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maverick494
Reviews
Generation Iron (2013)
Surprisingly entertaining for someone who's not a fan of bodybuilding
The look of the modern day bodybuilder is not attractive to me at all. Too big, too cut, too tan, just too much of a good thing to the point where it becomes a bad thing. I never understood why in the world anyone would want to pump themselves up into something that huge. This documentary does a really good job in showing the human side behind such an extreme sport. It chronicles the journey of a handful of Mr.Olympia hopefuls and why they do it.
You get to see pieces of their lives, the way they prep, they way they interact with their families if they have them, or how they spend time on their own if they don't. The contrast between all these men defies the bodybuilder stereotype. One is a painter (a damn good one at that) in his free time and sort of a philosopher, the other is no-nonsense and uses science lab equipment to track and map out his progress, etc. Everyone has a story and it's nice to see a human side to the sport, when the contenders all have a physique that separates them from most of the population. The whole reason behind those seemingly ridiculous poses and the tan is explained too in a sensible way.
It's an interesting peek in an industry that's not very mainstream. The more controversial topics like steroids are barely touched upon, and I liked that. This documentary is about the people more than anything. Mickey Rourke's narration is very fitting as well.
Serbuan maut (2011)
Great action, but the acting was good too
Every time I hear buzz like this about an Asian action movie, I get excited...only to be let down. Take the average Tony Jaa movie for an instance. Great sequences, but cringeworthy acting and a story so bad it almost seems on purpose. I was afraid this movie was going to turn out like that. Well, it didn't. The flimsy story serves to set up non-stop action and it does the job well. There's tension from start to finish and you actually start to feel for the characters involved.
When they got angry or hurt, you believe it's true. And this really helps lift the movie to a higher level. Because even great fight sequences need a reason to exist and this movie has enough heart to give it the intensity it needs. You'll actually feel as drained as the actors look after finishing this. That's because every bullet, every kick, punch and slice of the knife hit home. And in rapid succession of one another. The fights are choreographed in a realistic, gritty but exciting way. No shaky cam or fancy cuts. The Raid doesn't shows it all, without indulging itself.
The camera work is great, the music is good, the action is fantastic and the acting and story is good enough to make it all come together. If you want to see ass kicking at it's finest, see this. Just make sure you get the original audio with subtitles.
NYC 22 (2012)
Ambitious, but lacking
I heard many say this is a rip-off from Rookie Blue. While I love that show, I am not as territorial as others and wanted to give this a fair chance.
The premise is the same, a bunch of fresh rookies finally get confronted with with the real world, and we see them struggle in their new role. It's a tried and true formula, which has been used in different ways and can result in compelling television. The Pilot is supposed to engage us, get us interested in the characters and kick off to a healthy start that sets the tone for the season. Did it do so successfully? To be honest with you: no.
There are some nice things. The shots of New York aren't the flashy overused ones you see in most films and TV series. Here you get to see the city without its makeup and it reflects on everything. The police station is worn and stuffy, colleagues are gruff and etiquette is non existent. It's not a welcoming environment and it builds tension, because all the rookies stick out like a sore thumb. They are out of their comfort zone, even if they grew up in this city. Then, their journey begins. And this is where the show loses it's stride, in my opinion.
The acting, for one, is a problem. LeeLee Sobieski for example, has terrible line delivery. There's a scene...
------------------ *SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER* ...where a boy on the street calls her a 'fine looking bitch' and she returns, twists his hands and threatens to make his life hell if he doesn't respect her. The scene is obviously set up to show she's tough even though she's a thin blonde girl. The idea itself is pretty weak, but a strong actress could have pulled it off. LeeLee didn't. For one, the way she twists his hand is so amateur looking, you don't even have to be a martial artist to spot the difference. Secondly, the way she says it is cringe worthy and immediately put me off. I'm all for strong female characters, but not in this way. *END SPOILER* --------------------
I know this seems like a small detail to fuss over, but things like this take me out of the experience, like spotting a microphone hanging in the air does. There are more instances like this, where mediocre writing becomes actrocious because an actor simply can't sell it. Judy Marte (Tonya Sanchez) sometimes comes across as too cold, with an expressionless face that wouldn't do bad on a mannequin in a clothing store.
Then of course, there are the clichés. The black guy boasting he'd "hit it before the end of the day", the Afghan guy getting pestered with Kite Runner references, etc. It's annoying because it's stereotypical (and no I'm not going to use the racist card, as it's overused already). If they wanted to create friction in the group or set a tone, there are more subtle and more effective ways of doing it.
The characters seem still too much of a cardboard to be real, and this feeling keeps nagging in the second episode. They don't seem like real people. That said, there are some good performances there, though most don't come from the main cast. Maybe this is the kind of show that needs to find it's footing first before it hits its stride, but for now it's lackluster. It seriously needs to up its game if it wants to make it beyond season 1.
Rookie Blue (2010)
A show with a heart and good performances
Let me start off by saying that this show is not for everyone. It's more drama than action and anyone going in this expecting Lethal Weapon divided into episodes with lots of explosions is going to be disappointed. This show is about rookies struggling to find their way as cops.
Their 'growing pains' are recognisable and that's what makes it fun. All the characters have their insecurities and even the veterans have their vulnerabilities, just like in real life. After setting up the characters and the atmosphere, it starts revealing the romantic angle, which makes it a bit like the police version of Grey's Anatomy. It's a character centric show, which means the case or issues always come second and that, to me, isn't a bad thing as long as the actors pull it off.
And they do. The cast is led by the vibrant, likable Missy Peregrym (Andy McNally) with strong performances from Gregory Smith (Dov Epstein) and Ben Bass (Sam Swarek) among others. In the first season, you see them struggle, fall, succeed, fall in love and deal with hardships. It's never so much that you think "man, can they dump even more on this character" but enough to keep your attention. In the second season, you see them find their footing, only to find out that more experience doesn't necessarily make things easier and less complicated.
That doesn't mean the show is flawless. It isn't. Sometimes, there is lack of context to explain why a certain character is behaving the way they do. Sometimes a case gets resolved too neatly. Sometimes things are predictable. But the show's saving grace is it's heart. The characters feel genuine, which is why I've stuck with them for 2 seasons and am anticipating season 3.
My 8 star rating is a rating on my entertainment value scale. It's a good way to spend an hour and it's addictive. I value quality movies like The Shawshank Redemption, but too much of that can wear you down. This is exactly the tasty snack I'm looking for when I come home from a busy day. Give it a shot.
The Hunger Games (2012)
Y'all gonna hate me: it's better than the book!
Like so many, I read THG when the hype started to swell and while I liked the book, it had some problems that prevented me from loving it. Enter the movie. Since most movie adaptations from books are worse, I initially didn't have very high hopes for it. The fact Jennifer Lawrence was cast didn't ease my mind either, as I have seen what big movie franchises can do to decent actresses; compare Kristen Stewart's performance in The Cake Eaters to her performance in Twilight for an instance. I rest my case.
Then reports started coming in about excessive shaky cam usage. About Jennifer being "too fat" for the role. Key passages left out, etc. I decided to ignore all that and give it a shot.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised!
THE GREAT: - Jennifer Lawrence really does deserve all the praise she gets for her acting talent, because she really delivers in this. When she shoots, you believe she is a great archer, when she whimpers, you feel her pain and when she cries she seems genuinely upset. She conveys layers of emotion with a single look. I love how she doesn't have the blank stare many young starlets have. This movie rests on her shoulders and though everyone else did a good job, it all would have fallen apart if it weren't for her.
And to all who call her "too fat" you know that if she had lost a ton of weight there would be trashing going on about her promoting an unhealthy image. Damned if she does, damned if she doesn't. For the record I think she looks lovely, a breath of fresh air in an industry populated by people as fake as those in the Capitol.
- Jennifer made Katniss seem like a real person of flesh and blood. In the book, though I like the narrative, Katniss comes across as inconsistent. Very capable one moment, an emotional wreck the second. In the movie they have really found a balance. She shows emotion and it seems fitting because she's only 16 and not raised to be a killer. She has the intelligence to be clinical about many things, but she shows emotion in matters of the heart. She's capable and likable. I didn't always feel that way with the book, but I did with the movie.
- The editing. It was very natural. The shaky cam didn't bother me at all, in fact it added to the realism. Cuts were clean, not dolled up with cool effects. Some people complained the early kills were hard to see, but I liked how it was done. You could see the desperation and the swiftness and viciousness. Alive one moment, dead the other. No glamour. Just like in real life. I love how the movie does not indulge in gore, unlike many others. Deaths aren't glossed over, they are presented just as they are. Which makes the whole story even more tragic.
THE GOOD: - Set, costumes, special effects. It looks like a different world, but recognisable at the same time. Believable. Never once did I feel like I was watching actors in costumes. Everyone seemed right where they belonged. The effects aren't the best you've ever seen, but they get the job done. - Supporting cast. All very capable actors who know how to deliver their lines. I didn't really buy into Rue's performance at her last scene, but that's a minor thing.
THE BAD: - Personally, nothing about this movie is bad. Personally, they fixed a lot of issues I had with the book. I preferred Katniss & Peeta's relationship in the movie over what's described in the book. If I had to name one thing it's that I would have liked to see more of their training.
CONCLUSION: -A very faithful adaption that stays true to the book without having to sell its soul. In fact, it improved upon it. Great main character, suspense, action. Definitely a favourite of mine.