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Life (2017)
Boring and Stupid
The very first minute does not bode well. The director would have got the Doppler's effect quite right, if there were actually a medium for sound waves to propagate in space.
The "scientists" and "astronauts" in the film behave more like emotional children rather than rational adults. When I saw the first guy die, I could not help feeling a deep joy. "Great! He deserved it for his stupidity!"
Barbarians Rising (2016)
Disappointing
They got some facts wrong and omitted some others that are really crucial.
Contrary to what a commentator claims, Roman armies were essentially militia instead of professionals until the Marian reforms of 107 BC.
It was unlikely that Hannibal was Afro-looking. Carthago was itself a colony established by the Phoenicians and Hannibal was supposedly descended from Phoenician nobels. He most likely looked like an Arab rather than an African.
The Scipio who fought Hannibal later in Carthago was actually the son of the Scipio who went to Hispania but failed to intercept Hannibal. In the show it was as if these two had been the same guy.
The most important Roman figure during the war against Hannibal was Fabius Maximus. Yet he was not even mentioned once in the whole episode.
Hannibal eventually killed himself because his patron at that time was being forced by Rome to deliver him. In the show it was as if he simply had got tired of life.
The only positive thing is that they usually pronounced Scipio's name in the Latin way, i.e. Skipio instead of Sipio.
Hannibal (2006)
Okay in general. But too many historical inaccuracies.
I did read Livius' Ab Urbe Condita, largely based on which the film was made. Thus I could not help comparing the film with what Livius originally wrote. (The Anglicized name of Livius is Livy. But I will stick to Livius in this review because I do not like the practice of Anglicization of proper names in general.)
Livius' spent more than ten books on the Second Punic War. So it is a very difficult task to condense the story within 90 minutes. The film has done relatively well. The most important events have been included. (It would have been better if Hannibal's political achievements after the conclusion of the Second Punic War had not been omitted. Hannibal was not only a great general, but also a good statesman.)
The major problem that I see with this film is historical inaccuracies.
The first moment that I was a bit turned off was when Hannibal said he would enter Italy via France. But the name France was not to exist for hundreds of years. Unlike Spain or Italy, France did not get its modern name until the beginning of the Middle Ages. I can understand that the director did not want to confuse modern audience with historical names like Gaul. But still, calling that region France in Hannibal's time is preposterous. The same with "Turkey" at the end of the film. Come on. The Turks would not be known in Europe for another 1500 years. (Fortunately they did not decide to call Carthage Tunisia.)
The scene that Hannibal ordered his soldiers to bring firewood and wine to break a big rock blocking his way in the Alps is based on a story told by Livius. But the authenticity of this story has long been disputed. Given its historical insignificance, I am not sure whether it was wise to include this story in the film while omitting many much more important events.
Fargo (1996)
Overrated
It is an okay film. On the plus side, the music is quite nice.
I can't however really understand why it has such a high score. The story of a kidnapping gone awry is quite simple. What is quite special is how unintelligently the people in this film talk and act. Unlike most films, this one does not have really smart or powerful characters. Much of the conversations, just as in real life, is basically nonsense. So in this sense the film is realistic.
The problem with this realism is however that the film can get quite boring. Time is spent on events that have nothing to do with the main story. For example, the policewoman met one of her schoolmates who turned out to have some serious psychological issues. But that guy or their meeting has nothing to do with anyone else in the film. So why that scene instead of let's say, a rabbit is sleeping very tight in his burrow?
This film reminds me of No Country for Old Men. If you like that genre, you'll probably enjoy this film.
Oldeuboi (2003)
Mixed
The story is quite original. A guy wants to find out the reason why he has been imprisoned for 15 years. Yet in the end it turns out that he has asked the wrong question. Instead of "why 15 years imprisoned", he should have asked "why is he let free now". The choice of music in violence scenes is also quite interesting.
I find however rather difficult to empathize with those people. Both the ultimate motive and the ultimate punishment are about incest. Obviously in the Korean culture incest is taken really seriously and you are supposed to really suffer psychologically when you learn that you have had it unknowingly. Rationally I can understand it. Yet emotionally I can't feel it. My natural reaction would be "okay. I have slept with my daughter/father. So what?"
Pandorum (2009)
Full of clichés
Let's be honest. After so many similar films, it is virtually impossible to come up with something really original if you still stick to mutated life forms or aliens in a spaceship. It is neither the director's nor the actors' fault. The story of a group of survivors being chased by some bloodthirsty creatures in a spaceship can no longer be imaginative. What the script writer has done is just pick up some older film, change the names of its characters, make the spaceship a bit bigger and the monsters a bit uglier. And voila, a new film!
Unless you have never watched more than two space travel films, or you are some hardcore sci-fi fan who gets turned on as long as there is a spaceship, this film is probably not for you.
Fetih 1453 (2012)
Great Disappointment
Being a non-Muslim, I can't really be moved by anything heroic or romantic depicted in this film. I wonder whether this film can be loved by anyone who is neither Muslim nor Turkish.
I am not a historian so I don't know for sure how historically accurate it is. But it looks like propaganda. Especially the ending scene seems so fake. Mehmet is depicted as a savior/saint instead of someone who simply wants more power or glory.
The film is also very predictable. The duel between the two men who loved the same woman, the changing of banner on the high tower. The only thought when I watched these parts was "Come on. Be serious!"
Serenity (2005)
Boring
One of the most boring an unconvincing films that I have watched. I have to admit that I have not watched the TV series. I simply do not understand why those guys are doing what they are doing. It is impossible for me to relate to any character in the film.
Maybe it is a film better suited for Star Wars fans. I just cannot understand concepts like swordplay with laser beams. Call me unimaginative or whatever. I just do not see the point of it.
The script is full of clichés. The fact is, the characters do not seem humans at all. To me they seem some robots reciting their lines.
Maybe it is just me. I don't like those Japanese/Chinese characters flying around everywhere in the film. Is there any purpose other than making their world look weirder and harder to understand.
Alien (1979)
Rather childish film for someone used to modern films
The film does not make sense.
The science-fiction part is outdated and even amusing: space suits emitting CO2, funny computer monitors and keyboards, etc.
Since the film was made in 1979, these technical details are forgivable.
The idea of having a crew mainly made of humans is absurd, given that they obviously are capable of making really advanced robots.
Not for a second I was surprised by the plot of the film.
I can understand why this film was a top film in 1979. But I can't see why it should deserve any score above 6 in the 21st century.