chase, but then slowed down again as events unfolded and were explained.
I was happy there was not the humongous CGI supervillain at the end and that fight was very good.
You cannot ever complain about the look of a MCU as that is one thing they never disappoint on for sure. The humor I thought was a good balance: not too serious and not too wacky either.
The cat definitely stole every scene they were in for sure.
Overall, very entertaining film and a great start to other female Marvel heroines coming us us hopefully not too far away in the future!
Thank you Stan!
Madbatdan82 (341 KP) rated Glass (2019) in Movies
Apr 6, 2019
So close to a super super film
Contains spoilers, click to show
I try to not publish spoilers they're unavoidable here to explain why this only a 7/10 film. The first hour is great, building up the story leading to what you think will be an epic climax. The story starts with James McAvoy's 24 personalities having kidnapped 4 cheerleaders and Bruce Willis' David Dunn on the hunt to rescue them. After a confrontation they're taken to a psych hospital for evaluation which happens to be where they're keeping Samuel L Jackson's Mr Glass. All of this is awesome with the star of the show being McAvoy flowing through his personalities is a truly epic piece of acting. So the film plays out and leads to a good fight towards the end but then it goes a bit weird. You start to notice plot holes like this psych hospital only seems to have 1 orderly or security guard on duty at any one time. Or when McAvoy and Jackson are trying to escape they go through a security gate and get buzzed through straight away even though neither has their faces covered. It's like 'those 2 guys kinda look like 2 of the 3 highly dangerous multiple murderers that we're here guarding? Oh well!'...then we get into the obligatory M.Mike Salmonhands twist involving a secret society that just seemed uneeded and tacked on for no other reason than the film didn't have a twist...so there you have it. So close to being a truly great film but sloppy writing let it down.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated The Legend of Tarzan (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
It’s a story we’re pretty much all familiar with – Tarzan, a man who was raised in the jungle by apes that took him in as a baby after his parents died.
In “The Legend of Tarzan,” it is the 1880’s and royal corruption brews beneath the surface. Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard), now an adult, is living as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke with his wife Jane (Margot Robbie).
His civilized life is interrupted when he is sent back to the Congo as a trade emissary. Unfortunately, he is at the center of the wicked plans of Captain Léon Rom (Christoph Waltz). Rom has made a deal to trade Tarzan in exchange for diamonds to a tribal chief who plans to butcher and eat him. Waltz does a great job playing a sleazy political criminal with beady eyes and a greasy mustache.
Samuel L. Jackson is also fun to watch as George Washington Williams, who accompanies Tarzan to the Congo when he follows up on his own suspicions.
While the film is quite enjoyable, and very pretty to look at (special thanks to Skarsgard). Tarzan isn’t as animalistic as you would expect, Jane lacks authentic emotion, and at times the CGI is a bit low quality.
“The Legend of Tarzan” is one of those short, sweet, and fun summer movies and is definitely worth watching. With political undertones of greed, slavery, and human destruction, it also has deeper value.
This is one that everyone can watch. It’s not too violent, it’s not to edgy, and it’s not too long. I give “The Legend of Tarzan” 3.5 out of 5 stars.
In “The Legend of Tarzan,” it is the 1880’s and royal corruption brews beneath the surface. Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard), now an adult, is living as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke with his wife Jane (Margot Robbie).
His civilized life is interrupted when he is sent back to the Congo as a trade emissary. Unfortunately, he is at the center of the wicked plans of Captain Léon Rom (Christoph Waltz). Rom has made a deal to trade Tarzan in exchange for diamonds to a tribal chief who plans to butcher and eat him. Waltz does a great job playing a sleazy political criminal with beady eyes and a greasy mustache.
Samuel L. Jackson is also fun to watch as George Washington Williams, who accompanies Tarzan to the Congo when he follows up on his own suspicions.
While the film is quite enjoyable, and very pretty to look at (special thanks to Skarsgard). Tarzan isn’t as animalistic as you would expect, Jane lacks authentic emotion, and at times the CGI is a bit low quality.
“The Legend of Tarzan” is one of those short, sweet, and fun summer movies and is definitely worth watching. With political undertones of greed, slavery, and human destruction, it also has deeper value.
This is one that everyone can watch. It’s not too violent, it’s not to edgy, and it’s not too long. I give “The Legend of Tarzan” 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
A plethora of clichés.
2017’s summer blockbusters fizzle to a halt with this formulaic action comedy. Ryan Reynolds (“Deadpool“) plays Michael Bryce: a cocksure “Triple A rated” bodyguard, always planning three steps ahead so that he can protect his clients without killing anyone in the process. With such arrogance, a fall is inevitable. On the other side of the legal scales is Darius Kincaid (Samuel L Jackson, “The Hateful Eight“), a contract killer who always gets his man. But the incarcerated Kincaid is offered a deal to release his equally incarcerated wife Sonia (Selma Hayek) in return for testifying against the fearsome Belarus president Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”), on trial for war crimes at The Hague. An Interpol team led by Bryce’s’s ex-squeeze Amelia Roussel (the striking Elodie Yung) now have to get Kincaid to Belgium unscathed with Dukhovich’s well-trained and well-armed thugs stopping at nothing to ensure he won’t be there to testify. Fate transpires that Bryce and Kincaid become an unlikely team in trying to bring Dukhovich to justice.
After losing your no claims bonus, hysterical laughter is the only way forwards. Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson.
This is a movie whose script seems to have been glued together from a patchwork of other movie scenes:
– the bad guy / bad guy partner relationship of “The Nice Guys“. Check.
– the street ambush of “Clear and Present Danger”. Check.
– the Amsterdam boat chase of “Puppet on a Chain”. Check.
– the comedic bar-room brawl from “Airplane”. Check.
Many of the action scenes are done with panache and some great stunt work. But it’s all stuff we’ve seen countless times before, so what is needed for differentiation is the relationships between Bryce and Kincaid: this needs to be the cornerstone of the film. But it just doesn’t quite work. Jackson’s contribution is never in doubt, even though we’ve seen this motherf-ing shtick countless times before: he’s still magnetic, charismatic and a joy to watch. But unfortunately Reynolds just doesn’t deliver the acting goods to make the banter believable: there is a reason “Deadpool” is his best film – he wears a mask for most of it! His ‘puppy-dog look’ gets rolled out multiple times, but it’s unconvincing in the extreme. Together they are no match for Gosling/Crowe in “The Nice Guys“.
Nun but the brave. Jackson (if not Reynolds) get happy clappy.
On firmer ground is the quirky relationship between Mr and Mrs Kincaid. Although sharing limited screen time together, Hayek and Jackson spark off each other wonderfully. Seeing Selma Hayek in uncharacteristically sweary and belligerent mode was highly entertaining (although it’s worth commenting that my wife took great offence to the ‘comic’ bullying of an overweight cellmate).
“I had to ask the guy next to me to pinch me to make sure I wasn’t dreaming” – the future Mr and Mrs Kincaid meet in a rough place… the seediest dive on the wharf.
Elsewhere in the acting roll call, Elodie Yung delivers just the right measure of cuteness, toughness and passion as Roussel, but Oldman delivers a full-on retread of his Ivan “Get off my plane” Korshunov from “Air Force One”. There is also a change to Oldman’s character’s face at the end of the film in the form of a rampant skin complaint which is ‘explained’ by a clumsily inserted news item about an “attempted poisoning”: it’s such a clunky and bizarre addition to the script that it made me wonder whether the actor has some unexpected ailment (like shingles) during filming…. but I can see nothing related to this online.
The striking Elodie Yung as the Interpol agent Roussel.
The screenplay by relative newcomer Tom O’Connor bumps along from implausible action scene to implausible action scene, with more that its fair share of ‘WTF’ moments. For example, after a random chase through multiple Amsterdam alleys and shops, Jackson pulls up outside the very DIY shop Reynolds ends up in to pick him up! The script is also tonally uneven throughout: given this is supposed to be an “action comedy” the action is often brutal and unpleasant and the comedy – in the main – just not funny enough. (About the funniest thing in the film are the most ineffective sub machine guns known to man, most notably in the mildly ludicrous, if well staged, boat chase scene!)
An entertaining cameo from Richard E Grant as a businessman in danger.
The film also manages to offend, in more ways than the 15-rated violence and language used: I’m not sure WHEN this movie was actually filmed, but the use of an articulated lorry as a terrorist weapon towards the end of the film is certainly in very poor taste after the events of Nice, London and Barcelona. Not appreciated.
Directed by Patrick Hughes (“The Expendables 3″…. say no more) this hodge-podge of a flick is sporadically entertaining, but is one I will struggle to remember in a couple of months time.
After losing your no claims bonus, hysterical laughter is the only way forwards. Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson.
This is a movie whose script seems to have been glued together from a patchwork of other movie scenes:
– the bad guy / bad guy partner relationship of “The Nice Guys“. Check.
– the street ambush of “Clear and Present Danger”. Check.
– the Amsterdam boat chase of “Puppet on a Chain”. Check.
– the comedic bar-room brawl from “Airplane”. Check.
Many of the action scenes are done with panache and some great stunt work. But it’s all stuff we’ve seen countless times before, so what is needed for differentiation is the relationships between Bryce and Kincaid: this needs to be the cornerstone of the film. But it just doesn’t quite work. Jackson’s contribution is never in doubt, even though we’ve seen this motherf-ing shtick countless times before: he’s still magnetic, charismatic and a joy to watch. But unfortunately Reynolds just doesn’t deliver the acting goods to make the banter believable: there is a reason “Deadpool” is his best film – he wears a mask for most of it! His ‘puppy-dog look’ gets rolled out multiple times, but it’s unconvincing in the extreme. Together they are no match for Gosling/Crowe in “The Nice Guys“.
Nun but the brave. Jackson (if not Reynolds) get happy clappy.
On firmer ground is the quirky relationship between Mr and Mrs Kincaid. Although sharing limited screen time together, Hayek and Jackson spark off each other wonderfully. Seeing Selma Hayek in uncharacteristically sweary and belligerent mode was highly entertaining (although it’s worth commenting that my wife took great offence to the ‘comic’ bullying of an overweight cellmate).
“I had to ask the guy next to me to pinch me to make sure I wasn’t dreaming” – the future Mr and Mrs Kincaid meet in a rough place… the seediest dive on the wharf.
Elsewhere in the acting roll call, Elodie Yung delivers just the right measure of cuteness, toughness and passion as Roussel, but Oldman delivers a full-on retread of his Ivan “Get off my plane” Korshunov from “Air Force One”. There is also a change to Oldman’s character’s face at the end of the film in the form of a rampant skin complaint which is ‘explained’ by a clumsily inserted news item about an “attempted poisoning”: it’s such a clunky and bizarre addition to the script that it made me wonder whether the actor has some unexpected ailment (like shingles) during filming…. but I can see nothing related to this online.
The striking Elodie Yung as the Interpol agent Roussel.
The screenplay by relative newcomer Tom O’Connor bumps along from implausible action scene to implausible action scene, with more that its fair share of ‘WTF’ moments. For example, after a random chase through multiple Amsterdam alleys and shops, Jackson pulls up outside the very DIY shop Reynolds ends up in to pick him up! The script is also tonally uneven throughout: given this is supposed to be an “action comedy” the action is often brutal and unpleasant and the comedy – in the main – just not funny enough. (About the funniest thing in the film are the most ineffective sub machine guns known to man, most notably in the mildly ludicrous, if well staged, boat chase scene!)
An entertaining cameo from Richard E Grant as a businessman in danger.
The film also manages to offend, in more ways than the 15-rated violence and language used: I’m not sure WHEN this movie was actually filmed, but the use of an articulated lorry as a terrorist weapon towards the end of the film is certainly in very poor taste after the events of Nice, London and Barcelona. Not appreciated.
Directed by Patrick Hughes (“The Expendables 3″…. say no more) this hodge-podge of a flick is sporadically entertaining, but is one I will struggle to remember in a couple of months time.
Michael Pacey (8 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies
Mar 8, 2019
First female lead for Marvel (2 more)
Unexpected twists
Kept with MCU continuity
Kree make up lacked a little (2 more)
Good Marvel knowledge required to make full sense of movie
Possibly released too close to Endgame to get the recognition it deserves
Brie Larson rocks Captain Marvel with almost perfect performance
Brie Larson kicks butt in this action packed adventure that takes Carol Danvers on a trip down (a very long) memory lane.
The overall plot of the movie works brilliantly and does well to give fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe a glimpse of the raw power that Captain Marvel posseses. The story (with good reason obviously) focused a lot on Captain Marvels journey to learn who she is and where she comes from. In doing that however I feel like Marvel left us with little back story behind the Kree-Skrull war. This could be paid off in later films but I do feel as though this was the perfect opportunity.
The 90's feel was executed to perfection, from the costumes to the sets, the soundtrack to the technology, there was a perfect amount of nostalgia without it getting close to cheesy. This allowed the film to focus on it's 'Top Gun' style and makes it stand out and stand strong amongst any other Marvel film to date.
Whilst I feel there was a small amount of detail missing, overall I thought the film was an action packed rollercoaster of fun which made great use of the opportunity to set up everything that was to come in the MCU timeline.
Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson were terrific and I hope they can collaborate further in any planned sequel.
On a final note, now that Captain Marvel is out there for the world to see, bring on Avengers: Endgame!
Higher Futher Faster.
The overall plot of the movie works brilliantly and does well to give fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe a glimpse of the raw power that Captain Marvel posseses. The story (with good reason obviously) focused a lot on Captain Marvels journey to learn who she is and where she comes from. In doing that however I feel like Marvel left us with little back story behind the Kree-Skrull war. This could be paid off in later films but I do feel as though this was the perfect opportunity.
The 90's feel was executed to perfection, from the costumes to the sets, the soundtrack to the technology, there was a perfect amount of nostalgia without it getting close to cheesy. This allowed the film to focus on it's 'Top Gun' style and makes it stand out and stand strong amongst any other Marvel film to date.
Whilst I feel there was a small amount of detail missing, overall I thought the film was an action packed rollercoaster of fun which made great use of the opportunity to set up everything that was to come in the MCU timeline.
Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson were terrific and I hope they can collaborate further in any planned sequel.
On a final note, now that Captain Marvel is out there for the world to see, bring on Avengers: Endgame!
Higher Futher Faster.
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Jurassic Park (1993) in Movies
Jul 23, 2018
The music!!! (3 more)
Incredible cast
The dinosaurs look incredible
The writing
Are there any flaws to this movie? I think not!
Wow what can I say about this? A classic. A masterpiece. The greatest dinosaur movie of all time by far....in fact 1 of the greatest movies in general of all time.
The soundtrack is iconic. John Williams is a genius. You hear that song anywhere and you immediately know what movie it is.
Sam neills greatest role, shirtless Jeff goldblum, a young(er) Samuel l Jackson and a great Richard attenborough. The cast is great with fantastic writing. In a film about dinosaurs the acting is believable, I love the relationships between the characters.
We can't forget the other main cast member.....the dinosaurs. The looked incredible. The use of animatronics were genius mixed with some visual effects. They looked believable, they were scary and there were many different types to keep you interested. The sounds were perfect along with the intense feeling of seeing water shake letting you know something big is coming.
Spielburgs directing is on top form for this movie and is easily 1 of his best and that is saying a lot. Only he can present a scene to you that invokes both awe and fear at the same time.
It does make you think too even now about where technology is going and Jeff goldblum says it best in 1 seen. "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that didn't stop to think if they should" this line has stuck with me for a long time because it's true even today.
Fantastic movie that belongs in anyone's top 10. It is the only Dino movie worth watching. Nothing else comes close.
The soundtrack is iconic. John Williams is a genius. You hear that song anywhere and you immediately know what movie it is.
Sam neills greatest role, shirtless Jeff goldblum, a young(er) Samuel l Jackson and a great Richard attenborough. The cast is great with fantastic writing. In a film about dinosaurs the acting is believable, I love the relationships between the characters.
We can't forget the other main cast member.....the dinosaurs. The looked incredible. The use of animatronics were genius mixed with some visual effects. They looked believable, they were scary and there were many different types to keep you interested. The sounds were perfect along with the intense feeling of seeing water shake letting you know something big is coming.
Spielburgs directing is on top form for this movie and is easily 1 of his best and that is saying a lot. Only he can present a scene to you that invokes both awe and fear at the same time.
It does make you think too even now about where technology is going and Jeff goldblum says it best in 1 seen. "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that didn't stop to think if they should" this line has stuck with me for a long time because it's true even today.
Fantastic movie that belongs in anyone's top 10. It is the only Dino movie worth watching. Nothing else comes close.