Jason Statham is one tough son of a bitch. Almost every movie he release includes lots of bullets and lots of violence. He knows what he is good at, action movies, thankfully he has not tried drama so far, he knows his limits. Safe looks no different from his other movies, except alot more asians than usual. Will Safe keep Statham´s fanbase, or have he ran out of ideas?
Luke Wright ( Jason Statham ) was a famous boxer, until he damaged a fighter so bad, he had to quit. While Luke tries to work things out, a chinese girl Mei ( Catherine Chang ) is kidnapped by the Triads, since they say she is a genius in math. The Triads have a plan to follow, and with Mei they feel it might actually work. Luke is living like a homeless, ready to kill himself in the subway, until he meets Mei. She escaped from russian mob, and as well from the Triads. On the run, she finds help from Luke. With the Triads and russians on their trail, Luke knows he can´t hide everywhere until this is over.
This isnt Statham´s best action movie, but it´s entertaining enough. especially if you love hard hitting action. And the Triad scenes, where they only speak chinese for the most part, gives you a different perspective on crimes within family. If there is one problem with Safe, it would be the lack of original ideas. Safe follows a certain pattern, that we have seen so many times before. But, thankfully we dont have to get tired after 90 minutes, since Statham knows what we crave as action lovers. Don´t expect to be surprised, just take Safe for what it is, and im sure you will have a good time.
Rating: DDD
måndag 29 oktober 2012
The Last Coast Tapes
If you asked my dad about aliens and ghosts, he would tell you stories you thought only could be seen in the cinema. Do i belive the same things as him ? No, maybe im not open minded, or maybe i try and live in real life. People seem to belive in many different stories, Loch Ness beast, abductions by aliens....and so on. Bigfoot is one of those stories i read about as a teen, i have seen the so called video proof, that some say is fake and some say it´s real. Remember the 90´s box office hit The Blair Witch Project ? What if you mix Blair Witch with Bigfoot ? Yes, it´s another documentary filmed horror movie, but does The Lost Coast Tapes give anything fresh, or is this just another found footage project doomed too fail ?
Sean Reynolds ( Drew Rausch ) and his friends, have an idea. A new documentary about if they can find evidence that Bigfoot is alive. They head out to a forest area in northern California, to meet Bigfoot hunter Carl Drybeck ( Frank Ashmore ), who agrees to be interviewed. As the interview begins, strange noises can be heard in the night, as the film team tries to find out what is going on.
I love low budget horror, if it´s made effectively and is well written. The Lost Coast Tapes could have been interesting, but the lack of ideas make this a pretty boring experience. The acting is ok for the most part, it´s just the story itself is too easy to become interesting. If you want to make people interested in a legendary story, you need to deliver something the audience can appreciate.
Rating: DD
Sean Reynolds ( Drew Rausch ) and his friends, have an idea. A new documentary about if they can find evidence that Bigfoot is alive. They head out to a forest area in northern California, to meet Bigfoot hunter Carl Drybeck ( Frank Ashmore ), who agrees to be interviewed. As the interview begins, strange noises can be heard in the night, as the film team tries to find out what is going on.
I love low budget horror, if it´s made effectively and is well written. The Lost Coast Tapes could have been interesting, but the lack of ideas make this a pretty boring experience. The acting is ok for the most part, it´s just the story itself is too easy to become interesting. If you want to make people interested in a legendary story, you need to deliver something the audience can appreciate.
Rating: DD
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
Horror movies can easily get stuck in the same pattern. If you think about it, how many sequels look just like the original movie ? Thankfully some directors try to make a different combination of classic characters. Remember Freddy VS Jason ? It may not be fantastic, but a fun mix of old school horror characters, brought together on the big screen, to please both fans of A Nightmare On Elm Street and Friday The 13th. So, when i read about Abraham Lincoln fighting vampires, my first thought was....brilliant. Here we have a fun idea, let´s just hope it works on paper. So the question is, does Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter feel like a real movie, or is this just a big mess?
In the year 1818, a young boy named Abraham Lincoln ( Benjamin Walker ), works at a plantation with his parents. The owner Jack Barts ( Marton Csokas ) is a cruel man, who decide to beat a young african boy William Johnson ( Anthony Mackie ). But Abraham tries to stop Jack from the abuse. Because Abraham choosed to interfere, Jack Barts fires Abrahams dad from his job. That night, as Abraham is lying awake, he watches Jack Barts enter their home, attacking his mother. It turns out he is a vampire. Abraham wants revenge, as he waits for a moment 9 years later, things still don´t go right. He is almost killed by Jack, until Henry Sturges ( Dominic Cooper ) saves his life. Henry himself is a vampire, who also seeks revenge on those who killed his wife, but....a vampire can not kill his own kind, there for he needs Abrahams help. Armed with a special designed axe, Abraham begins to slay vampires , hoping to kill his mothers murderer one day.
First thing that comes to mind while watching Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, is how well the time area is captured in the 1800´s. The axe is a fun combination of classic weapon, but also a shotgun indeed, that gives you a good laugh. Director Timur Bekmambetov made the russian vampire movies Night Watch and Day Watch, that became big hits in Russia for a good reason. They had a fresh perspective on the vampire genre, still with some classic ingredients. When he takes on Abraham Lincoln, a historical president as a vampire hunter, he actually find a good balance between history and the vampire genre. We both get to laugh, and enjoy some really bloody scenes. Sure there are flaws, like some of the cgi effects look a bit sloppy sometimes, but overall i enjoyed this combination. Great to see some still try a different aproach in a genre that´s been stuck in a long time.
Rating: DDD
In the year 1818, a young boy named Abraham Lincoln ( Benjamin Walker ), works at a plantation with his parents. The owner Jack Barts ( Marton Csokas ) is a cruel man, who decide to beat a young african boy William Johnson ( Anthony Mackie ). But Abraham tries to stop Jack from the abuse. Because Abraham choosed to interfere, Jack Barts fires Abrahams dad from his job. That night, as Abraham is lying awake, he watches Jack Barts enter their home, attacking his mother. It turns out he is a vampire. Abraham wants revenge, as he waits for a moment 9 years later, things still don´t go right. He is almost killed by Jack, until Henry Sturges ( Dominic Cooper ) saves his life. Henry himself is a vampire, who also seeks revenge on those who killed his wife, but....a vampire can not kill his own kind, there for he needs Abrahams help. Armed with a special designed axe, Abraham begins to slay vampires , hoping to kill his mothers murderer one day.
First thing that comes to mind while watching Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, is how well the time area is captured in the 1800´s. The axe is a fun combination of classic weapon, but also a shotgun indeed, that gives you a good laugh. Director Timur Bekmambetov made the russian vampire movies Night Watch and Day Watch, that became big hits in Russia for a good reason. They had a fresh perspective on the vampire genre, still with some classic ingredients. When he takes on Abraham Lincoln, a historical president as a vampire hunter, he actually find a good balance between history and the vampire genre. We both get to laugh, and enjoy some really bloody scenes. Sure there are flaws, like some of the cgi effects look a bit sloppy sometimes, but overall i enjoyed this combination. Great to see some still try a different aproach in a genre that´s been stuck in a long time.
Rating: DDD
fredag 26 oktober 2012
The Avengers
I was a comic book reader for quite many years in my youth. It was an escape, to a world where anything could happen. Comic book characters have become very popular, not only in comic books, but in movie adaptions of the characters. So, if you would take a whole gang of superheroes, and throw them all together in one movie, would that work ? The Avengers have so many comic book characters, you would wonder if it´s possible to make them all fit on one movie. Will The Avengers please comic book lovers, or is this too much too handle on the big screen ?
Loki ( Tom Hiddleston ) encounters The Other, to make a deal. In exchange for retrieving the Tesseract, The Other promise to bring him an army to destroy the Earth. Nick Fury ( Samuel L Jackson ) and his lieutenant Agent Marial Hill ( Cobie Smulders ) arrives at the facility where the Tesseract is located. But it´s too late, the Tesseract opens a gate and let Loki out into our world. Loki takes the Tesseract and enslave physicist Dr. Erik Selvig ( Stellan Skarsgård ) and other workers to follow his orders. Nick Fury reactivates the "Avengers Initiative ", and try to locate Captain America ( Chris Evans ), Iron Man ( Robert Downey Jr ), and The Hulk ( Mark Ruffalo ). He request the team to stop the portal from bringing The Other´s army to the Earth . Thor arrives to try and convince his brother to stop this madness, but Loki will not change his mind.
It doesnt really matter if youre not a comic book fan, The Avengers have something for everyone, especially if you love lots of massive action. Some of the fight scenes are so cool, it´s hard not to applaud infront of the tv set. The biggest surprise is how good Robert Downey Jr is this time, since i were disappointed with his performance in Iron Man 2. He is way more fun here, and find a good balance in his character. Mark Ruffalo tries to give David Banner a soft personality, but i actually find him pretty dull, until he transform into The Hulk, then we get something worth waiting for. Most of the comic book characters have some really great scenes together, like when Thor and Iron Man fight in a forest, now that is a heavy scene. As a comic book adaption to the big screen, The Avengers works very well, and looks damn good with all the cgi effects. This is a comic book feast for all ages, there is no doubt you will be entertained.
Rating: DDDD
Loki ( Tom Hiddleston ) encounters The Other, to make a deal. In exchange for retrieving the Tesseract, The Other promise to bring him an army to destroy the Earth. Nick Fury ( Samuel L Jackson ) and his lieutenant Agent Marial Hill ( Cobie Smulders ) arrives at the facility where the Tesseract is located. But it´s too late, the Tesseract opens a gate and let Loki out into our world. Loki takes the Tesseract and enslave physicist Dr. Erik Selvig ( Stellan Skarsgård ) and other workers to follow his orders. Nick Fury reactivates the "Avengers Initiative ", and try to locate Captain America ( Chris Evans ), Iron Man ( Robert Downey Jr ), and The Hulk ( Mark Ruffalo ). He request the team to stop the portal from bringing The Other´s army to the Earth . Thor arrives to try and convince his brother to stop this madness, but Loki will not change his mind.
It doesnt really matter if youre not a comic book fan, The Avengers have something for everyone, especially if you love lots of massive action. Some of the fight scenes are so cool, it´s hard not to applaud infront of the tv set. The biggest surprise is how good Robert Downey Jr is this time, since i were disappointed with his performance in Iron Man 2. He is way more fun here, and find a good balance in his character. Mark Ruffalo tries to give David Banner a soft personality, but i actually find him pretty dull, until he transform into The Hulk, then we get something worth waiting for. Most of the comic book characters have some really great scenes together, like when Thor and Iron Man fight in a forest, now that is a heavy scene. As a comic book adaption to the big screen, The Avengers works very well, and looks damn good with all the cgi effects. This is a comic book feast for all ages, there is no doubt you will be entertained.
Rating: DDDD
fredag 19 oktober 2012
Hypnotisören ( The Hypnotist )
Lasse Hallström is one of the few swedish directors who made a big career in Hollywood, with different results. 25 years ago, before he made his big break through in America, he directed the swedish classic Mitt Liv Som Hund ( My Life As A Dog ), a movie that gave him alot of praise from audience and critics. I were surprised to find out he returned to Sweden to make a swedish thriller, since he mostly done american drama movies over the years. With Hallström back in his home country, is The Hypnosist a nice surprice, or a big let down?
A whole family is found brutally murdered, where one of the victims is found alive, in critical condition. Criminal inspector Joona Linna ( Tobias Zilliacus ) tries to find out what happened that night, by hoping to get information from the surviving victim Josef ( Jonathan Bökman ). But his condition makes it difficult for him to speak, so hospital doctor Daniella ( Helena Af Sandberg ) have an idea, she knows a professional hypnosist Erik Maria Bark ( Mikael Persbrandt ), who helped victims before. Inspector Joona contats hypnosist Erik, as he agrees to help the victim. But when he succeeds to get connected with the victim, everything is not what it seems.
I would not call The Hypnotist anything special, its a thriller drama with a lot of psychological perspective. But what makes this work, is the acting. Lena Olin as the wife of Persbrandt gives a well made performace, and i can´t complain about Persbrandt either, he is way better here than in Hamilton 2. The pussle itself is not anything unique, but all together The Hypnosist delivers a small positive surprise, from a director that have not done anything here in Sweden for so many years. If you love psychological thrillers with more story than special effects, this may be what you are looking for. And that The Hypnotist have been selected as Best Foreign Movie at the Oscars 2013, were not expected. Let´s just hope they win, i can´t remember the last time we sent a good swedish movie to the Annual Academy Awards.
Rating: DDD
A whole family is found brutally murdered, where one of the victims is found alive, in critical condition. Criminal inspector Joona Linna ( Tobias Zilliacus ) tries to find out what happened that night, by hoping to get information from the surviving victim Josef ( Jonathan Bökman ). But his condition makes it difficult for him to speak, so hospital doctor Daniella ( Helena Af Sandberg ) have an idea, she knows a professional hypnosist Erik Maria Bark ( Mikael Persbrandt ), who helped victims before. Inspector Joona contats hypnosist Erik, as he agrees to help the victim. But when he succeeds to get connected with the victim, everything is not what it seems.
I would not call The Hypnotist anything special, its a thriller drama with a lot of psychological perspective. But what makes this work, is the acting. Lena Olin as the wife of Persbrandt gives a well made performace, and i can´t complain about Persbrandt either, he is way better here than in Hamilton 2. The pussle itself is not anything unique, but all together The Hypnosist delivers a small positive surprise, from a director that have not done anything here in Sweden for so many years. If you love psychological thrillers with more story than special effects, this may be what you are looking for. And that The Hypnotist have been selected as Best Foreign Movie at the Oscars 2013, were not expected. Let´s just hope they win, i can´t remember the last time we sent a good swedish movie to the Annual Academy Awards.
Rating: DDD
onsdag 26 september 2012
The Raven
I absolutely love From Hell, where Johnny Depp investigated the murders by Jack The Ripper. This were one of those old fashioned crime thrillers made like a handicraft production, with perfect scenery and the right feeling of the 1800´s dark era. Every year most movie studios release costume dramas for romantic musical dreamers. Not often do we see something like From Hell, with a darker perspective, make it to a big screen. But maybe that is about to change right now. The Raven, based on the writer Edgar Allan Poe, looks like something equal to From Hell, with a different story. Is it posible The Raven is a production worth your attention, or were the expectations too big to make reality?
A mother and a daughter is found brutally murdered in Baltimore. Police begin an investgation, where Detective Emmett Fields ( Luke Evans ) finds clues to the murders have been staged as from stories from writer Edgar Allan Poe ( John Cusack ). Detective Emmett contacts Edger Allan Poe to help them with their investigation, since the killer seem to follow his stories. When critic Rufus Griswold ( John Warnaby ), Edgar´s rival, is found brutally butchered, Edgar realise he needs to think of what the next victim could be, since every victim is connected to his writing. Captain Hamilton´s ( Brendan Gleeson ) annual masquerade ball, ends in chaos, when his daughter Emily Hamilton ( Alice Eve ), is kidnapped by the murderer. While police search for Emily, more bodies are found. But the more Edgar try to understand who is behind all of this, the closer he may be to the answer than he ever could have imagined.
Ok, it´s not as good as From Hell. But still, i enjoy The Raven for trying to bring old fashioned crime thrillers back on track, as John Cusack does one of his best roles for a long time. It´s quite funny that director James McTeigue is behind the camera, who directed Star Wars Episode 2 : The Clone Wars, talk about changing genres. And most suprisingly is that he does a good job to deliver a solid thriller. A lot of dark scenery helps the story build up tentions, very effective. Not so much negative to say, The Raven is a nice surprise and works well on a cold rainy night, perfect for a snack moment.
Rating: DDD
A mother and a daughter is found brutally murdered in Baltimore. Police begin an investgation, where Detective Emmett Fields ( Luke Evans ) finds clues to the murders have been staged as from stories from writer Edgar Allan Poe ( John Cusack ). Detective Emmett contacts Edger Allan Poe to help them with their investigation, since the killer seem to follow his stories. When critic Rufus Griswold ( John Warnaby ), Edgar´s rival, is found brutally butchered, Edgar realise he needs to think of what the next victim could be, since every victim is connected to his writing. Captain Hamilton´s ( Brendan Gleeson ) annual masquerade ball, ends in chaos, when his daughter Emily Hamilton ( Alice Eve ), is kidnapped by the murderer. While police search for Emily, more bodies are found. But the more Edgar try to understand who is behind all of this, the closer he may be to the answer than he ever could have imagined.
Ok, it´s not as good as From Hell. But still, i enjoy The Raven for trying to bring old fashioned crime thrillers back on track, as John Cusack does one of his best roles for a long time. It´s quite funny that director James McTeigue is behind the camera, who directed Star Wars Episode 2 : The Clone Wars, talk about changing genres. And most suprisingly is that he does a good job to deliver a solid thriller. A lot of dark scenery helps the story build up tentions, very effective. Not so much negative to say, The Raven is a nice surprise and works well on a cold rainy night, perfect for a snack moment.
Rating: DDD
Bullhead
Belgium is a country i always wanted to visit. And actually i have plans for next year, since i really enjoyed visiting Holland, Amsterdam was a great city. When it comes to belgian movies, i have only seen a few. I remember enjoying Ben X, a belgian drama about a bully victim, who found a way to escape reality through video games. Bullhead is a critically acclaimed motion picture, who won several awards on different film festivals. With so much positive reactions around this movie, is Bullhead something extrodinary, or is the hype too big?
Jacky Vanmarsenille ( Matthias Schoenaerts ) lives on his dads farm, working as a cattle farmer. His family have been involved for many years in doing illegal business with animal steroids. When Jacky was a young boy, a group of other boys crushed his testicles with a rock. The family behind the boy behind this tries to keep this quiet. Now as an adult, Jacky can´t forget about the past. He use steroids to ease the pain, and sorrow. Police starts to investigate a murder of an federal police man, with connections to the illegal meat market. But that´s not the only problem. Jacky´s mood shifts extremely negative, to the side effext from the steroids. He wants to revenge what happened to him all those years ago, and see no other way out.
I think i might have a new favourite actor on my list. Matthias Schoenaerts is completely brilliant as the steroids junkie Jacky, who see no future, only misery and pain. When he starts to let the anger out, i am completely shocked how well he brings this character to the big screen. Absolutely fantastic. The other side story of the illegal business doesn´t feel as interesting as the story of Jacky, that´s where the real power kicks in. Without Matthias Schoenaerts, Bullhead would not have made such a big impression as it does now. But still, this is a really good dark drama with much to say. Most people have probably heard about how some farmers use steroids on animals, but what if the farmer also use them on himself? Interesting perspective, well acted all the way. Bullhead deserves to be seen, it´s one of those movies that will leave you with many thoughts.
Rating: DDDD
Jacky Vanmarsenille ( Matthias Schoenaerts ) lives on his dads farm, working as a cattle farmer. His family have been involved for many years in doing illegal business with animal steroids. When Jacky was a young boy, a group of other boys crushed his testicles with a rock. The family behind the boy behind this tries to keep this quiet. Now as an adult, Jacky can´t forget about the past. He use steroids to ease the pain, and sorrow. Police starts to investigate a murder of an federal police man, with connections to the illegal meat market. But that´s not the only problem. Jacky´s mood shifts extremely negative, to the side effext from the steroids. He wants to revenge what happened to him all those years ago, and see no other way out.
I think i might have a new favourite actor on my list. Matthias Schoenaerts is completely brilliant as the steroids junkie Jacky, who see no future, only misery and pain. When he starts to let the anger out, i am completely shocked how well he brings this character to the big screen. Absolutely fantastic. The other side story of the illegal business doesn´t feel as interesting as the story of Jacky, that´s where the real power kicks in. Without Matthias Schoenaerts, Bullhead would not have made such a big impression as it does now. But still, this is a really good dark drama with much to say. Most people have probably heard about how some farmers use steroids on animals, but what if the farmer also use them on himself? Interesting perspective, well acted all the way. Bullhead deserves to be seen, it´s one of those movies that will leave you with many thoughts.
Rating: DDDD
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