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Reviews
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
Total crap
What a piece of junk! I stem from intensely playing with the GI Joe toy-line during my youth. Reading the comic books and watching the show and movie. I was totally into GI Joe for some time. And all though, I didn't expect this film to appeal to the 30-something me, I was truly hoping for a respectful cinematic version of the characters and story.
There is almost nothing thats true to the original story. For instance, the story line with Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow is completely altered. That sucks.
The filmmakers didn't succeed at all in re-creating the characters for the screen. It's all just pretty people running around shooting stuff and blowing stuff up. Good enough for eleven-year-old boys, but there is absolutely nothing behind this shoot-em-up story to appeal to grown ups.
The story is crap. We've seen it a thousand times before. The action is a sleeping pill at best. The acting is so so. There is no suspense, no humour for people older than 15 and you never get surprised.
I'm sad to say that you wont be getting your money's worth if your older than 15.
Arn: Tempelriddaren (2007)
Cheeziest Swedish movie ever!
I don't know whats worse. Putting an explanatory voice over in a films beginning or writing a dialogue that sounds like that actors are appearing in a serious Bergman-isch stage play. I think I have to go with the first. VO's may serve a purpose but more often it makes you feel like the film makers think your a complete idiot.
This film is, as you might already know, based on the work of Jan Guilliou, well-known Swedish writer. The three novels about Arn and his adventures has been compressed down to two films. This leads to some cinematic problems, as always when you do this. Arn - Tempelriddaren is high paced and the scenes are short and leaves you with few moments to think. Take my word for it, you will be better off with the novels, which are, not amazing, but quite good. But I would, personally, recommend the writer's contemporary work.
Swedish films depicting the dark ages or such historic times live dangerously close to being really cheezy. Those of you that have seen The Brothers Lionheart (1977) or Three Suns (2004) know exactly what I mean. 'Lionheart' is storywise really good, but other than that very cheezy. 'Suns' are actually so bad I won't even comment on that one.
Considering Arn - Tempelriddaren (and it's sequel) is the most expensive Swedish film production ever you could understand the producers nervousness about pushing the envelope. The movie depicts several religious themes, most clearly the violent clash between Christianity and Islam but also the clash between domestic Swedish Christianity and the medieval swedes. It could be depicted so much more darker and realistic, now it becomes a little Mickey Mouse Club. A little too much politically correct and edge-less. Even if I don't like it, this move is quite understandable considering the many, many contributors and their different agendas.
Heads up, though. The fighting and the battle scenes are ironically one of the best things I've seen on Swedish film. It's gritty and fast paced and bloody. Also, the scenographic, props and wardrobe division deserves a gold medal because thats beautiful work! The movie leaves much to wish for from its sequel but if you like well done fighting scenes and don't care much for story or acting - then, my friend, giddyupp!
28 Weeks Later (2007)
Great sequel!
OK, I admit it. I'm a zombie-buff. I like zombie flicks but I'm also quite picky in what flicks pass through my bullshit filter. Land of the Dead, for example, was one of those who did'nt pass. 28 weeks later did. And then some.
28 weeks later does what "days" couldn't pull off. This said, no pun intended for 28 days later - it was an alright movie - but "weeks" is far more claustrophobic, intense, scary and gritty than its predecessor.
It all starts of with a bang, cools down for a while, everything goes down the sh***er, then ends with a bang. Great actors, almost everyone is more or less unknown, to me anyways and they all do a great job! The thing I like best about the movie is that its pretty unpredictable. And that, my friends, is rare in this line of business.
Wallander: Bröderna (2005)
Decent but typically Swedish cop flick
Since I work in a video store I get to watch a lot of film, both good and bad. I'm also pretty keen on Swedish cop-flicks but are often compelled by the absence of realism in this genre. The Swedish film industry is very interesting since there's many profound traditions, many of which I don't like at all. For instance, one of the traditions is that a majority of the speaking parts often (or pretty much in all cases) speak the so called 'rikssvenska', the typical Swedish dialect, spoken in and around our capital of Stockholm. This verbal tradition derives from the acting stages such as Kungliga Dramaten, the Royal Dramatic Theatre. Thus, the problem with the majority of Swedish films is that they are created and directed from this Dramaten tradition. Which, I mean, does work excellent on stage, but not on film.
The series Wallander is a great example of this conflict. The character Wallander is a cop in the south-est of Sweden, where most people speak a southern Swedish dialect. Almost none of the cast in this series does speak this dialect. They speak, of course, 'rikssvenska'. This makes much of the realism disappear. Unfortunately, I must say.
The cop, Kurt Wallander, is a construct of Swedish crime novel writer Henning Mankell and he's written about a dozen novels which I think are very good indeed. The capture crime and suspense in a good way in a little southern Swedish town and its surroundings.
This episode, "Bröderna" (Brothers) is a part of a newly written, free-standing series only based on the characters and the setting from the novels by Henning Mankell. Thirteen episodes are planned and this is the second. In short, this is about a couple of noble citizens victimized with no apparent connection. All this, when the army carries out a drill in the vicinity.
It's a pretty ordinary plot, which I am sure to have seen it's likes many times before. Carried out in a decent way. Characters and setting was also pretty standard.
Land of the Dead (2005)
Romero's no-brainer brings nothing new to the genre
Beats me why everyone seems to rate this flick so very high but I just got home from the theater after sitting through this piece of crap! OK, I can admit that my expectations were pretty high, after Romero's earlier zombie-works ("Night", "Dawn" and "Day") and the absolutely marvelous re-make of "Dawn", but I seriously doubt that it influenced what I thought of it.
The story is, as a friend of mine put it, wafer-thin. Of course, many films with a minor plot or story are great, but then the directors or writers have been putting their heads into it - which I mean Romero has'nt here. Without a good story you have to really have interesting characters, a intriguing setting and/or a sensational filming style. My belief is that Romero has'nt succeeded in any of the above. I mean, the zombie-took-over-the-world-setting is pretty cool but nowadays you got to make it with some style, a new groove - like the "Dawn" remake! In "Land" the gore is substantial but we've seen it before, folks!
Also, featuring Dennis Hopper (who I've been calling Dennis Flopper for the past years due to his not so very good movies...) does'nt really help either. He's as stiff as the other cast members and not even John Leguizamo can bring some freshness to it all.
Overall a dumb, totally un-interesting movie which brings nothing new to the genre. When I attended the showing I remember trying to like the film, or at least something, perhaps just one little scene. I could'nt.
Death Promise (1977)
Weird, nostalgic, absurd and totally... Wonderful!!!
This "kung-fu"-movie from the seventies is a pretty interesting piece of work. It features all the classic themes of such a movie; revenge, corny acting, weird sound-effects and a complete in-comprehensive final scene - fighting on the roof tops.
Basically it's about Charlie Bone (or Charles Bonet, it's never really clear - the actors name is also Charles Bone) who's feisty father gets killed by hoodlums hired by a rich landlord who wishes to tear one of his skid-row houses down. So Charlie goes out on a rampage to revenge his father and stop the evil doers. Together with his friend Speedy Little (or Speedy Leacock, it's never quite clear either...) they go around kicking a** and, one by one, expedite the bad guy's henchmen.
This would be an OK film to watch. To seriously watch. As a kung-fu movie. But there's so many errors and weird stuff going on here that it actually turns into a comedy. For example: dead guy shrieks when thrown off a building and so on.
The high vote is cast because it's great comical value and also the movie's high entertainment rate. A must see!!! You'll laugh your a** off!
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Bleek but somewhat interesting
It's nice to see director Greengrass develop something interesting in this pretty cliché plot about the former agent with amnesia. When the first film was merely your standard action-flick this sequel reaches a little higher on the coolness-scale. Matt Damon has certainly grown into the role as Jason Bourne and we se him with a little more angst than in the first film. As "Supremacy" is put mostly in Berlin and Moscow it gives the film a touch of realism, acting out the action-scenes in a gloomy, dirty and other-than-the-streets-of-LA setting. However, once again the story is quite bleek and the film mostly concentrates on Bournes inner deamons and his struggle to remember.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Remake? Update!
Since I've been a zombie-slasher-movie-freak for the last 15 yrs I was highly anticipating the premiere of the remake of Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Twenty-six years has past since the original was made and horror-film making has certainly moved ahead. This is not only visible in the effects section but also in the way the remake is directed, shot and edited. The 2003-version is a fast-paced, in your face type film and the coolest thing about it is that its gruesome without really focusing on the gore, like in many other "zombie" films. This version isn't always as true to the original as many other remakes of other films are but thats just adds to the movies better sides. A remake is supposed to be an update. And thats just what this is. Not always true to the original, but true to the genre and evolution.
This remake of "DOTD" is in my point of view one of the best "horror" movies I've seen in the last one or two years. Its not pretentious like many other films in this genre is. Its just a cool horror movie. And please stay and watch the end titles! I would have to give this film **** out of 5.
Mindhunters (2004)
Whoa, who ever gave Renny the directors chair anyway?
I just finished watching this movie and felt I needed to say a few words. It starts of pretty deasent with some good suspense and great scenography, but then it all goes downhill. We meet a husky Val Kilmer and a "ok-I'll-do-it-but-just-for-the-cash" Christian Slater. And it seems like Renny Harlin liked LL Cool J's work on the finnish directors Deep Blue Sea 'cause here he is again. The whole setting is so done and seldom is things validated or motivated in a way that would make the film believable.
Basically, it's a cliché filled suspense movie about a group of people, stranded on a island off the coast of North Carolina. One by one, they get whacked. Have we seen it before, people?
1 of 5 chewbaccas
Predator 2 (1990)
Great sequel!
While Predator (1987) had a pretty cheesy cast, script and sometimes stereotype action choreography, it was on the whole a terrific movie. Much thanks to 'the predator' itself.
Many hold 'Predator' as their favorite. I differ. 'Predator 2' has a much better script, better setting and talented actors that does not only rely on their muscles.
Firstly I must commend Stephen Hopkins for his ability to obtain a eerie, claustrophobic, inner-city feeling with his direction. 'Predator 2' has very much of this, and although some of the "near-future"-stuff is kind of corny he succeeds with the cool setting.
The story is definately much better than in the first one. One cool detail is the government agents that hunts the predator. It also ties the story from the first one together with the sequel. 'Predator 2' has better actors in Danny Glover, Reuben Blades and Bill Paxton. The only one who doesnt really seem to fit in is Maria Conchita Alonzo. Almost all her lines seems misplaced and totally out of focus.
My favorite scene is in the beginning with the "shootout" between the jamaicans and the predator. Check out the choreography!
On the whole 'Predator 2' is a much better craftwork than the first one.