Left Behind

Pat Robertson, heard of that name before ?

Well, he is a crazy religious guy who think you can get aids by just touching a towel. Seriously ? Yes, check out the clips on Youtube, i guess he must have had too many bible lessons, and have no idea what aids is. Religious people like Pat Robertson make religious people look dumb, so he should not be in his position. But he still is, because there are people who belive you can have aids by touching towels. I might sound mean, but i think i need to be when people actually belive in this. It seems that people are still hiding behind the bible and say homosexuality is wrong, and sick, and still we see preachers have sex with male members or male prostitutes. Makes sense right ? I think like this, if you want to give people hope, and offer them help, kick out all those scam artists who only want to make money on people. Religion is not about money, it is about faith and to belive in something that you can relate to. About a month ago, while checking out new cinema releases, i came across the title of Left Behind. Checked out the information, a christian sci fi thriller drama with Nicolas Cage. Ok, sounds like a big mix of ingredients. Then suddenly i heard the Chris Stuckmann review, and for some reason i felt hope for humanity. The words he said in this review made me feel like my day could not be any better. So i just had to take a look at Left Behind, to see if i would be just as positive as everyone else. Is Left Behind the best film of the year, or should i start reading the bible instead ?

Chloe Steele ( Cassi Thomson ) have just flown in from college to surprise her father Rayford Steele ( Nicolas Cage ), who works as an pilot. Chloe´s mother Irene Steele ( Lea Thompson ) calls her to inform her father have to work. Chloe decide to stay at the airport to wait for her father anyway. He notice her as they have a short time together, before he is flying to London. Irene is a christian, and Chloe does not agree on her thoughts and her lifestyle. As she head off to the mall with her brother Rayime Steele ( Major Dobson ), suddenly her brother dissapear, and all that is left is his clothes. More people vanish at the mall, including on Rayford´s flight to London. No one knows where they are or how the could dissapear. What is going on, where is everyone who vanished ?

I will try and look outside the religious messages in this film, and say what i feel about Left Behind. Have you ever felt like you had a moment in life where you dont know if you should cry, laugh, or just rip your hair off in frustration ? This is exactly what i wanted to do, all of this, while watching Left Behind. Kids, i have something very important to say, so gather around. This is the worst movie of 2014, i am serious. I don´t know where to start, the special effects are awful, the acting is awful, the dialogue is awful, the religious messages are pointless, so what do we have left ?

Well, we have Nicolas Cage screaming on a plane......

Wohooo, so this means i enjoyed myself ? No fucking way. This is one of the worst films i have seen since......After Earth. But we have Nicolas Cage on a plane ? Yes, but i don´t care, he does not save this film in any way at all. I wonder why he even accepted this, is it because he have to pay some tax problems again ? I suggest he should find a better agent, because i know he can deliver, just check out Joe and see him act in high quality. The message of having faith may seem cute to some people, well trust me, this falls flat to the ground. If you are going to make a film about having faith in your religion, you need to find a good balance. Left Behind have no balance, all we are left with is a awful film that is so bad, someone should order cinemas world wide to ban this from showing on a big screen. You might think i am just saying all of this because i have opinions about religious groups. No, this have nothing to do why i hate this film. The fact is Left Behind is a movie that makes me feel ill, and that does not happen very often. There is no plot, there is no point, there is nothing here. Director Vic Armstrong is known for his stunt work on the Indiana Jones films, including Superman with Christopher Reeve. He also directed a great action film with Dolph Lundgren in 1993 called Joshua Tree. Left Behind is his second film to direct, and i hope he never directs again, unless a miracle happen. Religious people, a suggestion, continue to read your bible instead. There must be more to learn from those pages, than watching Left Behind for 2 minutes. Nicolas Cage, why ? Have we not suffered enough ? I guess not. 2 sequels are planned, now i know what my life biggest mission is, to stop them from being made.

Rating: D

Important information about december.

Hi all you wonderful readers!

I will be on vacation for 3 weeks in december, so i will try and post reviews up until 5th december, then i am off for some sun, drinks, topless bar.......sorry, i meant bingo evenings.

I still have more reviews to write and post before this year is coming towards the end. And i will try to make sure that i mix as many genres as possible, makes it more fun to write reviews also. This month have been filled with reviews so far, and i will try and make november filled with different titles. Thank you so much for the positive feedback, from all of you worldwide. Keep your eyes open, more sexy reviews are coming guaranteed.

Cheers from Daniel

Sex Tape

Ever since i watched Cameron Diaz in There´s Something About Mary, you could tell she had an eye for comedy. She did deliver some good characters in some of her motion pictures, and then she also surprised us with her performance in The Box. A film that did not feel like anything she have done before, original and well made by director Richard Kelly. A thriller with an intelligent plot, and good acting, especially from Frank Langella. One thing is for sure, Cameron Diaz can be good if she choose the right character. Unfortunately she can also choose way too many romantic comedies, just like Jennifer Aniston. I suppose they both choose this mostly because the audience want them to be in this genre. Jason Segel is mostly known for his character Marshall in the tv comedy hit show How I Met Your Mother. He continue to do comedy, even if the show have ended, in his own feature films. Maybe you have seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall, or perhaps The Five-Year Engagement ? Both of them worked together in 2011 in the comedy Bad Teacher, that actually did very well at the box office. This is also the second time they work with director Jake Kasdan, who is known for directing Orange County with Jack Black. As they are back now with Another film, with the 2 same actors and the same director as Bad Teacher, is this even a better combination this time around, or is the magic lost along the way ?

Jay ( Jason Segel ) and Annie ( Cameron Diaz ) are a loving couple, who have sex all the time, anywhere they can. One day, Annie finds out she is pregnant, and both Jay and Annie realise their sex life might change. Annie ends up having 2 kids, and their sex life is no more active. Until Annie come up with the idea, that they should make a sex tape. They try every position they can from the list of The Joy Of Sex. When Annie asks Jay to delete the tape, he accidently  inadvertently synchronizing the video to several iPads, that they have given away as gifts. They manage to collect the iPads and delete the video, but the neighbour´s son threatens to upload the sex tape on YouPorn unless they pay him 25,000 dollars. They fail to collect the money, and realise the only way to stop the video is to break into the headquarters of YouPorn and destroy their servers.

You might think that if you combine Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel in the lead roles, should be a great combination for a comedy. To be honest, i don´t understand why they choosed to do Sex Tape. Both of these actors can be funny, if they have the right characters. In Sex Tape they seem to go on autopilot, and don´t feel interested in their characters at all. There are many scenes where i am so bored, and can´t laugh, that i would rather just turn this off and see Steven Seagal wawing his hands like he is on steroids. Now that is much more fun, in a bad way. I realise that teenagers may find this funny, just because this is a comedy about sex and relationships. If you want to laugh in a comedy in this genre, watch the first American Pie instead, guaranteed to be more fun. Cameron Diaz is pretty much as she always is, smiling, laughing, and doing her same character as she have done in many years. Jason Segel is a talented actor and comedian, but here he does not deliver, he simply feels placed here to fill in for all the mistakes. Director Jake Kasdan have worked with both Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz on the comedy Bad Teacher from 2011. They actually worked much better together in that film, in Sex Tape the chemistry is not here. This is a comedy that makes me feel so bored, i am wondering why i am watching at all. If director Jake Kasdan thought we would laugh just because we get to see these 2 actors have sex, he have missed the point completely. As a comedy this does not deliver much at all, and that is a really bad sign. Avoid Sex Tape, this is the perfect example why you should not mix sex with comedy unless you know what you are doing. I can recommend many adult films if you wanna see sex, how about Rocco Invades Poland ? Lots of action with Rocco Siffredi, and polish girls, what more could you ask for ? Maybe some older women from Finland with younger men from Gambia ? Sounds like a great weekend infront of the computer screen. I better go down and buy some hand lotion, it is time to do some real man work.

Rating: D

Two Night Stand

Who have not experienced a one night stand in their youth, or maybe 54 at Viking Line Cruise Ships ? I have, but i cant say they were that great. Sure, sex was fun, but nothing that mattered. I suppose it depends on the situation, and in my case, i had no idea i was going to sleep with those girls, it just happened. One night stands in a classic ingredient for many teenagers, and i am all for it, as long as both agree to have fun. Besides, i think there is nothing wrong to enjoy life. One night stands is a classic subject in many motion pictures, everything from college comedies, to romantic comedies, it can happen in different situations. One of the films i remember mostly about one night stands is Alfie, the 2004 remake with Jude Law. A player who love ladies, and loves to have sex with different women. Jude Law fit perfect in this character, but the film did not do well at the box office, i suppose people were not interested in the remake of the classic Michael Caine film from 1966. To be honest, i am not a big fan of romantic comedies, mostly because some of them can be awful, while a few are actually ok. It all depends on the plot, the actors and if there is a good storyline. One of my personal favourites in this genre is The Wedding Singer, where Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore showed what a great chemistry they had together on the big screen. As i try and review different genre films, i try and take a look at romantic comedies, just to mix up the usual genres i mostly look into. Two Night Stand is a new romantic comedy by first time debut director Max Nichols.. He have only been an actor in one film, called Ragtime from 1981. He was only 8 years old then, so it has taken a long time for him to return to the big screen. Lead actor Analeigh Tipton is definetely more known in Hollywood, in big motion pictures like The Green Hornet, Crazy Stuped Love , and recently in Lucy. Miles Teller is maybe most known as an actor from films like Divergent, Rabbit Hole and That Awkward Moment. Both of them have teamed up in this romantic comedy, with a title that suggest they might have some fun. Is this a romantic comedy that delivers anything surprising in the genre, or is this another one that you should avoid at all cost ?

Megan ( Analeigh Tipton ) is unemployed and single. She have not had sex for a long time, and is not sure if she ever will have again. So she joins a dating site. She begin to talk to a guy named Alec ( Miles Teller ), who decide to have a one night stand with Alec. She suggest she will come over to his Place one night, while chatting online. She gets his adress, and wakes up the next morning in his bed. Alec seems really tired, so she decide to leave, but start the security alarm by his door. Alec try and make her stay from breakfast, but Megan want to go home and Think he is a jerk, because he sees her as usual one night stand. As Megan tries to go outside, a snow storm have blocked the gate door. She is stuck inside, so there is only one thing to do. She have to stay one more night with Alec, until someone fixed the snow outside. As they both spend another day together, they will have to accept the situation, no matter how much they argue. Somehow maybe they will realise that everything is not awful.

To make it more complicated, i did not watch the trailer, or any clips from Two Night Stand before i watched the whole movie. Just to see if i would react positive or negative. Even if Two Night Stand is nothing original, or even fresh, it does have some positive moments of good acting. Miles Teller and Analeigh Tipton have a good chemistry together, as they argue after having sex, and are stuck in his appartment because of a snow storm. One of the reasons why i found myself enjoying this film, is that everything is not cute, and they don´t try to be cheesy. They talk very straight, about themselves, and Miles make her pissed off because they both think very different about things. I like the fact that director Max Nichols does not try and make this another lame romantic comedy, that makes you want to kill yourself. He actually finds a good way to make the plot more clever than most films in this genre. There are problems here, no doubt about that, but for this genre i enjoy what i see. Analeigh Tipton feel natural and have good comedy timing, in most of her scenes. I am surprised to say this, Two Night Stand is actually an entertaining film in this genre, especially because this is not cheesy as most of these films are. The ending could have been different, if i have to complain about something. Overall this is worth watching with your partner, lover, or even with your one night stand ( as long as it´s not your cousin Jörgen, i suggest you avoid that ). Two Night Stand should find an audience, unless Jennifer Aniston release another one of her marriage comedies, how many are they now ? I lost count, a long time ago.......

Rating: DDD

Starred Up

In november last year, i went to Ireland for the first time. Only to Dublin, but still i found myself enjoying the city. Such friendly people, and the whiskey tasted even better, maybe because i had more than i usually do. I remember on a double decker bus, we went on to hear the history of Dublin, that there was a hospital for mental patients who had some of the worst kinds of humans. Murderers, pedophiles, rapists and many more. This hospital closed many years ago, so this was just a historical building now. Still, i felt interested in knowing more about a place like this. It is hard to imagine what people who worked there must have gone through, with so many insane people locked up. I like to watch channels like Tv4 Fakta, Discovery Channel, and find prison documentaries interesting. You get a glimpse on how evil some people are, who murdered their own family members, maybe molested someone, or abused their partner. Prisons all over the world are really full of criminals, and there are not enough rooms to fill all the new coming criminals. You would think that they should decide to build more prisons, but i would understand that it is a money issue, it costs to build. In motion pictures we have seen plenty of prison films, maybe you remember Clint Eastwood in Escape From Alcatraz, or perhaps the masterpiece The Shawshank Redemption ? Starred Up is an irish/scotish drama film, about prison life and the convicts. Director David McKenzie have never done a film in this genre before, so i were curious to see if he could pull this off, after some good films from his past. Lead actor Jack O´Connell did a really fantastic performance in the British horror thriller Eden Lake in 2008. If you have not seen that one, rent it. This is a really good chiller. Starred Up have been praised at film festivals around Europe, and even won some awards. Is this a new classic in the prison motion picture genre, or a prison drama that don´t leave much to hope for ?

Eric Love ( Jack O´Connell arrives to serve his time in prison. He begins to adjust into his new life and try and stay focused. After a violent incident, Eric is taken to the therapist Oliver (Rupert Friend), who will try and help him with his temper. But Oliver realise this will take some time, since Eric is not in control with anything.  Older prisoner Neville Love ( Ben Mendelsohn ) is Eric´s father, who were never around when Eric grew up. Here in prison, he tries to look after his son, but also make sure he behaves himself. Each day that goes by, Eric seem to have issues with other prisoners, where some of these moments go out of control. Oliver begin to take Eric into group sessions, in hope to make him more focused to become a better person. The question is, will this help at all or is Eric all out of hope ?

Before i watched Starred Up at the swedish cinema premiere week, i heard swedish film critic Ronny Svensson talk about the film on his review segment on Tv4. I understood he really liked this film, for such a powerful message about men in prison. After watching Starred Up i realise how brutal life must be behind bars in different prisons. If you don´t learn how to survive, you could be killed pretty easy, and no one would care. Starred Up is a brutal prison drama, with very powerful performances of british quality actors. Lead actor Jack O´Connell is absolutely briliant as the young cocky Eric Love, a man with anger issues and have no respect for other people. When he begins his temper, you can feel the anger, and this shows what a talented actor Jack O´Connell is. Another actor who does a really good performance is Ben Mendelsohn as Eric´s father. Once he get his temper out, you can see why his son is as angry as he is. Director David MacKenzie have directed many different motion pictures in the past, one of my personal favourite films he directed is Young Adam, with Evan McGregor. I would like to point out that even if MacKenzie have made some good films over the years, none of them are as good as Starred Up. This is an honest look behind prison life, where you never know what is going to happen. There is plenty of violence and bad language, but that is a part of prison life, so it is necessary to be in this enviroment. Since David McKenzie have worked in prison many years ago, before he became a film director, it is easy to understand he must have known how the system works behind bars. And he manage to capture that image well, with such a brutal portrait. Starred Up is the best prison drama for many years, not as good as The Shawshank Redemption, but still i recommend you have to see this one. This is a drama film that will affect you, and let you decide if the prison system is working as it should be. Starred Up delivers, and hit you hard in your face.

Rating: DDDD

 

Holy Ghost People

I love watching movies on VOD. I prefer blu ray of course, but it is nice just to rent a film sometimes and watch at home, having some snacks, and a nice whiskey. Some titles on VOD are interesting to check out, simply because i have never heard of the films before. Some are bad, some are actually alright, in all kinds of genres. Nowdays there are even some titles released on VOD before they come to a cinema screen, so you dont have to go and watch it downtown, you can just rent it at home instead. I prefer watching at a cinema screen, but i still think VOD is a great idea. Holy Ghost People is an example of a film i simply discovered on VOD, i had no idea what it was all about, only that it was under the thriller horror genre. A crazy religious cult out in the countryside ? Sounds like my kind of sunday bible school. Director Mitchell Altieri is known for his work in horror films, maybe you have seen The Thompsons, or The Violent Kind ? Smaller budget horror films, still i would say they did have some quality.  Holy Ghost People is a motion picture that take on a religious cult issue, that we read about in newspapers, or hear on news channels. Maybe not as extreme as FLDS, but still there are plenty of cults out there doing strange things in their chapels. If you have not seen the documentary Jonestown - The Life And Death Of Peoples Temple, i suggest you watch it online. You will understand how far some religious people will go, if they really belive in a hoax preacher. Since i am interested in the subject of religious cults, to understand how people can belive in churches who preach evil, i was curious to see what Holy Ghost People would offer. Is this a fresh take on religious cults in a positive way, or have we seen it all before and don´t need to waste our time ?

Charlotte ( Emma Greenwell ) is worried about her sister Liz ( Buffy Charlet ), since she is missing. Charlotte have a feeling she might be located at the Pentecostal church, located in a very small community out in the forest. To make sure she can go there, without having problems to enter the church as her real identity, she asks Wayne ( Brendan McCarthy ), an Ex-Marine who drinks almost every day, to help her out and go with her. She pays him 200 dollars, and Wayne agree, but just for the money. As they arrive at the church, Charlotte confront the preacher Brother Billy ( Joe Egender ) that she would like to become a member. He invites her to stay for the night, and asks who the man is who is with her. She lies and say it is her father. Wayne is not happy about this, but decide to stay just to help Charlotte find out the truth. Some of the church members are not sure who these 2 new visitors are, and seem very suspicious. Charlotte still continue to try and find information where Liz might be, or if she is still alive. The deeper she digs, the deeper she gets herself into a dangerous situation.

Holy Ghost People is an independent thriller horror film that reminds me of Kevin Smith´s film Red State. The biggest difference is that in Red State, those church members killed every sinner brutally, in many different ways. The church members in Holy Ghost People uses other ways to torture people, especially with their brainwashing preacher. In a small community like this, you can understand why people are drawn to a church like this. They know nothing else in the outside world, so they see ordinary people as strange, and fake. They belive that the preacher is the only one who have all the answers. Holy Ghost People don´t try to make you hate religious people, this story just show that wrong people should not run a church. Director Mitchell Altieri manage to capture the feeling of poverty communities, where church is what matters most. You can feel how bad the situation is, and there are not many jobs left, so they need some safety in their lives, by going to church. I would say that this is his best film so far as a director, both as a story teller, but also for making a interesting view on religion. The preacher played by Joe Egender, who also starred in Mitchel Altieri´s film The Violent Kind, does a great performance as the disturbed preacher. This might also be the best character i have ever seen him do in a film so far. I did enjoy his performance in the tv series Alcatraz, but i still feel he fits even better here. Emma Greenwell is also good as Charlotte, who is searching for her sister, she feels very natural in her character. Holy Ghost People is a motion picture that truly shows how the situation is in ordinary day life, in smaller communities. There will always be religious cults out there, using people for their own advantage, and hiding behind the bible as an excuse. Holy Ghost People is worth your time, you might even be disturbed by how easy it is for cults to recruit new members. I am looking forward to the next film from director Mitchell Altieri, he does not seem to be interested in making big budget films, and tries to find interesting stories. Holy Ghost People is without a doubt his best work so far as an director, and i have a feeling he might give us something special in the future.

Rating: DDD

The Possession of Michael King

For those who know me personally, i am not a very religious person. I belive in myself, and i feel that fits me perfect. For people who belive in Jesus, Allah, or any other god out there in different religions, i don´t mind what you belive in. I think like this. If you belive in something, and it makes you happy, go for it.

Wait, i do belive in someone, who i see as my God, and that is actually Dolph Lundgren.

Am i insane ? Probably, but who cares ? I belive in something, just like everyone else, the only difference is that my God kicks a lot of ass, and loves guns, so this is the perfect choice for me. Religious cults is a subject i am curious about, just because so many of these cults look absolutely crazy, having rituals and use strange symbols, that they probably did not buy at Blomsterlandet. Maybe you heard stories about voodoo waking up dead people back to life ? This sounds crazy, but some people say it did happen. There are many different kinds of religious cults, who use many different kind of rituals. So what if someone decided to do a documentary about different religions and how to connect to the other side ? The Possession Of Michael King is a new documentary horror film, who takes on the subject of religious cults. There have been horror films in the past that have taken religious paths before, but from what i understand, here we get to see several different religions in different situations. As a horror lover, is this another great possession film for us who loves The Exorcist, or is this a cheap straight to dvd release that you should try and bother ?

Michael King ( Shane Johnson ) is a happy family man with his wife Samantha King ( Cara Pifko ) and his daughter Ellie ( Ella Anderson ). One day tragedy struck, and Samantha dies. Michael find out that his wife visited a psychic. He goes to confront her about what she told Samantha, but she will not answer. To deal with the pain, and to try and move on, Michael decide to make a documentary. He will try and test different religious cults, to see if he can understand why people are drawn to this, and if he could get answers to some of the things he is curious about. As the rituals begin, Michael feels that he is changing inside, almost as if he is possessed- For each day Michael is changing, and he don´t know who or what is doing this. As the documentary keep on going, the situation is about to become even worse unless Michael can find a way tó remove the demon inside of him.

I like the idea of a man trying to learn different religious rituals, and in some scenes it does get a bit creepy, especially thanks to the sound effects. This is one of the reasons why i enjoyed myself watching The Possession Of Michael King, the sounds coming from Michael and his demon inside, makes you feel the possession. Some scenes look good on special effects, considering the budget is limited, especially when Michael gets attacked in different situations. I would not call this a found footage horror film, since its not made in that way. Instead, this is almost like watching a documentary, still made in a different way. As we follow how Michael is changing, we get some disturbed events on the way, and from a horror perspective this actually works. Lead actor Shane Johnson manage to do both sides of the characters, an ordinary dad, and the possessed who hear voices all the time. I would say that he is the biggest reason why The Possession Of Michael King is scary, since he tries to portrait a father who is going insane. Director David Young avoid to use lots of blood, flesh wounds, and try to make the situation feel creepy, with the very well made sound effects. If you want to make sure someone is scared, good sound effects is a very important detail. There may not be much original to find here, but the final result is a horror film that feels quite scary. The Possession Of Michael King delivers without trying to follow the same path, as many horror films do. Instead we get some unexpected surprises along the way, and that is another reason why i enjoyed myself. One thing is for sure, i am not going to try any religions out, no matter what it is all about. I would not be surprised if Jehovas Witnesses will knock on the door soon, thank god i just put out a mine underneath the carpet....wait, what if the mailman get here first ? Ooops.

Rating: DDD

The Prince

By the title you might think this is another Disney movie, because as we all know many teenagers love cheesy romance comedies. Luckily this is not in that genre, instead The Prince is actually an action thriller from director Brian A Miller. Never heard of this guy ? Well, maybe there is a reason. Most of his films are direct to dvd releases in the action genre, and i can´t say i have seen many of his releases, except for Officer Down with Stephen Dorff and James Woods. It was ok, but not a great action film because of way too simple plot. I still wonder what James Woods did in this film, an actor who can be really good, choosed a film like this one that no one will remember. Either way, Brian A Miller continue directing action films, he seems to love the genre that were popular in the 80´s, revenge action motion pictures. If you look at most releases today, there are just a handful of films that follow this pattern, especially straight to dvd releases. The Prince on the other hand, did have a theatre run, although a very limited one. And you can tell that Brian A Miller have moved on to a bigger budget, with stars like Bruce Willis, John Cusack and Jason Patric on board. Always nice to see Bruce Willis still keeping it up in the action genre, even if he is getting older. With a director who loves the action genre, and with a great cast, is The Prince an action thriller that will guaranteed please the audience, or is this a desperate try to make some money on legendary actors ?

Paul ( Jason Patric ) is a retired assassin, who settled down and works as a car mechanic. He is very proud of his daughter Beth ( Gia Mantegna ), since she is studying at a University. One day as he tries to contact her online, a man shows up. Paul have no idea who this man is, and the man does not answer his questions. Paul continue to try and reach his daughter, with no luck. After hours with no phone calls coming back, Paul have a feeling something have happened. Especially when he recive a letter saying that Beth is no longer in University. He decide to travel down to see her, but find her missing in her student home. Paul manage to meet Beth´s friend Angela (  Jessica Lowndes ) at a bar, and she might know where she is. Paul offer to pay Angela 500 dollars if she helps him locate his daughter. She agree to go along with him. Paul finds out his old rival Omar ( Bruce Willis ) might be the one who kidnapped his daughter. For security reasons, Paul contact his old friend Sam ( John Cusack ) to help him finish this mission. Paul knows Omar is doing this for revenge of an old mission where Paul killed Omar´s wife, and he won´t stop until Paul is dead.

From an action perspective, The Prince is nothing fresh, or original. We have seen motion pictures in many similar forms as this one. If you are expecting some surprise on the plot, then you might as well drop that hope. The Prince is as predictable as a Stiftelsen album, the same pattern keeps coming back on every album release. One difference is that The Prince is at least not boring, while Stiftelsen makes you fall asleep after 5 minutes. Lets take a look at the positive side. Jason Patric in the lead role is not all awful, remember his performance in Speed 2 ? As he goes across the country to find his daughter, you do get a few good scenes where he kicks ass. In some ways, it is fun to see both Bruce Willis and John Cusack show up, it gives this story some more entertainment value. Now to the bad side. The story does not feel very interesting. Even if you are supposed to feel bad for the father, it´s hard to feel sympathy when there is not much emotions going on. Even if this might be the best film i have seen by director Brian A Miller so far, there are still many problems he need to fix. An action film has to feel effective and intensive, The Prince only touch on the surface of those details. Even if i enjoy seeing Bruce Willis as a bad guy, he does not give his character any strong personality. A strong evil character can make a movie better, if he delivers a powerful performance. Here we see a tired Bruce Willis, who does not seem interested in doing much at all. A car chase scene is pretty silly for a moment, when the bad guys shoot at Paul driving, and all they hit is a window, even how many bullets should have hit more parts of the car. Someday maybe director Brian A Miller will surprise us, and make a motion picture that actually is well made, and have great acting. The Prince is not an awful action film, but this is not good either. Jason Patric saves this action film from falling apart.

Rating: DD

God´s Pocket

Early this year, i was shocked by the news, Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead, possibly by a drug overdose. Such a talented actor died too young , he had such a powerful screen presence that felt honest, and realistic. There are so many motion pictures where he did so many great performances, but who can forget Capote, or perhaps The Savages ? Plenty of more titles to choose between, this man was a very unique actor. As he passed away, i did found out he have finished some new films, so we would get to see him again on screen, in different genres. God´s Pocket is one of the final films that Hoffman managed to finish before tragedy struck. This is actually a debut feature film for director John Slattery, who some of you might have seen in the Tv series Mad Men. As an actor he have been in some big motion pictures like Traffic, Flags Of Our Fathers and Iron Man 2. Now he makes his first directorial debut with God´s Pocket, a drama film that did not get much screenings, but became noticed at film festivals. I heard Philip Seymour Hoffman in a interview, while promoting God´s Pocket, and it seemed like he enjoyed being a part of this film ( as he is also one of the producers ). Considering my respect for Philips earlier work, is this motion picture at the same level as his classic films, or is God´s Pocket a film that should have been left alone on a shelf ?

Mickey Scarpato ( Philip Seymour Hoffman ), is a family man, who tries to deal with his personal problems. His step son Leon Scarpato ( Caleb Landry Jones ), have a job, but his co workers don´t like him, because he is so cocky. Until one day, when one of the workers have had enough of Leon´s big mouth, and hit him in the head with an iron pipe. Leon is dead, as his mother Jeannie Scarpato ( Christina Hendricks ) is informed. She is devastated, and want answers what really happened at Leon´s work. They have been told it was an accident, that he only hit his head, but Jeannie demand Mickey to find out the real truth. Mickey´s friend and business partner Arthur 'Bird' Capezio ( John Turturro ) have a debt, that he owns Mickey. But he promise to pay him back, when he can.  Arthur knows something happened to Leon, so he decide to help Mickey find out the truth. Newspaper column writer Richard Shelburn ( Richard Jenkins ) is contacted to write about the killing of the boy Leon. His boss thinks there is another side of the truth, of what really happened. Richard go down to interview Jeannie about her son, to try and write a story on this tragedy. Mickey´s gambling problem are becoming bigger, as he continue drinking. He spends some of the funeral money, gambling on horse races. As the truth comes out over Leon´s death, the situation is out of control.

Knowing that this was one of the last films Philip Seymour Hoffman finished, i can say that i had no idea what God´s Pocket would be like. I tried to read as little as possible about the film, did not even see the trailer, just to prepare myself in a curious way. If you love Hoffman on screen, don´t worry, he still delivers in God´s Pocket. This is actually an interesting story, about family, taking your own consequences, and making choices in life. A mixture of influences from working class stories, how to survive in the big city. Director John Slattery seems to be interested in ordinary day people, who don´t have lots of money, but try and survive any way they can. One of the strongest performances is without a doubt John Turturro, who is a legendary actor with the right material. If you have not seen Barton Fink, rent it, and see how great he is as an author. Here he tries to give his portrait of criminal Arthur 'Bird' Capezio a personal look, as he head out on business trips. I also enjoy the performance of young Caleb Landry Jones, as a very unsecure man, who thinks he is on top of the world. You might remember him from The Last Exorcism, as Nell´s little brother. I have a feeling this man can become something special in the future, since he is such a great actor for his young age. Philip Seymour Hoffman´s character Mickey Scarpato is a man with no future plans, he lives by the day. This character fits Hoffman´s acting abilities, since he is really good at doing realistic characters. God´s Pocket is a drama film, that brings up human crisis, depression, and life situations, where anything can happen when tragedy strikes. For a first time feauture film, i feel that director John Slattery delivers a powerful film, with a lot to say. There are flaws, still i like the stories put together. Life is hard, sometimes you just do what you have to do, no matter what the results are.

Rating: DDD

The Two Faces Of January

As a screenwriter, you have a lot of work behind you. There are many details that need to be fixed before the screenwriting is completed. As a director to low budget films, i have both directed, written the script, and worked on home projects as a screen writer ( in a much smaller scale ). Screen writer Hossein Amini, have worked on films such as Driver, Snow White And The Huntsman and 47 Ronin ( talk about a mix of genres ). As i found out that he was going to direct his first feature film, an old fashioned thriller, i was curious to see if his work as a director fits his personality. The Two Faces Of January is a new thriller, that did not get a release date worldwide. Why ? I suppose there is a reason, but i found it while the uk release was set for September 15. The cast have some interesting names, Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Dunst and Oscar Isaac ( who could be seen in The Cohen Brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis ). To be honest i have never been a big fan of Kristen Dunst. Not that she is a terrible actor, i just don´t connect with her screen presence. Viggo Mortensen is an actor with very different choices between characters , who can forget him in Eastern Promises ? With a combination of very different actors, and a first time director working behind the camera, is this thriller a big surprise, or not a very good first time experience ?`

In 1962, we find ourselves in Athens, Greece. Con artist Chester MacFarland ( Viggo Mortensen ) and his wife Colette MacFarland ( Kristen Dunst ) are enjoying their vacation together. They meet a young tourist guide, Rydal ( Oscar Isaac ), who scam tourists. Rydal is impressed with Chester´s wealthy Lifestyle, and find his wife Colette very attractive. Chetser invite Rydal for a dinner, and he can bring his date. After a nice evening, Chester and Colette return to their hotel room. Suddenly someone is knocking their door. A detective have located Chester, and remind him that he knows he is a con artist, and need to pay his debt. Chester refuse to do so, as the detective pull a gun out. A fight begins, and the detective is accidently killed. Chester tries to hide the body somewhere outside their hotel room, but Rydal see what Chester is doing. Rýdal came to the hotel to return a bracelet that Colette left in their taxi. Rydal want an explanation, and find out Chester is a criminal. He decide to help Chester and Colette, to arrange new passports, but it will cost a lot of money. All 3 of them leave Athens and travel to smaller villages, as the news is out that a dead man is found murdered in Athens. Rydal tries to help them to hide, even if it means they need to continue traveling. On the run, Chester is suspicious that his wife Colette is having an affair, and become jelaous. Tensions begin to grow, and police have now information who the suspects are. Somehow they need to travel away from Greece.

In these days it is not very often we get to see old fashioned thrillers set in the 60´s. And there is a reason why The Two Faces Of January is unique, this is set in the 60´s in Greece, a location you don´t get to see very often from that time perspective. If you think of classic films of Brian De Palma, a touch of Alfred Hitchcock, and perhaps some influences of Roman Polanski, you have quite a mix here for this motion picture. One of the biggest surprises for me personally, is that Kristen Dunst does a good performance. To be honest, i can´t think of many films she have been in, where she have been this good, so well done Kristin. Viggo Mortensen have a screen presence, and he fits really well as the con artist, who tries to leave the past behind. Oscar Isaac does quite well also, as the greek tourist guide. For a first feature film, director Hossein Amini have made a thriller that feels cozy, in the sense that it feels old fashioned in a good way. There is not much violence, no bloody scenes, instead he use old tricks that the classic thrillers used back in the 60´s. Anything negative ? I suppose the film can be slow in some scenes, and have a bit of emotional moments, that really did not feel necessary. The Two Faces Of January is a thriller that will most likely be enjoyed by people who loved thrillers from the 50´s and the 60´s. I would have wanted some more suspensful scenes, some intensive moments, and this might have been even better. Still, i enjoy this film for trying to go back in an era that does not get shown very often nowdays. Viggo Mortensen is without a doubt the biggest reason why you should watch The Two Faces Of January, is there anything this actor can´t do as different characters ? I already feel like putting on a suit, order some champagne and listen to greek live music, would anyone like to join me ?

Rating: DDD

There is a change coming, and you may be surprised what it is......

Hello movie lovers!

Thank you so much for reading my reviews, this year so far have been incredible, more readers than ever, so i am very grateful. Now, for the latest information.

I will continue to write movie reviews in my movie review blog, and i will also try something different in 2015. What would you say about Daniels Super Sexy Movie Reviews on Youtube ?

Yep, i am thinking about making video reviews, just for fun, and hopefully manage to pull this off, i have never done this before, so i will start planning and thinking about how i will make this work.

I am not sure at this point when this will start, but if everything goes as planned, maybe in february 2015. I know, a long time from now, but better to have time so i can practise making review videos. I see this as a fun idea, and we will see if i will do this for a long time, i will try it. If the response is good, and if you want me to continue, i will, because the readers are the most important people for my movie review blog.

I will leave more information by the end of this year, when i have an idea how i want to make the videos. Thanks everyone worldwide for the support, and hopefully i hope you like this idea.

Cheers from Daniel

Let´s Be Cops

The Wayans Family have a history in comedy motion pictures, going back many years from now. Maybe one of the most famous family members is Damon Wayans, who have been in motion pictures ever since his first film Beverly Hills Cop in 1984. For those of you who know the type of films Damon have been in ever since the 80´s, he continued bringing out comedies of all kinds. One of the most memorable characters i enjoy from Damon Wayans, is his character in The Last Boy Scout, being a sidekick to Bruce Willis, in a classic action film i hope most people have seen. Damon Wayans son, Damon Wayans, Jr, first showed up in a motion picture in 1994, when his father released Blankman, a spin off about a different kind of superhero. I might have laughed when i was 15 years old at the time, today the film is not something i could enjoy on the same level. Damon Wayans, Jr have only been an actor in a few films recent years. Anyone seen him in Dance Flick or perhaps The Other Guys ? Let´s Be Cops is his biggest role so far in a motion picture, together with Jake Johnson ( who was in an independent film favourite called Safety Not Guaranteed ). With 2 very different actors, in an action comedy, is this a combination that works surprisingly well, or should this have been cancelled before a screenplay was written ?

Ryan O'Malley ( Jake Johnson ) and Justin Miller ( Damons Wayans, Jr ) are best friends, who have been through everything together. Justin is a video game designer, who never get a chance to have his ideas become reality. Ryan is a former quarterback, who is sick of his situation, and want more in life. They both remember a pact they made, that if they have not become succesfull in Los Angeles, before they turn 30, they would move back to their small hometown in Ohio. An upcoming college reunion party for both Ryan and Justin is getting closer. Ryan have an idea, since they don´t want to look like losers, why not dress upp like police officers ? Justin think this is a bad idea, but eventually agree just for the college reunion party. The party fails, Ryan and Justin leave dissapointed. Since they are still wearing police officer outfits, girls especially seem to be interested in them. Ryan suggest they should continue to be fake police officers, because they can use the situation to have fun. Justin go along, and for a moment they are both having a great time. Until they run into trouble with Albanian mobsters. Since they are not real trained police officers, they have no idea how to deal with situations like this one. The problems become even bigger, when they confront the mobsters leader Mossi Kasic ( James D´arcy ). What started as a fun idea, is now becoming a dangerous situation.

Not that long ago i reviewed another cop action comedy named Ride Along. Thankfully i can say that Let´s Be Cops is a better film in this genre, simply because the comedy timing is better, and the chemistry between Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans, Jr shows they had fun together. One detail i like is the fact that they pretend to be police officers, who have no idea what could happen in different situations. If you don´t like vulgar humour, you are not going to like this. In the right mood, i love vulgar humour, especially if the comedy scenes deliver a lot of laughter. Let´s Be Cops knows what it wants to be, a comedy for all of us who never want to grow up, and hate prude people. Director Luke Greenfield, directed a film i really hated in 2011, called Something Borrowed. So now when i see him do something completely different, and manage to do it much better than last time, i am pleased to say i can forgive him for that mistake. One of the most hysterical scenes is when the guys take a call, where young women is in need of help. Obviously they go there because they might get laid, but all hell breaks loose. There are many moments where i found myself laughing, and not because you felt forced to laugh as some american comedies do. Simply because Let´s Be Cops is a funny comedy, and sometimes we need to laugh, even if you had a bad day, it is important to enjoy yourself. Overall i would recommend you watch this one, if you want to watch a comedy, just be prepared for bad language, sexual moments and crazy situations. Let´s just say Helena Bergström might cry if she watch this one, just because she cries all the time, don´t ask me why, this is still a mystery no one might understand. I wonder what it would be like pretending to be a cop here in Sundsvsall ? I better start buying equipment, make a fake police car, and get a shotgun. If someone cheats on Bingolotto night, be sure i will empty the shotgun, for no reason at all.....just to get the party started.

Rating: DDD

Drive Hard

How many of you remember the 1997 motion picture called Grosse Pointe Blank ? A really fun combination of a highschool reunion and a hitman, who is forced to go to his high school reunion where everyone want to see what happened ever since they all grew up. Joh Cusack did a really great performance, and he have continued delivering many great motion Pictures, in many different genres. One of my personal favourite films with John Cusack is the horror film 1408. Directed by Swedish director Mikael Håfström, Cusack did a really good performance as the author Mike Enslin, who writes books on paranormal activities, ghost encounters, but he is really trying to tell people this is all fake. Until he visits the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. It is said that no one stays in the room 1408, but Mike belive this is also fake so decide to book the room. 1408 had a very terrifying feeling while you see what is going on, and not predictable as you might think it would be. Another film worth mentioning is The Frozen Ground, where Cusack also did a great performance as serial killer Robert Hanson, who killed young girls in Alaska. One of the few films where Nicolas Cage also show his good acting skills. Lately it seems that John Cusack make smaller films, and not bigger budget productions. Most of his latest films are released straight to dvd, but thankfully not all of them are bad. Drive Hard is one example of his latest releases, that i found on dvd. With Thomas Jane on board, that seems to be an action comedy, is this combonation a perfect fit for these 2 actors, or is this a project they should have left in a garbage can, with the latest Sean Banan album ? 

Peter Roberts ( Thomas Jane ) used to be a professional racer driver, who had a great future. For different reasons, he had to leave, and is now working as a driving instructor. One day at the driving school, Peter is ready to meet the new student. His name is Simon Keller ( John Cusack ) and says he need to improve his driving skills, since he have not driven a car for many years. The first lesson begins, but Peter can tell something is wrong. He finds out that Simon have chosen Peter, to help him in a $9 million heist. Peter needs to help Simon to be his getaway driver, something that Peter does not want to do. Once the chase is on, Peter have to find a way to get out of this mess.

I respect John Cusack as an actor, for he can be really good, with the right character and with the right script. Sadly this choice is not going to affect anything, since he choosed to be a part of Drive Hard. An action comedy that tries to look both cool, and funny, and i simply feel like hitting my tv screen with a baseball bat. Drive Hard is really bad, and for several reasons. The characters feel very boring, the script must have been written no longer than 10 minutes, and the acting is awful. This is like a mix of old action comedies from the 90´s, who were bad back then. Now it is 2014, and we know there are good action comedies to choose between, but this is a failure all the way. Director Brian Trenchard-Smith have been a director since the 70´s, but i have never been a big fan of his films. Have anyone seen his films Leprechaun 3 and 4 ? Holy mother of Christ, what was he thinking ? Drive Hard may not be his worst film, but he still proves why he is not a good director, and it does not matter if this is filmed in Australia at some beautiful locations. If Drive Hard was meant to please the audience who love John Cusack, i can tell you right now they will leave, guaranteed. I know many actors who made some bad choices, even John Travolta have proven that several times. Let´s just hope Cusack leaves this behind, and focus on good scripts. Drive Hard is a pile of shit, if anyone tells you that they liked this film, you have my permission to beat them up. I can think of many things i would rather do than watch films like this, does anyone have the latest magazine of Playboy around ? I might as well train the right arm, seems like a lot more fun after watching Drive Hard.

Rating: D

ABCs Of Death 2

Magnet Studio keep releasing a lot of horror quality films, and they have especially proven that with the V/H/S/ series. If you have not seen V/H/S/2, there must be seriously something wrong with you. This is a film that needs to be seen, because this is quality horror, and not the teenage shit so many people seem to enjoy in the cinemas. Since there are many releases from Magnet Studio that should be seen by a larger audience, i feel that people need to talk more about the quality of films like The Sacrament, such a great horror release that should have been in cinemas all over Sweden. I am very excited about V/H/S/: Viral that is coming out in october on VOD, i know i will be busy at that moment. The ABCs Of Death came out in 2012, with a different approach on horror, having 26 directors on board directing a short film, for every letter in the alphabet. I found this idea to be very fascinating, and a new way to keep the horror genre alive. With directors from all kind of genres, doing their vision of 26 ways to tell a story, i felt that this was a good transformation to a feature film. So here we are with the next chapter of ABCs Of Death, with 26 new directors, and with the same premise as before, the alphabet letters used again in 26 new ways. With such a unique premise the first time, does it work even better this time around, or is this sequel doomed to fail from the beginning ?

The alphabet have 26 letters, and for each letter there are 26 ways to either kill someone, or how to be killed. Come on board a journey, where we discover 26 different short films, where there are no limits, and no rules. The only way out is to find out how many victims we can have in every letter, in the alphabet.

I enjoyed the first chapter of ABCs Of Death, because it was very different from the usual horror releases. The idea of  directors making 26 different ways to die showed that each director had to find a way, to kill someone in a word for each letter of the alphabet. So here we are back again, with a sequel. But the best news is, this sequel is actually better than the first film. Really ? Yes, for different reasons, but most of all we get more gore, better short films, and some wonderful moments that all family members will love. No matter what kind of horror style you love, you get so much here that there is no way you will leave dissapointed. The trick with doing great horror in a short film, is to make it really detailed, to show off as much as possible, since there is a limited time to give us some treats. For almost 2 hours we get so much blood, flesh wounds, disturbed minds, that this could be the closest thing you could get for a perfect christmas eve. There are many great short films that should be worth to mention, so i picked some of my personal favourites.

C is for Capital Punishment

14 year old Lucy Wilson is missing, and the locals belive that they have the murderer. As they prepare to execute him, Lucy is found alive, but is it too late to save him, or is a innocent man about to be executed ?

G is for Grandad

A grandfather and his grandson are having a drink. But they don´t really get along well, so granddad goes to bed. As the grandson is going to bed, it will be a night he will never forget.

J is for Jesus

A man is taking pictures of 2 homosexual men kissing. He take the pictures to his client, a father who see his son is gay. The son is abducted by 2 religious people, who belive they can clean him with the power of Jesus from his homosexuality. While they begin their ritual, something else is there to stop the ritual.

There is not just horror here, there are some really funny comedy scenes included, in some of the disturbing short films. And this is also one reason why i love the concept of ABCs Of Death 2, it is almost like the influences are from the 80´s classics, that combined horror with comedy. With talented directors such as Alejandro Brugués ( director of the very funny Juan Of The Dead ), Steven Kostanski ( director of B film classics like Fathers Day, Manborg ), Aharon Keshales ( director of the very praised motion picture Big Bad Wolves ) and many more very talented directors, we are served with really good horror entertainment. ABCs Of Death 2 is a tribute, both to classic horror films, and comedy horror, made for us who loves lots of gore and blood. I had a really great time sitting almost 2 hours, and found myself many treats, and hopefully you will also. Not every short film is really good, but overall this sequel delivers even more than the first time. Check it out on VOD, and your night will be blessed, or could this be your worst nightmare ?

Rating: DDDD

The Signal

If someone would ask me, what do i prefer between box office blockbusters, or independent films, the choice is very easy. Independent films ( for the most part ) have much more interesting stories to tell, no matter how low budget the films are made of. Really talented directors don´t need a lot of money to make good motion pictures. What you need is a good story and great acting, with these 2 details combined, you can defeat most of the box office hits. Fot those of you who saw Nebraska earlier this year, that was a perfect example of how you make really good film making, on a very limited budget. One of my personal favourite independent films of all time is Buffalo´66, with a briliant Vincent Gallo in the lead role, and as the director of the film. This is a masterpiece, if you have not seen it, buy it, everyone should own a dvd of Buffalo´66. The Signal is a new independent sci fi thriller film, that got positive reactions at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. I did not notice it until i stumbled across some reviews of The Signal, that got me curious to see what this is. Director William Eubank used to work as a cinematographer on different films, until he directed his debut feature film Love, released in 2011. A sci-fi drama, with music from alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves. I have not seen his first motion picture, so i can´t give any opinion. The Signal seem to stay in the sci fi genre, as his previous film Love. One surprise is that we have Laurence Fishburne in the cast, and Olivia Cook, who we could see earlier this year in the british horror film The Quiet Ones. Is this sci fi independent film that should be seen by a wider audience, or is this a film that most people will forget ?

MIT students Nic Eastman ( Brenton Thwaites ), Jonah Breck ( Beau Knapp ) and Haley Peterson ( Olivia Cook ) are on a road trip together, on their way to California. Jonah discover in a hotel, that a hacker called NOMAD, have located them. Earlier both Nic and Jonah were almost expelled for breaking into MIT servers. They decide to track down NOMAD, since this is on the way to California and confront the person. As they arrive in a desert area, something strange is happening. Nic wakes up in a secret base, where he is locked inside as if he was contagious. He is confronted by Dr. Wallace Damon ( Laurence Fishburne ), who try and explain what have happened, and why he is here. Dr. Wallace show Nic a picture, of what he might have encountered, an alien life form. Nic is shocked, and insist that he needs to see his friends Jonah and Haley. No one will really explain why he is hold locked up, but Nic decide he needs to try and escape, he have done nothing wrong. Once he discovers what might have happened the night he encounted the alien life form, everything is about to change.

The Signal is not like anything i have seen lately. And that is a good sign, because we need original stories these days when Hollywood studios are desperate to have a hit at the box office. We have seen plenty of alien encounter motion pictures in the past, but The Signal tries to avoid the usual chliché, and find a different path. Some elements have been used before, like in a scene where we get to see what is belived to be an alien life form. Somehow director Willam Eubank still manage to keep the story fascinating, using some really easy details. If you are hoping for explosions, big guns, and space ships, you are not going to be pleased with The Signal. To be honest, i feel that this is just what we needed in the sci fi genre, a very intelligent story with some classic ingredients, combined clever enough not to be revealing. Lead actor Brenton Thwaites ( who can be seen in both Oculus and Maleficent ), may have done his best performance in a motion picture so far, and he is only 25 years old. I am looking forward to see if he choose some more interesting film projects in the future. Laurence Fishburne does a performance that we are used to see, but he is still good in the moments that we see him on screen. Director William Eubank show us why he is one of the better sci fi directors in these days, he have a passion for this genre, and you can tell that by the way he structure the plot. The Signal never got a cinema release around Europe, and i feel that was a mistake. This should have been seen by a larger audience, because we don´t get many intelligent sci fi films in these days. Support great film making, buy The Signal, this is much better than i actually expected.

Rating: DDDD

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

As a teenager, i used to go home to my friends Björn and André, who loved martial arts. I remember Björn had lots of Jean-Claude Van Damme films on VHS, and he especially loved Kickboxer. These guys used to practise to learn the special kicks of Van Damme in their parents garage, and they never seemed to realise that making special kicks in reality, is more dangerous in real life, than in a film ( were they use professionals ). When Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came out as a feautre film, i remember we all watched it and thought these ninja turtles were really cool. I had action figues, sticker albums, cartoons, you name it and i probably had it all. There were 2 sequels, and they also gave us a lot of great time, since we all loved martial art films. Looking back, i realise that those films from that era, could not be the same as today. The 90´s had a lot of martial arts influenced b action movies that made the 90´s so much fun. The difference with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, between other martial art films, was that this was a bigger production, and with bigger names involved than usual. After the third film was released in 1993, the genre did not manage to find an audience again, and another sequel were never made. Times were changing at the box office, and i think that people did not feel the need for another Ninja Turtles film. It would take 14 years before we get to see Ninja Turtles back on screen, but not in an ordinary action film, instead in an animated feature film named TMNT. As an animated film, it did what it was set out to do, bring back Ninja Turtles kicking ass again. So here we are in 2014, and we finally have a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film in our hands, by director Jonathan Liebesman. Is this a worthy reboot to the original films from the 90´s, or is this a reboot we could have been left without ?

April O´Neal ( Megan Fox ) is a news reporter for Channel 6 news in New York. She is doing research on the criminal network, known as the Footclan, who operate in almost all the major criminal activities. In the harbour, as April tries to get proof of the Footclan´s criminal activities, she becomes a witness of someone striking back at the Footclan. Who are these vigilantes ? April follow the vigilantes to a roof top, where she take a picture of them. She is confronted by 4 huge mutated turtles, named Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo. Her picture is destroyed, and she is told not to tell anyone she have met them. April find out they are known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. April goes home, and start digging in documents, that her deceased father did experiments on turtles, with  some type of mutagen. The experiment turned these turtles into fully grown turtles who were capable to talk, and move, like no other turtles before. April realise that her father is the reason to why they exist. April try and convince her boss Bernadette Thompson ( Whoopi Goldberg ) that these ninja turtles really exist, but Bernadette decide to fire April, for making a fool of herself, and of the news team. April is determined to reveal the truth. Ninja turtles tell their master Splinter that they have been spotted, so Splinter order them to take April down to their lair, so he can warn her about what problems she is causing. Meanwhile the Footclan have big plans to spread a deadly virus through New York, with the help of their master Shredder ( Tohoru Masamune ) and April´s father´s lab partner Eric Sacks ( William Fitchner ). Ninja Turtles realise they need to do something, or else New York will no longer exist.

There is a point in comparing this new version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the 90´s films. And there are 2 reasons why:

# Back in those days, Ninja Turtles were guys behind costumes, the turtles today are all CGI. I know there are actors that made the motion of the turtles, but most of those motions are still CGI.

# The fighting sequences were more cool in the 90´s, the fighting scenes in the new turtles film is also CGI.

I love CGI, if you use it in the right way, and there are many motion pictures where they found a great balance to use special effects. And this is where the problem is for the most part of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. There is so much CGI that it never seems to stop, and somehow the turtles look pretty awful compared to the 90´s costumes. Another problem is that Michael Bay is involved in this reboot. In the past he have made some good work, especially on The Rock, one of the best action films of the 90´s. But nowdays he simply goes over the top. This is of course not his fault only, since he is not the director here, instead this film is directed by Jonathan Liebesman.  For those who don´t know of his previous work as an director, let´s mention The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning , Battle Los Angeles, and Wrath Of The Titans. A very mixed catalogue of films, and i will say i think he did a better job with Wrath Of The Titans, compared to Clash Of The Titans. When it comes to his vision of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, there are some details he did manage to capture. The scenery of New York looks good, and some action sequences can be entertaining. But apart from this, there is not much positive to say. As a kid i loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on film, and the 90´s version is still entertaining to see today, even if they are a bit cheesy. Jonathan Liebesman probably loves this genre, but in my opinion he could have done much better as the director, because there are many problems here. By the way, how is Megan Fox as April O´Neal ? Not as awful as some people said in media, let´s just say she do this character ok, but that´s about it. Kids will love this one, maybe some of the older fans, i still feel dissapointed. A sequel is coming in 2016, i really hope they improve many details, because this was not the worthy reboot we asked for.

Rating: DD