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paul_haakonsen
I am a big fan of Asian cinema in particular, and I am quite fond of especially South Korean and Hong Kong movies.
My favorite genre is, and always have been, horror, with a preference to anything with zombies in it.
I believe that every movie should be given the chance of being seen - a belief that has lead me to watch many a questionable movies.
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Reviews
Zombie Reddy (2021)
Surprisingly good...
When I sat down here in 2023 to watch the 2021 Indian movie "Zombie Reddy", I have to admit that I was expecting dancing and singing as well. Sure, I have actually never seen a single movie from India, and am familiar with Bollywood movies of course, though never seen one, so I was sort of expecting "Zombie Reddy" to be such a movie.
Writer and director Tajuddin Syed and Prasanth Varma had put together a rather good and enjoyable storyline and script for the movie. And there was no random singing or dancing in the movie, which I found to be a good thing. And while the storyline in the movie is a pretty straight forward and sort of generic approach to the zombie genre, director Prasanth Varma gradually piled up the intensity and thrills, which made "Zombie Reddy" a good viewing experience.
Needless to say, that with "Zombie Reddy" being my first Indian movie to watch, then I wasn't at all familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list. I was, however, pleased with the performances on the screen. The actors and actresses put on good performances in bringing their characters and the story to life, pardon the pun, on the screen.
Visually then "Zombie Reddy" was actually quite good. Sure, it wasn't special effects and zombie make-up and prosthetics that would match top tier Hollywood productions, but I definitely found the effects in the movie good and better than I had expected.
If you enjoy zombie movies, which I happen to do, then "Zombie Reddy" is well-worth sitting down to watch.
My rating of "Zombie Reddy" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Death by Desire (2023)
An adequate, although rather predictable, thriller...
Needless to say that I hadn't heard about this 2023 Filipino thriller titled "Death By Desire" prior to getting the opportunity to sit down and watch it. And given my love and fascination with the Asian cinema, of course I had to see what director Prime Cruz had to offer.
The storyline in "Death By Desire", as written by Jenilee Chuaunsu and Prime Cruz, was a fairly straight forward one. The narrative was adequately layered and presented, and the pacing of the movie was also good. However, with that being said, then I have to say that "Death By Desire" was ultimately a very generic thriller. Writers Jenilee Chuaunsu and Prime Cruz offered a fair enough script, but the movie offered no surprises or plot twists, so you pretty much saw things coming a mile away.
"Death By Desire" has a small cast ensemble, of which I was familiar with none. It should be noted, though, that the acting performances in the movie were good, especially from actresses Iana Bernardez (playing Nikki) and Denise Esteban (playing April).
Visually then "Death By Desire" was an adequate movie. It was not a movie that relied on special effects, and thus the movie doesn't really have any special effects in it, for better or worse. I liked a movie where it was low key and down to earth, as too much CGI can be a bit tiring.
Fair enough for what it was, and perhaps worth checking out if you are a fan of the archetypical thriller genre, with a menage a troi with a deadly outcome. I was adequately entertained by "Death By Desire", though this is not a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time.
My rating of director Prime Cruz's 2023 movie "Death By Desire" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Bula (2022)
Wow, seriously?...
Right, well I assumed that I was sitting down to watch a thriller, as I sat down here in 2023 to watch the 2022 Filipino movie "Bula". The movie was labelled as a thriller, so that was what I was expecting to get. Sure, I hadn't even heard about the movie prior to watching it, but still I opted to watch it, as it is an Asian movie that I hadn't already seen.
Had I known that it was a part thriller and part softcore erotic movie, I might just have skipped on spending 104 minutes on watch it. Writers Bobby Bonifacio Jr. And Juvy Galamiton didn't exactly put together a particularly thrilling or much of any interesting storyline here. Sure, "Bula" was semi-watchable, but that was all there was to it. The storyline was flaccid, pardon the pun here in this softcore erotic movie, and nothing much of anything thrilling or interesting happened, and the character gallery was fairly one-dimensional.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in "Bula", given my very limited exposure to the Filipino cinema. However, I will say that leading actress Ayanna Misola (playing Meldie) definitely seemed to have some acting talent to her, and she put on a good performance and carried the movie quite nicely, despite of nothing having much of anything to work with.
"Bula" was a swing and a miss in terms of entertaining me. And this is definitely not a movie that I would recommend to fans of the Asian cinema. As for this being a thriller, nah, don't get your hopes up.
My rating of director Bobby Bonifacio Jr.'s 2022 movie "Bula" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
Malum (2023)
A laughable cash-in by remaking his own movie from 9 years ago...
There was something very, very familiar about the storyline in "Malum", as if I had actually seen it before somewhere. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I sat with an overwhelming sense of 'I have seen this already' throughout the course of the 92 minutes that this 2023 movie played for. And then I found out that director Anthony DiBlasi's 2023 movie was just a remake of his own movie "Last Shift" from 2014. How lame was that?
So if you have seen the 2014 movie "Last Shift", do yourself a favor and skip on this 2023 movie. Talk about a lazy approach to directing.
The acting performances in the 2023 were fair enough, however I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. But they performed well enough.
Now, if you haven't watched the 2014 movie "Last Shift" already, then I guess you will find some entertainment in this 2023 remake. But if you have watched the 2014 movie, there is very little to be thrilled about in the 2023 unnecessary remake.
I wasn't overly thrilled with the 2014 movie, and even less so with the 2023, especially given the lazy approach of just re-shooting the movie almost scene by scene. That really is milking the cow and beating a dead horse. Yet, I managed to sit through the entire 92 minutes here.
I am going to rate the 2023 movie "Malum" a mere three out of ten stars, solely because this had all been done and seen before, and from the very same director nonetheless.
Nightbird (2023)
A rather graphic revenge movie...
Well, I had actually never heard about this 2023 Filipino thriller titled "Nightbird" prior to sitting down to watch it. I wasn't sure what I was in for here, aside from it being a thriller of sorts. And with it being an Asian movie that I hadn't already seen, of course the movie got a fair chance.
The storyline in "Nightbird" was okay, though I have to say that director Lawrence Fajardo went a bit too far with the explicit depicting of the sexual assault scenes. I think the narrative would have been better off with less graphic explicit contents, with just hinting at it, and letting the audience do the rest. On that account, and because of what is shown in the movie, the movie is heavily leaning upon being an exploitation movie, while there certainly also is elements of a revenge type of movie here.
I wasn't familiar at all with a single actor or actress on the cast list, but I will say that they had casted some good performers, because the actors and actresses put on good performances in bringing their characters and the story to life on the screen.
While "Nightbird" is a watchable movie, it is without a doubt a movie that doesn't find a broad appeal with the general audience, given the rather explicit sexual assault scenes.
It should be said though, that it certainly was nice to see a movie that wasn't a goofy and generic romantic comedy, which the Filipino cinema seems to spew out by the dozens.
Watchable for what it was, though it is hardly a movie that warrants a second viewing, simply because there isn't sufficient contents and layers to the storyline.
My rating of director Lawrence Fajardo's 2023 movie "Nightbird" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Exists (2014)
Fast forward to the last 20 minutes of the movie...
Right, well had I noticed that this 2014 movie titled "Exists" was from the director of "The Blairwitch Project", then I might have skipped on it entirely.
When I sat down here in 2023 to watch the 2014 movie "Exists" from writers Jamie Nash and Eduardo Sánchez, I only knew that it was a movie about bigfoot. And already with that fact there was an alarm going off at the back of my mind, because the vast majority of movies I've seen revolving around bigfoot or sasquatch have been of questionable quality. So I have to admit that I wasn't really harboring much of any expectations or hopes to "Exists".
The storyline in the movie is pretty straight forward, and yeah this is just another 'found footage' movie. On the plus side, if you enjoy 'found footage' movies then you're in for a treat. However, if you, much like me, enjoy proper movie and not something you could have filmed yourself, then you might want to skip "Exists". In fact, if you opt to sit down and watch "Exists", just watch the last 20 minutes of the movie, because the 61 minutes prior to that was just pointless filler of showing glimpses and out of focus shots of the bigfoot in between your archetypical young people venturing into the remote forest.
This was a very generic and stereotypical movie in every sense, and by no means a memorable moment in cinema history.
Visually then "Exists" wasn't something to write home about. Throughout the first 61 minutes of the movie, all you get are hazy, out of focus, obscured by darkness and brief glimses of the creature in question. And that is something you would expect from a low budget early 1980s horror movie, not something from 2014. However, during the last 20 minutes of the movie, things start to pick up, and you get proper footage of the bigfoot. And I have to say that the costume was actually not too shabby. But by then, it was just too little, too late, because you've will have been lulled into a comatose state by the previous 61 minutes.
I detest 'found footage' movies, because when I sit down to watch a movie, I want to be properly entertained by a movie with proper cinematography, and not watching a questionable hand-held shaky camera recording that I could have filmed better myself with my own digital video camera.
Some of us suffered through director Eduardo Sánchez's "Exists" movie, so you don't have to.
My rating of "Exists" lands on a two out of ten stars. It would have gotten a one star rating, if it wasn't for the intense last 20 minutes of the movie.
Wolf Garden (2023)
What a waste of time...
I had not heard about the 2023 horror movie "Wolf Garden" prior to sitting down and watching it. But it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen was sufficient for me to opt to watch it. And with it apparently being a werewolf movie of sorts, of course that just sweetened the deal.
And I have just suffered through 89 minutes of what has to be the worst horror movie of 2023 so far. Writer and director Wayne David delivered 89 minutes of nothing. Yeah, I kid you not. The storyline in "Wolf Garden" was just utter rubbish, as it was bland, boring, monotonous and had nothing interesting to offer. Yet, I endured the 89 minutes, hoping to get to see some werewolf carnage or something. But no, absolutely nothing of that either.
Well, when a movie is written, directed and starred by the one and same person, then you really should stop and listen to the voice nagging at the back of your head, telling you to not venture down that path. And I wish I would have done that with "Wolf Garden", because it was seriously a waste of 89 minutes.
This was essentially just a movie about a man sitting in a remote cottage and having random dream flashes of a woman. Yup, that was the contents of what writer and director Wayne David managed to conjure up here. Not exactly a good recipe for proper entertainment.
The acting performances in the movie were fair enough, taking into consideration that the small cast ensemble virtually had nothing to work with.
Visually then "Wolf Garden" failed to deliver. Proper visuals and some gore and mayhem would have much neededly spruced up the narrative that was lacking in every department. But that was not the case either.
My rating of "Wolf Garden" lands on a one out of ten stars. This was without a doubt the worst movie I have suffered through in 2023 so far. Don't waste your time, money or effort on "Wolf Garden", some of us did so you don't have to.
Firenado (2023)
Please extinguish this one...
Well, with a movie title such as "Firenado", then let's just face it that expectations for a proper movie aren't really high, now are they? Yet, I still opted to sit down and watch this 2023 movie on the off chance that it would be so bad it was enjoyable, much like the "Sharknado" movies.
On the plus side, then writer Tom Jolliffe delivered exactly what you would assume from a movie titled "Firenado"; which was an absolute dumpster fire of a storyline and script. Yeah, the movie was bad, so very, very bad. But not in a way that it become enjoyable to watch. Nay, "Firenado" was just downright a lousy movie experience. The storyline was almost non-existing and so simplistic that you could essentially just watch the beginning and ending of the movie, as everything in between just felt like filling.
The only familiar face on the screen for me was actress Nicola Wright, and she is not one that is known for having an abundance of top notch movie nicks on her belt.
Visually, then I will say that "Firenado" was actually surprisingly good. Now, hold your horses, because I am not saying that it was a great visual experience, not at all. But the CGI effects in "Firenado" were much better than I had anticipated them to be. However, the visual effects just were hollow as the was no existing storyline to enjoy.
If you enjoy natural disaster movies, then you know that the vast majority of such movies are usually rubbish. I have to say that directors Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott Jeffrey delivered a movie at the very bottom end of the scale.
"Firenado" is not a movie that I would recommend you waste your time, money or effort on. Some of us suffered through this so you don't have to. And I miraculously endured the entire movie.
My rating of "Firenado" lands on a one out of ten stars.
The Black Demon (2023)
A megalodon without much of any bite...
Right, well of course I opted to sit down and watch the 2023 movie "The Black Demon", as I had the opportunity to do so. After all, I am a sucker for shark movies, despite the vast majority of shark movies being utter garbage. But I opted to give writers Carlos Cisco and Boise Esquerra's 2023 movie the benefit of the doubt.
And I mean, a shark movie with a megalodon, that has to be cool, right? Well, some movies with megalodons are, but just not this particular 2023 movie. Sure, I managed to sit through the entire movie, but I was not particularly entertained by the script and storyline that writers Carlos Cisco and Boise Esquerra had put together. It was just, hands down, a bit too silly and preachy.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, aside from Josh Lucas, Jorge A. Jimenez, Héctor Jiménez and Julio Cesar Cedillo. The acting performances in the movie were actually fair enough, despite the fact that the actors and actresses had very little of anything proper to work with.
Visually then "The Black Demon" was adequate. The megalodon was nicely enough rendered by CGI, though it wasn't really as much on the screen as I would have liked it to be, much less actually expected it to be with "The Black Demon" being a shark movie.
There are far better shark movies out there, and "The Black Demon" came and went without leaving as much as a ripple on the waters in which it swam and ultimately sank. This is not a movie that I will recommend you to rush out and get to watch. Nor is it a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.
My rating of director Adrian Grunberg's 2023 movie "The Black Demon" lands on three out of ten stars.
Prairie Fever (2008)
Watchable, but nothing outstanding...
When I stumbled upon the 2008 Western movie titled "Prairie Fever", I had only noticed that the movie starred Kevin Sorbo. And that was actually the reason why I picked up the movie.
And then I saw that the movie also had Lance Henriksen and Dominique Swain on the cast list as well, and things were definitely looking all the more brighter. But there were more familiar faces on the cast list here, with the likes of Jillian Armenante, Felicia Day, Don Swayze, Michael Ensign and a couple others.
The storyline in "Prairie Fever" was adequate. Writer Steven H. Berman put together a fair enough script that proved entertaining enough for what it was. Sure, this wasn't cutting edge cinema in the Western genre, and there wasn't really a lot of classic Western elements in the storyline. Instead, you have a drama about a former sheriff who has to escort a group of women to Carson City, and the movie follows their trek across the prairie.
Well, while the storyline was adequate, I have to say that the acting performances in "Prairie Fever", and the many familiar faces on the screen, definitely helped to keep the movie afloat and kept it as a watchable movie.
The movie was struggling somewhat with a lack of proper Western atmosphere, feel and look to it. Everything was just a bit too mint condition and lacking the dirt and dust you would assume that garments would accumulate living in those conditions back in the day.
My rating of directors Stephen Bridgewater and David S. Cass Sr.'s 2008 Western "Prairie Fever" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Thepthida Bar 21 (1978)
It was good, despite of some awkward song and dance routines...
Needless to say that I had actually never heard about this 1978 Thai movie titled "Thepthida Bar 21" (aka "Bar 21" or "Angel of Bar 21") prior to stumbling upon the movie here in 2023. And with it being an Asian movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to give the movie a chance. Sure, I was a little bit hesitant given the movie's age, and this would actually make it the oldest Thai movie I have seen.
The storyline in "Thepthida Bar 21" was actually good, however, the movie would have been a whole lot more enjoyable if they had opted to not delve into the musical. It just felt awkward when the cast went into singing and dancing in the middle of something. Either go full in on it, not halfhearted like director Euthana Mukdasanit did in 1978.
Anyway, I was actually adequately entertained by the movie, and thus could manage to get through the rigid and awkward song and dance routines. And as such, I will say that director Euthana Mukdasanit's 1978 movie is actually fair enough for a single viewing.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, but the leading actress really carried the movie quite well with her performance.
My rating of "Thepthida Bar 21" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Little Dixie (2023)
Generic action thriller...
Now, I had actually not heard about this 2023 action thriller from writer and director John Swab prior to sitting down to watch it. But with it being an action thriller with Frank Grillo in the leading role, there was a certain expectation for it to hopefully be a fair enough movie.
The storyline in "Little Dixie" turned out to be watchable for what it was. However, it was a rather generic and somewhat predictable action thriller. So writer and director John Swab didn't exactly bring anything new to the genre, but instead opted to play it safe and utilize every single trobe of the how-to-make-an-action-thriller-guidebook. But hey, if you are a hardcore action thriller fan, then you will find some enjoyment here, of that I am sure.
The acting performances in "Little Dixie" were fair. You know what you get with Frank Grillo, and he did carry the movie adequately here, despite of not having much to work with really. It was also nice to see the likes of Peter Greene and Annabeth Gish on the cast list. I wonder what writer John Swab was thinking when he created the Raphael 'Cuco' Prado character, as it was the epitome and caricature of a Mexican gang member. And the way that actor Beau Knapp walked, talked and his entire body language was just an exaggerated caricature of something you would see in a gang related computer game. It was just difficult to take that character serious.
There was a fair amount of action in the movie, at least to keep the otherwise mediocre storyline afloat. And it was actually nicely enough executed action sequences.
All in all, then "Little Dixie" was suitable for a single viewing, though you're not in for anything grand. There simply isn't sufficient contents to the storyline to support more than a single viewing, however.
My rating of "Little Dixie" lands on a very bland five out of ten stars.
Fatal Call (2012)
Alrighty then...
I have to admit that I was expecting a tad more from this 2012 thriller titled "Fatal Call". Sure, I hadn't heard about the movie, but the synopsis sounded fair enough, and the movie had an okay cast ensemble. Thus, I sat down to watch this 2012 thriller from writer and director Jack Snyder here in 2023.
Talk about a snoozefest of a movie. The storyline was insanely mundane and generic. And the pacing of the narrative was so bland and uneventful that I drifted off a couple of times throughout the course of the 93 minutes that the movie ran for.
The cast ensemble in "Fatal Call" was adequate, and there were some familiar faces on the cast list, which is why I was expecting a tad more from the movie than what writer and director Jack Snyder managed to deliver. Not even the likes of Jason London, Danielle Harris, Kevin Sorbo and Lochlyn Munro could manage to lift up the dull narrative of the movie.
Don't waste your time money or effort on "Fatal Call", because it simply isn't worth the effort. Some of us suffered through this ordeal so you don't have to.
For a thriller, "Fatal Call" was frightfully devoid of thrills or excitement. My rating of writer and director Jack Snyder's 2012 movie lands on a three out of ten stars.
Call Me Chihiro (2023)
Slow paced and lacking an interesting storyline...
I was actually looking forward to sitting down and getting to watch the 2023 Japanese drama "Call Me Chihiro". I liked the movie's synopsis, and I had been told nice things about it.
However, writers Rikiya Imaizumi, Kaori Sawai and Hiroyuki Yasuda delivered an insanely slow paced narrative in their script. Running at 131 minutes, and with very little actually happening, sitting through "Call Me Chihiro" was quite an ordeal. I have to admit that I was not particularly entertained by what transpired in the slow and monotonous narrative as the story unfolded on the screen, and I gave up half way through the movie. I just couldn't take any more of the nonsense that was the narrative in the movie. I kid you not, nothing interesting happens in the first half of the movie.
The acting performances in "Call Me Chihiro" were good, and leading actress Kasumi Arimura really does perform quite well. Just a real shame that she and the rest of the cast literally had nothing to work with in terms of a proper narrative, interesting characters or much of anything else.
While the synopsis for director Rikiya Imaizumi's 2023 movie sounded interesting, the actual movie itself was a slow paced dumpster fire.
I have zero intention of returning to attempt finish watching the rest of the movie. With half of the movie to go, I just simply have no interest in watching any more of the monotonous storyline. And this is definitely not a movie that I will recommend to fans of the Japanese cinema to waste their time, money or effort on.
My rating of Rikiya Imaizumi's 2023 movie "Call Me Chihiro" lands on a three out of ten stars, and that is based on the production value and the acting performances, and by no means on the storyline whatsoever.
Influencer (2022)
Quite enjoyable thriller...
Well, I have to admit that with a title such as "Influencer", then I wasn't really harboring much of any hopes or expectations to director Kurtis David Harder's 2022 movie. Why? Well, simply because I find the whole term 'influencer' laughable and utter ridiculous. Yet, with it being a horror movie that I hadn't seen, of course I opted to give the movie the benefit of the doubt.
And while the movie is carrying a laughable title, then I will say that writers Tesh Guttikonda and Kurtis David Harder actually put together an entertaining script and storyline for the movie. Thankfully there isn't much focus on the ridiculous social media aspect of the influencer career and the hunt for likes from random strangers, and that definitely worked in favor of the movie that it wasn't a focal point. Instead, "Influencer" felt like a good old fashioned stalker thriller.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. And while the movie has a very small cast ensemble, it should be noted that they were nicely cast for their individual roles, and they all performed quite well and brought their characters and the story to life on the screen in a good way. Especially Cassandra Naud (playing CW) carried the movie quite well with her performance.
"Influencer" is definitely worth taking 92 minutes to sit down and watch. I was genuinely entertained throughout the course of the movie. And if you enjoy thrillers, then give it a chance. "Influencer" is listed also as a horror movie, but don't get your hopes up on that account.
Well, the 87 minutes of the movie was great, while the ending and the last 5 minutes were so predictable that even a blind person would go 'you got to be kiddng me'. It was a very, very generic ending to the movie.
My rating of "Influencer" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Charlotte 2 (2019)
Just another low budget rubbish horror anthology...
Right, well had I known that this movie titled "Charlotte 2" (aka "Charlotte: The Return") was a horror anthology, I might have skipped on it entire. I am not overly keen on horror anthologies, as the vast majorities of them are rubbish. Oddly enough, because I really enjoy horror, but horror anthologies not so much.
At first, I didn't know that it was an anthology, and I was rather confused with the sudden and abrupt change of characters, scenery and storylines. But then I figured out that it was an anthology, and while I had started the movie, I opted to watch it. And yeah, 76 minutes later I can say, what a waste of time.
The stories in this horror anthology were not particularly interesting, entertaining or scary. It was mostly low budget horror short stories that failed to properly entertain me. There was a single or two adequate tales, but that was about it. So yeah, don't waste your time, money or effort on "Charlotte 2".
I was mostly unfamiliar with the cast ensemble in this 2019 horror anthology, aside from actor Bill Oberst Jr..
My rating of "Charlotte 2" lands on a very generous three out of ten stars.
Devil on Top (2021)
Meh...
Now, the 2021 Indonesian movie "Devil On Top" is labeled as a romantic comedy. And I have to admit that when I sat down to watch it, I was expecting that type of movie.
And imagine my surprise when there wasn't even an ounce of comedy in the movie. Nay, this was a romantic drama without anything that was even remotely funny in nature. So this movie from writers Rayhan Dharmawan and Anggy Umbara was somewhat of a swing and a miss in terms of entertaining me.
The storyline in the movie was adequate enough, but it was slowed down by a sluggish narrative, rather dull and one-dimensional characters and some rather clumsy dialogue. And that made it rather difficult to get submerged into the storyline and take the movie overly serious.
Given my limited exposure to the Indonesian cinema, then I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in "Devil On Top". It should be noted that they had a fair enough ensemble of actors and actresses, just a shame that they had so very little to work with in terms of script, characters and dialogue.
Sit down to watch "Devil On Top" with the intention of watching a romantic drama, and you might not be as disappointed with director Anggy Umbara's 2021 movie as I was.
The production value in the movie was good, I will say that much.
My rating of "Devil On Top" lands on a four out of ten stars.
American Assassin (2017)
An enjoyable action thriller...
I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the 2017 action thriller "American Assassin" here in 2023. And with it being a movie that I hadn't already seen, much less actually heard about, of course I opted to give the movie a chance.
Writers Stephen Schiff, Michael Finch, Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz put together a rather enjoyable and entertaining script for the movie. Sure, you can argue for that the movie is somewhat generic in terms of being an action thriller, and you know how the movie will end of course, but the 111 minutes that the movie ran for proved to be entertaining. And on that account, then director Michael Cuesta managed to deliver a wholesome movie experience.
Initially I picked up this movie because I saw that it had Michael Keaton on the cast list. But I will say that the cast in general was nicely picked for the roles and characters, and they had a good ensemble of talented actors and actresses here.
There was a good amount of action throughout the course of the 111 minutes, and combined with a fairly well-written storyline, it made "American Assassin" an enjoyable movie to sit through.
If you enjoy action thrillers, then I will say that "American Assassin" is well worth the time.
My rating of "American Assassin" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Dark Nature (2022)
What was the point of the story here?...
I had never actually heard about this 2022 horror movie "Dark Nature" prior to sitting down in 2023 and watching it. All that I knew here was that it was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen. And thus, of course I opted to give it a viewing.
Writers Berkley Brady and Tim Cairo put together a rather bland storyline. Sure, there were some nice enough aspects in the movie here and there throughout the course of the 85 minutes that the movie ran for. But ultimately, I have to say that the storyline in the movie felt rather pointless and without any actual meaningful contents. And that made it a somewhat dull viewing experience.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, but they actresses and actors put on fair enough performances, though they had only so much to work with in terms of script and storyline.
Visually then "Dark Nature" was adequate. It was a not a movie that made a whole lot use of special effects to bring its storyline to the screen. The creature design was interesting enough, though I have honestly no clue as to what that creature was supposed to be.
Suitable for a single viewing, "Dark Nature" wasn't really all that impressive. And it is not a movie that I will be recommending for horror fans to rush out and get to watch. Nor is it a movie that I will ever pick up and watch a second time.
My rating of director Berkley Brady's 2022 movie lands on a four out of ten stars.
Shi zi shan shang (2019)
A fair enough movie...
I had actually never heard about this 2019 Hong Kong drama titled "Shi Zi Shan Shang" (aka "Lion Rock") prior to stumbling upon it here in 2023 by random chance. And with it being a Hong Kong movie, of course I had to watch it, given my fascination and love of the Hong Kong cinema.
Writers Man-Ho Cheng, Cheung Chung-Leong and Nick Leung put together a good script, and the fact that the movie is based on actual events just made it even all the more impressive. I found "Shi Zi Shan Shang" to be an entertaining movie and an enjoyable movie, and defitely were impressed with the will and accomplishment of Lai Chi-Wai's real life performance. Not that I am a rock climber myself, but the movie was still enjoyable.
The acting performances in "Shi Zi Shan Shang" were good and they had a good cast ensemble, though I wasn't familiar with the majority of the actors and actresses on the cast list. I wasn't really familiar with leading actor Alex Tak-Shun Lam, but he carried the movie quite well.
While "Shi Zi Shan Shang" was a watchable and enjoyable movie, and impressive for the accomplishments of the real Lai Chi-Wai, then this movie is not one that warrants more than a single viewing. There simply isn't enough meat on the bone, so to speak, here in the storyline.
My rating of director Nick Leung's 2019 movie "Shi Zi Shan Shang" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Luc Van Tien: Tuyet Dinh Kungfu (2017)
Generic and forgettable action comedy...
Needless to say that I had never actually heard about this 2017 Vietnamese action comedy titled "Luc Van Tien: Tuyet Dinh Kungfu" prior to stumbling upon it in 2023. And with it being an Asian movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to sit down and watch it, giving it a fair chance.
Director Hoang Phuc Nguyen didn't exactly deliver much of anything grand or overly thrilling here with this movie. Sure, "Luc Van Tien: Tuyet Dinh Kungfu" was watchable, but it was a rather generic and mundane movie actually.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, but the actors and actresses put on fair enough performances, given the limitations imposed upon them by a generic script and storyline.
The fight scenes in the movie were adequate. It looks okay and feels natural, but it just lacks that wow effect to make it interesting and memorable fight sequences.
"Luc Van Tien: Tuyet Dinh Kungfu" is suitable for a single viewing, and doesn't have the contents in the script to support a second viewing. Thus, the movie came and went without leaving a lasting impression on me, and it fade into oblivion just as quietly as it snuck in under the radar.
My rating of "Luc Van Tien: Tuyet Dinh Kungfu" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Hinokio (2005)
Well worth watching...
I wasn't really sure what I was in for here, as I sat down in 2023 to watch the 2005 Japanese sci-fi drama "Hinokio" for the first time. I had never actually heard about the movie prior to stumbling upon it and sitting down to watch it.
Writers Takahiko Akiyama, Masumi Suetani and Shôji Yonemura put together a fair enough script and storyline, though the movie was aimed at a younger audience. But still, there was something good and well-written about the concept of the movie, and it made for adequate entertainment. The aspect of a disabled child using a robotic proxy to participate in school and social events was actually rather interesting, so thumbs up to the writers on that accomplishment.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in "Hinokio", but they had a good selection of young actors and actresses, whom carried the movie well and brought both the story and the characters to life on the screen in a nice manner.
Visually then "Hinokio" was fairly good. The special effects and CGI in the movie were fair enough and did their job adequately in bringing the robotic proxy to life on the screen.
If you enjoy sci-fi movies with robots, then director Takahiko Akiyama's 2005 movie "Hinokio" might be well-worth checking out. I was adequately entertained throughout the course of the 111 minutes that the movie ran for.
The movie's title "Hinokio: Intergalactic Love" made little sense in terms of the "Intergalactic Love" part. Though the "Hinokio" part was a nice play on the "Pinochio" title.
My rating of "Hinokio" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Gate (2018)
Watchable crime comedy, but lacking that special ingredient...
I had not heard about this 2018 South Korean crime comedy titled "Gate" from director Shin Jai-Ho. But I initially found the movie's synopsis to be interesting enough. Plus, the fact that this was an Asian movie I hadn't already seen, also helped to make me want to sit down and watch it.
The storyline in "Gate", as written by from writers Lee Hyun-Chol and Song Chang-Yong, proved to be adequate enough. It made for an okay viewing, though it was not a particularly outstanding or memorable movie. While the script was entertaining enough for what it was, it was sort of a generic movie.
The acting performances in the movie were good, and there were a couple of familiar faces on the cast list.
While "Gate" certainly was an adequate viewing experience, this is hardly a movie that warrants more than a single viewing, simply because the storyline and script just doesn't have sufficient contents to support more than a single viewing.
Not a gem in the South Korean cinema, but watchable for what it was, if you enjoy crime comedies.
My rating of "Gate" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.
Homestead (2023)
Slow paced, generic and bland...
Right, well without ever having heard about this 2023 Western titled "Homestead", I opted to sit down and watch it, as I had the opportunity to do so. I must admit that the movie's synopsis sounded interesting enough.
However, writer and director Ehrland Hollingsworth delivered a very bland and generic Western, one that was without much of any thrills, excitement or even a thoroughly thought through storyline. The narrative in "Homestead" was so simplistic that you could leave the movie for a long time and come back and still be up to speed with the events in the narrative. It was that bland, slow paced and monotonous.
The cast in the movie was fair enough. I mean, you're not in for any grand award-winning performances, and the only familiar face was Brian Krause. But given the severe limitations imposed upon them by an inferior script, then the actors and actresses faired well enough.
"Homestead" looked like a Western movie, but just lacked a drive and a proper storyline, and that made sitting through 79 minutes of this movie quite the ordeal. I doubt that even the most hardcore of Western fans will get much of a buzz out of watching writer and director Ehrland Hollingsworth's 2023 movie "Homestead".
The movie's cover had the movie set up for way more than what writer and director Ehrland Hollingsworth could manage to deliver. In fact, the movie's cover was actually the best part about the entire ordeal, sadly so.
My rating of "Homestead" lands on a three out of ten stars.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)
A bit long, but otherwise good...
I sat down to watch the 2023 movie "Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre" because it was a movie that I hadn't already seen, and also because it had Jason Statham in the leading role. In fact, I didn't know that it was a movie written and directed by Guy Ritchie. Not that it mattered to me whether he wrote and directed it or not, because to me he is just another director.
The storyline in "Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre" was entertaining enough, though it was a bit generic actually. And running at 114 minutes, there were dull moments throughout the course of the movie, which could have been trimmed down more efficiently in the editing process. But all in all, an enjoyable and watchable action thriller.
The acting performances in the movie were good. Of course you know what you get with Jason Statham in the movie, but it wasn't the usual insane amount of action and brawling here that you usually see in the movies that he stars in. The movie also have other great talents, such as Cary Elwes, Hugh Grant and Josh Hartnet. I wasn't familiar with Aubrey Plaza, but she performed well. I have to say that Hugh Grant and Josh Hartnet were really superbly cast for their roles and they performed spot on. This was without a doubt their movie, because they owned all the scenes they were in.
The action sequences in "Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre" were good, nicely choreographed and executed on the screen, and that definitely added a good layer of entertainment to the movie.
"Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre" is worth sitting down and watching if you enjoy action thrillers with a splash of light comedy.
My rating of "Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre" lands on a six out of ten stars.