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Madame Web (2024)
The best kind of bad
Morbius failed to live up to the hype. Madame Web did not. While the former was simply boring, the latter really is a special kind of bad. Other movies only aspire to achieve something like this but this film pulls of being bad with finesse. And for someone who enjoys bad movies as much as I do, this film is an absolute treat.
The production value and the VFX is great which make the bad parts stand out even more. Especially the unashamed product placement, which is so in your face that I couldn't help but laugh out loud in the theater. I mean... a giant-ass Pepsi sign defeats the main villain in the end. It's truly a sight to see.
The story is an underdeveloped mess but the actors do their best to take it seriously, which makes it even funnier. Nothing makes sense, the motivations are lackluster but the best thing is probably how everyone has just a single defining trait: "that girl likes math. You know she likes math, because it's written on her T-Shirt, she solves sudoku puzzles in her free time, always talks about sciency stuff and they even mention it a couple of times that she likes math."
There really isn't another movie as entertainingly bad as this one. Other bad movies are mostly only boring or infuriating but this is so much fun.
Don't get me wrong, it is bad. I, for example hated the fact that it mascaraded as a feminist film for having female leads, but constantly made eye-candies of the minors, and it had some pretty apparent anti-choice propaganda as its main theme. So yeah, I struggled a lot with rating this film: I didn't want to give it a low rating, because it was very entertaining for me but I didn't want to give it a high rating either because it was bad. And even though it was anything but mid, I finally decided to give it something inbetween.
The Marvels (2023)
What a Marvel movie should be
The Marvels is exactly what a Marvel movie should be.
It's super fun, exciting while also having depth and serious moments. It stands on it's own, it's perfectly enjoyable without having to see Ms Marvel or Secret Invasion but it doesn't let the fans down either: it has world building, character growth and it reflects on questions and problems presented in earlier MCU films, making it part of the ongoing narrative.
I adored Kamala: Iman Vellani brings a contagious positive energy to the movie and you can't help but smile. I was thrilled that her family from Ms Marvel were featured more prominently than just a cameo appearence: they're so hilarious and loveable. All the main characters bring their A-game and their funny and heartfelt interactions are worth the price of the movie ticket alone.
The movie is not only fun but insanely creative as well. The cartoon segment in the beginning sold me instantly and there are some really cool montages and shots in this that film students would drool over.
It also has killer music and LOTS of adorable cats.
Saying Yes to Christmas (2021)
Ambivalent feelings
I feel strangely about this film. On the one hand it was very well made. The actors were great, the characters well written and lovable and the script was quite funny. The premise was also a breath of fresh air.
On the other hand I found the movie to be quite sexist to the point that I could no longer say that it's a good film, however well made it is.
For example: The man never helps the woman in her job while it is expected of the woman to help the man. The man is equally obsessed with his job as the woman yet he constantly criticizes her for it. The man literally forces the woman to only say what he wants her to say, repressing her free will.
These moments and subthemes made the film iimpossible for me to like but I have to admit that it's well made.
Men in Black³ (2012)
Josh Brolin is the best
The first Men in Black movie I saw was the second one. It didn't really impress me, so I didn't rush to see the first one. But as part III was approaching I thought I should check it out and I was surprised, I liked it very much, but I still didn't go into the cinema with hight hopes, but again I had to realize that I was wrong. The movie's not a masterpiece, it won't change your life, but it's fun, and that's what counts. The story was good (I always like good time-travel in films), the action and the effects worked, Will Smith was funny as ever, but Josh Brolin's Tommy Lee Jones impression was the best.
The interactions between J and K were well written and Jemaine Clement did a terrific job as the villain. But sometimes I found the alien elements to be too much. Boris's hand and those spikes he shot out of it were kind of ridiculous, and his motives weren't very clear, but that doesn't take much away from the experience. Also there were some plot-holes and things that weren't explained, but I guess time-travel is hard to write, because it doesn't exist. I don't want to pick this movie apart, so I won't talk about these illogicalities, see them for yourself.
All in all the movie isn't the best, but it isn't bad at all. Enjoyable, funny and brings back nice memories. Oh and the music was really good too (Danny Elfman did the composing).
Score: ★★★★
Fright Night (2011)
An average burger
The movie is nothing special it all. I had a hard time figuring out whether it was a comedy or a horror film, because if it was the first, it wasn't funny enough. It had some laughs, but that's about it. If it was the latter, it didn't take itself seriously enough. It wasn't scary at all. If they were trying to do a mix of both genre's, they failed at that too. Sure they've taken the basic elements of comedies and horror movies, but the mix wasn't right. The two genres simply went against each other, and in the collision both suffered greatly. But Fright Night still didn't fail to entertain.
There were some pretty good stuff in the movie too. The first thing is David Tennant. I hated him in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (he played Barty Crouch Jr.), but in this film he was entertaining as hell! Colin Farrell did a good job too, the others were either too flat or (in the case of Christopher Mintz-Plasse) they went over the top.
What also worked was the music. Ramin Djawadi is the man! His awesome soundtracks never fail to impress me, I can't wait for his next movie. Sadly that's pretty much the end of the positive aspects of the film. It was kinda stupid, the story was dumb, the directing average. Although they tried to put some deeper meaning into the movie, it didn't work.
If I was to compare Fright Night to a food, it would be an average burger. Fun enough, but won't silence your growling stomach for long.
Score: ★★★
Machete (2010)
A fan's dream
I am a huge fan and admirer of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. I love their films, they are artistic, fun and have a special kind of feeling that lingers around them. I wanted to see Machete in theaters, but didn't have the time for. So I got it on DVD and I already watched it twice.
It is a very good film, if you like Rodriguez's style and liked the original fake trailer. The film doesn't disappoint, gives you everything it promises. Danny Trejo is a bad-ass, Michelle Rodriguez also, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson and Jeff Fahay were great, Tom Savini was funny and the appearances of Daryl Sabara, Electra and Elise Avellan, Felix Sabates and Tommy Nix were great surprises after Spy Kids and Planet Terror. One of the many things I like about Robert Rodriguez is that he works with the same actors.
On the other hand I felt that Robert DeNiro and Steven Seagal were very out of place in this movie and Jessica Alba was kind of annoying. Lindsey Lohan was surprisingly good and the cameo of Antal Nimród was a great touch for a Hungarian like me.
The story you might already now, Machete is hired to kill a senator, but he is double crossed, so he kills everybody and sleeps with every woman.
The only thing I missed from this film was the touch of Tarantino. It would've been awesome if he co-directed or at least got a cameo like Antal Nimród.
I liked Machete very much, it was great fun.
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Unexpectedly well done
This film surprised me. I was expecting something completely different, but it was a good surprise. The thing I instantly noticed was the truly remarkable photography. The film was beautifully shot, the amazing John Toll did a superb job. He is a great cinematographer and absolutely deserved his two previous Oscar's and needs to win another if not more. The editing and the music also stood out.
The story was very interesting, and I liked the way it was done too. I haven't read the original short story, but I think the script was rather good. The actors also did a good job, I especially liked Terence Stamp. Oh, and Anthony Mackie surprised me with his appearance, I didn't expect to see him. Matt Damon was good too, but Emily Blunt played him off I think.
The story is not the of the simple kind which I am used to when watching American movies nowadays. A troubled, but popular New York state representative, David Norris (Matt Damon) meets the woman of his dreams, Elise (Emily Blunt) in the men's room. Their ways depart, and David doesn't even know her name. A few months later they meet on a bus. Elise gives David her phone number. It turns out that some people, very important people don't want them to be together.
I liked the film, but it wasn't the greatest.
Sucker Punch (2011)
No story, but hot chicks and great visuals
First of all I have to say that I liked the movie. The story was too flat, and too desperate in trying not to be flat. The moral of it felt forced to me, and the multiple layers of reality made it look like a crappy version of Inception. Yet the fight scenes were incredibly well done, and the visuals were very impressive as well.
The story is kind of stupid. A girl (Baby-Doll) is moved to a mental hospital because she kills her sister instead of her abusive stepfather. There she imagines that she is in this whorehouse and she has to dance for the High Roller. Whenever she dances her mind takes her to these fantastical worlds where she has to find these four objects to escape from the asylum. It's too complicated, it would've been a whole lot better if the story was only in the fantasy world. This "the whole thing is just in your head" crap wasn't needed.
The action sequences in this film were absolutely remarkable. The WWI fight scene with the bombed Notre-Dame and the steam-powered German zombie soldiers was amazing. These fantasy worlds Zack Snyder created were fantastic, he just should've executed his whole story in them, reducing the layers of reality to one. He is one of the best action directors, but he shouldn't be writing his own scripts.
All in all, Sucker Punch isn't a good movie, but it is well made and quite enjoyable in some parts.
MacGruber (2010)
Ugh...
I watched this film, because I love the Lonely Island, and since Jorma Taccone directed it I thought it was going to be hilarious. Well, it turns out it wasn't funny at all. It was a bit like Monty Python, without the smart, subtle British humor. It was an endless stream of stupidity and I don't recommend it to anybody. It's a real waste of time. The basic idea was okay, but the writing was really bad. There were some funny ideas, like the name Cunth, the team exploding in the car, but they didn't execute that last one really well. Too much emphasis was put on it.
The story is as follows: the American military calls back an ex-military hero, MacGruber to save the world from the evil Cunth (Val Kilmer), who stole a nuclear warhead and is planning to use it on American soil. The story twists are kind of predictable and just so stupid! There's no better word for it, the whole film's stupid. I really like Powers Booth, so he made the movie less terrible, but I don't think I'm gonna watch it ever again.
War (2007)
I'd go to War with anyone who says it's good.
Well, this movie wasn't exactly what I expected. I expected an endless stream of action and violence and that the whole movie would be about Jet Li and Jason Statham fighting each other. Instead I got loads of talking, fairly short action sequences and a story that was meant to be a great plot. It was predictable (I knew what the twist will be from the beginning), unnecessarily complicated, had too many characters and lacked good action.
An assassin named Rogue murders the partner of John Crawford (Statham), an FBI agent. Then Rogue disappears for three months, but he starts killing again. Crawford tracks him down, while the Yakuzas and the Trieks are having a war in San Diego. The film has some good action sequences, but they're ruined by the awful editing, which is so fast at some places, you don't even know what the hell is going on.
All in all War isn't terrible, but not even close to good.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Lives up to its predecessors
I am a big Pirates of the Caribbean fan, so I'm kind of ashamed of myself for seeing it so late after the release. I didn't know what to think of this movie before I went to see it, because some people loved it, yet some hated it: so I had to check it out for myself. I did do that and I went into the cinema with no expectations what so ever, so I was not disappointed. Wasn't disappointed? I loved the film!
It was very entertaining, the writers did a great job. Johnny Depp was absolutely amazing as usual and Geoffrey Rush played well too. Ian McShane was kind of a weak villain, and the movie took a little bit too much time to start (the first half is very slow, with unnecessary sword fights), but for the second half Rob Marshall finally finds himself and continues the film in a good pace and rhythm. I don't think Marshall is a better or worse director than Gore Verbinski, the change of directors freshened up the franchise a bit. I didn't mind the priest- mermaid love story in the film either, I think it was a good added spice.
I wouldn't go as far as to say this film was the best in the series, but it was by far the most entertaining and it lived up to the first one. Thanks to Hans Zimmer's breath-taking music, Johnny Depp's performance and the hilarious character of Jack Sparrow, this franchise will never get old for me.
X: First Class (2011)
Not the best comic book movie, but certainly one of them.
I saw this movie a little while back, but I didn't get around reviewing it. But it's better late, than never, so here it is: I think First Class is the best X-Men movie yet. I read in a lot of reviews that it's the "BEST COMIC MOVIE EVAR!!!1!!1!!one!!!!!!", but it is not as good as The Dark Knight or Iron Man, although it is a very good film. Despite the fact that there are a few differences in this film to the other X-Men movies, this one was, by far, the best. Matthew Vaughn has never made a bad movie yet, so why'd he make a bad X-Men movie?
Michael Fassbender was the best choice for young Magneto. He did a great job in portraying the soon to be greatest villain of all time (according to the list on IGN). James McAvoy was a good professor X too, but I just wasn't convinced that he was the same old guy we saw in X- Men, X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand. The villain in this film, Sebastian Shaw (played by Kevin Bacon) was also very good, but not as good as Magneto, of course. The other members of the cast were good as well, but I have one aching question: why did the black guy have to die after like ten minutes of screen time?
The story was well written, but there were some plot-holes if we consider the previous films. Matthew Vaughn was a great choice as the director, he did a very good job. Another thing that I have to mention is the music. It was mind-blowingly amazing!
If you like comic book adaptations this movie is a must see. If you don't like them, then it's possible that you'll like this one.
Jonah Hex (2010)
Awful? No. Good? No.
First of all, this movie wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. It had a very bad (4.7 or something) rating in IMDb, so I must admit, I didn't buy the DVD, I downloaded the film. Now I regret it, because the creators of Jonah Hex deserve the money for this one and a half hours of entertainment. This is why I promise to get the DVD as soon as I have the chance.
The film wasn't boring at all, it had good fight scenes, and was like any average comic-book adaptation (it doesn't reach the level 300 or Sin City, but certainly tops Ghost Rider). Getting the great Josh Brolin for the leading role was truly a positive aspect of the film, as well as the stunning Megan Fox. Apart from her looks she doesn't have much talent, but I think she was good enough in this film. But on the contrary, the respected actor John Malkovich didn't do a very good job. Any other actor could've pulled something like that off, so why get him? He played the role with a blank face throughout the whole movie, he annoyed me so much. He played this character the same way he played the king in Eragon. Anyway, the crown jewel of the cast was, without a doubt, Michael Fassbender. He made a splendid performance.
The story didn't have much to it. A man, Jonah Hex, committed treason by killing the son of the general, because he didn't want to burn down the hospital with innocent people in it. So the general murders the family of Hex and burns a mark on his face. Jonah Hex gains the special ability to talk to the dead and after the assumed death of the general he turns to be a bounty hunter. It turns out that the general is alive, and the government needs Jonah to get rid of him. He accepts, because he seeks revenge. The dialogs could've been funnier and more clever, the fight scenes weren't very realistic and the montage-like editing was annoying sometimes.
The film had some good scenes, cinematography and actors. All in all it wasn't a bad film, but not great either. Good for a one time view.
127 Hours (2010)
No Oscar win? Shame on them.
This movie was simply amazing! James Franco's performance is shockingly natural, hilarious and even scary at some points. The film tells the true story of a man, Aron who is stuck in a canyon with one bottle of water for over five days, without telling anyone where he went. Judging by the plot, the film could've sucked, could've been average, but it was over the top.
Danny Boyle showed us many times before that he is a genius, now he has proved it. All the shots are spectacular, the way of storytelling is interesting and the film is amusing, exciting and moving. It shows the suffering of Aron in a very naturalistic way, you feel the same way he does. I don't recommend this film for those, who can't take much, but it is truly a masterpiece.
Don't get me wrong, I loved The King's Speech too (it truly deserved to win the Oscar), but this film somehow had a greater impression on me.
Observe and Report (2009)
Had more potential
I've heard somewhere that Observe and Report is Paul Blart Mall Cop in Quentin Tarantino style. Because I love Tarantino's style I thought I should check out the film. It was all right, funny at some parts, with a hilarious ending. Tarantino would've it done better, but the one who said it was his style mustn't have liked the master very much.
Anyway, for me, Observe and Report was the American Hot Fuzz with less action and more obscene humor. The film was pretty average, but I liked it, it was good fun to watch. I like Seth Rogen, he was very good. This is the first movie I've ever seen Ray Liotta in, so I don't know what kind of actor he is, but he did a good job too.
The main character is a mall cop (Seth Rogen), who wants to prove that he's better than everyone else thinks. He gets an opportunity when a flasher appears in the parking lot of the mall. He starts investigating, a cop (Ray Liotta) shows and some crazy things happen along the way.
The film is good for those who like to hear many curse words, find sex jokes hilarious and aren't interested in good action. It wasn't a very good film, but certainly better than most movies of this caliber.
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Almost as good as X-Men. Almost.
I'm not a huge X-Men fan, I didn't read the comics, but I've seen all of the films now. This is definitely not the best one, but a rather fun movie to check out. Magneto is cool, Wolverine is bad-ass and Vinnie Jones makes a hilarious Juggernaut. The movie is worth watching only for his awesome line: "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!" It's just legendary.
The plot revolves around a cure what was invented to rid mutants of their abilities. Magneto doesn't want that, so he forms an army of mutants to destroy the source of the cure. The X- Men need to stop him, but I'm not gonna tell you if they succeed or not.
I saw some familiar faces in the film, like Dania Ramirez, Ellen Page, Shohreh Aghdashloo and of course Stan Lee at the beginning. I didn't expect to see them, so it was a good surprise.
The special effects, costumes were really good in the film, the story was a little weak and the acting was fairly average too. It had some good fight scenes, cool new abilities and Wolverine, who is Marvel's Batman.
The film is worth checking out, if you're down to comic book adaptations.
Thor (2011)
The sons of Odin strike
Thor is a fun, action packed ride, which guides you through this fabulous, Norse myth era of MARVEL comics, hosted by none other, then the one and only Kenneth Branagh. Although we can all agree, that he is a better actor than director, he did a very good job in bringing the script adapted from the comics to life. The best thing about this film is the score. Patrick Doyle is a great musician and he did a marvelous job in scoring Thor. The visuals are stunning, and the cinematography is good too. The actors did their job well, and I have to say, that Chris Hemsworth proved to be the best of the cast.
Now that I listed all the good things, we shall move onto the bad ones: the story is simple and doesn't really hold together, it's like of a not-too-good video game. Frost giants battle the vikings of Asgard, and Odin's son, Thor is banished from the Kingdom, because he was disrespectful with his father (he called him an "Old man and a fool!"). The Asgardians use this teleport-thing to transport Thor to the Earth where Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard and a second chick hit him with their truck, while admiring a weird storm (it came from the teleport-thing, actually). The second chick is annoying, Skarsgard's character doesn't really have a purpose in the film, he's just there all the time, and the three viking friends of Thor don't really serve a purpose either, they only fight a little. Although I have to admit, the relationship between Thor and Loki is very well written.
I liked that Agent Coulson was in this movie too, and there was a surprising cameo in the film, which I won't ruin for you. All in all, Thor is worth checking out for MARVEL fans, and comic book lovers, because it's a pretty decent adaptation. Not as good as Iron Man though, but it beats the crap out of all the Spidey movies.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011)
Potter for ever
This film is absolutely brilliant. The makers of the Harry Potter franchise finally pulled themselves together, and made something awesome. I am a huge fan of the books, but I haven't been a real fan of the films, because they've been constantly disappointing me. I've read all the books at least five times, so I now them almost word for word, so maybe that's why the other films (especially the fourth one) were such disappointments for me. But this one, the eighth film in the series, was everything I could hope for.
It was true to the book, the visuals were striking, the acting was over the top, the music was moving and the script was (finally) well-adapted. Maybe all these things are due to the fact that J. K. Rowling was an executive producer on this. I liked that there were some funny moments and some extra action in the movie which weren't in the book, but I missed one thing they left out. I won't tell you what it is, because I don't want to spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it yet (shame on you! go see it).
I'm glad John Williams didn't come back for this film to compose, Alexandre Desplat's music is so full of emotions and has great tunes. I actually cried at one scene (because of the music and Alan Rickman's great acting), although films don't usually have that effect on me anymore.
All in all the film was great fun, in some way better than the book, so for a Potter fan it's a must see.
War Horse (2011)
A true masterpiece from a true master
Hold your horses! I expected this movie to be a heart-warming, decent Spielberg movie, but as it turns out, War Horse is a lot more than that. It is beautifully shot, has fantastic music, the directing is terrific and all in all the movie is awesome. I could go on and on about how good this flick is, and I'll do just that in a moment, but first I gotta point out the few things that I, personally, didn't like.
I don't think I'm a bad person, but up to this point I didn't really like horses, or any animal as a matter of fact. I think they're messy, they smell bad and I never saw the perks of riding a horse, since we don't use them as transport anymore. However, even if I don't like real-life horses that much, movie horses are damn wonderful. At first I was annoyed with the horse- centeredness of this film, but then the magic touched me and I let it warm up my hairy heart, which made me realize the movie wasn't about the horse itself, but its affect on the people. It proves that no matter which side you fight on, we are all humans. Cheesy as it may sound, it's not the less true.
I wanted to talk about the bad things, didn't I? Well it seems like there are no bad things in this movie after all. You may only dislike it if you really loathe horses, and I don't think there are any people who'd be so heartless. Anyway, War Horse had so many moving scenes alongside the grand war moments, the cinematography was spectacular as well as the directing. Thank you, Steven Spielberg for this amazing experience. Oh, John Williams, you're the man!
I thought I wouldn't see any actors I'd recognize in the film. Well Tom Hiddleston, Peter Mullan, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Thewlis, Eddie Marsan, Tobby Kebbel and Liam Cunningham were all pleasant surprises. (Although I did see Cumberbatch in the trailer and I knew Thewlis was gonna be in it.)
I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a really good movie about war and bondage, and those who like Steven Spielberg.
Hugo (2011)
3D or not, a great movie!
So I decided to go and check out Hugo. For its Oscar nomination and wins, of course, because I'm not very fond of 3D family movies. As it turns out, Martin Scorsese is still Martin Scorsese, even when it comes to directing non-gangster films. He is famous for his movies like Goodfellas, Casino and The Departed, which are the cream of gangster flicks and I understand Scorsese for wanting to try something new. It's not a good thing to be trapped in a genre. Just ask Michael Bay. First I didn't like the idea of 3D Scorsese film, especially a family film, but oh boy, was I wrong.
The film reminded me, why I fell in love with movies in the first place. The magic of cinema lingers all around this title, thanks to the amazing skills of Martin Scorsese. Mystery, lovable characters, interesting settings and excitement.
I haven't read the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, so I can't compare the movie to that, but I gotta say Hugo is worthy of all its Oscars (best cinematography, best art direction, best sound design and best sound editing), except one: best special effects. That should've went to Harry Potter, hands down. I mean what's so special about some flying papers? The dream- train scene was very well done, but it's nothing more than we already saw in Inception.
The directing is stunning and the cinematography (especially in eye-popping 3D) is spectacular. The story sometimes gets slow, although it's entertaining throughout, the delightful performances of all the actors spice up the film, it's inspirational, it's wonderfully done, charming and touching. Though if the story doesn't grab you, you can always entertain yourself with the amazing visuals, the lovely music and the fantastic directing.
I recommend this film to all, all ages will like it, except, maybe, rebellious teens.
The Artist (2011)
The best thing in 3D times
In a world where movies are converted to 3D just because this is the new trend, where we hardly see any hand-drawn animation, where acclaimed directors start using 3D, a black-and-white, silent (2D) movie really stands out. I can only imagine how Martin Scorsese must've felt at the Oscars.
The Artist is a wonderful film, highly emotional, funny a lot of times, enjoyable and technically well done. It is definitely worth watching: amazing performances, great story, stunning visuals and magical music. The fact that the movie is silent, makes it even better, because sounds and silences have a way deeper meaning this way. (You can't really eat popcorn to this film, though. Everyone will hear your crunching.)
It is a very good thing that The Artist was able to win the Oscars, it's just kind of sad that it failed at the box office.
The Hunger Games (2012)
Pretty good, but could've been better.
May the odds be ever in your favor!
The Hunger Games is a really good film, and I can only imagine how good the books must be (I gotta read them some time!). The world of the film fascinated me, the story was great, the characters as well, especially because of the great actors portraying them. Good special effects, OK action and good times at the movies.
What I hated though, was the cinematography. The hand-held camera, the shaky-cam irritated me so much, I couldn't enjoy many parts of the film because of it. The fast-paced editing didn't help either! Sometimes things got so confusing, I couldn't tell what was going on on the screen. And the camera never stopped! It would've been great to let our eyes have some rest between poorly coordinated action scenes, but the darn camera just kept on moving! This has to stop. This style of shooting isn't good. Stop it. Please.
Other than this unfortunate error, I enjoyed the movie. I haven't read the book, so I don't know how good the adaptation was, but I think the screenwriter(s) did a terrific job. There were a couple things I didn't like about the story though: the ending, which I found predictable, and someone's death, which I think was overemphasized. The love story seemed forced to me too, but maybe it was better written in the book. I also missed the twists. All the major plot points were in the trailer, so there weren't any surprises. I loved Stanley Tucci in the film and Jennifer Lawrence was a perfect action star.
Another thing I didn't like was the PG-13 rating. Some scenes could've been so awesome, but the editors took away the sound, added some heart-braking music to the shakily shot scenes, making them hard to enjoy. The film could've had so much potential if the studio didn't want to stick to the lower rating. Blood and gore is fun! Especially when the theme of the movie is so brutal. People expect to see more, than just quick, shaky images that only imply the action, rather than show it.
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
It's not that bad.
One other thing changed along with the hair of our beloved demigod, Perseus, and that is the composer. Clash of the Titans had a godly soundtrack by Ramin Djawadi, but Wrath, instead of the heavenly horns and "vunderful" violins of the Olympus, utilized the gruesome guitars and killer keyboards of the Tartarus, making a barely bearable background noise for the fight scenes. A film score needs to stand on its own! It's awesome if it can support the scenes in the film, that's what the primary function is, but if no-one wants to listen to it after watching the movie, then it's no good. Just take Star Wars for example.
Clash had a great track by Ramin Djawadi. It had everything: heroic themes, suspense, action and emotions. The filmmakers should've just re-used the score of the first film, if not re- hiring Djawadi. I even found myself playing the old soundtrack in my head over the constant pumping of the beat and it would've worked so much better. Anyway, the movie was fun. Nothing much, entertaining, action packed and a great spectacle. The story and the script weren't very strong, though I didn't expect them to be any good. I saw Clash of the Titans, ya know.
The best thing in Wrath of the Titans didn't last long. I'm talking about Bill Nighy. Him as Hephaistos and the way he performed his role was a delight. Nighy is one amazing actor, godly in every bit (especially in this particular picture), with his entertaining acting and that distinctive way of speech. It was just kinda sad he didn't have bigger role in this movie.
I might be one in a million, but I liked Clash too and I gotta say, in some aspects, Wrath was even better. I don't say that these movies are anything extraordinary, because they're not, but they offer some good entertainment.
Iron Man (2008)
Great fun!
Iron Man is the Batman Begins of the Marvel universe. It shows the origins of a great superhero, done by a very good director, a fantastic actor in the title role and pretty good writers. I loved the part, when Tony Stark was in the cave building the MK I armor and then escaping with it, I also enjoyed the stuck-up character of Stark and the way Robert Downey Jr. portrayed him. I don't know if Tony had the electro-magnet in his chest in the comics as well, but I really liked the idea.
This movie is the first that leads up to The Avengers and at that it's great, because, unlike Captain America, it totally stands on its own and it doesn't keep reminding you that it's a prequel, other than the obvious post-credits scene. On the other hand, I don't know which one was first, but Iron Man kept reminding me of Batman. A lot. Tony Stark is a rich playboy, Bruce Wayne as well. They both live through a tragic experience and thus decide to become superheroes. With their money and brain they create their suit and ultra high-tech gadgets to fight terrorism/crime. Pepper Potts+J.A.R.V.I.S.=Alfred Pennyworth, Rhodey=Robin+Gordon. Just sayin'.
The movie is highly enjoyable, a great fun, packed with action and also some laughs. Ramin Djawadi (one of my favorite composers) did a fantastic job in scoring, Jon Favreau's directing was great and JEFF BRIDGES! was a kick-ass super-villain. I recommend it to anyone who likes superheroes, but those too, who just love an entertaining action movie. Maybe they'll learn to like them.
The Avengers (2012)
Is The Avengers really that good? It is.
I knew this movie was going to be good, but I thought 96% on RottenTomatoes and 8.9 on IMDb was a little too much for a movie like this. Oh boy how wrong I was. This film was not good, it was EPIC! With all caps and an exclamation mark.
We have all our favorite heroes in a single movie, played by some great actors, driven by over the top special effects and co-ordinated by a skillful director, who also rocks with the dialogs. I think it took a great deal of pre-production and in-production work by Joss Wheedon to make these unique characters work well in a single film and he did a terrific job in keeping together all these amazing actors.
There was no dull moment in this film. It was very well paced, wonderfully done and greatly enjoyed. The first half consisted of getting all the heroes together, introducing the plot and the characters, but it was done with such finesse, that I didn't even realize how long this part took. The film was very entertaining throughout, with hilarious comic reliefs, exciting action and wonderful score by Alan Silvestri.
I loved when all of the Avengers were together and just talked, because the awesome script really showed their character and why they're not really good as a team. But they finally got on with each other and the final battle commenced - the most epic final battle after, of course, Lord of the Rings. There's a shot in this scene, which just blew my mind. It was a single shot, with no cuts at all, showing all the characters fighting the alien hordes and it was just fantastic.
I first felt sad, when I heard Edward Norton won't be reprising his role as Bruce Banner, but as soon as Mark Ruffalo appeared on screen, I thought: "Way better than Ed Norton." They made a great choice in casting him, he was much more convincing and less greedy. Norton may be angry with himself, but he won't turn green anymore.
What Joss Wheedon did really well is that he deepened all the supporting characters we've seen in the other films. We learned a lot about Black Widow, about Hawkeye and even about Agent Coulson. The writer is really great with all the different characters, because it feels like we're watching people who could very well exist, not just superhero cardboard cut-outs. Most films like this - ahem Superman ahem - only have that.
I can honestly say I loved The Avengers, I don't care if it's too mainstream. The superhero movies are my favorite sub-genre! I recommend it to all, watch it, love it, enjoy it. I can't wait for more.