Space have so many unanswered questions. Are we alone ? Is there alien life form out there ? What planets does exist out there that we have not discovered ? As technology approve, and scientists look for proof of new discoveries, i am sure we will find out something spectacular in the future. I personally don´t believe we are alone in space. There must be some kind of life form out there, that we have not discovered yet. At least the mormons have their own planet called Kolob. I have tried to locate it, i might find it with the help of my own home built laser rocket ( built by orange boxes and fuel tanks, looks fantastic ). I am curious about new discoveries, because we can learn new things, and perhaps find answers to different question about space. Aliens have always been a very big topic around the world. People claim they have been abducted by aliens, some are even pregnant by aliens, or they have gone on board their spaceship, to their home planet. Most of these stories sounds very fake, and i suppose they want to make some extra money. Speaking of aliens, i think most of us have seen films, based on alien life forms. One of the biggest science fiction classics of all time, is of course Riddley Scott´s classic film Alien. The 1979 sci fi horror film, is still today seen as one of the best science fiction cult films, where aliens got a brand new look. There is no doubt this film, left a very big impact. It looks really good, and Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, has to be one of the best female action heroes of all time. Sigourney kicked even more ass, in one of the best sci fi horror sequels ever made, Aliens by director James Cameron. You have to get the extended blu ray film, it is so damn good. There are of course plenty of films where aliens are a big part of the story. One of my personal favourite films, that many people might not have seen, is a film called Fire In The Sky. Released in 1993, it became a kind of a cult film, based on a true event, about a man who goes missing from a forest, and is found naked in a telephone booth, many days after he is lost. As the evidence come forward, it seems that he was abducted by aliens. A really good film, thanks to a great cast. Hard to find in stores, but you can buy the dvd on certain online stores. Arrival last year was a really good sci fi film, and i have not seen many sci fi films in this genre that looked interesting. Until i heard last year, that director Daniel Espinosa was going to make a new sci fi horror film called Life. When the trailer finally was released, i was actually looking forward to see if this would be as good as it seemed. With a really good cast, and what looked like a really well made film, i had to make a cinema visit. Is this the best film from Daniel Espinosa in many years, or is he back at the low level since Child 44 ?
The six-member International Space Station crew, capture a probe returning from Mars. This probe have a soil sample that might contain evidence of extraterrestrial life. Exobiologist Hugh Derry ( Ariyon Bakare ) revives a dormant cell from the sample, and it quickly grows into a multi-celled organism, who is named " Calvin ". Hugh tries an experiment, using electric shocks on " Calvin " to see how it will react. The result ends very bad, and " Calvin " attacks Hugh, crushing his hand. The team, Dr. David Jordan ( Jake Gyllenhaal ), Dr. Miranda North ( Rebecca Ferguson ), Rory Adams ( Ryan Reynolds ), Sho Murakami ( Hiroyki Sanada ) and Ekaterina Golovkina ( Olga Dihovichnaya ), all have to try and survive against " Calvin ". No one knows how to handle this situation, but unless something is done, no one will survive on board the space ship.
I have to start and say that Life actually looks great. Remember how Gravity with Sandra Bullock looked like ? Life is not as well made as that film, but you are reminded of the CGI effects, and you enjoy the company of the space team. Some of the scenes where we follow the team, floating around the space ship, feels natural. And this is an important detail, it needs to look realistic to become more interesting. But of course we get to see the alien life form eventually, and the realistic image goes away. But that´s ok, because we do have some positive details to find in Life. I enjoy the acting for the most part, especially from Jake Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Ferguson. Ryan Reynolds is not bad, he does have his sense of humour, but i have seen him much stronger performances in the past. My major problem with this film, is the fact that it copies so much from a lot of sci fi films, especially Alien. Now, that does not have to be all bad. Because this is a good looking film, and the alien effects looks pretty good. But if this film had another unexpected twist, then we might have had a stronger film. With that said, director Daniel Espinosa ( who made the great films Easy Money and Safe House ), have definitely stepped it up, delivering a better quality film since Child 44. I still don´t understand why he made that film, and for that i am happy he decided to go for a much more solid project. You can clearly see that director Daniel Espinosa love classic sci fi films. His long shots of the space ship, and the crew floating around looks really good, and the scenes in space also looks gorgeous. If he could have surprised us with something about the alien life form, i think Life could have been really interesting. What we are left with is a very simple story, that you can pretty much figure out as the film goes on. In a way, i am a little disappointed, but as a sci fi horror film i feel that Life still deliver, thanks to the cast. Their characters do combine with their sense of humour. Most of you must know by now that Alien: Covenant is coming out in May. I think that could be the best sci fi horror film this year ( unless we get an unexpected surprise ). Life is not close to that level, but still a nice try to make a sci fi horror film that reminds us of classics. I think you might enjoy this film, is you enjoyed Alien. But don´t expect anything original, if you are ok with that, give Life a chance in the cinema. Considering how bad Child 44 was, i think Daniel Espinosa have improved himself with this film. And that is something should be thankful for.
Rating: DDD
torsdag 20 april 2017
fredag 14 april 2017
Pet
Many humans love to have pets. No matter if you love fishes, dogs, cats, lizards, snakes, hamsters, rabbits, you can choose from a very big selection. When i was a kid, i had a hamster who i named Akira. He was not afraid of many things, not even my sister´s rabbit Mimmi. He would walk around outside my mothers house, and eat snails. For some reason, he loved chewing on those....things. I also had a turtle, and fishes. But, eventually as i went into my teenage years, i was too busy watching video violence on VHS, and listening to music cds, so i did not get any more pets. I don´t have any pets now either in my adult life, maybe because i don´t have much time over for having a dog, or a cat. Who knows, maybe i will get one someday, just to comfort myself over the fact that Fifty Shades Of Grey actually exist ( i did not think that would be possible ). Speaking about pets, how many of you watched those pet comedies back in the 90´s, such as Beethoven, or Dr .Doolitle with Eddie Murphy ? Yes, the 90´s released a ton of family comedies, that were made to please kids, and addicted smiling mothers. But we also had some other pet films, that i think were more interesting. Especially the 1988 film Monkey Shines, by director George A.Romero. About a man who is paralyzed, and needs help in his home, so he gets his very own monkey to assist him. The film flopped, but had an interesting view on how humans and animals can connect, in good ways, but also in bad ways. Monkey Shines clearly showed that you can´t always trust every animal, they have animal instincts inside of them. I suggest you see this film, if you have not seen it. Shout! Factory released a nice blu ray release of the film, with some nice special features. Other classic animal films is of course the film Cujo, based on the novel by author Stephen King. A horror film from 1983 that might not be as effective as it was back in the 80´s, but is still considered to be a classic. Have you ever heard about how some people, have weird obsessions, that have something to do with animals ? Some like to be dressed as dogs, or be trained as a dog, while some even go as far as having sexual fantasies about animals. But then we also have those who have fantasies, having women as their slave, locked up in a cage, like an animal. This is something the film Pet takes on, telling the story of a man with his mental illness. I got a chance to see this film from the dvd release from Njutafilms. Is this a really good independent film, or is this a release that no one should remember ?
Seth ( Dominic Monaghan ) is a very shy man, with no friends at all. He works at the local Animal Control, where he takes care of dogs. When he is not working, he have become addicted to a girl named Holly ( Ksenia Solo ) who works as an waitress. One night he decides to kidnap her, and lock her in a special made cage, inside the Animal Control facility. He finally have the girl of his dreams, where he wants her to be. But is Holly the innocent girl, or does she have a secret within her, that only Seth knows about ?
Going into Pet, without knowing almost nothing at all about the film, is a very good way to see if the film with an open mind. And i will say this, considering i have seen a lot of films over the years, where women are being hold hostages, Pet have a different approach than most of these films. Just imagine how disturbing it would be, to find out a man see women as pets? We have seen some really disturbed men in cinemas for many years, and i would say that this character called Seth, ( played by actor Dominic Monaghan ), is one example of how mentally insane people can be. This is a psycological thriller, who basically tries to give us an image, of how Seth thinks, and react in ordinary day life. And it becomes very clear, that he have big problems thinking realistic. Instead, he digs into his own darkness, and thinks he have everything in control. Since this is a very low budget film, you can´t expect to have everything perfect. And there are some issues with this film, especially the acting. Some of the characters are not something you care about, so eventually you feel more interesting in Seth, and his disturbed mind. Lead actor Dominic Monaghan, ( probably most known for his role as Meriadoc in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy ), give a performance that is interesting. I would not say he does a really good performance, but he is definitely the highlight of this film. The story is very simple, and that´s ok, as long as you make sure it fits with the characters. One thing i do enjoy about Pet, is how simple it is, but still manage to keep the viewer fascinated. Us normal people, could never understand the mind of the mentally insane, so a view into their thoughts, and ideas, give us an image of how they function. Director Carles Torrens have directed several films in the past, and one of the films most people recognize by his work, could be the spanish horror film Apartment 143. Pet have some horror influences, but is more on a psychological level. There is nothing really original about the film, but it works, thanks to the lead character Seth. I like the twist that comes almost an hour later into the film, makes you think for a moment if you really know what is going on. I enjoy this film, for what it is trying to do. Pet may not find a large audience, this is a small independent film for fans of smaller productions. If you enjoy films in this format, i suggest you rent the film, and give it a try. Pet does have something to say, and you might not enjoy the message.
Rating: DDD
Here is the link to the dvd release from Njutafilms, in case you are curious to see the film,
http://www.njutafilms.com/pet/
Seth ( Dominic Monaghan ) is a very shy man, with no friends at all. He works at the local Animal Control, where he takes care of dogs. When he is not working, he have become addicted to a girl named Holly ( Ksenia Solo ) who works as an waitress. One night he decides to kidnap her, and lock her in a special made cage, inside the Animal Control facility. He finally have the girl of his dreams, where he wants her to be. But is Holly the innocent girl, or does she have a secret within her, that only Seth knows about ?
Going into Pet, without knowing almost nothing at all about the film, is a very good way to see if the film with an open mind. And i will say this, considering i have seen a lot of films over the years, where women are being hold hostages, Pet have a different approach than most of these films. Just imagine how disturbing it would be, to find out a man see women as pets? We have seen some really disturbed men in cinemas for many years, and i would say that this character called Seth, ( played by actor Dominic Monaghan ), is one example of how mentally insane people can be. This is a psycological thriller, who basically tries to give us an image, of how Seth thinks, and react in ordinary day life. And it becomes very clear, that he have big problems thinking realistic. Instead, he digs into his own darkness, and thinks he have everything in control. Since this is a very low budget film, you can´t expect to have everything perfect. And there are some issues with this film, especially the acting. Some of the characters are not something you care about, so eventually you feel more interesting in Seth, and his disturbed mind. Lead actor Dominic Monaghan, ( probably most known for his role as Meriadoc in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy ), give a performance that is interesting. I would not say he does a really good performance, but he is definitely the highlight of this film. The story is very simple, and that´s ok, as long as you make sure it fits with the characters. One thing i do enjoy about Pet, is how simple it is, but still manage to keep the viewer fascinated. Us normal people, could never understand the mind of the mentally insane, so a view into their thoughts, and ideas, give us an image of how they function. Director Carles Torrens have directed several films in the past, and one of the films most people recognize by his work, could be the spanish horror film Apartment 143. Pet have some horror influences, but is more on a psychological level. There is nothing really original about the film, but it works, thanks to the lead character Seth. I like the twist that comes almost an hour later into the film, makes you think for a moment if you really know what is going on. I enjoy this film, for what it is trying to do. Pet may not find a large audience, this is a small independent film for fans of smaller productions. If you enjoy films in this format, i suggest you rent the film, and give it a try. Pet does have something to say, and you might not enjoy the message.
Rating: DDD
Here is the link to the dvd release from Njutafilms, in case you are curious to see the film,
http://www.njutafilms.com/pet/
torsdag 13 april 2017
The Assignment ( Tomboy )
One of my favourite female actors of all time, have always been Sigourney Weaver. Not only because of her wonderful performances in the Alien films, but she have done some really good films from her past. Eyewitness, The Year Of Living Dangerously, Ghostbusters, Gorillas In The Mist, Dave, The Ice Storm and many more titles. Sigourney have always felt very natural on screen. She is no diva, does not seem to care about a stereotypical image of women, she does what she likes, and this is something i always loved about her as an actor. I can imagine that there are many women out there who look up to her as a role model, especially for women who are trying to become actors. One of the films i mentioned earlier, Gorillas In The Mist, have always been one of my favourite films with Sigourney Weaver. The film is based on the true story, about the naturalist Dian Fossey. She was a woman who studies gorillas, and tried to help gorillas survive from hunters. Her work in Africa meant a lot for gorillas, and you can clearly get an image of some of the things she tried to do, during her years in Africa. But it all ended December 27th, 1985, when she was found murdered in her cabin in Rwanda. I think Sigourney really did a fantastic performance as Dian Fossey, and i suggest you pick up the blu ray film, or dvd, for sale somewhere. This is a film worth having in your collection. In more recent years we have seen Sigourney done a lot of films. And i instantly think of two films, known as The Girl In The Park, and the political action thriller Vantage Point. I especially enjoyed The Girl In The Park, an interesting view on how we handle situations in life, when something unexpected happens. I enjoyed her performance in the sci fi action film Chappie, from director Neil Blomkamp, a different take on robot technology, and if robots are just machines. If i say the name Michelle Rodriguez, you might think of her in the Fast & Furious films. I personally remember her mostly from her really good performance in Girlfight. I still think that is her best film so far in her career, and this is a film that should be seen. Michelle have of course been in a number of films, such as Resident Evil, Machete and Battle: Los Angeles ( a film i actually enjoiyed, while most critics disliked it ). So how would it be to see both Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriguez in the same film ? Here is your chance, in the new film The Assignment. I really had no idea what to expect from this film, but the cast made me curious to see what this could be. Is this an surprisingly good action thriller, or is this an awful release that no one should care about ?
Frank Kitchen ( Michelle Rodriguez ) is a contract killer, who always finish his jobs. Dr. Rachel Jay ( Sigourney Weaver ) lost her brother through an assassination from Frank, To revenge her brother, and to make a better world ( in her mind ), she sends John Hartunian ( Anthony LaPaglia ) and his men to knock Frank down. Frank is captured and is becoming a part of a sex change experiment. Dr. Rachel belive that Frank will now become a new person, as a woman. As Frank wakes up, as a woman, she is now ready to revenge everyone who were a part of this, including Dr. Rachel.
If you ever wanted to know what it would look like, to see Michelle Rodriguez as a transgender person, with a big penis and a hairy chest, then you have come to the right place. And she have a beard as well, i instantly started to thinking about the Eurovision Song Contest Winner Conchita Wurst back in 2014. The differences here are of course that Michelle is a assassin, and happen to have the biggest penis in this galaxy ( unless you count in Ron Jeremy of course ). The cast here is really special, you have Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub ( from the classic tv series Monk ) and Anthony LaPaglia. So what if you throw all these actors together, in a very odd mix of action thriller, from the legendary director Walter Hill ( who made The Warriors and 48 Hours ), what do you get ? This may be the most strange film i have seen this year so far. Because parts of this film makes no sense at all, and you will most likely laugh. Especially seeing Michelle Rodriguez naked male body, i cant describe it. So there are of course a ton of assassination films out there, does this film have anything special to offer ? Well, not much. But as i come to think about it, i think director Walter Hill have made this film so strange, because he knows that this could become a cult film. With a story that makes no sense, and odd characters, i can perhaps understand what he wanted to do with this film. From a quality level of film making, i can tell you that this film does not give much. I believe that The Assignment gives a different look on an assassins life, who wakes up after having a sex change. I can´t say i have never seen anything like this before, and for that i have to say director Walter Hill have at least tried a different path. Directors who dare to take risks are always good, but it also depends if you do it correctly. Sigourney Weaver gives her performance with some emotions, but far away from her really good films. Michelle Rodriguez is not the most strong lead character as an assassin, but she does manage to give her character some kind of roughness. I feel very split about this film, because parts of The Assignment are not very good, while some parts give me a feeling that this could be a future cult film. The mix of all of this gives me no choice, but to find a rating that feels correct. The Assignment is a film that should be seen, if you enjoy the films of Walter Hill. And this is his most odd film ever, and perhaps one of his worst films. I can´t really recommend this film, but i have a feeling this could be a cult hit on dvd in the future. You are not going to see anything like The Assignment this spring, and if you want quality you won´t find it here. A very odd release, made to make us confused.
Avaible on VOD, and shown in selected theatres, and you can get this film on dvd from April 17 in the UK, if you want to experience something different.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MZDXQZJ
Rating: DD
Frank Kitchen ( Michelle Rodriguez ) is a contract killer, who always finish his jobs. Dr. Rachel Jay ( Sigourney Weaver ) lost her brother through an assassination from Frank, To revenge her brother, and to make a better world ( in her mind ), she sends John Hartunian ( Anthony LaPaglia ) and his men to knock Frank down. Frank is captured and is becoming a part of a sex change experiment. Dr. Rachel belive that Frank will now become a new person, as a woman. As Frank wakes up, as a woman, she is now ready to revenge everyone who were a part of this, including Dr. Rachel.
If you ever wanted to know what it would look like, to see Michelle Rodriguez as a transgender person, with a big penis and a hairy chest, then you have come to the right place. And she have a beard as well, i instantly started to thinking about the Eurovision Song Contest Winner Conchita Wurst back in 2014. The differences here are of course that Michelle is a assassin, and happen to have the biggest penis in this galaxy ( unless you count in Ron Jeremy of course ). The cast here is really special, you have Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub ( from the classic tv series Monk ) and Anthony LaPaglia. So what if you throw all these actors together, in a very odd mix of action thriller, from the legendary director Walter Hill ( who made The Warriors and 48 Hours ), what do you get ? This may be the most strange film i have seen this year so far. Because parts of this film makes no sense at all, and you will most likely laugh. Especially seeing Michelle Rodriguez naked male body, i cant describe it. So there are of course a ton of assassination films out there, does this film have anything special to offer ? Well, not much. But as i come to think about it, i think director Walter Hill have made this film so strange, because he knows that this could become a cult film. With a story that makes no sense, and odd characters, i can perhaps understand what he wanted to do with this film. From a quality level of film making, i can tell you that this film does not give much. I believe that The Assignment gives a different look on an assassins life, who wakes up after having a sex change. I can´t say i have never seen anything like this before, and for that i have to say director Walter Hill have at least tried a different path. Directors who dare to take risks are always good, but it also depends if you do it correctly. Sigourney Weaver gives her performance with some emotions, but far away from her really good films. Michelle Rodriguez is not the most strong lead character as an assassin, but she does manage to give her character some kind of roughness. I feel very split about this film, because parts of The Assignment are not very good, while some parts give me a feeling that this could be a future cult film. The mix of all of this gives me no choice, but to find a rating that feels correct. The Assignment is a film that should be seen, if you enjoy the films of Walter Hill. And this is his most odd film ever, and perhaps one of his worst films. I can´t really recommend this film, but i have a feeling this could be a cult hit on dvd in the future. You are not going to see anything like The Assignment this spring, and if you want quality you won´t find it here. A very odd release, made to make us confused.
Avaible on VOD, and shown in selected theatres, and you can get this film on dvd from April 17 in the UK, if you want to experience something different.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MZDXQZJ
Rating: DD
fredag 7 april 2017
Kong: Skull Island
Humans have always been fascinated by animals. We can learn so many things, from the way they behave in nature, how they handle different situations, and how they adjust in different enviroments. I am especially thinking about apes. You can clearly see that humans and apes, have many things in common. Especially chimpanzees, the closest species to humans. Just look how they can communicate, show facial expressions, how they use different tools in different situations. We could of course mention many more examples, but it is clear that apes have so much knowledge within them. Speaking of apes, since the very early days of Hollywood, they have made a huge impact on the audiences worldwide. And it all started back in 1933 with the motion picture King Kong. Directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, the film about a huge ape, running loose in the city of New York became a cult hit. I have of course seen the film, at least 2 times. And it is a classic, even if it might look silly today for a younger generation, we have to remember that back in those days, special effects did not have the same budget as in present day. The classic scene with King Kong on the Empire State Building is still to this day one of the most iconic cinema scenes of all times. Over the years there have been several films made about King Kong, and the one i remember mostly is the 1976 film simply called King Kong. With a young Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange. I know that this film have been critisized for many reasons, but i remember enjoying this film, especially from a technical perspective. The special effects on King Kong himself, considering it was 1976, did not look so terrible. Looking back, i think the 1976 film King Kong should be seen as a cult classic, even if it is not a really good film. But then we also have a sequel called King Kong Lives, released in 1985 with Linda Hamilton ( Sarah O´ Connor from The Terminator ), and this film can not be seen as a classic. In fact, this is perhaps the worst King Kong films of all time, and you can understand why it bombed at the box office. If you just want to laugh about all the bad acting, and bad special effects, then King Kong Lives is the film to choose. It seemed that King Kong would not return to the big screen, for a long time. Not until Peter Jackson, director of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, decided to make his version of King Kong. It turned out to be the best King Kong film ever, in my opinion. Really well made, really good acting, and a story filled with passion for the classic story of King Kong. And here we are, in 2017, with another sequel of King Kong, this time called Kong: Skull Island. Since i have been a fan of these films for a long time, i had to do a 3D cinema visit, to see if King Kong still delivers. Is this one of the best sequels of this franchise, or is Kong: Skull Island a sequel that will soon be forgotten ?
In 1973, U.S. government agent William "Bill" Randa ( John Goodman ) hires former British Special Air Service Captain James Conrad ( Tom Hiddleston ) to go on an expedition, to a mysterious island out in the South Pacific. The island is known as Skull Island, and they belive that there could be unusual animals out there, never been seen before. With the expedition of James, William, Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard ( Samuel L. Jackson ), Fotographer Mason Weaver ( Brie Larson ), warrant officer Reg Slivko ( Thomas Mann ), all head towards the island in choppers, informed to bomb the island. But as they begin their mission, a big ape strike all the choppers down. Some of the team members die instantly, while some of the survivors manage to surive the crash landings. Stuck on an island, where no one knows what is going on, this expedition needs to find a way to survive. But the big ape is not all they should be worried about, here on Skull Island, there are other problems, unknown to civilization.
I have seen all the films so far, based on King Kong, from the original film, and all the sequels ( or remakes, depending on who you ask ). Since it has been a pretty long time since we have seen King Kong in action, i was looking forward to the latest film Kong: Skull Island. The trailer looked really nice, and i did like to see the cast, filled with talented people. So things were looking good for this latest Kong film. Now, after seeing it in a theater, i can say i have mixed emotions. Maybe my expectations have been aimed very high, since the 2005 film version. There are some really good looking action scenes here, and i love the fact that the film is taking place in the 70´s. I also enjoy the main character, James Conrad, played by wonderful actor Tom Hiddleston, he is always good in anything he does. I know you should not compare films too much, but in this case it is pretty hard not too. You see, i knew it was going to be hard to make a film about King Kong, as good as the Peter Jackson film. And it becomes very clear that Kong: Skull Island is nowhere near as good as the 2005 film. With that said, i still enjoy this film from an action perspective. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts have not had an easy task, taking on a project like this. Considering his debut feature independent film The Kings Of Summer was a big surprise, he is clearly trying new grounds with Kong: Skull Island. I think he have managed to make his vision of King Kong look good, and he also have added monsters on the island, that reminds us of Peter Jackson´s version. The acting is both good and bad, depending on what characters we are talking about. I enjoy John C. Reilly as the wacky, but fun Hank Marlow, who have lived on this island for 29 years. John Goodman is of course a solid choice as William "Bill " Randa, the senior official, who is in control of the expedition. As a King Kong movie, i feel that Kong: Skull Island is a fun ride, if you can forgive some small details that could have been improved. After all, if you enjoy big budget action films without complicated twists and turns, and focuses on delivering entertainment, then you should feel right at home. As a popcorn film, this is a good choice for a cinema visit this weekend, especially if you loved Peter Jackson´s King Kong, you will recognize yourselves in here. Kong: Skull Island is not the epic sequel i was hoping for, but still a good time if you love these kinds of films. There is no doubt, King Kong continues being an icon among monkeys.
Rating: DDD
In 1973, U.S. government agent William "Bill" Randa ( John Goodman ) hires former British Special Air Service Captain James Conrad ( Tom Hiddleston ) to go on an expedition, to a mysterious island out in the South Pacific. The island is known as Skull Island, and they belive that there could be unusual animals out there, never been seen before. With the expedition of James, William, Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard ( Samuel L. Jackson ), Fotographer Mason Weaver ( Brie Larson ), warrant officer Reg Slivko ( Thomas Mann ), all head towards the island in choppers, informed to bomb the island. But as they begin their mission, a big ape strike all the choppers down. Some of the team members die instantly, while some of the survivors manage to surive the crash landings. Stuck on an island, where no one knows what is going on, this expedition needs to find a way to survive. But the big ape is not all they should be worried about, here on Skull Island, there are other problems, unknown to civilization.
I have seen all the films so far, based on King Kong, from the original film, and all the sequels ( or remakes, depending on who you ask ). Since it has been a pretty long time since we have seen King Kong in action, i was looking forward to the latest film Kong: Skull Island. The trailer looked really nice, and i did like to see the cast, filled with talented people. So things were looking good for this latest Kong film. Now, after seeing it in a theater, i can say i have mixed emotions. Maybe my expectations have been aimed very high, since the 2005 film version. There are some really good looking action scenes here, and i love the fact that the film is taking place in the 70´s. I also enjoy the main character, James Conrad, played by wonderful actor Tom Hiddleston, he is always good in anything he does. I know you should not compare films too much, but in this case it is pretty hard not too. You see, i knew it was going to be hard to make a film about King Kong, as good as the Peter Jackson film. And it becomes very clear that Kong: Skull Island is nowhere near as good as the 2005 film. With that said, i still enjoy this film from an action perspective. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts have not had an easy task, taking on a project like this. Considering his debut feature independent film The Kings Of Summer was a big surprise, he is clearly trying new grounds with Kong: Skull Island. I think he have managed to make his vision of King Kong look good, and he also have added monsters on the island, that reminds us of Peter Jackson´s version. The acting is both good and bad, depending on what characters we are talking about. I enjoy John C. Reilly as the wacky, but fun Hank Marlow, who have lived on this island for 29 years. John Goodman is of course a solid choice as William "Bill " Randa, the senior official, who is in control of the expedition. As a King Kong movie, i feel that Kong: Skull Island is a fun ride, if you can forgive some small details that could have been improved. After all, if you enjoy big budget action films without complicated twists and turns, and focuses on delivering entertainment, then you should feel right at home. As a popcorn film, this is a good choice for a cinema visit this weekend, especially if you loved Peter Jackson´s King Kong, you will recognize yourselves in here. Kong: Skull Island is not the epic sequel i was hoping for, but still a good time if you love these kinds of films. There is no doubt, King Kong continues being an icon among monkeys.
Rating: DDD
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Time flies by, faster than you expect. I was reminded by this, when i recently watched a tv show about classic video games, and the first Resident Evil game was mentioned. When i got my first Playstation kit, i had to make sure that i would buy Resident Evil, back in the late 90´s. This was at the time one of the best games i have ever played. It was dark, creepy, mysterious, and very well made with really good graphics. Capcom have proved themselves by making the greatest horror video game, and people went nuts about this title. It was very clear that the Resident Evil franchise would grow, and find even more video games nerds. The games continued to be released, and Resident Evil became a household name for years to come. Over the years, there are plenty of titles to choose between. One of my personal favourite games of Resident Evil is without a doubt Resident Evil 4. It looked different, but still managed to capture the world of Resident Evil, but in a different approach. After number of games in early 2000, director Paul W.S. Anderson was chosen to make a film based on the video games of Resident Evil. This was both taken with positive feedback, while some fans critisized the choice of the director. I personally think that the first film, released in the year 2002, had some positive surprises for fans to enjoy. But the most important issue on this film, is the main character Alice, who is played by Milla Jovovich. We have seen Milla done action films before, both in The Fifth Element and the Joan Arc film. She turned out to be a great choice as Alice, and she stayed as the character in plenty of more films based on the video games. It was clear that Milla Jovovich became a female action icon, through her character Alice. As the films went on, and tried to bring in different stories, and characters from the games, the audience seemed to enjoy themselves. But not the film critics, in fact almost every film was getting low ratings. Except for a few positive reviews, probably from film critics who did not take the films too serious. I have enjoyed all the films so far, for different reasons. But i still think the third film, called Resident Evil: Extinction is the best of the series. This film was also directed by another director, Russel Mulcahy ( the legendary director of cult film Highlander ). The desert theme, with the endless desert landscapes, turned out to be a really good idea. In early 2016, i remember reading about Milla Jovovich, where she told that the next Resident Evil film will be the last one. I did of course not believe that at first, but further along the way, it became clear she was telling the truth. So now we have the final film here, and this film franchise have been going on for 15 years ( a very long time ). Is this the worthy ending of Resident Evil we all wanted, or have director Paul W.S. Anderson failed to give us a solid final film ?
Alice ( Milla Jovovich ) awakens in the ruins of the White House. after being betrayed once again by Albert Wesker ( Shawn Roberts ). While searching for survivors, The Red Queen appear and tell Alice, that she must return to Racoon City within 48 hours. The Umbrella Corporation have created an airborne antivirus, wich will kill every organism infected by the T-virus. But she has to hurry, before all of mankind is wiped out. On her way to Racoon City, Alice is captured by Alexander Isaacs ( Iain Glen ), whose clone Alice have killed in the past. She manage to escape, and find her way to a completely destroyed Racoon City. Here, she meet a gang of survivors after the attack on Arcadia. Alexander is heading towards Racoon City, with an enormous army of flesh eating zombies. On Alice journey to find the antivirus, she is about to learn that she have not been informed with the whole truth. That there is another side of this story, that could make things even more complicated.
I think it was a good choice for Milla Jovovich to close the chapter of Resident Evil now. She have been in this film adaptation franchise since the very first film, and eventually you have to finish the series. This final film, simply called The Final Chapter, is pretty much what you would expect. You have bad dialogue, bad acting and a lot of violence ( this is a good thing ). As usual you have massive hoards of zombies, a lot of killing and fighting. And even if these films have not followed the games in any specific order ( only a few details ), the strength of Resident Evil film adaptations is Milla Jovovich. It is her you want to see kick zombie ass, and use all kinds of weapons. Without her performance as Alice, i am not sure if we would feel the same entertainment level as we do now. She is as usual the biggest reason why this last film works. Not because of her acting, it is her physical performance that lift this film. The action scenes function, if you enjoyed the previous films. You get plenty of the basic elements, including some different characters. So what is the major problem with this last film ? The editing is way too fast in the battle scenes. In previous film we have at least seen Alice attack at close range, here it is edited in such a fast way, you miss out the epic battles ( that could have made this film more epic ). There are some scenes that looks ok, but some of the action scenes are so fast edited, it is hard to keep up with what is going on. But we do have Shawn Roberts here, as the evil Albert Wesker, almost like Schwarzenegger´s Terminator, with bad dialogue, but fun to watch. I wonder if he decided to make this character as bad as possible ? Either way, Albert Wesker is once again a fun trip, even this time around. The story is not very good, but in a film like this we don´t really need a solid story. We want to see action and gore, and you can be sure to find it here as well. One thing i did enjoy, is the fact that Milla Jovovich still can kick so much ass, after all these years. We don´t get to see many women in these days, being a part of a whole films series, and she have done a great job with the Resident Evil films. Is this one of the better Resident Evil films ? No, but not the worst either, i think Retribution could be my less favourite. Could this last film have been made more epic ? Yes, i think director Paul W.S. Anderson should have skipped all the fast editing, and focused more on majestic close scenes. Still, let´s be happy that this could have been a lot worse as the ending. Thank you Milla for all your hard work, you did it. And this final film confirm my thoughts, never mess with Milla in the shopping mall, then your legs might break into pieces.
Rating: DDD
Alice ( Milla Jovovich ) awakens in the ruins of the White House. after being betrayed once again by Albert Wesker ( Shawn Roberts ). While searching for survivors, The Red Queen appear and tell Alice, that she must return to Racoon City within 48 hours. The Umbrella Corporation have created an airborne antivirus, wich will kill every organism infected by the T-virus. But she has to hurry, before all of mankind is wiped out. On her way to Racoon City, Alice is captured by Alexander Isaacs ( Iain Glen ), whose clone Alice have killed in the past. She manage to escape, and find her way to a completely destroyed Racoon City. Here, she meet a gang of survivors after the attack on Arcadia. Alexander is heading towards Racoon City, with an enormous army of flesh eating zombies. On Alice journey to find the antivirus, she is about to learn that she have not been informed with the whole truth. That there is another side of this story, that could make things even more complicated.
I think it was a good choice for Milla Jovovich to close the chapter of Resident Evil now. She have been in this film adaptation franchise since the very first film, and eventually you have to finish the series. This final film, simply called The Final Chapter, is pretty much what you would expect. You have bad dialogue, bad acting and a lot of violence ( this is a good thing ). As usual you have massive hoards of zombies, a lot of killing and fighting. And even if these films have not followed the games in any specific order ( only a few details ), the strength of Resident Evil film adaptations is Milla Jovovich. It is her you want to see kick zombie ass, and use all kinds of weapons. Without her performance as Alice, i am not sure if we would feel the same entertainment level as we do now. She is as usual the biggest reason why this last film works. Not because of her acting, it is her physical performance that lift this film. The action scenes function, if you enjoyed the previous films. You get plenty of the basic elements, including some different characters. So what is the major problem with this last film ? The editing is way too fast in the battle scenes. In previous film we have at least seen Alice attack at close range, here it is edited in such a fast way, you miss out the epic battles ( that could have made this film more epic ). There are some scenes that looks ok, but some of the action scenes are so fast edited, it is hard to keep up with what is going on. But we do have Shawn Roberts here, as the evil Albert Wesker, almost like Schwarzenegger´s Terminator, with bad dialogue, but fun to watch. I wonder if he decided to make this character as bad as possible ? Either way, Albert Wesker is once again a fun trip, even this time around. The story is not very good, but in a film like this we don´t really need a solid story. We want to see action and gore, and you can be sure to find it here as well. One thing i did enjoy, is the fact that Milla Jovovich still can kick so much ass, after all these years. We don´t get to see many women in these days, being a part of a whole films series, and she have done a great job with the Resident Evil films. Is this one of the better Resident Evil films ? No, but not the worst either, i think Retribution could be my less favourite. Could this last film have been made more epic ? Yes, i think director Paul W.S. Anderson should have skipped all the fast editing, and focused more on majestic close scenes. Still, let´s be happy that this could have been a lot worse as the ending. Thank you Milla for all your hard work, you did it. And this final film confirm my thoughts, never mess with Milla in the shopping mall, then your legs might break into pieces.
Rating: DDD
tisdag 28 mars 2017
Don´t Kill It
Sweden
The country known for Abba, musicals, 38 seasons of Bonde Söker Fru, cult classic films such as Dyke Hard, and of course Johannes Brost, known as the man all middle aged women want. You might have been reading a lot of news about Sweden lately, so let me tell you this. Everything is not bad, because about 10 million swedes are filled in their hearts for the love of one iconic swede. You all know his name, Dolph Lundgren. You can not say Zlatan is the biggest here, if you do, you will most likely be punched in the face. Because everyone should know, this is The Land Of The Dolph, and Zlatan will never fill his shoes. On every street of Stockholm, or in Karlshamn, you will see people dancing around, because they love Dolph. Why does swedish people love Dolph so much ? Because he is Dolph, that´s everything you need in life to be filled with passion. It all started back in 1987, when Dolph Lundgren got his big break as Ivan Drago, the russian war boxing machine, fighting against Sylvester Stallone. Ever since Rocky 4 made him a superstar, Dolph have given us a lot of wonderful films. The list is so long, it would take forever to go through them all. But i suggest we mention just a few, such as the first Universal Soldier film, also including Jean-Claude Van Damme. I also really enjoyed Red Scorpion, a hard hitting action cult film, worth having on blu ray. In more recent years, i think Dolph really proved himself in Skin Trade, a really solid action film with Tony Jaa included. One of the best films i have seen in B movie action in recent years. Dolph have made so many films since the early 80´s, that he never seems to stop. And this is of course something to be happy about. I have followed his career for a long time, and even if he is getting older, he can still kick more ass than most 20 year olds. Since he have been very successfull with The Expendables trilogy, it is nice to see that he still tries to do something different, when he can. Did anyone of you see him in Kindergarten Cop 2 ? Not a classic in any way, but i love the idea of Dolph being a kindergarten teacher. So what would you say if you could see Dolph as a Demon Hunter ? When i first heard about the film Don´t Kill It, i thought the idea was brilliant. So of course i had to check this film out on VOD. Is this another classic Dolph film, or is he desperate to just take any role he can ?
An ancient demon possess people in a small Mississippi town. Familes are found brutally murdered, and police are not sure why ordinary people kill their loved ones. Jebediah Woodley ( Dolph Lundgren ) is a professional demon hunter. He knows what kinds of demons are out there. Agent Evelyn Pierce ( Kristina Klebe ) is working to get these murders solved, but she understands that this is not an ordinary killer. Jebediah knows how to catch demons, but he have a long road ahead of him, to prove that he is actually right. If this is not done correctly, all hell will break loose, completely.
It is very clear, from the first scene we see Dolph show himself as a demon hunter, you know he is where he belongs. His natural way to act, in the way that he can do, is just a simple delight. He does not need to be an Oscar actor, because he always knows how to make his characters. Don´t Kill It is his first horror film, where there are some comedy influneces thrown in. So does Dolph function in horror ? He does, but does this film work ? I would say yes, for the most part. Another actor Kristina Klebe, also does a good job with her performance as Agent Evelyn Pierce. As a horror film, Don´t Kill It does manage to combine possessed human bodies, with classic slasher horror. But to be honest, it would have taken more original ideas to make this even more fun. Because we have seen something similar to Don´t Kill It before, maybe not presented in the same way as this film, but you will see what i mean. There are moments in this film, where we do get to laugh. Especially when you see the possessed humans run around, chopping people with axes, split heads, all the classic chopping ingredients. You will also laugh in some scenes, when Dolph throw in some cheesy lines, that you know only he can get away with. So far, so good. The problem eventually turns out to be that you won´t see any big surprises. A film like this does not need to have them, but in this case i think it could have helped Don´t Kill It to be even more fun. Still, i think this is a fun tribute to splatter films of the 80´s and 90´s. Director Sam Mendes have directed several films in the past, and 2 of them are films you should see. Big Ass Spider! and of course Lavalantula. Both fun low budget horror films, where i find especially Big Ass Spider! to be a future cult movie. Don´t Kill It is also a film that he manage to deliver us a good time, and you can tell he have a passion for old school films. The practical effects looks nice, especially when people get body parts blown by a shotgun, or split a head. The story set in a small town, fits with the story. Even if we can recognize certain details of this film, from equal stories, it does not affect this film in any negative way. Don´t Kill It is a film, that will please fans of Evil Dead. Nothing original, but with enough treats for all of you who loves this genre. Now excuse me, demons have stolen my tv remote control again. Why can´t they let me watch Days Of Our Lives ?
Rating: DDD
The country known for Abba, musicals, 38 seasons of Bonde Söker Fru, cult classic films such as Dyke Hard, and of course Johannes Brost, known as the man all middle aged women want. You might have been reading a lot of news about Sweden lately, so let me tell you this. Everything is not bad, because about 10 million swedes are filled in their hearts for the love of one iconic swede. You all know his name, Dolph Lundgren. You can not say Zlatan is the biggest here, if you do, you will most likely be punched in the face. Because everyone should know, this is The Land Of The Dolph, and Zlatan will never fill his shoes. On every street of Stockholm, or in Karlshamn, you will see people dancing around, because they love Dolph. Why does swedish people love Dolph so much ? Because he is Dolph, that´s everything you need in life to be filled with passion. It all started back in 1987, when Dolph Lundgren got his big break as Ivan Drago, the russian war boxing machine, fighting against Sylvester Stallone. Ever since Rocky 4 made him a superstar, Dolph have given us a lot of wonderful films. The list is so long, it would take forever to go through them all. But i suggest we mention just a few, such as the first Universal Soldier film, also including Jean-Claude Van Damme. I also really enjoyed Red Scorpion, a hard hitting action cult film, worth having on blu ray. In more recent years, i think Dolph really proved himself in Skin Trade, a really solid action film with Tony Jaa included. One of the best films i have seen in B movie action in recent years. Dolph have made so many films since the early 80´s, that he never seems to stop. And this is of course something to be happy about. I have followed his career for a long time, and even if he is getting older, he can still kick more ass than most 20 year olds. Since he have been very successfull with The Expendables trilogy, it is nice to see that he still tries to do something different, when he can. Did anyone of you see him in Kindergarten Cop 2 ? Not a classic in any way, but i love the idea of Dolph being a kindergarten teacher. So what would you say if you could see Dolph as a Demon Hunter ? When i first heard about the film Don´t Kill It, i thought the idea was brilliant. So of course i had to check this film out on VOD. Is this another classic Dolph film, or is he desperate to just take any role he can ?
An ancient demon possess people in a small Mississippi town. Familes are found brutally murdered, and police are not sure why ordinary people kill their loved ones. Jebediah Woodley ( Dolph Lundgren ) is a professional demon hunter. He knows what kinds of demons are out there. Agent Evelyn Pierce ( Kristina Klebe ) is working to get these murders solved, but she understands that this is not an ordinary killer. Jebediah knows how to catch demons, but he have a long road ahead of him, to prove that he is actually right. If this is not done correctly, all hell will break loose, completely.
It is very clear, from the first scene we see Dolph show himself as a demon hunter, you know he is where he belongs. His natural way to act, in the way that he can do, is just a simple delight. He does not need to be an Oscar actor, because he always knows how to make his characters. Don´t Kill It is his first horror film, where there are some comedy influneces thrown in. So does Dolph function in horror ? He does, but does this film work ? I would say yes, for the most part. Another actor Kristina Klebe, also does a good job with her performance as Agent Evelyn Pierce. As a horror film, Don´t Kill It does manage to combine possessed human bodies, with classic slasher horror. But to be honest, it would have taken more original ideas to make this even more fun. Because we have seen something similar to Don´t Kill It before, maybe not presented in the same way as this film, but you will see what i mean. There are moments in this film, where we do get to laugh. Especially when you see the possessed humans run around, chopping people with axes, split heads, all the classic chopping ingredients. You will also laugh in some scenes, when Dolph throw in some cheesy lines, that you know only he can get away with. So far, so good. The problem eventually turns out to be that you won´t see any big surprises. A film like this does not need to have them, but in this case i think it could have helped Don´t Kill It to be even more fun. Still, i think this is a fun tribute to splatter films of the 80´s and 90´s. Director Sam Mendes have directed several films in the past, and 2 of them are films you should see. Big Ass Spider! and of course Lavalantula. Both fun low budget horror films, where i find especially Big Ass Spider! to be a future cult movie. Don´t Kill It is also a film that he manage to deliver us a good time, and you can tell he have a passion for old school films. The practical effects looks nice, especially when people get body parts blown by a shotgun, or split a head. The story set in a small town, fits with the story. Even if we can recognize certain details of this film, from equal stories, it does not affect this film in any negative way. Don´t Kill It is a film, that will please fans of Evil Dead. Nothing original, but with enough treats for all of you who loves this genre. Now excuse me, demons have stolen my tv remote control again. Why can´t they let me watch Days Of Our Lives ?
Rating: DDD
tisdag 21 mars 2017
Patriots Day
The world can be a wonderful place, but sometimes we are faced with an awful truth, that no one want to be a part of. I am especially thinking about all the tragedies that struck us all, where terrorism can shatter lives in just seconds, for no reason at all. They might think there is a reason to do what they do, but they don´t see all the destruction, and all the pain they cause. Terrorism is never ok, no matter where they opperate in this world. No matter what terrorist organisation they are a part of, i can´t see a reason why they need to kill innocent people. We have had a lot of films based on different terrorist attacks. One film i am thinking about at this moment, is the 2012 film called Zero Dark Thirty, based on the hunt on Osama Bin Laden. Directed by Katheryn Bigelow ( who have directed several great films, such as The Hurt Locker ), she managed to tell the story behind this operation in a very effective way. Lead actor Jessica Chastain did a really powerful performance as the CIA intelligence analyst Maya. If you have not seen this film for some reason, watch it on rental, or on a streaming site. One of my personal favourite films about terrorism, is Michael Moore´s classic documentary film Farenheit 9/11 from 2004. A very interesting documentary film, about the terror attack on New York city, and also about George Bush, all mixed up in a fascinating story. Director Michael Moore clearly made a lot of good points in this film, especially about how George Bush handled the situation over 9/11. America have always been involved, when it comes to hunting down terrorists and dictators. But what if a terrorist attack happens on a day, when no one expects anything, during a marathon race ? This is what happened in 15th of April in 2003. Two suspects seemed to carry backpacks, where 2 bombs went off in public. That day destroyed the lives of many people, who lost their loved ones. Some survived, but was badly injured. The hunt after the terrorists became big in the city of Boston. The two brothers who were arrested, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, killed police officers and wounded some, including kidnapping a civilian. We now have a film, based on these true events, from director Beter Berg. Some of you might remember him from the cult film Very Bad Things, or perhaps for his work as an director of several films. Patriots Day is the third collaboration between Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg. Is this a really emotionally hard film to watch, or should this project have been offered to another director ?
Boston Police Department Sergeant Tommy Saunders ( Mark Wahlberg ) is asked to patrol during the Boston Marathon Day. Everything seems alright, people enjoying the marathon race, until 2 explosions go off. Chaos breaks out, and Tommy does all he can to help. Commissioner Ed Davis ( John Goodman ) with his team, including FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers ( Kevin Bacon ) all work together, to make sure they find the right suspects. Sergeant Tommy suggest they need to ask the public for help, or they might loose witnesses. A hunt has just begun, and no matter what happens, justice must be done.
To see director Peter Berg and actor Mark Wahlberg work together again, is a pure delight. They have done a really good job with their previous films Lone Survivor and Deepwater Horizon. Patriots Day is of course a bit different from director Peter Berg´s films, especially because this is based on a terrorist attack in Boston. For those of you who listened to the news back in 2013, remember the horrible pictures, where so many people were wounded, even killed. When you see a film like Patriots Day, and you know this actually happened in real life, it is very hard not to feel sadness. Especially for all the victims, and their families. Director Peter Berg have done a really good job with this film, trying to capture the feeling of what actually happened. The characters feel realistic, and the decisions they make during the chaos, after the bombs went off. Mark Wahlberg as the Sergeant Tommy Saunders, is clearly a very interesting portrait, of a man who witnessed the bombings. How do you deal with this, while still being professional ? Can you really leave work without bringing it home, when you have images in your mind of dead children ? Wahlberg does another really good performance, as he usually always does. He is that kind of actor who can do all kinds of genres, and handle it with grace. But we also have other really good performances here. John Goodman as Police Commissioner Ed Davis. He proves once again why he is one of the old school actors, who can take on any character and deliver with power. Kevin Bacon is also here as Special Agent Richard DesLauriers. We don´t need to question if he is any good, he always is in every film he does. The best thing about these films, where Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg work together, is that they have so far only delivered quality films. Who would have thought that Lone Survivor would be good, coming out in January of 2013 ( the month were almost all film companies release bad films, except for some exceptions ) ? You can clearly tell that they enjoy working together, and also have some really important stories to share. Patriots Day is a very strong thriller, were we get to see what happened, both before the bombs went off, but also after the tragedy. Did everyone do this manhunt right ? Is there another truth behind what happened ? Did the evidence tell something else ? There are a lot of questions to think about throughout the film. But one thing is clear, no matter when civil people are killed, or harmed, you can´t accept this. Director Peter Berg seems to have digged into the story, in a realistic way, both from police perspective, as well as everyone else involved in the investigation. How much is the truth ? I would say that director Peter Berg have tried to tell the story, as realistic as he can. There is no doubt, Patriots Day is one hell of a good thriller, and this could possibly be the best film from the three films that director Peter Berg have done with Mark Wahlberg. A very powerful, and emotional film, that reminds us that we need to stay united in critical times.
Rating: DDDD
Boston Police Department Sergeant Tommy Saunders ( Mark Wahlberg ) is asked to patrol during the Boston Marathon Day. Everything seems alright, people enjoying the marathon race, until 2 explosions go off. Chaos breaks out, and Tommy does all he can to help. Commissioner Ed Davis ( John Goodman ) with his team, including FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers ( Kevin Bacon ) all work together, to make sure they find the right suspects. Sergeant Tommy suggest they need to ask the public for help, or they might loose witnesses. A hunt has just begun, and no matter what happens, justice must be done.
To see director Peter Berg and actor Mark Wahlberg work together again, is a pure delight. They have done a really good job with their previous films Lone Survivor and Deepwater Horizon. Patriots Day is of course a bit different from director Peter Berg´s films, especially because this is based on a terrorist attack in Boston. For those of you who listened to the news back in 2013, remember the horrible pictures, where so many people were wounded, even killed. When you see a film like Patriots Day, and you know this actually happened in real life, it is very hard not to feel sadness. Especially for all the victims, and their families. Director Peter Berg have done a really good job with this film, trying to capture the feeling of what actually happened. The characters feel realistic, and the decisions they make during the chaos, after the bombs went off. Mark Wahlberg as the Sergeant Tommy Saunders, is clearly a very interesting portrait, of a man who witnessed the bombings. How do you deal with this, while still being professional ? Can you really leave work without bringing it home, when you have images in your mind of dead children ? Wahlberg does another really good performance, as he usually always does. He is that kind of actor who can do all kinds of genres, and handle it with grace. But we also have other really good performances here. John Goodman as Police Commissioner Ed Davis. He proves once again why he is one of the old school actors, who can take on any character and deliver with power. Kevin Bacon is also here as Special Agent Richard DesLauriers. We don´t need to question if he is any good, he always is in every film he does. The best thing about these films, where Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg work together, is that they have so far only delivered quality films. Who would have thought that Lone Survivor would be good, coming out in January of 2013 ( the month were almost all film companies release bad films, except for some exceptions ) ? You can clearly tell that they enjoy working together, and also have some really important stories to share. Patriots Day is a very strong thriller, were we get to see what happened, both before the bombs went off, but also after the tragedy. Did everyone do this manhunt right ? Is there another truth behind what happened ? Did the evidence tell something else ? There are a lot of questions to think about throughout the film. But one thing is clear, no matter when civil people are killed, or harmed, you can´t accept this. Director Peter Berg seems to have digged into the story, in a realistic way, both from police perspective, as well as everyone else involved in the investigation. How much is the truth ? I would say that director Peter Berg have tried to tell the story, as realistic as he can. There is no doubt, Patriots Day is one hell of a good thriller, and this could possibly be the best film from the three films that director Peter Berg have done with Mark Wahlberg. A very powerful, and emotional film, that reminds us that we need to stay united in critical times.
Rating: DDDD
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