noorutin Reviews

Triple Frontier (2019)

Unexpected, suspenseful and actually GOOD

[7/10 · 15 March 2019]

I certainly didn't expect the film to be anything like what I got, and was very pleasantly surprised. The very very beginning seemed absolutely dreadful with cheesy American patriotism oozing out of every pore and almost made me turn off, but since the description promised a heist movie I kept going out of intrigue and boy did it get much, much better and more exciting from there. Yes, there are some holes and certain beats feel a bit hasty or glossed over, but all in all it kept me very engaged, was full of unexpected twists and in the end made a point that I'd never in a million years have thought it would go for. Also I guess I'm a sucker for this type of paramilitary-dudebro-shootietootie action flick and easily liked all the lead characters (and actors) enough to go for it.

Good stuff.

The Drug King (2018)

Intriguing and decidedly Korean 70's gangster biopic

[7/10 · 15 March 2019]

Your enjoyment of this movie will undoubtedly depend on your existing familiarity with Korean filmmaking. While I'm certainly not an expert on the subject, I do believe many of the more negative reviews come from western watchers who are less accustomed to the style and feel of Korean films.

The film takes its time to build up and wind down, but I never felt like it dragged out too long or got boring. Even the setting - 70's Korea - is exciting to get a look at and not explored, I think, in other films very much. I have absolutely no idea how well this flick represents the real Lee Doo-sam, but all the key performances felt very fitting and well acted and the cinematography is nice and does the job. I might add that I tend to analyze film pacing, and it hits all the usual turning points at the exact typical time marks.

What I think is most distinctively Asian in the filmmaking is the tone. It is a serious movie about several serious subjects with plenty of gritty scenes and emotion, but it's not afraid to let "wacky" characters act wacky. Some critics call this being tone-deaf or not making up its mind, but I don't think that is it at all. I consider it merely a refreshing cultural difference.

If you care about the setting or subject at all, watch it with an open mind and I think you'll like it enough to not feel like your time was wasted.

The Orville: About a Girl (2017) Season 1, Episode 3

Unentertaining and uncomfortable

[4/10 · 14 October 2017]

Honestly, McFarlane still lacks the depth and, quite possibly, intelligence to tackle this kind of subject matter. His attempts feel half uncomfortable, half embarrassing, and yet he just keeps on trying. Although I truly do applaud him for trying to do better than his usual affair of dick jokes and being mean to people, maybe just stick to something a bit easier for the time being?

This episode isn't entirely rotten, but uncomfortable and unentertaining, so 4/10

Death Note (I) (2017)

Stupid, forgettable mess for teens

[1/10 · 26 August 2017]

I went into this one with an open mind... but honestly, it's just really bad. I'm trying to look at this objectively, and think whether I'd like it on its own merits even if I'd never seen the anime - which I have, multiple times. And the answer is no. This movie is one hundred percent forgettable, worthless teen drama that could have been made with any other premise. It's a total waste of source material, and your time. The movie opens somewhat promisingly, but by midway it has nothing to do with the original story anymore, and it just gets.. so.. stupid from there.

Good things: Willem Dafoe's voice fits Ryuk perfectly. Score by Atticus Ross. I kind of liked L's actor. Bad: Everyone who went along with this travesty, and especially the writers.

Bottom line: Death Note (2006) is an internationally acclaimed, intelligent, thoughtful thriller anime series. It's an excellent blend of human drama, action, investigation, mindgames and philosophy. Go watch it and forget this trash.

The Dead Room (2015)

So bad it's kind of good!

[4/10 · 16 October 2016]

This flick contains so much bad filmmaking that it's pretty hilarious, so overall not entirely unenjoyable!

It's a "ghost hunter" kind of thing complete with poor dialogue/acting (especially the female lead), hilariously fake sets toward the end, continuity errors, unmotivated lighting (you know, brightly lit faces in supposedly dark areas, nice constant overhead light underground, and what has to be the brightest moonlight I've EVER seen), way, way overdone color processing and fake vignette, and to top it off a nonsensical ending that brings zero closure to the whole farce.

We giggled and rolled our eyes throughout the film with my partner. I'm giving it a generous four stars, since it's the fun kind of bad, rather than annoying.

Friend Request (2016)

A terrible, terrible cringe fest all the way through.

[2/10 · 15 October 2016]

I feared the worst for this movie from the very first minutes, but I still truly wanted to give it a chance until the end. Despite some mind-bogglingly unforgivably stupid scenes you want to think that maybe somehow they can turn this crap-fest around in the end, so that it makes sense. They don't and it doesn't.

This is the kind of movie that will actually make you upset that you wasted over an hour of your life in it. Unless you're something like 16, entirely swayed by baseless emotions and not too brightly lit. Only then might it be terrible for you, and that's the only way I can explain the surprisingly good average rating on IMDb.

Certainly some actually talented people were involved with the production: both the visual and audio design and FX are pretty good, and that's what makes this somewhat of a tragedy. You know, because not a grain of that talent is to be found in the writing, acting or direction.

Watch only if for whatever reason you really want to annoy yourself.

Abattoir (2016)

Refreshing spooky town thriller.

[8/10 · 11 October 2016]

I found this flick very refreshing! It is a "horror house" + "spooky town" kind of thriller. I don't think it does anything new in the genres per se, but the buildup is interesting and ending unpredictable, with the unfolding premise actually quite captivating.

One of the things I most liked about this movie is the dialogue. It's kind of quirky in an intelligent way. Might be hit or miss for you, but it certainly does stand out. I also found great pleasure in this being one of the few movies where the characters actually ask the right questions. You know how in most movies you want to scream at the screen for the characters not asking the questions that any rational human being in their situation should be asking, because it was convenient for the lazy ass screenwriters? Pretty much none of that here, so score one for the writer.

I also liked the cinematography a lot. Camera movement is a rather standard fare, but the picture is constantly super crispy with very deep depth of field throughout, so there's a lot to look at in the beautiful sets.

The lead acting is alright, but special mention should go to Lin Shaye and Dayton Callie for delivering pretty outstanding (in the context of this film) performances. John McConnell is sympathetic as the Sheriff trying to do some good in a difficult position.

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)

Very entertaining; just check your baggage at the door.

[8/10 · 9 October 2016]

First I need to say that I watched the EXTENDED Blu-ray cut of the film. I can imagine the theatre version being worse off for leaving out stuff, but can't offer a direct comparison. I'll just say that the extended cut was very good and did not feel sluggish at any point.

Honestly, there's no way to objectively call this a bad movie. It is funny, well paced and shot, and has excellent tone. My 26-year old self found it a very pleasant surprise; a good time, funny and well acted. And yes, of course I know the original movies, too.

Aside from the people who clearly have a problem with women being cast as actual regular human beings in lead roles, it is my firm belief that most of the haters of this movie are Gen-X'ers simply unable to get off their collective high horse. If you try to, for whatever reason, compare this piece to the original movies, then something's already gone wrong with you. There is absolutely no reason to do so. It is not a remake. It is a reboot in its own right, in the year 2016, and does very well for itself. There are a lot of respectful nods towards the earlier movies, all of which I found fitting and in good taste.

If you are of the opinion that the original movies are the holy grail of comedy filmmaking, and are unable to check your attitude and preconceptions at the door when watching this movie, then just don't bother. All you'll be doing is looking for reasons not to like this flick, end up miserable and then pollute the opinion pool for those of us who can see a movie for what it is.

The Neon Demon (2016)

Art film with a point to make.

[9/10 · 11 September 2016]

It was probably clear to everyone, from the early trailers onward, that this movie is going to be a cinematographic masterpiece. And it is. The lighting, movements and post-processing is striking, incredibly stylized and simply amazing.

As for the content itself, it certainly seems a very divisive topic. There is no great story to tell. The only noticeable character development seems to be that of the main character, and even then it is a very minimal arc of development. But that surely is the exact point of this movie. If I had to describe it in a few words, those would be "off-putting", "cold" and "reflective". And reflection is the key here. There's absolutely no doubt that every frame of The Neon Demon is a part of current social commentary. It is a reflection on the ultra-commercialized culture of incredibly excessive vainness that is so very, very prevalent in today's society. I cannot say whether it's a commentary on the fashion industry specifically, but that isn't even really relevant. I'd say that the fashion industry is a rather small side effect of a much, much greater problem.

It is an art film with a point to make. It isn't pretty, and it sure as heck isn't subtle, but the point being made is an important one and I applaud the movie for exactly what it is.

Maybe the point hits close to home and makes you reflect on your values as well as those of society around you. Or maybe you couldn't care less about the issues presented and are going to vote it 1/10 and call it "boring". The wild differences between the votes and reviews here are understandable.

Finally though, I'd like to say something to those who accuse the movie of gratuitous female nudity for some kind of (heterosexual) extra male votes. Should you actually watch the movie again, you will notice that not once is the nudity without purpose - and finally, it is the women in the movie that are much, much more concerned about each others bodies than the few men seen in the movie.

Hush (I) (2016)

An OK thriller with some interesting aspects.

[7/10 · 21 July 2016]

Let us start with the fact that this is not a horror movie. It's a thriller, with some interesting unusual aspects, as well as a few cringe-worthy flaws (in character logic, as the case always seems to be).

So what makes this movie stand out and feel almost fresh? The obvious first is that our protagonist is deaf-mute. Not being an expert on deaf people, I still believe this was played quite consistently to the movie's credit. It is interesting to occupy the head space of someone missing such an important sense in a frightful situation.

Another thing I noticed is the total lack of jump scares. There isn't a single jump-scare in the movie, which only further distances Hush from being a horror movie. In fact the usual creep factor as a whole is kept to a minimum. It quickly becomes a cat-and-mouse kind of battle of wits more than anything else, which I found a pleasant surprise, despite being more of a horror fanatic.

The third curious thing is that from the get go it's made clear that the killer is very much human. We don't know what his motivations are, he's just out to kill and doesn't give much of a s*** about anything else but his upper hand. He doesn't have much of a plan and has to improvise, as does our protagonist to survive.

I found the thrill in this movie to be more intellectual than primal. The gore is neither profuse nor lacking, it's there when it's needed. It's well shot, acted, directed and edited, considering the modest budget, and doesn't overstay its welcome. I'd recommend it for a rainy evening if you want to see the thriller genre try something new.

The X-Files: Chinga (1998) Season 5, Episode 10

Unfortunately boring and annoying.

[4/10 · 11 January 2016]

Of the entirety of The X-Files, I hate this episode the most, and it's mostly down to how annoying the main child character is. It's not a badly written episode per se, but it just misses the spark and intrigue that we all love The X-Files' cases for.

The opening in the store looks pretty cool, but we very soon learn that there's simply no meat on the bones of this lackluster story. The plot consists of the cheapest recycled elements and no twists are to be found.

The story revolves around a little girl and her mother, around whom other people seem to get hurt an awful lot for no apparent reason. I've seen all 9 seasons of the X-Files for at least five times, and the child character in this episode still infuriates me beyond belief, as does her mother's absolute ineptitude to put her brat in check. I guess some people find little children scary, but I only ever found myself extremely annoyed.

The only saving grace here is some funny and heartfelt dialogue between Scully and Mulder, no doubt written by Chris Carter.