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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Mile 22 (2018) in Movies
Sep 20, 2018 (Updated Sep 20, 2018)
The Movie Equivelant of a Shrug
I saw Mile 22 last night and when I got in my dad asked me how it was. I replied with a simple shrug and that is honestly the best way to sum up this movie. It's not bad and it's not great. The worst thing about that is that Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg have worked together 3 times prior to this movie and all 3 times have resulted in fantastic movies, not mediocre ones like this. I was looking forward to this going in knowing that it was Berg and Wahlberg working together again and I have really liked everything else they have made together, (especially Patriot's Day,) but this is unfortunately the worst film that they have made together so far, but it's still not awful.
The best thing about this film is definitely Iko Uwais. Whenever we get to see him doing his thing on screen, it is electrifying. The issue here though is the way that Jacques Jouffret decided to shoot these sequences is choppy and incoherent at times. Why would you cast one of the best fight choreographers in the world in your movie and then every time he get to fight onscreen, you decided to shake the camera about and make 10+ jump-cuts in the space of a few minutes?
Rhonda Rousey is in the movie too and surprisingly I didn't cringe every time she spoke and instead felt that she did a pretty decent job with what she was given. Lauren Cohen was fine too, we all know that she can do a pretty solid American accent at this point because of her work on The Walking Dead. Wahlberg is perfectly serviceable here too, he has been better in other things, but he also been far worse. It is hard to waste an actor like John Malkovich in a film and yet they manage it here, literally any actor could have played his role.
The end is also pretty rubbish. There is a flimsy twist followed by a sequel tease and then the credits abruptly appear. They are clearly aiming for a sequel, but it would have been nice if they could have tied this movie up a bit better first.
Overall, this is an okay action flick with some cool stunts that doesn't live up to what it could have been and ends too abruptly. There are some cool stunts and satisfying kills in the film, but they could have been shot a lot better.
The best thing about this film is definitely Iko Uwais. Whenever we get to see him doing his thing on screen, it is electrifying. The issue here though is the way that Jacques Jouffret decided to shoot these sequences is choppy and incoherent at times. Why would you cast one of the best fight choreographers in the world in your movie and then every time he get to fight onscreen, you decided to shake the camera about and make 10+ jump-cuts in the space of a few minutes?
Rhonda Rousey is in the movie too and surprisingly I didn't cringe every time she spoke and instead felt that she did a pretty decent job with what she was given. Lauren Cohen was fine too, we all know that she can do a pretty solid American accent at this point because of her work on The Walking Dead. Wahlberg is perfectly serviceable here too, he has been better in other things, but he also been far worse. It is hard to waste an actor like John Malkovich in a film and yet they manage it here, literally any actor could have played his role.
The end is also pretty rubbish. There is a flimsy twist followed by a sequel tease and then the credits abruptly appear. They are clearly aiming for a sequel, but it would have been nice if they could have tied this movie up a bit better first.
Overall, this is an okay action flick with some cool stunts that doesn't live up to what it could have been and ends too abruptly. There are some cool stunts and satisfying kills in the film, but they could have been shot a lot better.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Long and Dark in Books
Apr 20, 2020
From the moment I read the synopsis for The Long and Dark, I was intrigued by this mysterious place and the bravery of this man to commence this adventure, knowing it may cost his life.
Gareth has always played by the books. Paid to do whatever people tell him to do. Never thinking deeper than what lies on the surface. Never needed to. Satisfied in his day to day world, his perfect bubble bursts when his wife and kid are infected with a disease that will kill them sooner or later.
Knowing this is the only solution, Gareth is commencing on an adventure to the mysterious Dineothan and its capital, Upelstbohr, a place unknown to many. Rumours are that this place is populated with the greatest minds alive. Other rumours are that this place is cursed and cut off from the outside world.
With no other options, our hero goes into this adventure, hoping for the best, but the path is not that easy…
My Thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed The Long and Dark. As a character, I liked Gareth. I admired his dedication and motivation to keep going. His will to never give up to save his family left me deeply troubled, knowing how rare these characteristics are to be found in people nowadays. His sacrifice reminded me of today’s selfish humans walking on Earth, and reminded me of how precious this trait really is.
“Please feel free to visit again if you are so inclined. You will find me here. As a man with all the time in the world, reading is the only pleasure I have left.”
Gareth is also a character that does what he is told. That is what he has done all his life, and I was so bored to see him getting in trouble over and over again in this book, because he followed other people’s advice. However, he does learn from this, and we can see a huge character development of him by the end of this book. That scene was remarkable. A pleasure to read.
Apart from Gareth, I couldn’t really connect with any other character. They were all coming and going as far as I was concerned. I didn’t invest any emotions into them whatsoever. At times, I was also bored with the plot, as it felt we are not going anywhere for a couple of pages.
An interesting adventure read for sure, but not a remarkable one, unfortunately. It is a great book to spend your free time on, but you might not remember it after a year. I still recommend The Long and Dark to the adventure seekers!
Gareth has always played by the books. Paid to do whatever people tell him to do. Never thinking deeper than what lies on the surface. Never needed to. Satisfied in his day to day world, his perfect bubble bursts when his wife and kid are infected with a disease that will kill them sooner or later.
Knowing this is the only solution, Gareth is commencing on an adventure to the mysterious Dineothan and its capital, Upelstbohr, a place unknown to many. Rumours are that this place is populated with the greatest minds alive. Other rumours are that this place is cursed and cut off from the outside world.
With no other options, our hero goes into this adventure, hoping for the best, but the path is not that easy…
My Thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed The Long and Dark. As a character, I liked Gareth. I admired his dedication and motivation to keep going. His will to never give up to save his family left me deeply troubled, knowing how rare these characteristics are to be found in people nowadays. His sacrifice reminded me of today’s selfish humans walking on Earth, and reminded me of how precious this trait really is.
“Please feel free to visit again if you are so inclined. You will find me here. As a man with all the time in the world, reading is the only pleasure I have left.”
Gareth is also a character that does what he is told. That is what he has done all his life, and I was so bored to see him getting in trouble over and over again in this book, because he followed other people’s advice. However, he does learn from this, and we can see a huge character development of him by the end of this book. That scene was remarkable. A pleasure to read.
Apart from Gareth, I couldn’t really connect with any other character. They were all coming and going as far as I was concerned. I didn’t invest any emotions into them whatsoever. At times, I was also bored with the plot, as it felt we are not going anywhere for a couple of pages.
An interesting adventure read for sure, but not a remarkable one, unfortunately. It is a great book to spend your free time on, but you might not remember it after a year. I still recommend The Long and Dark to the adventure seekers!
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Angel Has Fallen (2019) in Movies
Jul 4, 2020
Honestly, if you put a gun to my head and asked me to recite what actually happens either Olympus Has Fallen or London Has Fallen, then I'd be shit out of luck. The recent third entry Angel Has Fallen will be no different in a week or two...
It's not awful (some of the action is fairly entertaining) but it's so by the numbers and boring. Jesus Christ, even Nick Nolte doing his by-now-expected-crazy-old-guy schtick is tiresome after roughly 5 seconds.
The plot revolves around Gerard Butler's Mike Banning, who is high up in the White Houses security detail, being framed for an assassination attempt on the President (Morgan Freeman). He is then chased down by the FBI, whilst he tries to figure out who is actually behind it, take them down, and clear his name.
I don't even need to spoil who the bad guys are because it's painfully obvious from the precise second we meet them.
I don't mind Gerard Butler by any means, but he seems to be phoning it in at this point, as he goes through the motions and runs through a gauntlet of action movie cliches - including but not limited to:
- a dramatic dimly lit and gun heavy opening scene that is blatantly a training excercise
- the hero throwing down an effective weapon to face of with the villain in hand to hand
- the hero walking away from an important family conversation at a pivotal moment to go and do hero stuff
- Danny Huston playing a smug arsehole
- A political sub plot involving Russia that doesn't actually go anywhere
Etc, etc.
I, like most people, love a good bit of Morgan Freeman, but unfortunately, they did a Leia on him and just had him in a coma for most of the film, yaaaaay. Jada Pinkett-Smith is in here somewhere as well, but I can't even remember what happens to her.
Just to top it all off, some of the effects work in this is terrible by any standard, but considering it's a big budget action film, it's pretty embarrassing.
I mean, I can be a miserable bastard sometimes, and I appreciate that maybe I'm railing too hard on a film that should just be a dumb popcorn film, but honestly, Angel Has Fallen feels like the result of someone forcing a bot to sit through the first two, and then produce a script for a sequel.
It's not awful (some of the action is fairly entertaining) but it's so by the numbers and boring. Jesus Christ, even Nick Nolte doing his by-now-expected-crazy-old-guy schtick is tiresome after roughly 5 seconds.
The plot revolves around Gerard Butler's Mike Banning, who is high up in the White Houses security detail, being framed for an assassination attempt on the President (Morgan Freeman). He is then chased down by the FBI, whilst he tries to figure out who is actually behind it, take them down, and clear his name.
I don't even need to spoil who the bad guys are because it's painfully obvious from the precise second we meet them.
I don't mind Gerard Butler by any means, but he seems to be phoning it in at this point, as he goes through the motions and runs through a gauntlet of action movie cliches - including but not limited to:
- a dramatic dimly lit and gun heavy opening scene that is blatantly a training excercise
- the hero throwing down an effective weapon to face of with the villain in hand to hand
- the hero walking away from an important family conversation at a pivotal moment to go and do hero stuff
- Danny Huston playing a smug arsehole
- A political sub plot involving Russia that doesn't actually go anywhere
Etc, etc.
I, like most people, love a good bit of Morgan Freeman, but unfortunately, they did a Leia on him and just had him in a coma for most of the film, yaaaaay. Jada Pinkett-Smith is in here somewhere as well, but I can't even remember what happens to her.
Just to top it all off, some of the effects work in this is terrible by any standard, but considering it's a big budget action film, it's pretty embarrassing.
I mean, I can be a miserable bastard sometimes, and I appreciate that maybe I'm railing too hard on a film that should just be a dumb popcorn film, but honestly, Angel Has Fallen feels like the result of someone forcing a bot to sit through the first two, and then produce a script for a sequel.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Here Alone (2017) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020 (Updated Oct 29, 2020)
Unexpectedly Engaging But Ultimately Disappointing For A Zombie
Contains spoilers, click to show
Man, I can't believe what a let down this movie wound up being when it had so much potential. It started off really strong and I like Ann (Lucy Walters) and thought she was a strong female lead/protagonist. She demonstrated early on the extremes she puts herself through to ensure her survival such as covering her naked body with a mixture of scat and mud to cover her scent, cutting herself to collect blood and use as bait to lure zombies away, and collecting her urine to douse herself with incase any zombies follow her back to her camp. She's shown rationing her food and scavenging maggots for protein, and keeping two camp sites incase one is lost. Even when she ventures out to get supplies, the moment she hears zombies, she doesn't wait to see them, she stops what she's doing and gets moving. What killed me with this film was that it was so slow building and wound up being nothing but dialogue. The flashbacks intrigued me, because I was interested in her backstory since it showed she wasn't always alone and had a husband and baby. But nothing ever happened even when she chose to help these strangers who she didn't know and house them in her camp and give them food. For more than an hours of the film there is probably only 1 minute of zombies. It's not until the last 15-20 minutes of the movie does it get good when Chris's daughter Olivia betrays her on a raid and knocks her out and ties her up, and screams to attract zombies before leaving her to die. It was already hinted at that Olvia didn't really like Ann as much as she was pretending to or that she was getting jealous of Chris and her relationship so this wasn't even a big of surprise as it shoud have been but it was a little shocking. I did like how when Ann goes to help them when she gets free that she forgets to grab more ammunition and has to chose who she will help survive. I thought that was very believable and a good final twist especially since she chooses Olivia who tried to kill her. Still everything in this movie could have been summed up in an epsiode of The Walking Dead and been better action wise if not as good drama wise but close. I still give this movie a 3/10.
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