Terremoto

Another good norwegian movie with great photography, tension and good acting.

The Norwegian "Skjelvet", a.k.a. "The Quake", is an overrated disaster movie. The special effects are indeed stunning and worthwhile watching, but the predictable storyline and characters are disappointing. Kristian Eikjord is unpleasant and strange and most of the characters have stupid attitudes. The abrupt conclusion is weak. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

It's sad but true. The wave was amazing not just because of its suspense, but also because its characters'actions made sense. And what makes this one even worse is that they are the same characters only stupid! I didn't mind the slow build to the the actual disaster; what annoyed me the most was how everyone was lame and slow and just unbelievably wrong when it comes to their reactions! Scenes where they're supposed to be running for their lives, but instead having melodramatic moments. Human instincts don't work that way or else there would never be any survivors in any life-threatening situation ever! It was so irritating to watch them behave this way after the amazing performance of the previous film! It was a disappointment.

A movie about folks yelling "Julia!" the entire time, with a little bit of an earthquake mixed in.

First thing you notice is the wonderful natural light and cinematography. But once your eyes adjust, you realize how poorly written this is. You can't believe your eyes. The first hour crawls along with the lead character, silent and anguished, making you wonder what's he so disturbed about and why aren't we allowed into his mind, more than just a hint. After the hour is over, you watch in disbelief as characters act in irrational ways that make you sit in astonishment as believability is thrown out the window to accommodate a weak script. The final 50 minutes try to make up for the first part's inadequacies but by then, you're no longer involved. Is this merely a money-grubbing exercise or are the principles just not very good at their craft? The Wave was so much better.