tomsly-40015
Joined Feb 2022
Welcome to the new profile
Our updates are still in development. While the previous version of the profile is no longer accessible, we're actively working on improvements, and some of the missing features will be returning soon! Stay tuned for their return. In the meantime, the Ratings Analysis is still available on our iOS and Android apps, found on the profile page. To view your Rating Distribution(s) by Year and Genre, please refer to our new Help guide.
Badges2
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Reviews276
tomsly-40015's rating
Once again, a typical superficial action film of today, in which everything and everyone defies the laws of physics. When I watched the film, I thought it was a disaster movie that shows a few truckers on the ice road who have to fight all kinds of adversities and work together against the forces of nature to reach their destination alive. In the tradition of films like Daylight, Poseidon or The Day after Tomorrow. Instead, the American film industry these days only produces films that can no longer do without a major conspiracy. In which someone in the background pulls the strings and his henchmen leave a trail of destruction. After all, in the Trump era, events cannot simply happen due to unfortunate coincidences or harsh environmental conditions. No, of course the evil mine boss has to have his fingers in the pie and cover up a crooked deal he is pulling with a lot of effort and lots of murder.
And although the film is called "The Ice Road", this ice road does not even take up half of the film. Halfway through the film, the trucks no longer drive on ice roads but through the mountains. The hardships on the ice road are also only briefly touched upon. Two trucks tip over, but it is easy for Liam Neeson to get both back on their wheels with a winch. What would otherwise take two dozen firefighters with cranes and heavy equipment half a day is done in the film by three people in a few minutes. And when two people fall into the ice-cold water and are underwater for several seconds, their clothes are completely dry afterwards and of course there is no reason to take them off to avoid dying of hypothermia.
The film could have been entertaining if it had actually been about the hardships of the ice road truckers. The second plot with the trapped miners, who then even want to vote on whether they should sacrifice a few of their colleagues for the survival of the rest of the group ("It's nothing personal" hahaha), and the completely pointless conspiracy behind this mining accident, should have simply been left out.
And although the film is called "The Ice Road", this ice road does not even take up half of the film. Halfway through the film, the trucks no longer drive on ice roads but through the mountains. The hardships on the ice road are also only briefly touched upon. Two trucks tip over, but it is easy for Liam Neeson to get both back on their wheels with a winch. What would otherwise take two dozen firefighters with cranes and heavy equipment half a day is done in the film by three people in a few minutes. And when two people fall into the ice-cold water and are underwater for several seconds, their clothes are completely dry afterwards and of course there is no reason to take them off to avoid dying of hypothermia.
The film could have been entertaining if it had actually been about the hardships of the ice road truckers. The second plot with the trapped miners, who then even want to vote on whether they should sacrifice a few of their colleagues for the survival of the rest of the group ("It's nothing personal" hahaha), and the completely pointless conspiracy behind this mining accident, should have simply been left out.
A very moving, at times sad but also encouraging film with an excellent Saoirse Ronan, who plays the role of Eilis, the initially shy but then blossoming Irish emigrant, extremely convincingly.
What I like about this film is that, in contrast to many films today, it creates a calm and gentle, thoughtful atmosphere and does without any of the loud and exaggerated moments. The film also does not have the classic Hollywood happy ending. One hopes that Eilis will lead a fulfilling life with Tony, that the two will start a family and build the house that Tony talked about, so that Eilis will really arrive in her new home and lead a happy life. However, the film leaves this future open. It is also unclear what will happen to Eilis' mother. Whether she will see her daughter again, or perhaps one day her grandchildren. Instead, this film shows that life cannot be planned or predicted, but also that you can find happiness far away if you let yourself go. In the end, home is where the heart is.
The film also manages to capture the tragedy of the emigrants at that time who left their country and their families to find a future in a foreign country. In a time without the internet and smartphones, when letters took weeks to arrive, the world must have felt much bigger than it does today. Especially for a young woman who dared to take the step into a new life all by herself - in a time when women were not necessarily equal. Eilis is shown as a self-confident woman who goes her own way in the 1950s, but fortunately this was staged with sensitivity. Far too often in films the image of women today is projected onto past times, which seems inappropriate and inauthentic.
All in all, well worth seeing. Certainly not for viewers spoiled by CGI and action.
What I like about this film is that, in contrast to many films today, it creates a calm and gentle, thoughtful atmosphere and does without any of the loud and exaggerated moments. The film also does not have the classic Hollywood happy ending. One hopes that Eilis will lead a fulfilling life with Tony, that the two will start a family and build the house that Tony talked about, so that Eilis will really arrive in her new home and lead a happy life. However, the film leaves this future open. It is also unclear what will happen to Eilis' mother. Whether she will see her daughter again, or perhaps one day her grandchildren. Instead, this film shows that life cannot be planned or predicted, but also that you can find happiness far away if you let yourself go. In the end, home is where the heart is.
The film also manages to capture the tragedy of the emigrants at that time who left their country and their families to find a future in a foreign country. In a time without the internet and smartphones, when letters took weeks to arrive, the world must have felt much bigger than it does today. Especially for a young woman who dared to take the step into a new life all by herself - in a time when women were not necessarily equal. Eilis is shown as a self-confident woman who goes her own way in the 1950s, but fortunately this was staged with sensitivity. Far too often in films the image of women today is projected onto past times, which seems inappropriate and inauthentic.
All in all, well worth seeing. Certainly not for viewers spoiled by CGI and action.
The aim of this series was apparently to create a kind of Korean "Game of Thrones". With a murder at the royal court, intrigues at every corner, different clans and factions all striving for different kinds of power, alliances and betrayal, sex and violence... unfortunately, this series fails in this ambitious goal. The intrigues are so confusing that even the director no longer seemed to know who actually killed the king. Lengthy chases and extremely monotonous dialogues also do not contribute to a gripping adventure full of tension and depth.
As a European, I also have the typical problem with this series that I cannot remember all the Korean names of the protagonists and antagonists. Especially because there are numerous characters with the name "Woo" or "Go". This makes it difficult to follow the plot in the long run. In addition, to my European eyes, many of the actors look very similar (unfortunately, this prejudice is completely true here) and I often had to wonder who this or that person was. The whole situation was made worse by the fact that all the characters (male and female) were dressed in similar clothes and had the same updo and the men had the same beard style. Many of the characters, especially the queen and the prime minister, also showed almost no facial expressions. No matter what the situation or mood, the faces always seemed rigid and emotionless, like lifeless masks at a carnival ball.
Many of the riding scenes also show how cheaply they were staged. Especially when you see close-ups of the riders, it is more than obvious that the actors sat on dummy horses during filming. You also notice how bad the CGI is, especially when whole armies of riders and soldiers are shown. The movements of the individual horses or soldiers appear fake and the scenery blurred. In addition, many of the action scenes made me shake my head. The queen and her entourage manage to escape from their horseback pursuers in a carriage - even though they should have been slower. It's also annoying in every film that shows historical battles with horses that everyone always tries to hit the riders with bows and arrows. Or fighters try to strike down the rider on horseback with a sword instead of simply aiming arrows at the horses or hitting the horse's legs with swords. Only once in the series it is shown how a horse is deliberately shot with a bow in order to bring the rider down. Even when arrows rain down on an approaching group of riders, not a single horse is hit.
In terms of sex and violence, the film obviously also wanted to be on a par with "Game of Thrones". However, the sex scenes here just seem inappropriate and contrived. And absolutely unnecessary, especially because they are often staged too extreme. From explicit lesbian intercourse to oral sex while several high-ranking ministers are present to a rape scene with a bloody ending, everything is represented here - but it's pretty unnecessary to move the story forward. The same goes for the explicit scenes of violence, in which not only the blood is flowing in abundance but which are also accompanied by exaggerated sound effects of swords piercing human flesh. And it's often the women who suffer the most violence.
And the end of the series can only be described as a great disappointment. Those who expected the big fight for the crown will only see the credits instead. The viewer can now make up his own mind about all the intrigue, murder and betrayal.
As a European, I also have the typical problem with this series that I cannot remember all the Korean names of the protagonists and antagonists. Especially because there are numerous characters with the name "Woo" or "Go". This makes it difficult to follow the plot in the long run. In addition, to my European eyes, many of the actors look very similar (unfortunately, this prejudice is completely true here) and I often had to wonder who this or that person was. The whole situation was made worse by the fact that all the characters (male and female) were dressed in similar clothes and had the same updo and the men had the same beard style. Many of the characters, especially the queen and the prime minister, also showed almost no facial expressions. No matter what the situation or mood, the faces always seemed rigid and emotionless, like lifeless masks at a carnival ball.
Many of the riding scenes also show how cheaply they were staged. Especially when you see close-ups of the riders, it is more than obvious that the actors sat on dummy horses during filming. You also notice how bad the CGI is, especially when whole armies of riders and soldiers are shown. The movements of the individual horses or soldiers appear fake and the scenery blurred. In addition, many of the action scenes made me shake my head. The queen and her entourage manage to escape from their horseback pursuers in a carriage - even though they should have been slower. It's also annoying in every film that shows historical battles with horses that everyone always tries to hit the riders with bows and arrows. Or fighters try to strike down the rider on horseback with a sword instead of simply aiming arrows at the horses or hitting the horse's legs with swords. Only once in the series it is shown how a horse is deliberately shot with a bow in order to bring the rider down. Even when arrows rain down on an approaching group of riders, not a single horse is hit.
In terms of sex and violence, the film obviously also wanted to be on a par with "Game of Thrones". However, the sex scenes here just seem inappropriate and contrived. And absolutely unnecessary, especially because they are often staged too extreme. From explicit lesbian intercourse to oral sex while several high-ranking ministers are present to a rape scene with a bloody ending, everything is represented here - but it's pretty unnecessary to move the story forward. The same goes for the explicit scenes of violence, in which not only the blood is flowing in abundance but which are also accompanied by exaggerated sound effects of swords piercing human flesh. And it's often the women who suffer the most violence.
And the end of the series can only be described as a great disappointment. Those who expected the big fight for the crown will only see the credits instead. The viewer can now make up his own mind about all the intrigue, murder and betrayal.