megagurka

The 100 (2014)

Watchable

I watched the first season of "The 100" before writing this review. If you can disregard the bad things about this show and are interested in the sci-fi elements this show might be worth watching if you have nothing better to do. It starts with a pretty cool premise that enables a lot of different plot developments. However there are plenty of things with this show that are annoying:

• The characters are very one dimensional, they are either very good or very bad. They also immediately know what has happened given one clue and what to do next. It's very hard to connect with and feel for anyone of them.

• The dialogue is very simple, filled with clichés and the lines feel very stilted. Nobody actually talks like this.

• Constant self sacrifices and self reflection by the main characters to make them look really good and to provoke some emotional response from the viewer.

• Frequent "cliff hanger" cuts in the middle of episodes which are preceded by the same annoying crescendoing music. Almost like it's made for inserting commercial breaks. This gets annoying very quickly.

• Lots of small side stories (look backs, romantic relations etc.) which doesn't add anything to the main storyline. They are basically just time fillers.

• Very little development actually occurs in the main story line in the whole first season. It could probably be compressed to about two or three episodes.

I can see that many teenagers (mostly girls) would enjoy this show, but for the intelligent adult it's harder to consume. I watched Narcos before this and the difference is huge in terms of production quality and adult appeal. However, I will probably watch season two of "The 100" anyway.

Mr. Nobody (2009)

What a ride!

Wow, this movie kept me at the edge of the seat the entire 141 minutes. It's been a while since I wrote a review here, but this movie really deserves it.

First I have to admit that I'm a fan of original movies which explores philosophical and psychological dilemmas/issues (Cube, Donnie Darko, Memento, Matrix to name a few). This movie really takes it a notch further with it's constant switching between numerous alternative chain of events so that you never know what to expect next. But the cutting is always done with finesse so somehow the scenes always fits together in a logical (or emotional) way (which may not be apparent until after wards). The cinematography is beautiful and really helps strengthen the story telling. The acting is top notch, especially Jared is great.

I won't spoil to much of the story, but I recommend that you see this movie with an open mind, and don't try to make sense of everything that happens. After a while the pieces will start to fall into place (although I admit I don't fully grasp everything after the first viewing). If you can do that, you're in for a hell of a ride!

The Man from Earth (2007)

Interesting idea, flawed movie

OK, first let me say that I agree that the basic idea of the movie is interesting and thought provoking. But the main question is: does it work as a movie? No, not really. The big problem is that when after the man's initial confession there's not much story to keep the movie going for 90 minutes. And the big "surprise" half way through the movie is not that intriguing unless you're a religious person (which I'm not). The ending is totally unsurprising and bland.

The whole movie basically takes place inside one room with the same bunch of people, which obviously makes it hard to keep up the viewer interest for the entire movie. If Spielberg or Cameron was directing this I'm sure it would be lots of historical look-backs spiced up with fancy computer effects, which at least would make the movie more entertaining. The production, acting, dialog, sound editing etc. is so bad it feels you're watching an episode of Twilight Zone rather than a feature film. You can really tell that this is very low budget.

So, in conclusion, interesting idea, but much more is needed to make a good movie.

P.S. If you were living for thousands of years, wouldn't you keep a journal?

Into the Wild (2007)

Thought-provoking

Contains SPOILERS! Those who write harsh reviews of this movie, I don't think you get the point. So I will give you my interpretation of the story.

This movie is a modern version of the classic theme about the philosophical journey of a young man. The goal of the journey is to find total freedom, and along the way everything else must be sacrificed including relationships and material wealth.

In the end, alone on his death bed, the man realizes that while he has almost reached total freedom he has lost too much along the way and that as a human being you are dependent on other individuals, not only for survival, but ultimately also for happiness. To achieve happiness, you have to sacrifice some of your own freedom and goals. I, and I think many others as well, can certainly relate to the struggle to achieve this balance in life, and that's what makes the movie so beautiful and effective.

Besides having a thought-provoking story, it's a beautifully made film with exquisite acting and photography.

Predator (1987)

Sci-fi classic

One of the classic sci-fi movies and one of the most entertaining action movies ever made. Certainly one of the best Arnold movies, along with Terminator 1 and 2. Mix a simple but effective story, one cool alien, well directed action scenes, Arnold kicking ass and you get an top notch action movie. Sure, there are some exaggerated macho performances, but John knows how to do it with style.

So if you're a young (but not too young) movie viewer who haven't yet seen Predator, be sure to do so to get a sample of action 80's style with Arnold at his peak.

Rating: 8/10

First Blood (1982)

One of Stallones best performances

Unlike the two follow ups this is a realistic and believable action movie. Stallone is a perfect fit for the role of John Rambo, a quiet man with dark memories from the war. The movie starts out excellent with Rambo coming to the small mountain town and the sheriff, which is well played by Brian Dennehy, stops him in the street. You really feel the tension building up inside Rambo as he takes the crap from the sheriff. And then the police station scene when Rambo snaps. The rest of the movie is raw, cold action and an interesting study in a Vietnam veteran tactics when hunted in the mountains. The action builds up nicely until the somewhat overblown and oversappy end.

The music is excellent with an instantly recognizable track building up the suspense and action. It really adds to the movie experience.

This is one of Stallones few good, believable performances along with Cop Land and Rocky 1. Recommended for raw-action-without-fuzz fans.

Rating: 7/10

Villmark (2003)

Suspenseful, but unoriginal

Villmark is a low budget horror movie from Norway similar to "Blair Witch...". The movie is based more on suspense than gore, unlike for example Evil Dead 1. The story is not very original and deep, we've seen it a couple of times before. The actors do a good job (Eva Röse is hot!) and I could relate to the characters (maybe because I'm a nordic guy). They are not totally stupid like in some bad Hollywood horror flicks.

There are some quite scary moments, but the ending could have had more punch after all that build up. Also I didn't get the final twist with the guy by the road. Who was he? A nazi? Overall, I liked this movie better then BWP. Rating 7 / 10.

Runaway Train (1985)

Voight's best performance

Jon Voight rules. Should have been given the oscar for his performance as Manny.

The story of the movie is simple but powerful. The action sequences are beatifully shot and very effective. But the real strength of the movie is the human aspect and the interaction between the people on the runaway train. We get to follow two convicts and as the movie progresses we get to know their personalities. One is old, without hope of the future and with only one thing left to prove. The other is young and cocky, full of dreams which are easily destroyed. Together they must work together to escape a certain death, and because of this they form a special relationship. The ending is flawless and fits perfectly. Overall, an excellent thriller/action/drama movie.

"No, worse! Human. Human!"

Dog Soldiers (2002)

Worth watching

Pretty good werewolf movie. The acting isn't great (but not bad either), the story is a bit predictable and the special effects are cheap, but that's part of the charm with movies like this. If you're put off by things like this, don't watch this movie!

The movie starts off pretty well with the werewolfs chasing the soldiers though the woods. This part is somewhat similar to Predator, which is good. Unfortunately when they get to the cottage it seems the story writers kind of ran out of ideas and added some scenes that are very predictable and tedious ("Are they really werewolfs?", guy standing in front of window etc.). That part of the movie lowers the rating. But I was pleasantly surprised by the gory and action filled ending. It remainded me of great films like Evil Dead. Super stuff!

Overall rating 6/10

Enigma (2001)

Good thriller

The story is quite clever and contains some interesting elements. The acting is flawless and the characters seem real. Don't know about the historical correctness, but it's interesting to see the Enigma machine in action. The movie is a bit slow in the middle, it would be even better if they cut some 15 minutes.

Overall a good movie. I give this movie 7/10 and it's worth seeing again because of all the details and plot twists that one might miss the first time.

Arlington Road (1999)

Nice suspense, bad ending

The movie starts out kinda slow, but after a while a suspense is starting to build up. This part of the movie is pretty good and well worth watching. The acting is good, especially by Jeff. The big problem is the ending, which isn't very good or realistic. Ok, I couldn't predict it (I dont think anyone can), but the terrorists' plan is just too unrealistic and improbable to be taken seriously. It seems like the writer first came up with a cool and unexpected ending and then made a sequence of improbable events just to make the ending happen. Too bad, the movie could have been much better. I completely agree with wappfalls5. Rating: 7 for the first 90 minutes, 3 for the last 20.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Hard to describe the emotions

*** SPOILERS *** I just finished watching Shawshank for the third time. Even though I know exactly what's going to happen in every part of the movie, some scenes are so beautiful and powerful that they still make me cry. The first 30 minutes of the film feels like a normal prison film, nothing special, but a good build up for things to come. The film really starts taking off with the scene where they work on the roof. After that it just gets better and better. In the end you are overwhelmed with the beauty of this movie.

My favourite parts are when they are working in the roof, when Brooks is released, when Tommy gets shot in the yard, the part where Red describes how Andy escaped and the part where Red find the note under the rock. Every scene in the movie is great and most of them are relevant to the main story. The narration by Freeman is great, I can't think of any other film that contains so many wonderful quotes. The music is also beautiful and fits perfectly into the movie.

It's very hard to tell with words how good this movie is. Just go watch the movie and hopefully you will feel the same things I feel.

Supernova (2000)

Why?

• Hey man, I've got this cool idea for a science fiction movie. It's about this nine dimensional object that turns people into super strong killing machines!

• Brilliant idea! Here's $20 million, go shoot the movie!

• Cool! Now we can afford some super cheesy special effects and some lame B-actors like Lou Diamond Phillips and James Spader.

Mortal Kombat (1995)

Stinks

What a worthless piece of crap. The story is ridiculous, the acting is bad, not even the fight scenes are worth watching. It's obvious that most of the actors don't have any martial arts training. When you create a movie like this, at least put in some people that can fight.

Crazy in Alabama (1999)

Bad movie

I dont know if this movie is supposed to be funny or serious. I didnt laugh one time and I wasnt moved by the story about the black people, so I would say it's a bad movie. And I cant stand Melanie. She and Meat Loaf give over-acting a name.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

Overrated

I didnt like this movie very much. I never felt for any of the characters and the story didnt engage me. It felt too exaggerated. Right from the start where the guy gets stuck in the railway. Give me a break. And the scenes where Evelyn "finds herself" are very predictable and stereotypical. No, it's all too simple. If you want a good movie about friendship, go see "Shawshank Redemption" instead. At least that movie makes you think a little bit.

Wo hu cang long (2000)

Overrated

I was expecting a great movie, since everyone seemed to like it so much. I was disappointed.

The fighting scenes are cool. The photo is good with some great sceneries. The music is good and fits well into the scenes. But still it's not a very good movie. Why? Because the plot is pretty boring and "thin". The acting is not very engaging, Yun-Fat Chow is the only exception. The flying scenes are a bit over the top (get the joke ;-) and the movie would be better without them.

I just dont see what the big fuzz is about.

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Good movie, great ending

I think it's a good movie, well worth watching. Some parts might be a bit slow and predictable, but the action sequences are great. The last battle scene is superb, one of the best I've ever seen in a movie. Too bad the entire movie wasn't like that.