Review 22 Jump Street (2014)

genre: comedy, crime, action

21 Jump Street was a remake I did not want to see initially. I was fond of that show since while it had comedic moments it was a crime drama focusing on serious issues. I dreaded what would become of that until I saw it. It was a different beast entirely and thus very easily to separate it from the show. I found myself liking the movie more than I anticipated and even was pleasantly surprised. Naturally with the announcement and the teasing of a sequel (like with this parody clip on Jean Claude Van Damme and his commercial) I was looking forward to it.

                                                                           Original

                                                                          Parody:

This was really funny, at least I think so. But then I watched 22 Jump Street. It kept referring to the original in saying how it was the same and yes maybe story wise it was but everything else was way off. More about this later. I expected the jokes to be juvenile and the story to be bland but weren't sequels supposed to be bigger and better. 22 Jump Street is like a poor copy of the first part where everything that was making it fun removed. I did laugh a few times, but for the most part I was like: " Ok, will it get better any time soon or what? " A lot of the comedy is forced to a point that a scene goes on and on build around a single joke. And it takes you away from the humour instead of putting you right in the middle of it. The only saving grace is the chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill which is decreased considerably because of an unwise plot decision. As I told you earlier they kept referring to the original probably because the writers thought they were very clever and decided to go meta. Which I must admit is funny on occasion. But if it keeps returning in every scene in a way that it takes you out of the plot than I think you have failed. A very good example of meta done right is in a little movie called Waxwork II: Lost in Time . Compared to the first one this sequel is very poorly done. It's not the worst I have seen but I am beginning to think that Hollywood doesn't know how to do good comedy any more. There was a time you could literally watch any comedy without getting let down. Now I am struggling to find one that does what it is set out to do. It wasn't like I had high expectations or anything. You will undoubtedly have read some reviews where most of the time they praise this sequel. I am astonished by this. Some even dared to say it was better than previous one. Don't get fooled by this. In no shape or form is it that good. Actually something really weird is going on here. The reviews favour this below average comedy so much that foul play is involved. Personally I can't recommend this at all. To put it in to context, I can enjoy the cheesiest of movies. This ain't one of them.

Review Hemlock Grove Season 1

genre: thriller, horror, mystery

Hemlock Grove is a Netflix original that mixes old school horror with gore and sex. And I must admit I was a little skeptic before hand especially after reading about what people thought of it. Then I saw the first two episodes and I was blown away. I knew this was a show that deserved to be watched. Thing about this show is that it asks a lot of patience of you. It takes forever for events to unfold and make sense. A lot is suggested and implied but you really need to sit through some tedious and boring episodes to get rewarded. After the eight episode I almost gave up until I heard from Mrs. P. that it definitely was going to get better. And I am glad I listened since the reward in the finale of the first season is grand and epic. Hemlock Grove takes it time to tell you about the characters that matter and all of them have their good sides and bad sides. Every character has their flaws and weaknesses but at the same time they also are made likeable when needed. I love it when that happens. Since that is quite a realistic approach of how people are. And it gives them a lot of depth and makes them interesting to watch .I liked it how the characters that initially despised each other somehow still managed to connect in a way. Hemlock Grove being a small town makes it hard to avoid people so to then have people ignore each other would come across weird. Now this show does expect of you to accept the supernatural elements. The way that is portrayed is quite admirable. These elements are used sparingly and are quite effective when they do happen. Just in the same fashion as Penny Dreadful the audience is being teased and teased to then be confronted with something thrilling and horrific. This does not mean the buildup of tension and suspense always is solid. Because a few times it gets interrupted by for example sex scenes where one could question the functionality. However there is an incredible atmosphere present that is hard to escape from. It is what will draw most people in. Hemlock Grove is also filled with references to mythologies and other tv shows that could warrant a second viewing. I loved this show and was impressed how this first season ended. I am really psyched to see the second season which I am going to do as soon as possible. It's a little underrated if you ask me. Personally I think this is much better than Penny Dreadful. A show that in my opinion lost it's way after a while and never recovered from it. To give you an idea how much I loved it. I watched episode 3 and following episodes back to back in one day. (Around episode 5, 6 and 7 it really is super slow, but then after it picks up and never lets you go.) Give it a chance, you won't be sorry.
 

Review Vengeance a.k.a. Fuk Sau (2009): All style with no substance in a very bad way!

genre: action, drama

When it comes to the direction of Johnnie To I have a love / hate relationship. I like his style and action but the story telling and characterization is always something I have to force myself to get through. It only becomes tolerable and manageable because of the excellent actors like Anthony Wong and Simon Yam. They bring that something extra even when the characters they play are incredibly flat. 

In Exiled and The Mission this nihilism worked in favour of the simple plots. Here in Vengeance it completely fails. Johnny Hallyday as Costello who is out for revenge suffers from a short term memory. Something really interesting could have been done with this. Instead we get scenes that I suppose were meant to be dramatic become farcical. It makes all the serious and intense acting look ridiculous. There is a plot point where Anthony Wong and co are wondering how to proceed. The motivation given is so underwhelming and preposterous that I had given up on taking the film seriously at all. But even watching this in less serious manner the film does it's best to make it even more unbelievable. 

I gave Vengeance a chance but this is all style with no substance in a very bad way. Huge time waster! 

Review Tammy (2014)

genre: comedy, drama

Melissa McCarthy has confirmed it if there was any doubt left, she is a one trick pony. And not a very good one. In most reviews about Tammy you will hear how talented Melissa is and that she is a good comedian. Well, I liked her in Mike & Molly but in everything I have seen here in after I can't say I am convinced. At first she had a good excuse. The fact that she was being typecast. But get this. Tammy is written and produced by her and her husband Ben Falcone (the guy who plays the manager of the fast food joint in Tammy). Obviously McCarthy likes playing the roles off these obnoxious types. In here Kathy Bates sets her straight with a message that some really should take to heart. But the problem is before you get to that point you have to endure some supposedly comedic scenes that aren't funny or dramatic in a way that they get to you. The way Tammy is presented simply won't make you like her or feel sorry for her. I believe that is because Melissa McCarthy is a very bad actress and she is very limited in her expressions. I refer to The Heat and Identity Thief for that. Susan Sarandon is great as always and she tries her best to make the most of it. But she is let down by the direction and Melissa McCarthy. One of the funniest scenes if not the funniest scene already was shown in the trailer. The one where she very sweetly offers Melissa's character some alcohol while they are driving. I am not kidding that this is the funniest scene. I know that the official teaser trailer might have given you the impression that Tammy is super funny. But if you compare that to the actual scene you will be very disappointed. This scene makes no sense whatsoever. You are going to rob a place. Are you going to announce this to the world by acting like Tammy or are would you keep it on the down low and be as silent as possible. Of course I know this is only a movie. But even in movies there has to be some logic to it even if it is ridiculous in the real world. And there is no logic. In my opinion it is very weak attempt to be funny without actually being funny. So that should give you an idea how this movie is going to be like. I am not going to waste more words on this. This is terrible and a waste of time. Don't watch!

Also read:

Review Killing Bono (2011)

genre: comedy, drama

Most of you might already be aware that this film is based on true events described in Neil McCormick's memoir Killing Bono: I was Bono's Doppelganger. Clearly this adaptation is not entirely true and I suggest reading this article what Neil himself has to say about it. It's really funny. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/8376077/Neil-McCormick-on-Killing-Bono.html

Back to the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it. From start to finish it was a blast. It masterfully blends comedy with drama that has a point in the end. What that is, you should see for yourself as the journey to that revelation is very important plus a lot of fun. Now sometimes the plot does gets a bit too much with some crime thrown into it. But at the center it's all about main character Neil McCormick and his continually failure to achieve the things he wants. This of course would not be interesting to see if the actor portraying him (Ben Barnes) wasn't so damn charming. Actually most of the cast in this film are very likable. And a lot of the energy in this film is because of these actors. Very important of course is U2 and their music. There is an air of nostalgia and genuine love for their music that it is hard not to get swept away by it. Are the members of U2 really that nice? This movie makes you think they are. And I want to believe it. Does it really matter if it is true or not? I really loved this film and it is bit hard to understand why it is so underrated. Ignore the bad reviews on this one. It is definitely a must watch! 

Review Seven Psychopaths (2012)

genre: crime, comedy

Seven Psychopaths is a film I have seen a while ago and did not get to write a review about it. Actually I was hesitant to write one. Because it's one where the acting is so good that you wonder how come everything else is so bad. Not that this film is unwatchable. But let's say it is one that promises a lot and never delivers. For one thing this film is lacking a compelling plot. The characters are dying to do extraordinary things but for some reason they are never allowed. All they do instead is basically what any typical crime movie offers. While watching you are hoping for something clever to pop up, like one last twist that would put everything we saw in a different perspective. Sadly that does not happen. If anything the last scene will make you angry. There were scenes that might be considered witty or funny. But never is the kind that makes you laugh out loud. Is that something I require? No, but a few of those scenes would have been nice at least. If only to offer some contrast. And with the cast involved so much more could have been done. It boggles the mind. Such a waste of talent and names. Only watch this if you want to enjoy some superb acting by the cast. But keep in mind that no matter how you like the actors this film is going to piss you off or if you are lucky will make you sleep after fifty minutes. 

Tax for owning bikes

Very often these days you see things occurring that makes your blood boil. Changes sometimes are inevitable and needed. But not if they are for the worse. It's very aggravating actually because most of the changes can be stopped if people would take more interest and be more critical. Not showing or being interested in #political or #economical matters is exactly what these #evil #corporations and #governments are counting on. Please for your own sake and future take more interest, be more aware, be more #critical and be prepared to take action to do something about it.

Now why this speech. Well, I came across this #Mexican article where it says that they are going to #tax people for owning a #bike . Why? Because they are out of #money and need to get it from somewhere. And as usual the #people are the victims. It's an #outrage and completely #ridiculous. How far do you think they will for #taxing your #farts. At least they could make a point of that being #polluting. Honestly these things should be stopped. Or I fear the worst. And don't ever think, you can't do something about it. We can, we always can. But you have to be more active, organize or at least be more critical and spread these kinds of stories on the net to get through to people and those evil doers. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

#truth #greed #abuseofpower #foodforthought #important #essential #freedom

Review Transformers Age of Extinction (2014)

genre: action, adventure, science fiction

Let me be frank. I love Transformers. The original ones from the cartoons and the toys. When word got around they would be making live action versions I could not be happier. Then the first one was made and while liking it very much I wasn't happy with Michael Bay's take on it. This love and hate for these movies continued until the third part. I absolutely hated that part. It was Bay out of control. Therefore I was not happy with the news a fourth one was coming. However I am glad to report that Age of Extinction is a major improvement over the third one. It's a Michael Bay in control most of the time. The last thirty minutes the film went downhill again but still not nearly as bad as the third one. 

To my astonishment I actually had fun watching. Mark Wahlberg certainly was a good call. His involvement was not always believable. But definitely was more so than Shia ever could be. Although why they needed to add a teenage daughter and a boyfriend escapes me. Bay should know by now that people were getting tired of those teen antics. If you already decided to not put Shia and co in then why still add those teens. Anyways the action and the fights is more focused now. It is much clearer to follow it even if it was hard to make out who the good and bad guys were. The improvement in comparison to earlier films is that the Transformers do get more screen time. The scenes with Optimus Prime easily are the best and it tells me what I already have known for a long time. Give him and his Transformers a more prominent role, diminish the human activity and you have a much better film. Real shame that Michael Bay could not cut down on the running time. It clearly is too long and too much. Which brings me to the inclusion of the dinobots. They are featured at the very end. At a time most people will have become exhausted. The impact that their entrance should have made therefore is very negligible. Dinobots always have rocked. Their cameo treatment was a big disappointment. Overall Transformers Age of Extinction is good fun. But don't expect too much. There is a heavy been there done that feel to it.  

Humans don't have the right to water

Sometimes you simply can't believe that people think this way. And yet they do. 

Humans don't have the right to water

Nestlé's Chairman of the Board, Peter Brabeck, Evil incarnate!

Peter Brabeck, once said this and now claims it was taken out of context. Whether this be true or not fact remains that big corporates like Nestlé want to take control of all the water and make a profit from it knowing very well that water is a basic need. Naturally people with half a brain go against this since it is something we have to fight for. 

Think about it. If they get this control what will stop them from trying to take control of the sun and air. Claims are being made that purifying water is costly. Good point but so what, the water companies already are taxing you and charging you extra for this. Now they want to let you pay more for cleaning water that mostly got contaminated and polluted by the same companies in the first place. This is utter lunacy. I got into a discussion with someone who was beyond stupid. He was defending this greed and even compared it to the border crisis in the US. No, I can't tell you the connection either. But the fact that he was defending it and gladly wanted to pay more for something that already is being paid for was reason enough for me not to take him seriously. He said it was stupid of me to feel entitled to have water as a right. Completely ignoring the fact that this is already determined in International Law. But even if it wasn't determined. It is such a basic concept that it puzzles me why someone would not see it as a right and wants to pay for it extra. Cleaning the water, yes of course that is logical. But seeing water as a commodity escapes me. It's not something that can be replaced by something else. We need water. Our body is approximately 60 percent water. 3 days without water and you die. This is not something you can bargain with, it is something you need. Just as much as we need air and the sun. So the whole concept of making people pay for this is pure evil. Any one defending this concept need their heads examined. 

More and more these big corporations are letting their greed take over of everything we hold dear and need. And most of the time we let them because we care more about football and Justin Bieber than anything that is serious or political. It is actually very worrying and sad that people like me have to write articles about this to convince people to take a more active stand on this. IT'S BASIC NEEDS AND RIGHTS we are talking about people. Not something you can push aside, ignore and just lead your life as it is of no consequence to you. Without this you will have no life. PLEASE think about this and become more invested before it is too late.

Review Rio 2 (2014): Let us all dance and have a blast!

genre: animation, adventure, comedy

Rio 2 is a decent sequel to Rio that won many people's heart with the beautiful tale of a pet parrot that finds about his origin. This time Blue gets more in touch with his roots deep in the jungle of the Amazon. And again it's beautifully animated and a sincere tale but yet missing some punch. It tries too hard to tell several sub plots that combined together is one big cliché that hurts the fun a little. It's something you have to get through at certain points. The musical numbers do help to ignite the passion from the original and you do feel good at the end. In order to fully enjoy this, you have to lower your expectations significantly and not get bothered by the dark tones sometimes. Give in to your party spirit people. Let us all dance and have a blast! 

Also read:

Review Noah (2014)

genre: fantasy, drama, action, adventure, religion

Who doesn't know the biblical story of Noah and the Ark? Naturally it is hard to deny that it is and yet if one wants to enjoy this film the best one should ignore it has anything to do with God and the Bible. Which is easier said than done I must admit. Still not that hard since the film does make everything look more like an apocalyptic fantasy movie where for example Rock creatures walk amongst men. The explanation for these Rock creatures only add to the confusion but might also make it easier to take out God and the Bible of the story that is being told. Ignoring the religious context however does expose a bigger problem. Lack of substance. For a film that is epic in scale it does not contain much to keep you interesting. Apart from a few battles and action scenes and the melodrama it has nothing else to offer. Noah is too gullible for words. He rarely questions what he sees and experiences. He believes right from the moment we meet him. Now tell me would you really be doing that if you would experience the first vision that is depicted. If it were me I would first made sure I was not hallucinating because I drank one too many or accidentally ate some bad mushrooms. Let's assume Noah is the very simple and always believing type. What about his family? They also don't have doubts until much later. Which does not make sense. First they go along with his crazy and preposterous idea.  And then when all his unlikely visions have come true then suddenly they are not sure any more? They have had no reason to question him before at all and suddenly they do? Storytelling wise this is just faking drama. The same is done by bringing in a villain that to me had no place in this film whatsoever. Ray Winston's character is the depiction of evil and tries to seduce and mislead people whenever he can. That is why he is evil of course, I do get that. But his seduction skills weren't that convincing. He is not able to show the beauty of going against the rules yet somehow he does get through to some of the characters. It is reaching for a contrast that simply is not there and therefore completely useless. The whole good versus evil could have worked if they would have shown us the differences between them. The main purpose of the villain is to show us some action but that is all there is to him. Noah is far from the epic spectacle it claims to be. Nor is it a story that will make you think. It's pretentious crap and very boring in every aspect. I can't recommend this one at all. Skip this one please!

Review Sabotage (2014)

genre: crime, action, mystery

Sabotage makes The Last Stand look like a masterpiece. At least that film knew when not to take things too seriously. I don't even know where to begin to explain how awful this movie is. For one thing it is bloody, gory and completely disgusting for all the wrong reasons. I don't shy away from blood or gore but there has to be a point to it. Here it is just repulsive and no proper context at all. The action is decent enough when it is there but not enough for Sabotage to be called an action movie. And this is probably one of the main reasons why people will feel let down. For some reason Sabotage is more a mystery only one that is hardly gripping or interesting. Most characters are unlikable. I know they are being depicted as a bunch of though guys and villains because that is required of them in the jobs they do or at least that is what the writer and director wants us to think. But there is nothing to them that makes me want to hang out with them ever. In fact I would not even want to work with them together. Because they are the types that will get you intro trouble all the time. Even the most evil of people have some good qualities about them and here they are conveniently missing. Since that would actually require some good writing. So when these guys get killed one by one where the results are shown with intestines and organs hanging out of their bodies you only get disgusted because of that image, not because they are dead. Even Arnie barely shows emotion when he sees his dead team members. And he apparently sees his team as family. If he does not care why should the audience? The whole plot drags until the reveal comes that will hardly surprise people and then that plot just stops and the film goes into another direction for the last 7 minutes. I must say it was a nice scene in an old school Schwarzenegger movie but now it seemed misplaced. The writing and the pace of Sabotage is terrible. I could have enjoyed this film if it properly build up the tension necessary for the mystery. But it never does. It shows you blood, gore and all kinds of nastiness in full glory instead. That is bad film making pure and simple. Arnold is acting decently. But I don't want to watch Arnie act. I want him to be the action hero he used to play. I am sorry Arnold but that is how it is. Don't watch this film, you really are going to be sorry you did. It's a complete waste of time. 

Review Rush (2013)

genre: drama, action, sports

Rush is a film that will surprise and compel you. While the formula 1 racing plays an important role, it's not the focus of this film. This is the film about Niki Lauda and James Hunt. I must confess that I had ignored this film because I was expecting this to be a film to be concentrated on the sports and the action so much and that only fans of formula 1 racing could enjoy it. But I am not afraid to admit that I was wrong. This is a film about friendship and respect in all it's forms. It will grab you by the throat, will charm you gradually and when it does never lets up. The Seventies are captured magnificently. It does not make fun of that time period one bit. Something a lot of other movies seem to do intentionally or unintentionally which usually detracts from the seriousness of the topic discussed. Here none of that happens. Rush simply is an exciting and beautiful film. Most of it is because of the wonderful direction by Ron Howard and the acting done by Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth. Especially Daniel impresses. What do I need to say more? This is one of those movies that the less I tell about the better the viewing experience will be. So this is why I will keep this review short. I think this is one of the best films Ron Howard has made and I hope he will make his later films like this one. Yes, it is that good. A must watch people!

Review Locke (2013): "Hardy is a one man tour de force". No, he was not.

genre: drama

"Hardy is a one man tour de force". No, he was not. He was decent and at times good but tour de force. Not in this film. I guess he did what he think he could within the limitations of the premise and the setting. But in my opinion not enough. Locke is one extremely selfish and cold hearted bastard. He could have proved us otherwise by showing us some struggle or pain. And sure people could say he is the introverted type that does not show emotion quickly. That would have been a good point except when he does show it when something work wise is not going properly. Here is a man that puts a lot of people on the spot emotion wise because he did not have the guts to confront them early on. Now suddenly because of an event that comes up he feels the need to confess that would put everyone in an emotional uproar. But he is far too relaxed and calm himself when it comes to his personal life and shows more emotion concerning his work. In my opinion it's good to be passionate about your work. However it should never surpass the passion and love for your loved ones. This is something that comes apparent right from the start making him unlikable which sadly does not change. Locke is not going through emotions. He is not dealing with stuff. He has made his decision. And only is informing the people that concerns this information. Every time when he has the chance to evoke sympathy and do the right thing he is negligent and a coward. In fact he is a coward through and through. And all this time I was hoping he would redeem himself in some way. That he would say and do something to make it all worth the view. And he does not. 

This is the whole movie. Every scene is like this. Hardy does a good job of keeping you interested within this setting but not enough to not let you down.  

This begs the question, what was the point of this film? Was it to show us that in some companies if one man for whatever reason is absent and can't perform his job properly that other people can't do the job for him. I mean talk about incompetence. Or was it to show that sometimes life does not go as you plan and that when something comes your path you just have to accept it and move on. Very nice lesson the latter if only Locke would do exactly this. He does not move on. He does not deal with anything. He just drives as he says himself. While the movie Locke is not boring it does fail to deliver. Immediately after realizing what is going on I already knew this was not going to have a satisfying conclusion. The character Locke is not that compelling as promised. For a film that has a fixed setting and location you have to get the thrills or tension from another place. In this case it could have been the emotions of the main character. Damn our luck that this is one of the most composed people in existence. Or simply a man that does not care about much. Visually this is boring. We can't see what is going inside him. That is something you have to show and express. And it rarely happens. I have given this film a proper chance and I have to conclude that this has been a big waste of my time.

Review Super (2010)

genre: drama, crime, comedy

Super is supposedly a darkly but funny vigilante movie that is going to depress you. Expecting something more along the line of Defendor (2009) I could not believe what was being displayed here. Maybe this is an anti vigilante movie and trying to tell people the harsh reality of what it entails. In that light it has succeeded. If only that point of view is not shared by everyone. I personally do think the people who one day decide to dress up and fight crime do mean well. In this film they are being made fun of in a very disgusting way. Especially because almost every meaningful character in this film is certified or insane. When we are first introduced to the main character Frank Darbo played by Rainn Wilson he has our sympathy. That does not last however since very quickly we discover that something is wrong with him. When Ellen Page comes into the mix a strange film goes over the top and gets bizarre. Here is where the mockery of vigilante superheroes increases. And not in a fun way. It has to be said the take on this is interesting at first. It shows promise of an intriguing character study where different sides of this character is examined and shown to us. However that never happens. The main character never changes and there is no depth too him at all. And that simply is not realistic. Even when people seem to be simple there is always more to a person especially when is hinted he or she is mentally unstable or ill. Which we don't get to see. We get to see Frank beating up guys with a wrench in a way that at one point loses it's edge and becomes tiresome. When this occurs you simply struggle to keep watching. At the end you feel dirty and will despise Super. To those people who keep defending this and say that there is more to this film I say bullocks. The director conveniently makes caricatures of characters to prove his point. That is not hard to do. It would have been more admirable if he had tried to show the complexities people have and have more well rounded characters running around who did good and bad things. Because believe it or not event the most evil persons can do good things. Even if I wanted to accept the director's view on things his Super lacks contrast. The drama and seriousness does not mix well with the comedy as there barely are funny bits to be enjoyed. It's all very serious and violent without offering some relief.  I am no fan of the Kick Ass franchise but at least that offered entertainment if you looked hard enough. Still I am not going to recommend that one over this. Because in my opinion Defendor though seems the only one to be genuine and have heart. So I suggest avoiding Super and go watch Defendor instead. 

Review Space Pirate Captain Harlock (2013)

 genre: animation, action, adventure, science fiction

What on Earth I have been watching? Here I was expecting  a space opera full of action and thrills and got a soap opera where none of the events or actions of the characters make sense. The Shakespearean approach of things also does not help. There is so much dialogue that you will be exhausted after just one hour. And none of what they say is in the least bit compelling. I kept hoping the long conversations would be broken up by some epic space battles to keep things interesting but none of that happens. The few skirmishes that take place are edited in a way that you can't really enjoy the action. Sure the CGI is decent enough but never is it truly impressive. And each time when it looked like things were happening more dialogue ensues. Some silly twists and one neat one are wasted in a story that is heavily flawed and plain boring. In one of the few reviews on the net I read that Space Pirate Captain Harlock was a lot of fun. I am sorry to say that simply is not the case. It had potential to be but the pretentious bad story and the lack of good action take away that away. Please skip this as you will regret watching this! 

Review Pompeii (2014): It makes Volcano look like a classic masterpiece!

genre: action, adventure, drama

Oh my, standards sure have lowered considerably. I remember a movie called Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones being bombed and that one was actually very enjoyable and far superior to this trash. I don't know what the point is of Pompeii. Everybody who has a little knowledge of those events know those were pretty tragic. And everything this film does makes a mockery of that. If this film tried to depict this then the film makers should really go back to film school and learn how to evoke drama without the need to resort to pointless action every five minutes. My biggest problem is that the film makers did not find the volcano erupting compelling enough and felt the need to add romance and a gladiator like plot which truth be told was boring as hell. Sure the action was decent but never exciting. Our hero was pretty much invincible and you simply knew he would come out ok. Besides the Roman culture was so much more advanced and coliseums with gladiators fighting weren't as important as Hollywood as have us believe. Really sad that most people associate Romans with gladiators instead of the innovations and inventions they brought us. See this link. The historic value that Pompeii praises itself with is immensely laughable and should be ignored completely.  Kiefer Sutherland as villain is always interesting only you can tell he did not take this seriously at all. He was hamming it up big time and actually was perhaps the only one aware that this was a piece of garbage that did not deserve any effort to provide good acting. Not that the other cast members were convincing. But it is obvious they take everything far too serious and is one of the factors that killed the enjoyment of this film. If you are going to make a film about this subject then you should show how vast and grand this disaster was. You have to show the audience that these were people like us and did not deserve to die. The whole good versus evil plot is not necessary and in fact only distracts from the seriousness of this disaster. Please don't watch this. It's a gigantic waste of time.

The Big White (2005)

 genre: crime, comedy

The Big White is an excellent comedy that slipped under the radar. Very reminiscent of Fargo in it's dark humour although a little more relatable. And that is mostly because of Robin Williams and Holly Hunter. They add that human element that makes you root for them no matter what. Something I personally did not find in Fargo. The crime element is not something original and everything concerning this can be predicted. That does not matter much since in this case it's more about the characters and how they deal with the events. Which is often very funny to watch. At points it did feel a little underwhelming because some scenes screamed for more flamboyance and hilarity. However thinking about it, it might have detracted from the drama element that was present. So overall i think this is one of the better comedies Robin Williams has starred in and a bit puzzling why this film is so underrated as it is. 

Review The Counselor (2013)

genre: crime, drama, thriller

A pretentious film that is filled with powerful performances and dialogue that will drive you insane. A film that compels in many ways but also will disgust and depress you. Is this worth your time? A question that is hard to answer in this case, because while I found The Counselor to be too ridiculous for words I could not stop watching it. There is something about it that made me keep watching. And it is hard for me to tell you why that is. It could be the stylish cinematography and the direction. It certainly was not the story. Because believe it or not there hardly is one. This whole movie leans on the absurd performances. Most of the characters are over the top. Except for Penelope Cruz who is very charming but somehow feels like she does not belong. Cameron Diaz's performance can be looked at many ways and I am still not entirely sure what to make of it. Is she hamming it up? Or is she playing the cold hearted bitch we know she can play very well times ten? Here is a gif that shows you what you can expect from her in this.

Yes, this really is in this serious crime drama. She is fucking the car. I am sorry that I have to put it like this. But it is the best description of this scene. Or perhaps I could say she is fucking Reiner (Bardiem) and the audience. Does this scene tells us anything worth wile?  It's not enticing, erotic or sensual in the slightest. Actually it is a scene that really makes you scratch your head and distracts you completely. So the catfish remark means she is shaven and it seems to have this sucking effect? That must be it, EEEEW!!!  It only confirms if this wasn't clear enough for you from earlier scenes that Makina (Diaz) is certified and someone to look out for. I don't know what other purpose this might have (if you know then please feel free to tel me).

But the worst has yet to be discussed. And it is not the few gruesome scenes that are present, because those are pretty tolerable compared to other crime movies. The worst is the dialogue. And I am sure a lot of people will defend it and will say there is a point to this dialogue and it is meaningful and philosophical. That may very well be. But if if every conversation in a movie feels like someone is reciting a poem or philosophy book when you are discussing mundane things then that is overestimation of the highest order. I get that the writer wants us to tell us his view on life and the meaning of it. And in the right mindset one could appreciate it if not for the context. It simply does not fit. It's just there to mask the vulgarity and cruelties that are being discussed or displayed. At times most of what you see can come across as comical. Not in a good way. Why keep having these silly conversations without showing us what the characters are about. We are supposed to go on this journey with our main character Counselor (he remains nameless played by Michael Fassbender) only they never shows us what he is really about. It's only because of the way he performs you can evoke a little sympathy. Even then he doesn't really do much. You see him go from scene to scene engaging talks but rarely do we get to see what the deal is with him. Of course you could make it up for yourself. But exactly here lies my problem with pretentious films. They often are so abstract that any one can fill in the blanks as they see fit. (That is far from clever.) Which is fine as long as there is some point to it. You do have to lead people somewhere. Usually that happens when you make it clear to the audience what the options are in the first place. Here you are left in the dark right from the start. You get to see a glimpse of our Counselor without knowing why things are happening. It makes everything incredibly boring and like I said if it weren't for the good acting and the distinctive style of Ridley's Scott direction I would not have been able to watch this drivel. So is this worth your time? It really depends on what you are watching for. If you are watching to be thrilled or see some good action, stay away. If you want to see some good acting then yes, I do think then you will be able to enjoy this film a little better. But even then it is a hard pill to swallow. 

Review Transcendence (2014)

genre: science fiction, drama

The premise is a real interesting one. In combination with the excellent cast you would think this film would offer some true insight and compelling story. However it never really does. It's painfully slow and uneventful and everything you see unfold is either predictable or too unbelievable. I don't mind that some things are over the top. In fact I would love it if it had been more so. What I do mind is that the film takes itself too serious and is very pretentious but doesn't really offer something to let you ponder about. Transcendence does make a mockery out of current technology and shows the film makers have no understanding of this whatsoever. But all of this I could have lived with if they even tried to tell us a good story with strong characterization . None of actors impressed. All of them felt wasted as I felt no sympathy for them at all. How can you tell a story without me caring for the characters? And on top of that to make seem all those ridiculous events as something that could transpire for real. This movie is so serious that everything becomes laughable at one point. I am sorry to say as I hoped this would be so much better but Transcendence is a giant waste of your time!