michvanbeek
Joined Mar 2010
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Viggo Mortensen is perhaps best known for his role as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, Mortensen managed to impress more as an actor. We have already seen him play fantastic roles in films such as The Road from 2009, but perhaps even more so in the film Captain Fantastic from 2016. In 2020 he directed his first film, called Falling, and now Mortensen comes with the self-directed and written The Dead Don't Hurt. The lead role was chosen for the Luxembourg actress Vicky Krieps, who we may know from films such as Phantom Thread from 2017 and Old from 2021. With The Dead Don't Hurt, Mortensen delivers a special western, which does not really follow the concept that we are usually used to from westerns. Although the film opens with a very hard scene, it takes quite a while before the film gets going and especially before you start to understand where it is going.
Yet the film never surprises, and perhaps that has everything to do with the fact that the opening of the film gives away so much that the rest is easy to guess. Perhaps this is not really the most important thing about the film, but it does take the sting out of the fact that you understand and know exactly what is going to happen. That is a shame, but before you get that far, the first hour actually makes no sense, and it is just a bit of guesswork as to what we are watching. Cinematographically, the film is very strong, and the camera work is truly breathtaking from time to time. Of course, that has to do with the environment, where you are looking at the beautiful landscapes and nature of the Wild West. One thing is for sure: you need a good dose of patience, because especially the first hour of the film is really tough at times. Where you might be waiting for a bit more action, it is really the love affair that is addressed between Vivienne and Olger.
This makes the film a real slow burner, but when the film enters its second act, the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place, and the film starts to become very nice. Olger decides to join the army to take part in the civil war that is raging there at the time. Then Vivienne is left to fend for herself, and she is soon harassed by Weston Jeffries, a real bloodhound who terrorizes the small village and the saloon where she works. Because Olger is no longer there to protect Vivienne, she has to fend for herself, something that has a dramatic course. This course is very unfortunate to have been translated to the screen, and that is because of the beginning of the film. You will immediately understand how things are and especially what will eventually happen when Olger returns home after his service in the civil war. Perhaps Mortensen should have approached that a bit more guesswork, but otherwise the film is definitely worth watching.
The Dead Don't Hurt is not an average western but a love drama that takes its time to tell its story very slowly. It is perhaps especially unfortunate that the opening of the film gives away the entire plot, and from that point on you know what is going to happen. Because after the opening, the first hour takes the time to deepen the love relationship between Vivienne and Olger, the beginning will make no sense, but in the second act you as a viewer will immediately understand what is going on, and you will also know immediately how the film will ultimately end. The Dead Don't Hurt may not be the best western you can watch, but the film is certainly special enough to subject it to a viewing.
Yet the film never surprises, and perhaps that has everything to do with the fact that the opening of the film gives away so much that the rest is easy to guess. Perhaps this is not really the most important thing about the film, but it does take the sting out of the fact that you understand and know exactly what is going to happen. That is a shame, but before you get that far, the first hour actually makes no sense, and it is just a bit of guesswork as to what we are watching. Cinematographically, the film is very strong, and the camera work is truly breathtaking from time to time. Of course, that has to do with the environment, where you are looking at the beautiful landscapes and nature of the Wild West. One thing is for sure: you need a good dose of patience, because especially the first hour of the film is really tough at times. Where you might be waiting for a bit more action, it is really the love affair that is addressed between Vivienne and Olger.
This makes the film a real slow burner, but when the film enters its second act, the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place, and the film starts to become very nice. Olger decides to join the army to take part in the civil war that is raging there at the time. Then Vivienne is left to fend for herself, and she is soon harassed by Weston Jeffries, a real bloodhound who terrorizes the small village and the saloon where she works. Because Olger is no longer there to protect Vivienne, she has to fend for herself, something that has a dramatic course. This course is very unfortunate to have been translated to the screen, and that is because of the beginning of the film. You will immediately understand how things are and especially what will eventually happen when Olger returns home after his service in the civil war. Perhaps Mortensen should have approached that a bit more guesswork, but otherwise the film is definitely worth watching.
The Dead Don't Hurt is not an average western but a love drama that takes its time to tell its story very slowly. It is perhaps especially unfortunate that the opening of the film gives away the entire plot, and from that point on you know what is going to happen. Because after the opening, the first hour takes the time to deepen the love relationship between Vivienne and Olger, the beginning will make no sense, but in the second act you as a viewer will immediately understand what is going on, and you will also know immediately how the film will ultimately end. The Dead Don't Hurt may not be the best western you can watch, but the film is certainly special enough to subject it to a viewing.
On June 23, 1991, the supersonic fast hedgehog first appeared as a counterpart to Nintendo's Mario on the Sega Megadrive. Sonic remained so popular that he never disappeared from view over the years and eventually got his first live-action film in 2020. The film proved to be so successful that a sequel was inevitable, and this came in 2022, and again with great success. Now we have already arrived at the third and certainly not the last part. This time Shadow makes his appearance and will be Sonic's biggest challenge yet. The voice of Shadow is provided by none other than Keanu Reeves. Idris Elba returns as the voice of Knuckles, and Jim Carrey also returns as the evil Dr. Robotnik.
The film is at least as much fun as its two predecessors and perhaps even more fun. The film contains a lot of action and humor and will fully entertain young and old. When Shadow is released after 50 years in a military lab, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails have to go to war. Team Sonic soon discovers that there is a fellow creature walking around, who is extremely strong and perhaps even faster than Sonic himself. It seems like an impossible task for Team Sonic, especially when they also run into Robotnik. But the most unlikely thing happens: Sonic can only work together with Robotnik to try to defeat Shadow. But then the real brain appears, and that is something that surprises Team Sonic, but especially Robotnik.
In terms of effects, this third part is exactly the same as what we saw in the first two parts. Not super beautiful, but it's all good, and anyone who spends fifteen minutes in the film will quickly accept the computer-generated hedgehog as it is. For some reason, there is a more fun story in this film than there was in the previous two parts. Not that those were unwatchable, but it did ensure that the films quickly lasted too long, causing boredom to set in quite quickly. This is especially the case in part 2, but this third part is put together so nicely that it feels like a good amount of time in the spacious hour and a half. For the rest, it is just great fun for young and old, and after the film you will be satisfied with what you are presented with, and that is actually exactly what you expect in advance.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is big fun for young and old. The story is more fun than its predecessors, and where the first two parts felt a bit long-winded, this third part of the series does not suffer from that at all. Sonic faces his biggest challenge in this part, which forces him to work together with his greatest enemy, something that can never go well, of course. Ben Schwartz returns as the voice of Sonic, Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles, and Keanu Reeves as the voice of Shadow, and all of that is complemented by the hilarity of Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik. Stay tuned when the credits start to roll, because the inevitable setup for the fourth part is given in this. And if that is going to be as fun as this part, let it come quickly.
The film is at least as much fun as its two predecessors and perhaps even more fun. The film contains a lot of action and humor and will fully entertain young and old. When Shadow is released after 50 years in a military lab, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails have to go to war. Team Sonic soon discovers that there is a fellow creature walking around, who is extremely strong and perhaps even faster than Sonic himself. It seems like an impossible task for Team Sonic, especially when they also run into Robotnik. But the most unlikely thing happens: Sonic can only work together with Robotnik to try to defeat Shadow. But then the real brain appears, and that is something that surprises Team Sonic, but especially Robotnik.
In terms of effects, this third part is exactly the same as what we saw in the first two parts. Not super beautiful, but it's all good, and anyone who spends fifteen minutes in the film will quickly accept the computer-generated hedgehog as it is. For some reason, there is a more fun story in this film than there was in the previous two parts. Not that those were unwatchable, but it did ensure that the films quickly lasted too long, causing boredom to set in quite quickly. This is especially the case in part 2, but this third part is put together so nicely that it feels like a good amount of time in the spacious hour and a half. For the rest, it is just great fun for young and old, and after the film you will be satisfied with what you are presented with, and that is actually exactly what you expect in advance.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is big fun for young and old. The story is more fun than its predecessors, and where the first two parts felt a bit long-winded, this third part of the series does not suffer from that at all. Sonic faces his biggest challenge in this part, which forces him to work together with his greatest enemy, something that can never go well, of course. Ben Schwartz returns as the voice of Sonic, Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles, and Keanu Reeves as the voice of Shadow, and all of that is complemented by the hilarity of Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik. Stay tuned when the credits start to roll, because the inevitable setup for the fourth part is given in this. And if that is going to be as fun as this part, let it come quickly.