knutt's Reviews

Skyline (2010)

3/10

6 December 2010

I'm sorry, but this is one of the worst F/X movies to date. You say B movie and I say C or D. It starts off with a bang and then they have a flashback that returns nothing - I repeat nothing- to the general flow or plot of the movie. Except bad excuses to expose some skin, that is.

I must say I have seldom been sitting there saying "Err... What was that?" after a movie finishes, but this one, well, I did.

This is a don't movie: Don't see it. Period. If you still insist, please a) don't say I warned you b) make sure you don't pay.

Oh, boy, not enough lines. What do I do now? Well, I explain why I gave 3/10: One point is for the plot and two points go to the nice spaceships and special effects.

This, by the way, is one of those movies where a ten-line comment is overkill.

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The Man from Earth (2007)

10/10

Impressive movie with a real twist at the end

9 September 2010

It is seldom I say WOW when a movie finishes, but this time I did. Whether you elect to call this movie a drama, science fiction or even science fiction drama, it knocks your socks off. The including of certain elements in the plot (you will know if you have seen it what I mean) was really a breath of fresh air and I really enjoyed the explanations there.

The dialog and acting in this movie was surprisingly good. It has a good, strong cast that really deliver their subtle and at times not-so-subtle emotions. I especially loved Tony Todd, Richard Riehle and Ellen Crawford driving the plot forward. These are three excellent actors we have seen in the past, never at the top of the charts, but still made themselves deservedly noticed.

This movie is actually a textbook example of what the SCIENCE in science fiction means. This is a true science fiction movie, acted out as a drama. And the combination works extremely well. If you hate sci-fi, try this one anyway, even my (now, sadly, late) grandmother would have LOVED this one.

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elimiDATE (2001– )

1/10

Braindead

24 June 2008

This show should have the tagline "How desperate can you get?" or "The Lifestyles of the bold and desperate". One "lucky" person dates four of the opposite gender and eliminates them one by one. Lots of bickering and lots of downright dirt throwing. Everyone seem to get half drunk and everyone seem to be more than happy to tell really, REALLY intimate details about themselves - details we here in Norway would reply to friends revealing similar ones with: "Too much information". It is probably an OK show to watch if you love partying and do not really care about finding a partner for life. Also great for people who believe you have to get wasted at a disco to find a friend and love one-nighters.

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Sunshine (2007)

10/10

Fantastic

29 August 2007

When I realized who directed this one, I thought, "Oh, no - not Danny Boyle!" but since I totally LOVE science fiction, I ordered the DVD and thought: "Mr Boyle, surprise me!" And surprise me he did.

This is without doubt the best science fiction movie in a very long time. Visually, this one is a gem. I don't think I have seen such beauty in the Sun ever. The "Icarus II" interiors and exterior is truly wonderful and looks so very real. The actors do a great job realizing a surprisingly good script.

The story is a blend of many science fiction movies, but more on the paying tribute to what was than stealing. You have for instance the resemblance of "Discovery One" in "2001: A Space Odyssey", and a couple of other scenes from there. Watch both movies and you will get my point. Several other movies also have "guest appearances".

Expect state of the art special effects, expect an excellent script - and expect wonderful acting.

I'm not only surprised - I am also very much impressed!

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Odyssey 5 (2002–2004)

10/10

"All of the good ones are taken"...

10 August 2007

... to quote an old Ian Hunter tune. When I saw this one on sale at my favorite DVD shop, I did some research and found it to be a) canceled and b) rated to be a top of the tops show, so I found out I'd take a chance and added it to my collection.

The series hit me like a ton of bricks. For one, they actually had RUDE comments to each other and they dared using f-words! This made the dialog fresh, real and very funny. Dialog, generally, in the show is (well, was) intelligent.

The actors is a chapter by itself. All of them do a marvelous job, but I'd like to emphasize that Peter Weller is PERFECT as Chuck Taggart.

One other thing about the show that I like is the fact that the episodes are interconnected in such a way that they tell a story, and not like, say, Star Trek Enterprise, where every episode is yet another travel in any arbitrary direction and you can see the episode totally as a standalone. O5 is more like the later seasons of Stargate SG-1: You'd better pay attention or you will miss something.

Some guy or committee at Showtime found out that "No, we don't want this", so it got canceled after season 1 finished. Too bad and actually for GOOD sci-fi, a disaster. Odyssey 5 was probably THE best series in this category, and they canceled it. I can only suggest that people reading this that love the show, go over to Manny Coto's fan site (address on his IMDb profile) and register their opinions in the forum, so that Mr. Coto HOPEFULLY does what he say he want to do: Continue or start over.

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The Beach (I) (2000)

3/10

Weed heaven

22 July 2007

Warning: Spoilers

My three stars for this movie goes to the Thai actors who actually spoke Thai - and more accurately the SOUTHERN dialect as expected as of where the island would be. I guess there are some "spoilers" in here somewhere, so if you truly do want to see the movie (I suggest you waste your money elsewhere), stop reading HERE.

So, what was so bad about this one? If you sit there smoking little cigarettes without tobacco, then this movie is for you. If not - forget about it. Because if this IS what you do, this movie's got it all: Weed for breakfast, weed for lunch and - hey - surprise (limited offer, only today) weed for dinner! The story is about a traveler from (surprise) USA who discovers his paradise on Earth: A secret beach on an island in Thailand - a place where there are (oh, my) an entire society of dope heads having an endless rave party.

I guess this is the story of The Garden of Eden retold in its hippie form, where you can smoke as many reefers as you like as long as you don't tell anyone else.

It is quite embarrassing to sit there watching a movie where they manage to get the culture of a country totally wrong and give you the impression that Thailand is a Mecca for dope heads. Maybe so on SOME islands, but Thailand so just happens to have EXTREMELY strict laws on drugs.

Taking so lightly on murder as they did in this one, and for that matter, drug abuse, is seriously way wrong. You do not make a movie where you get the feeling afterward that "everyone" around you smokes joints more or less all the time. Also, the really REALLY distasteful way of dealing with killing a person and then just - poof - forgetting about it afterward. Shame on you, Danny Boyle!

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Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

6/10

Yeah, Right

3 July 2007

In my opinion this is one of those "yeah, right" movies. Do not misunderstand me here - a movie in this category can be great fun. And as such, Bruce Willis' character John McClane delivers. And then he deliver again - and again.

This movie has all the "yeah, rights" from all the three previous movies, and then some new ones. Since I don't want to spoil the fun, I can only say things are really falling from the sky here.

For a good two hours of brainless fun where you are not too concerned about plot holes as big as a Peterbilt truck (no, it was not Optimus Prime) you should go and have a blast. For people who do care about plot holes, go find some other movie.

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Transformers (2007)

10/10

"Autobots, roll out!"

28 June 2007

After seeing the trailers, reading up on the net and discussing with my colleagues, I was convinced this was MY kinda movie: Action, and sci-fi. I was totally convinced this was a great movie. After five minutes my expectations were already met and then some. When the movie was over I was grinning like a moron - action (OK, GREAT action), sci-fi (and actually - umm - "convincing" plot) - and (surprise!!!) great humor! So, some robots transformed to other vehicles and some robots did not transform at all into what they did in the the TV series - but so what? The series was a kid's show from the eighties and we are now in an entire new century! Michael Bay gave the Transformers a much needed upgrade. The IBM PC was running MS-DOS when the first Autobot and Decepticon revealed themselves on TV, and nobody had even heard about Internet until well after the original Transformers series ended. Some could not transform because of legal issues - and some items looked just plain dumb in 2007.

I just have to agree with Steven Spielberg: "Michael Bay was born to make Transformers"

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The Fountain (2006)

10/10

Totally Incredible!

8 June 2007

I won't lie and say I understood this movie, but at the same time I must say this is the most pleasing movie visually I have ever seen. I believe I have a rudimentary idea what the director and authors want to tell me and the three intertwining stories are all beautiful in their own way. Well, perhaps not the story the director call "Number one" in the extra material on the DVD, but the two others are marvelous.

This is a strong movie. Strong in emotions, and a strong workmanship of everyone involved. The performances of Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz is in my humble opinion well within Academy Award-winning quality. The director worked hard on getting this together and delivered a masterpiece. To top it of, the score for this jewel of a movie, lies there in the background and actually enhance what you see on the screen. Floating music to a floating... err... watch for your self. If you get disappointed, don't blame me.

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Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983)

2/10

Boring!

28 May 2007

My wife and I had a great time watching the first movie and the second one was fair. This one, however, was nearly embarrassing to watch. Bad acting, stupid gags - and recycled jokes from the first movie remade and adapted for this one. This is truly a worthy candidate for "50 worst movies ever made" as I have been told it is featured in.

I must say, however, that some of the gags were truly funny, but they did not justify an entire movie. Leaving Burt Reynolds ("The Real Bandit") all out of this one was probably Mr Reynold's best move, but it made the movie even more WRONG. If you can't get the main character to stay, drop it.

Halfway through the movie we started wondering "Will this never end?" and "Are we there yet?" - and finally we could flip this yawner out of the DVD player - never to be played again.

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Lost in Translation (2003)

4/10

Boring

14 September 2006

Sorry, but dramas is not for me. I watched it because Bill Murray was in it and because I like many of his previous movies. The category comedy also made me go for this one. But - unfortunately for me - the comedy was scarce and the drama was heavy.

I got the feeling this was more a movie that tried to tell me something without saying it - just like your wife tries sending you subliminal messages without saying anything: "What do you mean?" "Nothing..." And you know you're in trouble.

When I finished watching, my first thought here was that I really wondered - what was THAT all about? Was it a situation report on what happens "when two ships meet in the night"? Was it a love story? Was it a comedy? Or what the heck was it? I am unable to provide the answers and in my personal system I file it under "Movies for women". And - yes - that is to me a negative thing.

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Batman Begins (2005)

10/10

Christopher Nolan, I bow to thee

6 August 2006

Finally, a director that takes a story seriously and does not mess it up with "bright" ideas. This is the Caped Crusader I know from my childhood, this is the Caped Crusader that they should have made in the first place. This is the one pillar all should look to when it comes to creating a comic-to-screen feature. Or - for that matter - a book-to-screen.

This one made my day - and night. Watching late in the evening and finishing it around 1am seemed to be a good idea AFTER doing so. Why? This is a dark movie where bird chirping outside would be a bit - off. Too bad I missed it in the theater, as this clearly is a theater-kind-of-movie.

The F/X are as expected state of the art, but the little surprise in this one is the drama and the excellent performances by a range of well known and fine actors. I have to say I like the style of Morgan Freeman - and even though not in a main role, he plays his part superbly also in this movie.

In this movie, Nolan brings us back to the beginning and retells the story of Batman. And he tells the story right, he tells the story so fans of the original Batman recognizes him. Oh, BOY, do I look forward to the next one...

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xXx: State of the Union (2005)

4/10

I lost it

4 August 2006

Oh, no... That sinking feeling halfway through again. The first third of the movie was OK, it was building up to a surprise and then it fell down like when you shake a cake with baking soda in it at the wrong moment. Pffft........

First third of the movie was OK, the second third was OK too, but you sat there wondering when they would come to the point. And I started having doubts. When certain elements started entering the stage I got my "Uh, oh..." and the movie was ruined. What surprises me here is the total lack of reality. OK, it is an action movie, but even with the brain only halfway turned on, you start wondering how what just happened was possible, plausible - or relevant.

Please make me an action movie where things aren't oversimplified to embarrassing clichés.

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Invasion (1997– )

3/10

Disappointing

22 July 2006

Warning: Spoilers

From time to time I watch a movie and get a sense of "detaching" from the action on-screen. Let me explain: Normally I concentrate on the story and stay focused all the way through, even though fellow movie watchers in a theater disturb me or even when we take short breaks when watching at home to get something to eat, bathroom breaks or whatever. I get back into the story like THAT. But then - sometimes I watch this movie that make me lose concentration and think: "What the h..ll?" and the movie experience is gone.

"Robin Cook's Invasion" is in that category. The all over feel of the movie gave me a feeling like somebody did not use their brains when making this movie. I mean, many of the elements of the movie did not explain very well - like the date shaped rocks raining down. Why did they have to float in the air over the waste basket? Why did it insert a black goo that had to look like saliva a moment later? When did meteor rocks land on top of sand without making even a tiny dent in it? What was the purpose of the vortex of fire that brought the first stone home (as in - WHY did the first stone go home)? I had huge problems understanding why the aliens poised a threat to Earth, why the aliens wanted to alter the human race, why it was bad if the portal opened and, for that matter, why the stupid space ship blew up because Beau lost his grip on the power dial (or whatever it was).

The looks of the "intelligent thingy" inside the stone. Complete with a huge brain, angry eyes and all was just too much. If I am not mistaken, they even managed to call that thingy the VIRUS. Woohoo! An intelligent virus! What exactly was their intended audience here? Children? No - they had some feeble attempts at sex scenes. I think their intended audience must have been the one with lesser IQ. Sorry, this movie did nothing for me.

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The Bold and the Beautiful (1987– )

1/10

The Bald and the Senseless

5 June 2006

I remember being forced to watch this junk with my ex wife. Not a day without a new episode of this one (and preferably also yesterday's rerun) to lighten up dinner. This show actually proves the expression "bored out of my mind" to the fullest. Everlasting melodramas, bad acting and totally senseless plots. At least in the early years, the series' "outdoor" shots were always stills or clearly shot indoors.

The all-time high for this show was when some actor other than Ronn Moss (Lane Davies, I see, from the cast of characters) stepped in for him to play Ridge Forrester - because Mr Moss was on vacation! And to top it off, they gave this information as a voice-over when the new actor appeared on the screen! Hilarious!

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War of the Worlds (2005)

10/10

Excellent, Traumatic and Claustrophobic

4 July 2005

Warning: Spoilers

Before going I was afraid Mr Spielberg would be trapped in the "traumatic family" sequence yet again. This time he only hinted on it and did so excellently.

He rather quickly started discretely building up to things to come and managed to build up a panic-struck, traumatic and at times claustrophobic mood like I have never witnessed in a sci-fi movie.

This is one of really few movies that has made my heart actually beat faster (another one doing that is the excellent Thai scary movie Shutter (But that one is a totally different category...)) - and made me really restless in my seat. Don't get me wrong - "restless in a good way": Like a movie like this is supposed to make you feel! Steven Spielberg is at his best in this movie and really put me on the most thrilling roller-coaster there is... Here comes another loop at Mach 1.5! Hold on! Wheeee!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, Sh...!

---Begin Spoiler 1st Warning---

Read below and you may be - umm - spoiled...

---Begin Spoiler 2nd Warning--- I warn you...

---Begin Spoiler 3rd - and Last Warning---

The train sequence is one of the best scenes I've seen in a long time. It is totally unexpected and really something! If you read this far and wonder "what train?" I ain't gonna tell you - go see for yourself, man! Oh, by the way...

Don't - I repeat DON'T turn on any fog horns close to me in the near future! I'm gonna drive straight off the road!

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Carrie (1976)

9/10

Strong, Very Strong

13 September 2004

For one that was harassed at school, this was strong - very strong. I can relate to being the one everyone were pecking on, being tricked and everyone laughing. I was "lucky" and ended up in the nicest class at our school, so I was treated with some degree of respect, but still - I know that feeling and it does make you want to get even.

Being a fan of Stephen King and Brian de Palma I must say this movie really has not lost its sting. There are very few movies from the '60s I can really say I like, most of them are trash. This one is in my opinion far more emotional and cruel than most movies today. Not having a standard Hollywood ending does really help too.

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When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002)

10/10

Excellent!

8 February 2004

This movie was recommended to me after I went to see "The Last Samurai (2003)" and was deeply captivated with that story.

This movie takes place during the confusing times when the Emperor attempted to modernize Japan and the time of the samurai warriors and their shogun masters was ending. It tells the story of the "lesser" samurai Kanichiro Yoshimura and his rival Hajime Saito. This is more of a drama than an action movie, and that is where it scored high with me. Call it a samurai movie with a twist - or, if you like, one that probably is more historically correct and pays more respect to the proud samurai warriors.

My face did get wet, I admit that. I really did have empathy (and sympathy for that matter) with poor, hard-working, misunderstood Yoshimura. 10/10!

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Independence Day (1996)

8/10

Oh, my! Save us! Not from the ALIENS, but from the writers!

20 April 2003

Warning: Spoilers

REVISED and UPDATED! ---Start comments for Special Edition--- After the director was allowed to put in his "missing elements" the movie changed in my view from a clear disaster movie (as in "Why did I pay for this?") and to a really entertaining movie. There were a lot of things now really making sense and the movie actually rose from being a one out of ten to eight out of ten stars. Way to go! This strengthens my theory that the more people playing "bosses" the feewer things get done the right way (or - the fewer things get done at all.)

Now I must say the movie is exciting, it is entertaining, it is understandable - and I like it. Way to go! ---End Comments for Special Edition--- ---Below this line is the comment for the THEATRICAL version of Incependence Day I'm not even sure if I should write "spoiler alert" here, but the entire movie is a spoiler (as in a waste of time). There are so many errors and false assumptions in this movie that I'm not sure where to start.

OK - first things first. Finding a clock signal in our own satellite communications without anyone but the mighty Jeff (Goldblum) finding it out was stupid enough in itself. Then we have the wonderful "They have wiped out all our major cities, but we cannot nuke'm" comment. And the winner of all the dumb comment goes to... The Virus. Of course, we kill the alien defense with The Virus. Oh, almost forgot: The aliens have tentacles and arms sticking out just about everywhere, but the chairs in their little, handy fighters are of course custom fit for humans. And OF COURSE it is possible for us humans to run it without having the handbook ready.

Oh, MY! I gave this movie a four out of the ten stars available here at IMDb. Reason: I gave it ZERO for the story line (it really, REALLY gives science fiction a bad reputation!!!) and four for the fireworks. The F/X boys and girls really did a wonderful job on this movie - and the effects is why I saw it again tonight on TV. And to remind me why I was so extremely disappointed about it when I saw it in the theaters.

One more thing: American patriotism and nationalism is really running high on this one. Way too high.

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Ice Age (2002)

8/10

FUNNY!

1 July 2002

There are very few movies that are so funny as this one. I was lucky enough to watch this movie at a theater "reserved" for movie buffs like me, so it was not so embarrassing sitting there laughing till my jaw was completely sore and my shirt sleeves were all wet from drying my eyes...

At times the story was a bit "slow", but that is perhaps for the best - a bit of rest in-between the rolling amongst the aisles (I nearly fell out of the seat...) was most welcome.

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Summer of Sam (1999)

3/10

One Big Swearword

22 June 2002

Warning: Spoilers

What can I say? I think I have to write "Spoiler alert" and then "reveal" they used the F-word a LOT in this movie - like in every two sentences. I did not like this movie at all - too much hints on sexual perversions, sidesteps and cheating. And that swearing was totally out the window. I gave this movie "3" and two of those points are for Mira Sorvino's sexy movements on the dance floor.

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Fantasia 2000 (1999)

10/10

WOW!

13 January 2000

This was my first visit to an IMAX theater and it knocked my socks completely off. The quality of the sound and the picture on the screen was unprecedented. I actually used part of my time looking for the grains you normally see on a "normal" movie theater. I couldn't find any.

The movie itself was great. As I enjoy classical music, the music score was (of course) no problem. The animations the Disney artists had made to the classical masterpieces were also masterpieces by themselves. If I have to make one of them my favorite, I select "The Firebird" by Igor Stravinsky. Wonderful music and absolutely stunning animation/drawings.

Tip: Sit thru the end credits. There's a slightly voice at the end.

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DNA (1996 Video)

2/10

Just Plain Dumb

16 August 1999

Warning: Spoilers

There were a lot of errors in this movie.

First, they claim the story takes place on Borneo. Wrong. They don't have jeepneys in Borneo, but in the Philippines. Funny, the credits talk about Philippine crew...

Second, tribes living in the jungle with only spears and bows with arrows for protection/food and only a cloth around the waist is a cliché and as far as I know, dead wrong.

Third, the special effects just suck. The helicopter tumbling after our "heroes" looks animated - and "glued" in. The ambient colors are different on the helicopter and surroundings.

Possible "spoiler" in the following paragraph... The story itself is a mix of "Alien" and "Predator". Those two movies are great - this one is not. We never get to understand the nature of the monster - and why it all of a sudden is so darn easy to kill it in the end. If that may be a surprising element...

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