Reviews

Im just back from the theatre. I feel ok with this movie. Im old enough to have seen the original trilogy back in the 80's as a kid. I love it and watch it regularly. I have also grown to love the prequels over the years. But Im not a fanboy who knows every detail about the SW universe. I just love the overall experience and escapism that it offers. I was ok with The force awakens. I was not fully satisfied, but the introduction of Luke at the end gave me hopes for The last jedi. But unfortunatly that movie left me feeling disappointed, like so many others (I never thought I would ever feel bored and disappointed watching a Star Wars movie). There are so many things I dislike about it.

And so I went into The rise of Skywalker with lowered expectations. Especially after having heard alot of negative things and rumours about it. But guess what...I actually enjoyed it for what it is. Technically the movie is great. It looks fantastic. There are alot of things going on in the movie...it might be difficult to keep up with everything during the first viewing, but there is certainly plenty to like. I decided to just go along with it as a 2 1/2 hours popcorn epic. I was mostly not bored. I especially liked the scenes involving the main antagonist. There are some really cool scenes. There is plenty of good action. The last 30 - 40 minutes are spectacular. The acting is ok for the most part. There is much less of the things that ruined The last jedi for me. I prefer JJ's style of directing to RJ's. I like the overall dark tone of the movie. The musical score is great. And Im ok with the story...Im ok with how the saga concludes. I think they were able to tie the loose ends together in a way that I can live with. I felt the saga came full circle in the end. Im sure there are many fans of the original trilogy and the prequels who will never find love for the disney trilogy. I understand that. But personally I have decided to accept it for what it is and focus on the positives and not the negatives. The rise of Skywalker is ok in my humble opinion.

This movie is currently rated 3,7 here on imdb. Many people giving it 1 star reviews. Seriously ? Alot of people seriously think this movie is worse than the worst of Steven Seagal movies ? Let me put it straight; its not ! Im a long time Sylvester Stallone fan and I loved the first Escape Plan (2013). I waited a long time to watch this movie because I heard its supposed to be the worst movie in movie history. But now that I have watched ut...twice...I must say that I was actually pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it. Yes, its made on a low budget. But they made the most out of the bucks...it looks ok for the most part (minus a terrible cgi explosion in the beginning wtf). They made the top secret prison facility look really cool...loved the robot. Think Running man ! Actually the stylish look of the movie and the very, very cool (!) retro 80's synth score makes this a fun and cool B-movie experience. The style, score and overall atmosphere reminds me somewhat of Beyond the black rainbow (something I never expected of a Sly movie). I was even surprised Sly had as much screentime as he did...he was a major part of the movie, eventhough not as much as in the original. I must admit he does come across as a little tired and uninterested...he does seem to phone it in little, probably not the most exciting project he was ever part of. But he is a professional and delivers ok. The story, characters and the flow of the story...could have been better for sure. Its not a 10 star movie, but Im giving it 10 to balance all the ridiculous 1 star reviews. If you are a fan of stylish cyberpunk B-movies you might want to give it a chance.

I have read the book. Im ok with the movie not being a 100 % adaption. Im ok with the story in the movie. I had no problem following the story. I dont really get all the outrage about the "crazy editing". The movie is flowing nicely imo. The ending was a little "quick" and anticlimatic, but ok...why drag it out until it gets boring, right ? The scene at the lake with the clouds in the background was so beautiful. I found the movie kind of...odd. Something felt off about it...I cant quite put my finger on it. It felt weird in an strange way...like when u cant make up ur mind if its actually meant to be like that in a genious way...or not. It was directed by a swede...someone who knows about nordic oddity. So Im guessing it was deliberate. Most importantly...I ended up enjoying the movie...it was like a weird, trippy journey through a beautiful norwegian winter landscape. I have been to most of the locations in the movie. I was actually in the city of Bergen during the time of filming. I remember it was a very special winter atmosphere in the city those days...it was snowing and a thick fog covered the city for many days...there was a goulish, creepy atmosphere at nighttime. Im disappointed they didnt send a cameraman around the city to capture some of this atmosphere to include in the movie. But ok. All in all I liked the movie...it kind of stuck with me after I had watched it...the violine theme playing in my mind, caught myself thinking about the odd, twisted beautiful ride the movie took me on. Dont believe the 1 star reviews. Its not a perfect masterpiece, but its definitely not the rare disaster many make it out to be. Dont listen to book fanboys who slam the movie for not being true enough to the book. If u want the book version, read the book. If u want a decent, odd nordic thriller, give it a chance...its really not a bad movie. Great cast by the way. All giving good performances. Will watch it again.

I think it has been said in many reviews already...this movie is an old school horror movie that builds its horror on unsettling atmosphere and not on predictable jump scares, screetches and cgi. I am a seasoned horror movie buff...I love the classics from the 70 's. There are still decent movies being made. The first Conjuring, the first Insidious, Innkeepers, Drag me to hell...to mention some more recent horror movies. But most of todays horror movies imo are generic trash...nonsensical movies with cheap jump scares, equally cheap cgi effects...and little else. Then this movie comes along...so refreshing. While I was watching it, I was somehow reminded of the master John Carpenter..think movies like The Thing and Prince of darkness. Its something very claustrophobic and dreadful about this movie that reminds me of those classics. The horror is mostly not seen...but u can sense that there is something sinister present...and there is no escaping. This movie really builds up the feeling of dread masterfuly. The director really did a great job. There was one scene in the movie I would like to point out (no spoiler)...the father in the movie is a strong and stoic character, not easily scared. But at one point in the movie he looks at his son and says in fear "lets get out if here"...u can just feel the dread in that moment. The characters feel real...the way they act and behave. It feels real...and u feel with them as they realize they are trapped with something very dangerous. Great movie.

I usually review movies I like. I dont want to spend time and energy on movies I dont like. But after having seen this apalling mess I feel a need to tell Hollywood to please stop making this nonsense. Its enough !!!! For every half decent movie, there is an endless string of ridiculous and nonsensical sequels, spin offs and cheap copies. The original Insidious movie was a solid modern horror movie...it had a creepy atmosphere and music, a decent story and was well directed. But we all know what happens when Hollywood smells money...they toss out all creativity and talent and churn out a string of cheap crap that only recycles the same old jump scares and wrap it in a nonsensical story. U know those boardroom created movies..."if we put in a jump scare here and a little girl in a blue dress here, we should be able to sell alot of tickets to teenage girls between the age of 16 - 18". What happened to just let talented, creative people make great movies ? To sum up this movie....utter NONSENSE. Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense. A demon with a key finger. A red clown starring through a window. A ghost here. A ghost there. A cgi jump scare demon popping up next to a policeman...u know...the cgi mouth stretching and the screeching sound. Sounds familiar ? Enough said. The movie is named The last key. Hollywood, please let this be the last nonsensical cgi screeching jump scare "horror movie" for a while. Its not scary. Its stupid. Please try to go back to making quality movies like The Omen, The Shining or The Exorcist (u know...movies created by talented people like Stanley Kubrick). Its really, really enough now with all this completly utter garbage.

I am old enough to have a vivid memory of the historic events that are described in this movie. I remember 9/11. I remember following the news every day after. That makes this movie interesting from a historic perspective. It kind of takes me behind the headlines I remember so well from back then. However, I think this movie is best viewed as an action adventure movie, rather than a documentary style war movie. If you expect the latter...then maybe you will be disappointed. If you expext the former, this movie will take you on a hell of a ride. The movie offers intense action sequences. But what really makes this movie stand out for me is the cinematography and the brooding score. This movie looks amazing. Its interesting, because I had to look up who did the cinematography. And it turns out its the same guy who also did the cinematography for The Dark Tower, a movie I reviewed last week and where I also pointed out the stunning cinematography. This guy is amazing. Same goes for the director and music composer. What a talented group of people who created this movie. I think the bad reviews must be from people having the wrong expectations. Dont expect a war documentary. This is not Restrepo. Expect a technically brilliant action adventure war movie that will take you on a dark, intense, brooding and breathtaking ride to hell and back

I just watched this movie...twice. First alone...I loved it so much I had to watch it again with my 11 year old daughter. And she loved it too. I dont understand all the negative reviews...so many 1 star reviews. And the rottentomato score is also very low. It seems most people seem to think this movie is worse than your average Steven Seagal movie. (?). I find that mind-boggling to say the least. This movie is very well directed. It is well cast and all the actors are doing a great job. The cinematography is stunning. The effects and animations are very well done. The action sequences are well coreographed. The music is great too. Imo TDT is pure fantasy movie gold. Pure quality. In some parts it reminds me of LOTR...even Star Wars at times..with a little dash of Stargate, Stranger Things etc. I loved the story and the whole universe. Loved the Stephen King easter eggs (I spotted atleast two...the Overlook hotel photo and the Pennywise amusement park). Now....I have not read any of the books !! I watched this movie without any knowledge of the books. Maybe thats why I was able to enjoy it so much (?). Maybe the movie is a poor adaption of Kings books...I dont know. But as a stand alone movie it is one if the most wonderful fantasy adventure movies I have seen in a while. It took me back to when I was a kid, remembering all the classic movies I used to enjoy back then. I guess nowadays people want endless Avengers sequels instead. Personally, I think this movie is on a whole different level...maybe they should have dumbed it down a bit and it would have been rated higher. I think this is one of the most underrated movies ever. One can only hope that it will get the recognition it deserves one day.

This is one of Bolls best movies. "That doesn't say a lot" thinks the haters. Yes, actually it does say a lot because Boll has made excellent movies like Seed, Stoic, Postal, Far Cry, Rampage, Max Schmeling, Darfur and Assault on Wall Street. Boll is one of our times most unappreciated and underrated directors. Just because he made movies like Bloodrayne and In the name of the king, people can't look past it and enjoy his other movies..like Tunnel Rats. Tunnel Rats is a far cry (pun intended) from a movie like Bloodrayne. Yet, I'm guessing a lot of people will give it a 1-rating just because it's Boll (probably without even having watched it). I can't believe the low imdb-rating...4,6 as I'm writing. So I give it 10, just to even it up a little.

I would definitely give this movie a hight rating...at least 7/10. I think this is a great movie. It offers a completely different movie experience than Bolls earlier video game adaptations. The movie is set during the Vietnam war, and follows the fate of a group of soldiers who are sent out to hunt and kill underground Viet Cong. But you should not go into this movie expecting a documentary style war movie. The movie is set during the Vietnam war, but don't expect every detail to be accurate. This is not that kind of movie. It can be viewed as a general war movie, depicting the futileness and dreariness of any war. Or it can also be watched as a horror movie, or as a "journey into darkness" type of drama movie, simply set in the context of the Vietnam war.

This movie is all about atmosphere...about ambiance. Except for the first 20 min or so there is hardly any dialog...only a dreadful atmosphere. The cinematography is excellent, the musical score is dark and beautiful and sets the mood perfectly. This movie offers a dark and claustrophobic movie experience. Take a dash of Platoon, Thin red line, Cannibal Holocaust, John Rambo, Beneath Hill 60, Predator and you have some idea what to expect. Well written, well directed, well acted and well shot...this is another Boll gem to put on the top shelf of your movie collection.

What else matters really...than being entertained and having a good time when watching a movie ? OK, sometimes it's good I guess to watch movies with a meaning or with a political statement or whatever...artsy movies, movies that will make you cry and long for your mummy. Movies with complex multi-layered plots. Well...Expendables 2 is not that kind of movie. Not even close. Not even on the same planet actually. Thank god ! This movie does not have a meaning or a political statement. It's not artsy. It doesn't even have a story. Not at all. Nada. Zip. Nothing (OK, our heroes go after a very bad villain called Mr. Villain, but that's it). Yet, it's a great movie !!

Because what this movie does have is a) every major action star from the last 40 years (minus Seagal, Snipes, Dwayne Johnson and some others, but they will probably all pop up in Expendables 3). b) a lot of action....the opening sequence is 20 minutes of non-stop pure action heaven. c) a lot of cheesy one-liners...but guess what, they are actually funny ! I laughed and cheered all the way through this movie...and the laughs were not unintentional. d) Ohhh...and did I also mention that this movie has HEART. Lots of it ! Yes, this movie will put it's arm around you and say "hey buddy, you OK ? don't worry, life sucks sometimes, but let's just forget about all our troubles and enjoy for a while. Cheers mate...clink" Our heroes are tough yes...they show no mercy to their enemies of course. But still deep down...they are nice guys with warm hearts. And it shows in this movie. We actually do get to care about them a little.

Anyway...bottom line. This is a feel good action movie. If you liked the first, you will love this one. And if you didn't like the first...you will love this one. It's bigger, better, warmer, nicer, funnier etc. And it's also a little adventurous...they even get stuck inside a cave ! Enough talking...go see it already !

I have watched this movie many times and had a chance to evaluate every part of it...the story, acting, directing, cinematography, soundtrack. And I have concluded that this movie is quite possibly the best movie of Mr. Stallones career, and without a doubt one of the best and most intense action movies of all times. It just gets better and better every time you watch it. This movie will grow into legend and live on long after its release, much like Predator.

The return of Rambo, 20 years after the unfairly ridiculed third installment (a highly underrated action movie), seemed impossible. Sylvester Stallone was already way past 60. The Rambo franchise was by many considered totally political incorrect, out of date and cheesy. I guess even the fans must have been worried if Sly could really pull it off. But not only did he pull it off, Sylvester Stallone created a legendary action movie that has reached new levels of intensity and grittiness. Something never seen before. It even comes with a political and philosophical message, focusing on the situation in Burma and dealing with pacifism. Sly co-wrote it, starred in it and directed it. This is his baby. But he did get a lot of good help from all the people involved. They have all done a superb job...Brian Tylers beautiful and haunting movie score is very important to the atmosphere of the movie, all the actors are perfectly casted and play their roles well...my favourites being the team of mercenaries. The filming, editing, locations...I can't see how this movie could have been much better. And the final battle scene is beyond intense. It's crazy.

Most of the criticism against the movie seems to focus on the violence. Yes, this movie is terribly violent and gory. The necessity of such a level of violence should be open for discussion. Is it speculative or necessary to give a realistic depiction of the themes involved ? Personally I imagine this movie might be a fairly accurate portrayal of genocide, massacre and the horrors of war. Most of it didn't seem out of place to me. But I can understand that many have reacted to it. But it can't take away from the fact that this movie is a brilliant piece of filmmaking and possibly the most intense and gritty action movie of all times. If you are an action fan, you have probably watched it many times already. If you haven't, what are you waiting for ? Full respect to Mr. Sylvester Stallone for a remarkable achievement.

I review this movie without having seen the original. Maybe that's just as good, since the review will then be based on the merits of this movie alone and not on how it holds to the original. What is this movie all about ? To me it's about shock value, horror, torture, freaks, sadism, survival, humiliation, revenge and a lot of gore. Some people will probably find the gore and horror in this movie hilarious and look at it with humor, while other people will be offended. Personally I'm leaning more towards the latter. I love horror movies, but I was never a fan of movies like Hostel and Saw, where horrific killings and torture seems to be used solely for shock value - as cheap entertainment. This movie will probably appeal to the audience of those movies. But in my view it is a superior movie. It's not Deliverance, which explored the theme of survival against sadism on a different and more serious level (I would label that movie more of a drama than a horror movie). Hills is definitely a horror movie and pure entertainment. But as such it's actually very well made ! The directing, acting, locations, effects, musical score...it is all quality stuff and makes this movie something more than just a cheap bucket of blood and fake limbs being poured all over the audience. I find this movie quite artistic and atmospheric at times. The cinematography is nice. It's not a cheap attempt on cashing in on gore hungry viewers..it's quite a classy attempt on cashing in on gore hungry viewers:) And I guess it must be a worthy remake of the original. What it all comes down to is - do you like these kind of movies or not. If you do, I guess I can recommend this movie. But it's definitely not for the faint of heart. Personally, I was balancing on the edge all through the movie, not being able to decide if I should be impressed by the quality of the filmmaking, or if I should be offended on what was portrayed on the screen. What really made this movie hard for me to watch was the scene involving rape and murder of innocent women, and the fact that there was a baby involved. But in terms of filmmaking it's definitely a good movie. So I guess I will give it a 6. I'm sure people who are not offended, will easily be able to give it a higher rating.

I don't understand the poor rating this movie has. There is so much crap being made that people seem to love, and when something really good and original comes along people don't care about it. This movie touches on the theme of vampires, but it's not your ordinary vampire movie. It's a vampire movie with a twist. It is set in what looks like a somewhat futuristic "Jack the ripper era London" type of environment. This is beautifully done. Movies that come to mind are Sherlock Holmes, Bram Stokers Dracula and Wolfman. If you like those movies, you should find this movie interesting. You don't have to be a vampire buff to like this movie since it's not really a vampire movie, as much as it is a Sherlock Holmes type of suspense thriller where the murderer just happens to be a vampire. This movie is high-end quality filmmaking. It looks far more expensive than what the budget would suggest. The casting and acting is superb. The cinematography, editing, directing, visual effects...everything is superbly done. The story in this movie is even interesting and could have opened up to a number of sequels if this movie wasn't so poorly received (for reasons I don't understand). Anyone who found Sherlock Holmes interesting are advised to give this movie a chance.

Sometimes you come across movies by chance that you had no idea existed, and that makes yo realize that there is being produced a lot of good quality movies outside of Hollywood. To me, this movie was a hidden gem, a treasure that I feel lucky to have found. You can go to the box office any time and choose between various Hollywood productions that are nowhere near the quality of this work. Seldom have I seen a better portrayal of the theme "journey to the heart of darkness". Other movies that have touched on this theme would be "Apocalypse now", "Mercenaries", "Tears of the sun" and "Cannibal holocaust". Yes, this movie is depressive. It's supposed to be. To me, the point in such a movie is the portrayal of depression, fear, darkness and evil itself, and not so much the story that is used to portray it. The journey is within ourselves, exploring our darkest emotions and fears as we move along. I don't think the main theme in Apocalypse now was the Vietnam war, and I don't think the main theme in this movie is the black plague or the history of Christianity, as much as it is the journey into our own black hearts. But of course there are also some interesting historical and religious angles in this movie for those who would be more interested in those themes.

What a dark ride we are offered. As the main characters ride deeper and deeper into the beautiful dark forest (what beautiful scenery) and everything becomes more and more quiet and sinister around them, you can really sense the fear of coming face to face with death and true evil. And they do. The ending is quiet harsh and brutal. Let's leave it to that and not spoil this experience for those who haven't watched the movie yet. I will just add that everything is high-end in this movie, the directing and actors and everyone involved deliver a high-end piece of quality filmmaking that is far ahead of much of the commercial and speculative dribble that is being churned out by Hollywood. This is filmmaking for fine diners and not for the likes who enjoy watching Desperate housewives. If you like movies like "Apocalypse now" you will probably like this movie.

I was never really a big fan of Romero but as a kid back in the days of course his name had a sinister ring to it...I remember watching some of his movies on rotten pirated VHS tapes. His movies were totally banned in my country. They were not great pieces of art, but man they were creepy and scary as hell.

Many years pass, and I never really hear much of the name Romero anymore...until I watched Land of the dead. And what a disappointment ! What had happened to George Romero ? This movie was not creepy at all. It was just plane boring and stupid. Then yesterday I watched Survival of the dead - and again I was left wondering why the heck I was so fascinated with this guy back in the 80's. The magic is gone. Or is it just me that has grown too old ? I don't know. It just feels that the creepiness that made his movies special is not there anymore. It wasn't a total waste watching Survival of the dead, the movie has some nice atmospheric scenes set in beautiful autumn sceneries. I really liked that frame of this movie - it looks beautiful and sets up a nice atmosphere. But the movie never delivers within that framework. You don't care for the characters. They seem out of place (what's with that Irish fisherman, or whatever he is supposed to be, he is not exactly contributing to making the movie realistic, and thus more scary). The zombies are not at all scary or creepy, they actually never feel as a threat. Just put a bullet in their head, and they won't bother you. If you don't have a bullet just use a stick or something. The zombies come one by one and move very slowly. No problem. What was the point of this movie ? Was there a deeper meaning that I missed ? It seemed Romero wanted to make some social comment ? There is a point somewhere ? That we should not kill zombies ? I don't know. If Romero had taken the atmosphere from the scenery and settings of this movie and filled it with something interesting, believable, creepy and scary, this could have been a good movie. But as it is this movie ends up being a nice wrapping without any substance.

The interesting thing is that George Romero has actually produced one of the most interesting zombie movies of recent years with The Crazies. A very good zombie movie !! New and fresh and quite scary. And I think that the remake of Dawn of the dead was much, much better than the original. This all makes me wonder just how overrated George Romero is as a director. He created in many ways the modern zombie, and he will always have credit for that. But I guess he never really was much of a director ? He should probably stick to producing and let other people direct his projects. If ever he will direct a zombie movie again, I would advice that he try and make it more realistic, fresh and scary. Don't make it another spoof. The world has moved on, and so should zombie movies.

I watched this movie with my girlfriend. She is a big fan of Twilight and has romantic ideas about vampires. By the end she was so disgusted she had to walk away. This tells you what you need to know about 30 days of night. It's portrayal of vampires is far from the teenage romantic vision offered in Twilight. This movie is dark, cold, sadistic and bloody. There is nothing romantic about ripping someones neck apart and letting them bleed to death. Anyone who wants to be a vampire based on having seen Twilight, should watch this movie first to make sure they really want what they wish for (be careful what you wish for because it might come true). All in all I think this movie is an above average vampire movie. It is beautiful and atmospheric with interesting and believable characters, and not so ridiculous, posed, stylized and shallow like many other horror movies nowadays. It actually has some substance underneath all the gloss. I just wish the ending had been more intelligent, surprising and thought provoking. I like those movies with a twist in the end that makes your gut churn, like The Mist. If this movie had stepped up that extra notch towards the end, it would have been truly great.