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Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 29 September 2011 04:09
(A review of The Wicker Man)Basically, I went to see this movie with some rather morbid curiosity. Indeed, it has the reputation of being one terrible flick, especially since it was starring good old Nicolas Cage. When you hear that this flick is even worse than his typical recent work, you’re pretty much prepared to watch some terrible trash. To start with, I haven't seen the original version so I cannot compare both versions but, honestly, I didn't think it was as bad as everyone was saying. Of course, it was still pretty damned average and there were indeed some rather weird scenes here and there which didn’t make much sense but, honestly, I have seen much worse than this (alright, maybe I shouldn’t be too proud of it…). Anyway, I thought that the directing by Neil LaBute (one promising director who unfortunately never really fulfilled the high expectations I had for him) was not bad at all and I was, for a while, intrigued by the whole story. But, indeed, the plot and the characters kept getting weirder and weirder for no apparent reason and after a while, I didn't care much about what was going on the screen. Still, I’m sorry but I seriously don’t think it is one of the worst movies starring Nicolas Cage (that the guy is throwing away his career is pretty obvious by now though). To conclude, it is definitely a rather average movie and it is not really worth a look but don't believe the hype pretending it is the worst movie ever made.
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An underrated movie
Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 28 September 2011 02:48
(A review of Silent Hill)Honestly, I had never played the game so I had no clue if this movie was faithfull or not (I definitely want to try the game now after watching this flick). Anyway, after seeing it twice, I still keep thinking about this flick. First of all, there was this impressive introduction when, with no delay whatsoever, you get to see this mother running outside and shouting for her daugther. This scene was so striking, it put me right away into this movie. Furthermore, I was above all impressed by the directing which was pretty amazing and I was rather blown away by the scenes when you hear those sirens. Indeed, it was visually really impressive and I really had the feeling that Hell literaly brook loose. Honestly, those scenes were the best nightmarish moments I have ever seen in a movie. I have to admit it, the story didn't make much sense, especially towards the end (why do they always try in American movies to give some rational explanation when something completely preposterous is going on?!? Asian movies never have this issue and just go with the flow...) but, as a visual ride, I thought it was really satisfying. To conclude, I really enjoyed it, in my opinion, it is a really underrated flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are looking for a decent movie around a video game adaptation.
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An average movie
Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 28 September 2011 02:07
(A review of Cop Out)Since I'm a huge fan of 'Clerks', I have been faithfully watching every single movie directed by Kevin Smith, even though none of them have ever reached the greatness of his first directing feature. So, even though the critics were very negative, I still wanted to check this one out. Unfortunately, the end result was really underwhelming. I mean, the whole thing definitely had some potential and there were a (very) few hilarious scenes here and there but most of the movie was just routine and honestly filled with some stupid and unfunny jokes. It's too bad since I really liked the material and I really liked the idea of Kevin Smith directing a 'big' budget production starring Bruce Willis. I mean, if there was an actor who could portray a convincing cop while delivering some hilarious one-liners that was definitely Bruce Willis but, unfortunately, the guy was really underused here. Concerning Tracey Morgan, I was not really familiar with his work up to that point but he didn’t really impress me. Honestly, the whole thing was so underwhelming that I think it was probably the worst movie directed by Kevin Smith so far. To conclude, it was a really disappointing feature and I’m afraid it is not really worth a look, even for the die-hard Kevin Smith's fans like me.
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An average movie
Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 28 September 2011 08:45
(A review of Shadows in the Sun)Nowadays, I have Netflix and Popcorn and not only I have since then an endless selection or movies to choose from but, as a result, I have become slightly more picky regarding the movies I watch. Before, I used to watch pretty much anything as long as it was starring one or two actors I was interested in and, as a result, I would sometimes end up watching some really obscure features. This movie was a perfect example and the only reason I watched it was because it was featuring Harvey Keitel. Indeed, back in the 90's, Harvey Keitel gave some amazing performances in some of the best movies of the decade (‘Smoke’, ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘The Piano’, ‘Bad Lieutenant’, ‘Reservoir Dogs’) and I became fan of his work instantly. Unfortunately, in the 2000's, he mostly had some supporting parts in some really average flicks. This movie was a good example. Oh boy... it was such a bore... From the first 10 minutes, I was shaking my head in disbelief. Seriously, it was such a predictable and boring plot just full of clichés... The only redeeming feature was Harvey Keitel who gave, as usual, a decent performance but he couldn't save this dull feast. To conclude, it was a very average and boring flick and it is not really worth a look at all.
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An average movie
Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 27 September 2011 10:55
(A review of The Ruins)Nowadays, I have Netflix and Popcorn and, not only I have since then an endless selection or movies to choose from but, as a result, I have become slightly more picky regarding the movies I watch. Before, I used to watch pretty much anything as long as it was starring one or two actors I was interested in and, as a result, I would sometimes end up watching some really obscure features. This movie was a perfect example. Indeed, as usual, I didn't know much about this movie before watching it and, honestly, I think it is the best way to watch this flick. Basically, the damned thing started out with your usual WASP kids on holiday and, after a rather slow start, you finally get the scary stuff with those plants. Actually, when you think about it, the whole thing was actually rather ridiculous but they still managed to actually pull it off and I thought it was really scary. Later on, they added some pretty nasty gore scenes and, obviously, we have to thankt the current horror porn wave (‘Saw’, ‘Hostel’,....) for those rather uninteresting and disgusting bits. Honestly, I'm more scared when I don't see some things, when I have to use my own imagination, than when I get to see someone butchered in close-up which is never really scary or entertaining. Anyway, in spite of its falws, it was a well made and fairly entertaining flick and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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A good movie
Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 27 September 2011 09:09
(A review of Swimming Upstream)Nowadays, I have Netflix and Popcorn and not only I have since then an endless selection or movies to choose from but, as a result, I have become slightly more picky regarding the movies I watch. Before, I used to watch pretty much anything as long as it was starring one or two actors I was interested in and, as a result, I would sometimes end up watching some really obscure features. This movie was a perfect example. I have to say it was something rather unexpected from Russell Mulcahy. Indeed, the guy has been mostly known for directing such features like ‘Resident Evil: Extinction’, ‘Tale of the Mummy’, ‘The Shadow’, ‘The Real McCoy’, ‘Highlander’ and its dreadfull sequel. Anyway, coming back to our main feature, I have to admit it, it was basically a rather standard sport biopic but I enjoyed the directing and even more the performances by Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis. Indeed, it was above all thank to them that the whole thing became quite compelling to watch. To conclude, even though it was nothing really original or mind-blowing, but it enjoyed the damned thing and I think it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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A good movie
Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 26 September 2011 11:09
(A review of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure)Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this flick as it did look pretty lame but since it has actually a cult status, I was rather intrigued and I wanted to check it out. First of all, many of us may have forgot it but way before he was Neo, Keanu Reeves' career actually took off after playing the uber doofus, Ted Logan, in this 80's classic comedy. Like I said before, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this flick but eventually I was actually positively surprised and I thought it was indeed pretty cool. Indeed, for once, you had here a movie about time travelling which didn't take itself seriously at all and it was a real breeze of fresh air. Basically, the makers and even the characters themselves were well aware of the fact that everything going on on the screen was just completely preposterous and the whole thing is simply an excuse to have some good old fun. And indeed, this flick was maybe not entirely hilarious but it was still pretty damned funny and I definitely had a good time watching this. Anyway, to conclude, even if it is not really a masterpiece, it still deserves its solid reputation and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you look for a good old cheesy comedy from the 80's.
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An average movie
Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 25 September 2011 05:39
(A review of Clash of the Titans)To be honest, even though this movie has a rather lame reputation, I don't think it was so bad after all. I mean, from the very beginning until the end, I have to admit that it was pretty cheesy and, very often, it didn't miss much to become really lame but I thought it was eventually watchable. First of all, I haven't seen the original version so I have no idea if this remake was better or worse. Sill, I was rather impressed by the interesting cast (Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Gemma Arterton, Alexa Davalos, Mads Mikkelsen, Pete Postlethwaite, Kaya Scodelario, Luke Evans) even though, most of them actually gave some rather poor performances. Of course, they were not helped by the weak dialogues but I must say that the story was not bad (better than, for example, 'Prince of Persia' which was also released in 2010). There could have been more attention given to the interesting relationship between Men and Gods but obviously, we were dealing here with a huge special effects extravaganza. And indeed, the special effects were pretty good even though the CGI started to look rather fake after a while. To conclude, before watching such a flick, you shouldn't expect a masterpiece but a popcorn blockbuster and since I had some rather low expectations, it didn't disappoint me and if you want to see some brainless entertainment, it might be actually worth a look.
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An average movie
Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 24 September 2011 06:03
(A review of The Great Outdoors)Nowadays, I have Netflix and Popcorn and not only I have since then an endless selection or movies to choose from but, as a result, I have become slightly more picky regarding the movies I watch. Before, I used to watch pretty much anything as long as it was starring one or two actors I was interested in and, as a result, I would sometimes end up watching some really obscure features. This movie was a perfect example and the only reason I watched it was because it was featuring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy. Well, eventually, I thought the damned thing was not bad at all. Basically, it was a typical comedy from the 80's and I especially enjoyed John Candy who was just pitch-perfect for this part. However, I wasn't so convinced by Dan Aykroyd. I mean, it was nice to see him trying something else but his character was just so obnoxious that I was more annoyed than amused by him. Another thing that annoyed me was the romantic sub-plot involving Candy's oldest son. Indeed, the whole thing was boring, pretty weak and had nothing to do with the rest of the story. Still, it was a well made and rather entertaining comedy and it is worth a look, especially if you like this genre.
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An average movie
Posted : 13 years, 4 months ago on 24 September 2011 05:31
(A review of The Three Musketeers (1993))Like so many other famous tales like Tarzan, Dracula, Peter Pan or Sherlock Holmes, this story has been adapted so many times already. Basically, every decade, they come up with a new version and this movie produced by Disney was basically the 90's version and, almost 20 years later, Paul W.S. Anderson would come up with yet another version. Well, even though there was really nothing mind-blowing with this version, I thought it was still not bad at all. First of all, I really liked the cast (Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry, Rebecca De Mornay, Gabrielle Anwar, Julie Delpy). Furthermore, the whole thing was rather well made and fairly entertaining. Eventually, the only really issue with this movie was that, since I was so familiar with the material, they really had to add something new or exciting to make it really interesting but, unfortunately, it was the most straightforward adaptation that you could imagine. As a result, the whole thing was just really predictable and even seriously generic and, to be honest, I’m pretty sure I will forget most of it within a couple of days. Anyway, in spite of its flaws, I still think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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