Reviews
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Horrible plot in a sequel cashing in on the first movie
Back in the days, I didn't understand all the ruckus about the first 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie. Sure, not a bad one, but not exactly ground-breaking and amazing. I believed that one was an average action-adventure movie featuring great actors given much screen-time to show themselves off on.
So comes the news of not one, but TWO sequels being made at the same time! Hmm... have we seen that before? *Giggles* I had my doubts about a sequel. What plot could it possibly contain that would be a continuation of the first? Needless to say, it doesn't have one. Here we have the about-to-get-married young, handsome couple being torn apart, having to call in favours. We have the western sacrificial maid (however portrayed in Depp's character) which screams King Kong all over it with 'black natives' and all. We have fish-like, undead pirates serving on a ship that can dive (!) and under a captain who has sealed his heart away in a coffin where it keeps beating because... Well, it doesn't make any sense at all to me and certainly not to the first film.
The character development is nowhere to be seen. The returned cast keeps doing just what they did in the first film and being just the same people. The now introduced characters are too predictable stereotypes - especially the island witch who of course is black and speaks with a heavy caribbean/haitan accent. Well well... it's a shame the storyline didn't go down with the captain and the monster in the end.
If you want to see 2½ hours with cunning stunts, visual attractions and quite disgusting situations, PotC: Dead man's chest is for you. If you want to see a movie with some storyline and believable plot - avoid at all costs. 3/10
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Homo-erotic should be a suitable term
With "Brokeback Mountain," Hollywood films has taken homosexual love and passion from laughed-at comedy to deep drama. Gyllenhaal and Ledger makes a great and believable pair of cowboys, coming closer than close during a summer job i Wyoming during the 60's. In a time of prejudices and widespread and sometimes violent homophobia, they do what they see fit - keep their love for each other a secret while outwards living a "normal" life with wife and kids.
Scenery is stunningly beautiful in the beginning, as the environment there makes the most to show. Ang Lee continues to cleverly utilize camera angles, motives and views to enhance the visual experience.
If anything negative is to be said about this film from me, I would consider the ending a bit too quick over with. From passion to sorrow in about 5 minutes is a little too steep a fall for me. 9/10 - best movie of 2005.
Doom (2005)
Mainstream action off DooM video game
Yes, after a long wait, DOOM: the movie finally hit the big screen. What would you expect? Another Aliens? Or another Resident Evil? The thing is that I find Hollywood action movies to be either radical or very mainstream. For the setting off-world, alien/creature fighting, space travelling, it seems we just can't get a ground-breaking film. Influences from Aliens and Resident Evil are quite obvious. Still, DooM is an entertaining action movie featuring decent actors Karl Urban and The Rock, who actually can act and look cool. It's nothing new about this film, but it does its job. Action entertainment for the Saturday evening.
7/10
Enemy Mine (1985)
Great sci-fi, good message, underestimated
*Possibly minor spoilers* 'Enemy Mine' can in my opinion be described as Robinson Crusoe in space. Sounds cheesy, but the movie is far from being that. The parallel to R.C. is quite obvious; a lone pilot crashes on a deserted island, is frustrated about the situation and wants to get back home, searching for ships, but eventually finds out he is not alone. Like in R.C. the 'hero' encounters an antagonist, in this case an alien, and after an initial struggle eventually develops a trusting friendship with it.
I find many positive aspects with 'Enemy Mine.' One thing is the two-way acceptance; the former antagonists learn each others languages, their ways of life, history etc (compared to the standard English/terran language culture civilization prevails over all). Also for being a different sci-fi action movie, it's much deeper and more psychological. Satisfying amount of action but the real deal is the vast character development. Yet another special property is the absence of male-female love and relationship as a standard norm.
Good acting, nice scenery and shooting, action, story. A great gem that is probably often missed out.
Alien (1979)
Masterpiece that has yet to be topped
'Alien' is one of the greatest movie ever made. Gathering one of the best set of actors there has ever been, Ridley Scott manages to create a frightening, dark, narrow, scary environment where we follow the crew taken and killed, one by one, by the vicious creature they discover by accident. Sigourney Weaver delivers such a good performance she should have been nominated for awards, as does Ian Holm in his very truthful role as a corrupted, humanoid robot.
'Alien's nature isn't suitable for smaller youths (<13) but anyone else should, regardless of their usual opinion on action/horror, see this movie that is a true landmark in film history. 10/10
The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)
Decent adaption of an epic novel
The movie version of 'Clan of the cave bear' isn't really a bad adaption - but the very fact that this is a movie, running less than two hours, forces it to be a very compact version of the book. A lot of the details are left out, which of course is unfortunate.
Overall, the acting is quite good. How are we really supposed to act so it will be like neanderthals? Can you really put all their knowledge and way of life and act it out when modern man is so much different (or are we?). Daryl Hannah is probably a good choice for Ayla at the time, and thanks to the 80's still Allowing 'rougher stuff' to be shown, or as I prefer it: more natural, the abuse described in Auel's novel is to most extent included.
To sum it up: an OK adaption, but a 2-hour movie does not make this novel justice.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Overrated piece of... uninnovative things
*Minor spoilers*
Much praise has been held over 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the black pearl', and not one, but TWO sequels are in production.
The movie is also rated 7.9 and #227 (today, may 08 2005).
The cast is very good, but the script and plot is WAY to cheesy for me to take in. I find it ironic that a very good movie like Master and Commander, who is also a pirates-vs-soldiers movie and a hell of a good one at that, aiming for realism, gets surpassed by Potc with a plot of undead pirates walking on the bottom of oceans and turning to bones by night? There's also a lot of bridges that doesn't really add anything to the action (the movie tops 140 minutes), which only becomes an annoyance.
Fun for 11-year olds mayhap, but for us a bit older... Crap. Go see Master & Commander if you want a movie with some story. 4/10
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Underrated return to the greatest sci-fi monsters.
OK, since there is such a massive amount of negative criticism/flames about AvP... I want to point out I didn't take any of it to me since I had decided to see it the moment I heard it was in production.
I like AvP. Quite a lot. Although Paul W.S. Anderson may not be the best director around I think it's an improvement in the film's camera compared to Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Also the dark environment naturally eases it in AvP's case.
*Possible Minor Spoilers* The characters are cool. For the first time we get to see the predators from a deeper perspective, with flashbacks through Earth's history. The Aliens are intelligent, tough and very agile fighters and prove to me more than just a match for the Predators, which is quite entertaining.
The return of Lance Henriksen is enjoyable, also because he has a not-so-pity role and so carries the film forward. The loss of Sigourney Weaver is of course unfortunate but due to the time the action takes place, it cannot feature her. That would just complicate things even more.
Overall... I had a great time. Don't take in too much of the flaming on this movie. At least I can share my experience.
8/10
Highlander (1986)
Highlander movie goes high!
Russell Mulcahy, director of few big but interesting movies, absolutely has his all-time high moment with "Highlander." One of the things that impress me the most with the movie is it's variety. Action, drama, love, scenery, tragic moments, reality, stereotypes, WW2... well just about everything. From featuring the beautifully shot scenes of midieval Scotland onto old-school U.S. police station with stereotyped cops, it's entertaining to watch without getting too out of hand.
Christopher Lambert, an actor whom I rank as a very talented one, portrays Scottish clansman Connor MacLeod superbly though his American-French background (at least at the time being). Clancy Brown, with his natural evil voice, makes a dark, vigilant villain who is indeed enjoyable to watch. Roxanne Hart do her part well as the sensual lady (heh, so 80's it can get...).
Totally recommended for anyone who has not yet seen it. 10/10
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Ridley Scott directing this? Beyond me.
So... an adaption of a novel of the Somali civil war, later a disaster being watched upon by the world, launches onto the big screen through fabulous director Ridley Scott, who has brought us wonderful movies as Alien, Blade Runner and Thelma & Louise all among my favorites.
"Black Hawk Down" is probably at the other end. This was one of those movies I couldn't watch through. So, it aims to be a "realistic" war movie yet it's all played out like an action one, skinny Somali militia runs as cannon fodder for a handful of US soldiers that are outnumbered by say 100 to 1. So, they have a few casualties as well, I'm not surprised. But it annoys me that the movie is filled with nothing but utter violence, limbs being sprayed around, bodies torn to pieces through every possibly imagined way... Well, though Orlando Bloom and Eric Bana with no doubt perform their roles solely, "Black Hawk Down" just makes me sick.
1/10
Garfield: The Movie (2004)
A more childish approach to the old series
Garfield: The movie, completed 2004. While keeping characters and names I would say this film has little to do with the comic and cartoon since the approach seems to be focused on being a children's movie. Fine, as long as it would still make it something new for anyone that has read the old series or watched them on TV as a kid. I didn't find it a tribute to those at all, sadly to say. The script really is a lame one which consists just about totally of things we've already seen, a pale love story taken from just about any comedy etc. Overall, to me 'Garfield' was a disappointment. If you're going to see it, either prepare for a children's movie or go in with no expectations. 2/10
Equilibrium (2002)
'1984' a la Matrix-style
First of all, I'd like to say that I like this movie and it has a lot of qualities- great actors and acting, strong plot and many scenes made me very emotional. Christian Bale is brilliant, absolutely brilliant, as the 100% strict cleric Preston who, after getting the ability to feel once again, rapidly switches from crying his eyes out to cold strict temper.
'Equilibrium' doesn't really add anything that we haven't seen before - martial-arts style gun-fighting, shooting cute innocent dogs, tension between good and evil and 'Big Brother' here called 'Father'. Though so it is still a very entertaining film that awakens a lot of thoughts and reminds us that '1984'-scenario may yet happen, just look at Iraq and Romania up to recent days. Overall, Equilibrium is a good movie to see for any intellectual action-freak.
9/10
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
It's Independence Day with ice age instead of aliens!
Yes, Emmerich directed this movie also he is the director of "Independence Day" from a few years ago. It struck me a lot in this movie how big the similarities are. The elements that are supposed to do the most breath-taking feelings off the audience is in both movies big, round, up in the sky, works drastically quickly (not really as relevent here as in ID), it's global, calculated just before it's occurance... the converges are numerous. The story is quite lame when it's not focused on the climate changes - basically everyone dies out in the cold, yet the Hero climate researcher ventures on top of hundreds of feet with snow to walk by foot to New York from inland??? COME ON! To say it overall... there is nothing in "Day after tomorrow" that we haven't seen before in one way or another. I can't say it's a bad movie, but... well, more like a cash-in cow movie made by standards. 5/10
Tre solar (2004)
Once again a high aim going down for Swedish film
"Tre Solar" could have been the top Swedish movie of the year, instead it is rather the low-point for the last five years. It's surprising why - we have the current Swedish actor elites, nice filming and authentic outfits and environments. Yet, tre solar doesn't pull much off - due to the really lame script. For minutes barely ANYTHING happens. Woman walks in, sees man, talks to him, he answers in absent words, tragic discover. Next scene. Repeats again. I have absolutely no idea what went wrong during the production, but it seems very strange to me that actors with such experience as these, making all the top roles in recent movies, wouldn't see this coming. Perhaps "Tre Solar" is the perfect example of the majority of Swedish films - some wish-to-be-made movie is granted financial support not because it is something people want to see on the big screen, but rather because it seems like an interesting aim to some people (namely the academy granting money to support Swedish film-making). Much as it pains me, but Tre Solar cannot earn more than 2/10 by me.
Den tredje vågen (2003)
Best in the trilogy
The top-budget Swedish movie of all time- "The third wave", with a budget of ~35 million SEK (errh some $4.5 million...) scores well for a Swedish action movie. It's predecessors is among the top of the later years' movies and "Third wave" continues the work of art. Jacob Eklund is as before excellent in his role as Johan Falk, we have a tight script and the plot is both interesting and somewhat applicable to reality. Of course there are some flaws, and the storyline gets a little messy at times, but overall I was very satisfied and I am happy that the capacity is there for making high-class movies although the budgets compared to US numbers are substantially smaller. it also proves that money does not equal quality. 8/10
Teen Wolf Too (1987)
Not TOO bad...
Hmm, after seeing "Teen Wolf Too" at the #36 on the bottom 100 films, I wasn't expecting much. But merely the fact it rates so low was enough to make me check it out, plus that I liked the first movie. Like the other reviews, I can't really say it's a well-made movie in sense of story, action, script; but I don't find the movie all that bad... it has some nice sequences, especially in the beginning, and I'm positive that I've seen what's worse more than once before. For the 'cash-cow' sequel thing, I didn't think Blade 2 was a much better movie. And that is getting a 3rd...
4/10
The Hobbit (1977)
Good adaption, although compact
'The Hobbit' in its animated shape is what we have to go with until Peter Jackson finishes the LotR prequel (hey, it's bound to happen...), but it doesn't mean all one should do is wait for that occasion. Watch the Rankin-Bass classic!
Rankin-Bass are behind the huge 80's successes 'Thundercats', 'Silverhawks' etc and also shine here with their interpretation of Tolkien's masterpiece. 'The Hobbit' is in this shape more of a family/children's movie than the new Lord of the Rings movies, and its runtime of only 78 minutes makes it feel a little stressed through since the scenes aren't given much time each. But nevertheless, it features good animation, solid voicework and music that is FAR MORE fantasy-like than the more majestic approach in Peter Jackson's movies. See this movie with your children!
Only backdraft I have to say is the runtime. 8/10
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993)
Entertaining... for two or so episodes
"Power Rangers" premiered here in Sweden in 1994 and was aired for
about two months before incidents involving karate kicks started to
inflict children, thus obliging the broadcasting channel to stop the
series. As a 10-year old at the time, surely it was fun to watch in
the beginning... but after a few eps I only came to think of the same
stuff repeating each episode, blah blah blah blah... makes me sick to
see that the "Power Ranger's" series are still in production... Horrible. My only recommendation for this series is to throw it away.
0/10
Spaceballs (1987)
Comedy. Was comedy?
I don't like bashing movies, but I didn't find this movie funny at all which it is supposed to be. Thin jokes and pathetic humor is all I felt. I even disliked 'Spaceballs' so much I didn't care to watch through the whole film. If you want to see a funny Mel Brooks movie, I'd recommend Robin Hood: Men in tights any day.
2/10
The Lion King 1½ (2004)
Disney doesn't cut it a 3rd time
A dedicated fan to the TLK movies, with the first one being a milestone and the second probably the best sequel Disney has produced, along comes this film... Now I'm not arguing with animation, voice work, music, but this is no more than a Timon/Pumbaa screwloose in the TLK atmosphere. Although it isn't bad, it doesn't add anything. Basically this movie is one big joke... and that's about all that saves it. Make a real TLK3, Disney! The potential is there.
4/10
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
Disney's Best Sequel
(may contain very brief spoilers)
In 1994 I was 10 years old and went to see The Lion King. What an experience! beyond any doubt the best animated movie I've seen on the big screen. Being a dedicated fan for years after, I was thrilled with a sequel coming out. And TLK2: Simba's Pride was over my expectations- in my opinion the best sequel by Disney, why didn't they put it on the big screen as well. Animation is again splendid, the music is GREAT! Perhaps even tops the first one. A solid story which is entertaining and also more "grown-up" than in the first movie.
9/10
Blade II (2002)
Is This Movie Some Sort of Joke?
Since I liked the first 'Blade' movie, I went to a friend to see the sequel. To say the least... I was disappointed. THe whole plot seems like a sorry excuse for packing tons of unreal action just to make the movie appear serious. If the scripters tried to be original, they didn't succeed... how many times has "a virus" been involved in disaster movies and such? The "Evolution" vampires are so dumb when fought its plain silly. Worst of all, it doesn't appears as the actors are given any chance of doing a good job, since the script kinda ruins it... Wesley Snipes does it well but not even him gets a chance to do some decent acting. No, scrap the 3rd movie- Blade 2 is just a spin-off to show more brutal action to maniac kids. 4/10
Finding Nemo (2003)
A return to form for Disney
While I wouldn't say 'Finding Nemo' outruns The Lion King (which got replaced by Nemo as most successful animated movie), it sure feels like Disney have found the right track of making movies after the lot of annoying movies in mid-90's to now. It's got humor, warmth, scenery, morals, just about what you expect and want from a good children's movie. Go see it with your children and have a good time.
9/10
Wing Commander (1999)
Ridiculous
Seeing a movie like "Wing Commander" at the age 15 (four years ago) should at least satisfy the action hunger within you. But this movie couldn't even do that, and worse is: the acting is bad, the story thin as water without any real drama. The "romance" is about the weakest I've seen if it's supposed to be tragic. Yet another annoying thing is that the computer screens still carry "NOKIA" on them... and I doubt they would set in the future like this.
2/10
Alien Resurrection (1997)
A return to form
"Alien: Resurrection" is in my opinion a return to the great form of the Alien saga from the first two movies. While the return of Weaver's character may be a questionable thing, the script, setting, action and actors supress "Alien 3" by far. A must see movie for any action fan!
9/10