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mefisto222
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No Time to Die (2021)
Action loaded family drama - Too far from a Bond movie...
I was surprised by such high rating of the movie at IMDB. "No Time to Die" is for me one of the worst 007 movies, I ever seen. While watching the movie, I was "praying" for the end (which was surprisingly good, first star). The rest of the movie is just a painful show of action clichés, pointless dialogues and wasting of great crew. Whatever used to make a James Bond movie great is gone in "No Time to Die". Check this:
1. James Bond as a womanizer failed. Frankly, Daniel Craig is way to old for 007. I do not want to see a retired 007 or 007 as a family guy.
2. Villain character to weak with no depth. Where are the bad guys, you liked (like Le Chiffre)
3. No real bond girl in the movie. I wished that Ana de Armas (second star for her appearance) would have got more time in the movie for developing a Bond girl character. She was gorgeous in the Cuba scene, just way to short in the movie.
4. Majority of the action scenes are pathetic. Everyone is shooting from assault rifles, but of course only Bond hits. Car chases are pretty good (third star for the movie), but nothing special, I think.
5. Lack of any chemistry among characters. The great cast just showed and then disappeared again.
6. Pointless dialogues - there is no any memorable line in the movie. If you remember dialogues from CASINO ROAYLE or SKYFALL, there is none from the last 007 movie.
7. No humor, no irony - 007 movies are based on humor/irony/sarcasm, which is sometimes beyond today's political correctness. Nothing here... the movie feels like action loaded family drama.
8. the movie is just too long for the story/characters portrayed. The director could spare at least 30 min.
Overall, 007 movies need a new punch to make it more attractive for a NETFLIX/PRIME spoiled audience in years 2020+. Only big action does not make it...
The Revenant (2015)
A one-star movie
I keep wondering, why is this movie so high-rated... Watching this movie, I was just thinking, when this is over.... One star goes to cinematography.
With all respect to Leanardo DiCaprio, who is undoubtely a great actor, I have seen him in many far better movies, such as Aviator, Catch Me If You Can, Wolf of WS,..
Beside a weak story repeated for many times, there is no really memorable moment of this movie. Pehaps one, when Leaonardo used a horse cadaver as a sleeping bag. And after waking up, still in winter, he just dressed up clothes hanging on a tree and walked several miles back to his camp. btw. after falling from the 20m high tree before...
Is this really a several Oscars worthy movie?
Many reviewers appraised the reality of the movie. However, they are somehow replacing brutality for reality. Yes, the movie is brutal. No, movie is not realistic at all and just boring to watch.
The Predator (2018)
Please, do not pay any cent for this movie!!!
I have seen many movies and I am quite generous with the stars. However, this is the first movie, which I have ever rated with one star only. Only star is to see Olivia Munn in action :-)
I am a big Predator franchise fan. After well received "The Predators" from 2010 , I hoped for further success of the franchise. What "Predator - Upgrade" delivered was not only disappointing, it was almost insulting for the franchise fans. The plot was like a comic book for school kids, however with pointless jokes for adults. The actions scenes has no tension at all. The scene with the both Predators was so short and flat (compare to The Predators). In general, the movie reminded me more on Transformers franchise than Predator. I am just happy to see it in TV without paying VoD or theater tickets.
I am so sorry for the cast such as Thomas Jane to be part of this movie disaster.
The Light Between Oceans (2016)
One of the best dramas I have ever seen - worthy every second
I am not writing movie review much, however, I could not resist after watching this masterpiece. This movie is undoubtedly one of the best dramas I have ever seen and comparable with some big shots like Philadelphia, Schindler's List or Crash. Frankly, I am surprised that the movie was omitted at Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
Why nine stars?
3 stars for the cast: The cast is simply great and led by strong performance of Michael Fassbender (one of the best male actor of his age) as an introvert yet very sensitive and upright WWI veteran, followed by Alicia Vikander bringing all range of the femine emotions on the screen from a naive local beauty up to an emotionally destroyed mother (Academy Award worthy) and finally strong performance delivered by Rachel Weisz as loving and forgiving mother. In particular, the chemistry between Fassbender and Vikander is absolutely powerful in portraying of a lovely couple. No wonder :-)
3 stars for the story: The story attracts you from very first moment and is underlined by great casting and cinematography. Every seconds counts and you wish the movie is running longer. You really feel the ethical conflicts of the characters and questioning your own attitude in such matters. These conflicts are very realistic and not pathetic at all.
3 start for movie-making (cinematography, music, etc.): The Light Between Oceans is also very intense because of the very powerful cinematography and music. You really feel a salty cold wind in your face :-)
Where is one star missing? Frankly, I wish we would have experienced more about the period between the time in jail and Isabel's death. It would be interesting to follow their romance. Despite this fact, the movie is amazing and worthy every second. Quite rare feeling nowadays.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Action movie of the year
I left the cinema completely amazed by visual and acoustical masterpiece. Very impressive. I was sitting in my car, wondering where is the desert and Charlize:-) Yet no so dark and scary as I expected, George Miller delivered one of the best action movies in the last 10 years, comparable with Nolan's Batman movies or Bay's Transformers I. This movie is a must for all action loving audience and this movie experience is worthy every penny. So why only 7 stars?
I would love to give 10 of them, but there are some WEAK SIDES of the movie: 1. TOM HARDY AS MAD MAX - I was disappointed by Tom Hardy in Child 44 and the performance in Mad Max just confirmed that. Mel Gibson as Mad Max was kind of crazy guy. Tom Hardy is somehow teleported Bane from Batman. 2. THE BAD GUYS - it is visually very attractive to watch the road battles, however, you are missing any scary or nasty part watching the bad guys (e.g compared to Bane & Joker in Batman. The different tribes could be described more precisely, perhaps even showing their home bases. 3. HAPPY ENDING - I know there is always happy end. However, finding a new place for a quiet living somewhere at a seaside would be fine, as well. No need for Greenpeace Happy Ending.
Nevertheless, go to a cinema and enjoy this action masterpiece.
Before Midnight (2013)
Compressed in one room
I saw both prequels and enjoyed them very much. The highlights of the previous movies were a simple yet interesting plot, decent acting and matching location emphasizing the spirit of these movies. You can find all of this in "Before Midnight" again, but unfortunately in a very small dose. This small dose (approx. 30 min) is absolutely great but it cannot balance the rest of the movie.
Watching first hour of the movie, I got a feeling, I was following a strange reality show about some couples having a nice holiday. From my perspective, the dialogs in that part are just pointless and not funny. The conversation got stuck somewhere between sexual obsession and sentimental trash (e.g. conversation at the table in the villa). Sometimes, I felt that the camera guy had forgot to stop the footage. No wonder, if someone left a theater.
The movie got a little bit kick in the second part, though. The scene in the hotel room contains all of those ingredients, I expected from the movie: excellent acting, feeling of every detail in the conversation. This takes approx. 30 min. The final scene at the harbor is quite nice again, but just for 10 min and the movie is over. That's it.
A very big disappointment in overall.
The Ambassador (2011)
Superb!
I cought this documentary by searching my TV channels. In fact, friend of mine was involved in gold mine business in Mali. His experience is very close to that of Mads. Very bizarre way of living, full of betrayals, corruption, promises and dissappoitments. Mads' experience was rather a happy end, one of a few in this business. Anyway, the story-telling, camera and selected characters are perfect. You can get very fast into the story and enjoy absurdity of the neo-colonial style of living. You become part of this crazy business. You wonder that you are in 21st century. In addition, his acting performance is great. Therefore thumb up Mads!
The American (2010)
Missing the essence
I can imagine that the novel A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth is a very fine book. However, its adaption as "The American" is somehow disappointing for me. It is netiher a personal story nor a decent thriller movie.
I do not think that the movie is boring or too slow. The story (although many times written/shot in a similar way before) is a quite decent story offering a space for interesting details. These fine details are exectly the essence what I have missed in the movie. Apart from the assembling the rifle, there are just few sequences going into deep. For instance, the dinner at the fine restaurant offered a great stage for the development of the persons. Thus, the movie just scratches on the surface or is just a show of the clichés (the priest, etc.) In addtion, the movie has several inconsistencies: e.g. shooting scene the night with dead Vespa driver and the Swedish assassin... If such accidents happen in a such small town, many of Carrabinieri would be involved. Or why is Clooney just waiting what will happen instead of searching for the Swedish connection? Therefore is the movie rather a disappointment for me. 4 points for the location, decent performance of Clooney and Placido and a fine cinematography.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Disappointing movie? Yes, really!!!
As I read the reviews about this movie, they seemed to me divided into two groups: 0-2 stars rating or 9-10 stars rating. To be honest, I cannot belong to any of these groups. I am giving five stars as a movie worth just your money, but nothing more. I have seen three movies in last 14 days: There Will Be Blood, Vantage Point and NCFOM. Surprisingly, NCFOM was the worst one for me. Why?
After leaving the cinema on Saturday, I was deeply disappointed about this movie. According to reviews, regardless the Oscar, I expected great acting, strong characters, excellent plot and last but not least breathtaking cinematography. Sort of 9-10 movie. IMHO, it went 50:50.
Plot & Cinematography
The good think: Cinematography is great. No cheap studio images or wanna-be thrilling sequences from a chopper.
The bad thing: Plot The beginning itself proves the weakness of the plot. The first-class assassin Chigurh (Javier Bardem) caught by the local young sheriff. After next minutes of the movie watching Chigurgh's attitude to human beings , I realized this rookie sheriff was apparently the toughest guy from all.
Nevertheless, the first hour of the movie is really thrilling, even despite some typical "action scenes" man-car chasing or pit-bull shot by the river in very last second, both with Moss (Josh Brolin). In fact, the best part of the movie was clearly the events around hotels and motels during Brolin's getaway.
However, what the first hour promises, the further part cannot keep. Philosophical lectures of sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), although funny, somehow far away from the movie. Apart from lack of the real law enforcement in the story (you cannot always expect super cool FBI or DEA agents), you won't experience who or what was behind the wrong running drug deal or contracting Chigurh.
The last but biggest disappointment is the ending. I do not expect the good guy is the last man standing, however some kind of conclusion would be fine. Everyone is dead, the killer has shown human feeling and did not shoot two teenagers and Jones is drinking coffee
Acting & characters. Undoubtedly Javier Bardem as psycho killer Anton Chigurh is the evil of the season 2007/2008. I have remembered him from Collateral as Felix, small part but great performance. The way he is killing in NCFOM is more than obvious brutality mixed with insanity, although he acts like a killing ET (Predator type). You should not seek a real person behind. Someone may like it, someone not. But I did.
Josh Brolin is usually a quite underrated actor and I do not know why. I think he has proved in this movie his skill to play normal guys being in wrong time at wrong place. However, his character Llewelyn Moss leaves the story like a pit-bull he shot by the river, although he carried probably 50% of the movie. No one is expecting him to be last man standing, but his character required something else as the ending in my opinion.
The biggest disappointment in this movie is part given to Tommy Lee Jones as the old sheriff Ed Tom Bell. I admire this guy truly and his acting is great in NCFOM. Nevertheless, his pseudo-psychological character without being a real part of the story is like cut from other movie with no sense. As soon as Jones was on the screen, I had feeling it is like a commercial break during the sport event. No real involvement or effect on the story. Really wasting him for this role. The same applies for the role of Woody Harrelson.
Finally, when I was leaving the theater I met lot of people thinking: "Was that a movie, I expected?" My answer is no, it was not bad but nothing special. Compare to The Will Be Blood very poor