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David McK (3540 KP) rated Van Helsing (2004) in Movies
Aug 28, 2019 (Updated Oct 7, 2019)
Early 2000s (2004?) movie, that re-imagines the role of van Helsing (from the Dracula novel) as a Monster hunter, rather than the elderly scientist he is usually portrayed as, and with Hugh Jackman stepping into the central role as just that character.
Also starring Kate Beckinsale as Anna Valerious (and, yes, again wearing tight fitting trousers a la Underworld) and with Richard Roxburgh doing all but chewing the scenery as Count Dracula, this see's Van Helsing travel to Transylvania in an effort to uncover the mystery of his past and aid Anna in stopping her family's curse in a film that also sees many of Universals 'classic' monsters (Wolfman, Dracula's brides, Frankenstein's Monster, Jekyll and Hyde) involved.
Also starring Kate Beckinsale as Anna Valerious (and, yes, again wearing tight fitting trousers a la Underworld) and with Richard Roxburgh doing all but chewing the scenery as Count Dracula, this see's Van Helsing travel to Transylvania in an effort to uncover the mystery of his past and aid Anna in stopping her family's curse in a film that also sees many of Universals 'classic' monsters (Wolfman, Dracula's brides, Frankenstein's Monster, Jekyll and Hyde) involved.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Dark Matter in Books
Jul 25, 2017
Would be a good concept for a movie
Being trapped in alternate realities is always a terrifying thought, which Blake Crouch has managed to portray quite well. It's a family story, mixed with a bit of sci-fi and Kafka-esque existentialism, about the choices we make in life, and how literally in this case, can set you on a different path in quantum existences.
While it seemed more engaging at the beginning, the lack of movement in terms of the end goal, made it slightly tedious and repetitive. It could be a tad shorter for what it is. It also terminates quickly leaving a lack of conclusion.
While it seemed more engaging at the beginning, the lack of movement in terms of the end goal, made it slightly tedious and repetitive. It could be a tad shorter for what it is. It also terminates quickly leaving a lack of conclusion.
David McK (3540 KP) rated Dune: The Graphic Novel, part 1 in Books
Mar 6, 2022
So, Dune
My only frame of reference is the 2021 movie.
Oh, I knew the basics prior to that: Spice, the giant worms, space politics, but beyond that ... ?
Released in the wake of that movie, this is - apparently (or so the authors say) - a straight visual retelling (as much as is possible) of Frank Herbert 1965 epic, rather than putting their own stamp on it.
Never having read that original, I'm in no position to say whether it is or not.
What I will say, however (if it is) then so is the 2021 movie, although there are distinct visual differences between the two mediums.
This also ends in a different place, slightly earlier than the movie, with Paul and Jessica alone in the desert and before their run-in with the Fremen.
So, yes, engaging if dragging slightly in parts and well set-up for the release of Part 2 in Autumn 2022 ...
My only frame of reference is the 2021 movie.
Oh, I knew the basics prior to that: Spice, the giant worms, space politics, but beyond that ... ?
Released in the wake of that movie, this is - apparently (or so the authors say) - a straight visual retelling (as much as is possible) of Frank Herbert 1965 epic, rather than putting their own stamp on it.
Never having read that original, I'm in no position to say whether it is or not.
What I will say, however (if it is) then so is the 2021 movie, although there are distinct visual differences between the two mediums.
This also ends in a different place, slightly earlier than the movie, with Paul and Jessica alone in the desert and before their run-in with the Fremen.
So, yes, engaging if dragging slightly in parts and well set-up for the release of Part 2 in Autumn 2022 ...
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Highwaymen (2019) in Movies
Apr 5, 2019 (Updated Apr 5, 2019)
Costner & Harrelson (1 more)
Well made
HighwayMeh
The Highwaymen is a recent Netflix movie about two ex Texas Rangers that were brought out of retirement to hunt and kill Bonnie & Clyde. With that premise and Kevin Costner & Woody Harrelson in the lead roles, this could have been incredible. Although the movie is very well made and the entire cast are all pretty great in it, it is just so damn slow.
Not only that but it is 2+ hours long and, my God do you feel it. Like me, you will most likely spend the whole time waiting for the film to pick up until it just sort of fizzles out. I get that they were going for realism over action here, but it is seriously slow. At what I thought was almost the end of the movie, I hit paused to go for a bathroom break, only to discover that I was just shy of halfway into the movie's runtime.
Don't get me wrong, Costner and Harrelson do a great job of carrying this movie and it really does rely on their performance. Also, the movie is technically proficient. The camera work, the lighting, the set design etc is all solid, this is by no means a poorly made movie.
Overall, if you are a huge fan of the Bonnie & Clyde story, or of either of the lead actors, then you should probably check this one out. If not, you can most certainly give it a skip. As I keep reiterating, this is a technically sound movie, it is just so slow and drawn out that it is detrimental to me recommending the film to anyone other than diehard fans of this story.
Not only that but it is 2+ hours long and, my God do you feel it. Like me, you will most likely spend the whole time waiting for the film to pick up until it just sort of fizzles out. I get that they were going for realism over action here, but it is seriously slow. At what I thought was almost the end of the movie, I hit paused to go for a bathroom break, only to discover that I was just shy of halfway into the movie's runtime.
Don't get me wrong, Costner and Harrelson do a great job of carrying this movie and it really does rely on their performance. Also, the movie is technically proficient. The camera work, the lighting, the set design etc is all solid, this is by no means a poorly made movie.
Overall, if you are a huge fan of the Bonnie & Clyde story, or of either of the lead actors, then you should probably check this one out. If not, you can most certainly give it a skip. As I keep reiterating, this is a technically sound movie, it is just so slow and drawn out that it is detrimental to me recommending the film to anyone other than diehard fans of this story.
Nick Beaty (70 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Jan 7, 2020 (Updated Jan 7, 2020)
DC has a fun side...
Shazam! is pretty much exactly what you would expect from a story about a boy with the ability to turn in to a fully grown adult superhero (with a very questionable muscle suit, it has to be said). As they are famously renowned for their dark content and moody superheroes, it is nice to see that DC has a fun side.
The movie itself reminded me of a lesser version of Big and a PG version of Kick Ass. The cast do a good job, in particular Asher Angel who plays young Billy Baston with confidence and a lots of swagger. Zachary Levi who plays the adult superhero version of Billy seemed to be having a blast.
However a couple of slight negatives for me was the fact that the two actors mentioned above are supposed to be playing the same person and adult Billy has literally none of the characteristics that young Billy has. Also the movie doesn't seem to be quite sure of it's target audience, as some scenes are really dark and creepy for kids, but the overall humour and jokes seem to be aimed more at children than adults.
I would say that the first half of Shazam! is better than the second half, as I felt I wasn't into the movie as much by the end. A long running time could have contributed to that though, as they could have easily cut twenty minutes or so from the film.
Still after all is said and done Shazam! is a fun movie and if you are wanting a superhero movie that doesn't take itself seriously, then this one is probably for you.
The movie itself reminded me of a lesser version of Big and a PG version of Kick Ass. The cast do a good job, in particular Asher Angel who plays young Billy Baston with confidence and a lots of swagger. Zachary Levi who plays the adult superhero version of Billy seemed to be having a blast.
However a couple of slight negatives for me was the fact that the two actors mentioned above are supposed to be playing the same person and adult Billy has literally none of the characteristics that young Billy has. Also the movie doesn't seem to be quite sure of it's target audience, as some scenes are really dark and creepy for kids, but the overall humour and jokes seem to be aimed more at children than adults.
I would say that the first half of Shazam! is better than the second half, as I felt I wasn't into the movie as much by the end. A long running time could have contributed to that though, as they could have easily cut twenty minutes or so from the film.
Still after all is said and done Shazam! is a fun movie and if you are wanting a superhero movie that doesn't take itself seriously, then this one is probably for you.
David McK (3540 KP) rated Venom: The Last Dance (2024) in Movies
Nov 8, 2024 (Updated Nov 8, 2024)
The final(?) part of the Tom Hardy led Venom movies, again relying a large part on the 'star power' of its leading man, who provides the voice of Venom whilst also portraying Eddie Brock.
Despite the stinger at the end of 'Let There Be Carnage', there's no tie in to the MCU, or even to Sony's Spider-verse.
I also felt that Andy Serkis was completely and utterly wasted as Knull, whilst Rhys Ifans provided the comic relief and Chiwetel Ejiofor wasn't sure what movie he was in!
Despite the stinger at the end of 'Let There Be Carnage', there's no tie in to the MCU, or even to Sony's Spider-verse.
I also felt that Andy Serkis was completely and utterly wasted as Knull, whilst Rhys Ifans provided the comic relief and Chiwetel Ejiofor wasn't sure what movie he was in!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) in Movies
Sep 18, 2020
Brooklyn's Own Vampire
Vampire in Brooklyn- is a entertaining movie. It has horror, comedy and eddie Murphy as the bad guy.
The plot: In the wake of her mother's death in a mental institution, detective Rita Veder (Angela Bassett) is assigned to a baffling serial murder case. After examining the crime scene -- a corpse-filled ship found adrift at sea -- Rita meets Maximilian (Eddie Murphy), a smooth-talking Caribbean playboy determined to romance her. When Rita begins suffering from crippling hallucinations, she calls upon Dr. Zeko (Zakes Mokae), an occultist who suspects a vampire is on the loose.
According to Charlie Murphy, the movie was originally going to be a straight horror film with no laughs but Wes Craven brought a different focus to it. He also said: "Maximilian wasn't going to have any redeeming qualities. But Wes taught us that we must get the audience to care about our characters. And even if they didn't know any vampires personally, they would at least have to identify with the type of person he was.
About the movie, Eddie Murphy said: "I've always wanted to do something where I was the villain in the movie. I love horror pictures and I was a big fan of Wes Craven. This movie started out as something small, this was a movie my company was just going to produce and the screenplay came together so well that I thought it will be a fun role to play. Because I got to do something kind of scary and had a safety net because the vampire can turn into other peoples. I get to be funny when I'm the preacher and I get to be funny when I'm the Italian guy. And the vampire is pretty straight and I got all these funny stuff happening around me. I felt it was a unique piece to do."
Although contemporary reviews were negative, Vampire In Brooklyn has since become a cult classic.
Like i said its a good comedy horror film.
The plot: In the wake of her mother's death in a mental institution, detective Rita Veder (Angela Bassett) is assigned to a baffling serial murder case. After examining the crime scene -- a corpse-filled ship found adrift at sea -- Rita meets Maximilian (Eddie Murphy), a smooth-talking Caribbean playboy determined to romance her. When Rita begins suffering from crippling hallucinations, she calls upon Dr. Zeko (Zakes Mokae), an occultist who suspects a vampire is on the loose.
According to Charlie Murphy, the movie was originally going to be a straight horror film with no laughs but Wes Craven brought a different focus to it. He also said: "Maximilian wasn't going to have any redeeming qualities. But Wes taught us that we must get the audience to care about our characters. And even if they didn't know any vampires personally, they would at least have to identify with the type of person he was.
About the movie, Eddie Murphy said: "I've always wanted to do something where I was the villain in the movie. I love horror pictures and I was a big fan of Wes Craven. This movie started out as something small, this was a movie my company was just going to produce and the screenplay came together so well that I thought it will be a fun role to play. Because I got to do something kind of scary and had a safety net because the vampire can turn into other peoples. I get to be funny when I'm the preacher and I get to be funny when I'm the Italian guy. And the vampire is pretty straight and I got all these funny stuff happening around me. I felt it was a unique piece to do."
Although contemporary reviews were negative, Vampire In Brooklyn has since become a cult classic.
Like i said its a good comedy horror film.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Oct 4, 2018 (Updated Oct 4, 2018)
Unexpectedly fun and comical (1 more)
Tom Hardy
This Is The Movie That Everyone Hates?
Contains spoilers, click to show
I have to be honest, I was not on-board with this film going in at all. I wasn't interested in a Spiderman-less Spiderman universe and the trailers didn't exactly sell me on it either. It looked like they were messing with the origin of Venom too much and the action set pieces didn't look too impressive. Then there was the fact that the review embargo was only lifted a day before the movie's release, then there were the terrible reviews. Suffice to say I went into this with a morbid curiosity expecting a total mess.
However, I am happy to report that this movie actually really pleasantly surprised me and I had a ton of fun watching Venom.
When I heard that Tom Hardy was playing Eddie Brock, I was really gutted because I think that he would have been the perfect choice for the MCU's Wolverine. I also thought that this was going to be a mistake in terms of Hardy's career; out of all of the superhero movies he could have been a part of, he chose Venom? I was happy to be proven wrong, Hardy was great in both his role as Eddie Brock and as Venom. He was funny, scary and heartfelt at all the right moments and looked like he was having a good time playing the character.
This movie did remind me a lot of Upgrade, which was also a Sci-fi movie released this year with a protagonist who gains a voice in his head and extraordinary powers that he doesn't have any control over. Coincidentally Tom Hardy also looks strikingly similar to the actor in Upgrade, Logan-Marshall Green. If I had to compare the two movies, I personally preferred Upgrade, but I had a lot of fun with both of them.
And that's the best thing about this movie, it is fun. Sure, it's not a comic book accurate Venom origin and it's not connected to the MCU's Spiderman and it's not up to snuff compared to the recent entries in the MCU, but it is a ton of fun to watch this violent alien join forces with a witty, down on his luck reporter and wreak havoc.
I'm going to drop a few spoilers going forward, so if you have yet to see the movie, you should probably click away now.
The thing that was really bothering me during the opening of the movie was; why is this story taking place in San Francisco? Eddie Brock is a New Yorker, not a San Franciscan. Then they addressed that issue and explained that he had moved away from New York. It was only a brief, throwaway line, but they didn't have to bother including it and I appreciate that they did.
I also really enjoyed the brief appearance of She-Venom. Sure, the odds that this Symbiote that rejects almost every human host that it comes into contact with, just happens to bond perfectly with this couple, is a bit of a stretch. However, this is a comic book movie with aliens, so I'm willing to accept a few stretches in the movie's logic.
Lastly I like the fact that they teased Carnage in the post credits tease and I am glad that they got Woody Harrelson to play him, he is one of my favourite actors... but my God he looked really dumb in that red wig, like almost parody bad.
Overall, although I had extremely low expectations going into Venom, it exceeded them by a great deal. Sure, it's not Infinity War and it's not even Spiderman: Homecoming, but it is a lot of fun and there is definitely a good amount of enjoyment to be had in Venom.
However, I am happy to report that this movie actually really pleasantly surprised me and I had a ton of fun watching Venom.
When I heard that Tom Hardy was playing Eddie Brock, I was really gutted because I think that he would have been the perfect choice for the MCU's Wolverine. I also thought that this was going to be a mistake in terms of Hardy's career; out of all of the superhero movies he could have been a part of, he chose Venom? I was happy to be proven wrong, Hardy was great in both his role as Eddie Brock and as Venom. He was funny, scary and heartfelt at all the right moments and looked like he was having a good time playing the character.
This movie did remind me a lot of Upgrade, which was also a Sci-fi movie released this year with a protagonist who gains a voice in his head and extraordinary powers that he doesn't have any control over. Coincidentally Tom Hardy also looks strikingly similar to the actor in Upgrade, Logan-Marshall Green. If I had to compare the two movies, I personally preferred Upgrade, but I had a lot of fun with both of them.
And that's the best thing about this movie, it is fun. Sure, it's not a comic book accurate Venom origin and it's not connected to the MCU's Spiderman and it's not up to snuff compared to the recent entries in the MCU, but it is a ton of fun to watch this violent alien join forces with a witty, down on his luck reporter and wreak havoc.
I'm going to drop a few spoilers going forward, so if you have yet to see the movie, you should probably click away now.
The thing that was really bothering me during the opening of the movie was; why is this story taking place in San Francisco? Eddie Brock is a New Yorker, not a San Franciscan. Then they addressed that issue and explained that he had moved away from New York. It was only a brief, throwaway line, but they didn't have to bother including it and I appreciate that they did.
I also really enjoyed the brief appearance of She-Venom. Sure, the odds that this Symbiote that rejects almost every human host that it comes into contact with, just happens to bond perfectly with this couple, is a bit of a stretch. However, this is a comic book movie with aliens, so I'm willing to accept a few stretches in the movie's logic.
Lastly I like the fact that they teased Carnage in the post credits tease and I am glad that they got Woody Harrelson to play him, he is one of my favourite actors... but my God he looked really dumb in that red wig, like almost parody bad.
Overall, although I had extremely low expectations going into Venom, it exceeded them by a great deal. Sure, it's not Infinity War and it's not even Spiderman: Homecoming, but it is a lot of fun and there is definitely a good amount of enjoyment to be had in Venom.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated The Kitchen (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
A Very Messy Kitchen: Good Ingredients But No Flavor
The Kitchen is a 2019 action crime movie written and directed by Andrea Berloff and producers Michael Dell Luca and Marcus Viscidi. It's based on the Vertigo comic created by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle and produced by New Line Cinema, Bron Creative, D.C. Vertigo and Michael Dell Luca Productions with distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film stars Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss and Common.
In 1978 Hell's Kitchen, 3 women married to husbands in the Irish mob face hardship as all 3 of their husbands are arrested and sentenced to 3 years in prison. The new head of the mob ensures that they will be taken care of financially but gives them each a tiny pittance. When they go to ask him for more they are aggressively refused. At a loss for what to do next the women seize an opportunity when they are told that despite local businesses paying protection fees, the mob has done little to help them. They themselves begin collecting protection fees and helping the neighborhood becoming beloved and making a huge profit as well as lots of enemies.
This movie was not what I expected. I was really let down, especially for it having a great cast of actors. I don't think it was over hyped either, I felt like it was false advertising. From the trailer it looked like it was supposed to be a gritty female led mob movie but didn't deliver. From the beginning and throughout the movie it felt really lackluster and didn't have enough going for it to remain interesting. I honestly don't know how I made it through the movie, I guess I just kept waiting for it to get better and it never really did. I did like certain things, Melissa McCarthy's acting was good for being a drama and Tiffany Haddish did a decent job, also Elisabeth Moss's character was probably the one that had the most character development, but even then, you'll see what I'm talking about if you ever decide to watch this movie. It also didn't have a very compelling plot, and with the girl's situation and what they were dealing with, you would think it would be more gripping but there was not enough tension for a movie dealing with the mob and the dangers of being killed. I would have to give this movie a 4/10 because I felt it was really below average.
In 1978 Hell's Kitchen, 3 women married to husbands in the Irish mob face hardship as all 3 of their husbands are arrested and sentenced to 3 years in prison. The new head of the mob ensures that they will be taken care of financially but gives them each a tiny pittance. When they go to ask him for more they are aggressively refused. At a loss for what to do next the women seize an opportunity when they are told that despite local businesses paying protection fees, the mob has done little to help them. They themselves begin collecting protection fees and helping the neighborhood becoming beloved and making a huge profit as well as lots of enemies.
This movie was not what I expected. I was really let down, especially for it having a great cast of actors. I don't think it was over hyped either, I felt like it was false advertising. From the trailer it looked like it was supposed to be a gritty female led mob movie but didn't deliver. From the beginning and throughout the movie it felt really lackluster and didn't have enough going for it to remain interesting. I honestly don't know how I made it through the movie, I guess I just kept waiting for it to get better and it never really did. I did like certain things, Melissa McCarthy's acting was good for being a drama and Tiffany Haddish did a decent job, also Elisabeth Moss's character was probably the one that had the most character development, but even then, you'll see what I'm talking about if you ever decide to watch this movie. It also didn't have a very compelling plot, and with the girl's situation and what they were dealing with, you would think it would be more gripping but there was not enough tension for a movie dealing with the mob and the dangers of being killed. I would have to give this movie a 4/10 because I felt it was really below average.
