The Last Days On Mars

Sci fi horror films is usually a fun combination. The Alien franchise is without a doubt the best in this genre, especially Aliens from 1986. There are plenty of more titles that i could mention, and also those we should try and forget. Does anyone remember Jason X ? If you have not seen this one, be happy, because seeing Jason Voorhees in space was a disaster,in many ways. But with Prometheus we finally got the sci fi film we have been waiting for, when so many releases did not deliver anything unique. Director Ridley Scott showed us a prequel to Alien, that both looked fantastic and had many great perfomances, including from swedish actor Noomi Rapace. The Last Days On Mars is a sci fi horror film, located in Mars, by director Ruariri Robinson.  He is mostly known from directing short films in the past, and this is his feature film debut. Is The Last Days On Mars a nice throwback to classic sci fi motion pictures, or is this a space film that should have been left on a shelf ?

Around the year 2040, a professional team of austronauts are doing research on the Tantslou Base, located on Mars. Scientist Marko Petrovic ( Goran Kostic ) discover while doing research, that a sample he took, show signs of life on Mars. Fascinated by the amazing discovery, Marko decide to keep this a secret. Unfortunately, Marko falls down underneath the surface. Crewmate Richard Harrington ( Tom Cullen ) call in to the science center about what happened, as team members locate the accident area. Captain Charles Brunel ( Elias Koteas ) order science team member Vincent Campbell ( Liev Schreiber ) to go beneath the surface and see what happened to Marko. Beneath the surface, Vincent find some kind of fungus living substance, that seems to find its way into human bodies. Suddenly the whole team is in danger, not knowing what is really out there.

I could easily compare The Last Days On Mars with other sci fi motion pictures from tha past, because the plot have influences from some classics. But here is the good news. We get to see a sci fi horror film that actually looks good, and have some nice surprises along the way. I would not call this an original sci fi film, but considering the budget i would say that director Ruariri Robinson manage to find a nice balance of classic sci fi ingredients. There is nothing original here, but there are many worse choices than The Last Days On Mars to find. One thing i do have a problem with, is the lead actor Liev Schreiber. He was alright as Sabertooth in X-Men: Origins, but here he feels pretty stiff. Thankfully the rest of the cast helps to make this film work. Especially legendary actor Elias Koteas, who tries to make his character interesting. The scenery of Mars looks great, and this is a very important detail to have included, when you make a sci film in space. Remember John Carpenter's Ghosts Of Mars ? That was a big mess. The Last Days Of Mars is actually a good try to do a classic combination of sci fi horror, with some great looking scenes of Mars. No classic, but worth watching for fans of this genre. 

Rating: DDD

More reviews coming up...and we start with a request review

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for the support i keep getting from you worldwide, i am happy that you enjoy reading my movie reviews. Sometimes people send me requests on movie reviews, so i try and choose one of them at some point to write a review of. So this time i choosed Hanna from Finland , who asked if i could write a review on The Last Days On Mars.

Congratulations Hanna !

I will be taking a look at the movie tonight, and will probably post the review by tomorrow.

Speaking of reviews, i am trying to write 2 new ones before august have ended, so i will keep you updated what the titles are this time.

Thanks for the requests you send me, and i am really happy you enjoy reading the reviwes.

Cheers from Daniel

One Hour Photo

Life is not easy. A lot of people are depressed, and sometimes it is hard to deal with depression, where some of us choose to no longer live. Robin Williams have been struggling with his depression for a long time, and even if he is no longer with us, he gave us so much joy and laughter over 30 years. He was one of the few comedians who could do so many great characters on screen, and make them his own, with his magical presence. The list of his classics are long, and there are so many motion pictures i could recommend, it would take forever to write them all down. But there is one i have to mention. Awakenings, a wonderful drama, where Robin Williams plays a doctor at a mental hospital, trying to help patients, where Robert De Niro is brilliant as one of his patients. It is one of those motion pictures i have never forgotten, and i never will, because there is a very strong message to be told with the story of Awakenings. After making a lot of comedies, and drama motion pictures, Robin Williams decided to change his genre in 2002, with a very suprising choice. As a disturbed photo shop worker in One Hour Photo, that gave him a best male actor award at the Saturn Awards. As i already mentioned in a previous post in my movie review blog, i choosed this review as one of my favourite motion pictures with Robin Williams. So in memory of Robin, this one is for you.

Seymour "Sy" Parrish ( Robin Williams ) is a photo technician at SavMart's one-hour photo developing clinic. He is very careful, and always make sure customers get the best quality of their camera pictures. Ever since Sy was a young boy, he loved taking pictures on everything. Now as an adult man, he still have a big passion about photography, and loves to see other peoples pictures. He is especially found of pictures taken by the Yorkin family, who are customers at SavMart. Nina Yorkin ( Connie Nielsen ) is always dropping in with the latest camera roll, and Sy is always happy to help her. Nina´s son Jake Yorkin ( Dylan Smith ) usually also visit the store, and Sy loves to see the family together. Sy feel almost like this is his own family, since they visit SavMart so often, and he feels that he knows them more than anyone. He start buying gifts to Jake, even give a birthday camera from the store, without permission. But the biggest problem of all, is that Sy is doing his own copies of the Yorkin family, as he becomes obsessed of being a part of their family. And when he finds out that Nina´s husband Will Yorkin ( Michael Vartan ) is cheating on his wife, Sy can´t take this anymore. He decide to make this family more perfect, with his help.

I could have chosen between a lot of classic motion pictures with Robin Williams, because he did so many great characters, in all genres. So why choose the dark thriller drama One Hour Photo in a time when he is no longer with us ? For the simple reason, this have always been one of my favourite motion pictures with him, ever since the release in 2002. It was the first time we could see him do something very unusual, a very dark story about a man who is deperate, to be a part of his favourite family. Knowing that he was depressed in real life, make this motion picture harder to watch now, but i still feel that this shows what a talented actor Robin Williams was. He decided to do something completely different, and One Hour Photo should have given him an Oscar nomination. Director Mark Romanek have only directed 3 motion pictures, this was his second one. And i have to say, comparing to his other films, that One Hour Photo is his best work so far. One detail he did so well is to let us inside the mind of a disturbed man, to see how he thinks. Not every director can manage to capture that feeling, i belive the last time i saw that was the remake of Maniac, directed by Franck Khalfoun. Looking back at that time of the early 2000, there were many great motion pictures made, but not many original stories that stood out of the ordinary catalogue. One Hour Photo showed the audience that you can make a great thriller drama, on a limited budget, with talented actors. It actually became a small box office success. If you are planning to collect classic dvd´s of Robin Williams, make sure you buy One Hour Photo also. This is one of his greatest performances, he really gave us a character that you will never forget. The psychological perspective is deep, and fascinating, even how disturbed this man really is. You have to see One Hour Photo, this is a film that no one should miss, because Robin Williams really gave us one of his strongest performances here, and he will never be forgotten.

Rating: DDDD

Transformers: Age Of Extinction

There are 2 kinds of people in this world. Those who hate Michael Bay motion pictures, and think he should not be allowed to make films. And then we have those who love his films, with hot chicks and lots of guns. I am somewhere in the middle, i enjoy some of his earlier films, while others are not so good. As a technical director, Michael Bay can make films look great, the biggest problem is when he tries to make something serious, he just can´t do that and we have seen some examples of that. Ever since Michael Bay decided to bring Transformers back to life, on the big screen, he made sure we get so much action, that not even Carl Jan Granqvist would fall asleep. Since every Transformers sequel so far have made lots of money at the box office, i was not surprised to hear that a 4th one was on the way. As we all know by now, Michael Bay will never leave this genre, so of course he would direct the next chapter. Transformers: Age Of Extinction is the latest sequel we have all ben waiting for, or is that really true ? I went to see the 3D version in the cinema, to get my own opinion of the results. With new lead actor Mark Wahlberg on board, instead of Shia LaBeouf as the previous films. Is Transformers 4 the action masterpiece that fans have dreamed about, or is this another sequel with nothing to offer but special effects ?

A geologist named Darcy Tyril ( Sophia Myles ) discovers something very unique. A dinosaur corpse, covered in metal. It has been 5 years since The Battle Of Chicago, and humans have finally accpepted Autobots, since they help humans in combat operations. The elite CIA unit known as Cemetery Wind, headed by paranoid agent Harold Attinger ( Kelsey Grammer ) and team leader James Savoy ( Titus Welliver ) are hunting down the remaining force of Decepticons. But somehow this team see the Autobots as a threat also, they ambush the Autobot Ratchet and kill him. The primary target was Optimus Prime, but plans changed along the way. Cade Yeager ( Mark Wahlber ), an inventor purchase on old truck to see if he can have any use of it. His young daughter Tessa Yeager ( Nicola Peltz ) thinks her dad did a big mistake. While repairing the truck, it turns into Optimus Prime, who is very injured. Cade decide to help fix all his injuries. The CIA unit Cementery Wind locate Optimus Prime at the farm of Cade. The unit attack their farm, but they manage to get away, thanks to Optimus Prime and Tessa´s secret boyfriend Shane Dyson ( Jack Reynor ). Optimus Prime realise that all the last remaining Autobots are in danger, so he contact the last survivors Bumblebee, Hound, Drift and Crosshais. Cade manage to find information, that Cemetery Wind is working with a corporation called KSI. It seems that KSI are trying to use the brain from dead Transformers and create a new species, made from half robot and half human. If they manage to succeed with these experiments, it would mean a worldwide disaster. Galvatron is now released, helping KSI to destroy the Autobots, but Optimus Prime and the remaining Autobots are ready to a final battle.

Between the past 3 Transformers films, we had some problems, and some positive changes. This time around, we have one big advantage. Mark Wahlberg is in the lead role, and that is a positive change. He may not give the Transformers franchise exactly what it needs, but let´s just say a change was needed. As usual when it comes to Michael Bay, he does what he knows best, throw in so much action sequences, that young boys are supposed to have orgasm in the theatre while watching this. In fact, when you throw in lots of special effects and explosions for 2 hours and 45 minutes, it is easy to get too much of everything. I am not complaining that this is a boring film, since you probably can´t ask for more action, because there is so much here it is almost over the top. But at some point for almost 3 hours, you feel that this could have been 2 hours only, and it would probably had enough action sequences to deliver to fans. I will admit some action sequences looks great, and there are moments where you can have some fun while robots begin their battles. But as fast as it is time to get serious, when Wahlberg talks to his daughter for some drama, it quickly falls apart. You see, Michael Bay should not make drama scenes, he can´t do that in a film like this. Maybe he will be better at this in a different kind of film in the future, but in Transformers we don´t want to see drama moments so cheesy, Andy Dick will most likely get a seizure. Transformers: Age Of Extinction have some fun moments, if you want to see massive action sequences. But as usual this is made way too big, and it becomes too much to handle. I still prefer the first Transformers motion picture, because it had a story, the sequels have become more of a special effects feast instead, just to show how much you can do with CGI. If you love Michael Bay, then you will most likely love this one, i would recommend you go and buy Battle Of The Damned with Dolph Lundgren instead, we get Dolph kicking zombie ass with robots, for a much smaller budget, and i had more fun watching that one than Transformers 4. What´s coming up next Michael Bay, how about you make a reboot of Catwoman ? Oh wait, everyone loved the 2004 film with Halle Berry....at least that is what i heard.

Rating: DD

Maleficent

We all know Angelina Jolie is a beautiful woman, and she have done some great performances in some of her motion pictures. But without a good script, we have seen some examples of bad choices. Of course a lot of actors have followed the same path, but Angelina manage to find a way to make good motion pictures, with the right director. One of her best performances until this day is Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood. Since then, we have seen her in very different genres, with very different quality. But the fact is i like Angelina, when she finds the right character. Let us not forget her really good performance in Girl, Interrupted, actually one of my sistser´s favourite films. Angelina tried to show a different side of herself, being a director and producer of the 2011 motion picture In The Land Of Blood And Honey. A drama film based on the Bosnian War, that failed to find an audience, and did not get positive reactions from movie critics. I have not seen this one so far, so i do not know if she is a talented director. Now Angelina is back with Maleficent, her latest motion picture, coming from Walt Disney Pictures. If you think this is an animated film, you are wrong. This is in fact a fairytale about the character Maleficent , known from the animated classic Sleeping Beauty, made into a new motion picture. Angelina Jolie is back on screen, and the biggest question is, is this her best character choice in many years, or should she have left this to a different project ?

Maleficent ( Angelina Jolie ), is a strong and powerful faerie, who lives in the Moors. She falls in love with a human boy named Stefan ( Sharlto Copley ). But Stefan is more focused on becoming a king. Stefan decide not to meet Maleficent anymore and focus more on his personal plans. At a battle of Moors, Maleficent defeat the king and his army who try and invade Moors. What Maleficent does not know, is that Stefan plans to kill her. But he can´t do it, instead he poison her and cut off her wings, as a proof that he have killed Maleficent. She survives, but her trust for Stefan is now lost, as he is now her enemy. Maleficent finds out from a raven named Diaval, that Stefan have now been crowned king. Since she no longer want anything to do with Stefan, Maleficent declare herself the queen of Moors. Some time later, Maleficent finds out Stefan have become a father to his daughter Aurora. On Aurora´s ( Elle Fanning ) 16th birthday, Maleficent give Aurora a curse, as she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, that will make Aurora fall asleep, and can only be wakened by true love´s kiss. Stefan is terrified this might actually happen, so he orders everyone to destroy every spinning wheel in the kingdom. Stefan order his army to kill Maleficent, but with no luck. Aurora runs away from home, as she is becoming a friend to Maleficent. Even if the queen of Moors have doubts about their friendship, she begin to like Aurora. One day, Aurora meets Prince Phillip ( Brenton Thwaites ), where both of them begin to have feelings for each other. But a relationship is not possible at this moment. Aurora is drawn by the curse, to prick her finger  on a spinning wheel, as she falls asleep. Maleficent want the curse to stop, so she needs Prince Phillip to kiss Aurora to break the spell. But Stefan have not given up, he will kill Maleficent and take control over Aurora.

Since it have been 4 years since we seen Angelina do a lead role, she does a great performance as Maleficent. I would say that i like the way she portrait the lady, who may look all evil, but deep inside she do have a heart of feelings, even if it may not show very often. The story have some dark elements, that looks really good on screen. This is the directorial debut of director Robert Stromberg, who previously worked as a production designer on Tim Burton´s Alice In Wonderland and Oz - The Great And Powerful. You can tell that he knows what he wanted to give the audience, since he worked on other fantasy stories before, to mix classic ingredients with some different flavors. The special effects look really good, and the make up on Angelina Jolie looks really good. But what i enjoy most of all about Maleficent, is the dark tone that is used in many scenes, that suddenly change into comedic situations. Sometimes it is nice to travel to a place where anything can happen, and you might even find some surprises along the way. Since i enjoyed both Alice In Wonderland and Oz - The Great And Powerful, i will not compare these stories since they are all very different. But they all have one thing in common, they are all made as fairytales, since most of them are based on classic books. Maleficent is actually based on the character from the 1959 Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. To see the character of Maleficent in a leading role is a fun idea, and you get to know the character more than in the original animated film Sleeping Beauty. So anything negative that should be said ? Not really, if you look at what this is, then you will most likely be entertained by Angelina Jolies performance, and i would probably say this is a motion picture for the family to enjoy together. Maleficent is an entertaining adventure film, not a classic in any way, but still worth checking out.

Rating :DDD

Bad Words

Most of you probably heard the name Jason Bateman at some point. Not sure ? What if i said he is in a lot of great comedies, like Paul, Horrible Bosses, The Change-Up and many more ? Jason Bateman have done a lot of comedies in his career so far, and since he is a talented comedian, i have a feeling he will continue to deliver different characters on screen. He did a more dramatic role in Up In The Air, with George Clooney in 2009, so he tries to find new ways to develope himself. There is a film called Disconnect, that is said to be good with Jason and Stellan Skarsgård, among others, that is very different from his earlier work. I will have to check this one out. Bad Words is a comedy, directed by Jason Bateman, and he is also the lead actor in here. When i read that this was a comedy, set on Spelling Bee competitions, i found that to be quite original. In fact, how many motion pictures have ever been made with Spelling bee competitions ? I can not think of one title at this moment, so that is interesting. Not knowing much about the rest of the plot, i had to take a look to see if Jason Bateman have managed to deliver, both as the director and the lead character. Is Bad Words the comedy we needed to see, or is this one you should skip ?

A 44 year old man, Guy Trilby ( Jason Bateman ) is competing in Spelling Bee competitions for kids. He finds a loop hole in the Golden Quill Spelling Bee contest, where it says that stipulates that participants must have not graduated from the eighth grade. He never graduated eighth grade, so the rule allow him to be in the competition. At the same hotel he is staying at, a young boy named Chaitanya Chopra ( Rohan Chand ) , who also is in the competition, is very fond of Guy and want to be his friend. Guy see Chaitanya as very annoying, and he is not the father figure. But eventually he let Chaitanya come along, to teach him some rules about the adult world. Jenny Widgeon ( Kathryn Hahn ) is a journalist, who follows Guy in his development within the Spelling Bee competition, as well as sleep with him, even though he is an asshole. Guy is planning to take the Golden Quill Spelling Bee top spot, even though Chaitanya is also in the competition. But during their journey, Guy is not not ready for everything that is about to come.

If you love dark comedy with vulgar language, made in an intelligent way, i can guarantee you will love Bad Words. Jason Bateman delivers both as the director and lead actor, in this crazy story about Spelling Bee competitions for children. Jason give you a character with minimal emotions, who only care about himself. I think this is one reason why Bad Words is such a funny comedy motion picture. He simply don´t give a shit about anything, or anyone, as long as he is always a winner. Since a lot of american comedies released don´t have much to say or give the audience, i have to say Bad Words is a fresh breeze in the genre. The dark comedy that give this story such a nice taste, shows you that adults can be assholes towards kids, when you think they should be mature and be a role model. I don´t think everything is fantastic about Bad Words, but still i would say this is one of the funniest characters that Jason Bateman have done on screen within these years. I love the kid Chaitanya Chopra, played by child actor Rohan Chand. His chemistry with Jason Bateman is really funny, and they match great in some really funny scenes. Bad Words is a comedy that should have been screened in more countries, that never happened. So i hope that people will instead rent or buy the dvd, to support a great comedy that have a lot of important things to say. Bad Words ? I would call them complicated words, at least at the Spelling Bee competitions, but this film is definetely a winner.

Rating: DDD

Labor Day

Most people think of Titanic when they hear the name Kate Winslet. Personally i think more of her performance in Little Children. This was one of the best motion pictures of the year 2006, so if you have not seen this one, rent it straight away. Even if it bombed at the box office, the critics praised Little Children, for fantastic performances. One of the most powerful perfomances was Jackie Earle Haley as Ronnie McGorvey, a pedophile who is released from prison. Kate Winslet continued to make strong motion pictures like The Reader and Revolutionary Road, teaming up with Leonardo Di Caprio again since Titanic. Over the following years, Kate have continued releasing new films, in all categories. One thing is for sure, she is not afraid to try new ways, and that is a good sign. Labor Day, is directed by Jason Reitman, who directed so many great motion pictures in the past, like Thank You For Smoking, Juno and Young Adult. We even have legedary actor Josh Brolin on board, who did a wonderful performance in No Country For Old Men. So with great leading actors and a very talented director, is Labor Day another classic by Jason Reitman, or is he stepping out in too deep water ?

It´s 1987. Adele Wheeler ( Kate Winslet ) is a lonely and depressed single mother, living with her 13 year old son,  Henry Wheeler ( Gattlin Griffith ). One day, while Adele and Henry are out shopping in a local store, Henry bump into Frank Chambers ( Josh Brolin ), who is injured with blood on his t shirt. Frank needs help, so he confront Adele, to give him a lift. Adele is told to drive home, and Frank is going to go inside their house. It turns out that Frank is a wanted fugitive, and need a place to hide. Adele is afraid that Frank will hurt them both, so she does not try and make the situation worse. The days go by, and since Henry never had a father figure, he is beginning a friendship with Frank. But that´s not all. Adele begin to have feelings for Frank, as they become a couple, even though the situation is complicated. Frank accidently killed his pregnant girlfriend, Mandy (Maika Monroe ) during a fight by pushing her against a radiator. Now on the run from justice, he want to start a new life. Things are about to become more complicated when Henry´s friend Eleanor (Brighid Fleming ), manipulate Henry so he thinks that Adele and Frank are going to abandon him. When a policeman suddenly pass by Adele´s house, and see that they seem to be leaving, he becomes suspicious. Frank need to find a way to get out of this mess, but is there a way out ?

Since i am a big fan of Jason Reitman´s previous motion pictures, i am sorry to say that Labor Day is not in the same level as his previous films. With that being said, this is not a bad film though, there are some quality left to find. Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin is without a doubt what keeps the audience to stay. But from a story perspective, there is not much to be happy about. You see, there is an interesting story here deep within the script, but Jason Reitman does not take it to the next level. I don´t know why Reitman choosed to make this film so easy, with not much depth. Luckily there are some scenes that lift the story, when Josh Brolin understand it would be hard to stay in the house, since he is a wanted fugitive. With a wider psychological perspective, Labor Day could have offered more. Now we only get a sense of that side, when we could have digged deeper into the truth. Labor Day is kind of an disappointement, but still not awful. There are a few details i enjoy, but overall i feel that Jason Reitman could have done so much more with this script, since he is such a talented director. If you want to see Labor Day, see it because of the performances of Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin, apart from that, don´t expect to be surprised. My advice, buy Little Children, and you will see how a fantastic drama film should look like.

Rating: DD

In Memory Of Robin Williams

We have lost a great actor, a wonderful comedian and an inspiration for many generations ahead. Robin Williams had so much joy and gave so many people a chance to laugh. I grew up watching his early 80's movies, and still today i love watching them again. In the 90's he continued delivering many great motion pictures , including Good Will Hunting.

Since he is no longer with us, i would like to write a review on one of my personal favourite motion pictures with Robin Williams.

It is called One Hour Photo.

We will miss you Robin, thank you for all these wonderful years with so many great motion pictures.

Cheers from Daniel

Coming up this week, on Daniels Super Sexy Movie Reviews!!!!!

So it is getting closer to the end of summer, and we still have some reviews left before the month is over. And i thought i should share to you what titles are being reviewed this week. And the film reviews this week is........

Labor Day

Bad Words


Next week we got 2 big box office blockbusters coming up, so keep your eyes open.
Thanks for the positive feedback i get for my movie reviews, it is you readers that
make me want to continue writing, you are the best.

Cheers from Daniel

Ride Along

Cop buddy movies, this genre have been around for so long, i can´t remember all the titles. The formula may not be as popular today, as it was when Lethal Weapon became a box office hit in 1987, but there is still an audience for this type of action comedy. In the 80´s and 90´s, the cop comedies came in fast as a bullet, with all kinds of mixed actors. Some of them were good, while others turned out less good. One of the best films in this genre is without a doubt 48 Hours with Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy from 1982. They had a great chemistry, and a good script to follow, that made 48 Hours a classic action comedy. Ice Cube is mostly known for his hip hop career, but he have been in many motion pictures for over 20 years. Kevin Hart is mostly known as a comedian, and have also been in many motion pictures. Both of them are ready to hit the streets, with Ride Along, an action comedy in the same pattern as Rush Hour, but without martial arts. With these 2 comedian actors, is Ride Along a fun ride, or a ride wasted for no reason at all ?

Detective James Playton ( Ice Cube ) is on an undercover operation, where fake passports are about to be smuggled inside of Atlanta. The man who is supposed to be running this smuggle shipment, is known as Omar ( Laurence Fishburne ). Suddenly a shootout takes place, and Detective James tries to sort this out. But his Lieutenant Brooks ( Bruce McGill ) does not like all the problems that James caused during this operation. So Brooks order James to drop the case, and do something else. James can not let this go, he feels that he can get this Omar guy, if he just get the right inside information. Jame´s sister Angela Payton ( Tika Sumpter ) is in love with her video game maniac boyfriend  Ben Barber ( Kevin Hart ), a high school security guard who tries to clean up school from bad influenced people. One day Ben recive a letter, he is accepted to begin his education at Atlanta City Police Academy. Angela is very pleased, and especially Ben, who belive he should be a police officer. James does not like Ben, but he have an idea. He can see if Ben is ready to work as a police officer, as they go on a ride along, on special chosen missions called 126 calls. Ben belive he is the right man for this, as he go along. He finds out that it is harder than what he thought. Ben finds out James set him up, only to do 126 calls, to test him to make a fool of himself. But Ben is not giving up, he will show that he can handle this, at the same time James is getting closer on the case of Omar. Suddenly things become more complicated than James expected.

Ride Along is a mixture of Rush Hour and Lethal Weapon, but there is a big difference. While Rush Hour and Lethal Weapon had some great comedy scenes, Ride Along tries too much to be funny. Kevin Hart and Ice Cube is not awful, but their comedy timing have some big problems, especially when Kevin Hart tries to be the next Eddie Murphy. I would say that Ride Along is a very predictable action comedy, it´s not hard to figure out the plot. The few times i did have some fun, is when Ice Cube get loud, since he is one of the few here who still knows how to make comedy films.  Remember his characters in Friday and Barbershop ? Ice Cube is a talented comedian, but here in Ride Along, he is the only reason i can have some fun moments. Director Tim Story worked with Ice Cube before, in the first Barbershop film. Since it worked so well that time around, it is a shame they could not bring the magic back on a screen. Ride Along is not the worst action comedy i have seen, but without any surprises and so little functional comedy, this falls pretty flat. Ride Along 2 is set for a 2016 release, i hope that they deliver next time, or they might as well leave this franchise alone.

Rating: DD

Wetlands

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Her

Every month i try and take a look around on what new films i should check out. Sometimes, i plan to see some titles, but end up seeing them very late. There are several reasons why this happens, but eventually i try and watch the titles that i feel interested in. Her, a film by director Spike Jonze, have been out for quite a while. I was supposed to see Her in cinemas this spring, but for some reason it never happened. Now when it´s out on dvd and blu ray, i decided to take the chance to see if Her is as original as some people have said. Joaquin Phoenix is an actor who have tried going in many directíons as an actor. Did anyone of you see I´m Still Here ? We should not forget The Master, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The same director of I´m Still Here, is back with his next motion picture Her, working with Joaquin Phoenix again. This time they both give us a very different story than last time, with a drama film, taking on the subject of falling in love with an object, or in this case in a computer personality. Winner of several awards, and nominated in many film festivals worldwide, Her have become a praised motion picture. With such a talented actor and director, is Her a classic, or is the hype way too big ?

Theodore Twombly ( Joaquin Phoenix ) is a very lonely man, working with writing intimate letters online for different people. He tries to go on with life, after his impending divorce with Catherine ( Rooney Mara ), but have a hard time to move on. Feeling very down, and not pleased about his life, Theodore buy an operating system with artificial intelligence. He want the OS to have a female voice, and she ( Scarlett Johansson ) name herself Samantha. As Theodore begin to get to know Samantha, he is surprised how much she is developing, as if she is a personality and learn new ways to become almost like a real woman. Theodore is happier than ever, he tell his best friend Amy ( Amy Adams ) about Samantha, and she is very happy for him. But when his ex wife Catherine find out Theodore is in love with a operating system, she feel that there must be something wrong with him. Theodore try not to listen to other people´s opinion, but as the relationship goes on, is this real love between 2 people or is this something that is not real ?

I have been hearing so much positive reactions on Her, i had to try and leave that behind while watching Her, to see if i would feel a connection. This is not the typical main stream motion picture, for a wider audience. In fact, Her reminds me of the independent formula. And this is the reason why director Spike Jonze manage to put the pieces together. This is not a typical love film, since this is really about that you can fall in love with objects, and not in humans. As an example, i have seen a man who in real life, is in love with his car, and have sex with it. Sounds weird ? Yes indeed, i would never try it, i promise. The thing is that Her does not try to convince you, that it is ok to fall in love with objects. Instead, this is just a way to show that love have no limits. Personally, i would say, if you love your fridge, and have sex with it, is fine with me. Everyone should be able to choose what is ok with you. This is one detail i think Spike Jonze does so well with Her, he simply show us that it is ok to be different, as long as you are happy with your choice. Joaquin Phoenix is an amazing actor, and in Her he really shows his talent, to become such an odd personality. Scarlett Johansson as the computer voice of Samantha does a really good job to make her character feel alive, when she is in fact just a computer voice. The conversations between Theodore and Samatha feel natural, yet very strange when you hear they have sex between each other. But it is interesting to see a different approach on how love can be, in a different way. Even if i love some parts of Her, i feel that this is not the masterpiece some movie critics have claimed it is. Maybe i feel that there are so many scenes of discussions, that are well made, but very drawn out. Still, i feel that Her is an interesting view on emotions, that we don´t get to see very often. Are you tired of romantic motion pictures that feel like every other release from Cameron Diaz ? Then i suggest you check out Her, you might begin to think for a moment, if love have any limits. I am starting to think that there are no limits, as long as it feels natural for your own good.

Rating: DDD

Amazing, thank you so much !!!!!!!!!!!!

I just checked out how many readers my latest review got, and Sharknado 2 have really proved to be very popular. Since yesterday the readers have been so many, that it holds the record so far in most read review, and it has only been out for about 9 hours.

So thank you all so much for showing that you enjoy my movie reviews, it is without a doubt you who make me want to continue writing reviews, i appreciate this.

More reviews are on the way, until then, have a great weekend, and beware tornados with sharks, i have seen one, in Herrljunga, but i managed to survive, thanks to a flame thrower.

Cheers from Daniel

Sharknado 2 - The Second One

Ever since Sharknado became a worldwide sensation hit, you would never think that millions of people love to see sharks flying around in tornados. But the fact is, Sharknado is a cult film, and even until this day people still talk about the SyFy film. I bought my dvd from England, since it was never released here in Sweden. I think one reason why Sharknado became such a sensation, was the combination of flying sharks, and a famous chainsaw scene. The acting was of course not very good, but i enjoyed the odd combination that director Anthony C. Ferrante did a quite funny mix off classic ingredients, in a slightly crazy story. When i Heard there was going to be a sequel, i felt happy about the news. Why ? Because we need films like Sharknado in society. Sometimes you just want to unplug your brain, and have fun with B films, who are made not to be taken seriously. Sharknado 2 - The Second One is also directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, who this time have brought in even more famous celebraties and actors. Since the first Sharknado film became such a sensation, is the sequel even better than last time, or is this the worst sequel ever made in movie history ?

Fin Shepard ( Ian Ziering ) and his wife April Wexler ( Tara Reid ) is on a flight to New York. The flight is going alright, until Fin see sharks in the sky. He realise that the Sharknado might be back. Suddenly a shark hit one of the engines, and the plane is about to crash. The captain is dead, so Fin takes over the cockpit, and manage to land the plane. In New York, Fin warn the citizens of NY that a Sharknado is coming their way. Of course he is not taken seriously. Fin's sister, Ellen Brody ( Kari Wuhrer ) and her family is in New York on sightseeing. Ellen´s husband Martin Brody ( Mark McGrath ) is taking their son, Vaughn Brody ( Dante Palminteri ) to watch a Mets game, while Ellen take their daughter Mora Brody ( Courtney Baxter ) to see the Statue Of Liberty. But when the weather is changing quickly, and sharks are being noticed in Manhattan, Fin realise that they need to find a way to gather everyone in family, and prepare themselves for battle. The tornados are getting worse, with more sharks than ever, so Fin need to find a way to finish them off.

I think i have found the answer how the movie industry are going to sell more dvd´s and blu ray discs, and this is the film to make it on the top spot. Sharknado 2 is better than the first film, on every level. Much more battle scenes with sharks, better special effects ( even if some are still pretty bad it is an improvement ), and so many cameo actors, everyone from Andy Dick, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kelly Osbourne, Judd Hirsch, Robert Hays and many more. This is not a film to take seriously, and that is why i love Sharknado 2. This is all about having a good time, with lots of flying shark scenes, with some really cheesy acting. I have seen a lot of SyFy movies over the years. This company put out B movies all the time, and i have to be honest, Sharknado 2 is the best film they have ever done. To see that 3.9 million people watched the premiere of Sharknado 2 on tv, shows that people love this genre, and i can understand why. Ian Ziering and Tara Reid do the lead roles once again, and they match on screen. You can tell they had fun on set, and who wouldnt have fun when you pretend fighting sharks falling from the sky ? New York feels like a great place to have this sequel, since there are so many buildings to choose between where the sharks will attack. If you thought you have seen it all in B movies, you have clearly not seen Sharknado 2. This is the film that will change Svensk Filmindustri and hopefully they will realise we need to see this quality film on a big screen, all over Sweden, including Oskarshamn. Sharknado 2 - The Second One have everything you need for a perfect weekend, no matter who you watch it with, i can guarantee you will be so happy you will not stop applauding. Another Sharknado is coming, i say hell yes to that, we need chainsaws and sharks in tornados, it is the most important lesson our generation kids should learn in schools.

Rating: DDDD